While Mercury retrograde tends to attract a lot of attention, an even more impactful planetary retrograde is arriving in time for the holidays: Mars retrograde. The red planet officially reversed its course on December 6, and it will be helping all zodiac signs reconnect with their passions and rethink how to pursue their ambitions over the next two and a half months.
Before diving into the current Mars retrograde, you should know what these retrogrades typically bring. Mars, in astrology, is the planet that governs action, sex, passion, physical energy, and aggression. Named after the god of war, it rules how we fight for what we want and pursue our goals. About every two years, Mars goes retrograde for two to three months at a time — meaning it temporarily starts moving backward along its recent path through the zodiac.
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During these Martian reversals, energy and motivation levels tend to dip, making it difficult to pursue your goals, express anger, or take initiative in things. You might feel disconnected from your sense of drive, passion, and even libido during these periods. Sometimes, this can even make people more susceptible to accidents or physical exhaustion. For this reason, Mars retrograde is a good time to slow down and avoid putting too much pressure on yourself to accomplish or conquer things.
All Mars retrogrades share some common themes, but no cosmic inversion manifests the same way. Here’s everything you need to know about Mars retrograde 2024–2025 to avoid the pitfalls and make it through unscathed.
How Long Does This Mars Retrograde Last?
Mars retrograde began on December 6 at 8:33 PM and will end on February 23, 2025, at 11:00 PM, meaning there are two and a half months of this Martian retrograde to manage. Fortunately, Mars won’t change direction again until January 10, 2027 — so once this is over, you won’t have to worry about the demotivating energy of this retrograde for quite a while.
As always, retrograde is marked by a pre- and post-retrograde shadow period, which are less dramatic but still impactful chapters of this cosmic story. Mars’ pre-retrograde shadow began on October 4, so if you want a subtle spoiler warning of the themes and concepts you might be working on during the retrograde itself, examining what was going on in your life during this period can be a good indicator — because Mars will travel over these same degrees of the zodiac during its retrograde.
The post-retrograde shadow period begins once Mars resumes its direct motion on February 23 and lasts until May 1. This offers an opportunity to integrate the lessons learned over the past few months, refocus on Mars’ goal-oriented nature, and slowly start to accelerate your engine again.
So, What Can We Expect?
This time, Mars retrograde will moonwalk through two different zodiac signs — Leo and Cancer — meaning it will activate multiple areas of each person’s astrological chart. The red planet begins its retrograde in the fiery and starry sign of Leo, where it will remain for exactly one month. With Mars retrograde in Leo, you may find that you feel a bit disconnected from your passions and less inspired to pursue your goals.
Desire may be more intensely impacted during this time, making you less inclined to make bold moves or feel in tune with your lust. Instead, use this period to try reconnecting with the things that light up your mind. How can you cultivate a deeper sense of self-confidence? What’s holding you back from fully expressing yourself creatively? Does your pride keep you from progressing in your ambitions? What fuel keeps the flames of your passion burning, and is it sustainable?
On January 6, Mars begins walking over the moon as it moves back into the sensitive and watery sign of Cancer, where it will spend the rest of its retrograde. When Mars retrogrades in Cancer, the desire to be passive-aggressive rather than face things head-on can be hard to resist, and expressing frustrations healthily may seem particularly difficult.
You might find that your anger, desires, or ambitions continue to boil under the surface, building up like a pressure cooker with no release. That’s why it’s important to treat your reactions with care during this retrograde period and find gentler ways to blow off steam. How can you become more comfortable being open about what you feel and want? What do you need to feel that you have a more stable foundation beneath your feet in order to pursue your goals? These are themes to explore throughout this period.
Key Mars Retrograde Dates to Note
During the first week of the retrograde, Mars will square off with the planet of love, Venus, forcing you to reevaluate if your goals and actions are truly aligned with your values. It may be hard to act on your desires or attractions until mid-December, and retrograde themes can be particularly strong in your relationships right now. Find ways to connect with your partners sensually and romantically if your passionate side seems to be lacking.
As the new year begins, deeply ingrained desires or hidden competitive tendencies may be largely activated through an opposition between Mars and the extremist planet Pluto. You may try to play power games or make sneaky moves instead of being direct, but giving in to your Machiavellian ambitions or obsessive feelings of jealousy can be toxic. You don’t need to win (or even fight) every battle. Mid-January brings another peak of tension as both the Sun and Mercury will square Mars during this period as well. Rethink how you would like to approach your goals.
Mars will harmonize with Venus during the last week of January, allowing you to more easily tap into the desires of your heart and review how you attract what you want. By the first half of February, some insecurities may arise that make you doubt your ability to act — but do your best to overcome this feeling and reconnect with true confidence. Working through your fears will make you a much more effective fighter.
As the end of Mars retrograde approaches, expect a refreshing burst of mental clarity and physical energy thanks to Mars’ trine with intellectual Mercury. Your mind will be buzzing with new ideas on how to move forward with your goals, and once Mars goes direct, you’ll have the motivation you need to begin executing them.
Source: Bustle
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