THE ONLY MARS RETROGRADE GUIDE YOU WILL EVER NEED
Our mighty red planet, Mars, rules sex, passion, energy, conflict, and drive. He is felt potently by us here on Earth because he is one of the personal planets—along with Mercury and Venus. This is why his retrograde cycles are especially intense and trigger us immensely. In the coming essay, I will explain what Mars Retrograde is and how you can work with it rather than against it. Please share this with anyone on Earth who needs it. Spread the words of this essay like they are your newfound doctrine. For daily guidance, please follow me online.
To jump to the “Do’s and Don’ts” of Mars Retrograde, click here.
To read about exes, twin flames, and karmic connections in Mars Retrograde, click here.
WHAT IS MARS RETROGRADE?
A retrograde occurs when a planet seems to be moving backward in the sky from our vantage point on Earth. Planets don’t actually move backward, but this optical illusion does have mysterious and powerful effects here on Earth. Mars turns retrograde roughly every two years—or twenty-six months—for about three months. However, because of the pre-shadow (lead up) and post-shadow (fade away), the expanse of Mars Retrograde covers nearly seven months of time. Mars Retrograde is most intense during the actual time we see it moving backward in the sky. The lead-up and fade-away (month before and after) can still be felt, but less so. When a planet retrogrades, the things that it rules tend to go awry and be thrown off, as well as whatever is ruled by the sign that it is backpedalling within. We also tend to revisit the past and have people, events, and unresolved situations from before return to present themselves for closure or to begin anew. When retrogrades occur, we must REVIEW, REVISIT, and REFLECT.
WHAT DOES MARS RULE?
Mars rules passion, courage, sex, desire, aggression, drive, competition, and conflict. Mars rules how we fight, fuck, and flee. This is why when our red planet retrogrades, all of these matters become weak and we must face how we’ve used and interacted with these energies in our lives up until this point in time. Is it love or is it hate? Mars Retrograde typically makes us feel exhausted, burnt out, frustrated, overly triggered, angry, and defeated. Sometimes people feel extra aggressive—ready to charge into every battle at the drop of a hat—or hypersexual. Others may feel broken and refuse to face conflict or have no sex drive at all. This all ties to the natural energy of each individual and where the Mars Retrograde is taking place in their own unique birth charts.
THE RIVER OF TIME & THE VORTEX OF THE PAST
The human concept of time is that what comes before leads to something else later. Our general understanding of time is that it is linear. It is based on the law of physics that for every reaction there is an equal and opposite reaction to follow. The same is how we see our paths in this lifetime—in the physical plane. However, the cosmic forces above us do not see it the same way. The metaphor that I always use to explain time is that time is a river. Typically, we are moving forward down the river, but sometimes it will diverge and we will have to choose which way to go. Not all people in our life clearly go down the same waterfalls, streams, or brooks that we do. However, some currents do again converge—and more often than not I find in my study of astrology that they do so during significant planetary retrogrades. Any planetary retrograde is like you suddenly have met within a whirlpool, mixing elements from your present with those of your history. This is when we step into the vortex of the past. In this vortex of the past, we often face anything that was hidden or forgotten that still holds vital meaning for our present. Sometimes this causes us to face actual people, otherwise it can be repeated situations. Nostalgia is the most common sign this is affecting us on an emotional, intellectual, and spiritual level.
DETERMINING THE PRESENT AND THE FUTURE
Everything that happens during a retrograde—especially Mars Retrograde—is distorted in our eyes and may not be what it seems. While we may feel sure of our emotions and passions in the heat of the moment, we must consciously understand that we do not have all of the information or that we may be idealizing a situation. Mars Retrograde is prone to creating fantasies that may leave one heartbroken later if we do not keep our wits about us. The best thing to do is to incorporate the information and experiences that occur during the Mars Retrograde but resolve judgments and definite plans for later. There are many “do’s and don’ts” for Mars Retrograde, which I will touch upon later in this essay.
