Mars turns direct on Thursday, 12^th January, at about 21:00 GMT; he’s been retrograde – seemingly moving backwards through the sky- since Halloween. 

This whole process takes several days as Mars (1) slows, (2) stations (stands still), and (3) then slowly picks up speed with forward motion. You will likely feel the effects of this transition as early as Tuesday, the 11^th of January and finally finish on Saturday, the 14^th. 

In short, retrograde means that a planet is moving in other than its usual direction. In other words, that retrograde planet is forced to cover old ground.

An appropriate image here is of someone racing in pursuit of a goal – then being met by some obstacle that forces him to stop, drop back, and regroup before he later carries on again to the goal.

Astrologically, Mars is always goal oriented. Symbolically, he shows how we go about getting what needs to be done, done. Of course, the zodiac sign, house placement, and aspects made to other planets in your natal chart speak specifically about how you go about this. But since last August, when Mars moved into Gemini, folks have generally gone about this through heated discussion – back and forth – quick on the draw. 

At the best of times, Mars in Gemini will be what some might call flighty. But since Mars he’s been retrograde in Gemini, we’ve all been forced to take a different tact.

As the result moving forward again now will not – and cannot – be as it was before. Valuable lessons should have been learnt leading (hopefully) to approaching our goals in a new and more positive way.