HAPPY VERNAL EQUINOX !!

It is Aries time: March 20-April 19! Let’s go!

 

 

Understanding the general import of the 12 signs of the zodiac is the beginning of all there is to know…in astrology! LOL…

But…there is SO much more to it than just taking a magical mystery tour of the zodiac from Aries to Pisces!

Each individual ‘sign’ (read: energy), is associated with a specific planet, (sometimes more than one), in the solar system. The planets of the solar system are representative of fundamental ‘drivers’ within or facets of the personal psyche. Simply put, they are aspects of the self, viewed through the lens of archetypes & mythology. Astrology is probably the longest-running lab experiment in human history; that is, through the process of OBSERVATION & CORRELATION, we have compiled a vast amount of data about the workings of the human body, mind, heart & soul. Over millennia, this data has been investigated, applied, tweaked, and otherwise worked with so that we can, with a high degree of certainty, make some pretty accurate observations about human behaviour by looking at the birth chart (SOUL MANDALA) of any given individual. This process is so uncannily accurate that even the hard-core skeptics have to do intellectual gymnastics to deny its often eerie pronouncements. YIKES!

Exploring the planets of the zodiac provides us with a deeper look into the workings of the persona, and often, it explains why we don’t resonate with the description of our ‘sun sign’ when we read about it in a piecemeal astrology cookbook. Suddenly, when we start to uncover the planetary connections to the signs, we are not just Astro scavengers scratching around the surface dirt of the astrological ‘dig’, we have gone to the next level of meaning for any given energy that is featured within the mandala of our soul—the birth chart.

I want to keep this blog short enough that I don’t lose your interest so I’m going to be as brief as possible. What I am trying to say here is that there is no way that I am going to cover EVERYTHING about MARS. But I’ll make a start. As always, do your own digging. Get a lot of different perspectives. We are so fortunate these days that we have this seemingly infinite storehouse of knowledge literally at our fingertips. Get those fingers moving & discover, unearth & learn!

So, what’s this planet, MARS, all about? Here we go!

Astrology drew on the myths of many people to construct the archetypes that are currently understood to represent the planetary energies. I believe that we are in the midst of a shift of perception in this regard but still, to create the future, one must draw upon the past. With that in mind, here are some mythological keynotes on ARES or as the Romans knew him, MARS.

Ares was the offspring of Zeus & Hera but, it appears that he was not overly liked by his parents; too impulsive, headstrong & unpredictable. Often confined and left alone, we moderns would most probably assign some kind of psychological abandonment disorder to poor old Ares (Mars). Some of the stories tell us that it was Hermes (Mercury) who eventually forged a relationship with Ares. Priapus, Hermes’ son, became his tutor and taught him the art of dance & movement. Eventually, he acquired great prowess as a warrior, thus the sense of power & might that we often feel around folks with highly focused Mars energy. And the elegance of movement! Have you noticed that? That is the dance part of the process. Interestingly, war (the domain of Mars), has often been likened to a dance or an art.

Ares (Mars) grand passionate love affair was with Aphrodite (Venus), with whom he had several children and though Ares was not faithful, their relationship endured despite the infidelities. The Romans, who named him Mars, believed that the twins, Romulus & Remus, were his offspring. These two, born of a woman & suckled by a wolf went on to found the great city, Rome. Mars energy is co-related to the SOLAR PLEXUS chakra, the source of creativity. Truly great artists are often unrestrained, passionate, uncontrollable, even aggressively so.

Mars is most often known as THE GOD OF WAR, but that is not all. Mars is associated with Birth, the Vernal Equinox, or Spring, thus reinforcing that sense of initiation, beginning, renewal.

As we ponder these various stories, we get an insight into the energy of Mars. This is the energy of eventual self-determination, strong will, singularity born of necessity & passion. Ares (Mars) learned how to stand on his own two feet early on. He took matters into his own hands despite obstacles put in his path. He loved fiercely. He avenged wrongs brutally. His actions were not so much calculated, but rather, born of impulse & emotion. Thinking was not his strong suit. It is interesting that early on he was tutored by Priapus, the son of Hermes, (Mercury), suggesting that it is via the intellect & reason that we can learn to manage our passions & impulses.

As I said earlier, I believe that our understanding of the archetypes shifts as our collective experience evolves. We moderns have developed many strategies to manage this primal energy within our psyches. Mars energy is the energy of survival so it is not surprising that when survival depends on immediate response to life-threatening situations, it can often be deployed in an aggressive & even violent fashion.

In the so-called lesser developed parts of the world, we can still see the unsubtle, raw energy of aggression & assertion demonstrated in the name of sheer survival while in the so-called advanced societies, we have learned to mask our primal urges and even repress them.

