Astrologically speaking, Mars is full of vigour, energy and proactivity. It embodies the primal nature of men, exhibiting almost animalistic characteristics.
It’s fair to say that Mars is an aggressive one, ruling emotive actions such as survival and anger. This doesn’t stop there either, ruling our sexual needs.
Mars Astrological Associations:
- Ruler of the Aries zodiac sign;
- Exalted in Capricorn, weakened in Cancer, in detriment in Libra;
- Governs the first astrological house;
- Characteristic keyword: Action;
- Associated with the color red;
- Linked to Tuesdays;
- Representative gemstone: Ruby;
- Representative material: Iron;
- Linked to life period from 28 to 35 years.
It is important to make the distinction between the needs ruled by Venus and Mars – in that Venus rules our romance and love, whilst Mars is the ruler of our more physical sexual desires.
Instinctual reactions are very much a Mars characteristic, devoid of any prior thought or contemplation. In this sense, Mars can be thought of as a brute force, rather than a strong will.
Being the fourth nearest planet to our central star, it was given its name by the Romans, after their War God.
The arid, red dust bowls that make up its surface give it a reddish hue, earning it the nickname “Red Planet”.
Having survived millennia of celestial bombardment, its surface it littered with craters and canyons, the largest being Olympus Mons and Valles Marineris respectively. Olympus Mons also happens to be the tallest peak in the entire solar system.
Mars exhibits strong will and drive, which manifests itself as action. When this side is prevalent within our beings, we tend to be assertive, direct, bold and daring. In extreme cases however, this can also manifest as rashness, impatience and abruptness.
The position Mars takes in the chart shows us our primal impulses such as our sexual needs, the things that anger us, and what causes us to act impulsively.
It goes without saying then that the strength of how competitive we feel is also determined by Mars.
In terms of astrological houses, Mars shows us what makes us enthusiastic, what causes us to take action and what drives us. In this sense, Mars can very much determine the experiences that make us feel alive.
Devoid of any atmosphere, the surface of Mars is relatively hot, despite being 56 million km further away from the Sun than Earth.
It takes 687 days to complete a single orbit around our central star, entering its retrograde phase on 26-month cycles, lasting around 60-80 days.
Mars spends approximately 45 days in the company of each zodiac sign, and completes its journey through the zodiac wheel in about 2 years.
Mars represents genesis for many things in the zodiac – the first breath, the first laugh, the first cry and more, thanks primarily due to its rule over our physical beings.
In Eastern culture, Mars is seen as one of the most destructive planets, while the West see Saturn as its evil sidekick.
The simple truth of the matter though is that both are representative of our subconscious selves – often disregarded in our minds in favour of the messages received from our heart and mind.
When utilised properly though, Mars can help us achieve our goals and dreams, by harnessing the strong instinctual benefits and sexual appetite offered by it.
Mars can also be a force for good when placed within the horoscope, helping give someone a steelier resolve in their day-to-day lives. This can manifest as strong morals combined with lofty ambitions, without letting their aggression turn into recklessness.
Those who exhibit strong Mars characteristics show it physically – with their youthful looks betraying their actual age.
Needless to say, this can attract people far and wide, making them excellent leaders. Too strong ab influence however, and a person can become afraid and reserved, leading to outbursts of violence and reckless behaviour.
A person could also become prone to a loss of focus, lack of energy, physical weakness, inflammation and illness too, all contributing to a total lack of ambition.
The follow on from this can be a short temper, lack of empathy and an inability to see others points of view. This is despite that most Martians to tend to possess high intelligence and technical insight.
Mars is many things, and included in that is the fiery, feisty, sharp and aggressive. A good way to think of Mars is by associating it with a weapon, or anything that can cause physical harm to a person.
Contact can be exemplified by pain and bruises, with respite only coming when faced by those with equally strong wills, in which case Mars respects the boundary set by such a person.
Mars’ desire for us to enter situations of conflict and quench our primal needs is only tempered by the logic and common sense offered by Mercury and the Sun, complemented by Venus and the Moon’s emotional intelligence.
Born for conflict, vigour and assertion, Mars can be thought of as a law enforcement officer, aiming high and fearing little.
Being so influential on our self-drive and determination, its retrograde phase is amongst the toughest to deal with because of the deflating feeling it leaves us with.
It largely determines our acute states in all senses – mentally, emotionally and physically, exhibiting itself through the given element it finds itself in.
Both the fall and rule of Mars can be found in Water, and because of this its largest obstacle and greatest triumphs lie in conquering emotion.
The secret to maintaining a balanced Mars state that is healthy for one’s wellbeing lies with our Moon, and embracing the fluidity of our emotional side in our heart, showing compassion and the strength that comes from family unity and history.
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