Mars retrogrades about every two years and two months, lasting ten or eleven weeks. The sign of his station shapes the review — fights re-examined, projects revisited, the way we assert ourselves put under the microscope. Here's Mars's backward loop across all twelve signs.

Mars retrograde in Aries

Mars rules Aries, so this retrograde hits his own forge. For ten or eleven weeks, the way we assert ourselves, fight, and initiate all comes under review. Old battles resurface; half-finished projects demand attention. Collectively, the retrograde turns raw drive inward — wasted effort becomes visible.

Practical takeawaydon't launch, don't challenge, don't pick new fights. Return to what you abandoned. Train rather than compete. The review rewards examining where courage became recklessness, and the trap is re-engaging conflicts that were already finished.

Mars retrograde in Taurus

Mars retrograde in Taurus slows effort down to almost nothing. For ten or eleven weeks, stubborn patterns, financial decisions driven by anger, and physical projects get reviewed. Mars is weakened here to begin with; the retrograde deepens the drag.

Practical takeawaydon't force outcomes, don't make big spending moves out of frustration, don't start renovation. Go back to a physical discipline — yoga, a strength routine, a garden — and rebuild the base. The retrograde rewards patient re-engagement with the body and with money already committed.

Mars retrograde in Gemini

Mars retrograde in Gemini turns arguments inside out. For ten or eleven weeks, verbal conflicts come back for review, old correspondence stings again, and multitasking collapses. Collectively, the quality of public debate gets tested — everyone is sharper and less productive at the same time.

Practical takeawayrevise writing instead of publishing new, apologize for the sharp words you regret, and pick fewer fronts. Mars retrograde here rewards concentrated thinking over scattered attack. The shadow is constant verbal sparring that goes nowhere.

Mars retrograde in Cancer

Mars retrograde in Cancer complicates protective anger. For ten or eleven weeks, defensive patterns around family, home, and emotional territory get re-examined. Mars is in his fall here, and the retrograde intensifies the indirectness — resentments brood, then leak out sideways. Collectively, it's a period of old family feuds resurfacing.

Practical takeawaydon't pick the family fight, don't move, don't sue over an inheritance. Name what you actually feel. Cancer Mars retrograde rewards honesty about vulnerability; the trap is weaponized withdrawal.

Mars retrograde in Leo

Mars retrograde in Leo reviews pride and creative drive. For ten or eleven weeks, battles over recognition, authorship, and the right to take up space all come back. Romantic arguments may replay. Creative projects stall out and ask for revision.

Practical takeawayreturn to the creative work you abandoned, revise rather than debut. Don't pick a pride fight. Leo Mars retrograde rewards honest reassessment of where the spotlight genuinely matters and where the ego has been running the show. The shadow is sulking over slights from months ago.

Mars retrograde in Virgo

Mars retrograde in Virgo reviews work, health, and the machinery of daily discipline. For ten or eleven weeks, broken systems surface, perfectionist rage reveals itself as avoidance, and body routines need a full audit. Collectively it's a troubleshooting period.

Practical takeawaydon't launch a new health regime, do finish the half-repair you started. Revise the workflow instead of re-inventing it. Virgo Mars retrograde rewards careful de-bugging. The trap is paralyzing criticism of yourself and everyone around you — aim the sharpness at problems, not at people.

Mars retrograde in Libra

Mars retrograde in Libra reviews partnership conflicts and the tactics of diplomacy. For ten or eleven weeks, unresolved arguments with close others come back. Mars is in his detriment here; the retrograde deepens the passive-aggressive streak. Collectively, fairness negotiations stall.

Practical takeawayreopen the conversation that ended in false peace. Don't break up, don't dissolve the partnership yet. The retrograde rewards naming the imbalance out loud and sitting in the discomfort of it. The trap is fighting through proxies or hoping the other person notices without being told.

Mars retrograde in Scorpio

Mars co-rules Scorpio, and this retrograde is one of the most intense. For ten or eleven weeks, themes of power, shared resources, hidden anger, and vengeance come back. Old wounds demand attention. Collectively, the retrograde surfaces what's been poisoning a system quietly.

Practical takeawaydo the therapy, address the shared-money mess, close the door on the draining tie. Don't start a campaign of payback. Scorpio Mars retrograde rewards deep work and controlled confrontation. The trap is obsessing over an injury until it owns you.

Mars retrograde in Sagittarius

Mars retrograde in Sagittarius reviews crusades, beliefs, and over-reach. For ten or eleven weeks, moral stances you've been loud about come up for evaluation, and projects that promised too much get pruned. Collectively it's a period of ideological recalibration.

Practical takeawaydon't launch the manifesto, don't book the adventure that may strand you. Revisit the teaching or travel you half-finished. Sagittarius Mars retrograde rewards intellectual honesty and completion over expansion. The trap is self-righteous re-fighting of arguments that are no longer worth the breath.

Mars retrograde in Capricorn

Mars is exalted in Capricorn, so the retrograde here carries weight. For ten or eleven weeks, careers, ambition, authority conflicts, and long-range plans all come under tough review. Structural frustrations surface.

Practical takeawaydon't resign in anger, don't pick the boss fight, and don't abandon the multi-year project. Revisit the strategy. Capricorn Mars retrograde rewards disciplined patience — the retrograde is a re-engineering phase, not a sprint backward. The shadow is cold bitterness and strategic revenge; choose the long game of quiet excellence instead.

Mars retrograde in Aquarius

Mars retrograde in Aquarius reviews activism, group projects, and the battles we pick in public. For ten or eleven weeks, the cause you committed to shows its internal friction, and collaborations stall over principle disputes. Collectively, movements pause to re-examine their logic.

Practical takeawaydon't quit the cause in anger, don't stage the big public argument. Revisit why you joined. Aquarius Mars retrograde rewards rebuilding the structure from inside. The trap is rebellion for the pleasure of rebelling — make sure what you're fighting against is still the right target.

Mars retrograde in Pisces

Mars retrograde in Pisces dissolves further what was already diffuse. For ten or eleven weeks, anger loses its target, motivation drains, and the tasks that needed fire now struggle to start. Collectively, the retrograde asks where our energy has been seeping out unnoticed.

Practical takeawaydon't push hard, don't fight battles you can't locate clearly. Return to creative, spiritual, or caregiving work. Pisces Mars retrograde rewards rest, art, and the kind of indirect action that heals rather than strikes. The trap is self-sabotage dressed up as surrender.