Mars retrogrades every two years. 

This is why its retrogradation IS a big deal. 

We are so accustomed to Mars being direct that we will definitely feel the difference when it turns retrograde. 

In this text, I will discuss the unique characteristics of Mars retrograde periods. I’ll also offer some advice on what you can do during this time. 

I’ll do so with the help of Erin Sullivan’s book Retrograde Planets: Traversing the Inner Landscape.

Without further ado, here’s the table of contents: 

1. Planet Mars Meanings 
2. Mars’ Unique Retrograde Cycle 
3. Possible Manifestations When Mars is Retrograde
4. Mars Cycle: Short Summary
5. Mars Cycle: In-Depth Explanation
   1. Mars Retrograde: From the Trine to the Sun to the Station Retrograde
   2. Mars Retrograde: From the Station Retrograde to the Opposition to the Sun 
   3. Mars Retrograde: From the Opposition to the Sun to the Station Direct
   4. Mars Retrograde: From the Station Direct to the Trine to the Sun 
6. Advice for Mars Retrograde
7. Dates for Mars Retrograde in 2024-2025

Let’s go!

Planet Mars Meanings 

Mars is the planet of action, desire, drive, aggression, and ambition. 

It is the force that propels us to move forward, fight for what we want, and achieve goals with grit and determination.  

The spirit of competitiveness and being a pioneer are also contained within Mars’ realm. 

This planet is particularly active from the age of 28 to the age of 35. During this seven-year cycle, we have to fight for dear life to achieve what we want. Many scar battles will cover our bodies, but we’ll also be more resilient and strong when the cycle ends. 

If you want to read more about this 7-year window, check this text: The 5th 7-Year Cycle and the First Saturn Return

Mars’ Unique Retrograde Cycle 

Fun fact: Due to the eccentricity of its orbit, Mars retrogrades most frequently in Cancer, Leo, and Virgo. And it retrogrades least frequently in Sagittarius and Aquarius.

In astronomy, planets are separated into inferior and superior planets. 

Inferior planets are those whose orbits are between the Earth and the Sun. Only Mercury and Venus fall into this category. 

Instead, superior planets orbit farther from the Sun than Earth. These planets are Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Chiron, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. 

The inferior planets Mercury and Venus always remain close to the Sun. This is why, in your birth chart, Mercury and Venus’ signs will be the same as your Sun sign. Or, at least, a very close sign in the zodiac. 

Superior planets have individual paths along the ecliptic and aren’t necessarily close to the Sun. 

However, there are some differences between all the superior planets and Mars. They have different relationships to the Sun. 

When the other superior planets are retrograde, they make a trine to the Sun. But not Mars. 

I’ll cover the characteristics of this trine in the section of this text about Mars’ cycle. 

The other difference between Mars and the other superior planets is associated with the nature of the retrograde periods. 

Superior planets spend many months a year in their retrograde phase. We are used, at least unconsciously, to this cycle. Therefore, we won’t significantly feel those retrogradations. 

With Mars, things are not like that. You WILL notice that it is retrograde. 

We are so used to Mars’ steady state that we are shocked when the planet makes its 80-day backward regression every two years. 

Those 80 days are definitely memorable. 

Possible Manifestations When Mars is Retrograde

Mars retrograde is the perfect time to analyze the motives underlying your actions. You can also reflect on the validity of your goals and ambitions. The house in which Mars is retrograding symbolizes these goals and ambitions. 

There may be no need to stop what you’re already doing, but more introspection and contemplation are required. 

During Mars retrograde, there might be an internal battle between wanting things done and wanting things to just be.

Often, Mars retrograde brings issues to the surface that you have forgotten or repressed because they possess disruptive qualities. 

Old wounds, hurts, or frustrations may arise out of context. However, these disruptions have a purpose. 

Recognizing unresolved conflicts that have been incubating can liberate you and allow you to manage your energy more appropriately. 

If Mars retrogrades in aspect to a planet or angle in the birth chart, this period can cause feelings frustration. These feelings will occupy your energy and temporarily delay progress. 

Other elements that could appear are rage, suppressed memories, old passions, childish reactions, and vengeful fantasies.

Wherever Mars transits retrograde in your birth chart, you’ll contact deep-seated forms of rage, passion, energy, heat, libido, and ambition. 

Typically, you may be able to hide anger, irritation, or fear. But when Mars is retrograde, open wounds begin to fester. And these wounds could erupt when Mars stations and turns direct. 

