Lunar Occultation of Mars December 2022

To Occult means to hide. A lunar occultation occurs when the Moon passes in front of a star or planet and hides it from our view. On Wednesday night, December 7, 2022, the Moon will pass in front of Mars. This rare lunar occultation of Mars will be visible from parts of the Americas, Europe and Northern Africa.

By coincidence, Mars will be at its biggest and brightest for 26 months because the Sun is opposite Mars. This lunar occultation of Mars also occurs only 10 minutes before a Full Moon. As shown below, the Sun, Earth, Moon and Mars are perfectly aligned.

Mars Opposition Occultation December 2022 [whenthecurveslineup.com]

This is also a very powerful lunar occultation of Mars. With a magnitude of -1.9, it lasts for one hour. It is the longest until the -2.2 magnitude occultation in 2048.

Moon Conjunct Mars

The Moon represents your emotions, unconscious habits, memories, moods, reactions, mother, nurturing, home, need for security, and the past.

Mars is associated with confidence, self-assertion, aggression, sexuality, energy (particularly goal-directed energy), strength, ambition, and impulsiveness. It governs sports, competitions, and physical activities in general.

Moon conjunct Mars gives you the courage, enthusiasm and initiative to act on your most passionate desires. Intimate relations benefit from increased charisma and sex appeal. You can stand up for yourself and your family or fight for a cause you care about.

But impulsiveness and impatience can make your powerful emotions and subconscious reactions challenging to control. You or someone close to you may quickly become irritable, agitated, bossy, mean, rude to even violent. Fast reflexes combined with aggressive instincts bring danger from risk-taking. Accidents, cuts, abrasions and burns are possible if you act rashly.

If you cannot relax, strenuous physical activity like sports, exercise, and sex are healthy ways to use this hot, competitive energy. Expend your energy on someone or something you are emotionally attached to, like a lover, your home or your mother. This could range from cleaning your house to giving a loved one an invigorating massage.

Lunar Occultation of Mars Astrology

According to Louise Edington, when the Moon occults or hides Mars:

some hidden wisdom is literally Eclipsed and then revealed as the Moon moves on… this suggests that we get a jolt or a reset in some respect to how we view Mars… We are learning, or being invited to, to integrate our Martian warrior energy in healthier ways. To fight for things, to use our will for caring, not to control others. To use our personal power and leadership qualities wisely. The Occultation is dampening the fire of Mars. ^[1]

Lunar Occultations of Mars December 2022

Mars is Retrograde

Mars Retrograde also dampens the fire of Mars. It is a time for thinking before acting. Fated events and repeating themes will reinforce which of your intense desires need more background work before being acted upon.

Whatever area of sexuality or decisive action you must develop is so important that extra time is needed to take stock and ensure everything is in order before you continue. Fated events may occur that could be painful but are needed, so you back off and don’t make a significant mistake.

You may have struggled with destructive behaviors like anger, rage, violence, or sexual abuse in the past. If so, Mars retrograde will bring fated events that force you to admit anger management issues. This, too, could be a harrowing experience for you.

This lunar occultation of Mars occurring during a full moon and Mars retrograde represents a brief one-hour period of contemplation. It is an opportunity to come to terms with the Mars-related issues affecting you so you can more confidently and safely assert yourself and act on your desires.

The December 7 Full Moon post covers other astrological influences affecting this rare event.