Mars has been retrograding through Cancer, where peeling back the layers of emotional aggression inherent in certain family dramas has felt like peeling a stinky onion and resembled a soap opera. Mars in Cancer hesitates and dissects the vicissitudes of emotion first, and acts later (when Mars turns direct) which describes any inner conflict stalemate or stand-off. Despite the subtle emotional bubbling, Jupiter has entered Capricorn (Cancer’s compliment) lifting spirits with optimism and newfound appreciation and regard for mature self-restraint.

“I never remember feeling tired by work, though idleness exhausts me completely” Arthur Conan Doyle

Now as Mars slowly retrogrades into brainy Gemini, some of us discover we’re backed up on Gemini matters, correspondence, writing communication, dialogue and erranding. As energies move from the watery emotional realm, to the world of ideas and people, our plans change as holiday and post-holiday schedules shift and I imagine we’ll need to remain flexible around what we can and can’t accomplish. If energy feels scattered, we find our self self set off in another direction completely different from whence we began, that’s devilish Gemini putting his/her hands in a little bit of everything. Ironically, one of the best ways to stimulate Mars in Gemini (energy) is by taking on more than we think we can handle. Becoming intrigued by a mental puzzler, or doing several things at once quells Mars in Gemini nervous, idle mental energy, on whom belligerent argumentativeness is so unbecoming.

Someone once said “An idle mind is the Devils workshop…” As for myself, surrounded by three very witty and vibrant teenagers on holiday break, I understand the default mode for boredom is outright war. It seems the best way to combat mental argumentativeness is having something to do, total mental absorption in a task, working in the garden or assigning little tasks and competitive chores and chatting all the way through. Trust you me, Mars in Gemini gets devilish without something to do.