Rewind: Mars Retrograde in Cancer Troubling the Waters

Hey, everyone. This is Adam Elenbaas from Nightlight Astrology.

Today, we are going to look back on a video that I did in 2023 when Mars was entering Cancer. At that point in time, I unpacked 10 different themes that you may notice with Mars in the sign of Cancer.

These themes may actually be greatly amplified as Mars retrogrades back into the sign of Cancer right now to stay until April, through direct motion retrograde all the way through the end of February.

So, these 10 themes in this video are highly applicable for us right now as we explore the Mars Retrograde in the sign of Cancer.

Now, if you want horoscopes for Mars in the sign of Cancer, be sure to look at our January horoscopes that Alex, Dana, and I did for you. In that video, we also explore the house placement through your sun or rising sign. So you can check that out as well.

We are in catch-up mode and sort of turn-the-chapter mode after our Kickstarter campaign. I record these a week in advance, so as I’m recording this the first week of January for next week, which is when you’re listening to this now, we are trying to turn the page on a huge amount of backer rewards.

Our production schedule is just catching up a little bit, especially after the huge last-minute push that we did in the final days of the Kickstarter. So bear with us this week, as I have a few rewind episodes in store for you, but all of these episodes are highly relevant for what we are experiencing right now.

Like I said, today, if you take a look at these 10 themes that I visited back in 2023 in a video called "Mars in Cancer Troubling the Waters," you will notice that all of these themes have a lot of relevance for us right now with Mars Retrograde in the sign of Cancer.

Before we get into it, remember to like and subscribe. Share your comments and reflections. If you’ve got a good story to share through this retrograde, send it to us. Grab #grabbed, and then tell us the transit and the story in the comments section, or email us your story at grab@nightlightastrology.com.

Transcripts are available on the website, NightlightAstrology.com. If you go over there, you’ll notice that under the Events page, under Live Talks, we have a webinar coming up.

That webinar is on the Saturn-Neptune conjunction. That’ll be next Thursday. I’ll be promoting that more next week, but we’re going to be looking at the Saturn-Neptune conjunction in Aries in a webinar next Thursday night. If you can’t attend live, of course, the recording is there for you afterward.

So anyway, that is it for today. I hope you will enjoy this exploration and pay special attention to all of those major themes that we have going on. There are 10 of them that I list here, all of which are applicable for us right now, as Mars has just re-entered Cancer through its retrograde, where it will stay all the way through April.

Alright, take it easy.

Hey everyone. This is Adam Elenbaas from Nightlight Astrology, and today we are going to take a look at Mars's entrance into the sign of Cancer, which is happening over the weekend.

As we come into the weekend, we've been focused, of course, on Pluto's entrance into Aquarius this week, which has been the big news. But another really big piece of news is that Mars has been in Gemini since last August, and it's finally leaving.

So, as Mars leaves Gemini and moves into Cancer, what can we expect from this new Mars placement? We're going to look at that today. You know, it's a little controversial. Mars in Cancer was traditionally said to be in its fall or depression. And so, what makes this placement so difficult? That's one of the things we're going to sort of look at today.

Is it really difficult? What are the virtues, or the blessings, or even benefits of Mars in Cancer? So, that is our subject for today.

Before we get into it, don't forget to like and subscribe and share your comments. You guys know it helps the channel to grow, and I really appreciate your support in that way.

You can always find transcripts of any of my daily talks on my website, which is NightlightAstrology.com, including today's talk.

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Alright, we’re going to put the real-time clock up now and take a look at Mars in Cancer. We’re going to look at it from the standpoint of its entrance, but also how long it will be there and what some of the interesting features of this transit include.

So, here we can see that Mars is moving in. Now I usually look at that as a big fat line, but today, it’s a tiny line. Alright, here we go.

So, there’s Mars in Cancer moving in on Saturday, March 25, and then we’re going to see Mars in Cancer stay for quite a while, until the late part of May.

One thing that’s really interesting is that we have some really big events in Aries, which is the sign of Mars, that will be hosted by Mars in Cancer. So, here’s the Sun-Jupiter conjunction, which is the sort of reset moment of Jupiter’s Synodic Cycle. That is hosted by Mars in Cancer.

So, you’re going to get a real Mars-in-Cancer flavor from some of the big transits in April. In other words, the other major transit in April that will also be hosted by Mars in Cancer... Oops, I’m just struggling today with my little...

Here we go. So, the other major event will be the solar eclipse. The solar eclipse is coming through on the 19th, so you can see the Sun and Moon coming together at the last anaretic degree of Aries, pretty close to Jupiter.

This solar eclipse is also hosted by Mars in Cancer. So, Mars in Cancer is doing a lot of work with some of the transits in Aries throughout the month of April, which makes it a little bit more interesting. We’ll be talking about that more in depth in April, as we come closer to those transits.

Mars will then move along, and another interesting transit will be the Mars trine to Neptune, which comes right around the middle of May—this is May 15. And then it finally enters Leo right around May 20, so about two months’ worth of Mars in Cancer.

