Mars retrograde lasts about ten weeks and comes roughly every two years and two months, when Mars appears to move backward through the zodiac as seen from Earth. Astrologers associate it with drive turned inward: plans stall or need rethinking, old conflicts resurface, and anger tends to simmer rather than flare. Traditionally it's a time to revise strategy and finish what you started, not to pick a new fight.
In astrology, Mars is the planet of action, courage, desire, competition and anger. It rules Aries and is the traditional ruler of Scorpio, which modern astrologers give to Pluto. Here's how the retrograde works, what it's said to bring, and how to use it well.
How often Mars goes retrograde
Mars goes retrograde less often than any other planet. Earth, on its faster inside orbit, overtakes Mars about every 780 days, a little over two years and two months. Around each pass, Mars appears to slow, stop, back up somewhere between about 10 and 20 degrees, stop again and carry on. The backward stretch averages about 72 days.
The middle of a Mars retrograde is opposition: Mars sits opposite the Sun in our sky, rises around sunset, and is near its closest and brightest for that cycle. If you've ever noticed Mars glowing an unusually bright orange-red in the evening, there's a good chance it was retrograde. (Our explainer on why Mercury goes retrograde covers the geometry, including why the outer planets do it around opposition.)
Mars also moves very slowly around its stations, so its shadow periods, the weeks before and after when it crosses the degrees it will retrace, can run two months or more on each side. Counting the shadows, a full Mars retrograde cycle often passes half a year. The method is the same as for Mercury, explained in our guide to the Mercury retrograde shadow period.
What astrologers say Mars retrograde brings
When Mars is retrograde, astrologers read its themes as moving backward and inward. Common descriptions:
- Slower progress. Projects that run on momentum lose it, and the push that usually works stops working.
- Old conflicts resurfacing. Arguments that were never settled, rivalries, grudges. The tradition says they come back to be resolved, not refought.
- Anger turned inward. Frustration without an obvious outlet, a short fuse, irritation with yourself. Some people describe the period as feeling stuck.
- Desire reconsidered. Mars also governs physical desire and pursuit, so the retrograde is linked with rethinking what, and whom, you want.
- Uneven energy. Some people notice lower motivation; others find the period good for steady, unglamorous effort.
None of this is science, and there's no evidence a planet's apparent motion changes anyone's temper. As a prompt for reflection, though, "what am I pushing for, and is it working?" is a good question to ask every couple of years.
Good uses for a Mars retrograde
The tradition favors revising over starting. A few ways to put that into practice:
- Rework the plan. If a goal has stalled, take a hard look at strategy: what you're doing, why it isn't moving, what you'd change.
- Finish what you abandoned. The half-built shed, the training plan you dropped in week three, the application you never sent. Mars retrograde is a natural time to go back.
- Train rather than compete. In sport and at work, the period suits building skill and stamina more than chasing a win. Practice the basics.
- Settle old disagreements calmly. If a conflict resurfaces, aim to resolve it rather than win it. Cooling off before you reply is never a mistake.
- Watch your anger. Where does frustration build up, and what sets it off? A few weeks of short notes can reveal a pattern that's much easier to work with once you can see it.
What to approach with care
Traditional astrologers advise against starting fights, lawsuits, aggressive campaigns or rushed ventures under a retrograde Mars, on the theory that whatever begins in a backward phase gets revised or stalls. If you have a free choice of start date and enjoy electional astrology (picking dates by the sky), you might prefer one outside the retrograde. If you don't, start anyway and plan for revisions.
Practical cautions that make sense at any time:
- Don't let frustration make decisions. Quitting in a temper and sending the furious email are the classic Mars retrograde regrets. Sleep on it.
- Step back from escalating conflict. Say what you need clearly and calmly. If things turn hostile, leave the room.
- Listen to your body. If your energy is low, rest. Medical decisions belong with you and your doctor, never with a planet.
Mars retrograde in your chart, and at birth
Where Mars retrogrades in your chart is said to show where the slowdown lands: the second house and money, the seventh and partnership, the tenth and career, and so on. Our guide to the twelve houses explains each area, and a free birth chart shows which of your houses holds the sign in question. Aries, which Mars rules, is traditionally said to feel the retrograde most; Aries traits shows why Mars matters so much there.
About one person in ten is born with Mars retrograde. Astrologers read it as drive that builds privately before it shows: anger held in and then released all at once, or action that comes only after long preparation. Our guide to Mars sign meaning describes the twelve Mars styles, which say more about you than the R does.
Questions readers ask
How long does Mars retrograde last?
About ten weeks on average, roughly two to two and a half months, and it comes around about every 26 months. With the shadow periods on either side, the whole cycle often runs past six months.
Is Mars retrograde bad for relationships?
Astrologers link it with old arguments resurfacing and with desire being reconsidered, which can feel tense. It can also be a good time to settle a long-running disagreement calmly. A healthy relationship doesn't fall apart because of a transit.
What should you not do during Mars retrograde?
Traditionally: pick fights, launch aggressive new ventures or make decisions in anger. In practice, the most useful advice is to pause before acting on frustration, which is sound at any time.
Does Mars retrograde affect Aries and Scorpio most?
Many astrologers say so, because Mars rules Aries and traditionally rules Scorpio. People with a prominent Mars in their chart, or planets in the sign where the retrograde happens, are also said to feel it more.