A common piece of advice for Mars retrograde is to refrain from signing contracts or agreeing verbally to anything.  

You must be prepared to wait two and a half months before considering the proposal or situation again. This is not always possible.  

Waiting for two and a half months could be problematic. Life sometimes doesn’t occur on an astrological timeline. But there are many examples where waiting, either by mistake or choice, has been a blessing.

The slow burn produced by Mars’ retrograde periods can be corrosive and psychologically depleting. At the same time, it can also free up stagnant energy. 

Misplaced aggression expands indiscriminately into areas of life entirely unrelated to a specific issue.

This lack of boundaries creates discord and conflict, which in turn causes implosions that are also misdirected. The whole situation prepares a cocktail of bad timing, misdirected anger, guilt, and sadness. 

A positive manifestation of Mars’ energy is assertiveness. Even though aggression is part of it, assertiveness is not self-disruptive or displaced.

Assertiveness implies harmony of action and reaction. Working on your assertive nature is a good use of the period when Mars is retrograde. 

If you feel disorganized and chaotic, Mars retrograde will exacerbate that state. This planet will throw everything out while creating emotional turmoil and internal riots.

The internal discomfort can spill out into your environment. Remember to tend to your inner world and pacify yourself before acting out. 

During Mars retrograde, you’ll become acutely aware of your capacity for diplomacy and strategy. Above all, patience and alertness must be employed and sustained. If not, you may feel exhausted and melancholic. 

When Mars is transiting retrograde, it is ideal to determine the difference between apathy and a simple lack of interest. Holding onto a situation or relationship that appears fruitless is stubbornness, not assertiveness. 

Mars is associated with acute illness. Therefore, its retrogradation can trigger a chronic problem and weaken your immunological system. You may be more permeated to invasions, both psychological and physical. 

When Mars is retrograde, a degree of personal power and control is lost in the house where it is transiting. This loss of command involves establishing a new balance in that area of life or creating fairness in your psyche. 

Ranting, raving, and complaining are not effective when Mars is retrograde. But relinquishing what is meant to be free does.  

Mars Cycle: Short Summary

• First Sun-Mars trine: Mars is still direct. It occurs fifteen to twenty days before Mars stations retrograde. It’s a day where energy flows, so you have the sense that everything is moving along. It brings excitement and potential. However, this is reversed during the retrogradation. Energy is missing, and the previous excitement feels like it was all hype and not much substance. Enjoy this day, but don’t overextend yourself. 
• From the station retrograde to the opposition to the Sun: This period goes from 5 days before Mars goes retrograde until approximately 40 days into the retrogradation. Your usual drive and focus come to a standstill. The daily progress you take for granted becomes filled with effort. Every task seems to take forever to be completed. The frustrations have to do with the house of your birth chart in which this planet is transiting. These frustrations cause a burning within you. This burning must be blown out before it consumes your inner sense of self-worth. You could also feel stagnant. This can create problems if you’re under a deadline or have limited time or funds to complete a project. It’s not like all activity stops, but this period offers more reactive experiences than active ones. Perfect time to analyze the motives underlying your actions. Reflect on the validity of your goals and ambitions. There may be no need to stop what you’re already doing, but more introspection and contemplation are required. This period can bring suppressed feelings of hostility or frustration to the surface. Recognizing what unresolved conflicts have been incubating can liberate you. Doing so will allow you to manage your energy more appropriately.
• Sun-Mars opposition: Mars is retrograde. It marks the middle of the retrograde period. The day of the opposition doesn’t pass unnoticed. It’s impossible to predict what will happen due to the free spirit of Mars. But this is a dramatic time. It externalizes energy that has been gestating and cooking in your unconscious. The energy that was stored is brought to a head when you confront your past frustrations. It highlights the two houses in which you have been experiencing a build-up of energy. This build-up could be challenging or constructive. Check the houses where the Sun and Mars will be transiting in your birth chart. Doing it will give you clues about the topics that will surface. The emerging feelings, moods, events, and circumstances identify an area that needs to become conscious. Expel the festering energy to liberate yourself psychologically. It can be an explosive moment that clears the air. It usually activates dormant anger or hostility. It may also ignite frustrations that will not cease until Mars turns direct again. 
• From the opposition to the Sun to the station direct: It lasts for about 40 days after the Sun-Mars opposition. You reconsider any new directions that emerged in the first half of Mars retrogradation. If you didn’t receive any clues on what you needed to activate during the first part of the retrogradation, the opposition can shake things up. This transit could bring a total re-evaluation of the course of action to reclaim your power. Typically, you may be able to hide anger, irritation, or fear. But when Mars is retrograde, open wounds begin to fester. And these wounds could erupt when Mars stations and turns direct. You can see this period as a moment of investigation or anticipation. 
• From the station direct to the trine to the Sun: The trine occurs about 15 days after Mars turns direct. Moments of tense agitation. Your intuition is high at this time. You instinctively know that a situation, circumstance, or condition is unsustainable. Things cannot be the same. A radical change must happen. It might be appropriate to relinquish a once beloved project, attitude, or relationship instead of persisting aggressively in outmoded activities. You could experience an illness associated with the effects of cumulative stress in the body.  
• Second Sun-Mars trine: It occurs around 15 days after Mars turns direct. It’s a wake-up call. Mars is now direct and propels you into the future. Balance is restored, and you have recovered from the sluggishness of the retrograde period.

