Mars is not retrograde in 2026: the next Mars retrograde runs from January 10 to April 1, 2027, when Mars turns back from 10°26′ Virgo to 20°56′ Leo over 81 days, the longest a Mars retrograde can be. Many sites are titled “Mars retrograde 2026” and then list these 2027 dates, because the previous one ended in February 2025 and Mars retrogrades only once every 26 months.
Key takeaways
- Mars stations retrograde on January 10, 2027 at 7:59 a.m. EST (10°26′ Virgo) and stations direct on April 1, 2027 at 10:08 a.m. EDT (20°56′ Leo). It re-enters Leo on February 21 and returns to Virgo on May 14.
- The pre-retrograde shadow begins November 5, 2026 and the post-retrograde shadow ends June 7, 2027 (10:08 p.m. EDT), so the whole story runs about seven months.
- Across the 94 Mars retrogrades from 1900 to 2100 that we calculated, they last 60 to 81 days, 73.7 on average. At 81.0 days, 2027’s ties the longest, and the next one (2029) is 80 days.
- Mars’s opposition to the Sun falls on February 19, 2027 (8:12 p.m. EST), the same day as a penumbral lunar eclipse. About 9.7% of US births from 1994 to 2014 had Mars retrograde.
- William Lilly wrote in 1647 that Mars “is retrograde 80 dayes,” close to the modern figure. Retrograde readings are an astrological tradition, offered for reflection, not as prediction or advice.
In this guide
- Is Mars retrograde in 2026?
- Mars retrograde 2027: every date
- Why Mars goes retrograde
- How long a Mars retrograde lasts
- The next Mars retrogrades, 2027 to 2037
- What Mars retrograde traditionally means
- Which house Mars retrogrades through
- What Lilly wrote in 1647
- Frequently asked questions
Is Mars retrograde in 2026?
No. The last Mars retrograde ran from December 6, 2024 to February 24, 2025, and the next begins on January 10, 2027. Mars goes retrograde when Earth overtakes it on the inside track, and that happens once per synodic period, which NASA’s Mars fact sheet gives as 779.94 days, or about 26 months. A 26-month cycle against a 12-month calendar year means roughly one calendar year in two or three has no Mars retrograde, and 2026 is one of them. Pages that say “Mars retrograde 2026” and then list 2027 dates are not wrong about the dates, only about the year; if a page lists a Mars station inside 2026, check it.
Mars retrograde 2027: every date
All times are US Eastern, from the Swiss Ephemeris, the reference behind professional astrology software, in the tropical zodiac used by most Western astrology. Our degrees match the ones published by Cafe Astrology (10°26′ Virgo and 20°56′ Leo).
| US Eastern | What happens | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 5, 2026, 7:59 a.m. EST | Pre-retrograde shadow begins | 20°56′ Leo |
| Nov 25, 2026, 6:37 p.m. EST | Mars enters Virgo | — |
| Jan 10, 2027, 7:59 a.m. EST | Mars stations retrograde | 10°26′ Virgo |
| Feb 19, 2027, 8:12 p.m. EST | Mars opposite the Sun (closest to Earth, 0.678 AU) | 0°37′ Virgo |
| Feb 21, 2027, 9:13 a.m. EST | Mars moves back into Leo | — |
| Apr 1, 2027, 10:08 a.m. EDT | Mars stations direct | 20°56′ Leo |
| May 14, 2027, 10:47 a.m. EDT | Mars re-enters Virgo | — |
| Jun 7, 2027, 10:08 p.m. EDT | Post-retrograde shadow ends | 10°26′ Virgo |
| Jul 15, 2027, 1:40 a.m. EDT | Mars enters Libra | — |
The “shadow” is the stretch of zodiac Mars will cover three times: forward before the retrograde, backward during it and forward again after it. Many astrologers treat the shadow weeks as a build-up and a wind-down, so for practical planning the whole window runs from early November 2026 to early June 2027. Mars’s opposition to the Sun on February 19 is when Mars is brightest and nearest to Earth for this cycle, at 0.678 AU, about 101 million km away. It lands within a day of the February 20 penumbral lunar eclipse; our 2027 eclipses guide covers both eclipses of that month.
