Mars Madness: Full Moon in Gemini*

The halfway point of the Mars retrograde brings a moral crisis.

Mars, by Simon Lee (unsplash)

On December 7th/8th Mars makes its opposition to the Sun, marking the halfway point of the Mars retrograde cycle. Mars will be the furthest it can get the Sun during this period, providing a stunning visual of Mars in the night sky from sundown to sunrise. The opposition can be thought of as a key turning point with respect to the events and lessons of the retrograde, which center on all things related to the mutable, air, and Mercury-ruled sign and the area it influences in our individual lives.

Thus far, Mars has brought about acute crises, conflicts, or acts of ingenuity we engage in may force us to deal with our relationship to exchanges of information, transport, or communication. Mars’ dissective qualities are enhanced by virtue of its presence in one of Mercury’s signs, since Mercury does like to break larger structures or ideas into smaller parts. Since Gemini represents the airy, diurnal side of Mercury, we will have been dealing with more abstract forms of dissection and division. We have also been seeing rush to develop new platforms and technologies for communication and transportation, as well as an increased demand to engage with these things. Look at how the implosion of Twitter has led advertisers and content creators to pull out of the platform in favor of other means of engaging with their target audiences. Furthermore, there may be disputes over the ways in which we engage with each other (think social media)! With respect to transportation, rail workers in the US are threatening to go on strike, which could have some intense consequences for the transport of goods within the country.

Since Mars is in one of Mercury’s signs (tropically), it can be useful to think about Mercury’s condition to assess what may be driving Mars to act. I find it quite telling that the Mars retrograde reaches its crescendo as Mercury ingresses into a new sign. This is key because Mercury is also experiencing a dignity change, leaving its exile in jovial Sagittarius to explore the saturnian expanse that is Capricorn. Mercury will also eventually turn retrograde in Capricorn, suggesting that Mars’ direct station in January will be influenced by the position of Mercury in this cardinal, earthy, Saturn-ruled sign. With Mercury moving away from a more faith or conviction-based form of exchanging ideas towards an approach that favors careful deliberation over facts and auditing of existing structures— Mars may begin to process the choices to be made in a more methodical manner. Since Mercury and Mars cannot see each other by Ptolemaic aspect, it may be hard to integrate the auditing and surveying of Capricorn Mercury with the need to think on one’s feet brought about my Mars in Gemini. Capricorn and Gemini do have contra-antiscia to one another, which can function like an opposition in shadow. Therefore the goals of Mars and Mercury are contradicting each other in some way, and this period may involve a struggle to balance both objectives.

Beyond looking at the position of Mercury, it can be helpful to consider other aspects that Mars is making, as well as the decanic symbolism of Mars’ placement to understand what this turning point in the retrograde cycle can bring. This Sun-Mars opposition has some special features that may strongly emphasize the need to take inventory of your choices before deciding on a course of action. Making hardcore decisions can be saved for Mars’ direct station on January 12th/13th.

Moon & Mars

This Sun-Mars opposition is special because it happens to coincide with a Full Moon. Full Moons are also the result of an opposition with the Sun, and it is when the Moon is at its brightest during its cycle. The waxing and waning of the Moon’s light each month is often likened to the stages of a plant’s growth and development. It is at this stage where things start to bloom. Being the closest celestial body to the earth and having a life cycle that mirrors the stages of various life forms on earth also makes it representative of people and bodies. In fact, the Moon represents the people and their needs, feelings, and concerns in mundane astrology. It seems clear that people and their collective action will be central to the nature of this configuration.

The Moon and Mars have an interesting relationship with one another, regardless of the astrological system that you look at. In Hellenistic Astrology, both are members of the nocturnal sect. The Moon setting the agenda and themes for the goals of the nocturnal, and Mars representing the necessary evils that enforce that agenda. Both are planets of appetite, with the Moon representing needs for sustenance, and Mars relating to craving, desire, and lust for that which is scarce or lacking. Though I will generally talk about the tropical zodiac and use terms from Western astrological traditions, I do find that my studies of Vedic Astrology do provide a wider range of understanding planetary energies. When the Moon and Mars come together by conjunction or aspect in the Vedic system, they form Chandra-Mangal Yoga, a combination that is said to bestow wealth:

“When Mangala bonds with Chandra, a financial dhanayoga is formed that motivates the native to pursue their security [Chandra] via energetic dynamic competition [Mangala].” - Barbara Pijan

The appetite for a specific outcome brings about a competitive energy motivating people to strive for excellence, perhaps at the expense of harmonious relationships. Ironically, the rest days for the ongoing 2022 FIFA World Cup are on these days — perhaps for good reason! The matches taking place prior to the lunation determine the teams that go on to the quarterfinals, so it should be a spectacle regardless.

Something worth mentioning is that the Moon is also occulting Mars— temporarily blocking the sight of the red wandering star. This feels symbolic of a need to conceal or tone down any desire for bold or aggressive action. Best case scenario of this could be a period of honing inner strength to push for a desired outcome— connecting with an internal fire that is not visible to others and often hard to access. Worst case scenario may involve the concealment of plans to cause harm to others, if not the contamination or destruction of things that provide many people with sustenance or security— in a quest to acquire something greater. Though the action or desire may seem small, the consequences of acting it out may be large.

