Mars Retrograde Meaning
Mars retrograde in transit is a regular cycle occurring every 25 months, lasting 80 days, and spanning 13 degrees of the zodiac. It is the second rarest of the retrogrades after Venus, occurring only 9% of the time. Transiting Mars retrograde 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.
Mars retrograde means that 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 also have struggled with destructive behaviors like anger, rage, violence, or sexual abuse. If so, the retrograde phase will bring fated events that force you to admit you have some anger management issues. This, too, could be a harrowing experience for you.
By the time Mars stations direct, you should have come to terms with the relevant issues. This contemplative stage is over; you are ready to come out of your shell, confidently assert yourself, and act on your desires.
Mars Retrograde Dates
- September 9 to November 13, 2020 – 28° to 15° Aries
- October 30, 2022, to January 12, 2023 – 25° to 8° Gemini
- Dec 6, 2024, to Feb 23, 2025 – 06° Leo to 17° Cancer
- January 10 to April 1, 2027 – 10° Virgo to 20° Leo
Mars Retrograde Natal
Natal Mars retrograde suggests you find it difficult to express your sexuality, competitiveness or strength. Perhaps you struggle with being direct, courageous, or showing initiative. You tend to internalize these everyday, healthy expressions of Mars energy so that you hesitate, take action at the wrong time, or have psychological hangups about sexuality or gender.
This fear of taking decisive action and standing up for yourself stems from past life crises related to injury and pain. You may have fallen victim to a violent death, war crime or rape. Maybe you were victimized and abused because of your sexuality. It could even be the case that you lost your temper and severely hurt or killed someone.
There are endless possible scenarios of how Mars energy can turn destructive once your adrenaline kicks in and you act on primal instincts in survival mode. Whatever the case, whether victim or perpetrator, you come into this life with a deep understanding of the pain that results from Mars in a state of rage.
It is understandable, therefore, that you are somewhat cautious about taking risks or leaving yourself in a vulnerable position. While young, painful past life experiences may be repeated, though not to the same extreme.
Mars retrograde in your natal chart subjects you to many fated events to bring you out of your shell and teach you how to express Mars energy safely. Aspects to Mars and any fixed star conjunctions will give more detail on handling Mars retrograde in your natal chart.
Very good. I have Mars in Aquarius.
Balance & restraint,
is a requisite,
albeit your own scales,
truman show is not a movie.
Natal Retrograde Mars in Aries, natal Mars opposite Mercury and Gemini Ascendant. What more can i expect with this transit 🙂
I have to say, you helped me a lot with this article understand better why i strive all my life with this inner urge to fear, survival mode feelings and why competition of any kind brings me paralysis.
Thank you from a Virgo.
You are most welcome from a Virgo!
Were you born in September 1988? I’m also a Virgo, mars rx in Aries(11°), Mercury in Libra(2°), Mercury and mars are in opposite signs but that orb may be too wide to consider it an actual opposition.
The Mars retrograde station square to Neptune (which is also retrograde) could be a minefield. This is good breakdown from Astro King:
https://astrologyking.com/mars-square-neptune/
The Mars station combined with Al Hecka means new projects started at this time are bound to be confused and ill conceived. Further, there is the potential for danger and deception, both from within and without. Stay clear from drugs and alcohol and be careful with prescription medications. Self harm could be an issue for some.
However, the Mars retrograde would be a good time to finish projects, to tweak, revisit, and recharge most areas of your life but in particular those areas of the chart where Mars is now, where is it has been recently and its natal placement.
There is support out there, too. Perhaps it’s a good time to seek counsel so you can revise and be extra ready to move on when Mars finishes its retrograde. Then you can put into action everything you’ve learnt or revisited during the retrograde, but in a self-starting, or perhaps even solo, fashion – initiate the new next year.
