Transit guide · Jan 10 – Apr 1, 2027
Mars retrograde: dates, meaning and what to do
Mars retrograde is the stretch of 9 to 12 weeks, about every 26 months, when Mars appears to move backwards through the zodiac and questions of drive, desire, anger and how you go after things come up for review. This guide lists the dates and degrees for 2026–2042, explains what is happening in the sky, and separates the astronomy from the astrological reading.
Mars retrograde is the stretch of 9 to 12 weeks, about every 26 months, when Mars appears to move backwards. There is no Mars retrograde in 2026. The next runs January 10 – April 1, 2027, from 10° Virgo back to 20° Leo. Astrologers read it as a time to rethink effort, anger and what you are fighting for.
Is Mars retrograde right now?
Computed in your browser from NASA JPL Horizons positions (UTC dates). The app adds your own chart: which of these retrogrades touch your planets.
Key sky dates, late 2026 – early 2027
The transits most people feel in decisions, relationships and money.
When is Mars retrograde?
There is no Mars retrograde in 2026. Mars was last retrograde December 6, 2024 – February 24, 2025, and the next one runs January 10 – April 1, 2027: it stations retrograde at 10°26′ Virgo, backs into Leo on February 21, 2027, and stations direct at 20°56′ Leo. The one after that is February 14 – May 5, 2029 (Libra into Virgo).
Mars is retrograde about every 26 months, for 9 to 12 weeks: about 9% of the time, less than any planet except Venus. That is why whole calendar years, such as 2026 and 2028, pass without one.
Mars retrograde dates, 2026–2042
| Retrograde (UTC dates) | Stations retrograde at | Stations direct at | Opposition to the Sun | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 10 – Apr 1, 2027 | 10° Virgo | 20° Leo | Feb 19, 2027 | 81 days |
| Feb 14 – May 5, 2029 | 13° Libra | 24° Virgo | Mar 25, 2029 | 80 days |
| Mar 29 – Jun 13, 2031 | 21° Scorpio | 4° Scorpio | May 4, 2031 | 76 days |
| May 26 – Aug 1, 2033 | 12° Capricorn | 29° Sagittarius | Jun 28, 2033 | 66 days |
| Aug 15 – Oct 15, 2035 | 28° Pisces | 17° Pisces | Sep 15, 2035 | 60 days |
| Oct 12 – Dec 23, 2037 | 6° Gemini | 20° Taurus | Nov 19, 2037 | 71 days |
| Nov 23, 2039 – Feb 9, 2040 | 21° Cancer | 3° Cancer | Jan 2, 2040 | 77 days |
| Dec 28, 2041 – Mar 18, 2042 | 27° Leo | 8° Leo | Feb 6, 2042 | 80 days |
Computed from NASA JPL Horizons (geocentric positions in the tropical zodiac). Dates are UTC; a station in the first hours of a UTC day falls on the previous evening in the Americas. The opposition is the midpoint of every Mars retrograde. Each row links to that year's guide with shadow dates and a reading for every sign.
What is happening in the sky
Nothing reverses. Retrograde motion is an apparent change of direction seen from Earth, the same effect as a slower car seeming to slide backwards when you overtake it. Mars takes 687 Earth days to circle the Sun, so Earth, on the faster inside lane, catches up with it and passes it about every 26 months (780 days). For the weeks around that pass Mars appears to drift backwards against the stars. The middle of the retrograde is the opposition: Mars sits opposite the Sun, rises at sunset, and is at its closest and brightest for that cycle. That is why a Mars retrograde is also the best time to see the planet, a steady orange-red point that outshines most stars.
What Mars retrograde means in astrology
Mars stands for drive, desire, anger, competition and physical energy. When it is retrograde, astrologers read that energy as turned inward: projects stall and need rework, old conflicts come back for a better ending, and the question shifts from how fast can I go to what am I actually fighting for. It is the least frequent retrograde after Venus, which is why people tend to notice it.
In Virgo the review is about work, routines, health habits and the urge to fix every detail. In Leo the review is about pride, creative projects, romance and the need to be seen.
What to do during Mars retrograde
Finish, repair and rework what is already in motion. Go back to training plans and routines you dropped. Revisit an old disagreement with a cooler head. Leave optional fights, brand-new ventures that depend on speed and all-or-nothing ultimatums for after Mars turns direct. If something cannot wait, start it deliberately and expect a second pass. The sky suggests; you decide.
Born with Mars retrograde
Only about one person in eleven is born with Mars retrograde. Astrologers read it as drive that works indirectly: slow to anger, strategic rather than impulsive, and often harder on oneself than on other people. A birth chart shows it with an R next to Mars; you can check yours with the birth chart calculator.
Mars retrograde by year
Each year has its own guide: exact station times, shadow dates, which other planets are retrograde at the same time, and what the retrograde asks of each sign.
2026 · 2027 · 2028 · 2029 · 2030 · 2031 · 2032 · 2033 · 2034 · 2035 · 2036 · 2037 · 2038 · 2039 · 2040 · 2041 · 2042
The guide for the retrograde in focus is Mars retrograde 2027.
Mars retrograde: questions
When is Mars retrograde?
There is no Mars retrograde in 2026. The next one runs January 10 – April 1, 2027, from 10° Virgo back to 20° Leo. After that, Mars is retrograde February 14 – May 5, 2029.
How often is Mars retrograde, and for how long?
Mars is retrograde about every 26 months, for 9 to 12 weeks. That is about 9% of the time. Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto are retrograde every year for four to five months, so Mars retrograde is much rarer.
When does Mars go direct?
Mars stations direct on April 1, 2027 at 14:08 UTC, at 20°56′ Leo. It clears the post-retrograde shadow on June 8, 2027, when it passes the degree where the retrograde began.
What does Mars retrograde mean?
In astrology Mars stands for drive, desire, anger and how you go after things. A retrograde is read as a review of those themes: slower outward progress and more reworking of what is already in motion. In astronomy it is only an apparent change of direction caused by Earth overtaking Mars.
Which signs is Mars retrograde in?
It begins at 10°26′ Virgo, backs into Leo on February 21, 2027 and stations direct at 20°56′ Leo. Mars re-enters Virgo on May 14, 2027.
Is Mars retrograde real?
The backward drift is a real observation and not a real reversal. Mars never changes direction in its orbit; it appears to move backwards because Earth, on a faster inner orbit, overtakes it. The astrological meaning is an interpretive tradition, not a physical effect.
What does it mean to be born during Mars retrograde?
Only about one person in eleven is born with Mars retrograde. Astrologers read it as drive that works indirectly: slow to anger, strategic rather than impulsive, and often harder on oneself than on other people.
Sources
The checkable facts on this page come from these external sources. The astrological interpretation is our own.
- Horizons System (planetary ephemeris service) · NASA Jet Propulsion LaboratoryMars retrograde stations, degrees, shadow dates and oppositions for 2026–2042, computed from JPL Horizons positions (focus: 2027-01-10 12:59 UTC at 10°26′ Virgo to 2027-04-01 14:08 UTC at 20°56′ Leo)
- Mars: Facts · NASA ScienceA year on Mars lasts 687 Earth days
- What does it mean for Mercury to be in retrograde? · NASARetrograde motion is an apparent change in a planet's movement through the sky; the planet does not physically move backwards in its orbit
- Retrograde motion · Encyclopaedia BritannicaDefinition of retrograde motion as an apparent reversal seen from Earth
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