How to Make the Best of Mars Retrograde

Mars is the planet of action and energy. It helps us move forward and get stuff done! However, like all planets, Mars occasionally has periods when it appears to be moving backward in terms of its relative position to Earth.

During these periods, which are known as Mars Retrogrades, the way we take action and assert ourselves might look a little different than usual.

How often does Mars Retrograde happen?

Mars cycles through all 12 Zodiac signs over the course of about two years. However, it doesn’t spend the same amount of time in each sign during a cycle.

Mars Retrograde happens roughly every two years, according to NASA — or once per Mars cycle. Whenever Mars Retrograde starts, Mars then spends an extra long amount of time in the sign where it is at that point. Sometimes it also dips backward into the previous sign.

Mars Retrograde in a particular sign takes that sign’s assertive energies and turns them inward. For example, the current Mars Retrograde in communication-oriented Gemini began on October 30, 2022. It will end on January 12, 2023.

A big event during this Mars Retrograde in Gemini was the release of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which generates automated text on a wide variety of topics. Seeing what a computer can write without human intervention might inspire us to make a Mars Retrograde turn inward and think critically about how to make our communications unique.

The next Mars Retrograde will begin in the passionate sign of Leo on December 6, 2024, and end in the sensitive sign of Cancer on February 23, 2025. Mars is associated with conflict, so we might need to reflect on how we use our emotions when we fight during this time.

How will Mars Retrograde affect me?

In general, a Mars Retrograde is a difficult time to get new projects off the ground. However, it might be a good time to return to an old project you’d abandoned some time ago and finally finish it. As Mars rules physical activity, you could also rediscover a sport you played in the past or resume a forgotten exercise routine.

To get more personal, looking at what house of your natal chart the current Mars Retrograde falls in can show you which activities would be the best use of your energy. 

For example, if Mars turns retrograde in your 4th House of Home and Family, you may want to resume a remodeling project that you took a break from or resolve an unfinished dispute with a relative.

The intensity of a Mars Retrograde transit could increase for you if it aspects any planets in your natal chart. For example, Mars Retrograde squaring or opposing communication planet Mercury in your natal chart might provoke you to resurrect a past verbal argument so you can get the last word in.

For all the details on how a Mars Retrograde will interact with your natal chart, book a transit reading!