I will also add, in regards to the Mars square Neptune aspect, I would bet on Mars. I would not let the negative side of the Neptune energy stop you from applying the positive side of the Mars energy. For example, you are trying to quit (Mars) drugs (Neptune), or an addictive (Neptune) bad relationship, see through a fantasy (Neptune). See through the mist of fear (negative Neptune), know thy enemy clearly and then apply Mars energy – you might have to enlist help to do this.
Nancy Pelosi’s husband. Makes total sense. I have experienced depression and crying for the last 3 days. With no reason attached?? I am sensitive and pick up energy. Do you think Mars is the reason ?? Thank you for all you do. I have been a fan of yours for years.😃❤❤❤
Well dang it! Jamie I got a reading with you to decide when to release my album, “All About Love”. Problem is it took wayyy longer than expected to finish! So I picked a new date, December 9th; now I learn it’s during this Mars retrograde thing! And my Mars is in Gemini too. Dang it! What to do???
Thank you Dean…your comment helped! I am just publishing what I have worked this entire year on!!! So sounds like ‘finishing’ might be cool after all? I sure hope so! Thanks for your post!
Hi Tamara, also read my comments on revision and enlisting help, perhaps in the form of another set of eyes, before you set your efforts in stone. With Neptune in hard angle to Mars, there might be things you missed. Also, ensure the legals are covered by registering your work (Jupiter retrograde/Neptune issues).
I should have said “run your work past a neutral set of ears”.
Perhaps, if we release anger in private & ensure we dont hurt anyone, be patient and not expect others to do or be able to do what we ourselves cannot & keep our wits about us, be a bit more cluey and let nature make its course, the outcome doesn’t have to be, the worst possible? I associate Mars rx with the back burn that Firey’s do, to ensure that any already burnt area is devoid of any fuel that may reignite it, but in Gemini, we need to remain on our toes, as they could be a back draft, which can prove deadly for any life in its path. I think from the Aries Sun or Ascendant people I know and indeed looking to where I have Mars and Aries in my personal chart, plus in this instance, Gemini & Mercury, but in particular Mars/Aries, the biggest loss that is feared here, is loss of individual identity. Our name address phone number email etc is not our identity it is our information, generally to be able to identify anyone, we need to know them well, especially where they or we are different, sometimes an identifying mark or a place, interest, passion or behaviour, that is where they are more likely to be, than others. Having invested some of my time in emergency service, it is more important to contain the area not allowing anything to escape or enter the scene/scenario that may complicate, aggravate or inflame the situation any further, keep people calm, use our initiatives, tried & true life saving methods only, and if not available, improvise as best one can and yes, if conscious get as much information about the their symptoms and history, most importantly prior diagnosed allergies & pre-existing conditions, NEVER refer to these as “co-morbidities” yes it is medical terminology, BUT it is better to use a more family friendly term, because “morbid” will always trigger more fear and a sense of dread or doom, reassure the patient/injured/bystanders that they are in the best hands or one is doing ones best, but DO NOT MAKE PROMISES YOU CANNOT KEEP, especially when those involved are very vulnerable, including to suggestions. It is both immoral and unethical to do so. Of course many are not aware of this tried & true emergency protocol or the procedures, except more and more, at least here in Australia, have embraced the opportunity to learn and obtain their first aid certificate, and this IS covered in the lessons through the training process. I’m not so sure what caused them to believe that in this Global emergency situation, this no longer applies, is beyond me, but there you have it, what’s done is done, and its too late to change any information, choices, data or calculations, if something is amiss, it will come back to us, through the back burn, or sadly for some, an unpredictable back draft. But it doesn’t have to end this way, from the previous Mars rx where he had the home ground advantage in Aries beginning back in Sept 2020, if we pay attention, manage our anger and keep our wits about us, to overreact with a tit for tat will only serve to make matters worse, or even all out war and ask ourselves is it worth it? Is that what we really want?. Yes any antisocial,devious or underhanded attitudes and behaviours that have been unearthed during the Pluto through Capricorn process in working through our own & the global, dark night of the soul, and sadly there has a lot of this come to light, which will need to be rectified, because we are in the Aquarius now, which is about the individual independent identity coming together as equals, not clones? and the individual respect & self respect for the freedom for all people to help make it work. Everyone a leader, a follower,a teacher, a student in their own way. There has been a lot of focus and vocalization demanding the right to freedom and our “entitlement to it” and no I dont believe we have to earn our right to freedom or pay for it, but there has been very little attention paid to the “respect factor” both for self and others, as equally mattering, which no doubt Saturn is doing his level best to bring to our attention to teach or remind us of. We dont have to do it because we are told to or not to nor because we owe others, we owe it to ourselves to have some self respect and respect others right to do so, also and act on our own recognizance accepting responsibility for ourselves, as grown up adults. Of course we are all different, including our personal beliefs and life style choices, having knowledge of them is not enough, we need to be willing to understand. Science is the quest to understand nature, and both of these require patience, along with trial and error processes. Regardless of how inconvenient that may be to the human population, nature really doesn’t give a toss about what is or isnt convenient to us. It doesn’t have to do things by the book or stick to human schedules, or at least, historically, this we knew. I very much value my freedom and privacy… dont you?
