As Mars prepares to turn retrograde on the 30th, he’ll be slowing down and lengthening his contacts with planets. This means his first square to Neptune on Wednesday October 12th will affect us the entire work week.
As I mentioned in the intro, four planets are changing direction this month. When planets station, their deceleration mirrors our own movements as we slow down, immerse and contemplate. A Mars-Neptune square amplifies this feeling of moving in slow motion. Let’s take a look at some of the ways this transit can manifest.
Running in a dream
Have you ever dreamt of desperately trying to flee a situation but you can barely move? You’re getting nowhere fast and straining for one inch? Mars squaring Neptune can feel like trying to run in a dream. A heavy mental fog sets in making it hard to think. A ridiculous dose of procrastination sabotages productivity plans for a day or two. An inexplicable case of the blahs has you reaching for a bag, a bottle or the remote. We just don’t have it in us to give any more bandwidth to an irritating situation. If mid-October finds your energy levels zapped and life feels bloated, it’s alright to put on your fat pants and chill. We’re meant to go with the flow at this time which for some of us will mean taking a time out.
Consecrated Action
A prominent Neptune is often found in the charts of spiritual teachers and artists. Here we find another side of Mars—Neptune: spiritual and creative vitality. Mars square Neptune can be an inspiring time of courting the creative muse. This can look like working on an art project, signing up for dance classes and/or immersing yourself in an imaginative space.
On the spiritual front, opportunities arise that allow us to be completely present. The prominent action becomes full awareness which unfolds in Karma Yoga, or the “yoga of action” where every moment is infused with embodied awareness leading to conscious action. Eckhart Tolle refers to this kind of living as “consecrated action” because we’re not treating this moment as a means to an end, but as an end in itself. Not unlike running in a dream, time takes on a suspended quality as each moment is witness and cared for. Great power comes from living in this heart space as we create from the deepest level.
Dates
Mars in Gemini will connect with Neptune in Pisces three times:
- October 12, 2022 at 23°21′
- November 19, 2022 at 22°42′ — Mars is retrograde
- March 14, 2023 at 25°04′
Look to the topics of your Aries and Scorpio houses for an idea of where this transit might affect you. Whether this is an area of feeling burnt out, a willingness to surrender to what is, or a little of both: what arises mid-October will have a beginning, middle and end corresponding to the dates above.
Images found on flaticon.com