Impact of Retrograde Mars-1

A retrograde Mars, anywhere in a natal chart, indicates that the individual either misused or neglected the use of the energy which is always resident in the Mars influence.

The energy of Mars is usually directed into either positive, direct, aggressive action in life, or into the areas of sexual gratification, temper, or violence. The location of the retrograde Mars, according to house position and sign, would differentiate what qualities of Mars would be emphasized and what qualities would be negated. Often, house position and sign involvement tend to stress certain qualities of a planet more than others, and this is where correlation and discrimination enter into the delineation of the planet, whether direct or retrograde.

Negative character traits of Mars could include an animalistic nature, an over-sensual character, a rash, impulsive, violent temper. Negative Mars, retrograde or direct, brings an offensive nature to the native of the chart, who would also be prone to accidents. It emphasizes coarseness, impatience and irritability.

First House: Retrograde Mars, negatively aspected, makes the individual too aggressive, boastful, temperamental, subject to emotional flare-ups, and very combative in his relationship with others. Here, the sign would demonstrate the type of personality developed through past incarnations. The personality represents the outer self; here is how the world views the individual; thus, the retrograde Mars tells that the personality, in the past, was misused in developing negative personality traits which would exhibit themselves in this lifetime through violent reactions, impulsiveness of action, quick resentment to what other people think and say to the individual, the restless drive, and, often indiscriminate waste of energy, which could be channeled into negative sexual drive and practices.

All of the personal actions and reactions from past lifetimes are going to be repeated in this lifetime, and the tendency is to be repetitive in action, continuously struggling for the same thing that the individual fought for before. Naturally, the same troubles, identical personal problems, and the same arguments will be repeated.

This energy of retrograde Mars could be both creative and procreative. It could indicate a personality that was very much over-sexed in the past.

Second House: Retrograde Mars shows the lack of development of values in the past, a lack of appreciation for things, for beauty. Too much attention, in the past, was put upon the drive for security and material possessions; the tendency to display your success to others, often in a gaudy, showy fashion. This could indicate a lack of good taste in the past.

Undoubtedly, the native of the chart with an afflicted, retrograde Mars here cheated, and could have used underhanded techniques to obtain success and accumulate material wealth.

Mars posited in the 2nd house, direct or retrograde, states that the individual has the ability to make money. Its aspects and retrograde conditions would clarify how he made that money. A negative Pluto to retrograde Mars would tell that the individual had been involved with criminal, syndicate activities in the past and would possibly be so involved in this lifetime, whether consciously or unconsciously.

It also tells that legacies, in the past, were misused and, so, in this lifetime, the subject would be cheated out of legacies or denied legacies because of the negative qualities emphasized by retrograde Mars. These qualities would offend those who might, normally, include the person in a will but, because of the rashness of his personality, he would often find himself eliminated, or not mentioned in a will, or cut out of the will entirely.

The lesson of a retrograde Mars in the 2nd house is the constructive use of the energy drives to acquire material security, but very important with this would be the philosophy of the use of these material possessions.

Retrograde Mars in the 2nd house cautions the individual against self-advancement at the expense of others. By concentrating on security through his own efforts and not by depending on other people, or other people’s needs, they can be self-made successes.