Mars
Sports, meat, guns, aggression, anger, head, iron, soldier, warrior, hate, passion, sex
Day: Tuesday
Colors: Red
Mars is a planet that rules the sign of Aries, and traditionally Scorpio. Its main paradox hides in the fact that it is in charge of our first breath and the last one, the beginning of life shown through the start of the zodiacal circle, and its end in the deadly sign of Scorpio. Although it is always seen as responsible for war, hurt, destruction, and fights, Mars is simply an unconscious animalistic nature we don’t give enough freedom to. Restrictions in our (primarily sexual) expression of energy will lead to inhibitions of all sorts and accumulation of anger and frustration below our surface, beyond the face we show to the world. Mars represents our basic energy, our first chakra, and speaks of fears that tend to control our lives. If we are brave enough to live up to our full potential on planet Earth, Mars is the one to help us find our grounding, resolve any material and existential issues, and provide us with the energy we need to follow any of our plans and reach any goal we wish to.
Planet Mars
Named after the Roman god of war, Mars is often described as the “Red Planet” because of the color it reflects recognized by the naked eye. This coloring is in fact rust covering its surface, seen from our perspective as a reddish glow to the star in the night sky. Contrary to current popular belief, Mars isn’t a very friendly planet. Out of 39 Mars missions, only 16 were successful. Its atmosphere is thin, its dust storms strong, and its surface gets really cold due to the distance from the Sun. Its accompanying two moons are named Phobos (meaning “fear”) and Deimos (meaning “panic”), as if only to remind us of the challenges that circle around it.
Mars in Astrology
If we wish to describe the effect Mars has on the entire zodiac, we have to understand that it represents the beginning of all beginnings. It is our first breath and our first scream, being the one responsible for the body we have and the incarnation we are in at the moment. As a strong symbol of unchangeable fate and karma, Mars is often seen as the greatest malefic in Eastern traditions, while Saturn seems to be its evil “counterpart” in the West. The truth is both of them represent our unconscious world and needs that we fail to understand by any of the senses we are given. While we mostly rely on our mind and heart, instincts are often misunderstood and pushed aside as less desirable or unworthy. With a healthy sexual and instinctive approach to life, without fear and with our boundaries strong, we have a way to use the benefits of Mars to create anything we strive for.
In all astrological readings, Mars will be seen as fast, instinctive, rash, aggressive, pushy, and angry. On the other hand, it will be a pool of energy we need to use in this lifetime wherever it might be set in our chart. Depending on the sign, its dignity and the aspects it makes, we will see the ability someone has to point their energy towards their goals. If Mars is weak, set in Cancer or in challenging squares, this will bend the energy of a person and lead to destructive or self-destructive behavior. Since it rules our basic, instinctive and unconscious tendencies, it is a master of crimes of passion, when our mind darkens and our choices become foggy and vague. It might be the reason for all aggression in the world, but it is merely a point to show which physical needs in our lives were never met.
Manifestations
Mars is all that is hot, spicy, red, flaming, and sharp. It is a knife and a gun, a weapon of any sorts, and anything that has the ability to inflict pain. Whatever it comes to contact with has a tendency to be bruised and hurt, unless if our boundaries are strong and instincts respected. It is a planet of battle and speaks of our need to enter conflict, fight for what we deserve or want to take for ourselves, and has no awareness or common sense without the help of the Sun and Mercury, nor does it understand emotion without the help of Moon and Venus.
A soldier and an officer, Mars is a man wearing a uniform and a young shooter that aims high. It is the energy that helps us keep our head up high and pushes us forwards, which is why its retrograde movement is often felt as the most difficult of all backwards movements in the zodiacal circle. It stands for all of the acute states we fall in to, physical, emotional or mental, and will mostly manifest through the element it is found in. Since both its rule and fall are found in the element of Water, we can see that emotion is its biggest challenge and its greatest reward. The key to a healthy Mars in our chart always has something to do with the Moon and the watery nature of our heart, emotion, compassion, and deep understanding and support drawn from our family and ancestry.
