Assertive, Aggressive, Angry❤️🔥
Mars retrograde thoughts.
In the past few weeks since Mars went retrograde in Gemini (this transit occurs from October 30th -Jan 12th), I’ve been noticing my relationship with masculine energy. In a session this week, a client and I talked about how, especially in the healing/ spiritual spaces, there is such a strong emphasis on the feminine. Even in my own teachings, I focus mostly on yin, restorative, meditation - the practices that bring us into rest and receptivity. Because, in a patriarchal society focused on how much we “do”, it’s really important to allow time for just being - for finding value in ourselves outside of productivity and accomplishment.
How often to do feel like you're lazy or “should” be doing something when you just feel like resting? How often do you shame yourself for not doing more or being more or living up to some societal standard? I think it happens more often than we even know, that unconscious voice of the collective driving us to keep proving ourselves, and then we wonder why we feel tired, sick, out of alignment.
And although our society gives us many (many) examples of what toxic masculine energy looks like, it is also quite helpful to remember the positive traits of true, balanced masculine. It is strong, it is practical, confident, protective, assertive, decisive, rational and of course, active. The wisdom teachings I have studied say that we all possess equal masculine and feminine energy, and our goal is to balance them, to know when we need rest vs. action, when it’s time to listen vs. when it’s time to speak.
Mars is a planet associated with masculine qualities, it symbolizes our capacity to act and assert ourselves based on personal desires. Through Mars we learn how to be independent, self sufficient and to project ourselves into the world. Mars gives us the courage to stand up for our rights, to stand in our personal power and to express anger when necessary. When a planet is retrograde, we get a chance to reexamine this energy in our lives.
Maybe there are past situations that still cause anger, resentment or bitterness. Maybe we can assess areas where we tend to give our power away or situations that trigger anger, frustration, a need to control. Where have you been passive and would like to become more active and assertive? What decisions can we make on our own instead of outsourcing?
In my own life, I’ve been noticing what happens when I let my anger flow instead of running away from it, suppressing it or most likely, judging it. What it’s like to find the balance of being with the anger in a constructive way, rather than projecting it at someone in the form of irritability, frustration or just blowing up over something small. What it feels like when I feel it rise up in my body - heat in my chest, tingling in throat, maybe even inflammation if I've been holding it down.
I notice my immediate disregard for it, the stories that pop up - how everyone around me is an asshole, how I’m doomed to fail or be in this situation forever, how wrong and bad I am to feel this way/ be this way. I notice when I go outside, walk, run, move my energy how I can let that story go and let the energy of my anger flow, I can give myself permission to feel it and express compassion to the part of myself that is afraid to feel it. I wonder how many times I unknowingly pushed it down, or was punished for expressing it, I think of the many times my own daughter has stomped around, slammed doors or screamed “I hate you” at me. The balance of letting the feeling happen with it having to mean something about her or me - without the labels.
Emotions are just energy in motion, it’s the stories and labels we have about them that get us into so much trouble. I wonder if we didn’t suppress it, if we would have less unbalanced masculine in our world - violence, aggression and selfishness, the hungry grabs for power and control. The masculine needs so much healing too, and it lives within all of us.
Mars is retrograde in Gemini until Jan 12th - perhaps you will see or feel an undercurrent of how this energy is present in your life. Gemini rules how we communicate - do you feel assertive, aggressive, confident? Do you honor your warrior energy? Do you set up structures and systems in your life that make you feel supported, energized and strong? How do you communicate that with others? What practices help you to move energy and emotion through your body?
Death + Nature Spirits
It is the first official week of Sagittarius season, and yet, we are pulling Death, the card associated with Scorpio. Although eclipse season is behind us, we are still shifting and integrating its work, now in the form of release. Maybe these are changes that we started in the past few weeks, that are now being finalized, but it’s time to cut cords with whatever it is that’s ready to go.
Nature spirits is a card that reminds us of the abundance, stability and peace of nature. A place to recharge, to rest, to be supported. The fairies, devas and elementals are here to support us, or at least to remind us of the support that is available.
This week, as we change and shift and grow, remember to ground into the abundance of resources around you, to prioritize what feels supportive, to give yourself permission to receive that support, no matter how big or how small.
In the Death card, we see a long staircase leading up to the light, a reminder to welcome the changes that are knocking at your door, it’s all part of the journey.
Vibes:
cutting cords, release rituals, snake medicine, new beginnings, change, transformation, nature hikes, mystical movies, building fairy houses, the color green, making yule wands or decorating your tree/ mantel with items from nature, pine needle tea, freedom and big shifts in perspective, trusting in your value and worth