Impact of Retrograde Mars

A retrograde Mars, anywhere in a natal chart, indicates that the individual either misused or neglected the use of the energy which is always resident in the Mars influence.

The energy of Mars is usually directed into either positive, direct, aggressive action in life, or into the areas of sexual gratification, temper, or violence. The location of the retrograde Mars, according to house position and sign, would differentiate what qualities of Mars would be emphasized and what qualities would be negated. Often, house position and sign involvement tend to stress certain qualities of a planet more than others, and this is where correlation and discrimination enter into the delineation of the planet, whether direct or retrograde.

Negative character traits of Mars could include an animalistic nature, an over-sensual character, a rash, impulsive, violent temper. Negative Mars, retrograde or direct, brings an offensive nature to the native of the chart, who would also be prone to accidents. It emphasizes coarseness, impatience and irritability.

First House: Retrograde Mars, negatively aspected, makes the individual too aggressive, boastful, temperamental, subject to emotional flare-ups, and very combative in his relationship with others. Here, the sign would demonstrate the type of personality developed through past incarnations. The personality represents the outer self; here is how the world views the individual; thus, the retrograde Mars tells that the personality, in the past, was misused in developing negative personality traits which would exhibit themselves in this lifetime through violent reactions, impulsiveness of action, quick resentment to what other people think and say to the individual, the restless drive, and, often indiscriminate waste of energy, which could be channeled into negative sexual drive and practices.

All of the personal actions and reactions from past lifetimes are going to be repeated in this lifetime, and the tendency is to be repetitive in action, continuously struggling for the same thing that the individual fought for before. Naturally, the same troubles, identical personal problems, and the same arguments will be repeated.

This energy of retrograde Mars could be both creative and procreative. It could indicate a personality that was very much over-sexed in the past.

Second House: Retrograde Mars shows the lack of development of values in the past, a lack of appreciation for things, for beauty. Too much attention, in the past, was put upon the drive for security and material possessions; the tendency to display your success to others, often in a gaudy, showy fashion. This could indicate a lack of good taste in the past.

Undoubtedly, the native of the chart with an afflicted, retrograde Mars here cheated, and could have used underhanded techniques to obtain success and accumulate material wealth.

Mars posited in the 2nd house, direct or retrograde, states that the individual has the ability to make money. Its aspects and retrograde conditions would clarify how he made that money. A negative Pluto to retrograde Mars would tell that the individual had been involved with criminal, syndicate activities in the past and would possibly be so involved in this lifetime, whether consciously or unconsciously.

It also tells that legacies, in the past, were misused and, so, in this lifetime, the subject would be cheated out of legacies or denied legacies because of the negative qualities emphasized by retrograde Mars. These qualities would offend those who might, normally, include the person in a will but, because of the rashness of his personality, he would often find himself eliminated, or not mentioned in a will, or cut out of the will entirely.

The lesson of a retrograde Mars in the 2nd house is the constructive use of the energy drives to acquire material security, but very important with this would be the philosophy of the use of these material possessions.

Retrograde Mars in the 2nd house cautions the individual against self-advancement at the expense of others. By concentrating on security through his own efforts and not by depending on other people, or other people’s needs, they can be self-made successes.

Third House: Retrograde Mars shows there was a very poor relationship between the native of the chart and his brothers and sisters and other relatives. It shows the type of individual who lacked self-discipline and, thus, was a problem in any structured social organization, such as the community or schools. This would be the problem child in primary and secondary school systems. The person would resent being told what to do, would resent teacher supervision, would resent any time schedule of work that would need to be done at any specific time. Retrograde Mars shows the lack of discipline from the past, whether it is educational, religious, or social. This would be the type of child who would be the “holy terror” of the neighborhood, the reluctant Sunday School student, the restless trouble-maker in a public school system.

The retrograde condition also indicates that the person did not communicate well in speech or writing with brothers and sisters, relatives, schoolmates, teachers, neighbors, etc. In this lifetime, the person would be in a constant sea of confusion and chaos, always fighting with those around him. He used all these people in the past to his own advantage and, so, in this lifetime, would find that he would be much disliked by relatives and others outside of the family organization.

The lesson of retrograde Mars here revolves around self-discipline, channeling of the mind into mental pursuits such as science, math, or anything that requires analysis or in-depth pursuit. The native needs to develop patience and diplomacy and should guard his words and what he writes.

