Your Mars sign is the zodiac sign Mars was in when you were born. In astrology it describes how you act, compete, chase what you want and handle anger. Here is how to find yours, what each sign means, and something most guides miss: Mars lingers in some signs for months and rushes through others in weeks, so among recent US births, Mars in Virgo was about twice as common as Mars in Aries.
Key takeaways
- Mars takes 687 days to circle the Sun, so it usually spends about seven to eleven weeks in a sign, but anywhere from 38 days to 235 days when it turns retrograde.
- Across 85.4 million US births from 1994 to 2014, Mars in Virgo was the most common Mars sign (11.6%) and Mars in Aries the rarest (5.8%), about half as common.
- The reason is Mars’s lopsided orbit: it moves slowest in the part of the sky that lines up with Virgo and fastest near Pisces.
- 9.7% of those births had Mars retrograde. The next Mars retrograde runs from January 10 to April 1, 2027, in Virgo and Leo.
- Readings of each sign are an astrological tradition, offered for reflection, not as advice.
In this guide
- What your Mars sign means
- How to find your Mars sign
- How long Mars stays in a sign
- Which Mars signs are most common
- Why Mars lingers in Virgo
- Where Mars is now, and Mars retrograde 2027
- Mars in each of the 12 signs
- Mars sign by birth year, 1985–2010
- Frequently asked questions
What your Mars sign means
Mars is the planet of drive: energy, courage, desire, competition and anger. Where your Sun sign describes who you are and your Venus sign what you are drawn to, your Mars sign is read as how you go after things and how you fight. Its character came from its reddish light. Ptolemy wrote:
“Mars chiefly causes dryness, and is also strongly heating, by means of his own fiery nature, which is indicated by his colour”
Ptolemy, Tetrabiblos, Book I, chapter IV, trans. J. M. Ashmand (1822). See our guide to the Tetrabiblos.
Tradition gives Mars two home signs, Aries and Scorpio, an exaltation in Capricorn, its detriment in Libra and Taurus and its fall in Cancer. These rankings, explained in our guide to essential dignities, are why some Mars signs are described as stronger or more comfortable than others.
How to find your Mars sign
You need your birth date. Because Mars spends weeks in each sign, the date is usually enough, unless you were born on a day Mars changed sign. Use the year table at the end of this guide, or enter your birth details in our stellium calculator, which lists the sign and degree of Mars and the other nine planets. Unlike Mercury and Venus, Mars can be in any sign at all, whatever your Sun sign.
How long Mars stays in a sign
Mars circles the Sun in 687 days, according to NASA, so in a typical year it changes sign six or seven times. But the stay is very uneven. We tracked every Mars sign change from 1900 to 2099, 1,274 stays in all. The shortest lasted 38 days. The longest lasted 235 days, all of them in Virgo, when Mars turned retrograde and spent seven or eight months there. Mars was in Virgo from November 2011 to July 2012, for example.
Astrologers knew the length of Mars’s year centuries ago. In 1647 William Lilly put it within a day of NASA’s 686.98:
“he finisheth his course in the Zodiack in one yeer 321 dayes, or thereabous”
William Lilly, Christian Astrology, London, 1647, chapter X, p. 65
Which Mars signs are most common
Because Mars lingers in some signs, more people are born with those placements. Using the Swiss Ephemeris, we found Mars’s sign for every birth date of the 85.4 million babies born in the United States from 1994 to 2014, with CDC and Social Security birth counts. Over that period Mars in Virgo, Leo and Libra were each more than 11% of births, while Mars in Aries was 5.8%. Over two centuries the gap is smaller but still real: Mars spent 10.1% of all days from 1900 to 2099 in Virgo and only 6.9% in Aquarius.
