Anger needs a way out. It is mere stupidity to let your anger pile up within you – because the more you suppress your anger the more you are going to make yourself miserable. Suppressing anger – is one trademark of Retrograde Mars. Remember – when you start suppressing feelings at an early age, it hurts you down the road. Full expression of anger and pain is very important.
People have very wrong assumptions about spirituality. They assume that since you are spiritual – you should never express your anger – you should just remain silent. And such kind of expectation leads one to become a FAKE SPIRITUAL BABA. That reminds me of a story – a story of a man who came to be known as SHANTI DAS. SHANTI is an Indian word – which literally means being quiet – being silent.
It happened once – there was a man who continued to suppress his anger towards his wife. He knew that his wife was cheating him – that she was having an affair with another man – but he remained silent. Maybe he was a Retrograde Mars person – he could not burst out his anger – he continued to suppress his anger and then one night – this suppressed anger burst out and impulsively he kicked his wife out of his home – the whole village and his neighbors gathered to see what is happening – Shantidas was fuming with anger – his whole face had become red with anger – and his wife immediately left him – because she was perfectly aware that had she stayed – he would have simply killed her. So she left forever. Just when all of this was happening – a Jaina monk was passing by. A crowd had gathered, and the Jaina monk said, “This mind full of anger and violence will lead you to hell.”
The situation was such that the man said, “I also want to be as silent as you are, but what can I do? I don’t know anything. When anger grips me I’m almost unconscious, and now I have killed my own beloved wife.”
The Jaina monk said, “The only way to still this mind, which is full of anger and violence and rage, is to renounce the world.” Jainism is a religion of renunciation, and the ultimate renunciation is even of clothes. The Jaina monk lives naked, because he is not allowed to possess even clothes.
The man was of a very arrogant type, and this became a challenge to him. Before the crowd he threw his clothes in the well. The whole village could not believe it; even the Jaina monk became a little afraid, “Is he mad or something?” The man fell down at his feet and said, “You may have taken many decades to reach the stage of renunciation…. I renounce the world, I renounce everything. I am your disciple ‒ initiate me.”
His name was Shantidas, and Shanti means “peace.” It often happens…if you see an ugly woman, most probably her name will be Sunderbhai, which means “beautiful woman.” In India, people have a strange way…to the blind man they give the name Nayan Sukh. Nayan Sukh means “one whose eyes give him great pleasure.”
The Jaina monk said, “You have a beautiful name. I will not change it; I will keep it, but from this moment you have to remember that peace has to become your very vibration.”
The man disciplined himself, stilled his mind, fasted long, tortured himself, and soon became more famous than his master. Angry people, arrogant people, and egoistic people can do things that peaceful people will take a little time to do. He became very famous, and thousands of people used to come just to touch his feet.
After twenty years he was in the capital. A man from his village had come for some purpose, and he thought, “It will be good to go and see what transformation has happened to Shantidas. So many stories are heard ‒ that he has become a totally new man, that his old self is gone and a new, fresh being has arisen in him, that he really has become peace, silence, tranquility.”
So the man went with great respect. But when he saw Muni Shantidas, seeing his face, his eyes, he could not think that there had been any change. There was none of the grace which necessarily radiates from a mind which has become silent. Those eyes were still as egoistic ‒ in fact, they had become more pointedly egoistic. The man’s presence was even more ugly than it used to be.
Still, the man went close. Shantidas recognized the man, who had been his neighbor ‒ but now it was beneath his dignity to recognize him. The man also saw that Shantidas had recognized him, but he was pretending that he did not. He thought, “That shows much.” He went close by Shantidas and asked, “Can I ask you a question? What is your name?”
Naturally, great anger arose in Shantidas because he knew that this man knew perfectly well what his name was. But still, he kept himself in control, and he said, “My name is Muni Shantidas.”
The man said, “It is a beautiful name ‒ but my memory is very short, can you repeat it again? I have forgotten…what name did you say?”
This was too much. Muni Shantidas used to carry a staff. He took the staff in his hand…he forgot everything ‒ twenty years of controlling the mind ‒ and he said, “Ask again and I will show you who I am. Have you forgotten? ‒ I killed my wife, I am the same man only then did he recognize what had happened.
