We are talking about Mars, the planet of desire and the energy of "go get it," and Libra, the primary sign associated with relationships. Mars (which on one level represents an individual) will be in an unusual position, which you could view several ways. One is that whatever Mars represents will be put in a position to be in a more conscious relationship to itself. The inward-seeking property of the retrograde emphasizes the point.
You could also look at this as an inquiry. "What do you want from your relationships?" is an obvious image. "Are you in the right relationship?" is another.
We humans tend make a lot of assumptions when we relate to one another, and we tend not to ask so many questions. This transit is about asking the questions that will penetrate those assumptions.
Mars retrograde in Libra goes to the level of what happens to our society, not just to us as individuals. For the Capricorn New Moon on January 1, all the planets I've mentioned so far will be in aspect to Mars—it'll be opposed by Uranus; to one side squared by Jupiter; and to the other side squared by the Moon, Mercury, the Sun, and Pluto. These aspects are all connection points to much larger nodes, events, or preexisting patterns of change. We may see some shocking, massive events in society associated with Mars passing through the Uranus-Pluto square.
Because of the direct-retrograde-direct pattern of motion, Mars will make three sweeps through the Jupiter-Uranus-Pluto configuration: one centered in late December and the first week of January, one centered in the last week of April (with a focus on April 24, the most powerful chart of the year), and then a third in the last two weeks of June. Whatever this astrology represents lasts through the first half of the year and, for a number of reasons, well beyond. The emphasis on personal relationships rises to the level of understanding how society works—that the vastest public experiences stem from our most intimate connections with one another. The ways in which society is out of balance are reflections of the ways in which we struggle in our partnerships.
This is an invitation to do your part. Get clear about the meaning of the people in your life. Don't take them for granted. Don't take your relationships for granted. Listen to the people you care about, and speak in a way that encourages them to listen to you.
We need balance, though nobody is going to hand it to us. We must find it with one another. It will not be enough to pray for peace. We will need to work it out with one another, with kindness, fairness, and devotion.