Why Mars goes retrograde
Mars never actually reverses. Earth takes 365 days to go round the Sun and Mars takes 686.98 days (NASA), so about every 26 months Earth catches up with Mars and passes it. As Earth overtakes, Mars appears to drift backward against the stars for a couple of months, exactly as a slower car seems to move backward when you pass it on a motorway. Our Mercury retrograde guide and Venus retrograde guide explain the same effect for the inner planets, which go retrograde far more often. Mars’s retrograde falls around its opposition, when Earth and Mars are closest.
How long a Mars retrograde lasts
Guides usually say “about 70 to 80 days.” We calculated every Mars retrograde from 1900 to 2100 with the Swiss Ephemeris, 94 in all, from the day Mars turns retrograde to the day it turns direct:
| Measure | Mars retrograde, 1900 to 2100 |
|---|---|
| Shortest | 60.0 days |
| Longest | 81.0 days |
| Average | 73.7 days |
| Time from one retrograde to the next | 764 to 811 days, average 780.2 (NASA’s synodic period is 779.94) |
| 2027 retrograde | 81.0 days, the longest possible |
The spread comes from Mars’s oval orbit (eccentricity 0.0935, NASA): when Mars is closer to the Sun, Earth passes it more quickly and the retrograde is shorter. The 2027 one is at the long end, the next in 2029 is 80 days, and the 2035 retrograde in Pisces is among the shortest at 61 days.
The next Mars retrogrades, 2027 to 2037
| Retrograde begins | Position | Direct on | Position | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 10, 2027 | 10°26′ Virgo | Apr 1, 2027 | 20°56′ Leo | 81 |
| Feb 14, 2029 | 13°55′ Libra | May 5, 2029 | 24°56′ Virgo | 80 |
| Mar 29, 2031 | 21°38′ Scorpio | Jun 13, 2031 | 4°26′ Scorpio | 76 |
| May 26, 2033 | 12°30′ Capricorn | Aug 1, 2033 | 29°48′ Sagittarius | 67 |
| Aug 15, 2035 | 28°26′ Pisces | Oct 15, 2035 | 17°45′ Pisces | 61 |
| Oct 12, 2037 | 6°16′ Gemini | Dec 23, 2037 | 20°08′ Taurus | 71 |
What Mars retrograde traditionally means
In astrology Mars is the planet of action, drive, anger, desire and courage. When Mars appears to go backward, astrologers read it as energy turned inward: frustration, delays to plans that depend on effort, and a second look at fights, goals and habits. The standard advice repeats the “re-” words: review, rethink, restart and repair rather than launch something new. It is untested tradition, so treat it as a prompt for reflection, not a rule.
| Traditionally avoided until Mars turns direct | Traditionally favored during the retrograde |
|---|---|
| Starting a new fitness regime or a physical project at full tilt | Returning to a routine or workout you dropped |
| Picking fights, or escalating an old argument | Reviewing old conflicts and what you want from them |
| Major surgery or procedures, if they can be scheduled | Resting, recovering and checking in with your doctor |
| Launching a business or big campaign that depends on momentum | Refining plans, finishing unfinished work |
| Reckless risks and impulsive spending on gear or tools | Repairing and maintaining what you already own |
One note on the medical line: it is an astrological tradition, not medical advice. Follow your doctor, not the calendar. To see what Mars means in your own chart, find your Mars sign with our guide, which also shows how many people have each sign. About 9.7% of US births from 1994 to 2014 had Mars retrograde at birth, a share we measured with the Swiss Ephemeris on every date; some astrologers read a natal Mars retrograde as drive that works more privately or is slower to start.
