Mars is the planet of action and energy, describing what motivates us as well as our approach to goal-directed activity. Gemini is communicative, intellectual, adaptable and highly-attuned to their immediate environment. Thus Mars in Gemini is quick-witted and curious, driven by the need to connect and communicate with others in a spirited yet whimsical and light-hearted way. 

In 2022, Mars spends an uncommonly long period in Mutable Air sign Gemini, entering the sign on August 20, where it’ll be hanging around for almost 7 full months.

Until March 25, 2023, you’ll be challenged to examine how well you understand the relationship between the life you ultimately envision for yourself and the nitty gritty of your daily routines. 

In Gemini, Mars’ focus stays on what needs to get done in the short-run, so when distractions and interruptions abound (as they do now), our attention span is limited and there never seems to be enough hours in a day. So what does it feel like when Mars moves retrograde through the sign of Gemini? Well, kinda like you’re a full-time Task Rabbit with a bad case of ADD. 

On October 30, Mars begins its first retrograde since Fall of 2020, ushering in a 2.5-month cycle that forces you to reconcile your long-term goals with an everyday existence plagued with the barrage of emails, texts, messages and other “notifications” we’ve become bizarrely accustomed to responding to (not to mention never-ending piles of laundry to attend to). 

Consequently, Mars’ retrograde turn can feel like quicksand at first, magnifying any pre-existing lack of motivation or feelings of failure. Just be aware that quick fixes rarely yield anything more concrete than a fleeting rush of dopamine, so solutions that seem too easy or convenient are likely to turn out to be once Mars turns direct in January. 

Since Mars began its gradual slow-down on September 3, checking off items on your to-do list may’ve been inexplicably arduous or painstaking, as if you’ve been moving through molasses to complete the smallest task, so do your best to accept feeling impatient or out of step without sinking into melancholy or “avoidance mode.”

It’s as if the more you get done, the more you find yourself lamenting that you never have enough time to get anything done. (Feeling defeated or unappreciated lately, anyone?) 

Whatever your situation, the levee breaks in the days leading up to and immediately following October 25, forcing us to realize whatever “big picture” changes we want/need to finally embrace.

Because regardless of the position you’re in amid the apocalypse of this post-pandemic “re-socialization” phase, Mars retrograde offers you the opportunity to try going about your day to day in a different way—not to put on a show, but to improve your quality of life, starting from the inside out. 

Mars in Gemini: Watch out for Burn-out

During Mars’ retrograde from October 30 - January 12, you may find yourself overwhelmed by Mars in Gemini’s tendency (read: compulsion) to be overly responsive to their immediate environment, and may lead you to get entangled in demanding work/social schedules—made all the more demanding by trying to please everyone else in the process. 

When Mars is retrograde in any sign, exhaustion slows you down, weakening your powers of concentration and compromising your follow through when it comes to sticking with plans and other promises, no matter how much you might want to.

In astrology, Mars represents the immune system and ability to bounce back from illness or disease. Mars retrograde in Gemini instills a distinct feeling that “the clock is ticking,” so it’ll be crucial to conserve your mental and physical energy during this phase.

Inadvertently scattering your mental and physical energy by overcommitting yourself to too many tasks, plans, projects or even partnerships will become problematic in a noticeable way when Mars is retrograde in Gemini, as bottling emotion until it explodes (whether at self or others) is likely.

So even if we survive all the multitasking, gear-shifting and general atmosphere of uncertainty, there’s still something of a “Girl, Interrupted” vibe. 

Take everyone’s favorite Gemini—Marilyn Monroe. Driven by the desire to understand her true identity, Norma Jean learned to survive by creating an entirely new version of herself behind which she could hide (Marilyn), only to find herself lost in the chaos of Gemini divide. And as iconic as Marilyn Monroe is, so is the fact that, yes, her signature “sexpot” persona brought her success, but not without considerable consequence, once the pressure to be Marilyn 24/7 inevitably led her to burn the candle at both ends. 

So while there’s something to be said for “faking it until you make it,” you can only compartmentalize emotions for so long before you just can’t fake it anymore.

Mars Retrograde & the Post-Pandemic Flow

Learning to sit with feelings of inertia and indecision that cause us to act out of restlessness, frustration or moments of defeat is the major lesson of Mars’ extra-long transit through Gemini.

So whether you find yourself festering over the need to get organized, obsessing over paperwork or trapped in a “2-Step Verification Code” vortex, the best way to “use” this Mars retrograde cycle is to infuse more patience and planning into your everyday words and actions—despite the overwhelming urge to throw in the towel. 