In a single moment of unconsciousness, he realized that twenty years have gone down the drain; he has not changed at all. But millions of people feel great silence in him…. Yes, he has become very controlled, he keeps himself repressed, and it has paid off. So much respect and he has no qualification for that respect ‒ so much honor, even kings come to touch his feet.
These kinds of so-called saints and fake babas are nothing but controlled animals. The mind is nothing but a long heritage of all your animal past. You can control it, but the controlled mind is not the awakened mind. Always remember this. The process of controlling and repressing and disciplining is taught by all religions, and because of their fallacious teaching humanity has not moved a single inch ‒ it remains barbarous. Any moment people start killing each other. It does not take a single moment to lose themselves; they forget completely that they are human beings, and something much more, something better is expected of them. There have been very few people who have been able to avoid this deception of controlling the mind and believing that they have attained mindlessness.
Retrograde Mars – especially if Mercury is also combust or retrograde and Jupiter is weak – then such a person feels completely blocked – suffocated because he or she is just not able to express their anger or love freely. Problem in expressing feelings is a general observation when Mars is retrograde. And when you start feeling suffocated – then someday this suffocation is going to erupt in the form of a volcano and so that is how terrorists, murderers, and domestic violence or sexual perverts or sexual exploitations happen when Mars is retrograde and the horoscope is overall weak and negative in its overall quality and structure.
However – if this Retrograde Mars gets a quality setup – meaning support of positive placements of planets in the chart – then you also see some wonderful people having Retrograde Mars. One of them that I remember is – Pope John Paul II. He had a Virgo Mars in a retrograde state. One good thing about the Retrogression state is that the person at some stage of life confesses. John Paul II apologized to many groups that had suffered at the hands of the Catholic Church through the years. Before becoming pope he had been a prominent editor and supporter of initiatives such as the Letter of Reconciliation of the Polish Bishops to the German Bishops from 1965. As pope, he officially made public apologies for over 100 wrongdoings, including :
- The legal process on the Italian scientist and philosopher Galileo Galilei, himself a devout Catholic, around 1633 (31 October 1992).
- Catholics’ involvement with the African chiefs who sold their subjects and captives in the African slave trade (9 August 1993).
- The church hierarchy’s role in burnings at the stake and the religious wars that followed the Protestant Reformation (20 May 1995, in the Czech Republic).
- The injustices committed against women, the violation of women’s rights, and the historical denigration of women (10 July 1995, in a letter to “every woman”).
- The inactivity and silence of many Catholics during the Holocaust (see the article Religion in Nazi Germany) (16 March 1998).
- The Great Jubilee of the year 2000 included a day of Prayer for Forgiveness of the Sins of the Church on 12 March 2000.
On 20 November 2001, from a laptop in the Vatican, John Paul II sent his first e-mail apologizing for the Catholic sex abuse cases, the church-backed “Stolen Generations” of Aboriginal children in Australia, and to China for the behavior of Catholic missionaries in colonial times.
Retrograde Mars means the danger of getting killed by some accident or attack. Pope John Paul II had to face two assassination plots. Two times he was targeted but was saved by the Grace of the Lord.
So whenever you have a Retrograde Mars – you should be very careful when you are using knives, sharp objects or driving a car, or riding a bike. Accidents, getting injured, and bleeding profusely due to sudden mishaps are some of the traits of Retrograde Mars.
Retrograde Mars with Rahu is a very unfortunate placement since it can lead the person into grave situations. Imprisonment, Suicidal tendencies, or criminal tendencies are often observed when Retrograde Mars is with Rahu.
If Venus is afflicted and in a bad state and Mars is retrograde then the person may have abnormal sexual tendencies – and may also suffer because of early ejaculation and impotency. Such a man or woman is not able to provide sexual satisfaction to the partner in bed.
Of all the retrograde planets – only Retrograde Mars holds more negativity and less positivity for the simple reason that MARS is energy – and energy is primarily sexual. And when ENERGY itself is blocked or slowed down and if there is no other planet in the chart that can channel this blocked energy (Retrograde Mars) then it is obvious that the person goes through many tragedies and shocking events in life.
