Mars and Jupiter: On Composting and Growth from 2024-2027

Jupiter and Mars are doing an interesting dance in the sky as they move through similar parts of our charts from 2024-2027. While Mars has been breaking down old systems and structures, forcing us to compost the decaying aspects of our Cancer and Leo houses, Jupiter is following in Mars's footsteps to bring opportunities for growth and expansion in these same areas of our birth charts.

As I write this post in April of 2025, we are just coming off a major Mars retrograde period. Mars retrogrades happen every 2 years and cause us to redo, revise, reconsider and reconstruct how we relate to motivation, conflict, individuality and anger related to the house topics ruled by Mars and where Mars is retrograding through.

Note: If you're unfamiliar with working with house topics, it's an amazing astrological technique that is relatively simple to implement and gives you so much tangible insight for how planetary movements show up in your personal day-to-day life. To learn more, pop over to these blog posts:

• What do the Houses Mean in Astrology?

• How to Work With the Ruler of a House in Astrology

Key Mars Retrograde Dates 2024-2025

• Mars entered Cancer on September 4, 2024

• Mars in Cancer opposed Pluto in Capricorn on November 3, 2024

• Mars entered Leo on November 4, 2024

• Mars stationed retrograde at 6 degrees Leo on December 6, 2024

• Mars in Leo opposed Pluto in Aquarius on January 3, 2025

• Mars retrograded back into Cancer on January 6, 2025

• Mars stationed direct at 17 degrees Cancer on February 23, 2025

• Mars re-entered Leo on April 18, 2025

• Mars in Leo opposed Pluto in Aquarius on April 27, 2025 (the final time for this cycle)

Mars retrogrades can cause ruptures, conflicts and frustrations that leave lasting scars. This retrograde cycle has been particularly extreme with three oppositions to Pluto, an underworld planet that brings up intense, nuclear energy and can uncover truths about our lives that we'd rather keep hidden.

Take some time to reflect (consider journaling) over the 8 months of this retrograde period, particularly around the 3 Mars/Pluto oppositions, and see what life events were activated for you during this time. Mars retrogrades can bring up trauma and wounding so be gentle with yourself during this process. Taking some time for movement, deep breathing or stepping outside may be supportive if the energies that come up feel particularly overwhelming.

Journal Prompts for Mars Retrograde

• What has made you feel angry between September of 2024 and April of 2025?

• Where have conflicts and ruptures been present in your life over this period?

• Where have you felt the need to stand up for yourself and defend what you care about?

• What do you need to find resolution for the life events that have been activated throughout this period?

• What has been composted in the Cancer and Leo areas of your chart? What do you need to facilitate and soothe this process?

Looking to the house topics ruled by Cancer and Leo can help you identify where this Mars retrograde energy has been particularly concentrated for you personally. You can also consider the houses ruled by Aries and Scorpio in your chart, as these are ruled by Mars and have also been impacted by this retrograde cycle. You may have even seen a life story unfold that connects several, if not all 4, of these houses together in your life.

While Mars retrogrades can be incredibly painful and difficult, they also provide a space for composting that is very necessary in broader life cycles. Sometimes, demolition is necessary for growth and getting clarity about what is and isn't possible can make room for you to focus your energy where it can truly make an impact.

Herbal Support for Recovering from Mars Retrograde

Giving yourself time to rest and grieve can be very generative - composting isn't the prettiest process but it does lead to fertile soil. Inviting in cooling, relaxing energy and soothing scars metaphorically and literally can be amazing balms as we heal from this Mars retrograde period. To keep things simple, try choosing 1-2 things from this list to experiment with before expanding out to other suggestions:

• Prioritize rest and slowness. Mars can make us feel agitated and impatient, so counter that by giving yourself extra time to lie in bed, putting your bare feet on the earth, taking time to meditate/breath deeply (even for 5 minutes), or just lie on the floor and stare at a wall while the ground holds you.

• Try working with Calendula energetically and physically. Calendula is a vulnerary herb that is amazing for healing scars. Working with the spirit of Calendula can help to soothe energetic scars we may have acquired during this process. Try growing Calendula in your garden or a pot, sitting with Calendula on your altar, taking a Calendula bath, drinking Calendula tea (if you feel safe taking this herb internally), applying a Calendula salve to your skin, drawing Calendula, or interacting with this vitalizing herb in whatever way feels appropriate for you. Here's a blog post with even more ideas about how to work with herbs: How and Why to Speak with Plants.

• Incorporate gentle physical activity into your day. Take walks, put on your favorite song and dance around your room, do some gentle stretching, go to an exercise class, or do whatever feels right for you. If you're feeling really agitated, try doing bursts of intense exercise to get it all out followed by some more gentle movement to calm your nervous system.

• Honor your anger. So many of us are taught to fear and suppress our anger but it is a sacred way of communicating with us when we experience injustice. Audre Lorde is my favorite teacher for this lesson, check out her keynote "The Uses of Anger."

