At 9:21 pm PDT April 17, Mars re-enters Leo. What does this mean for all of us?

It means we now get to revisit and apply all the Mars in Leo skills and initiatives we first experienced when Mars was in Leo between November 3, 2024 and when it went stationary retrograde on December 6 at 7 Leo. We then had our second experience with Mars RX between 7 and 1 Leo until January 6, when it went back into Cancer, where it’s been since then.

A planet entering a sign and then going retrograde often feels like a false start, or a dress rehearsal. We launched Cancer and Leo energy in our lives last Autumn before they went RX and things were postponed, put on hold, reworked or our energies were redirected in some way. It was great for getting to things left over from previous times, or reformulating something which needed it.

We got our first Look at Mars in Leo in early November before it went RX in early December. Something Leo was begun, then got only so far before other considerations arose. So this is Mars’ second entry into Leo, where it gets to apply all it reconsidered, reviewed, reworked and/or postponed last December when it was RX in Leo. Now we can move forward into using Leo energy productively based in the dress rehearsals we had late last year.

Mars’ entry in Leo means that how we generally “attack the problems of life,” or take the initiative no longer plays defense in the Cardinal Water of Cancer and now expresses the power of the Fixed Fire of Leo. We can be more confident in our initiatives, and take what we’ve gathered and express it in new creative and loving forms. While Mars in Cancer is cautious and focused on protecting what we’ve accomplished, Mars in Leo is more dynamic, expressive, and inspired!

During this time of Mars in Leo, open to being more playful, creative, and positive in your expressions. Be as dramatic as you need to be, but remember that just because something is expressed dramatically doesn’t make it true or even desirable. Keep using your new discoveries of Mars in Gemini to express your heart. This helps us renew our Leo skills, where we can take the enthusiasm and power generated in Aries, grounded in Taurus, explored in Gemini and “gathered” in Cancer to get a new orientation to what we’re doing and why.

Mars in Leo anticipates what we’ll experience this Summer when the inner planets transit that sign. Mars in Fixed Leo is sure of itself, and as spontaneous as Mars in a Fire sign can be, we can express a lot of highly energetic experiences the next two months! Mars in Cancer prepared us for our experiences in May, June and July which will only become more dramatic when Venus enters Aries in a couple of weeks and begins its month long trine to Mars.

We’re now at the beginning of the new Mars retrograde cycle which began in February 2025 at 18 Cancer after its retrograde from 7 Leo between early December and late February. Mars is now moving at about 25 minutes a day and continues to speed up. By early July it’ll move at 36 minutes a day and still be gaining speed. This indicates a gradual speeding up of our ability to use the transiting Mars energies in creative-expressive and playful ways.

This is a turning point in the Whole Cycle which began when Mars was in Aries which stabilized when Mars was in Taurus. We’ve now finished the long dance of Mars in Cancer, seen what we’ll need to assure our supply in the future, and now can begin moving toward the “permanent truths” we’ve seen while Mars was in early Leo.

Mars conjunct Jupiter in Gemini in mid-August was its last conjunction with an outer planet until January 2026. It set a number of diverse cycles in to motion when we experienced Mars conjunct Pluto at 1 Aquarius in February, Mars conjunct Saturn at 15 Pisces in April, Mars conjunct Neptune at 29 Pisces in April, and Mars conjunct Uranus at 27 Taurus on July 15. Each of these, along with Mars conjunct Jupiter at 17 Gemini set two year cycles of spiritual transformation into motion wherever they fell in our charts.

Water (Cancer) and Fire (Leo) are elements integral to Mars’ nature, so Mars is comfortable in those signs, even if it doesn’t grow that much in Cancer. Mars does very well in the Fixed Fire of Leo, as the Aries part of Mars is Fiery, and the Scorpio part of Mars is Fixed.