Mars Cycle: In-Depth Explanation

Now, let’s see the different characteristics of Mars’ retrograde cycle more deeply so you know what to expect. 

Mars Retrograde: From the Trine to the Sun to the Station Retrograde

The first Sun-Mars trine in the cycle occurs approximately fifteen to twenty days before Mars stations retrograde. The second Sun-Mars trine occurs about fifteen to twenty days after it stations direct. 

The first trine before Mars goes retrograde brings excitement and potential. However, this is reversed during the retrogradation. When Mars is retrograde, energy is missing. The previous excitement feels like it was all hype and not much substance. 

Related: Saturn Aspects: An In-Depth Exploration

I share the dates of Mars cycle at the end of this text so you can organize your calendar accordingly. 

Mars Retrograde: From the Station Retrograde to the Opposition to the Sun 

Your usual drive and focus come to a standstill when Mars stations and turns retrograde. The daily progress you take for granted becomes filled with effort. Every task seems to take forever to be completed.  

The trine between the Sun and Mars always occurs two weeks before Mars turns retrograde. At that moment, energy flows, so you have the sense that everything is moving along.  

But this changes when Mars goes retrograde. 

There is an abrupt ending. The energy and focus you used to devote to a project or relationship before the retrogradation are not easily available.  

The frustrations manifested during Mars retrograde are connected with the house of your birth chart in which Mars is transiting. 

Related: Saturn Through the 12 Houses of the Zodiac: An Introduction

These frustrations cause a burning within you. This burning must be blown out before it consumes your inner sense of self-worth.

You could also feel stagnant. And the stagnation could last through the entire retrograde period. This can create problems if you’re under a deadline or have limited time or funds to complete a project. 

Truth be told, the retrogradation of Mars will not necessarily mean that all activity stops. However, this period offers more reactive experiences than active ones. 

When action is required in projects with a time goal, the beginning of Mars retrograde can postpone the desired timeline. If the project is inappropriate for the long term, it could even end during this period.  

Reversals of interest, passion, drive, and ambition also manifest during the retrograde phase. 

Mars Retrograde: From the Opposition to the Sun to the Station Direct

The day of the opposition doesn’t pass unnoticed. It’s impossible to predict what will happen due to the free spirit of Mars. Besides, Mars is more unpredictable in its retrograde motion. But this is undoubtedly a dramatic time. 

The Sun-Mars opposition in the middle of Mars retrogradation externalizes energy that has been gestating and cooking in your unconscious. 

During the first half of the retrograde cycle, much of the accumulated energy is stored. Then, during the opposition, it is brought to a head when you finally confront your past frustrations.

The opposition highlights the two houses in which you have been experiencing a build-up of energy. This build-up could be challenging or constructive. 

Check the house where the Sun will be transiting in your birth chart and the one where Mars will be. Doing so will give you clues about the topics that may surface.  

The dramatism will be more impactful if the opposition aspects a planet or occurs within 8 degrees of one of the angles of your birth chart. The four angles are the Ascendant, Descendant, IC, and MC. 

You might not know what is moving within your psyche. However, the feelings and events that emerge in the Sun-Mars opposition point to an area that needs to be considered.

Expel the festering energy to free yourself psychologically. 

The opposition can be an explosive moment that clears the air. It usually activates dormant anger or hostility. It may also ignite frustrations that will not cease until Mars turns direct again. 

The Sun-Mars opposition marks the middle of Mars retrogradation. It breaks the cycle midway and is a noteworthy turning point. 

