This week brings one of those clusters of events: the New Moon in Taurus, followed by Uranus entering Taurus for its try-out phase, and Mars entering Aquarius, putting it in position for the retrograde that begins in about six weeks.

Yet while all of these represent beginnings, the 36 hours between now and the New Moon and ingresses are clearly the ends of cycles. So take this time and wrap up old business. Complete important things in your life. Bring things to a close, before you open up new territory or new experience.

It’s always tempting to run ahead of oneself, or to lie back in what is established and familiar. Yet there’s an important zone between, where you negotiate healing, closure, resolution and self-reflection. The better you know yourself, the more relevant this astrology will be for you as it unfolds.

My take on Mars retrograde in Aquarius is that themes and topics associated with the role of men and maleness will emerge. Aquarius represents our social patterns, Mars is maleness and desire, and the retrograde is about going against the grain. We tend to learn by contrasts.

On our plane of consciousness, where dualism prevails, contrast is vitally important as a means of distinguishing what is different. And we will certainly see plenty of that with Mars doing its thing this summer. Study carefully what happens in these first days of Mars in its new sign.

Note as well that the first thing Mars does is make a square to Uranus, which in itself comes with a jolt to awareness. So, pay attention and keep your ears on.

I develop these themes in tonight’s edition of Planet Waves FM. And I will be chronicling the movements of the planets in the daily horoscope, distributed each morning as part of the Four Winds Report.