Mars in Leo is in its own 5th house relative to its rulership of Aries, and in its own 10th house relative to its rulership of Scorpio. This offers us clues to its expression. Leo is where the Aries part of Mars expresses itself spontaneously, dramatically, and theatrically as it takes the stage on its own behalf. Leo is where Mars can go public, bringing its intensely focused Scorpionic energy into the world creatively. Mars in its own 10th sign allows its Scorpio side to make its truth real in the world. Mars in Leo can shine a powerful light on the world stage.

In Cancer Mars plays defense; in Leo Mars plays offense. Having gathered what supplies it needed in Cancer, it now turns its energies outward in a fixed “creative-expressive” form. As Mars’ nature is Fire and Water, Leo is a familiar and friendly element, and Mars can find joy in the natural spontaneity of that sign.

Mars now gives our Aries and Scorpio sectors a Leo emphasis. Its entry into Leo throws the primary focus of activity in the house where we have the first 10 degrees of Leo from now through May 9/10. From May 9/10 through May 29, the focus of activity will be in the house where we have the second 10 degrees of Leo, followed by the focus on 21-30 Leo from May 29 through June 17, when it enters Virgo.

The Mars Challenge For All Signs

When Mars was in Aries, it brought new beginnings to those with Sun or Ascendant in Aries, and new emergent developments to those with Sun or Ascendant in Capricorn. It puts the focus on relationships to those with Sun or Ascendant in Libra, and fulfillment to those with Sun or Ascendant in Cancer. (This just happened from April 30 through June 8/9, 2024.)

While Mars was in Taurus, it brought new beginnings to those with Sun or Ascendant in Taurus, and new emergent developments to those with Sun or Ascendant in Aquarius. It puts the focus on relationships to those with Sun or Ascendant in Scorpio, and fulfillment or public activity to those with Sun or Ascendant in Leo. (This just happened between June 9 and July 20, 2024.)

While Mars was in Gemini, it brought new beginnings to those with Sun or Ascendant in Gemini, and new emergent developments to those with Sun or Ascendant in Pisces. It puts the focus on relationships to those with Sun or Ascendant in Sagittarius, and fulfillment to those with Sun or Ascendant in Virgo. (This just happened between July 20 and September 3, 2024.)

While Mars was in Cancer, it brought new beginnings to those with Sun or Ascendant in Cancer, and new emergent developments to those with Sun or Ascendant in Aries. It puts the focus on relationships to those with Sun or Ascendant in Capricorn, and fulfillment or public activity to those with Sun or Ascendant in Libra. (This cycle began when Mars first entered Cancer on September 4 where it transited the entire sign and then entered Leo for the first time on November 3, 2024. Mars went retrograde and re-entered Cancer on January 5, went stationary direct in late February at 18 Cancer, and since then has been in direct motion in Cancer until now.)

While Mars is in Leo, it brings new beginnings to those with Sun or Ascendant in Leo, and new emergent developments to those with Sun or Ascendant in Taurus. It puts the focus on relationships to those with Sun or Ascendant in Aquarius, and fulfillment or public activities to those with Sun or Ascendant in Scorpio. (Mars entered Leo on November 3, reached 7 Leo and went retrograde on December 6, and remained in Leo RX until January 5, 2025 when it re-entered Cancer. It now re-enters Leo in direct motion, where it stays until it enters Virgo on June 17, 2025)

While Mars was in Virgo, it brings new beginnings to those with Sun or Ascendant in Virgo, and new emergent developments to those with Sun or Ascendant in Gemini. It puts the focus on relationships to those with Sun or Ascendant in Pisces, and fulfillment or public activity to those with Sun or Ascendant in Sagittarius. This cycle was re-set between July 9 and late August 2023 with the next one coming between June 17 and August 6, 2025.)

While Mars was in Libra, it brings new beginnings to those with Sun or Ascendant in Libra, and new emergent developments to those with Sun or Ascendant in Cancer. It put the focus on relationships to those with Sun or Ascendant in Aries, and fulfillment or public activity to those with Sun or Ascendant in Capricorn. (This cycle was re-set between late August and mid-October 2023 with the next one coming between August 6 and September 22, 2025.)

