💎5 Must Have Crystals for this Mars Retrograde💎

Mars has been transiting in Aries for a long time, and will be transiting in Aries for an even longer time yet. (For more on this see my Mars in Aries and the Magic of 20 Minutes post!) On September 9th, things will get even more Martian yet, as the warrior planet in its home sign goes retrograde.

This may bring up some tension, particularly of conflict within one self, and as we relate to others. We might get into petty squabbles or get lost in do or don't paralysis with all the energy of Aries square Capricorn.

What we need to understand about this retrograde is not only what it is, but also what is missing. Sometimes in astrology we need to work balance by looking at the opposite sign to where there might be a heavy energy pile up. For example, this Virgo has been stressing pretty heavily and having anxiety on overdrive. I know its Virgo season, so this puts my already overdrive Virgo in ultra overdrive. With the Full Moon in Pisces a few days away from me writing this, the astrals want me to look at balance in that healing axis.

Am I tending to my energetic body as well as my physical? Am I focused on healing service in the conscious reality as well as in the subconscious? That's where the magic lies. Astrology is sacred medicine, and sacred medicine takes work. Its the perfect cake to bake - you just need to know what ingredients to measure and manage within it.

When we look to this Mars retrograde, what is conscious is the Aries vs. Capricorn square, the planets related to planning/perseverance and strength/go after it now. They are a bit at odds, like siblings that don't get along but come from the same family.

What's missing is Libra and Cancer. These are the other two energies that make up the cardinal signs, anddddd these are signs that dwell more in feelings, peace, patience, softness, love, and compassion. Go figure! Libra and Cancer do square each other, though, because Libra wants to talk out feelings to heal and Cancer wants to just feel, feel, feel them all the way. Trust me, Cancers aren't great at giving verbal outward compliments (okay maybe Aquarius is worse), but if you ask them or poke them about it, they will totally dish. They are just all up in those feelings and not always in their heads. Feeling poets they are, verbal poets they are not.

Therefore, alchemy in this Mars Retro is healing the "missing energies".

Here is my short list of those:

- Balance

- Patience

- Truths unveiled

- Tenderness

- Self care

- Mothering

- Grounding when you need it

- Personal power when you need it

- Heart healing when you need it

We need crystal medicine that embodies these qualities. You probably need a crystal expert to figure that out, you say. Look no further! I've got us covered, including with some budget hack tips 😉 .

💎Lapis Lazuli💎

Lapis helps tap into our "queenly" quality. It was a favorite (along with Carnelian) during Egyptian times, and it is fantastic for the throat chakra. It helps us decide and say yes to this, no to that. It helps us speak our truth with personal power. Libra likes to speak truths, but sometimes it can get lost in considering the other person's point of view and loose its sense of personal power. With Mars and Saturn quibbling with each other - and you needing to police them inside of yourself or another - you just might need that extra boost of power + tell it like it is.

Budget Hack: Check out "lazulite". Its not as majestic as Lapis Lazuli but it is part of what makes up that stone and you will still get some of the properties!)

💎Blue Kyanite💎

Another fab blue crystal to work with is blue kyanite. Whereas Lapis dwells more within speaking in alignment with one's wants, desires, needs, and power, blue kyanite is about achieving that balance. It is also fabulous for healing the throat chakra, and can be placed directly on it. You can lay down with a piece of blue kyanite on your throat and play throat chakra music (just search on YouTube). To sweeten the balance, bust out a favorite Yogi tea like Relaxed Mind or just brew some chamomile.

Budget Hack: Pair a crystal of choice with a clear quartz, particularly one where you can lay the stone on top of it. Clear quartz is a magnifier, so this will amplify your blue kyanite's properties...😛but not break your bank!

💎Rainbow Moonstone💎

When I tuned in to channel crystals for this blog post, rainbow moonstone came through loud and clear to me. Its beautiful rainbows remember for us to hope, and to believe in miracles. It also helps us plug into our emotions in a balanced way, reminded us to balance dualities of life with its dark and light coloring. It brings harmony, peace, and compassion.

Budget Hack: Rainbow moonstone is, in fact, very closely related to labradorite. Labradorite is very readily available and easy to acquire, so if you can't harness the power of some rainbow moonstone, you can use a regular ol' labradorite.

💎Malachite💎

Sometimes we do need to stop and just have a good cry. If feelings stay too bottled up inside, we can't move past or through them. Although Saturn would like to think he rules the roost and we should only listen to him, Capricorn's opposite, Cancer, equally has important medicine to witness. Being tender with ourselves and allowing permission for our feelings to be felt is an important responsibility we owe to ourselves...and to make us more productive and integrated to others. Malachite allows us to do just that.

Budget Hack: Because malachite is best used in shorter doses and pairs well alongside energy clearings/healings, you can get away with not owning this stone. Try out the tried and true technique of barters, swaps, and borrows from a friend! This is the type of stone you want to plan to work with, not wear all the time.

💎Black Tourmaline💎

Lastly, where would I be without my ol' faithful: black tourmaline. This is my most favorite crystal to recommend to people for energetic shielding and protection. Not only does this crystal ground you, protect you, but it also works to transmute negative energy into positive. I know, right?! With all this astral in-fighting going on, people may be more short tempered and ill at ease. You will want to make sure you are taking time to ground and shield up. You deserve peace and protection!

Budget Hack: Because black tourmaline is so powerful, its definitely the kind you want to work with daily and ideally wear on you. Invest in a black tourmaline bracelet or pendant to wear as a necklace and boom! You can harness the energies of this important crystal on the daily, without having to worry about buying an expensive generator, sphere, or pyramid . (Although if you can save up for that, more b. tourm can't hurt!)

💎Psssst...Did you know I am doing personal shopping at the gem show by me this year? Let my years of experience and intuition be your energetic guide to shop for and ship you crystals based on your areas of need. Stay up to date with the latest on my event page here, and if you know you definitely want in, inbox me at julieannfae@gmail.com to learn more.💎

Julie Ann Fae is a Professional Astrologer and Certified Angel Card Reader. She weaves together the magic of the moon, stars, and planets with fairy flair. She uses oracle cards and astrology to enliven, enlighten and inspire others. Check out more on this blog and visit her offerings at julieannfae.com.

💖To get your own private astrology reading with Julie Ann Fae, shop here!💖