We’re about to start the new Mars cycle! It’s so exciting! This will be a Gemini Mars cycle. When Mars reaches its opposition with the Sun, we begin a brand new 25-month Mars cycle. Think of Mars reaching its full Moon point, exactly opposite the Sun in the sky. The Sun sets in the west and Mars rises in the east, or thereabouts. The opposite is true as well. Mars sets in the west and the Sun rises in the east.

The extra cool parts about this particular Mars cycle beginning are, it happens on the full Moon (so the Moon is opposite the Sun along with Mars) AND the Moon occults Mars on kickoff day! That’s pretty special! This isn’t your everyday astronomical event.

December 7, in the evening for North America, will be the time to watch. You can check your location’s viewing potential and timing here. Mars is currently in Gemini, where it has been since August. That’s a long time for Mars to stay in one sign. It’s usual time in a sign averages two months. When this Gemini phase is all said and done, Mars will have spent seven months in Gemini. Whoa! This is what Mars does before it begins its new cycle. It hangs out in the approaching cycle’s “overstory” sign for a long time. Getting more technical… this is because Mars goes retrograde just before it starts its new cycle. It spends an extra-long time in this one slice of the sky. Yep, just like Mercury, Mars goes retrograde too. All the planets do.

Mars is spending its retrograde cycle in Gemini. It reaches its opposite point with the Sun while it is in Gemini still. This means the new cycle of Mars will be in service to Gemini for the full 25-months. Gemini is this new Mars “overstory” sign. We’re just ending the Aries overstory for Mars and now we’re starting the Gemini overstory. If you’ve been tracking the Venus cycle for a while, it works nearly the same way. Whichever sign the planet is in at the start of the cycle is that cycle’s overstory. You could think of that sign as being the overtone of the entire planetary cycle. Just like Venus, Mars will pass through all the various signs, but Gemini will play an important role the entire time.

Gemini is a playful, youthful, freedom-seeking energy. Gemini is also an in service to spirit sign in our paradigm, meaning it looks through the lens of serving the grand design in whatever it does. Gemini helps us get out of our tight boxes. Mars is the active sacred masculine principle, the yang part. What will it mean for our individual and collective masculine halves to move through 25-months with the Gemini overstory? Only time will tell. I feel there is an ongoing intention to move the masculine out of the tight, negative box it has lived within for the past several thousand years. At the very least help it take another progressive step forward. Thanks Mars in Gemini! We’ll take it!

On top of the new Mars cycle beginning on December 7, the full Moon will occult Mars. It will move exactly in front of Mars, or will cross over Mars, for about an hour. You could think of it like a Moon-Mars eclipse. The Moon will block out Mars. This is well worth going to look at, if your location and sky allow. It is such a special event! Probably wise to bring some binoculars, if you’ve got them.

Blessings for your new Mars journeys!