Which house Mars retrogrades through
Mars spends this retrograde in two signs, Virgo and Leo. Using whole-sign houses, in which your rising sign is the 1st house, the table shows the houses involved for each rising sign. Our guide to the twelve houses explains each one and our Birth Chart calculator gives your rising sign.
| Rising sign | Leo (the retrograde’s second half) is your | Virgo (the retrograde’s first half) is your |
|---|---|---|
| Aries | 5th house | 6th house |
| Taurus | 4th house | 5th house |
| Gemini | 3rd house | 4th house |
| Cancer | 2nd house | 3rd house |
| Leo | 1st house | 2nd house |
| Virgo | 12th house | 1st house |
| Libra | 11th house | 12th house |
| Scorpio | 10th house | 11th house |
| Sagittarius | 9th house | 10th house |
| Capricorn | 8th house | 9th house |
| Aquarius | 7th house | 8th house |
| Pisces | 6th house | 7th house |
Mars turns retrograde in Virgo on January 10, moves back into Leo on February 21 and turns direct in Leo on April 1, so most of the retrograde is spent in Leo, a fixed Fire sign, and Mars is back in Virgo after May 14 with the shadow ending in June.
What Lilly wrote in 1647
Retrograde cycles are not a modern invention. William Lilly’s Christian Astrology (London, 1647), a landmark English-language astrology textbook, gives the figures in its chapter on Mars:
“he finisheth his course in the Zodiack in one yeer 321 dayes, or thereabouts” … “he is retrograde 80 dayes; stationary before he be retrograde, two or three dayes.”
William Lilly, Christian Astrology, London, 1647, Book I, chapter X, “Of the Planet Mars,” p. 65
Both numbers hold up. One year and 321 days is 686 days, within a day of NASA’s 686.98-day orbit, and “80 days” is within our 60 to 81 range, almost exactly the 2027 length. The same chapter gives Mars rulership of Aries (day) and Scorpio (night), and the full dignities are in our essential dignities guide. For the other cycles of the sky, see our Saturn return and solar return guides.
Frequently asked questions
When is Mars retrograde?
From January 10 to April 1, 2027. Mars stations retrograde at 10°26′ Virgo on January 10 (7:59 a.m. EST) and direct at 20°56′ Leo on April 1 (10:08 a.m. EDT).
Is Mars retrograde in 2026?
No. The previous Mars retrograde ended on February 24, 2025 and the next starts on January 10, 2027. Mars retrogrades once every 26 months (see all planets’ 2027 retrograde dates), so some calendar years have none.
How long is Mars retrograde?
The 2027 retrograde lasts 81.0 days. Over 1900 to 2100 the 94 Mars retrogrades we calculated lasted 60 to 81 days, 73.7 on average.
What is the Mars retrograde shadow?
The stretch of zodiac Mars covers before, during and after the retrograde. For 2027 the shadow runs from November 5, 2026 (20°56′ Leo) to June 7, 2027 (10°26′ Virgo).
What happens if Mars is retrograde?
Astronomically, nothing happens to Mars: it only appears to move backward because Earth overtakes it. In astrology the tradition reads it as a time when drive and anger turn inward and plans slow down, and favors reviewing and repairing over launching. It is untested, so use it for reflection.
What should you avoid during Mars retrograde?
Traditionally: starting new physical projects at full tilt, picking fights, launching momentum-dependent campaigns and taking reckless risks. Medical decisions should follow your doctor’s advice, not astrology.
Which signs are most affected?
The retrograde moves through Virgo and Leo, so Leo and Virgo (Sun, Moon or rising) are the signs most often named. Mars rules Aries and Scorpio, and some astrologers add them. Which house it falls in for you depends on your rising sign (see the table).
When is the next Mars retrograde after 2027?
February 14 to May 5, 2029, from 13°55′ Libra back to 24°56′ Virgo, an 80-day retrograde. After that, March 29 to June 13, 2031.
Sources
- Astrodienst. Swiss Ephemeris. Every station, ingress, degree and duration (calculations by the Numyra Methodology Desk, US Eastern time).
- NASA. Mars Fact Sheet. Orbit period 686.98 days, synodic period 779.94 days, eccentricity 0.0935.
- Cafe Astrology. Retrograde cycles and stations, used to cross-check the 2027 degrees and shadow dates.
- William Lilly, Christian Astrology (London, 1647), Book I, chapter X, p. 65, quoted from the scan.
- FiveThirtyEight. US births data, 1994–2014, from the CDC National Center for Health Statistics and the Social Security Administration.