Fourth House: With retrograde Mars here, the negative qualities brought from the past would center around the fact that the individual was a father image in past lifetimes, but was domineering, aggressive, even cruel. The home environment would have been harsh, restrictive, despotically controlled. The person was an autocratic ruler of the home, with little or no consideration for the rights and privileges of those within the home circle. He would not allow any differences of opinion; he was a disciplinarian to the point of being unreasonable, he wanted everything his own way.

Since this position squares the 1st house of personality, the same character trait demonstrated themselves wherever the person went. He auric field of this individual would have been charged with vibrations of these negative traits and, thus, anyone who entered into his sphere of influence would react to these traits and/or suffer because of them. Remember that our auric field and our physical body represent our “home” in this lifetime.

The native of the chart would be subject to an irate father (his retribution), insecure, unstable home conditions, and a home environment which would be chaotic and unhappy.

Since the Moon is the natural ruler of the 4th house, the retrograde Mars relates to the karmic debt of the native to the mother, whom he neglected in the past, or to whom he was even physically cruel.

The lesson of retrograde Mars in the 4th house obliges the native to provide the necessary environment factors which would produce good home conditions. These factors would involve not only the material features of the home, but also the correct atmosphere for happy home existence. This must be done, regardless of whether there is any obvious appreciation or not.

Fifth House: Retrograde Mars here would stress three particular affairs of the 5th house: love affairs, children, pleasure.

In love affairs, in the past, the individual used members of the opposite sex purely for self-gratification. The subtle influence of Leo, as the natural ruler of the 5th house, is felt here since Leos have to dominate, the retrograde Mars in the 5th house assumes some of this quality of dominance from the Leo. In any love affair, the retrograde Mars shows that the individual had to be the dominant one. It squares the 2nd house, ruled by Taurus, so that the animalistic nature could also be part of the problem carried over from the past. Be especially aware of the planet aspecting retrograde Mars here, for this would condition the type of sexual practices and/or perversions. Unusual sexual practices, rape, homosexuality, lesbianism, child abuse sexually, can all the determined by the planet aspecting retrograde Mars and the sign on the cusp.

As far as children are concerned, the retrograde Mars did not appreciate children in the past, was impatient, temperamental, and cruel (child abuse). If retrograde Mars is in a barren sign in the 5th house, there would be problem in having children in this lifetime, because of the lack of appreciation or the abuse of the children in the past.

In the pursuit of pleasures, retrograde Mars in the 5th house showed a tendency to pursue those pleasures which were coarse and common, many of them related to sexual drives. Since this position of retrograde Mars is directly opposite to the 11th house of friends and social activities, they would center around these negative traits. The person would be attracted to people of similar nature, would be interested in similar pursuits as practiced in the past.

The lesson to be learned with retrograde Mars in the 5th house is the proper channeling of the energy, in relation to love affairs, children and pleasurable pursuits, consideration for others, sincerity of purpose and motive, and creative activities, which should characterize the attempt of the motive to transmute this retrograde Mars in the 5th house.

Sixth House: Retrograde Mars in the 6th house relates mainly to health, the public, and working conditions.

Healthwise, in the past, the individual enjoyed good constitutional health, was physically strong, etc. It show that he dissipated the energy and neglected the health. The care of the body represents a province and obligation given to us by the Cosmic, for the should evolves through the experiences of the physical body in life. It represents a charge which we must handle well. In the past, this was neglected, so the individual would suffer ill health and be accident prone in this lifetime (check the sign on the cusp).

Negative planetary aspects to retrograde Mars in the 6th house would indicate what ailments the native would be subject to.

Publicwise, retrograde Mars tells that the individual was contemptuous of public opinion, public needs, public wants. Again, it shows that the person used a public position, or any position, for self-advancement. He individual did not hold his co-workers, or those who worked for him in high regard and did not establish a healthy rapport with either group. Again, the qualities of negative retrograde Mars and indicate what type of relationship was established (temper, violence, etc.).

This could also be the individual who mistreated animals in the past.

