Mars retrograde: Creative and Emotional Self-Discovery
Named after the mythological God of War, Mars in Astrology has to do with our will, our style of self-assertion and initiation, and the way we go after what we desire. Mars is connected to our willingness to take initiative, begin new endeavors, take new paths, and walk alone if necessary. The ruler of Aries and, traditionally, also Scorpio, Mars is a planet with strong Yang or masculine energy. When Mars is retrograde, this energy is internalized and we have an opportunity to go through a phase of inner exploration, redirection, reorientation, and intense reevaluation of our true desires and motivations.
Mars retrograde began on December 6, 2024, at 6º Leo. Mars returned to Cancer on January 6, 2025, and is going to enter Leo again on April 18, 2025. This transit has brought us on a journey of creative and emotional self-discovery. While Mars retrograde in Leo offered us an opportunity to redefine our relationship with visibility, leadership, creativity, and being seen, Mars’s retrograde time in Cancer pushed us to explore more profound emotional territory.
In Cancer, Mars retrograde encouraged us to deepen our awareness of the impact of past experiences, childhood wounds, and developmental traumas. It invited us to undergo a deep emotional maturation process and understand how our past emotional experiences still shape our present behaviors.
Mars stations direct: Moving Forward with Clarity
As Mars comes to a standstill before slowly resuming forward motion, we reach a turning point and enter a new chapter of our maturation journey. The energy that has been internalized for the past weeks can now begin to flow more freely, asking us to take action according to the insights gained during the retrograde. It is a time to move forward with newfound clarity, sense of direction, and self-awareness.
Mars is now entering the post-shadow phase of this retrograde cycle, which is going to last until May 2. During this time, as Mars travels for the third time between 17º Cancer and 6º Leo and we progress through the post-shadow phase, we have an opportunity to establish more adjustments and access a new understanding of the lessons we learned and their purpose. Themes that first surfaced before and during the retrograde began are likely to return to the spotlight and we have an opportunity to relate to them in new ways.
Mars direct in Cancer and the Mars-Chiron square
In direct motion, Mars invites us to follow the path that calls us with confidence and self-trust. During the final weeks of Mars’ transit in Cancer, we will have opportunities to deepen our understanding of what happened during the retrograde. As Mars completes his post-shadow phase, we will be asked to navigate emotional triggers with greater self-awareness, express our emotions more consciously, and develop a healthier relationship with anger and frustration.
Mars stations direct while squaring Chiron in Aries. Their third and final square will be exact on March 26, and the two planets will continue to square each other for more than a month. Mars and Chiron already squared each other on February 4, 2025, and October 13, 2024: the final Mars-Chiron square marks the culmination of a healing journey that began in October.
By this point, we will have gained a more profound awareness of the wounds that surface when we assert ourselves, take initiative, or express anger and desire. This final square offers us an opportunity to integrate the lessons we have been working through, particularly around self-confidence, self-trust, and the courage to follow our personal path.
Chiron in Aries has been exposing deep wounds in our relationship with independence, assertiveness, leadership, and self-determination. The tension between Mars and Chiron might have brought us back to past experiences where our ability to stand up for ourselves felt blocked or where taking action led to painful consequences.
As Mars moves forward, so do we. This is our opportunity to establish a more empowered and conscious relationship with all Martian qualities, move beyond unconscious survival strategies, and choose to be courageous enough to own both our strengths and our vulnerabilities.