Mars is considered to be the lower octave of Pluto. Pluto is the most distant of the outers & along with Neptune & Uranus, Pluto represents the deepest part of our psyches & even beyond that, the soul, itself. Mars, then, as the lower octave energy represents the deployment energy of the soul force energy. It is through the auspices of our individual Mars energy that we enact the needs of the SOUL. If we can align our Mars functionality to a higher vibrational resonance, it is far more likely that we will eventually align to our individual soul purpose. It is for this reason that most major spiritual practices have exhorted their followers to refine, control, manage their desire body.  If desire is left unchecked, spirit cannot be served. Aligning desire to spiritual pathway then channels these base impulses into a higher form of expression on this earthly level.

So, in the birth mandala, Mars tells us a lot about how we make things happen in our life; how we take action; our ‘M.O.’, modus operandi. Whatever energy you have, overall, your Mars placement informs your STYLE, the way that you present yourself out there in the world around you. Let’s look briefly at how Mars might function in the 12 signs with the qualification that this is merely a superficial peek into this complex & essential energy. All observations will be modified by the inter-relational aspects of Mars, as well as the area of the mandala that it occupies. However, a good starting point is Mars through the 12 zodiac signs. Once you look over these initial descriptions, your homework is to brainstorm more descriptions based both on your ongoing study & your personal experience. Keep your brainstorm lists & keep adding to them. You will be truly amazed at the depth of your own understanding as it is right at this moment, & at the manner in which it grows if you keep at this process.

Let’s consider that Mars is our INNER WARRIOR, showing us, through the symbolism of the zodiac, how we fight for what we want, how we enact our basic impulses, not only for survival but also for advancement & improvement. And let’s look at both sides of the picture, the light & the shadow side. Keep in mind, Mars in the chart symbolizes our warrior energy while the sign it is placed in DESCRIBES the flavour of that energy. We all have an INNER WARRIOR but he deploys himself uniquely for each one of us.

 

When Mars is found in:

ARIES:

DIRECTLY, FORCEFULLY

OR  

INCONSIDERATELY, RASHLY

 

TAURUS:

PERSISTENTLY, THOROUGHLY

OR:

STUBBORNLY, IMMOVABLY

 

 

GEMINI:

FLUIDLY, WITH VERSATILITY 

OR:

WITHOUT FOCUS, INCONSISITENTLY

 

 

 

CANCER:

PROTECTIVELY, COMPASSIONATELY

OR:

IRRATIONALLY, DEFENSIVELY

     

LEO:  PASSIONATELY, AMBITIOUSLY

OR:        

SELFISHLY, EGOTISTICALLY

 

 

VIRGO: DELIBERATELY, ANALYTICALLY

OR:

ANALLY, OVERLY CAUTIOUSLY

 

 

LIBRA:  WITH FINESSE, HARMONIOUSLLY

OR: 

INDECISIVELY, DUPLICITLY

 

 

 

SCORPIO:   INTENSELY, WITH DRIVE 

OR:     

RUTHLESSLY, MANIPULATIVELY

 

SAGITTARIUS:  

ENTHUSIASTICALLY, OPTIMISTICALLY  

OR:       

RESTLESSLY, UNREALISTICALLY

 

CAPRICORN:  

CONSTRUCTIVELY, MEASURED

OR:

CONTROLLING, OPPRESSIVELY

 

 

 

AQUARIUS:

UNCONVENTIONALLY, INCLUSIVELY  

OR:

ERRATICALLY, REBELLIOUSLY

 

 

PISCES:

PEACEFULLY, GENTLY

OR:

IN A CONFUSED WAY, MUDDLED

 

The key to working with these types of brainstorming lists is to be very fluid when compiling them. Do not be overly critical of your list. You can add or delete descriptions at will. NOTHING is ever written in stone. Reason? The birth mandala is a living thing. It represents YOU, a complex pattern of energy that is always in flux. As you move through life, so does the energy around you move through a variety of expressions which then interact with your natal energy resulting in a beautiful breathing living being. Delightful!

 

So now we come to the last bit of this current blog, and that is the bit about what, in astrology, is called RULERSHIP. Mars is the ‘ruler’ of Aries & the co-ruler of Scorpio. Everyone born under the Sun Signs of Aries & Scorpio will have their basic solar energy MODIFIED by whatever sign of the zodiac their natal Mars is occupying. Simple, really & oh boy, several lights switch on once we see this connection! That is the next level of delineation that I mentioned previously; the reason why some have questioned the validity of astrological description. The chart is like a complex woven cloth. The individual strands of energy weave in and out of one another creating a unique pattern that cannot be duplicated. Its magical & mysterious all at same time. This month we will stick to Aries as it is the birthday time for solar Aries folks. Later, we will look at Scorpio as well. So, if you were born under the Sun Sign of Aries & know where your Mars is located, consider the following:

Mars, ruler of Aries in:

Aries: You will be a true Aries type for the most part. Direct, impulsive, unrestrained, headstrong & absolutely certain you know what you are doing. Be careful to manage that exuberant fire energy so that you do not burn everyone around you!

