Mars is our red next-door neighbor, one of the two closest planets to Earth in our solar system. On April 17th Mars will start a very rare retrogression period, which will have an interesting affect upon our lives.
In its course around the Sun, Mars usually resides two and a half months in every astrological realm. But this time, as it almost finishes its visit in the realm of the Gate, Mars will start its retrogression period and then go BACK all the way to the beginning of the Realm of the Gate, and then to go through it for a third time when it turns back to its normal and forward path. This means that Mars will be in the Realm of the Gate for about 8 months instead of for 2.5 months – its usual stay in a realm, from February till October. The retrogression period will be between April 17th and June 29th.
Mars retrogrades every 2.5 years or so, every time in a different Astrological Realm, and rarely does it happen that during the whole period of going straight, retrograding and coming back – this all happens in only one realm. So this very lengthy and rare visit of Mars in the Realm of the Gate happens only every 30 years or so!
But not only that – the Realm of the Gate is very important for Mars, because it holds in it the constellation of Scorpio !
Scorpio and Mars resonate the same frequency and Mars in the classical astrology is considered as the ruler of Scorpio. The brightest star of the Scorpio constellation is the red star Antares. The meaning of the word “Antares” is anti-Ares. Ares is Mars’ Greek name – the God of War. So Antares is Mars’ eternal rival and counterbalance, and it actually looks just like Mars in the skies.
So this elongated journey will also mean that Mars will conjunct Antares 3 times this year (instead of once every 2.5 years)! Once going forward in the realm of the Gate, the second when it retrogrades and returns back in its steps, and the last time when it makes its final forward journey there.
Read more about Mars’s retrogression