What does Mars in Cancer bring?
Mars is the planet of a fierce warrior, fiery go-getter, unstoppable force, and abundant energy. It helps us assert ourselves, set boundaries, push through obstacles, and achieve goals. On the other hand, Cancer is an emotional sign, full of care, motherly energy, a sense of safety, and everything soft and cuddly. So what happens when Mars is living in Cancer-land? They don't mix easily, but the outcome of their cooperation isn't always bad. There are situations when Mars in Cancer can be very useful.
Three things that Mars in Cancer is great for:
Setting Boundaries – Cancer is a sign of all-encompassing motherly care and it tends to constantly keep watch on its children. But there are times in life when we need to separate from the protection of others and go on our own adventure. Mars is great for setting this kind of boundaries. Just remember that the fight for self-assertion is more about building yourself than hurting others.
Protecting what is dear to you – family is a safe place, but to be safe it needs protected boundaries, the guardian watching those who are getting in and out. Mars in Cancer is this kind of guardian and it can help to get rid of toxic people from our lives, homes, and even memories. It also tends to keep loved ones close, thus be mindful so that you don’t build a golden cage for people you try to protect. They need their own space to experiment and grow, and when you prevent them from doing that, they can use the power of Mars in Cancer against you. Just like in point 1 above.
Proving Others Wrong – When you hear that you are lesser than, or cannot do something, Mars in Cancer is going to rebel against that and it can put a lot of energy into proving that this is not true. Given enough time and focus, it can turn an underdog into a winner. Usually, Mars spends in Cancer 2 months, but this time he will stay there for 5.5 months total due to retrograde motion, which means that we will have a lot more time and focus to work on ourselves than usual.
Why is this Mars in Cancer important?
This time, when Mars visits Cancer, it is going to retrograde in it, which means that instead of spending just 2 months there and moving on, we have 5.5 months of Mars in Cancer adventure. The length of time itself can be intense, but retrograde itself introduces additional flavor.
3 ways in which retrograding Mars can benefit us:
Accumulating energy for the future - when Mars turns retrograde, it focuses its energy internally with special emphasis on corrections, undoing, rebuilding, changing direction, and setting new goals. During retrograde, it is a lot easier to think, strategize, and prepare before acting. It is important to keep in mind that retrograde is a time of building energy for the future, which requires us to wait, but it isn’t idle waiting. Gathering energy requires effort. There are materials to prepare, lessons to learn, and resources to gather. If we keep the goal in mind and focus our energy, we will jump forward at rocket speed when retrograde ends and it’s finally time to go.
The enemy within – Mars in Cancer protects what it holds dear, but sometimes our treasures need protection from ourselves. Retrograde is the perfect time for working on vices, harmful habits, and old ideas that can be destructive for things and people we want to protect. We may revise spending habits, our methods of dealing with anger and stress, rethink what and who need our protection, and who doesn’t need it anymore, just to name a few possibilities.
Choosing the right time to act – a good strategist knows when to wait and when to act. Mars can be hot-headed and impulsive, but during retrograde, it remembers that planning has its benefits. We can use this retrospective mode to plan ahead. Here, knowledge of astrology can help us by showing how long we have to wait this time, which brings us to Mars in Cancer's timeline.
When Mars is in Cancer and Mars retrograde happening?
Timeline:
September the 4th – Mars enters Cancer
October the 4th – Mars enters Retroshade (area in which it is going to retrograde soon)
November the 3rd – Mars enters Leo
December the 6th – Mars stations retrograde in Leo (start of retrograde)
January the 6th – Mars retrogrades back into Cancer
February the 23rd – Mars stations direct in Cancer (end of retrograde)
April the 17th – Mars leaves Cancer for good and enters Leo
May the 2nd – Mars leaves Retroshade (the area it was retrograding in)
Jun the 17th – Mars leaves Leo for good
Stages of Mars retrograde:
Noticing for the first time what needs to be revised – the first pass of Mars through Cancer, starting on September 4th, is a time for noticing how we are doing in the protective action department. Since October 4th, we may start running against the obstacles that will be revised during the retrograde. We will encounter the second set of obstacles and issues during the Mars in Leo period starting from November 3rd. However, until December 6th, we are still moving forward, making it a good time to do what needs to be done before our plans slow down during the retrograde. Especially things done before October 4th have a good chance of bringing stable results and permanent solutions.
The inner work begins – When Mars stations retrograde on December 6th, it is very loud, which means that around this time we may have a strong urge to act but very little space to do so. When that happens, it is important to turn energy inside and work on things that will be needed in the future, after Mars ends its retrograde. When Mars moves back into Cancer on January 6th, we again go into protective mode, but this time we are revising who/what needs protection and from what/whom. It will be easier to notice what is not working and working on issues we see is a good idea. Introspection before action.
Time to Move Forward – February 23 is the beginning of moving forward with everything we have been preparing so far. This time around, a change in direction is making Mars extra loud, and we will get an extra boost when pushing things into motion. Now we will finally see the results of our hidden work. If we have prepared well, the results will be great. If we are not ready by this time, then we will have to improvise on the go, and this time may get chaotic.
The closure – When Mars leaves Cancer on April 17th, our job in the protective and motherly realm of Cancer is done. Whatever we were able to set in motion is going to move forward, but our attention shifts to the next area, in this case Leo. Yet it isn’t the end of retrograde energy yet. We are going to move forward with things prepared during the Leo part of the retrograde next, and this process will gradually fade until June 17th when Mars moves into a completely new area of Virgo.
What to do when things go wrong?
Cancer is giving a lot of energy to the Moon (Domicile in Cancer) and Jupiter (Exaltation in Cancer). Together with fiery Mars, they can get out of hand from time to time. Here are a few possible issues that the Mars-Moon-Jupiter combination can bring and some ways to balance them.
If you feel like events are going too fast – call on Saturn energy, as the slowest and furthest visible planet can help you see the situation from a distance and turn down the urgency. It may take the form of feeling that you have enough time and slowing down to avoid mistakes or accidents.
If emotions are running too hot and wild – call on Saturn, as it will help you to cool down and make space for recollection before reengaging with a hard situation. It can take the form of walking out of the room to regulate emotional state, or taking more time before responding.
If you feel that everything is going wrong – call on Mercury, it will remind you that the worst doesn’t always exist, everything is relative, everything is negotiable. He can even help you notice some small things that are going well, or ways in which you can turn the situation in your favor.
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