Another thing to take note of is that Mars Retrograde pre-shadow—the period where he begins to “slow down in the sky” and will eventually return to at the end of his retrograde—and Mars post-shadow—the furthest point he reaches at the moment he first stations retrograde—give us very valuable information. Everything that takes place during Mars pre-shadow—particularly related to the areas that Mars rules (sex, passion, drive, conflict, success, and beyond) will be reviewed during the actual Mars Retrograde. Everything that falls apart or takes place during the actual Mars Retrograde gets sorted out—hopefully—by the time Mars leaves its post-shadow phase. I’ll use these two examples: let’s say in the days where Mars first enters pre-shadow, you hear from someone who you used to consider an enemy. Depending on how you react at this time, it could crop up during the actual Mars Retrograde. You could be thrown into an entire chaos of fighting once again as you both tear open the wounds. Then, depending on the events during the Mars Retrograde, that’s what will be sorted out after Mars stations direct and begins to regain speed and strength. Another example could be that you’re starting a business—and you begin to get everything ready during Mars pre-shadow but are noticing little delays, problems, and hurdles keep popping up and they’re making you furious. All of these are signs of the bigger problems that will crop up during the Mars Retrograde. Remember: you have free will and can choose your path forward. Returning to these two examples, if you’ve chosen to rehash the drama with that enemy or instead forgive them ahead of time and let it go, then you’ll fare much better during Mars Retrograde. With the business example, if you’ve chosen to beat your head against a wall and curse the universe, getting angry at everyone around you—or instead chosen to find your zen and realize that success takes time—this will determine how intense or tragic your actual Mars Retrograde is.
KARMIC LESSONS: WHAT YOU DESIRE
Every retrograde carries a karmic lesson depending on what the planet rules and where it falls in the sky—as well as your natal chart. A professional astrologer like myself can help determine what each retrograde may be trying to bring into your awareness. However, as an overall view, Mars Retrograde tends to bring karmic lessons regarding sex, war, passion, energy, drive, success, competition, and strength. Like a fresh rain to wash away your dirt or the Sun’s light hitting you after a very long night, Mars Retrograde encourages you to face—and find—your authentic feelings. To do this, you may have to once again uncover something you may have forgotten or run from. This will lead you to make a choice: to reunite with that person or thing and bring it into your present and future—or to find closure with them or it and let go once and for all. Mars Retrograde requests us to be honest with our feelings, motivations, and desires.
KARMIC CONNECTIONS
Retrogrades—especially Mars Retrograde—often have the power to align you with karmic connections. A karmic connection is a person—or soul—who you have a soul contract with. The esoteric and spiritual belief behind this rests in the ideology of reincarnation: that we have many lives and are always on the path to true fulfillment and perfection. In order to do this—to reach “God” or union with the Divine—we are bound to other souls on a mission to work together to help each other evolve to the next stage. Essentially, you and this soul made a pact for the kinds of lessons you’d be helping one another learn this time around—even if they are difficult. Some souls go back with us for many lifetimes, whereas we may meet new karmic connections in this life and then carry them forth into the lives still yet to come. One way of seeing this—through esoteric astrology—is by looking at two people’s charts and understanding key alignments. This can help one understand more fully the purpose someone plays in one’s journey. As a general overview, a karmic connection can be seen as good, bad, or neutral. Either way, they will push you to transform in this lifetime. What could be seen as something dark, may actually lead you onto a better pathway. The easiest way I find to reflect upon if someone is a karmic connection to you—without looking at both of your charts, of course—is to ask yourself: “Would I be the same person now had I not met them?” That is how I believe you know.
I have broken down specific karmic connections into categories to further help illustrate this concept.
PAST-LIFE CONNECTIONS
A past-life connection is someone who you have a long-standing history with—in one or more past lives. When you meet them, you seem to “know one another” and sense this entanglement. That can be positive, negative, or neutral.
TWIN FLAMES
A twin flame is someone who plays a pivotal role in your life and who transforms you intensely for the better and redirects you on your path. Often times these relationships are passionate, extremely intense, and can have a pattern of coming in and out of your life. Twin flame connections are not easy. They can be heartbreaking, tumultuous, and chaotic. Despite the short amount of time you may be in one another’s sphere, you are never the same after you meet each other. Some philosophers say that this concept shows that it is as if you are both two halves of the same soul, working hard to push each other to grow as much as possible in this lifetime. It is extremely rare for someone to “end up” forever with a twin flame—unless this person is also a soul mate and not just a catalyst for your spiritual evolution.
SOULMATES
A soul mate is a person who is in alignment with you. That doesn’t mean you have to be the same, agree on everything, or always be in balance. A soul mate can be a platonic or romantic connection or even someone in your family. There is a feeling of support, understanding, and peace. A soul mate helps you shine brighter and wants to do that alongside you. However, that doesn’t mean all soul mate relationships are perfect, easy, or last forever.
