On Sunday, October 30, Mars stations retrograde at 25° Gemini.

Mars will travel backwards through Gemini until January 12, 2023, at which point it will station direct at 8° Gemini.

Of all the planets in astrology, Mars goes retrograde the most infrequently (every 18 months) and has the most erratic cycle. (Listen to this episode of the Astrology Podcast to learn more about Mars’ retrograde cycle.) So whenever Mars goes retrograde, it’s worth taking notice.

What happens during a Mars retrograde?

Mars is the god of action and initiation — it’s the blast of a gun, the start of a race. It’s the motivating force that fires us up, it’s our willpower and dive. It governs our drive, our inner fire, and our ambition.

And so, when Mars slows down and starts to move backwards… our motivation and energy might also slow down. You might not be able to make as much progress as you normally would. Rather than forge ahead and blaze new trails, take the time to review your past actions and motivations. This is a good time for behind-the-scenes work and to ensure that you have everything in order.

Mars retrograde is also an invitation to review our anger and our willpower. How are you using your energy? What hills are you dying on? What is your relationship to conflict? When Mars is retrograde, it is an opportunity to think deeply about your relationship to Marsy things, like anger, conflict and how you individuate yourself. Mars represents the principle of separation and division — it governs the principle of standing on your own, going your own way, pursuing your goals…. in a word, Mars governs independence.

During Mars retrograde, you are undergoing a review process regarding your own independence. If you are someone who generally capitulates to those around you, you might find yourself suddenly enforcing stricter boundaries. If you tend to be more domineering, maybe you use this as an opportunity to examine where this tendency comes from. If there are places in your life that need better boundaries, this will be a five month period where you start to change those habits.

Mars retrograde in Gemini

Mars is retrograde in Gemini, Mercury’s mutable, air domicile. Mars in Gemini loves to multi-task, but while retrograde, you might just wind up frazzled and exhausted. Now is NOT the time for multitasking. Now is the time to narrow your focus, block out distractions and commit to just one or two priorities.

Ebbs and flows

Your energy might be up and down over the next few weeks. Whenever Mars is in a mutable sign, we need to learn how to move with the ebb and flow of our energy. Plus, Mars will be forming a square with Neptune for most of November, which perfects on November 19. This means that we’ll likely feel extra slow, quiet, and maybe even lethargic until the end of November. If you need lots of time to rest over the next few weeks, don’t panic. Let yourself go with the flow. There will be moments of inspiration and energy, so take advantage of those when they come, but otherwise, lower expectations of your “productivity” between now and January 12.

War of words

Mars is the planet that governs war, conflict and aggression. Gemini, as a Mercury-ruled sign, is associated with language, communication, exchange and socializing. During this Mars retrograde, watch out for things like information, language, technology and commerce being weaponized. Watch out for topics like data privacy, cyber-attacks, major hacks or data breaches, or even cyber warfare to be in the news.

In your personal life, you might find yourself more inclined towards making snide remarks or a cutting jibe. Watch out for heated conversations and exchanges. You might be more inclined to die on a rhetorical hill than usual. Pick your battles.

What started around August 20?

Gemini first entered Gemini on August 20, 2022. Think of the time between August 20 and October 30 as a preview for what will happen during Mars retrograde. Mars will be re-tracing its steps through this part of your birth chart. So whatever themes or topics Mars in Gemini activated for you will be revisited and repeated. If you did my Mars in Gemini tarot spread, this is also a great time to review those notes and reflect on what has happened since August.

If you have any planets or points between 8° and 25° of Gemini or any Mutable sign, think about the topics of those planets have been important themes in your life. For example, if you have Venus at 20° Gemini, how have the topics of desire, beauty, creativity and diplomacy come up for you since August?

How will this energy affect you?

Mars in Gemini will be most important for people who have Mutable Rising Signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces), or people who have important planets or points in those signs (especially the Sun, Moon and Ascendant). If you have planets/points in Gemini between 8° and 25°, that means you’ll have three opportunities to see the impact Mars in Gemini makes on your life: once between August and October, once between November and January, and for a third time in January to March.

For more specific insight into how this transit will affect you, book a Cosmic Check-In with me! Together, we’ll look at your chart and discuss all of the possible ways this energy might manifest for you.