• Get body work. Acupuncture is amazing Mars medicine as it is a gentle way to work with needles. Many areas have community acupuncture clinics that can make treatments pretty affordable. You could also consider massage, chiropractics, or any other form of body work appealing to you.

• If you have significant trauma or wounding, you don't have to deal with it alone. Mars can cause us to feel isolated and some of the best medicine is invoking the relational aspect of Venus by coming into community with others. Reach out to trusted loved ones for support in unpacking your pain. Therapy is also an amazing resource to consider. And here are a few warmlines for crisis support who won't use police to respond:

  • National Trans Warmline (for LGBTQ folks): Home - Trans Lifeline

  • Project LETS: Crisis Support — Project LETS

  • Wildflower Alliance: Peer Support Line

  • Blackline (for BIPOC folks) Call BlackLine—Crisis Call Line

  • StrongHearts (for Indigenous folks): StrongHearts Native Helpline | Home

Calendula flowers blooming in my garden

Hope is Coming: Jupiter in Cancer and Leo

The fascinating thing about this Mars retrograde cycle is that Jupiter is closely following in Mars's footsteps. While Mars breaks things down, Jupiter is the planet of growth, expansion, belief, optimism and luck.

Sticking with the composting metaphor for Mars's retrograde period, if we are diligent about the soil we cultivate, there will be very fertile land in our Cancer and Leo houses for Jupiter to plant seeds to grow. While Mars retrogrades can bring deeply painful experiences, clearing out that which doesn't serve us makes room for what's truly meant for us to grow and flourish.

Jupiter spends about a year in each sign and is in Cancer from June 9, 2025 until June 30, 2026. Then, they traverse through Leo from June 30, 2026 until July 26, 2027. Knowing these dates gives us a broader timeline for understanding the cycles of release and growth that are going on in our Cancer and Leo houses with Mars and Jupiter over a 3-year period between 2024-2027. This helps us step back and look at the bigger picture (a very Jupiterian thing to do) for what we want to help grow in these areas of our lives.

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Jupiter Gets Extra Juice

Jupiter in Cancer is particularly strong and dignified as this is the sign of their exaltation. Exalted planets are raised up and given extra visibility, energy and support (for more about how to work with exalted planets, check out this podcast episode). An exalted Jupiter is well-positioned to expand our belief systems and optimism in the Cancer area of our birth chart. During this transit, we can all hope for lucky opportunities, expansion and growth to take hold in this house and there is extra support for our Sagittarius and Pisces houses as well, as these are ruled by Jupiter.

Excessive growth can become cancerous, and exalted planets can bring so much energy and focus that it can become overwhelming. Jupiter can also bring great disappointments when we do not have the proper structures and containers to take advantage of opportunities when they come into our lives. Reflect on where you want to see growth in your Cancer house through this transit and start working on building structures and systems that will facilitate this growth as this transit unfolds.

Cancer is also the sign of food and family, so taking time to slow down, nourish your body, and spend time with loved ones (whether biological or chosen family) can be very soothing if you get overwhelmed by this expansive transit. The good thing with Jupiter is that we have a whole year to enjoy their energy in each sign, so you have plenty of time to take advantage of the opportunities this exalted planet will bring.

After Jupiter wraps up in Cancer, they will then spend a year in Leo and bring expansion into that area of our chart. This may feel less connected to the 2024-2025 Mars retrograde period, as it happens over a year after that retrograde wraps up. However, there will be another Mars retrograde in Virgo and Leo from January 10, 2027 - April 1, 2027 so this story will continue to unfold in our personal lives through that transit as well.

The planets are weaving an intricate web across our birth charts, and the demolition that has occurred and will occur in your Leo house across these Mars retrograde periods can best be channeled into fertile ground for growth as Jupiter moves through that same area in the sky. Growth and decay work in tandem, just as Mars and Jupiter dance around each other in the celestial spheres.

Work with me to unpack these transits

Having a broader lens for understanding how these cosmic movements are impacting us personally can help to make sense and meaning out of our experiences, especially the difficult and overwhelming ones, over this 3-year period.  If you want more personalized guidance for what these transits mean for you, I offer Astrology Consultations where we have space to dig into all this and more to give you tangible life guidance grounded in the wisdom of the cosmos.

About the Author

Alicia Cielle Heiser is an herbal astrologer who helps folks navigate their lives with the wisdom of the stars and plants. She offers astrology consultations, teaches workshops, and has a podcast called Conversations with the Planets. Alicia's practice is focused on facilitating a greater understanding of life's cycles through encouraging empowerment, safety, and helping folks deepen their relationship with themselves and the more-than-human world.

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Disclaimer: Information presented on this webpage is for educational purposes only, and does not include the diagnosis and treatment of disease nor replace the advice of a licensed physician. Please refer to a licensed health professional for any illness or persistent symptoms before using herbal remedies.

Herbs can sometimes cause discomfort or side effects, and may interact adversely with pharmaceutical medications. Do not use herbs internally without the approval of a doctor or medical professional if you are currently on medications or have a history of medical conditions.