♈ Mars in Aries & the Magic of 20 Minutes ♈

I don't know about you, but lately I can't seem to get something done from start to finish! Either I feel impatient to last through the whole thing, can't find the time to get to it, or just feel plumb frustrated by how slow or monotonous the task feels. Sometimes it has me feeling like...

When we look to the astrals, we are reminded that Mars is transiting in Aries. Mars entered Aries on June 27th of this year, and it actually won't leave Aries until January 7th of 2021! That's right. Get ready for six months of Martian magic (or madness, depending upon your preference). This long stay of Mars in Aries is because of an upcoming Mars retrograde in September. On September 10th, Mars at 28 degrees of Aries will go retrograde. Mars will advance almost to the full length of its stay in Aries, but then start retrograding back 2 degrees before it reaches that full completion, hence contributing to an exceptionally long stay in one sign.

During this retrograde, Mars will be on and off squaring Pluto, Saturn, and Jupiter. The biggest battle of those squares will be the action between Saturn and Mars in August, September and October.

This will make for a mad hatter Mars a little bit like...

Mars in Aries in its positive aspect is strength, courage, tenacity, leadership, action, and drive. In its shadow aspect, it can be frustration, impatience, childlike energy, and"I want it now" type of feels.

In contrast, Saturn in Capricorn is like the Knight of Pentacles, slow, but steady moving. It is careful, methodical, planning, calculating, and persevering. It is willing to give up "right now" for "later than" so that it can achieve more long term projects and bigger wins. It is enduring and not easily bothered by not getting what it wants right away.

With all of this Mars and Capricorn energy, what can sometimes be missing (and in tense aspect astrologically) is Libra and Cancer. These signs are what provide the balance, sweetness, beauty, patience, tenderness, and nurturing we all need. As a result of these key players missing, things can also get a bit more tense in relationships during all of this Mars square Saturn energy. You might not even remember what you are fighting about anymore...

So then, how do we temper these opposite astral energies?

Two words: balance and compromise

To offer some wit and wisdom and a cure for these times, I want to share with you my magical recipe for integrating both Martian and Saturnian energies.

I present...

THE MAGIC OF 20 MINUTES

In order to balance the "not give up" impulsiveness- but still take action on goals- I have found things need to be broken down into smaller chunks. What would be a 60 minute exercise video might be best suited to do 20 minutes of in three parts. Or perhaps, three days. What might be something you usually binge for 45 minutes, needs to be broken down into half the time to make room for other responsibilities.(You can give yourself a good 1-2 hour celebratory binge of something feel-good at the end of the month). In my experience, the secret sauce is the 20 minute rule. Not 40, not 60, not 80...20. We can almost always convince or nudge ourselves into doing something for "just 20 minutes". And sometimes that 20 minutes will turn into more, and you might just complete the whole exercise time, or the whole cleaning routine, or whole guided meditation. And sometimes you won't. The important part is that you set a realistic and achievable goal (Saturn happy), you moved yourself into it (Mars happy), and you actually conquered it (Mars happy) and followed it through (Saturn happy). I assure you wholeheartedly this recipe will have you feeling you are feeling a "job well done" from the planetary players of the universe ...

To give you some further inspiration for this 20 minute magic rule, here are starter lists for you to work some magic in 20 minute cycles:

Self Care 20s:

20 minutes of meal prep

20 minutes of yoga

20 minutes of cardio

20 minutes of nature

20 minutes of sitting in the sun

20 minutes of energy clearing

20 minutes of grounding

20 minutes of mantra/meditating

Life Livin' 20s:

20 minutes of researching

20 minutes of organizing

20 minutes of applying

20 minutes of list making

20 minutes of cleaning

20 minutes of emailing

20 minutes of caretaking

You take your pick! This method can satisfy that impetuous Mars but ALSO help you get to doing the task instead of giving into "forget about it, "It will take too long", or "I don't wanna" feels.

The beauty of this technique is that it will not only make you self-love better, but it will improve your relationship with not only yourself but others around you. Balance is key!

So get out there, and start 20 minute magic-ing!

Your loved ones will thank you for it too!

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.

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