How to ‘win’ Mars Retrograde
On 28 Sep 2026, Mars enters Leo, and we’re immediately preparing for one of 2027’s more significant energetic signatures, which is a Mars retrograde from 10 January until 2 April.
Mars rules our action, desire, lust, anger, sexuality, motivation and energy. Basically it rules a bunch of the 7 deadly sins and can, indeed, get us into great amounts of trouble when unleashed unwisely. When used well, it can be our personal drive, stamina and determination.
When retrograde, some of the Mars energy can definitely turn awry, and basic Martian instincts can be turned on their head. Perhaps our motivation fades, or our ability to assert ourselves goes missing. People and situations might be less direct or straightforward, leading to frustrations. Our desires may lead us astray, and our anger may leak out in unhelpful ways. We may find our usually proactive selves becoming more reactive. We may question why are we doing what we’re doing? There may be accidents that lead to postponements and cancellations. Old wounds can resurface, previous arguments may be reignited, or other people may trigger issues that we thought were long-resolved.
All of this can contribute to a sense of chaos and frustration, misplaced aggressions and a loss of personal power.
Here’s a few example scenarios…
A personal injury that results in a dependence on other people or general delays
A sudden reemergence of friction in a relationship or workplace
A loss of motivation or certainty around a current goal
Actions needing to be revisited because you’ve been too hasty in the past
A renovation or house transaction may be held up or postponed
A job-hunt may be extended
It’s important to remember that all of these frustrations are actually delivering you an opportunity, if only you can keep some perspective. They are giving you PAUSE.
All retrogrades are our ‘breathe out’ moment for that planet’s energy. You have been breathing in your Mars since late Feb 2025. Now it’s time to stop and breath out, and consider how your Mars functions have been operating since then. Are you on track with your goals? Your fitness? Your assertion? Your motivation? Your needs? Are you taking on challenge? Enjoying competition? Fighting for the right things? This is your chance to reconsidering your approach and general modus operandi.
How the retrograde will impact you, will depend on where you have the signs of LEO and VIRGO in your natal chart. In particular, the LEO house will be really active.
Important dates:
28 Sep - Mars enters Leo. Watch what topics suddenly become impacted by ‘Martian’ qualities. These themes may hang around for months.
26 Nov - Mars enters Virgo. We now may find the Mars focus shifting to the next house topics.
11 Jan - Mars turns retrograde and the fun begins. Any planet or point around 10° of Virgo will be strongly impacted.
22 Feb - Mars reenters Leo and those themes are reintroduced and intensify.
2 Apr - Mars resumes direct motion around 20° Leo. Some turmoil around that date should result in changes that ultimately lead to a resolution.
15 May - Mars finally leaves Leo and returns to Virgo. Now we’re tying up the Virgo topics.
8 Jun - Mars finally leaves the ‘shadow’ degrees. And we’re completely done.
So it’s a long period of time, and the Leo phases are complicated by the fact that Jupiter and the South Node are also in Leo the entire time, exacerbating and adding a ‘fated’ intensity to an already tense time. This is also the part of your chart that is currently being hit by the eclipses (particularly the 20° Leo eclipse on 13 August). This part of the Zodiac really cops an energetic blast over coming months.
How to win this retrograde?
You’ll need to check your own behaviour for more unhelpful Leo qualities creeping in, such as selfishness, stubbornness, arrogance, risk taking or attention-seeking. These could definitely be aggravating arguments and inflaming situations.
As with all astrology forecasting, knowing about this time period in advance can help us to bring consciousness to events and give guidelines around how to handle situations. Throughout this Mars period, you want to practice self awareness (perhaps with meditation, which always soothes Mars moments), so that you can recognise your own participation in unhelpful dynamics.
You can also lean into the appropriate use of this energy, which is revisiting WHY you take the actions you do. What have you missed by being too rash over the past couple of years? What needs to be revisited or fixed? Take the chance to use any delays to your advantage. No tradies? No worries, take time to revisit your renovation plans, or selections. No job? Try a short course, or write a new resume. Injured? Take the time on the couch to reflect on your general ‘busyness’, and pay attention to HOW you’re living. This pause might be the recalibration you need, that gets your Mars rested up and ready to start breathing in again more successfully later in 2027. Remember, that if the Universe is forcing a frustration on you, take the time to consider what the message is that you need to hear.
Got concerns? Book a session and we’ll chat through how this relates specifically to your chart, so that you can put your plans in place. Or follow along on my socials, and I’ll give more specific reminders along the way, about how this energy is progressing.