

“The results can lead to major issues and arguments that won’t be easy to repair. “Hidden anger that’s been building up within will come to the surface and result in a harsh tongue lashing,” says Lisa Stardust, astrologer and author of The Love Deck. Mars will begin its retrograde in Gemini on October 30 and end on January 12, 2023, causing things to get a bit bumpy. Is your hard work worth it? Or is it just making your time here on Earth all the more difficult? “Do they align? Are our relationships rooted in reality and are they helping us cultivate the life of our dreams? Or are they holding us back in some way?” Take this day to reflect on everything you’re working towards, whether it’s in life, love, work, or even money. “We may be forced to confront our values and who or what we pursue,” says astrologer Stephanie Campos. Mark your calendars for September 16, when Venus in Virgo forms a tense square with Mars in Gemini.

You will be more interested in making contacts and connections, and trying new ways of approaching things, even new and different people.” The theme of this transit is freedom - with your words and ideas, of course, but also with how you’ll want to feel. “Witty and clever ideas will attract you at this time, as will eclectic people and places. “With some understanding of how the sign works, it can be a time of excitement, bright ideas, and an invigorating if not fun period of time,” Hale says. We’ll feel a pull to speak our minds, and psychic astrologer Leslie Hale says that “our communication with others will be on fire for the next seven months and be our greatest asset as well as our biggest problem if we are not aware of the pitfalls.” But, again, it’s not all negativity. Just be sure to choose your battles wisely. Under this planet-sign combination, the mind becomes incredibly active and hungry for stimulation, and our words have incredible power.” This energy can be both positive and negative - words can be weaponized, but they can also be wielded for good. “In Gemini, Mars expresses itself through the intellect, as well as spoken and written words. (No pressure, though.) “Mars is the planet of drive, ambition, anger, and sexual hunger it is the planet that gets us out of bed every morning and gives us energy,” she says. Narayana Montúfar, senior astrologer for and author of Moon Signs: Unlock Your Inner Luminary Power, calls this transit one of the most crucial to pay attention to as we head into the rest of 2022. This rambunctious, tell-me-what-you’re-really-thinking energy is here for the long haul. Mars usually stays in each zodiac sign for around two months, but because the planet will retrograde on October 30, it’ll be in the extroverted and clever sign of Gemini all the way until March 25, 2023. The planet of action, ambition and desire is moving to a new spot in the sky on August 20, where it’ll usher us into 2023.
