Master My Master

Mars in Virgo turned Retrograde last week and will remain so until mid-April. While reading this letter from a freed slave to his previous master all I could think is how appropriate it is for a Mars in Virgo Rx transit.

http://www.lettersofnote.com/2012/01/to-my-old-master.html

Virgo rules matters of employment.

Mars rules "doing your own thing (Maritha Pottenger's description)." Mars also rules guns and being shot at.

Retrogrades are sometimes thought to bring things back from the past. I was curious to know what sign Mars was in back in August, 1865 when Jourdan Anderson wrote this letter to Colonel P.H. Anderson. Had a feeling ....

Turns out Mars was in Virgo at the time as well! This is a Mars Return by about 3 degrees! And Mars was conjunct Mercury which is Virgo's ruler so it's influence was extra strong.

Saturn was in Libra conjunct the North Node, so Saturn is also celebrating a Return of the time of the exchange.

This could account for the shocking details and tongue in cheek diplomacy displayed in the letter.

Venus was at 1 Cancer conjunct Uranus at 3 Cancer on August 7, 1865 when Jourdan Anderson wrote the letter about possibly returning to his "roots" in Tennessee.