While Mars is in Scorpio, it brings new beginnings to those with Sun or Ascendant in Scorpio, and new emergent developments to those with Sun or Ascendant in Leo. It put the focus on relationships to those with Sun or Ascendant in Taurus, and fulfillment or public activity to those with Sun or Ascendant in Aquarius. (This cycle was re-set from mid-October and late November 2023 with the next one coming between September 22 and November 4.)

While Mars was in Sagittarius, it brought new beginnings to those with Sun or Ascendant in Sagittarius, and new emergent developments to those with Sun or Ascendant in Virgo. It put the focus on relationships to those with Sun or Ascendant in Gemini, and fulfillment or public activity to those with Sun or Ascendant in Pisces. (This cycle was re-set between late November 2023 and early January 2024.)

While Mars was in Capricorn, it brought new beginnings to those with Sun or Ascendant in Capricorn, and new emergent developments to those with Sun or Ascendant in Libra. It put the focus on relationships to those with Sun or Ascendant in Cancer, and fulfillment or public activity to those with Sun or Ascendant in Aries. (This cycle was re-set between early January and mid February 2024.)

While Mars was in Aquarius, it brought new beginnings to those with Sun or Ascendant in Aquarius, and new emergent developments to those with Sun or Ascendant in Scorpio. It put the focus on relationships to those with Sun or Ascendant in Leo, and fulfillment or public activity to those with Sun or Ascendant in Taurus. (This cycle was re-set from February 12 through March 22.)

While Mars was in Pisces, it brought new beginnings to those with Sun or Ascendant in Pisces, and new emergent developments to those with Sun or Ascendant in Sagittarius. It put the focus on relationships to those with Sun or Ascendant in Virgo, and fulfillment or public activity to those with Sun or Ascendant in Gemini. (This just re-set between March 22 and April 30, 2024.)

Obviously within these transit spans there are other “phase relationships” between transiting Mars and all the planets in our charts, but to go into all of them would make this article a book. For example, Mars makes aspects to your other planets which are different than aspects to your Sun and Ascendant. All aspects, waxing and waning, fall within “The Whole Cycle” of each planet to every other planets and our Ascendant. You can find out more about the Whole Cycle in my book Saturn: Spiritual Master, Spiritual Friend, linked below, where I explain the various phases in the planetary cycles in terms of the Whole Cycle for various generations.

Aspects in Play

We’re now going to experience a renewed Leo experience in the house(s) where we have that sign in our charts. During Mars’ transit of Leo it expresses our Leo tendencies, and is somewhat of a “toolbox ready to be used as needed.”

The main aspects from Mars to the outer planets show Mars is now forming a semisquare to Jupiter through the first half of May, a septile to Jupiter the last half of May and first 6 days of June, a sextile from early June through early July, a bielftile in the days after then, and a quintile from July 12 through the end of that month.

Mars has been trine Saturn between late January and now. It will make a sesquisquare May 10-28, a biquintile the first 11 days of June, a quincunx third and fourth weeks of June, a triseptile the end of June and first week of July, a quadranovile around July 3-10, with the opposition coming early August.

Mars has been sextile Uranus since early January, is now bielftile, and they’ll form a quintile between late April and the first half of May. The binovile happens the last 10 days of May, with the square coming during the second, third, and fourth weeks of June.

Mars has been trine Neptune since late December, and now separates from that aspect until it makes a sesquisquare in mid and late May. The biquintile occurs the first 10 days of June, the quincunx the third and fourth weeks of June, the triseptile is exact the last week of June, with the quadranovile and opposition happening the same time as they do with Saturn.

Mars now makes its third and last opposition to Pluto. From here the next aspects Mars makes to Pluto happen with a quadranovile the first half of June, the triseptiles mid-June, the quincunx June 19-28, the biquintile during the first week of July, the sesquisquare the third week of July, and a trine during the first 3 weeks of August.