| Mars sign | Average stay | US births 1994–2014 | All days 1900–2099 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aries | 51 days | 5.8% | 7.2% |
| Taurus | 56 days | 8.2% | 7.7% |
| Gemini | 65 days | 7.6% | 8.4% |
| Cancer | 72 days | 8.5% | 9.3% |
| Leo | 79 days | 11.3% | 9.9% |
| Virgo | 80 days | 11.6% | 10.1% |
| Libra | 76 days | 11.1% | 9.6% |
| Scorpio | 68 days | 8.1% | 8.8% |
| Sagittarius | 60 days | 8.2% | 7.9% |
| Capricorn | 52 days | 6.1% | 7.2% |
| Aquarius | 48 days | 6.0% | 6.9% |
| Pisces | 49 days | 7.4% | 6.9% |
The columns differ because 20 years depend on where Mars’s retrogrades happened to fall. Over the long run, Virgo, Leo and Libra get the most Mars; Aquarius, Pisces and Aries the least.
Why Mars lingers in Virgo
Mars has a noticeably oval orbit, with an eccentricity of 0.0935. Its distance from the Sun swings between 206.7 and 249.3 million kilometers, and NASA puts its closest point to the Sun at a longitude of 336°, which lines up with early Pisces. That means its farthest point, where it moves slowest, lines up with early Virgo. When Mars is slow, it spends longer in each sign, and when Earth catches up with it there, the retrograde loop adds months more.
Where Mars is now, and Mars retrograde 2027
Mars entered Leo on September 28, 2026. It turns retrograde on January 10, 2027 at 10°25′ Virgo and direct on April 1 at 20°55′ Leo, and only leaves for Libra on July 15, 2027: almost ten months in Leo and Virgo, the slow side of Mars’s orbit.
| Date (Universal Time) | Mars |
|---|---|
| September 28, 2026 | Mars enters Leo |
| November 25, 2026 | Mars enters Virgo |
| February 21, 2027 | Mars enters Leo |
| May 14, 2027 | Mars enters Virgo |
| July 15, 2027 | Mars enters Libra |
| September 2, 2027 | Mars enters Scorpio |
| October 15, 2027 | Mars enters Sagittarius |
| November 25, 2027 | Mars enters Capricorn |
Babies born between late September 2026 and mid-July 2027 will all have Mars in Leo or Virgo. Born during the retrograde, they join the 9.7% of people with Mars retrograde at birth, which astrologers read as drive that turns inward and needs time before it acts. Retrograde motion works the same way for every planet; our Mercury retrograde guide explains it.
Mars in each of the 12 signs
These are the common traditional readings, a starting point rather than a verdict:
| Placement | How it is commonly read |
|---|---|
| Mars in Aries | Mars’s own sign: fast, direct and competitive; acts first and thinks second. |
| Mars in Taurus | Slow to start and very hard to stop; steady effort, stubborn when pushed. |
| Mars in Gemini | Drive through ideas and talk; quick, restless, argues with words. |
| Mars in Cancer | Mars’s fall: protective and emotional, often indirect when angry. |
| Mars in Leo | Proud, warm and dramatic; wants its effort seen and credited. |
| Mars in Virgo | Precise, practical and hard-working; turns energy into fixing things. |
| Mars in Libra | Fights for fairness, but avoids open conflict; Mars in its detriment. |
| Mars in Scorpio | Mars’s other own sign: intense, strategic and slow to forgive. |
| Mars in Sagittarius | Enthusiastic and adventurous; acts on belief and big plans. |
| Mars in Capricorn | Mars’s exaltation: disciplined, ambitious and patient. |
| Mars in Aquarius | Independent and unconventional; fights for causes more than for itself. |
| Mars in Pisces | Gentle and intuitive; energy rises and falls with mood and inspiration. |
Mars is also read with Venus, its traditional partner. In our study of 100,000 random pairs, 42.8% had a Venus–Mars contact between their charts, as explained in our synastry guide.
