I’m not sure where our society would be without Mars’ energy. The joy of competition, the courage of our first responders, the logical brain behind our engineers, the force that builds everything from skyscrapers to civilizations. Mars is the hero who keeps our world moving. In Vedic mythology, Mars is connected to Skanda, the warrior son of Shiva, and to Hanuman, who reminds us of the glory of selfless service. Indeed, Mars governs the very red blood in our veins.
But Mars has a shadow, and it is a long one.
When Mars is strong and well-directed, he embodies service, courage, and the willpower to forge through any obstacle. He is the doctor, the defender, the engineer. He is the fireman rushing into the burning building. When Mars is weak or afflicted, this same fiery energy turns destructive: rage, violence, recklessness, and the kind of impulsive behavior that adolescent boys are famous for. Every action hero has a dark side, and Mars’ dark side can manifest as the bully, the conqueror, and the aggressor who cannot control his passions.
On the mental level, Mars governs willpower and the raw determination to push through when everything inside you wants to quit. Mars is deeply connected to the ego and dreams of adventure where he is celebrated for climbing mountains and rescuing the lost. Boys grow up idolizing superheroes and great athletes. Society uses these stories to inspire courage and overcome defeat. But the dark side of this obsession with winning leads us to forget the need for cooperation. Remember: for every winner, there is a humiliated loser.
Mars’ ultimate purpose is to bring pent-up volcanic turmoil to the surface to heal. He is the firepower that makes the world move and change. He governs volcanic eruptions, wars, and rebellions. His power to move and transform things is the key to the creative process itself. At the deepest level, the Mars archetype must conquer primal drives and move toward surrender to Divine Will. The hero’s journey is ultimately a spiritual one.
In your chart, Mars tells a story about your relationship with courage, conflict, and desire. If you were born with a weak Mars, say in Cancer or Aquarius, you may not have fully learned core lessons around service and bravery. If your Mars is in Libra or Taurus, you may need to work on controlling passionate and lustful energies. Mars owns Aries and co-rules Scorpio with Ketu. He is exalted in Capricorn, where the soldier operates brilliantly in enemy territory, and debilitated in Cancer, where domestic life dampens the Martian drive for adventure.
Ironically, Mars is by nature a celibate, because a good soldier must retain his energies to defeat the enemy at full strength. Venus is always seducing Mars and using up his energy. Hence the sirens and temptresses in Homer’s Odyssey, forever pulling the hero from his quest.
Mars is friends with the Sun and Jupiter, neutral with Venus and Saturn, and bitter enemies with Mercury. The Sun inspires Mars to heroic, just causes. Jupiter grounds Mars’ fire in service to the Divine. But when Mars and Mercury collide, the conflict between raw action and careful analysis can create real friction in the mind.
Working With Your Mars Energy
If Mars is creating challenges in your life, channel that compressed fire constructively. Physical exercise is essential. Chair pose in yoga, vigorous walks, martial arts, or competitive sports all give Mars an outlet. When Mars energy has nowhere to go, it turns inward as anger, frustration, or recklessness. Service to others, especially causes that require courage and physical effort, transforms Mars from a villain into the hero he was always meant to be.
On the deepest spiritual level, Mars is the Shakti, the kundalini energy of Scorpio, dormant and waiting to become active to start the journey toward Self-realization. Ultimately, Mars ignites the hero’s journey for God-realization, to return to the Source.
I explore the full depth of Mars and every planet in my book Signs of Life from the Astrological Zodiac, available at appliedvedicastrology.com/product/signs-of-life/ for $19.95.
