Mars Retrograde Guide
While Mercury retrograde is well known for its chaotic impact on our communication and travel plans, Mars retrograde is equally important and and even more powerful, though less known. This happen once every 2 years for about 2-3 month, and we are just starting one right now!
From 7th December 2024 to 24th February 2025 the planet Mars will demand our focus, urging us to shift the way we channel our energy, assert ourselves, pursue our goals. This period invites us to pause, reflect and recalibrate out inner drive - and it may hit the brakes if we resist.
As an astrological event, this event occurs when the planet Mars appears to move backward in the sky from Earth's perspective. As a planet Mars symbolizes how we take action, our drive, energy, ambition, passion, courage, anger, assertiveness, sex, and conflict. When it goes retrograde there is a shift in how these qualities manifest.
Meaning of Mars Retrograde
During Mars retrograde, the planet’s outward, assertive energy turns inward. It can feel like our usual drive and momentum slow down, and we may encounter delays, frustrations, or the need to reevaluate our actions and motivations. It is a period that encourages us to reflect and reassess rather than move forward.
It’s a chance to deepen self-awareness, especially when it comes to the challenging aspects of our personality. This is a time to confront our frustrations and redefine how we manage our energy, courage, and drive.
One of the significant themes activated during this Mars retrograde is ANGER.
When do you feel anger? Do you allow yourself to express it? How? When? What is your relationship to it? We live in a society that generally allows and accepts only positive emotions, but the truth is that the negative emotions are also part of our daily life. We need to acknowledge them, familiarize ourselves with them, honour them and give them a healthy expression. This is the only way to learn how to work with them. This prevents their build up in our physical body, which will inevitable lead to some from of physical disturbance or illness.
When we talk about Mars we talk about anger, aggression and guilt. And the only way to process them is to go through them and master them. We feel aggression often when we are unable to take action in the direction that we wish. And this Mars retrograde will give us plenty of occasions to test this. Think about how you approach these emotions and be mindful in the next 3 months as they might be relevant for you.
Another topic to be mindful of during this period is the SELF-DIRECTED AGGRESSION, as retrogrades internalize the topics of the retrograde planet - in this case anger, aggression, guilt, and conflict. Treat yourself with extra care and kindness during this time!
If you wish to explore these topics further and see how current cosmic weather and the Mars retrograde is impacting you right now, BOOK a personalized session with me.
A few other things we can expect:
Reduced energy or motivation for starting new projects.
Feeling more introspective and cautious about our actions.
Frustrations with progress, delays in plans, or difficulty asserting yourself.
Unresolved anger or conflicts come to the surface unexpectedly.
Revisiting old projects, goals especially related to creativity or emotions.
Reassessing your personal desires and what truly drives you.
Miscommunications leading to tension or conflict (especially around 2nd January)
Difficulty expressing anger constructively, passive-aggressiveness or suppressed frustration.
And a few tips on how to navigate this period with more ease:
Reflect on Motivation and Goals
Reevaluate your ambitions and whether your actions align with your values.
Identify patterns of overexertion or impulsiveness.
Resolve Old Issues
Address unfinished business or conflicts.
Heal relationships by addressing frustrations in a calm, thoughtful way.
Plan, Don’t Push
Focus on strategizing, researching, and building a foundation for future actions.
Practice patience and embrace a slower pace.
Focus on Self-Care
Manage your energy wisely; don’t overextend yourself.
Explore healthy outlets for frustration, like journaling, meditating, or exercising.
Also, try to avoid:
Starting Major New Projects - Avoid launching big initiatives or making significant life changes; they might face unexpected obstacles. (This is of course would need a deeper dive analyzing your birth chart and the specific topic/event)
Reacting Impulsively - Resist the urge to lash out, as conflicts could escalate very fast.
Forcing Progress - Trying to push through delays can lead to burnout or mistakes. Instead, get comfortable with the pause button.
Risky or Impulsive Decisions - Mars governs physical energy, so avoid risky actions that could lead to accidents or injuries. Movement and exercise are recommended but recklessness is not.
Mars retrograde is not a time to fear but a unique cosmic invitation to slow down, recalibrate, and deepen your connection to your inner drive. While frustrations and delays may surface, they serve as powerful reminders to reassess your motivations, address unresolved conflicts, and transform your relationship with emotions like anger and guilt. By embracing self-care, patience, and reflection during this period, you can emerge with renewed clarity and strength, ready to take purposeful action when the energy shifts forward. Remember, this is a cosmic pause—not a stop—meant to realign you with your truest path.
Let me know if this resonates and how is the Mars retrograde affecting you!