I’d just like to add, that indeed there have and are many victims of abuse, prejudice and vilification out there and I most definitely respect AND empathise with some of how they are feeling, anyone who thinks I have not been targetted and ill affected by abuse, prejudice, victimisation and vilification or the traumatic effect of feeling demoralised and violated or punished for a crime I didnt commit, really, do not know me. But what I have learned is that just because one has been victimised, even a multitude of times or ways, one doesnt have to become, a victim, nor make a career path of it and this battle of the victims going on in so many places around the world, that even if they win, do they really want the title of the biggest loser? Yes, it can not go on, but no, if you allow yourself to be provoked into going on the anti, you are no better than those who seek to attack or violate you. Nelson Mandela was a fine example of realising that he was becoming like the enemy, and stopped using or inciting violent words and actions. Was he stupid? No, I personally really dont think so. And did he let the power he attained go to his head? No, I personally really dont think so. Did the many who were touched and helped by his efforts, learn from his example, sadly, no I personally really dont think so.
We are all not like Nelson Mandela.
We are who we are,not someone else,
nor do we undertake someones of who they are.
You who you are,there for you are.
You enact,
from YOU.
NOT from anyone else.
FIND YOU.
PHASE 85 (GEMINI 25°): A GARDENER TRIMMING LARGE PALM TREES.
KEYNOTE: Bringing under control nature’s power of expansion.
The intellect of man is like a tropical plant in that it tends to expand “wildly” in many directions, seeking direct contact with the sun’s rays. Like a palm tree it uses its dead leaves to protect itself against dry heat, the heat of the realm of mind when deprived of the complementary power of the feelings. A culture is characterized by specific “forms” and “prime symbols”; education’s main object, at least in cultural and classical periods, has been to contain the imagination of individuals within these traditional forms. An entirely different approach to education is being attempted in our transitional age.
At this last stage of the seventeenth five-fold sequence we have reached the level of fulfillment of the impulses which began at the first stage (Gemini 21°) in a tumultuous upsurge of self-assertion and protest against the past. Now this upsurge has found its place in the evolution of mankind and society; and – symbolically speaking – “labor” has become not only unionized, but a strong force in the body politic. Yet the energies released seek constant expansion and therefore have to be controlled. There is need for repeated PRUNING.
My m/c is 8 Gemini 😲 …. Im a little worried !!
Xx
I have Mars in Gemini in 5th house @ 22 degrees
Interesting insights from Jamie and everyone. Much appreciated. PS: Oh yes, 10.30.22 is my birthday. So take that Mars Rx Gemini!!
Natal mars rx. Sexually I was a beast. It was my sport. Until I finally met my match and found out how exhausting it can be.
I have had many dreams of battles in other places, other times. I am a pacifist to the point of getting walked on. I no longer have expectations of fair treatment from anyone. And when I do get treated fairly I am extremely grateful.
