How to Plan for This Season's Mars Retrograde

Sophie Saint Thomas
·5 min read

There's a Mars retrograde coming, As if 2020 wasn't stressful enough, that means it's time to put your sex life and professional life on high alert. This year's Mars retrograde occurs in fiery Aries from Wednesday, September 9, to Friday, November 13. During this time, our libidos can be affected, along with our ambition. Due to COVID-19, many have already seen major changes when it comes to work and romance. For the next few months, it may feel as if things are at a standstill, and you'll need to hold firmly to any ground you were starting to gain.  

A quick note before we dive in: Astrologers have historically used traditional (and frankly, outdated) binary gender terms when speaking about Mars and Venus, the two planets whose retrogrades tend to affect our love and sex lives the most. The symbol for Mars is even the "male" symbol, just like the symbol for Venus is the "female symbol." However, it's important to note that all of us contain a mixture of both of these energies. When retrogrades happen, these energies and how we express them in our personal lives can be thrown off a bit — but it's not all hopeless. Here's how to use the retrograde to your advantage.

So, what's the deal with Mars retrograde?

Venus rules "feminine" traits such as emotion, beauty, and love. By contrast, Mars rules "masculine" traits such as aggression, sex, action, and desire. When the warrior planet goes retrograde, these areas of our life can feel, well, a bit fragile. Sex drives may dwindle. In the workplace, you may feel stagnant, and like you lose any inertia you've gained every time you try to move forward. Simply put, Mars retrograde is incredibly frustrating. And because this one occurs in firey Aries, a sign ruled by Mars, expect it to be extra challenging. Those of us with many Aries placements may feel especially affected by the retrograde.

Conflict will likely not be productive during this time — instead, focus on introspection.

During Mars retrograde, you may feel like you just can't get any momentum. Perhaps you arranged a Zoom date or to meet for a walk at the park, and your crush flakes last minute. Maybe you're organizing a fundraiser, and everyone drops the ball. The result is frustration all around, which can lead to pointless bickering. On a good day, the aggression of Mars helps us act assertively to make our dreams come true. But petty fights, lowered sex drives, and a discouraging lack of ambition can also come up during this time, especially when we're all stressed to begin with. 

How can I use this retrograde to my advantage?

This retrograde is happening in Aries. The signs ruled by Mars (both Aries and Scorpio) love to be first, but Aries, in particular, is stellar at throwing temper tantrums. During Mars retrograde, practice as much self-care as possible. Go even easier on yourself than you did during Venus retrograde, and remember that conflict will likely not be productive during this time — instead, what focus on introspection. Do as much planning right now as you can, organizing behind the scenes to get ready for a time when your efforts will pay off. And if you want to do Mars retrograde right, spend time with yourself by focusing on what you really want. 

Lean into your Venusian side right now. The world is a bit chaotic, but you can still treat yourself like royalty. Take long baths, masturbate, cook, and relax. Use this retrograde to reassess the areas of your life ruled by Mars. Try to plan calm and safe activities with both friends and lovers, such as a picnic in the park or watching the same movie together but remotely. Once the retrograde is over, you can work on implementing change hands-on to get the results you've been dreaming about. 

How do I deal with all of the uncertainty?

One of the most frustrating feelings that Mars retrograde brings is uncertainty. This is multiplied when it occurs as we're dealing with an upcoming election and a pandemic. When your energy levels drop, you may feel guilty and wonder what happened to your drive to save the world. It's still there, just in a different form, as your Mars side hibernates. It sounds corny, but remember that this too shall pass. If during Mars retrograde you start to question a relationship, job, or political group that you usually feel connected with, don't make any major decisions until it's over. Instead, use the period to reflect and take action after the retrograde ends.

"Will my partner and I break up?" is a commonly asked question about this time. And honestly, you might — but only because that possibility always exists. COVID-19 put relationships of all kinds under a microscope, and plenty of people have parted ways. You can reduce the chances of a Mars retrograde breakup by taking some time for yourself to breathe and giving space to any situations that might be irritating you. If you do break up, the relationship wasn't going to last anyway. The cosmos just took care of it for you.

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Originally Appeared on Allure