Build A Strong Foundation For What You Shall Become
Mars Retrograde Into Cancer
Mars retrograde into cancer means that we don't yet have the stable foundation of strong faith in ourselves and courage we're going to need moving forward. If we're going to express ourselves to the world, we're going to need the confidence that comes from self-esteem.
Mars represents our courage and our blind instinct to survive. Cancer asks us how we feel about ourselves. Mars is strengthening our resolve. Mars went into Leo and realized we weren't ready to perform on stage. More practice, more rehearsal, more internal preparation will give us more confidence.
Cancer gives us a stable foundation of self-security and faith in our convictions. Mars helps us feel courageous enough to express to the world who we truly are without worrying about other's reactions.
Big Picture
We're going to show ourselves to the world in Leo and eventually build something to show the world in Capricorn. Whatever we build in Capricorn needs a strong foundation of self-worth, which we acquire in Cancer. If our creation is going to stand up to criticism and other powerful forces of opposition the world has to offer, we'll need to be sure of ourselves. These are some of the dynamics of the Cancer-Capricorn Axis.
Mars has just retrograded back into Cancer, to help us build a foundation of courage and self-esteem. Without this retrograde, our inner foundations would not have been strong enough for our future. Even if they survived Leo, what we want to build in Capricorn would have been too big for the incomplete foundation within ourselves, that we built in Cancer.
This retrograde is a powerful opportunity to gain some well-deserved, healthy confidence. The energies at this time will help us to love ourselves, nurture ourselves and feel strong inside. The confidence within ourselves that we're nurturing with Mars retrograde in Cancer, will help us tame the empty egoic pride that comes with a Leo imbalance.
If we move through Leo with a weak Cancer, we will come to rely on other people's validation. When we get our self-worth from an illusion, we are left insecure, without a solid inner foundation.
When we get Cancer right (thanks to Mars retrograde) we feel good about ourselves before showing ourselves to the world, we realize that validation from other people is unstable and temporary. With a strong Cancer, people's reactions to our creative self-expression (Leo) don't effect us at all. Our strong self-esteem (Cancer) keeps us grounded, stable and secure no matter what the world throws at us.
The Planted Seed
Mars retrograde into Cancer is an opportunity to strengthen our inner foundation of self-love. Now is a perfect time to start practicing seeing, accepting and loving ourselves.
We each have a sensation of our own inner power. Now's the time to get in touch with it. Consciously feel that inner strength. That's what we're cultivating. Self-confidence. Consciously feel confident inside, no matter what's going on outside. Then, when Mars goes back into Leo, we'll be able to handle ego's empty seduction.
On its way back into Cancer, Mars opposed Pluto. They exchanged energy, meaning they picked up some of each other's energy. When planets interact, they rub off on each other. Mars got some Pluto energy and Pluto got some Mars.
Mars is now giving us the courage to see what Pluto is showing us - the parts of ourselves we don't want to see - our weaknesses and delusions. Seeing them clearly with courage helps us to accept ourselves, release the past and love ourselves.
Then, freshly back into self-nurturing cancer, Mars entered a conjunction with the full moon, with the Sun illuminating it from Capricorn. This further illuminated your feelings about yourself that you normally keep hidden. The Sun in Capricorn wants you to build a skyscraper. You need a strong foundation without internal vulnerability to the outside world.
The new moon that began this moon cycle occurred in Capricorn on December 30. The resulting full moon in Cancer represents the culmination of the first stage of germination of the seed you planted on December 30. Think of it as the peak of the first inbreath of a year's worth of breathing, in for two weeks, out for two weeks.
Harmonius Uranus
The Full Moon in Cancer also ocurred in harmonious relationship with Uranus in Taurus. Uranus breaks down outdated societal structure. It represents our inner rebel genious who thinks the old ways are stupid. Uranus throws your unique individuality into the mix, just while the seed of the New Moon began to germinate.
With Uranus, Our strong inner foundation has to be built upon expressing our individual unique genius, bypassing the old ways. Be proud of that part of yourself. Don’t be afraid to show it to the world. Any reaction the world gives you will only point you in the right direction.
With Uranus in Taurus, your expressing your inner genius will bring you peace and stability. If Uranus in Taurus is out of balance, towers and walls come crashing down. Balance is found by respecting the old ways while integrating the new.
What Was Planted?
