Though the upcoming Mars retrograde in the sign of Cancer (and, for a little while, Leo) may make you feel overwhelmed, defeated, or just plain tired this Fall, there’s a lot to learn about how we deal (or don’t deal) with conflict during this phase—especially if you have planets in Cancer or Leo.
Mars represents the principle of Action—the urge to accomplish, build and establish our own identity. Mars symbolizes independence, physical vitality and how we express our instinctual feelings and impulses.
When Mars is at its strongest, we pursue what it is we want dynamically, passionately and single-mindedly, exhibiting leadership tendencies stemming not from feelings of insecurity but of self-assurance: we’re confident in our abilities and aren’t afraid to take charge to get things done, move forward and achieve our goals.
The basic function of Mars is self-preservation. But this doesn’t mean that acting in service of this instinct is always constructive. Consider the Mars-ruled sign of Aries as an example: while those with Aries planets in their birth chart are known to be highly active “do-ers,” quick to take initiative and unafraid of whatever obstacles may arise, there’s a “me-first” attitude in Aries that’s undeniable—a byproduct of Mars’ myopic focus on survival.
Lord of the Flies.
Known as the God of War, Mars is the instigator of conflict and can bring out the best and worst in us. At best, Mars gives us the strength to confront situations that require us to face obstacles head-on and exhibit resilience even when we feel defeated; but Mars is naturally territorial and, at worst, can be controlling, defensive, combative or even violent if backed into a corner.
If we continue to use Aries as an example, their strongest asset is their confidence and ability to pursue their goals despite whatever challenges arise; that said, Aries can just as quickly succumb to frustration if they feel progress isn’t fast enough, and may end up abandoning opportunities personal growth purely out of impatience or momentary anger.
Painful as it may be at times, Mars retrograde forces you to examine the effectiveness of your approach to getting what you need and reflect on how we express our feelings of desire, anger, frustration and resentment.
So, even if you’re typically a decisive person—or perhaps more so if you are—your ability to take decisive action and engage in goal-oriented activity becomes inexplicably challenging when Mars is retrograde from December 6, 2024 - February 23, 2025.
Mars Retrograde & Anger
Fortunately or not, the Mars principle has very little to do with words and, unlike Mercury, is concerned strictly with actions. So when Mars is retrograde, the effect is that of “action turned inward”—rather than just telling people how you feel or what you want, you’ll tend to overthink your desires, in some cases distrusting them completely.
The challenge with Mars retrograde is that asserting yourself and your personal needs directly is complicated by feelings of guilt, low self-esteem and uncertainty. If you’re angry, you constantly question whether you have the “right” to be, creating confusion that makes us question ourselves.
As a result, we can hesitate to express anger and bottle it, only to explode later on; or, we can end up “seeing red” and plowing ahead impulsively to make our feelings of frustration known, which may cause unnecessary conflicts. And while we all need to let off steam now and then, finding healthy ways of doing so may feel hard to come by now.
Lessons from Castaway: Don’t get mad at Wilson.
If you have Mars retrograde, Mars in your 12th house and/or Mars in tense alignment to Saturn in your birth chart? You’re born with this type of feeling. Perhaps your upbringing encouraged bottling your desires or gave you the sense that expressing personal needs, goals or ambitions was somehow “selfish,” the result being a tendency to be passive to the point of consistently putting your own needs and desires secondary to those around you.
With Mars retrograde, there’s a feeling that forceful action is wrong or dangerous, and that standing up for yourself will have negative consequences unless you back down or give in.
Consequently, out of fear of conflict or confrontation, Mars retrograde leads us to express ourselves indirectly or passive-aggressively. Or we might even be tempted to engage in secretive or manipulative methods of getting what we want.
Yet, when we internalize our anger, it inevitably congeals into tension, resentment, depression, and even paranoia if we let it get too far or let the sun set on conflict for too long before resolution can be reached.
The solution is in finding a balance between slowing down and learning to be patient without succumbing to avoiding conflict or negative feelings altogether—or worse: pretending they don’t exist and just hoping they go away (they won’t).
Physically, we’ll likely be more tired and require more rest than usual, or be unusually accident or illness-prone—a phenomenon that’s most likely if we choose to push forward instead of listening to our gut instinct when it’s time to take a break from pushing our personal plans forward and just go with the flow.
And while taking breaks might delay our plans temporarily, it’s best to try your best to take delays that arise in stride, as you may very well end up deciding on a better option, course of action or method of accomplishing something if you take your time.
Mars Retrograde & Relationships
Because Mars retrograde periods make us question our own motives and desires, it’s not uncommon for us to find others’ motives inscrutable or find people “hard to read.” Or it could be that we’re either giving or getting mixed signals from people we’re in a relationship with or casually dating.
When it comes to sexuality, urges may be stronger but more inhibited; alternatively, we could feel desire for a partner more strongly yet make decisions on a more superficial basis.
Depending on the placement of Mars in your personal birth chart, you may notice feelings of apathy or failure to get the same “rush” or sense of satisfaction you’d normally feel from accomplishing the same tasks or projects during Mars retrograde, and you could feel especially bored on the domestic (Mars in Cancer) and/or romantic (Mars in Leo) fronts.
If a new relationship begins during a Mars retrograde period, just be wary when it comes to moving too fast or jumping into a situation you might not be quite ready for yet.
Definitely not ready for a relationship.
Because Mars is about goal-oriented activity, you may inadvertently end up committing your time and energy to someone new, only to realize you can’t give what you thought you could, leaving you (or others) feeling frustrated and disappointed.
