What is Mars Retrograde?

If you’re the type of person who likes to take swift action and see quick results —

If you like to hit the ground running at the start of the new year —

If you worship at the altar of efficiency —

If you measure your worth by constant forward progress —

And if you’re the type of person who gets easily frustrated when you’re not seeing forward movement—

Then the coming few months might prove to be especially challenging for you.

AND they will also offer you the opportunity to investigate your beliefs and cultural conditioning about action, progress, and productivity, and what triggers your frustration, anger, motivation, and impetus to act.

This is the work of the Mars retrograde, which will occur from December 6, 2024 through February 23, 2025.

During Mars’ retrograde period, we might encounter obstacles to action that trigger our frustration and confusion. But if we work with this energy consciously we can emerge with a better understanding of what we need to take sustainable action without burning out.

What is the Meaning of Mars Retrograde?

Let’s start with the physics of it all:

A planet is “retrograde” when, from our perspective on Earth, it appears to be moving backward. This is an optical illusion created by the slow speed of the retrograde planet.

Consider that under its normal speed, Mars moves through a sign of the zodiac (30 degrees) in about 6 weeks. But when it retrogrades, it spends about 7–8 months in a sign.

The Greek word for ‘retrograde’ means ‘to walk backward,’ ‘to retrace steps,’ or ‘to recall.’ Ancient astrologers viewed planets in retrograde as being ineffective or weak in their roles. A more modern take is that a retrograde period is a time for review and reassessment, rather than embarking on a new initiative.

During a retrograde, we might encounter a challenge to forward action that requires us to solve the problem before we can move forward. We might experience delays or setbacks. Sometimes during a retrograde something that was previously put in place or given to us gets taken back, or recalled.

During a Mars retrograde, these issues might arise with respect to areas and activities within Mars’ domain, which include actions, decisions, projects, workouts and fitness, and all things connected to our productivity.

Understanding Mars Energy

The core signification of Mars is that it wants to get things done and move forward. During a Mars retrograde we might experience:

• things take longer than you want or expect;
• things take more effort than you anticipated;
• not getting things done or accomplished as you wanted to.

A Mars retrograde can also bring things back from the past, especially themes of a previous Mars retrograde through the same sign.

On a practical level, a Mars retrograde invites us to do two things:

(1) Get to Know Your Inner Mars

Every planet is an archetype that exists within us. Mars retrograde is an opportunity to build a deeper relationship with our inner Mars and better understand how we channel all facets of Mars significations.

Mars is The Warrior planet.

Among its many significations, Mars speaks to how we take initiative, engage action, and get things done. This is the part of us that wants to move fast and make quick progress. Mars also signifies our desires and drives, how we show up to lead, how we make decisions, and how we deal with conflict.

Martial activities include working out, getting things done, and the work of survival. Mars is also how we hold ground and stand up for ourselves.

Mars is our energy, our sexual drive, our motivation, courage, and bravery. On an emotional level, Mars is the planet of anger and its related emotions, including frustration, betrayal, annoyance, resentment.

Mars uses its sword to cut, divide, and separate things. Its heat burns and inflames.

Although it’s considered a “malefic” planet, Mars is not bad. Its qualities are the ones we prize in leaders and action takers. The key with Mars is to learn how to use its energy constructively.

Astrologer Austin Coppock compares Mars energy to the knives in your kitchen. The knives are not evil, but you have to be more careful with them than you must be with your spoons.

Understanding how your Mars functions can help you show up with greater intention and confidence in your leadership, take decisive action, cut away what no longer serves you, and improve how you navigate conflicts.

Creating awareness of how you react when things don’t go your way can help you shift your mindset and show up with greater capacity to hold space for setbacks.

(2) Explore Cultural Conditioning About Action and Progress

Mars retrograde also gives us the opportunity to explore our cultural conditioning around action, progress, and forward movement.

In many ways, Mars is emblematic of productivity culture. In its core significations, Mars is the planet of action and drive. It’s pragmatic and accomplishment oriented. It likes to achieve things and move forward. It wields its sword to cut through obstacles. It might be impulsive, following the motto “Fire. Aim. Ready.”

Although productivity culture encourages measurable progress, sometimes the appearance of progress isn’t true, sustainable progress.

For example, let’s say you’re making steady gains in weightlifting — an activity that falls under Mars’ purview. That may look like progress on the outside — until you suddenly can’t sustain those loads.

You might realize that you have been using poor technique or engaging compensation patterns. Suddenly, what looked like progress isn’t real progress.

Mars retrograde is an opportunity to go back and fix your technique to build a solid foundation for sustainable progress. This might mean weeks of lifting lighter loads and working your way back up. It can be humbling — something that feels very anti-Mars. Yet that’s the nature of Mars retrograde.

One of the core messages of any retrograde, and especially a Mars retrograde, is that sometimes we need to move backward to move forward.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

The Invitation of Mars Retrograde

Knowing where Mars retrograde is happening in your personal birth chart can help you identify the areas of your life where the Mars retrograde will have the greatest impact.

But even if you don’t know your chart, the next few months offer an opportunity to better understand your relationship with action, progress, and power — and how you react when you perceive a lack of these things.

Mars retrograde doesn’t mean you can’t — or shouldn’t — take action. Rather, it’s an invitation to be more intentional about how you move forward.

Sometimes our most significant progress happens when we are forced to slow down, and when we stop “working on” something and instead allow it to unfold in its own timing.