Mars sign by birth year, 1985–2010
Find your birth year, then the sign Mars was in on your birthday. Dates are in Universal Time, so if you were born on a change date, check with a birth time.
| Year | Mars sign through the year |
|---|---|
| 1985 | Pisces on Jan 1; Aries from Feb 2; Taurus from Mar 15; Gemini from Apr 26; Cancer from Jun 9; Leo from Jul 25; Virgo from Sep 10; Libra from Oct 27; Scorpio from Dec 14 |
| 1986 | Scorpio on Jan 1; Sagittarius from Feb 2; Capricorn from Mar 28; Aquarius from Oct 9; Pisces from Nov 26 |
| 1987 | Pisces on Jan 1; Aries from Jan 8; Taurus from Feb 20; Gemini from Apr 5; Cancer from May 21; Leo from Jul 6; Virgo from Aug 22; Libra from Oct 8; Scorpio from Nov 24 |
| 1988 | Scorpio on Jan 1; Sagittarius from Jan 8; Capricorn from Feb 22; Aquarius from Apr 6; Pisces from May 22; Aries from Jul 13; Pisces from Oct 23; Aries from Nov 1 |
| 1989 | Aries on Jan 1; Taurus from Jan 19; Gemini from Mar 11; Cancer from Apr 29; Leo from Jun 16; Virgo from Aug 3; Libra from Sep 19; Scorpio from Nov 4; Sagittarius from Dec 18 |
| 1990 | Sagittarius on Jan 1; Capricorn from Jan 29; Aquarius from Mar 11; Pisces from Apr 20; Aries from May 31; Taurus from Jul 12; Gemini from Aug 31; Taurus from Dec 14 |
| 1991 | Taurus on Jan 1; Gemini from Jan 21; Cancer from Apr 3; Leo from May 26; Virgo from Jul 15; Libra from Sep 1; Scorpio from Oct 16; Sagittarius from Nov 29 |
| 1992 | Sagittarius on Jan 1; Capricorn from Jan 9; Aquarius from Feb 18; Pisces from Mar 28; Aries from May 5; Taurus from Jun 14; Gemini from Jul 26; Cancer from Sep 12 |
| 1993 | Cancer on Jan 1; Leo from Apr 27; Virgo from Jun 23; Libra from Aug 12; Scorpio from Sep 27; Sagittarius from Nov 9; Capricorn from Dec 20 |
| 1994 | Capricorn on Jan 1; Aquarius from Jan 28; Pisces from Mar 7; Aries from Apr 14; Taurus from May 23; Gemini from Jul 3; Cancer from Aug 16; Leo from Oct 4; Virgo from Dec 12 |
| 1995 | Virgo on Jan 1; Leo from Jan 22; Virgo from May 25; Libra from Jul 21; Scorpio from Sep 7; Sagittarius from Oct 20; Capricorn from Nov 30 |
| 1996 | Capricorn on Jan 1; Aquarius from Jan 8; Pisces from Feb 15; Aries from Mar 24; Taurus from May 2; Gemini from Jun 12; Cancer from Jul 25; Leo from Sep 9; Virgo from Oct 30 |
| 1997 | Virgo on Jan 1; Libra from Jan 3; Virgo from Mar 8; Libra from Jun 19; Scorpio from Aug 14; Sagittarius from Sep 28; Capricorn from Nov 9; Aquarius from Dec 18 |
| 1998 | Aquarius on Jan 1; Pisces from Jan 25; Aries from Mar 4; Taurus from Apr 13; Gemini from May 24; Cancer from Jul 6; Leo from Aug 20; Virgo from Oct 7; Libra from Nov 27 |
| 1999 | Libra on Jan 1; Scorpio from Jan 26; Libra from May 5; Scorpio from Jul 5; Sagittarius from Sep 2; Capricorn from Oct 17; Aquarius from Nov 26 |
| 2000 | Aquarius on Jan 1; Pisces from Jan 4; Aries from Feb 12; Taurus from Mar 23; Gemini from May 3; Cancer from Jun 16; Leo from Aug 1; Virgo from Sep 17; Libra from Nov 4; Scorpio from Dec 23 |
| 2001 | Scorpio on Jan 1; Sagittarius from Feb 14; Capricorn from Sep 8; Aquarius from Oct 27; Pisces from Dec 8 |
| 2002 | Pisces on Jan 1; Aries from Jan 18; Taurus from Mar 1; Gemini from Apr 13; Cancer from May 28; Leo from Jul 13; Virgo from Aug 29; Libra from Oct 15; Scorpio from Dec 1 |
