Pluto Conjunct Mars: How Long It Lasts
Pluto conjunct Mars usually lasts about two to two and three-quarter years with a 1° orb, with three or five exact hits as Pluto loops back each year. From 2026 to 2030 it reaches Mars at 2° to 12° Aquarius. Mars passes through those degrees for only about two weeks, roughly every two years, so this transit belongs to people born in fairly narrow windows; the list below shows them from 1960 to 2009.
Dates by Mars degree
Find your natal Mars degree. Each row shows when Pluto comes within 1° of the conjunction, every exact hit (R = while Pluto is retrograde), and when it separates for good. Pluto sometimes drifts just out of orb between passes; those gaps are listed too.
| Natal position | In orb from | Exact hits | Separates |
|---|---|---|---|
2° Aquarius | In orb fromMar 12, 2024 | Exact hits Feb 15, 2025Jul 28, 2025(retrograde)Dec 24, 2025 | SeparatesNov 27, 2026 33 months |
Out of orb between passes (4)Jun 25, 2024 – Jan 14, 2025Mar 28, 2025 – Jun 11, 2025Sep 19, 2025 – Nov 6, 2025Jan 25, 2026 – Sep 1, 2026 | |||
3° Aquarius | In orb fromFeb 15, 2025 | Exact hits Mar 28, 2025Jun 11, 2025(retrograde)Jan 25, 2026Sep 1, 2026(retrograde)Nov 27, 2026 | SeparatesJan 5, 2027 23 months |
Out of orb between passes (2)Jul 28, 2025 – Dec 24, 2025Feb 27, 2026 – Jul 17, 2026 | |||
4° Aquarius | In orb fromMar 28, 2025 | Exact hits Feb 27, 2026Jul 17, 2026(retrograde)Jan 5, 2027 | SeparatesDec 14, 2027 33 months |
Out of orb between passes (3)Jun 11, 2025 – Jan 25, 2026Sep 1, 2026 – Nov 27, 2026Feb 6, 2027 – Aug 18, 2027 | |||
5° Aquarius | In orb fromFeb 27, 2026 | Exact hits Apr 30, 2026(station)May 12, 2026(retrograde)(station)Feb 6, 2027Aug 18, 2027(retrograde)Dec 14, 2027 | SeparatesNov 7, 2028 32 months |
Out of orb between passes (3)Jul 17, 2026 – Jan 5, 2027Mar 14, 2027 – Jul 5, 2027Jan 18, 2028 – Sep 28, 2028 | |||
6° Aquarius | In orb fromApr 30, 2026 | Exact hits Mar 14, 2027Jul 5, 2027(retrograde)Jan 18, 2028Sep 28, 2028(retrograde)(station)Nov 7, 2028(station) | SeparatesDec 28, 2028 32 months |
Out of orb between passes (3)May 12, 2026 – Feb 6, 2027Aug 18, 2027 – Dec 14, 2027Feb 19, 2028 – Aug 3, 2028 | |||
7° Aquarius | In orb fromMar 14, 2027 | Exact hits Feb 19, 2028Aug 3, 2028(retrograde)Dec 28, 2028 | SeparatesDec 4, 2029 33 months |
Out of orb between passes (4)Jul 5, 2027 – Jan 18, 2028Apr 1, 2028 – Jun 17, 2028Sep 28, 2028 – Nov 7, 2028Jan 30, 2029 – Sep 4, 2029 | |||
8° Aquarius | In orb fromFeb 19, 2028 | Exact hits Apr 1, 2028Jun 17, 2028(retrograde)Jan 30, 2029Sep 4, 2029(retrograde)Dec 4, 2029 | SeparatesJan 12, 2030 23 months |
Out of orb between passes (2)Aug 3, 2028 – Dec 28, 2028Mar 5, 2029 – Jul 20, 2029 | |||
9° Aquarius | In orb fromApr 1, 2028 | Exact hits Mar 5, 2029Jul 20, 2029(retrograde)Jan 12, 2030 | SeparatesDec 23, 2030 33 months |
Out of orb between passes (3)Jun 17, 2028 – Jan 30, 2029Sep 4, 2029 – Dec 4, 2029Feb 13, 2030 – Aug 18, 2030 | |||
10° Aquarius | In orb fromMar 5, 2029 | Exact hits Feb 13, 2030Aug 18, 2030(retrograde)Dec 23, 2030 | SeparatesNov 25, 2031 33 months |
Out of orb between passes (3)Jul 20, 2029 – Jan 12, 2030Mar 23, 2030 – Jul 4, 2030Jan 27, 2031 – Sep 22, 2031 | |||
11° Aquarius | In orb fromFeb 13, 2030 | Exact hits Mar 23, 2030Jul 4, 2030(retrograde)Jan 27, 2031Sep 22, 2031(retrograde)Nov 25, 2031 | SeparatesJan 9, 2032 23 months |
Out of orb between passes (2)Aug 18, 2030 – Dec 23, 2030Mar 1, 2031 – Aug 2, 2031 | |||
