MARS MOVEMENTS
OCTOBER 30| Mars Stations Rx at 25*37' Gemini
Distracted, elsewhere, elusive, remote… these are words strung together to describe the degree through which Mars stations retrograde… ‘what ultimately and essentially makes sense is the reverse mirror image of what everybody says and thinks.’
This degree speaks of a ‘process of removal’, according to astrologer Dane Rudhyar, a removal, specifically, of “all superficialities of existence… reaching the essence of our individual being, the form of pure selfhood…”
First, the pruning…
Then, the baring down to nothing for the metaphorical winter.
Rudhyar transcribed this degree as ‘essentialization’, toward the processes in Nature which naturally remove that which isn’t true, or natural—that which isn’t essential—to allow for future growth to be healthier and stronger, and more… essential, to the overall authenticity.
If Mars moving through Gemini since August has taught us anything yet, so early in its route—through divisive divisions and paralleled positions—is that, even within ourselves, there is an ongoing battle between dynamics of all things… we have been somewhat bombarded with inner dialogues regarding what we think of this, of that—of everything! —and an almost instantaneous inner monologue to both question and argue each and every conclusion we think we’ve come to. Further, beyond these inner debates within the privacy of our own minds, we have had a nearly daily opportunity to find—or be found by—endless positions, predicaments, and perplexities to battle with words, our beloved opinions, or with passive-aggressive personal withdrawal from others who hold opposing or alternative viewpoints without explanation.
And, so, now—with Gemini stationing upon this degree that reflects essentialization… particularly through this stationing day or two, from October 26-30th, when Mars is nearly literally paused in orbit—which is ironic, as another perspective of this degree describes interruption—it is time to begin to think less, or rather: to think small so that we might be able to more fully, and more comfortably and capably consider more.
Forbes writer Frances Bridges, who also writes ‘life and career advice for twentysomething women’, published an article about what Rudhyar likely meant when he referred to ‘essentialization’, we now refer to it in modernity—essentialism.
Essentialism is, as it reads, the process of achieving more by doing less. Or, astrologically translated: Mars retrograde in Gemini.
Bridges quotes author Greg McKeown, whom the article is written about…
Essentialism is not about how to get more things done; it’s about how to get the right things done. It doesn’t mean just doing less for the sake of less either. It is about making the wisest possible investment of your time and energy in order to operate at our highest point of contribution by doing only what is essential.
Bridges writes of McKeown (and as nearly absurd as it feels to quote someone quoting someone—it is so Gemini, isn’t it?!) that there are three essential steps to this process: exploring and evaluating, eliminating, and executing.
Anyway—in tandem with pruning, and essentializing—there is a heavy celestial theme (especially as we move slowly into winter…) emphasis on minimizing the unnecessary. And we could argue, too, that this has been something of a new theme in many of our lives, particularly since covid—further, perhaps this Mars in Gemini transit has you questioning some of the ways you spent your everyday time through that phase in our collective history… especially as we continue to feel the final pangs reverberating between Saturn and Uranus, simultaneously.
Mars hates to wait. This stationing will feel like the longest stop light to Mars—on a day when there is simply too much to do, and no excuses are even negotiable.
Gemini energies aren’t too keen on waiting, either—but would more naturally be on to the next thing as soon as the light shifted to yellow, leaving the car in the intersection.
While you’re waiting… because the wait will last long after the station—the wait will endure through the length of the retrograde—it might behoove you to consider the steps of essentialism in your everyday.
Further explore the boundaries and parameters of your personal reality—all the ins and outs of it—and honestly evaluate what requires further pruning (since whatever you pruned since the pandemic), and what requires (further) removal.
Then, eliminate. Beyond the removal of the last step—eliminating refers to saying ‘no’ instead of saying ‘yes’ when you really don’t want to, and Mars will love this… because this takes courage, particularly for certain things you may feel you’re unable to say no to, and this offers Mars, within your chart, to strengthen itself within whatever sector of your reality it’s moving through—and you will have a strengthened sense of self, as well.
Mars also just really enjoys ‘breaking the rules’ and these are the kinds of rules that our minds create, and society upholds—these can change at any time—and this might be much of the point of this retrograde.
Bridges writes of McKeown, that the process takes both mental discipline and emotional discipline… that “the question we all need to ask ourselves is, not how we can do it all, but who gets to choose what we will and will not do—if we do not choose, someone else will choose for us, pulling us in different directions we don’t want to go…” and if this doesn’t scream Mars in Gemini—I’m not sure what would.
Finally, Mars energies typically benefit from Saturnian structures, though Mars is likely never to agree… in executing essentialism in your reality, it’s important to create a system which ultimately works to remove the obstacles, challenges, the chaos and the distractions… so, streamlining. And Mars loves streamlining. Mars isn’t whimsy.
And so, should you become frustrated through this transition—from November through March of next year—consider essentialism to narrow down your frustrations, to constructively utilize this time… because then, when you’ve minimized all the noise and distraction, the surface superficialities and ingenuine fluff that tends to make everything easier for everyone but ourselves—then you’ve time to spend on your overall, your bigger picture, your more natural individuated needs and interests…
Or, you’ll have the time to finally focus on who the natural individuated self within yourself really is… and go from there.
Bridges, F. ‘The 3 Steps of Essentialism: How to Achieve More By Doing Less, According to Auther Greg McKeown.’ forbes.com; 2018.
Lonsdale, E. ‘Inside Degrees.’ North Atlantic Books; 1997.
Roche, D. ‘The Sabian Symbols.’ Astrology Classics; 1998, 2010.
Rudhyar, D. ‘An Astrological Mandela.’ Vintage Classics; 1973.