After the Sun-Mars opposition, you reconsider any new directions that emerged in the first half of Mars retrogradation. 

The opposition can shake things up if you didn’t receive clues about what you need to activate during the first part of the retrogradation. This opposition could cause a total re-evaluation of the course of action you must take to reclaim your power.

You can see the time from the opposition to Mars turning direct as a moment of investigation or anticipation. 

Mars Retrograde: From the Station Direct to the Trine to the Sun 

The period between the station direct of Mars and the trine with the Sun is marked by tense agitation. 

Your intuition is high at this time. You instinctively know that a situation, circumstance, or condition is unsustainable. Things cannot be the same. A radical change must happen. 

It might be appropriate to relinquish a once beloved project, attitude or relationship instead of persisting aggressively in outdated activities. You should do so once Mars completes its retrograde cycle.

The entire period of Mars retrograde exacerbates the effects of cumulative stress. If illness is lurking, an acute attack may result.

This attack usually manifests after the Sun-Mars opposition and most often when this planet is stationed before turning direct. 

On the bright side, inner burnout corrodes resistance. An illness can address an imbalance of energy by forcing you to rest and contemplate your energy use. 

Inspiration often goes underground when Mars is retrograde. Fortunately, it resurfaces when Mars is direct with new and more realistic goals. 

The second trine is a wake-up call. Mars is now direct and propels you into the future. Balance is restored, and you have recovered from the sluggishness of the retrograde period. 

Advice for Mars Retrograde

These are some actionable pieces of advice you can implement when Mars is retrograde: 

1. Pause before acting

Avoid making impulsive decisions, especially around major projects, agreements, or confrontations. Use this time to evaluate the long-term viability of your goals.

2. Review and refine goals

Examine the projects, relationships, or ambitions that feel blocked or frustrating. Are they still aligned with your values and purpose? If not, consider revising or letting them go.

3. Channel frustration into reflection

When anger or irritation arise, write your feelings down or engage in a calming practice, like deep breathing or yoga. This helps you understand underlying triggers instead of acting on them impulsively.

4. Delay major commitments

If possible, postpone launching new ventures or signing contracts until after Mars stations direct. If delays are unavoidable, double-check all details and prepare for possible adjustments.

5. Focus on the present

Break down larger goals into smaller, manageable steps. This can help you stay productive without feeling overwhelmed by delays or setbacks.

6. Address unresolved conflicts

Use this time to examine unresolved issues in relationships or work. Having honest but calm conversations can clear the air and rebuild trust.

7. Strengthen physical resilience

Mars governs vitality, so focus on supporting your physical health through balanced nutrition, exercise, and rest. Avoid pushing your body too hard!

8. Cultivate emotional awareness

If old memories, frustrations, or fears surface, acknowledge them rather than suppress them. Therapy, journaling, and meditation can help process these feelings constructively.

9. Develop a strategy

Instead of forcing progress, plan ahead. Map out future actions, so you’re ready to act when the retrograde ends and energy flows more easily.

10. Stay flexible and patient

Accept that progress may be slower than usual. Adopt a mindset of adaptability, seeing delays or changes as opportunities for course correction rather than failures.

Dates for Mars Retrograde in 2024-2025

• November 27th, 2024, 03:06: Sun at 5°34’ of Sagittarius trines Mars at 5°34’ of Leo. 
• December 1st, 2024: Mars stationary to turn retrograde (not an exact date, but an approximation.)  
• December 6th, 2024, 18:33: Mars turns retrograde at 06°10’ of Leo. 
• December 11th, 2024: Mars “ends” its stationary period after going retrograde (again, not an exact date, but an approximation.)
• January 6, 2025, 05:44: Mars retrograde goes back to Cancer.
• January 15th, 2025, 21:38: Sun at 26°12’ of Capricorn opposes Mars at 26°12’ of Cancer. 
• February 18th, 2025: Mars stationary to turn direct (not an exact date, but an approximation.)
• February 23rd, 2025, 21:00: Mars turns direct at 17°00’ of Cancer.  
• February 28th, 2025: Mars “ends” its stationary period after going direct (again, not an exact date, but an approximation.)
• March 8th, 2025, 00:12: Sun at 17°52’ of Pisces trines Mars at 17°52’ of Cancer. 

All times are in EST. 

I hope this transit allows you to uncover hidden emotions and move forward feeling more liberated.

Thanks for reading, and until next time!