The lesson to be learned with retrograde Mars in the 6th house is to be aware of the physical condition of the body, but not to overdo it (Virgo is the natural ruler of the 6th house). The swing of the pendulum could bring the individual to the point of becoming a hypochondriac if he permits the Virgo trait to dominate. Proper diet and proper exercise should be practiced. Tact and diplomacy should be developed in creating harmonious circumstances between the native and his co-workers, between the native and those who work under him. Patience, respect for others, and service without hope for reward, should be the direction of retrograde Mars energy in the 6th house.


Seventh House: Retrograde Mars here indicates the native, in the past, used any form of partnership, marriage, business or life itself, for self-advancement. Any partnership had to revolve around the person’s will, desires, interests. There was little or no consideration for these qualities where to hers were concerned.

Marriage could easily have been entered into purely from a physical animalistic drive. The partner would have been merely a vessel for self-gratification of the native. The relationship would have been violently emotional, over-passionate, argumentative. The aspects of planets to retrograde Mars here could indicate unusual sexual practices in the marriage, unusual marital unions (homosexual, lesbian, adultery).

Businesswise, this person would have been extremely aggressive and domineering in a business partnership and, again, depending on the sign, might have been not too honest or reliable in partnerships. This person could easily have cheated a business partner, because Mars does rule theft. In this lifetime, disharmony would exist in partnerships, bringing loss, frustration, disappointment.

The lesson to be learned with retrograde Mars in the 7th house is consideration for others, honesty, and sincerity in partnerships of any kind, and that the physical drive in marriage should be tempered with kindness, consideration, and thoughtfulness. One’s attitudes towards life would have to be revised and more attention focused on the search for truth (Mars - Scorpio - 8th house affairs).


Eighth House: The necessity for the transmutations of retrograde Mars qualities is especially pointed out by its location in the 8th house, for this is the natural position of Mars, since it rules the lower octave of Scorpio, and Scorpio rules the 8th house. The position doubly emphasizes the affairs of the 8th house with retrograde Mars. It stresses the Karma involved. Since it is also the house of regeneration, the need for the transmutation of the retrograde Mars qualities is doubly stressed.

The retrograde Mars, from past lifetimes, shows that whatever ended for the individual, whether a job, a friendship, or life itself (death) ended violently, with much confusion, resentment, impulsiveness, and emotion. In other words, the person, in a past lifetime, would have ended a friendship through an argument, would have lost a job because of temper, which resulted in inability to get along with others, and death itself could have been involved with much suffering and pain.

It shows, also, that in some activity of past lifetimes, he misused other people’s money. This could have been the con-artist of the past, cheating widows and children, using public funds for his own benefit. It shows that the individual, somewhere in the dim past, involved himself in a negative search for truth. This could have involved him in destructive organizations such as “Satan’s children”, witchcraft, black magic, etc.

In this lifetime, the retrograde Mars would bring the individual similar experiences in the manner in which things end and the same in life, friendships, jobs, etc. There would be many temptations put in his way to test his honesty (Treasurer of organizations, etc.). The person would be attracted towards the glamour and phenomena aspects of metaphysics, astrology, etc. and would have to exercise much discrimination as to the source of truth.

The lesson of retrograde Mars in the 8th house is the development of respect, sincerity of motive, honesty. Through the use of tact and diplomacy, all things would end more harmoniously, and more beneficially for the native. Involvement in organizations which are truly metaphysical and constructive in their search for truth would transmute all of the qualities of retrograde Mars, and even result in a protective spiritual energy for the end of life.


Ninth House: Retrograde Mars here could imply an individual who practiced religion either so dogmatically that he would grant no one else the right to his own opinion in religion, or was militantly antireligious. Much here depends on the planets aspecting it and the signs involved to determine which of these two it would have been. If it were the religious dogmatist, through careful correlation, the delineation of this retrograde Mars could indicate a person who religiously persecuted others, who could easily have sat on the Court Bench of the Spanish Inquisition, thus imposing physical violence upon others who differed in religious beliefs.

The philosophy of life was undoubtedly a strong, aggressive, and offensive approach. Again, the individual was self-centered, with little consideration for other people. It would show impatience and impulsiveness in any educational pursuit.

Since it squares the 12th house, the retrograde Mars would show that the individual, through impulsive and irrational actions, was confined. Planetary aspects and signs would define whether this was prison, mental institutions, hospitals, etc. A negative Pluto to retrograde Mars would involve the criminal act, resulting in prison confinement. Negative Uranus or Mercury could involve mental disturbances.

