Bring On The Calm: An Anxiety-Provoking Transit Finally Ends This Week

Normally, the red planet hangs out in a sign for eight weeks, but thanks to an agitating retrograde from September 13 to November 9, Mars stirred the pot in the Ram's realm for six whole months.

After this frenetic cycle, Mars hunkers down in pragmatic, comfort-loving Taurus. Can we get a global exhale, please? Between now and March 3, everyone's main job will be to sort through all the big ideas—and epic conflicts—that have been spun up since the middle of last year, especially ones (like, say, the U.S. presidential election) that heated up during the retrograde.

Rather than replaying every detail of the fight or jockeying for the upper hand, the focus shifts to finding real solutions. True, this might not be the most exciting eight weeks on the annual calendar. But don't underestimate the slow-burning power of Mars in Taurus!

Calling all thought leaders! (And yes, we're talking to you.) Bring on the brainstorming—which could lead to massive developments since larger-than-life Jupiter and make-it-happen Saturn will be swinging alongside Mercury the whole time.

Ideasmith Mercury buzzes here until March 15—an extra-long cycle due to an upcoming retrograde from January 30 to February 21. While these three weeks are more about research and testing, you can get a running start on your innovations now.

Rule of thumb: No idea is too offbeat to ponder—at least as a jumping-off point. In fact, the more bizarre, the better.

The beauty of Aquarius energy is that it's simultaneously logical and illogical, a paradox that can produce some of the most groundbreaking, disruptive inventions the world has ever seen. Just look to Aquarians Thomas Edison, Oprah Winfrey, Galileo, and Virginia Woolf if you need proof of concept.

Couples can use this pragmatic cycle to align schedules and plans—and produce something memorable as a pair. Map out your one-year (or five-year) goals; share bucket lists in bed. Some couples might discover a deal-breaker through this process. Uh-oh. If one person is dreaming of white picket fences in suburbia while the other is thinking white sand beaches in five different surf towns, it's best to know now. As a consolation, cool-headed Venus in Capricorn can turn mismatched lovers into friends.

On Sunday, Venus trines her dance partner Mars in Taurus. This earthy pasodoble will already bring things back to brass tacks. Keeping it real could be a saving grace, so forget playing coy. Say it plain and spell out your terms and conditions!