RETROGRADE MARS IN VIRGO

How many times have you heard the phrase, "Be Here Now?" This sounds good to me. Just center my mind, take some deep breaths and focus on the present moment. But how can you "be here now" when your mind is being bombarded with stimuli coming from your inbox, facebook, twitter, the evening news, telephone calls, etc., etc. Seems that no matter how I try to keep my mind on the things right in front of me, there's always something else roaming in the back of my consciousness, telling me I have to take care of something right away, or else... There's the website to update, charts to do, telephone calls to return, and most importantly these days, my swim workout and the drive to the pool in the next county.

What is happening to my world? When will I ever get to the bottom of the pile on my desk? Why is it that no matter how much I try to stay cool, calm and relaxed, stuff for me to pay attention to comes up from nowhere to distract me? Not a good sentence. But I'm reflecting from the feedback I receive from people; we're all experiencing the same things.

Mars the action planet is in Virgo, the sign of details that says, "I analyze." Since January 23rd, Mars started a retrograde movement that will not end until April 13th. The retrograde, which simply means Mars has slowed down in it's orbit, requires us to go back over details that we thought we had dealt with in the past. Mars in Virgo says "take care of the details" or "before running the marathon, make sure your shoe laces are tied." If we don't take care of the small, seemingly insignicant things, they could trip us up right as we're headed to the finish line. 

Here are some things that Mars retrograde in Virgo could bring up:
. the need to take care of your health, diet and nutrition
. the need to edit or rewrite something you wrote a long time ago
. the need to rethink a promise made  to yourself or others
. the need to start a spiritual practice that decreases stress or anxiety
. the need to be especially patient when faced with delays
. the need to mind your own business, or as the Hopi Elders say, "tend your own garden"
. the need to take a spiritual time out, to meditate and pray
. the need to take a step back to look at the bigger picture

When Mars slows down (retrogrades), it's time for us to also slow down. No matter how urgent your things-to-do list seems to be, use Mars in Virgo to prioritize. Decide what's really important to you right now. What is it that you just have to do today to have peace of mind? You could make a lot of progress by looking at your list and setting aside the things that you have no control over.

I love the Serenity Prayer that reminds me that there are things I have control over and other things that I don't have control over. For instance, I have no control over the huge solar flare that hit the earth earlier this week. But I can make sure that my computer is backed up, just in case, the increased electromagnetic energy interferes with the satellite signals that my computer depends on to work properly.

Lastly, if you're feeling overwhelmed, it's a good idea to take a time out. Temporarily remove yourself from the things that are stressing you. You can do this physically or mentally, or both. There are affirmations that can be helpful, i.e. "none of this shall bother me", "everything is working for my good", "I have everything I need", "it's all good!", "this too shall pass", "it is all right", "good things come to those who wait". If you feel anxiety building up and deadlines seemingly impossible to meet, I suggest that you say one of the above affirmations, take a deep breath or two, relax your body, and slow down.

Remember that tomorrow is another opportunity to complete what you started today. And it is all right!