| RULERSHIP | Aries, Scorpio |
| EXALTATION | Capricorn |
| DETRIMENT | Libra, Taurus |
| FALL | Cancer |
| PLANETARY CYCLE | 2 years |
| TAROT CARD | XVI. The Tower |
| KEY WORDS | Passion, Aggression, Force, Disputes, Competition, Drive, Will-power, Impact, Anger, Violence, Self-Autonomy |
Your Drive to Penetrate
Mars is your drive to penetrate the world with your will – plain and simple. She’s your drive to initiate and to act; to let other people know, in no uncertain terms, who you are and what you stand for; She’s your “I AM” energy; your sex drive; and, She’s your drive to go after what you want.
When you need to fight, defend, or assert, it’s your Mars that gets activated. Like all of the other drives, we all have our own style of asserting, and we all have different circumstances that rouse us to action. In many ways, the position of your Mars, by sign, house, and aspect, indicates, under what circumstances and in what areas of your life, you are called to assert, defend, be proactive, and unapologetically make an impact. It should come as no surprise then, that where your Mars sits in your chart is also the area of your life where you are likely to be involved in the most disputes.
On a deeper level, the position of your Mars tells you what lessons you most need to learn, in order to most effectively declare your “I AM” energy to the world. For example, if your Mars is in Libra, you are always contending with the archetype of the Diplomat, in yourself or others, when you are roused to anger, or feel called to assert your will. This means, somewhere along the way, you’ve got to reckon with your need to ”keep the peace”, in the face of circumstances that demand for you to wield your personal power.
Take a look at the position of your natal Mars – its sign, house placement, and it’s relationship to other planets. What might this tell you about what “heats you up”, what calls you to action, and your personal style of assertion?
Mars in Transit
Mars takes roughly two years to complete one revolution around the zodiac, spending about two months in each sign, depending on its speed and retrograde cycles.
Her position in your chart by transit tells you where the energy is, where the heat is, and where you most feel called to defend your ego needs. She is your sense of personal power, and the embodiment of your ability to “make something happen” and take the action steps you need to attain your goals.
She energizes everything She touches – bringing confidence, sometimes anger, and sometimes rage… so, when Mars enters a particular house of your chart, see that area of your life as the arena that is prime for the exercise of your will, the destruction of barriers to your autonomy, and where you are being asked to defend and protect.
Mars goes retrograde roughly every 26 months, for about 6 – 8 weeks. Her retrograde period may be experienced as particularly frustrating because Mars energy is so geared towards forward motion. During Her retrogrades, you may feel as if events are forcing you to slow down, stall your plans, or stop all together… but, try to see Her retrograde period as an opportunity to retrace your steps, reconsider your course of action, or re-examine why you are doing what you are doing. We all need a few pauses now and then is often a lot to be gained and learned from slowing down.
Take a look at transiting Mars in your chart right now. What does this tell you about where you are being called to take action, exercise your will, or consider your next steps?