Taurus: You are an unstoppable force, much less flighty & way more grounded. You have the capacity to put your ideas into concrete form because you have the back up of determination & constancy of action. Be careful that you do not crush everyone in your path because you definitely have the ability to do so.

Gemini: You clever monkey! Fire & air combine here to give you incredible versatility & the ability to multi-task your way into success. Ideas come fast & furious for the most part. Intuitive to the extreme. Be careful that you manage your organic self as you have the capacity to run on empty without realizing it.

Cancer: Your fighting spirit comes in a sweet & nurturing package. You can be a fierce fighter for those who are in need of a champion. One of the nicest things about this combo is that you can make people feel really safe when you are around. Be careful to monitor your emotions as sometimes you will act defensively when there really is no need to do so. Sometimes, the monsters in the closet really are merely clothes on a hangar.

Leo: Fire energy is supported by Fire energy to create an ongoing creative explosion of self-expressiveness. You have big energy, big ideas, big, big big. If you want the support of those around you, stop & notice who they are. They have big ideas too!

Virgo: You are blessed with the ability to sort your way through any initiative. Able to see the eventuality before it actually arrives, you can make corrections to your strategies as you need to. A good inspirational planner, your presence in any group provides thoughtful leadership. Learn to honour both your analytical & intuitive sides. If you feel irritated by others’ failings, count to ten before flying off the handle. Remember, perfection is an illusion.

Libra: You are fierce when it comes to equality, justice & truth. You will stop at nothing to create peace. Your courageous leadership is facilitated by a finesse of implementation. You understand conflict on a gut level & thus make one of the best conflict resolvers. Try hard to be as brutally honest as you can be so you don’t lose the respect of those around you.

Scorpio: Your passion is supported by an intense drive to succeed. You have twice the courage, twice the stamina, twice the commitment to your initiatives. Be aware that not everyone has your single-mindedness of purpose or the amount of sheer forceful energy that you have. Try to be gentle with those around you. You are the Supreme General; they are your foot soldiers.

Sagittarius: Your enthusiasm for adventurous initiatives knows no bounds. Always eager to get to the next project, start the next enterprise, you can be tireless in the pursuit of your vision. Your presence in any group can be inspirational to its members so make sure that you follow through & don’t leave them in the lurch. Slow down so you don’t trip over your feet.

Capricorn: This is EXECUTIVE energy. Your capacity to manage & lead can result in ongoing success for you. You have a keen eye for planning along with an innate ability to know when to take action & when to delay action. This gives you a firm grip on that exuberant Aries energy from a deep inner level, the gut. Used appropriately, this is manifesting energy. Don’t overlook the heart in any situation. Consider how others feel from time to time. It’s never all about the bottom line.

Aquarius: What do you want to accomplish? It’s your choice. You are the Master of many trades if you choose to be. Able to fit into any group & contribute to it, you are passionate about your ideals. If what you are doing does not align with those ideals, you can become cynical & ruthless so make sure that you are working in harmony with core values. Learn to respect other peoples’ principles so that you can find a way to work with rather than against.

Pisces: This placement will add an element of compassion & sensitivity to a sometimes insensitive, uncompassionate energy. You have the ability to tune into what others are feeling & then to modify your behaviour to facilitate progress. Just your presence in any group will lower the temperature if it gets too hot. On the highest of vibrational levels, you are a transformer for other’s chaotic emotions so make sure that you regularly ‘debrief’ by clearing your aura after being immersed in conflict, discord, or anger. Best way? Salt baths that replicate the oceanic environment. Salt scrubs to cleanse your skin & etheric body. If you feel overwhelmed, leave the environment you are in. Don’t be a hero at your own expense.

 

As I have said more than once, everything here is merely a starting point. There is so much ingrained in the beautiful thing I call THE BIRTH MANDALA. Every layer we reveal leads us to another layer yet to be revealed. Take some of these descriptions & then brainstorm your own. If you cannot think of anything for a particular combo, let it go & move on to the next one. This is an unfolding process and there are no rules except the ones that work for you.

So, Happy birthday, all you Aries folks! It’s your month; March 20-April 19…Happy SPRING EQUINOX!

 

Next month, goddess willing, we will look at Venus, ruler of Taurus & Libra.