Someone lost their temper when I was in the womb. And the victim eventually died from that wounding. Mars in Pisces so I was always told a different story about what happened. But as a result I grew up under a no violence allowed policy even though at the time I did not know what really went down.
All that you’ve written rings true. It is a struggle to stand for myself in a way that does not escalate what is coming at me. It’s a life long process. I fear if I let loose when I am attacked I would kill the attacker. I really feel that I could.
People always wanna fight me for some reason. That has been silencing for me at times. 4th house placement probably why I choose reclusion.
Natal mars rx will go direct in my progressed chart in 2030. I would like to make it until then to see if I notice a change. Perhaps starting to stand for myself is moving me in that direction. That is the year after progressed Uranus (sesqui to natal mars rx) progresses retro. I know that when progressed mercury was retrograde it was quite an exciting ride following the arrows in life. And then as it progressed direct again, I was like what up, party over?
In regard to the Halloween tragedy in Korea: Jupiter (fantasy, myths, magic, celebration) SQUARE Mars (death, destruction).
Thank you for another fine article, Jamie. This Mars retrograde is trine my stellium in Libra, so it will conjunct my natal Sun@ 25 Libra (currently), then back through my natal Moon, Neptune and Saturn two more times. It is a great influence to finish up old art and music projects, of which I have several. Time to create — a great alignment for my artiness (and airiness) to shine. Ha!
I meant trine my stellium from Gemini to Libra.
Neptune just finished transiting my natal mars. What an awesome time! Things are starker now. Enjoy the ride!
So glad to take pause to consider this. Probably dur to roto rooter scorpion eclipse cycle the normally content good dispositioned person that I usually am has been feeling the inderpiniings of all the hardships I have faced in my life. All neatly packed away under my happy exterior. It was accentuated by peoples reactions to some stories of my life that came up in conversation. Responses like how awful or that’s terrible. Hmm it was just my life. The hardship. However did I get through all that? I do believe my inner warrior. Natal mars rx in Pisces, I now can celebrate that. Honor my inner warrior. Huge perspective shift for me!
The higher we go,
it’s not by words.
but what we stomach.
Stomach is where the heart is.
Interesting how I was accosted just before the beginning of this mars retro cycle by a man who I admired as he was a celebrity in some circles. Over time and into the retro he suggested that i “invest” in a program he was very excited by. HMMM red flags anyone?? Luckily having had some experience of the kind of foolish internet scams that exist I have been spared, But really see how some seemingly intelligent people can be incredibly deluded and very dangerous by extension. Lesson? Trust your own good instincts and past experiences. Due diligence is a requirement. Surviving mars retro for me means to question male authority quietly and move on without ado.
Narcissists,psychopaths,gas lighters,charlatans etc etc,
ARE a blessing unto one.
The trigger-lessons,
(over time)
and the emotive side.
ie:fear,anger,grief etc,subsides.
There is no safe house,
when the house has not,
gone in house.
I just recently caught my son gaslighting me. I recognized it well during an intense conversation and I calmly pointed it out to him. I then asked that he not do it anymore.And let him know that I could sniff out gaslighting a mile away, that it was not good to do to people. I was really calm and then went on with our conversation. I was sooo proud of myself!! I have spent years healing from gaslighting and narcissism.
He’s 25. He gets it from my ex. I really hope he recognizes it and doesn’t continue.
Commiserations…
Where all here to ‘unlearn’ from our parents & society.
There is no one specific,
per se,
unlearning is universal.
When the student is ready,the teacher will appear~Lau Tsu.
Again,there is no one specific,
and i’ll add,
triggers are our own.
Repatriation NOT Retribution.
Let him who is without sin cast the first stone
Only those who are faultless have the right to pass judgment upon others (implying that no one is faultless and that, therefore, no one has such a right to pass judgment).
John 8:7 NIV
Each to there own,let and let live.
Sacrifice.
What does that mean?
Sacrificing a learnt wrong behavior.
How do we do that?
