I have mars in gemini according to my natal chart and....

Question

Mars in gemini is retrograde. What does that mean exactly?

Answer 1

This means exactly nothing whatsoever.

Answer 2

Astronomers can only tell you where Mars is, not what it is supposed to mean. For astrology questions like this ask in the Entertainment & Music > Horoscopes section

Answer 3

This is astrology, not astronomy.  When you ask this sort of question here, you get people who will say that astrology is hogwash and meaningless.  I'm sure this isn't what you wanted to hear.

But consider this.  Your birth sign is the constellation that the Sun was in when you were born.  My birthday is January 24th.  That makes me Aquarius, right?  But when i bring up a planetarium program and look to see what constellation the Sun was in at the moment of my birth, it's Capricorn.  And it's nowhere near Aquarius.  So what gives?  Well, the Earth's axis has shifted in the 2000 years or so since astrologers made all this stuff up.  And they haven't adjusted the dates.  And it's been this bad for centuries.  So if they adjust the dates now, do they say that all their predictions for the past few centuries are wrong?  I think they're stuck.

A retrograde Mars means that Mars is moving "backwards" in the sky at the time.  Mars doesn't actually move backwards in it's orbit.  But near opposition, when the Sun, Earth and Mars are all in a line, the Earth is moving faster than Mars, and passes it by.  Mars moves the other way for a bit, then resumes it's steady forward motion around the ecliptic.

So what does this mean for your horoscope?  I've no idea.  I'd be one of those people who say it doesn't mean anything, which, as i said, isn't what you wanted to hear.