A Moon Besieged

The next aspect the Moon makes following its conjunction with Mars and opposition to the Sun is a trine with Saturn. Despite the soft aspect from Saturn, the Moon will technically be besieged since it is flanked by aspects from malefics within 7 degrees on either side. However, the trine aspect from Saturn makes the experience of besiegement less of a pressure cooker situation. The swift motion of the Moon relative to other planets puts it in a position to “translate” light between the planets it is flanked by— suggesting that the Moon in this configuration is playing an important role in facilitating the relationship between a desire for decisive action and a need to honor existing boundaries or obligations.

Mars and Saturn already perfected their trine on the 28th of November. The Moon being caught between these planets will reignite some of the themes that came up during this trine. Of note, some protests against “Zero Covid” policies kicked off in China around the time of the trine between the lesser and greater malefics. Similarly, some nursing staff staged a historic strike in the UK and Amazon workers across the globe also stated walkouts following Black Friday. It is very clear that this trine relates to the necessary disruption of action to revisit the need for rules and obligations. The social contract to comply with government orders or provide labor only works when everyone is playing their part, and on a personal level this might look more like pausing something before you can move forward. It is possible that the Full Moon acting as a trigger may involve a collective, emotionally-charged endeavor which may double down on the need to slow down activity before moving forward.

Gemini Decan II - Moral Dilemmas*

Finally, it is helpful to contextualize the meaning of the Sun-Mars opposition by looking at the decan of the zodiac that Mars happens to be in. Mars’ backwards progression through the decans of Gemini has provided us with a masterclass in what I like to call “the curse of knowing.” For those of you who are familiar with Austin Coppock’s conceptualization of the decans, along with the Golden Dawn associations between astrology and tarot, you will laugh when I call the progression of the decans of Gemini as the curse of knowing. This particular journey is interesting because it depicts the stages being presented with information that potentially challenges your framework. Can you accept that there is something more to what you have already established? Can they co-exist, or can they both be true at different times? These are the questions that we will need to explore fully before Mars enters Cancer in the spring, where we will be challenged to establish a new response to potential threats to our emotional comfort and security. 

Nine of Swords

The Sun-Mars opposition and concurrent Full Moon reside in the second decan of Gemini, which Austin calls “The Hermaphrodite.” This is a decan ruled by Mars in the Chaldean decan system, and Venus in the triplicity system. He characterizes this decan in terms of the tremendous range that planets here can operate under. However, with dualities and multiplicities comes the struggle to be everything all at once. This decan is associated with the Nine of Swords in the minor arcana of tarot. In her book 36 Secrets, T. Susan Chang describes the mental anguish captured in the imagery associated with this card and decan. When we explored this decan and the people who embody it through their placements during the Gemini Decans Episode of the Fixed Astrology Podcast, the emphasis on moral dilemmas was pretty apt for the chart examples we were able to cover. There was also an element of performance where it seems like people will be positioned to wear many hats or masks, and they may feel torn up inside for not being able to honor all facets of the self at all times.

Given the hunger to strive for a particular outcome at all costs, it is possible that in taking these actions, both major actors in facilitating global events and individuals just living their own lives are forced to question who they are performing these actions for. With some of the energies of protest and disruption to our means of exchanging ideas and goods with one another, perhaps some key questions about the actions committed to and the authenticity behind these gestures will need to be examined. Maybe people will need to make decisions that negatively impact some groups while temporarily benefiting others. Alternatively, it could involve making decisions that you are not fully comfortable with that may require you to mask or camouflage certain facets of yourself. Even if you do take a stand for something important and double down on the necessary inaction you committed to during the Saturn-Mars trine, you might question whether you did the right things or if you went far enough.

For Siderealists - Taurus Decan III

Speaking of duality, what better way to honor these issues than to provide an alternative lens to view this configuration with?! Though the main analysis centers on tropical positions of planets, it can be helpful to consider what is going on sidereally if that is your preference. At times in this newsletter, I’ll probably wax lyrical on concepts relevant for systems of astrology that use the sidereal zodiac. Honestly, I find that looking at the decanic placement in the sidereal zodiac can also be constructive and accurate.

Most ayanamsha would place the Full Moon and Sun-Mars opposition in the third decan of sidereal Taurus. Austin Coppock refers to this decan as “A String of Prayer Beads” and T. Susan Chang calls this one “Fail Better.” Both depictions of this decan involve our relationship to failure or disappointments beyond our control. How does one respond to the elements when they threaten the sense of stability that took ages to cultivate? Sidereally, with the Moon in her exaltation and Mars in detriment (if you use the dignity scheme from Western astrologies) it seems like a time for people to rally together to take pre-emptive steps to prevent some crisis (Mars) from befalling them again. The energy of this feels very much like a game of “poke the bear.”

Furthermore, Austin suggests that this decan very much has “insurance policy” energy, suggesting that the people (Moon) are positioned to cash out on something following a crisis (Mars). The people are very empowered to get what’s theirs in this situation, especially if they had a special trump card to pull out in case a rainy day such as this one eventually came along! Perhaps if you were struggling to make something work in an area of life, the loss of something brings a windfall.

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Mars’ opposition to the Sun is both a visual and symbolic spectacle that can hopefully inspire a sense of awe but a desire for bold action. When looking up at the sky in early December, it may be helpful to meditate on important dualities you hold within you and what the struggle to honor those facets can look like. If this post has inspired you to think more deeply about how turning points in planetary cycles can affect you personally, please consider booking a consultation with me!