Practice doing nothing,
and align with silence.
Switch off from everything.
Listen and watch nature,
(Birds).
IF you have obligations,family,work etc,
find time,all the spare time,
watch the sunrise,
gather thoughts,
watch sunset,
gather dreams.
Proverbs 13.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs%2013&version=KJV
K.I.S.S-no offence.
In reply at long reply @ Debbie.
@Debbie,there should be a law in place for when psychopaths,narcissists,gas lighters & stalkers are identified.
The Psychological abuse that one goes through is horrid,to say the least.
3yrs living next door to a psychopath neighbor,gas lighting,stalking,cameras on my house,along with motion sensors.
False allegations,police call outs,3 court attendances,false 2yr intervention order made against me.
Yes,made to look the bad guy and no one listened.
Non conformist by birth and this episode of the last 3yrs,
has made me more jaded & untrustworthy towards people,the police,the justice system and society.
Absolute joke & pitiful society & system as a whole.
-Strength for Today- "And This Too Shall Pass" 2 Corinthians 4: 17-18This false intervention order runs out in under 3weeks.
One Psychological hold,i can now put behind me.
_
Past 3yrs,been torn whether to move.
BUT what has always hung in the back of my mind,
that i wouldn’t give this sorry excuse for being a human,
the satisfaction of winning.
Fact is also,moving would alter my level of freedom i have currently,
and i’m not about to downsize and having to grovel to the system.
_
So,
ill feelings will be a prerequisite on moving forward,
emotional clearing in the stomach.
Focusing on mwah,along with my dog,
& transforming my garden into an english garden.
_
I emphasize now more than ever,
with anyone,that has suffered Psychological abuse,
at the hands of a psychopath,narcissist,gas lighter,stalker etc etc.
_
Why i had to go through it?
I’ll guess i’ll find out at a later date.
Psalm 72:3-53 Let there be peace and justice throughout the land,
known on every mountain and hill.
4 May the king be fair to the poor.
May he help the helpless and punish those who hurt them.
5 May people always fear and respect you, God,
as long as the sun shines and the moon is in the sky.
So mote it be,
Amen.
Sorry about your troubles. My friends are all whipped into an angry narcissistic rejection of the facts with Mars square Neptune, I believe. I am lucky to have mostly positive vibes from Mars’ retro in Gemini, my 7th House. Getting my living room rearranged as a recording studio is also working out well. Hope things turn around for you soon.
Thanks Greg,things are looking up.
And nice re:recording studio.
Music is the greatest healer.
I was born sept 26 88, I really have to say this specific aspect has controlled and affected/challenged my life more than any other aspect in my chart entirely. Especially being born under rising moon in Aries conjunct mars… I’ve learned so much from it and have stubbornly, over a very long period- been forced to learn hard lessons, I feel like it’s like I am stuck as a baby inside when it comes to these specific challenges mentioned and I cannot make normal progress… I pray it all makes better sense one day and is ultimately overcome
Jamie!!! I hope this message finds you well and you are healthy and healing from where you were at this time last year. You have been in my thoughts and prayers. I wanted to see if you’re still offering readings as this full moon on Gemini is also conjunct my Natal Mars on Rigel in my 7th and also close to my natal moon on Aldebaran😳 Curious if I can get reading on this. Appreciate All of your Work so much!!
Ho Jody. Thank you, and yes, I am doing readings: https://astrologyking.com/readings/
Hello dear Virgo!! Yes I was born on 8th September, 1988. Mars in Aries 10°24 and Mercury in Libra 10°50. You are lucky that is wide, its not an easy opposition I have come to understand.There is always an urge to fight like a lawyer, always alert. Unfortunately I also have a grand cross in which these two participate. I hope you managed your retrograde Mars well 🙏
This retrograde is wild – it lined up perfectly with the election in Brazil this year.
The things that have been happening since November 1st, the second round of elections, are wild, to say the least.
Mars Retrograde Dec 6, 2024: Ceasefire in Mideast conflict imminent