Retrograde Mars is just like a “German Hound”. “German Hound” is a breed of dog that barks less and bites more. A “German Hound” will never bark at you – it will simply run towards you and bite you. That is exactly how Retrograde Mars native is – especially if his or her birth chart is poor in quality.
Retrograde Mars not necessarily will impact the health of the native. Pope John Paul II was a good athlete. When he became pope in 1978 at the age of 58, John Paul II was an avid sportsman. He was extremely healthy and active, jogging in the Vatican Gardens, weight training, swimming, and hiking in the mountains. He was fond of football. However – his tenure as the Pope was filled with so much drama and tragic events that his health suffered. Pope John Paul II was probably the first Catholic Church Pope who recognized homosexuality and mentioned that this new breed of sexuality should be treated with respect. In fact, he also made efforts to improve relations with other religions. He officially supported the project of the Great Mosque in Rome and participated in the inauguration in 1995.
On 6 May 2001, he became the first Catholic pope to enter and pray in a mosque, namely the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, Syria. Respectfully removing his shoes, he entered the former Christian church dedicated to John, the Baptist, who is also revered as a prophet of Islam. He gave a speech including the statement:
“For all the times that Muslims and Christians have offended one another, we need to seek forgiveness from the Almighty and to offer each other forgiveness.”
He also kissed the Holy Quran while in Syria, an act that made him popular among Muslims but disturbed many Catholics and drew much criticism from the conservative Christian community.
Retrograde Mars is indeed a risky affair. It brings on many sudden events that are life-threatening in nature. The famous legendary Hollywood Actor – Morgan Freeman also has this placement of Retrograde Mars. He met with a terrible accident. He and his passenger, Demaris Meyer, had to be cut free from the vehicle with hydraulic tools. Although he survived – still since that terrible car accident – Freeman suffers from fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia (FM) is a medical condition defined by the presence of chronic widespread pain, fatigue, waking unrefreshed, cognitive symptoms, lower abdominal pain or cramps, and depression. Other symptoms include insomnia and a general hypersensitivity.
That is why – I say that Retrograde Mars is a very risky affair. In case you have this placement then buy a car that is proven as SAFE. Reminds me of the advertisement for TATA CARS in India. Earlier MARUTI SUZUKI would advertise with the punch line – KITNA DETI HAI? Meaning how much mileage the car gives? Since the early Indian generation was very cost conscious and economical by nature but NOW – times have changed in India – with more development and a good economy – Indian are more concerned with SAFETY and that is exactly what TATA MOTORS have captured by advertising with the punch line – KITNI SAFE HAIN? Meaning HOW SAFE IS THE CAR?
And that is exactly what RETROGRADE MARS natives should focus on when driving a car – they should drive a SAFE CAR and also drive SAFELY and not RASHLY if they want to avoid major car accidents in life.
Retrograde Mars can also provide good sportsmanship qualities. The person can become a good sportsman though he may have faced certain challenges there as well. Getting badly injured or being dismissed for using certain medicines or drugs that are not allowed – such incidents can happen with Retrograde Mars.
In short – Retrograde Mars is like living in a terrorist regime or under a dictator who can attack you or make your feel miserable at any stage of life.
The only way out – is when Jupiter and Saturn and Mercury and Moon are in a good state – only then the person can do well with this placement otherwise it is a risky affair – life is risky when Mars goes Retrograde!
What is RISK? When do you feel that there is a risk – or it is risky? Only when you don’t know what you are doing. Risk comes from NOT KNOWING what you are doing. And this is exactly what happens with Retrograde Mars native – he ACTS without knowing the consequences of his impulsive act. If you drive rashly and then get badly injured – whose fault it is? If you attack someone and then regret your action then what is the point – you have already done the damage and some damages cannot be controlled – some damages cannot be healed – and so negative shallow people having Retrograde Mars – REGRET a lot in life. People who comment negatively, people who comment to offend others, or people who abuse others – such kind of cheap ignorant people having Retrograde Mars – suffer a lot in life – and their journey after this birth is filled with many challenges and pain. So even after death such cheap abusive men and women continue to suffer.
