Where Mars normally advances 8 or more degrees per month, in June it will advance 5 degrees. Then it will appear to slow down completely, until on June 26th, at 9 degrees 13 minutes of Aquarius, Mars will retrograde and “go backwards” to 28 degrees 37 minutes of Capricorn.
If you have a planet at 28 or 29 degrees of a CARDINAL sign (Aries, Cancer, Libra or Capricorn); or one at 0 to 8 degrees of a FIXED sign (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio or Aquarius), you will feel the Mars energy strongly. From August 23rd to the 31st, Mars will be stationary (staying at the same position), 28+ degrees of Capricorn, where it will concentrate its energy.
Mars symbolizes will, courage, assertiveness, action, irritability, anger and quarrels. Also our desire nature and areas where we are impulsive. Normally the energy of Mars is overt and direct. Retrograde, Mars energy can get bottled up inside and build internal pressure. It is therefore useful to review how we take action and apply our will. If we don't like how we’ve been applying Mars' considerable energy, we can increase our physical exercise and initiate constructive work projects. Put off elective surgery, and avoid initiating lawsuits while Mars is Rx.
A free birth chart will show you which of your planets Mars touches off during its retrograde.