What type of seed was planted during the last full moon of 2024? The New Moon occurred in Capricorn, so that represents building something to show the world. Mars was just re-entering Cancer, dancing between the Sun's Leo and the Moon's Cancer. The seed was the impulse to build something, watered by the courage to eventually show it to the world.
Saturn, Capricorn’s ruler, is in mystical Pisces. Saturn creates form. It signifies long periods of tenatious work toward a goal. Building something to show the world, as described above. Saturn in Pisces brings Consciousness into form. The freshly-planted seed will grow into a Great Work, bringing the realm of Consciousness into physical form.
For our purposes, the possible pitfalls offered to us by Saturn and Capricorn can be considered to be the same.
Traps And How To Avoid Them
We've already discussed the Leo imbalance of insecurity that is inherent in relying on others for self-validation. We noted that the cure is self-esteem, which is Cancer's specialty.
We talked about the Cancer imbalance of low self-esteem. Here we'll add guilt, shame and anything that causes a reaction within us of low self-esteem. The cure is to genuinely feel good about yourself and what you represent. Love yourself no matter what the physical world says. Learn to generate your inner feeling of confidence and self-love at will.
When Mars gets out of whack, we have a courage imbalance. When it's too strong, we assert our will over the will of others. When it's too weak, we see everything as a threat and we compensate by asserting our will over the will of others. The reaction is the same with an imbalanced Mars. The cure for a Mars (courage) imbalance in either direction is to consider others. Allow others to be themselves and express themselves.
When Pluto shows us parts of ourselves we don't want to see, we are asked to look at who we are, accurately and with brutal honesty, then to accept and love ourselves in spite of our human shadows. An imbalanced reaction to that is avoidance and denial of what we're being shown. The more we deny who we really are, the more imbalanced we become. Looking at ourselves becomes more and more painful. Acceptance becomes increasingly difficult. Our view of ourselves gets further and further from the truth of how we show up in the world. We become more and more unconscious, which solidifies the illusion of separation.
Spoiler Alert: Pluto wins. He will tolerate lies and delusion for only so long. The process Pluto demands of us is necessary for our own evolution. We make it easy or hard.
The Sun and Moon resonate with Leo and Cancer, respectively. For our purposes, their potential traps and remedies are the same. Same goes for Pluto and Scorpio, discussed below.
If you're thinking that this all sounds pretty ominous, fear not. We have help.
Mars in Cancer is also in harmonious communication with Neptune in it's home sign of Pisces. Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces are the three Water signs. They represent the parts of us that work together to help us feel and heal. They are in constant communication.
Specifically, Mars in Cancer is giving us the courage to feel our wounds and send that information to Pisces, which grows from our genuine human emotion. Human emotion (Cancer) feeds Unity Consciousness (Pisces). The vulnerability of Cancer's human emotion can ground the boundless Pisces.
And it's a 2-way street, or an 8-lane highway. At the same time, Pisces reminds Cancer that all our concerns evaporate in the end. No matter who we are, there's so much more going on than our tiny selves can perceive or understand in our present limited state.
The third water sign, Scorpio, is also in the mix, through Pluto's opposition to Mars while Mars retrograded into Cancer, described above. Pluto is at home in Scorpio. They represent different aspects of the same energy. When one is effected, so is the other.
How do you go from the insecurity of Cancer to the Unity of Pisces? Through Scorpio. Everything stated above about Pluto can be applied to Scorpio. When we look at ourselves honestly, accept it and love what we are, our view of ourselves and therefore the world, become less distorted. We see everything more clearly. That's human evolution.
It does take courage, represented by Mars, who conveniently just opposed Pluto. There's usually help everywhere if you know where to look. Let's work with it! The trick is to know that whatever you find inside yourself cannot hurt your physical body. When you sit in meditation and face it, what you find is ultimately harmless.
Use This Time And Energy Wisely
This is major leverage toward our evolution. When we consciously use it and work with it, it will give whatever we can take toward our Soul’s growth. Use Mars' courage to face Pluto's message. Be brutally honest about who you are and love yourself no matter how dark your shadows. This will give you the self-esteem to show yourself to the world and eventually build something with a strong, deep foundation. The New Moon on December 30, planted the seed of your stable self-expression. Now we must nurture it every day. It is germinating. Feed it good energy.
Enjoy the Journey!
HH