Past-life connections, twin flames, and soulmates are all karmic connections. Twin flames and soulmates are both past-life connections, but few past-life connections are also twin flames or soulmates. A twin flame is usually not a soul mate, but can be in extremely rare circumstances. This is the rarest combination I have ever seen in my studies with people worldwide as well as in my consultation with philosophical texts.
GENERAL CONNECTIONS FROM THE PAST
While we often face karmic connections during Mars Retrograde, not every relationship we have or cross paths with again is “fated,” “destined,” or even karmic in nature. Not every relationship carries a significant meaning on the journey of life. So could you bump into that ex who was a casual fling? Yes. Could you hear from that old best friend who you had a blast with? Of course. Were they karmic connections? Not necessarily. Listen to your heart. It whispers, so listen closely. It will help you find the answers that you seek.
TIMING CAN ALIGN—OR LET THEM GO ONCE AND FOR ALL
The beauty of Mars Retrograde is that it gives you a small window in time to change the course of your future. The Universe will be causing you to look at your life and relationships to face whether or not you are truly happy and being fulfilled. Step into the vortex of the past to reignite that connection once again. Or, instead, you can release it, find closure, and move on once and for all. If there is anything I have learned about love it is that love is about timing. Sometimes people separate to grow but then return later on and realize they both have matured and are better for each other. Your timing could now align, and you could set that fire alight so brightly it never burns out again. But the other thing Mars Retrograde teaches us is that if we are gripping onto the past as a crutch and it is holding us back—rather than bringing value to our future—then we must face those connections and let them go in order to create space for something better. When Mars Retrograde passes, there is often a sense of completion that we feel. No matter what you choose, I hope you choose to forgive yourself and others for where things went wrong. And no matter what, I pray you choose love over fear.
DO: Revisit situations that have been left unsettled—especially if they revolved around sex or conflict.
Let’s say you always wanted closure with someone about something that happened in the past. It doesn’t matter if it was twenty years ago or three months ago. If the tension still lingers, the best thing to do is to heal and let it go once and for all. If you can handle releasing the frustration or pain on your own, such as by going to a therapist or a counselor, this is your first option you should take. However, if you can’t and you really would just like to find calm and peace between the two of you, reach out and offer an olive branch. Forgive and move on and do not hold onto anger or resentment. They are like a poison and will kill you from within. If the person doesn’t want to connect after offering the olive branch, take silence or a “no” as a sufficient answer. That story and situation truly is over. Let it go.
DON’T: Let anger or frustration get the best of you and above all do not launch an attack—especially not online.
Any shots fired, regardless how big or small the “war” is will lead to a losing battle. Any aggression or battle that is begun now will waste time, energy, and resources and will always leave the aggressor defeated. Often times, this triggers dark karma that one must work out later down the line—and the one who is attacked usually ends up stronger after the fact with more support on their side moving forward. Again, this could relate to a country—or on a much smaller level, two neighbors who don’t see eye-to-eye. The same could be said about having your libido fired up—which will likely happen. It is not a time to jump into sexual escapades or do anything that might put your health, plans, or life at risk. This will backfire. Remember: is the way you’re feeling this way LOVE or HATE?
DO: Reunite with exes, old flames, or people who shared your vision, such as business associates.
Because returning to the past is favored so much at this time, people that you shared passion with will likely cross your path. If you’d like to meet up and see if the connection is still there to rekindle, do so. Often times, when two people separate, they are redirected upon their own individual lessons to learn their own path and more about who they are and what they need and desire. Sometimes, if the two people have gone on their own journey, they may reunite and find that the skills and tools they’ve amassed along the way make them more compatible for each other now than they ever were before. This can take place with karmic partners, twin flames, or soulmates.
DON’T: Officially “start” a relationship. That includes becoming official, getting engaged, or becoming married.
In order for anything to succeed—whether that’s a business or relationship—you need a strong Mars in the sky—AKA he cannot be retrograde. This is because Mars rules energy and strength—and sex, when it comes to relationships. Unfortunately, if someone becomes official, gets engaged, or becomes married during this time, the energy and sex life of the couple will “fizzle out.” That doesn’t mean you should quit dating if single or romancing your partner if committed. I have known celebrities, clients, and friends who had fabulous sex lives with their partners. However, they decided to make a change during a Mars Retrograde, such as moving from casually dating to becoming official. Somehow later on down the line, their sex lives ended up boring them—and they ended up breaking up. Trust me on this one. This is not a joke: it’s also happened to me. No one is happy with a boring, unfulfilling sex life even if it started off fantastic. One way to get around this, though, is let’s say that the two of you want to discuss the next step during Mars Retrograde—that’s fine. Just say “yes” officially or “I do” officially after Mars returns to direct motion.
