Mars the god of war and strength
Brash and unruly Mars was the most hated among the Olympian gods, yet was depended on to fight the battles and to get things done.
He had rulership over Aries and Scorpio, the two most passionate signs of the zodiac, whose urgent drives could only be tamed or quelled by
the beauty and patience of Venus/Aphrodite.
With the discovery of Pluto, true ruler of Scorpio, in 1930, some of the load was lifted off Mars so that he was now less concerned or obssessed
about revenge and death, and more interested in progress and living life to the fullest . It wasn't easy shaking off the Scorpio side of Mars, as the
two last great World Wars demonstrated, and the process is still ongoing.
Mars is life and energy and passion or libido. It is the unstoppable force that cuts through or pushes ahead, without fear or hesitation. Without Mars,
nothing would move or get done. Mars is also your passion and sexuality and the desire to mate. Mars like Aries lives in the present and wants things NOW
and without strings attached. He gives of himself freely and expects the same from others. He has boundless energy and accomplishes more in one day
than most signs do in a week. His shortcoming is that he has little patience or regard for others and often takes dangerous or unnecessary risks.
He does however forget and forgive easily. He loves challenges, competition, and show of force, and despises cheating, lying, or underhandedness.
Mars is best placed in a masculine sign and especially in fire where his true nature best expresses. Mars is of course best placed in Aries, his
home sign, where the purest qualities of both the sign and planet come out.
Mars(Aries) gets along best with himself and his brothers Jupiter(Sagittarius) and the Sun(Leo), and second best with his friends and partners
Mercury(Gemini side), Venus(Libra side), and Uranus(Aquarius), especially when these planets are favorably placed(in fire or air). Moon(Cancer),
Neptune(Pisces), and Pluto(Scorpio) can be too sensitive or treacherous for him especially when unfavorably placed(in earth or water). He has
the most difficulty or tension with Saturn(Capricorn side), Venus(Taurus side), and Mercury(Virgo side) which he finds too slow, critical, or stifling.
In synastry(the study of relationships) your Mars can make aspects or links to any one of someone else's planets, but the first and strongest is always Mars to Mars. This is called the mutual aspect. How two people's Mars relate to one another, mostly by sign, will reveal how they approach life in general, and how they can work together to get things done. It's also an indicator of their sexual compatability. Other planets can add or take away from this only partly. If you have Mars in Leo, for example, you will naturally be most compatible to another Mars in in Leo, followed by Mars in Aries or Sag.(both trine). Mars in Gemini or Libra will be friendly and helpful(both sextile) and Mars in Libra(opposition) while challenging could make an ideal partner. The aspect doesn't have to be by degree, although it may be felt more intensely if it is. Mars in water or Earth, especially Scorpio and Taurus, will not function well with Mars in Leo. I find that two incompatible Mars signs often get in each others' way physically and do not approach life with the same ardour or conviction.
Mars can make aspects to the other planets in someone else's chart and these are called interfunctional aspects and are not necessarily by degree. Mars to Venus is the most popular or touted interfunctional aspect in terms of sexual compatability, and this appears to be true, but a Mars/Mars or Venus/Venus discord can take away from it. The best situation possible is for both partners to have both their Venus and Mars positions all in the same gender, but this only happens in 25 per cent of cases. Mars conjunct Venus (in the same sign) is the strongest link for sexual compatabilty followed by the trine and sextile. They may not always be exciting at first but it will get better with time. Venus readily recieves the advances of Mars and Mars is encouraged by Venus. Both ways is preferable, otherwise the compatability may be one sided. The Mars/Venus opposition and square are challenging and even exciting but may be shortlived and is the stuff of affairs and one night stands. The opposition has a better chance of succeeding than the square because of the gender compatability. The Mars/Venus semi-sextile is generally irritating and the quincunx or inconjunct may be intriguing but ultimately unsatisfactory. Two excellent books on planetary compatibility discussing this and other comparisons in detail are Marc Robert's book "Sex Mind and Habit Compatability" and Lois Haines Sargent's "How to Handle Your Human Relations". One issue I have with the Mars/Venus comparison is that I believe Venus is not the true or ultmate ruler of Libra, which has yet to be determined or officialized. The true ruler would make a much more suitable companion for fiery Mars than earthy Venus, and therefore change or clarify the synastric dynamic between these two planets.
Mars to the Ascendant or Rising Sign is also important to consider as it can mitigate or tone down any of the other Mars aspects or relationships. The Ascendant person will be energized and encouraged to be him or herself when the partner's Mars is in a favorable sign. Likewise, the Mars person wlll express easily in the presence of the Ascendant person. The Ascendant is where the houses come in so that one's Mars conjunct the other's Ascendant is the same as saying that one's Mars is in the other's 1st house. Mars opposite the Ascendant is Mars in the 7th house, and so on. The houses in astrology are actually the aspects (by sign) a planet makes to the Ascendant, and as most of my readers know, I firmly believe the Ascendant or Rising sign is actually the influence of our own Earth or Terra.
One's Mars can excite the other's Sun both personally and sexually and a lot of heat is generated in this exchange. Mars can also find the Moon tantalizing if it is conjunct or trine, but it can be uneasy relationship, especially for the Moon person whose sensitivity might be trampled upon. Mars is encouraged by a compatible Jupiter and restricted or slowed down by Saturn(even when compatible). Mars to Pluto can be deeply passionate and smouldering but Pluto wants to possess or hang on while Mars needs to move on. Mars can be seduced or entangled by Neptune but the two are essentially incompatible and there is always an element of deception here. Mars will be mentally stimulated by Mercury while Mercury will be challenged by Mars, but the passion will be lighthearted or frivolous.
Your Mars sign has a special link or attraction to one of your partner's planets according to the sign it's in and which planet that sign rules. Mars in Aries, for example, will first be drawn to another's Mars because Aries rules Mars. Mars in Taurus will first seek another person's Venus because Taurus rules Venus. Mars in Gemini will first seek another's Mercury, Mars in Cancer will seek another's Moon, Mars in Leo will seek another's Sun, Mars in Virgo readily links to another's Mercury, Mars in Libra to another's Venus, Mars in Scorpio to another's Mars or Pluto, Mars in Sag to another's Jupiter, Mars in Capricorn to another's Saturn, Mars in Aquarius to another's Uranus, and Mars in Pisces to another's Neptune. If your Mars is in Taurus and your partner's Venus is in Aries this is called mutual reception because they are both in the sign the other rules. Planets in mutual reception strengthen and balance each other and add another layer of compatability. This applies to both relationships and within your own personal chart. Finally, certain signs traditionally ruled by the same planet have a greater tolerance for one another than those that are not. Capricorn and Aquarius, for example, are both traditionally ruled by Saturn, so have learned to put up with each other even though they would normally not be compatible. Same with Aries/Scorpio(Mars), and Taurus/Libra(Venus). It's a little more difficult with Gemini/Virgo(Mercury) and Sag/Pisces(Jupiter) because of the square relationship between those signs. Another fascinating exception is Leo/Pisces whom while very different also share warmth and creativity. In summary, Mars isn't the easiest planet in astrology to relate to, but you'll learn a lot about life and what really matters.
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