As I’ve offered before, when Mars is within a degree of forming or separating while making a hard aspect with a planet, slow down and show deliberation and caution in how you use force. Hard aspects to/from Mars always require that we moderate or antidote impulsiveness and impatience.

What Do Mars Oppositions Teach Us?

The Sun conjunction with Mars began a new cycle at 26 Scorpio in November 2023, and has now finished its 3 oppositions with Pluto which began in late October 2024. It’s now moving forward to its next set of oppositions to Saturn and Neptune in early Aries in August, followed by its opposition to Uranus in November. So while it’s in a closing phase with Pluto through late January 2026, it’s still opening its cycles with Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.

Please remember that while they can be tense, those oppositions require us to use different spiritual planetary energies. All oppositions made by Mars externalize various types of wisdom, since the “Tension of Opposites” between the planetary expressions in the signs they’re in entirely determines the spiritual tests to learn and demonstrate.

As I noted in Chapter 2 in my book Saturn: Spiritual Master, Spiritual Friend,

Mars' duality is Grace/Sin. This is the aspect of consciousness that shows whether our responses are manifesting error or truth, maladjustment or beauty. By our Martian function we force things before their time or confront abrasive, aggressive, or hostile energies in ourselves and others, and thus we learn how to sever what must be severed, and further what must be furthered, quickly and directly. (As an aside, the original meaning of “sin” had nothing to do with moral failure. It was an archery term meaning “to miss the mark,” or not hitting the center of a target. I use it here in that sense.)

From Here We Move On

Mars now initiates a new focus wherever we have Leo, and expands on all the other conjunction cycles it set into motion in 2024. Of special note was its transit of late Taurus in July 2024 as it activated the April Jupiter conjunction with Uranus at 22 Taurus, promising a new time, new way, and new day for everyone.

This is going to activate our Leo sectors in a big way, so take a chance to play and show your stuff. Show style, elegance, and consistency in your natural heart-felt expression. When in doubt, take command of your own inspiration and act as you need to. Just remember that egos bruise easily, and Leo’s pride can be a deal breaker. When in doubt, be courageous!

Looking Back - Mars Set the Pattern of the New Age in 2020

Mars conjunction with Saturn at 1 Aquarius in March 2020 launched a totally future oriented period of human existence which began to take shape in a new 20 year Aquarian Era with Jupiter’s conjunction with Saturn on that same degree in December 2020. And here it’s important to note that was the last transit of Saturn through Aquarius before we “slip across the edge of the Age” after 2050.

I explained how various Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto transits over the past 3 centuries each strengthened the advent of the Age of Aquarius in the article Uranus Awakened the Age of Aquarius, Neptune Dreamed It Into Collective Consciousness, and Pluto Will Sprout It Into Life, as well as why we are not yet fully into the Age of Aquarius yet, but will be in the third quarter of this century. Of course, living on the cusp of a Great Age means we will be dealing with the dying echoes of the Age of Pisces for some time to come, since many who were born under those dying assumptions will try to perpetuate them as long as they can.

Just remember that the Capricorn cycles set into motion by Mars in March 2020 will have far reaching implications, some of which won’t be completed until 2053! We won’t have another Saturn conjunct Pluto for over 30 years, nor another Jupiter conjunct Pluto until early 2033. These Capricorn cycles will play out until the next transit of the outer planets over the conjunction points as a finish to what just began, and as prelude to the next cycles beginning then. (There will be an exact Sun conjunct Jupiter as both conjunct Pluto in February 2033 at the Angel Point at 15 Aquarius. That promises to be a much happier cycle than the current one!)

Of note is that just after Pluto re-entered Aquarius again in January 2024, we had Mercury conjunct Pluto at 1 Aquarius in early February, followed by Mars and Venus both making conjunctions at that exact degree on Feb 13 and 17 respectively. This are bringing new power to the initial pulse launched at the Grand Mutation in December 2020.

Reprinted on crystalwind.ca with written permission from Robert Wilkinson. Copying this article to other blogs is strictly prohibited. It is copyright protected. 

© Copyright 2025 Robert Wilkinson