DO: Return to old passions you’ve lost touch with.
Haven’t played soccer in years but you loved it? Bust out a ball and kick it around. Haven’t painted in years but you used to be super passionate about it? Grab those paintbrushes and give it a whirl. Because Mars rules passion, if there’s a spark still remaining inside of you—even if it’s small—it may now be resurrected if you try to do so.
DON’T: Push yourself too hard, especially if you’re feeling tired or burnt out.
Mars rules energy, strength, health, and vitality. When he is in a retrograde phase, we feel like we’re moving through sludge and don’t have the motivation to get anything done. If you’re feeling tired, trust that you are being told to slow down by the universe. Those who push too hard during these phases end up more burnt out after them and this can develop into health problems.
DO: Pick up projects that stalled previously off the ground and revise them.
Have that career path—or project—that didn’t quite “make it” before? Or ever started something but didn’t end up finishing it? Return to it now and see if you can approach it with a fresh batch of enthusiasm.
DON’T: Launch projects or start anything “new.” This also means do not sign contracts or buy property.
Anything begun or launched during Mars Retrograde will fail. Point blank. It will fail. This means don’t open the doors to a company, start a new job, announce a campaign, release a major product and beyond. If you do, it will not have the strength backing it that you need to see major success in the long-term. However, one way to getting around this is that if you have all of the contracts and plans in place prior to the Mars Retrograde, things should still be fine. For example, let’s say you’re premiering a film or releasing a book during Mars Retrograde. Will Mars Retrograde make it fail? Not necessarily. But if you decide to launch it while you’re already in the pre-shadow—and worse yet—in the actual Mars Retrograde, yes, it will likely fail. Again, trust me on this one: I’ve wasted over $25,000 and two years of my life on a project I put my whole heart and soul in. But I launched the campaign at the wrong time. And I lost all of that money, energy, and momentum and had to spend years making it up. It was one of the most devastating experiences of my life—especially because it was a last-ditch effort to tell a story about sex and love about someone who I desired more than anything. How karmic is that?
DO: Relax and surrender to the flow of the universe.
Give yourself permission to rest and sleep. Pamper yourself. Stretch. Breathe. Take a mini vacation if you can!
DON’T: Make any major life decisions. You are not thinking clearly.
While Mercury rules the mind, Mars rules enthusiasm. This means that although you may feel excited and fired up about your big life decision now, it’s very likely that down the road—perhaps even as soon as the months after the Mars Retrograde phase—you’re “over it.”
DO: Focus on “how you fight” and how you heal and letting go.
This is an excellent time to turn within, re-evaluate your goals and relationships, and see if you’re truly happy. Put self-love and self-healing at the top of your priority list. Get down the bare bones about what triggers you, how you face conflict, and what you use as your weapons.
DON’T: Have any major surgeries that are elective. You can and should, however, do any surgeries that are needed and authorized by a health professional.
Last, because Mars is tied to health and the physical body, you want to have all personal planets in a happy direct phase for elective surgeries—such as plastic surgery, botox, and beyond. However, if a doctor is suggesting you go through with a surgery for a legitimately important reason and it wouldn’t be wise to hold off, by all means, listen to their advice!
May the stars ever be in your favor.
I hope this essay has granted you more insight into the cosmic workings of our Universe. Please share it widely with anyone who may need light in the darkness. May the stars ever be in your favor.
Want a personal reading? Contact Kyle Thomas here.
Kyle Thomas is a globally recognized pop culture astrologer who has been featured on Access Hollywood, E! Entertainment, NBC & ABC television, Cosmopolitan Magazine, the New York Post, Page Six, Hulu, Seventeen Magazine, Bustle, Elite Daily, House Beautiful, Marie Claire, and more. He is known for his cosmic guidance for celebrities, business executives, and prominent influencers. His work harnesses the power of the stars in regards to entertainment lifestyle and trends affecting people worldwide. His writing and horoscopes have been translated into multiple languages. Kyle has been astrologically gifted naturally from a very young age and teaches how to use the Universe to manifest the life you've always dreamt of. With over a decade of professional experience and clients all over the world, he currently resides in Los Angeles where he works as a professional astrologer, celebrity life coach, and author. Currently, he is the official astrologer for @Horoscopes + @Horo.ScopesDaily. Kyle received two Bachelor of Arts for Psychology and English from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and integrates these degrees into his growing research of psychology, personality, and the human condition.