Now, again, one of the reasons this is such a big deal is that we’ve had Mars in Gemini since late August. So, even just the change of Mars’ energy should be felt, and I think it should be pretty nice. It’s like, “Well, let’s get a different Mars up in here!” We’ve spent so much time with Mars in Gemini.

Alright, so what I want to do today is talk about Mars in Cancer, which was traditionally said to be depressed or in its fall. For ancient people who practiced or studied ancient astrology, Mars in Cancer is usually seen as a more difficult planetary placement.

Mars alone can already be a troublemaker at times, being one of the two malefics. Of course, Mars is the planet of war and conflict. There are so many good things that come from Mars though, like bravery, persistence, courage, conviction, sacrifice, and honor. Those things are also part of Mars, and we all need that.

Whether it’s the feminine warrior goddess archetype, or the way the heroic masculine functions at its best, Mars has some really good things to offer us as well.

Mars in Cancer is a difficult placement, so we have to try to understand why. We’re going to start off with just a little explanation about its dignity, and then we’ll go into 10 ways in which Mars in Cancer troubles the waters.

In the original scheme of dignities, you have a very elaborate rationale for why planets are placed in certain signs and considered exalted in some and depressed in others.

One of the things that’s really interesting is that Mars is said to be depressed in Cancer, but exalted in the polar opposite sign of Capricorn. One of the reasons for that is that you have a kind of dichotomy between the beginning of summer and the beginning of winter. Mars is associated with death.

Mars is connected with severing and cutting. So, when you have Mars placed in Capricorn, exalted, it’s there next to Saturn, whose domicile is in Capricorn. You have Mars exalted because Capricorn is called the gateway of the gods, associated with the severing of the spirit or soul from the body, and the lifting up or exiting of the soul from the body.

This is a Mars kind of space if you think about death as a severing or cutting of the cord between body and spirit or soul. You also have the idea of transcendence, enlightenment, and victory over our mortal frame and material fallenness.

Mars is heroic in a spiritual sense, and placed in Capricorn—called the gateway of the gods—associated with the beginning of winter and the transmission of the letting go of the spirit from the body, which is really interesting.

On the other hand, when you have Cancer, called the gateway of mankind, it’s associated with the birth, the coming of the spirit into the body. In that place, Mars is in its fall. It’s not a comfortable place for Mars to hang out, in the domicile of the Moon and the exaltation of Jupiter, a water sign in the midst of the light.

Mars in Cancer could be imagined as like the cutting of the umbilical cord. But usually, you wouldn’t want Mars around things that are really about symbiosis, such as Jupiter exalted in the sign of Cancer, a place associated with mothers and fostering emotional bonds and concern for emotional safety and security.

Mars in that environment has some things that we’ll talk about today that can be really nice, such as emotional advocacy and protection—the kind of Mama Bear archetype. So, there’s a real protective guardian of the family, the home, and the hearth with Mars in Cancer, which is actually one of my favorite parts about it.

But it's also a difficult place for Mars because Mars is more threatening to life in symbiosis and emotional safety and so on and so forth. You have an environment that's just more challenging for Mars to be itself in. That's what dignities are all about. It's not like the planet is good or bad, but in this environment, it's a little harder for it to just be itself. It's like having a relative who's just like a Viking, the rough kind of figure from the show Vikings. Imagine having someone like that in the room while you're breastfeeding. It's like we're trying to be calm here, and this person is smashing things over their face.

So the point is, it's a challenging environment because the sign of Cancer, with the exaltation of Jupiter and the place of the Moon, is a water sign, feminine in nature, and not super hospitable to Mars. It's not a good match for Mars, and so Mars can be a little more destructive in this sign. For example, Mars in Cancer is famously associated with domestic abuse. On the other hand, if you put Mars in Capricorn, a place of Saturn, an earth sign, feminine, and associated with winter and death, Mars performs wonderfully in Capricorn.

The dignities work like that; they’re not meant to outright condemn a planet. Moving on, how can we understand Mars' depression in Cancer in terms of what to watch for between now and the end of May? These themes will also fuel our eclipse in April, which we’ll get into later. How does Mars in Cancer trouble the waters?

Number one would be conflict in the family. It’s that simple. Whether it’s domestic abuse, alcoholism, or a super troubled or needy parent or sibling, Mars in Cancer can show up as troubling patterns in the family that need to be addressed or explored. Dynamic conflict and tension in the family are usually tied to emotional history or ancestral trauma. This is one of the most predictable manifestations of Mars in Cancer. We’ll all be dealing with this in some form over the next two months, so expect some family drama.

Number two: emotional blowouts. Mars in Cancer, combined with the sign of the Moon, is associated with emotional intensity. If you aren’t careful, the overflow of emotions can be very destructive. You may think there’s a pot on the back burner just simmering, but the heat might be on full flame, and you may not realize it. So, be cautious, as things may blow up, especially things you’ve been trying to keep under control that have a long history behind them.

