If you live here in the NorthEast (or maybe also in the North of the country) you probably feel like we’re having an endless Winter! Astrologically, however, we’re in the middle of what seem to be endless Retrogrades! Aside from a few days, we’ve had very important planets in Retrograde since December 20th, 2013! That was last year People! It’s already March, but although we got a brief 1 day break on February 28th, on Saturday Mars went Retrograde at 27 degrees Libra. Wherever you have Libra in your chart, you may not feel like you can move forwards, as Mars rules Action, and Initiative.

Let me give you a rather concrete example. This morning, I was locked inside my apartment. Yes, that’s right, I couldn’t get out of my apartment! The bottom lock was locked, but the turnkey had broken, and was spinning round and round aimlessly, not opening the lock at all. It was a strange feeling, not having the freedom to leave your apartment when you want to leave. Almost like house arrest, but by some bizarre unknown force. Like a joke, but you’re not sure what the punchline is.

At first I thought I could solve this myself, Ms. Know-It-All. I got out my tools and proceeded to remove all the screws from the metal plate on the inside, and also screws holding in the plate on the outside. Somehow, I thought the broken lock would just fall right out and my door would open (this is the photo above)! No such luck. That’s when I realized I needed to call someone to get me out of there! I called my super, who called my landlord, who luckily came fairly quickly to get me out of my apartment, and change the broken lock, so that I could go to work.

I told friends in my book group about this. Turns out this evening a friend coming home in the group could not open her apartment door. She had the key, but it would not open. She had to call a locksmith, who confirmed it was broken and they changed the lock.

All of this related symbolically to where Mars is Retrograding for both of us, it turns out. While my relocated natal chart has Mars Retrograding in my 4th house of home, meaning I’m supposed to be reflecting on my home, and redoing some aspect of it (Locked IN), my friend has Mars Retrograding in her 10th house, so she needs to be rethinking her public image and career, instead of her home (she’s Locked OUT).

So, wherever Mars is Retrograding through your chart, you’ll need to be thinking about this area, and envisioning what might need “re-doing” until May 19th! Yes, that’s a long time, although at this rate, it seems as though Spring might only arrive after that date (let’s hope that’s not the case!). Personally, I would not recommend beginning anything new at this time, from a new romance to a new business prospect. From personal experience, I’ve tried, thinking it won’t have that great an effect, however, I’ve been wrong.

What IS good about this time, is that it’s a great time to RECHARGE, and RELAX, REORGANIZE, and REMOVE anything that’s not working for you right now. Take a vacation and try to de-stress. Meditate and think about all the ways you’re Locked Out and Locked In to of areas of your life, and if you need to move things around do so!