The lesson of retrograde Mars in the 9th house is to respect opinions and beliefs of others, to acquire a workable, practical philosophy of life which could be applied to everyday experiences, to broaden the person’s perspective in educational pursuits, to find that balance between enlightened freedom and the rights of others, to so conduct oneself that there would be proper values mentally, emotionally, physically, and morally, thus averting any danger of any type of confinement. It also implies the alignment of the energy of Mars with the higher self, involving the Christ principle.


Tenth House: Retrograde Mars here would indicate that, in the past, the individual flowed from job to job, did not assume the full responsibility of the job requirements, misused any authority granted to him in his job, stressed too much the material self-advancement of his profession – in other words, not what he could do for the job, but what the job could do for him. This could easily have been a military person in the past, achieving honor in battle or in military affairs, but, regardless of either being in the military service or in a profession, the violent temper, the impulsiveness, being self-opinionated, caused the individual to lose prestige and respect from those who were his superiors. Honor was a superficial quality, practiced only externally. It could indicate that the individual was involved in government positions where statistics might have been involved, or analysis, military affairs and supplies. He could very easily have misused these for his own advantage, even to the point of thievery, while pretending to be a paragon of virtue. This could be the corrupt government official, especially if Neptune is negative to retrograde Mars.

If this were in Scorpio, Pisces or Gemini – could this not be the potentially great surgeon or physician who disregarded the philosophy of the Hippocratic Oath, seeking only self-promotion and fame, rather than true service ? Very negative, it would indicate the sadistic surgeon who would perform without any anesthesia, etc.

The lesson of retrograde Mars in the 10th house is continuity of effort, steadiness of purpose, honesty in motives. Fame and honour should be side effects rather than the goals in the professional drive. Advancement in position and respect by superiors will be the effect of the practice of all of the above.


Eleventh House: Retrograde Mars in the 11th house shows that, in the past, the individual enjoyed the friendship of inferior types of people, crude, coarse, unrefined. Perhaps too much attention was placed on the external features of friends and social activities, rather than the true meaning behind them. Again, depending upon what planetary aspects and signs are there, the nature of the social activities could be clearly defined as to whether they are sexual activities, wild drinking parties etc.

Retrograde Mars in Pisces would place little value on friendship itself. If it were in Leo, the retrograde Mars would show that the individual dominated friends, controlled friends, dictated to them and, of course, this raised resentment. If in Cancer, the retrograde Mars shows too much emotional involvement with friends, too much possessiveness where they were concerned, too much involvement in their personal lives. If in Scorpio, retrograde Mars indicates the individual held most of his fellow man in contempt and was extremely snobbish.

The lesson of retrograde Mars in the 11th house requires the transmutation of social activities and social involvement constructively, morally, spiritually. It requires that the person acquire true values where people are concerned – to use friends, not to abuse them.

A native with retrograde Mars in the 11th house should never associate with inferior types of people but, at the same time, must understand that these people, too, are evolving in their own way. They could very possibly need the direction that the person with a retrograde Mars could provide, remaining detached, however, from close involvement.

Twelfth House: Retrograde Mars here indicates, from the viewpoint of health alone, since it is opposite the 6th house, that the individual was his own worst enemy in the past. He did not know how to conserve his energy in the past and he assumed more than he could properly handle. The tendency was to over-exhaust himself and go on nerve energy, to the point of near collapse. If Leo were on the cusp of the 12th house, it stresses the arrogance of Leo, the pushiness where the individual has to be the center of attention, and these are the inner drives and energies that we are involved with.

This is the house of the true soul and a Karma. The purpose of the energy of Mars is to provide the driving power or the motor energy to cope with life and to experience and to evolve. It shows that in the past this energy was mishandled and thus Karma was not worked out, but more accumulated. The person failed to meet the challenges of life. He did not use his knowledge and experiences in service to others. In this lifetime, he would be inwardly very impatient, suffer many personal frustrations and disappointments, and would find it very difficult to achieve full self-expression.

The lesson of retrograde Mars in the 12th house is to learn humility, to be of service to others without seeking return, to correlate the inner-self with the outer self, as a unified whole.