If you find yourself ending every day depleted without quite knowing why, it might be worthwhile to stop and question how much time and energy you devote to what you have to do v. how much time and energy you have left for you. Have you found a post-pandemic groove that’s truly helping you; or have you mistaken a rut for a groove? 

To take an obvious example, how well we’ve adapted to the dramatic post-pandemic shift from working mostly in an office to working almost entirely from home is a pertinent question Mars retrograde in Gemini poses to us now.

Are we really more productive spending most of our daylight hours staring at laptop screens; or are we just lying to ourselves because it seems to be the new routine? And if your current daily grind is failing to satisfy, what’s the underlying reason why?

The trick is to realize that indulging compulsive tendencies to take on more than you can realistically handle will only leave you feeling drained. But if you find yourself constantly frustrated or restricted when it comes to how you spend your time, is it possible that your long-term goals and everyday dealings just don’t align?

Romance & Mars Retrograde: Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde

Mars represents how we express anger, and Gemini is the sign of day-to-day communications. So, though Mars in Gemini has many sterling qualities, when Mars moves retrograde, we tend to see (or exhibit) the “shadow” side of Gemini. As in Robert Louis Stevenson’s famous tale, wherever there’s a Dr. Jekyll there’s always a Mr. Hyde, and Mars in Gemini can swing from sweet to salty on a dime. 

The expression “talking out of both sides of one’s mouth” is one good example of the type of miscommunication and confusion in the air lately: someone seems interested in you, then suddenly things feel “off”; your partner says “I want this” only to follow it up with the ever-appealing, “But only if you do…” NOTE: lying to avoid conflict (or worse, actively leading someone on) is ill-advised. 

When Mars is retrograde in Gemini, double-talk and mixed messages may cross wires to the point where you leave the interaction not really sure what you’re doing/supposed to do. And because everyday conversations are the ground upon which the seeds of potential conflict is sown, don’t be surprised if conversations that start with “How was your day?” go from harmonious to heated in less than a hot minute. 

Bickering, teasing, sarcasm that goes too far, petty gossip, petty dramas, verbal diarrhea and getting caught up in the rumor mill are all ways Mars retrograde in Gemini could manifest. Meanwhile, others may experience a Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde dynamic more literally, where it’s impossible to anticipate what side of someone to expect from one day to the next. 

When it comes to romantic and sexual relationships, Mars in Gemini can be superficial or get bored and lose interest easily, perpetually distracted by details and thoughts of greener grass. Like Venus Retrograde in Gemini, Mars suffers from a case of “Shiny Ball Syndrome,” overwhelmed with options (or, rather, the idea of them) is so consuming that you either forget or can’t decide on who you’d prefer to pursue. 

Listening could be an issue, too, as Mars in Gemini tends to zone out when things become too tedious—so make sure you can read the room, as deception, deceit and disingenuousness seep subtly into our daily lives when Mars is retrograde in Gemini (and read the fine print carefully if you have to sign on any dotted lines). 

As such, starting a new romantic relationship is considered imprudent under the influence of Mars Retrograde. However, if you do decide to dip into the dating pool or (more likely) re-explore things with an ex, it’d be wise to try to keep your wits about you (or at least some degree of emotional distance), as realizing you may not not “really” know the person the way you thought you did after Mars turns direct is unfortunately a common side effect. 

Lesson of Mars Retrograde in Gemini: Revise Your Daily Grind

Despite initial conflict, Mars retrograde through Gemini’s preoccupation with execution of daily routines is beneficial in that this phase will push you to streamline any areas of your day-to-day that have become overly cumbersome and inefficient, so Mars Retrograde in Gemini is prime time to re-think your schedule and even overhaul the structure of your daily grind.

Mars in Gemini highlights the Mind-Body connection, so physical exercise is a crucial coping mechanism for dealing with irritation during this retrograde. Yoga, dance, or any practice that induces a flow state and enhances awareness of how your thoughts affect your overall well-being are favored, especially when angry impulses arise. 

A point to keep in mind during Mars retrograde phases is that frustration is almost always the direct result of the energy depletion. When we’re tired and overworked, we’re bound to be irritable and as a result have a less pleasant experience as we move forward into shorter and shorter Winter days ahead. 

So it’s important to establish your priorities and devise creative ways to manage your time and energy as efficiently as possible while putting aside whatever matters can be postponed.

Because “wasting” time occasionally is underrated, frankly, and you’ll do best over the next three months if you allow yourself just as much time to work as to relax. 

And in the meantime, as long as you’re able to curb the impulse to act out in ways that could hurt yourself or others and learn how to relax and take a break? You should emerge from this Mars retrograde unphased.