Mercury retrograde tends to get a lot of attention, but an even more impactful planetary backspin comes home for the holidays: Mars retrograde. The Red Planet officially reversed course on Dec. 6, and it’s here to help all zodiac signs reconnect with their passions and rethink how they pursue their ambitions over the next two and a half months. Mars retrograde can be a doozy, but knowing what to expect from this transit can make it easier to work to your advantage.
Before we drill down into the current Mars retrograde period, you should know what these backspins bring in general. Mars, in astrology, is the planet that rules action, sex, passion, physical energy, and aggression. It’s named after the warrior god, so it governs how we fight for what we want and chase after our goals. Approximately every other year, Mars stations retrograde for two to three months at a time — meaning it starts backtracking over its recent journey through the zodiac temporarily.
During these Martian reversals, energy and motivation levels tend to drop, making it difficult to chase your goals, express your anger, or take initiative on things. You may feel out of touch with your sense of drive, passion, and even libido during these periods. They can sometimes even make people more accident-prone or physically exhausted. Because of this, Mars retrograde is a good time to take things slower and not put so much pressure on yourself to achieve or conquer.
All Mars retrogrades share some common themes, but no two cosmic reversals manifest the same way. Here’s everything you should know about Mars retrograde 2024–2025 so you can avoid the pitfalls and get through it unscathed.
How Long Is This Mars Retrograde?
Mars retrograde kicked off on Dec. 6 at 6:33 p.m. ET and it’ll wrap up on Feb. 23, 2025 at 9:00 p.m. ET, meaning there are two and a half months of this Martian backspin to deal with it. Thankfully, Mars won’t reverse course again until Jan. 10, 2027 — so once this one is out of the way, you won’t have to worry about this retrograde’s motivation-dampening energy again for a while.
As always, the backspin is bookended by a pre- and post-retrograde shadow period, which are less dramatic but still impactful chapters of this cosmic storyline. Mars’ pre-retrograde shadow began on Oct. 4, so if you’d like a subtle spoiler alert as to what themes and concepts you might be working with during the retrograde itself, examining what was happening in your life during that time could be a good indicator — as Mars will be moonwalking over these very same degrees of the zodiac during its backspin.
The post-retrograde shadow period begins once Mars stations direct on Feb. 23, and goes through May 1. This brings an opportunity to integrate the lessons you’ve learned over the past couple of months, lock back in with Mars’ goal-oriented nature, and slowly begin revving your engine again.
So, What’s To Come?
This time around, Mars retrograde will moonwalk through two different zodiac signs — Leo and Cancer — which means it will activate multiple areas of everyone’s birth chart. The Red Planet begins its backspin in the fiery and star-powered sign of Leo, where it’ll stay for exactly one month. With Mars retrograding in Leo, you might find that you feel a bit disconnected from your passions and less inspired to chase after your goals.
Sexual desire could be more intensely impacted during this period too, making you less inclined to make bold moves or feel in tune with your lust. Instead, use this period to try to reconnect with the things that light up your spirit. How can you cultivate a deeper sense of self-confidence? Have things been holding you back from fully expressing yourself creatively? Is your pride keeping you from making progress on your ambitions? What fuel is keeping the flames of your passion ablaze and is it sustainable?
On Jan. 6, Mars starts moonwalking back into the watery and sensitive sign of Cancer, where it’ll spend the remainder of its retrograde. When Mars retrogrades in Cancer, the urge to be passive-aggressive instead of addressing things head-on may be hard to resist, and expressing frustrations healthily could feel especially difficult.
You might find that your anger, desires, or ambitions stay simmering beneath the surface, building up like a pressure cooker with no release. That’s why it’s important to handle your reactions with care during this stretch of the retrograde and find gentler ways to let off steam. How can you get more comfortable being open about how you feel and what you want? What do you need to feel like you have a more stable foundation beneath your feet so you can chase your goals? These are themes to explore throughout this time.
Mars Retrograde Dates To Know
During the first week of the retrograde, Mars will face off with love planet Venus, forcing you to re-evaluate whether your goals and actions truly align with your values. It may feel difficult to act on your desires or attractions through mid-December, and the retrograde’s themes could be especially potent within your relationships now. Find ways to connect with your partners sensually and romantically if your passionate side feels like it’s at a low.
As the New Year begins, deeply-rooted desires or hidden competitive streaks could be majorly activated thanks to an opposition between Mars and extremist planet Pluto. You may try to play power games and make sneaky moves instead of being direct, but giving into your Machiavellian ambitions or obsessive feelings of jealousy could be toxic. You don’t have to win (or even fight) every battle. The middle of January brings another spike in tension, as both the sun and mental Mercury will face off with Mars during this period, too. Rethink how you’d like to approach your goals.
Mars harmonizes with Venus during the last week of January, allowing you to tap into your heart’s desires more easily and revise how you attract what you want. Throughout the first half of February, some insecurities could arise that make you question your ability to act — but do your best to push past this feeling and connect with true confidence. Working through your fears will make you a much more effective fighter.
As the end of Mars retrograde approaches, look forward to a refreshing burst of mental clarity and physical energy thanks to Mars’ trine to intellectual Mercury. Your mind will be abuzz with new ideas about how to move forward on your goals, and once Mars stations direct, you’ll have the motivation necessary to start executing them.
