Surely this must be a joke of an article title, right? Because does anyone really survive a Mars retrograde? 

I say this as a person with a very prominent and powerful Mars placement in my chart. Mars is the key to my chart and in many ways, it’s the one planet, besides the moon, that I track to set my cadences and figure out how to move things forward. If I use the moon for short-term planning, then I use Mars for long-term planning. 

That’s because Mars is known as the planet of action. When most people talk about Mars, they talk about the warrior. And while that’s true, I always tend to think of Mars as the strategist. I also think of Mars as impulsive (guilty) and quick to anger (also guilty). And lastly, when I think of Mars, I think of severing or cutting away what no longer works or serves.

If you haven’t deduced it by now, Mars likes to be on the go. Mars likes to be doing something and Mars especially likes to be moving things forward. 

What is a Mars Retrograde?

So whenever Mars is retrograde, or has the appearance of moving backwards, things get all messed up. Because Mars is about initiating. And that takes a certain kind of courage and steadfastness. When it starts moving backward, we can feel disoriented. We can feel like we’re moving in the wrong direction and like the courage we used to muster so easily is no longer existent. 

When Mars is retrograde in the sign of its fall, Cancer, things get even more challenging. A planet in its fall just means that the planet has a hard time doing what it naturally does in that sign. In this case, Mars has a hard time moving forward, being impulsive, and being strategic in Cancer. 

That’s because Cancer is a water sign. 

Have you ever tried to swim in a straight line in the ocean? It’s basically impossible. Mars likes to get from point A to point B via a straight line, but it can’t do that in Cancer so Mars gets frustrated. And on top of that, in a retrograde, Mars is moving backward in the opposite direction that it wants to be going.  

So it’s easy to see how things can boil over during a Mars retrograde. Bottled-up feelings can suddenly become explosive out of nowhere. General irritation is everywhere and the overall feeling that you should be doing more to move forward but can’t for some reason contributes to this overall feeling of frantic helplessness.  

The Timeline: A 7-Month Journey

It’s a lot to deal with and we have to deal with it for a long time. Unlike a Mercury retrograde that spans 3 or 3.5 weeks, a Mars retrograde is about 11 weeks long. 

As I write this, we have 5 weeks left of the retrograde and another 2 months of Mars retracing its steps in Cancer (moving forward this time) after that. This is called the post-retrograde shadow period. When all is said and done, Mars will have covered the same ground in the sign of Cancer and a little bit of Leo 3 times in about 7 months. 

So even though the retrograde itself ends at the end of next month, we’ll actually be working with this energy until June. So I’ll say it again, it’s a lot to deal with. Add current events on top of the astrology and it’s a perfect recipe for overwhelm, helplessness, anger, and exhaustion. 

And while it’s pretty hard to get through a Mars retrograde without experiencing these things, they don’t have to be the only thing you experience or even the primary thing you experience. 

If you approach a Mars retrograde strategically and with curiosity, there’s a lot of space to feel joy, deep rest, fulfillment, and maybe even pride. 

Let me share how I think about and approach Mars retrogrades as a person who is intensely impacted by them. 

My Current Survival Strategy

My Personal Mars Story

Since this particular retrograde impacts my chart so intensely (the transit is through my house of career – the 10th house), I’m doing my best to be extra cautious and move slowly. I do that for every Mars retrograde, but I’m being cautious and moving slowly in my public life and career. 

As I write this, there’s a voice in the back of my head telling me that I need to do more for The Everyday Lawyer and stop letting it just sit there while I work on this blog. It’s also reminding me that I’m a week behind on my blogging schedule for this blog. 

But the wisdom of Mars retrograde in a water sign isn’t Mars’ usual mantra of fast and steady wins the race; it’s slow and intentional wins the race. Oftentimes, Mars is the planet we turn to when we need fuel to push past our limits. When it’s moving backward in Cancer, we have to learn to do the opposite or honor our limits and stop when we reach them. 

This is tough for me because I’m also an Aries moon (Mars ruled) so I am a poster child for impulsivity. I have an idea and immediately think I can make it happen in 24 hours. That’s also an ADHD thing. When Mars is doing its normal thing of moving forward, it’s pretty tough for me to check that impulse. But when Mars is moving backward, it’s a little easier for me to talk some sense into myself and honor that things take the time they take (Goddess, if you’re listening, please help me carry this lesson forward with me, lol). 

In past experience with Mars retrogrades, I do my best to limit my social media activity and particularly limit what I’m saying and commenting on because people are more prone to fighting for fighting’s sake. 

Since we’ll be working with this transit for almost half the year, I also focused my year’s theme on being in alignment with the retrograde. My theme for this year is Tiny Improvements. Instead of trying to do really big things really fast (which doesn’t even work when Mars is direct), I’m focusing on doing small things really well and allowing that process to take the time it takes. 

My goal during the retrograde is to focus on doing the bare minimum in terms of work. So I make a goal of completing one work task a day. If I complete more, great. If not, then I’ve done enough. 

My Current Survival Strategies

In terms my my physical, mental, and emotional tending, here’s what I’m doing:

• Trying to eat anti-inflammatory, cooling, and drying foods. Mars is thought to inflame things and Cancer is wet so the physical quality of this combo is basically mucus. I’m doing my best to manage what I eat to avoid any mucus or heat build-up (especially since I already run hot). 
• Working out consistently. Not to get in shape, but to move the energy. When Mars is stagnated like this it can feel like stuck energy so it’s good to be on the move. I’ve been walking, stretching, and doing mobility exercises consistently. 
• Taking more naps than I ever thought I needed. I already am a regular napper, but during Mars retrogrades, I spend about half the time fighting the retrograde for not letting me move forward the way I want to (lol) so I expend my energy a lot faster and need more sleep.
• Having an outlet for anger and frustration. I have a couple of anger playlists on deck and when I’m really mad, I turn them on, move the way my body needs to move and shout and yell. It’s very effective. I also use tapping (EFT), dancing, and weightlifting. 
• Releasing things that no longer work for me or feel like a good energetic output. One of the pluses of a Mars retrograde is that it can show you where you’re accidentally carrying deadweight and prompt you to let it go. I’m letting go of a lot of dead weight in my personal and professional life and could not be more thrilled about it. 

It’s been 6 weeks of using this survival strategy and I’ve only gotten into one shouting match and had less than 10 nights of bad sleep, which is a huge improvement for me from the last Mars retrograde. 

I’m listening for myself to finish strong. 

Key Takeaways for Surviving the Mars Retrograde

Whether you’re a diehard astrology girlie who regularly tracks the planets or just a person who has been wondering why things feel so hard as of late, it’s mostly late-stage capitalism, but it’s also a Mars retrograde during late-stage capitalism. 

So if things feel particularly hard and on edge, remember to:

• Refrain from offering unsolicited opinions. It will likely lead to more arguments.
• Drink a lot of water.
• Rest, rest, and rest some more. 
• Avoid trying to achieve super-big projects and instead focus on small manageable tasks. 
• Stop trying to force your normal pacing. That’s like trying to swim against a strong current: it’s exhausting and largely ineffective (i.e. you drown). Mars retrograde in Cancer is a great time to try to ride the wave and see if it will carry you to shore. 
• Release the things that no longer work for you and call it a day, friend. 

How are you surviving your Mars retrograde? Let me know in the comments below! If you let me know what house the transit is happening in for you, I'll try to provide some more specific tips!