VelaraMars retrograde
Mars retrograde.
There is no Mars retrograde in 2026. The next runs from 10 January to 1 April 2027, from Virgo back into Leo.
Dates
Mars retrograde dates.
| Turns retrograde | Turns direct | Signs | Shadow period |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Jan 2027, 12:58 UTC · 10°26′ Virgo | 1 Apr 2027 · ~20°56′ Leo | Virgo → Leo (re-enters Leo 21 Feb) | 5 Nov 2026 – early Jun 2027 |
Dates in UTC. Outer-planet stations are calculated; Mercury, Venus and Mars stations are cross-checked against published ephemerides.
Mars
Drive, turned inward.
Mars retrogrades happen around opposition — when Earth, on its faster inside track, overtakes the red planet. That happens about every 26 months, and each retrograde lasts two to three months; the 2027 one runs about 81 days.
Mars reaches opposition on 19 February 2027 and comes closest to Earth on 20 February, about 101 million km away. It is a distant opposition, so even through a telescope Mars will look small.
Astrologers link Mars with energy, anger, courage and action, and read its retrograde as a time to rethink how you push for what you want. Velara treats it as reflection, not a warning.
FAQ
Retrogrades, quickly
Does a planet really move backwards when it's retrograde?
No. Retrograde motion is an optical effect of watching from a moving Earth. When Earth overtakes an outer planet — or Mercury and Venus overtake Earth on their inside track — the planet appears to drift backwards against the stars for a while, like a slower car seeming to roll back as you pass it on a highway.
Why do retrograde dates differ by a day between websites?
Time zones. A station at 00:28 UTC on 14 November is still 13 November in the Americas. Velara's pages give dates in UTC; the app shows them in your own time zone.
What is the retrograde shadow?
The stretch of the zodiac the planet will retrace. The pre-shadow begins when the planet first reaches the degree where the retrograde will end; the post-shadow ends when it gets back to the degree where the retrograde began.
Does a retrograde affect everyone the same way?
In astrology, no: what matters is which part of your own chart the planet is moving through. Velara+ shows each transit against your chart — how it touches you, and what you might do with it.
Sources
- NASA — Planetary Fact Sheet
- The Planetary Society — What Mercury retrograde actually means
- Old Farmer's Almanac — Mercury retrograde dates
- Café Astrology — 2026 overview and event pages
- ALPO — Mars 2027 apparition
Dates are given in UTC unless noted; local dates can differ by a day. Last checked 4 October 2026.
Where does Mars land for you?
Velara shows each transit against your own chart, in your time zone.
Free to start — birth chart, daily scores and a daily tarot card included.