However positive fellows having a certain depth of understanding can make good use of Retrograde Mars – in fact in the horoscope of such beautiful souls – Retrograde Mars is less damaging and more rewarding.
Always remember – nobody is PERFECT. And GOD never chooses those – who are perfect. Instead, God chose those who are imperfect. Because IMPERFECT men and IMPERFECT woman are available – they are natural and being natural is being beautiful.
Many a time – Retrograde Mars men and women may feel that LIFE MAKES NO SENSE – and that is true as long as you don’t understand the significance of GOD – the significance of the DIVINE MASTER in your life.
Retrograde Mars provokes you to fight – fight with all those who come between you and your goal – fight with all those who try to hurt you by their comments – fight with all those who try to pull you down – fight with all those who insult you – and because of this constant fights – you remain restless and miserable.
Mohan asked “Then what is the way out?”
The way out is simple – but simple is not what people want. People like all that is complex and not simple. They forget the fact that TRUTH is SIMPLE. LOVE is SIMPLE. GOD is SIMPLE.
And so the answer is also simple – the only way out is by realizing the fact that the BATTLES of your life are NOT your battles but God’s.
Once you come to the state of realization that all your struggles, and all your battles are NOT yours but they belong to GOD – then GOD will take over and when GOD takes over – can anything ever go wrong?
Let GOD drive your life – HE can do more with your life. Remain available to GOD and that is possible only when you start living your life by surrendering yourself at the feet of the MASTER – because the MASTER is the MESSENGER of GOD – it is only through the divine omnipresence of the MASTER that you can experience the GODLINESS. Always remember – you can never become GOD but you can always become GODLY – you can always experience the fragrance of GODLINESS and this GODLINESS exists only when you come closer and closer to the state of higher consciousness. Albert Einstein says – No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it.
You have to raise the level of your consciousness. And the way to do it is by turning inwards. By spending some quality time with yourself – every day chanting and meditating is essential for you to realize the significance of SURRENDER.
Either surrender because you admit your inability and require a higher power to help you, or investigate the cause of misery by going to the source and merging into the Self. Either way, you will be free from misery. God never forsakes one who has surrendered. – Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi
When you surrender – the Master comes, the Master extends his hand and raises you up. Listen to the beautiful song – RAISE ME UP – shared in the description of this video – this beautiful song moved my heart – it may move your heart as well!
Lastly – always remember to investigate the source of your anger instead of merely controlling your anger – else you will end up becoming a Shantidas who appeared as a silent monk but within his being there was so much anger boiling! I don’t say anger is wrong, I say anger is energy — pure energy, beautiful energy. When anger arises, be aware of it, and see the miracle happen. When anger arises, be aware of it, and if you are aware you will be surprised; you are in for a surprise — maybe the greatest surprise of your life — that as you become aware, anger disappears. Anger is transformed. Anger becomes pure energy; anger becomes compassion, anger becomes forgiveness, anger becomes love. And you need not repress, so you are not burdened by some poison. And you are not being angry, so you are not hurting anybody. Both are saved: the other, the object of your anger, is saved, and you are saved.
You can overcome your anger only when you STOP REPRESSING your anger – only when you look within and try to find out the source of your anger.
Mohan asked, “What should I do when I get angry?”
When you are angry, you watch it. You are not just angry, a new element is introduced into it: you are watching it. And the miracle is that if you can watch anger, the anger disappears without being repressed.
And this is a significant message for those having Retrograde Mars – because you quickly get angry and anger distorts your judgment and when you cannot judge a situation – you end up committing serious mistakes which you regret later in life.
The more and more watchful you become – anger will be less and greed will be less and jealousy will be less. And then the spring of joy will well up within your being. Then there is a dance, a song, a beautiful painting. Then life is no more a painful journey – but a blissful joyful journey.
Love to all those having Retrograde Mars – it is a difficult placement however there is always a way out – if you are willing to walk with FAITH and not by SIGHT.
Jai Shri Ganesha. Jai Guru.