12° Aquarius | In orb fromMar 23, 2030 | Exact hits Mar 1, 2031Aug 2, 2031(retrograde)Jan 9, 2032 | SeparatesDec 18, 2032 33 months |
Out of orb between passes (4)Jul 4, 2030 – Jan 27, 2031Apr 18, 2031 – Jun 10, 2031Sep 22, 2031 – Nov 25, 2031Feb 11, 2032 – Aug 29, 2032 | |||
Dates are US Eastern time, calculated with the Swiss Ephemeris. Each row uses the middle of the degree (5° means 5°30'), so if your Mars sits near the start or end of a degree, your dates shift a little. Starlit Journey calculates them for your exact degree.
How the arc unfolds
Entry
Pluto comes within 1° of your Mars. Questions about what you're pushing for, and why, can start early.
First exact hit
Pluto meets your Mars exactly. Effort, ambition and anger are all Mars themes, and any of them can come up for a closer look here.
Retrograde passes
Pluto backs over your Mars and returns. A goal or a conflict from the first pass can come back for a second round, with more context.
Last exact hit
Pluto's last crossing. Past the middle of the arc, the question becomes where you want to put your energy next.
Separation
Pluto moves more than 1° past your Mars. For a Mars at 6° Aquarius that's Dec 28, 2028; at 11°, Jan 9, 2032.
What it can ask of you
Pluto is the planet of depth and slow change; Mars is drive, ambition, anger and how you go after what you want. With Pluto sitting on Mars, the question of what you're fighting for tends to get harder to ignore. Some questions people sit with during this transit:
- What am I fighting for, and is it still mine to fight for?
- Where does my drive come from right now, and does it feel clean?
- How do I want to use my energy when the stakes feel high?
- Where is anger pointing me toward something that needs to change?
- What would I do differently if I didn't have to prove anything?
None of this predicts what will happen. Pluto conjunct Mars describes a long phase and the questions it can raise, not events in anyone's life.
Questions
How long does Pluto conjunct Mars last?
About two to two and three-quarter years with a 1° orb. That's a long time next to Mars's own pace: when you were born, Mars crossed these degrees in about two weeks.
Why are the Mars birth windows about two years apart?
Mars takes a little under two years to go around the zodiac, so in many years it doesn't reach early Aquarius at all. Each window above is one of its passes.
Is Pluto conjunct Mars about anger?
Anger is one Mars theme, alongside drive, ambition, courage and how you go after what you want. The questions this transit raises can touch any of those; this page doesn't predict which.
What orb does this page use?
1°, the orb Starlit Journey uses for Pluto. Some sites use wider orbs, which is why you'll see longer durations quoted elsewhere.
How do I find my exact dates?
Find your Mars sign and degree in your natal chart, then the matching row above. For dates to the exact minute of arc, Starlit Journey maps this transit, and every other active transit, against your own chart.
Want the long view of 2027? The free 2027 Transit Planner maps every slow transit of the year by date and degree. It's on our home page.
Get the free plannerStarlit Journey maps every active transit in your chart as a full arc, from entry to separation. The positions and dates come from the Swiss Ephemeris; the plain-language notes on each phase are written by AI, and labeled that way. 21 days free.
Start free trialAIThe dates on this page are calculated, not written: they come from the Swiss Ephemeris. The explanatory text was drafted with AI and reviewed by a person.