| 2003 | Scorpio on Jan 1; Sagittarius from Jan 17; Capricorn from Mar 4; Aquarius from Apr 21; Pisces from Jun 17; Aries from Dec 16 |
| 2004 | Aries on Jan 1; Taurus from Feb 3; Gemini from Mar 21; Cancer from May 7; Leo from Jun 23; Virgo from Aug 10; Libra from Sep 26; Scorpio from Nov 11; Sagittarius from Dec 25 |
| 2005 | Sagittarius on Jan 1; Capricorn from Feb 6; Aquarius from Mar 20; Pisces from May 1; Aries from Jun 12; Taurus from Jul 28 |
| 2006 | Taurus on Jan 1; Gemini from Feb 17; Cancer from Apr 14; Leo from Jun 3; Virgo from Jul 22; Libra from Sep 8; Scorpio from Oct 23; Sagittarius from Dec 6 |
| 2007 | Sagittarius on Jan 1; Capricorn from Jan 16; Aquarius from Feb 26; Pisces from Apr 6; Aries from May 15; Taurus from Jun 24; Gemini from Aug 7; Cancer from Sep 28; Gemini from Dec 31 |
| 2008 | Gemini on Jan 1; Cancer from Mar 4; Leo from May 9; Virgo from Jul 1; Libra from Aug 19; Scorpio from Oct 4; Sagittarius from Nov 16; Capricorn from Dec 27 |
| 2009 | Capricorn on Jan 1; Aquarius from Feb 4; Pisces from Mar 15; Aries from Apr 22; Taurus from May 31; Gemini from Jul 12; Cancer from Aug 25; Leo from Oct 16 |
| 2010 | Leo on Jan 1; Virgo from Jun 7; Libra from Jul 29; Scorpio from Sep 14; Sagittarius from Oct 28; Capricorn from Dec 7 |
Frequently asked questions
What does your Mars sign mean?
It is read as how you act, compete, pursue what you want and handle anger. The sign colors the style: Mars in Aries is fast and direct, Mars in Taurus slow and stubborn, and so on. It is a traditional reading, not a measured effect.
How do I find my Mars sign?
Look up your birth year and date in the table above, or use our stellium calculator, which lists Mars’s sign and degree. A birth time only matters if you were born on a day Mars changed sign.
How long does Mars stay in one sign?
Usually about seven to eleven weeks, but from 38 to 235 days across 1900–2099. The longest stays come when Mars turns retrograde, most often in Virgo or Leo.
Which Mars sign is the most common?
Mars in Virgo. Among US births from 1994 to 2014 it made up 11.6%, against 5.8% for Mars in Aries, the rarest. Over 1900–2099 Mars spends the most time in Virgo and the least in Aquarius.
When is Mars retrograde next?
From January 10 to April 1, 2027, moving back from 10°25′ Virgo to 20°55′ Leo. Mars turns retrograde about every 26 months.
What does Mars retrograde at birth mean?
Astrologers read it as drive that turns inward: energy that builds privately before it acts. It is not rare: 9.7% of US births from 1994 to 2014 had Mars retrograde.
Sources
- NASA Space Science Data Coordinated Archive. Mars Fact Sheet. Orbit period 686.98 days, eccentricity 0.0935, perihelion longitude 336.04°.
- Astrodienst. Swiss Ephemeris. All dates, stays and shares on this page were calculated with it by the Numyra Methodology Desk.
- FiveThirtyEight. US births data, 1994–2014, compiled from the CDC National Center for Health Statistics and the Social Security Administration.
- Lilly, William. Christian Astrology. London, 1647. Chapter X, p. 65.
- Ptolemy, Claudius. Tetrabiblos, Book I, chapter IV. Trans. J. M. Ashmand, 1822.