So don’t over promise or overcommit during Mars retrograde, even if it’s not a romantic situation. Not knowing where you stand with important people in your life, including family members and relatives, is a theme of Mars retrograde, especially in Cancer.
When it comes to family life and romance, Mars retrograde is definitely going to direct your attention to the past. This can be good or bad, depending on what you do with it. If old resentments get stirred up, now is a good time to confront them. The only caveat here is that it’s not advisable to do so if you’re seriously riled up.
Relatives crowding your house and you’re desperate for peace and quiet? Someone you just started dating pushing you to go on a vacation you just can’t swing? An ex is suddenly back in the picture and wanting to rekindle an old spark but you’re not sure? Tell them! Just do it diplomatically and not when you’re ready to explode.
Mars in Cancer = Self-Care
When Mars is in Cancer, which it will be from July 2024 well into 2025, we all need to take particular care with our actions and how we take care of ourselves (and those around us), as Mars in Cancer is what can only be described as an “overdeveloped” fight or flight response to perceived threats to its survival.
Those who have Mars in Cancer in their birth charts, for example, will typically vacillate between extreme passivity and extreme aggression when they feel provoked, typically going into situations where they feel threatened either spoiling for a fight or avoiding the person or thing that triggers them entirely.
Conch shell from Lord of the Flies.
It’s important to note here that Mars retrograde in Cancer can cause digestive issues if we don’t take care of ourselves properly during this cycle. So from October 4, 2024 through February 23, 2025, it’d be wise to pay particular attention to your diet and exercise routines, as making a concerted effort to eat healthy and exercise regularly will do a lot to help you control feelings of stress, anger and impulsiveness.
Exaggeration of conflicts or perceived threats to one’s survival are the primary source of major blow ups when Mars is retrograde in Cancer, and it may be difficult to de-escalate such situations should they reach a fever pitch.
Keeping calm is the challenge with Mars in Cancer, especially given the fact that those born with planets in Cancer in their charts tend toward the hysterical—on the one hand, their capacity for grandiosity makes them fabulous comedians; on the other, it makes them…well, over-the-top worriers, to put it gently.
On the plus side, put Mars in Cancer in a life or death survival situation and there’s no chance of them failing: like Lord of the Flies, they’ll lie, cheat or steal to get that conch shell and make sure no one else has the power.
And that’s great if you’re stranded on an island, in a desert or wherever, but that’s not exactly the situation most of us find ourselves in on a daily basis or under normal circumstances. So this is where Mars in Cancer’s overdeveloped “fight” instinct can be problematic: namely, in creating conflicts where none exist.
Using the Mars principle constructively is all about building self-confidence through action; but because Mars governs our capacity for self-reliance, when retrograde, we may feel more dependent on others than usual, or as if we’re continually coming up against circumstances that seem to remind us of what we can’t do, what we lack, or that test our powers of determination and endurance.
Castaway lesson number two: Everyone needs help.
When this happens, it’s critical that we remind ourselves that ultimately we’re all interconnected, and survival isn’t a one-person job but takes a village, as they say.
The lesson with Mars retrograde in Cancer from 2024 - 2025 is to learn to keep calm in the face of perceived personal attacks. There’s no need to cut anyone out completely (flight), nor is there a need to bite someone’s ear off (fight), no matter how badly someone pisses you off.
Point being: whatever the issue is, a) it’s most likely not half as serious as you think; and, b) even if it is, it’s not worth it—for the sake of your health and well-being, if nothing else—to get yourself so worked up that you freak out, act on impulse, or say something you can’t take back later.
Mars Retrograde 2024 - 2025: Key Dates
Oct 4 - Pre-Shadow phase begins @ 17° Cancer
Dec 6 - Mars stations Retrograde @ 6° Leo
Feb 23 - Mars stations Direct @ 17° Cancer
Mars is in Cancer for longer than usual this year, from Sept 4 - Nov 3, 2024, then again from January 6 - April 25, 2025. Typically, Mars spends eight weeks in each sign, so if you have planets in Cancer in your chart, you’ll likely be dealing with a lot of frustration, defensiveness or anger-related issues this Fall and into 2025!
Castaway survival skill number one: Making a fire.
In contrast, Mars will be in Leo from Nov 4 - January 5, 2025, though it’ll be retrograde throughout this period, with peak stress surrounding Mars’ station on December 6th. This is the period that those with planets in the early degrees of Leo—e.g., those born from July 22-31 will especially “feel it”!
Generally speaking, the most stressful periods of Mars retrograde occur during the pre-shadow period, from October 4 - December 5, as it’s during this period that the intensity of our frustration and defensiveness grows, peaking when Mars comes to a full stop on December 6th.
The other periods of peak frustration occur near its stations on December 6th and February 23rd, and aggressive words or actions can seem to come at you out of nowhere at these times, leaving you feeling out of control and powerless. But these periods are temporary, so remember to keep your cool if possible near these dates in particular.
Because though we may be exhausted by the time Mars finishes its retrograde, after February 23rd, we’ll slowly start to feel more energized, enthusiastic, less focused on anger and better equipped to take the lessons learned during Mars’ retrograde to readjust our goals and plans moving forward.
**Note: Mars turns retrograde for about 2 months every 2 - 2.5 years. The last Mars retrograde period was from October 30, 2022 - January 12, 2023 in the sign of Gemini, so it may be helpful to think back to what was going on in your life during this period to avoid repeating old patterns.