Number three: passive-aggressiveness. Mars in Cancer is not the most direct place for Mars to express itself. Mars, like the crab, does not take a direct path. It might involve emotional intelligence when it comes to picking and choosing battles. This can be a gift of Mars in Cancer, handling conflict with emotional tact, but it can also result in passive-aggressiveness. So, watch out for that.

Number four: civil war. Every time Mars is in Cancer, I feel like I’ll visit with at least a few people who are struggling with neighbors, roommates, or anyone they share a living or communal space with. Mars in Cancer can also act as a timer for conflicts between rival or opposing groups. This could be political, ideological, or cultural. Think of the Hatfield and McCoy type of conflict, or the rivalry between the Capulets and the Montagues from Romeo and Juliet. Racial and ethnic tensions can also spill over while Mars is in Cancer.

Number five: neediness. I don’t mean neediness in a bad way, but legitimate needs can arise in very intense ways. For example, a family member might break their foot and have to come live with you because they can’t get around their house. While you’re happy they’re there, it becomes a burden. Neediness can also manifest in more harmful ways, like emotional manipulation, codependency, or coercion. This could relate to the archetype of the Dark Mother, which aligns with Mars in Cancer.

Number six: defending or advocating. This is my favorite part about Mars in Cancer. Mars in Cancer is often ready to defend or advocate for someone or something. It’s great at standing up for what it loves, such as the environment, women, children, the family, the home, or any group with a sense of emotional or familial bonds. The "mama bear" archetype is very strong here. Mars in Cancer is very good at saying, "Don’t mess with what I love."

Number seven: emotional division. This often happens within ourselves. For example, you might feel divided about your emotional loyalties. You may feel torn between different emotional needs or feelings of loyalty, and it can create inner conflict. The great thing about this, though, is that Mars in Cancer teaches us that it’s okay to have different loyalties and emotional investments in different people, places, and things. You don’t have to pit one against the other. Sometimes, you might like this, but not that, and that’s okay. Mars in Cancer teaches us how to live with some emotional chaos and uncoordinated feelings, which is a more realistic and human experience.

There's something about this placement that always teaches me that the mess inside of you is okay. You don't need to do anything with it, necessarily. Sometimes it's also very clarifying in terms of what's helping me and what's not, especially with conflicted feelings.

Anyway, number eight would be weakening the masculine, or you could call it the Yang, because I think it's something that exists within all of us. Mars in Cancer is one of the placements associated with impotency or erectile dysfunction, or men who are like the picture of a man lactating, or something like that, or gynecomastia (you know, the man boobs). These kinds of images are usually negative, right? They're typically used as an insult, like "Oh, he's too feminine," which can be considered an insult to a man.

But I think the opposite of any kind of masculine trait that becomes weakened can also be seen in this way. For example, the image of a "hen-pecked husband" comes to mind. I know it’s not a nice phrase, but it reflects the stereotype of someone who's a nice guy but maybe a pushover, and his wife is always dominating or being harsh with him. Of course, Mars in Cancer can represent domestic abuse in any direction, but the potential to feel like the masculine energy is being pushed into submission, or overly passive, is definitely one of the themes of Mars in Cancer.

If "masculine" is a problematic word for you, just replace it with "Yang." The Yang part of you can feel beaten down or weakened somehow. That’s a real part of what Mars in Cancer can represent.

Alright, moving on. Number nine would be softening aggression. Now this is a real benefit. Let’s say you have an overly active and domineering Mars or, put differently, an overly aggressive personality. One benefit of Mars in Cancer, as I mentioned earlier, is the emotional intelligence to use Mars differently. The aggression can become softer.

This is actually a benefit if the Yang energy is running amok. Mars in Cancer can soften it and bring it into a more relationally aware place, which is definitely a positive.

Number ten, and I mentioned earlier the weakening of the masculine, but the other interesting thing is that you have some examples like Michael Phelps, who I think has Mars in Cancer. I can’t remember that off the top of my head—someone check and let me know. I’m pretty sure Michael Phelps has Mars in Cancer.

But anyway, anything involving competitive swimming is such a Mars in Cancer kind of thing. The Navy, battles on the ocean, and Navy SEALs—all of these could be considered Mars in Cancer themes. So, Mars in Cancer can represent things that are very masculine, competitive, or warlike but involve water. It’s kind of literal, but there it is.

So, these are some of the ways that Mars in Cancer tends to show up. I hope this prepares you for two months of this placement. We’ll take a look at how Mars in Cancer will express itself during the Eclipse and the big Sun-Jupiter conjunction in April. Those events will also be toned by Mars in Cancer, so that should make those eclipses pretty interesting.

That’s what I’ve got for today. I hope you guys have a great weekend. Don't forget that you can find a transcript of today's talk on the website, NightlightAstrology.com. Also, don’t forget that you have a couple more days until Monday to take advantage of the flash sale running on the website for all of my courses. You get a big discount on all of those programs until Monday night at midnight. Hopefully, you will take advantage of that.

If you have any questions about our programs or the sale, email us at info@NightlightAstrology.com. You’ll also find the link in the comment section to get over there. Hope you’re doing well. We’ll talk to you again soon. Bye!