Upcoming, 81 days
Mars retrograde, January 2027
Mars stations retrograde on Sunday 10 January 2027, 12:59 UTC at 10°26′ Virgo and turns direct on Thursday 1 April 2027, 14:08 UTC at 20°56′ Leo, having slipped back from Virgo into Leo. The shadow period runs from 5 November 2026 to 8 June 2027.
Mars slows to a standstill at 10°26' Virgo on 10 January 2027 at 12:59 UTC. It then begins an apparent backward motion that carries it out of Virgo and back into Leo. It turns direct at 20°56' Leo on 1 April 2027 at 14:08 UTC, 81.0 days later. The wider shadow period runs from 5 November 2026 to 8 June 2027. Within that stretch, Mars crosses this part of the zodiac three times.
The tradition treats Mars as the planet of drive, effort and friction. Astrologers read it through work, routine and careful method in Virgo, and through pride, creativity and the wish to be seen in Leo. A Mars retrograde across both signs is usually read as a time when effort turns inward and plans are revised rather than launched. One practical step is to finish or repair a project already underway before starting something new.
By sign
Which house it walks through
| Sun sign | House | Mars's retrograde (Leo and Virgo) falls on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aries | fifth | romance, play, children, creative work | |
| Taurus | fourth | home, family, roots | |
| Gemini | third | conversations, siblings, short trips | |
| Cancer | second | money, possessions, values | |
| Leo | first | self, body, how you come across | |
| Virgo | twelfth | rest, privacy, what happens behind the scenes | |
| Libra | eleventh | friends, groups, plans | |
| Scorpio | tenth | career and public role | |
| Sagittarius | ninth | travel, study, beliefs | |
| Capricorn | eighth | shared money, intimacy, endings | |
| Aquarius | seventh | partners and one-to-one relationships | |
| Pisces | sixth | daily work, routines, health | |
Whole-sign houses counted from the Sun sign, the convention behind every Sun-sign horoscope. Your rising sign gives a more personal count: draw your chart.
The retrograde starts one sign later, in Virgo: add one house for the first part.