Mars now turns retrograde at 6° Leo 11′.

Mars Retrograde Cycle from December 6, 2024, to February 23, 2025:

Mars Retrograde Dates in 2024-2025:

Mars is retrograde from December 6th, 2024, to February 23rd, 2025.

• On October 4, 2024, Mars enters the Retrograde Zone (pre-retrograde shadow) at 17° Cancer 01′
• On December 6, 2024, Mars stations and turns retrograde at 6° Leo 11’Rx
• On February 23, 2025, Mars stations and turns direct at 17° Cancer 01’D
• On May 2, 2025, Mars leaves the Retrograde Zone (post-retrograde zone) at 6° Leo 11′

***See also an explanation of Mars Retrograde and Mars Retrograde Dates.

Mars spends its retrograde cycle in two signs: Leo and Cancer.

The Sun in Capricorn opposes retrograde Mars in Cancer on January 15th, 2025 (the Sun only opposes Mars while Mars is retrograde).

Mars is in its pre-retrograde shadow period from October 4th, 2024, forward, and is in its post-retrograde shadow until May 2nd, 2025.

When Mars is in its retrograde cycle, we must re-assess our current projects, our approach to getting what we want, and our desire nature. Rather than directly assert our desires, we tend towards introspection.

While Mars in direct motion is direct, straightforward, assertive, and aggressive, while it’s retrograde, Mars energy is essentially turned inward–it’s internalized, intensified, personalized, and perhaps pressurized. We can be hesitant about taking action, second-guessing our instincts or our natural impulses rather than acting upon them.

The way we react to situations under normal conditions doesn’t necessarily work for us now, or we don’t exactly trust our instincts during the retrograde phase of Mars.

When we internalize anger, there can be some rather challenging byproducts, such as tension, resentment, depression, apathy, and even some paranoia. On the other hand, we might choose to personalize it and make it more intimate.

With Mars retrograde in Leo specifically, pride can push us to greater heights, but it can also keep us from expressing our true feelings, for example, or prevent us from truly learning from our experiences and from others. With Mars retrograde in Leo, we might see more sulking or pulling away to make a point. Leo rules children, creativity, recreational pleasure, entertainment, and romance. As such, we may need to re-assess our approach to these matters. We might feel some frustration or anxiety about these matters.

Projects may not get off the ground as planned, perhaps due to hesitation, caution, and fear of taking risks. Health issues may be a factor (especially in areas ruled by Leo–the heart and back), and accidents a possibility throughout the Mars retrograde period.

Our goal during a Mars retrograde period should not be, however, to simply sit on our impulses or to squelch our enthusiasm. Rather, it should be to better understand our impulses, survival instincts, anger, sexuality, inner courage, and the ways we go about getting what we want from life. The cosmos are asking us to look before we leap rather than throwing ourselves into action, just for the time being.

Learn more about the meaning of Mars Retrograde.