Mars, the red masculine planet, is in retrograde motion for approximately 2 and a half months every two years. This means that approximately 10% of the population have Mars retrograde in their natal chart. A retrograde natal planet means that its energies are turned inwards, at least for the beginning of the native’s life.
Any planet being retrograde during the native’s birth indicates that the planet and the things it rules in his life are strongly connected with previous lives through karma. As Mars is the planet responsible for actions, such a natal condition makes him radiate its powerful energies towards the inner world of the native, instead of manifesting in the material reality. Thus, all Martian reactions such as the native’s drive, his anger, competitiveness or even hate have difficulties to be expressed. The native will often reconsider before acting or even releasing his rage, which he could keep inside for a long time until he finds the right moment to deliver vengeance.
Mars retrograde in natal can be quite tricky, even if the native appears to function quite healthily as a character. As this natal placement acts as a “gun silencer” for aggressive reactions, other people might perceive the native as a usually calm person, who does not explode or retaliate when triggered. Yet, what is happening has nothing to do with calmness. The native may even have extremely strong reactions, which are kept inside his own body and mind.
These behaviors can be connected with a fear of punishment during the native’s young ages. No matter if he was indeed punished by his parents and other authority figures, his mind subconsciously chooses to flee instead of fight for what he believes is right for him. The threat of physical pain makes him prefer to avoid such situations, even if this means suppressing his anger and rebellious emotions. A retrograde Mars also suggests that the native might have been bullied.
As Mars is the natural ruler of the 1st house, a Mars retrograde person tends to be less physically active than the rest. In addition, the cumulated energy of Mars can have effects on the native’s body. It is common to have temperature rushes and headaches. We should not forget that the sign that Mars rules, Aries, is governor of our head. Also, especially when a retrograde Mars is adversely aspected, people tend to develop various types of cysts and infections under their skin that need to be operated.
In any case, retrograde Mars people need to find healthy ways of externalizing their anger and temperament, otherwise various issues can occur. Working out and taking part in athletic activities is a great way to empower the Martian energy and bring some balance between your inner self and the outer world.
Most people have more than one planet retrograde in their natal chart, and it is rather difficult to find a person that has all his natal planets direct. Therefore, we should understand that the karmic connection to previous lives is a rule affecting most of the population, and should be regarded as a tool to understand ourselves.
As Mars rules the raw and masculine energy, Mars retrograde in natal may indicate problems with self-confidence. Especially in the natal chart of a male person, this natal condition may feel detrimental concerning his sexual drive, while also the will to fight, compete and succeed. A Mars retrograde male will rather be shy, avoiding doing the first step in order not to experience failure. During their young ages, such natives might not like sports or other activities considered to be masculine. This can have been a reason for separation from the normal groups of males, which in turn can create feelings of isolation and being unpopular in the female population.
Women that have their Mars retrograde will experience the exact opposite: they are attracted to men that are not of the usual strong and manly stereotype. Such women usually become the dominant person in their relationships. There is a high possibility that during their previous lifetimes, they were of a male gender, thus transferring such type of attributes towards the present one.
We should notice here that Mars being retrograde does not imply homosexuality. Nevertheless, it can also be a factor contributing to a development of a different sexual orientation. In case that retrograde Mars is in Cancer, Pisces or Libra, the possibilities are quite higher. In addition, hard aspects of retrograde Mars to Uranus or Neptune can further modify the native’s sexuality towards much more different stereotypes than the prevalent one.
Retrograde Mars indicates that during previous lives the individual may have experienced traumas concerning violence and aggression. He might have participated in a war, got murdered or even killed someone. During the present lifetime, Mars will make the native reevaluate the way that raw feelings are expressed.
Of course, the retrograde condition of a natal Mars gives a lot of different traits depending on the house where it is located. Even though there is no general rule regarding when a retrograde planet starts to function properly, expect that, by your thirties, you will notice the planet to operate outwards too. Different astrological systems suggest various ways of calculating the change of a planet’s direction through progressions.