Mars in Astrology: The Warrior of the Sky
In Astrology Mars governs our life force, drive, ambition, motivation, sexual desires, aggression, sports and physical activities in general.
It symbolises our survival instinct; our flight or fight response to challenging outer circumstances.
Its masculine energy rules both the fire cardinal sign of Aries and the fixed water sign of Scorpio.
Mars is all about raw power when it comes to Aries.
Its energy is turned a lot more inward when it comes to secretive, strategic Scorpio.
But make no mistake, Scorpio is totally capable of a sudden deadly attack.
Its sting is poisonous and can be even more dangerous than the open fire of Aries.
In ancient Roman mythology Mars was the God of War.
The energy of Mars can be brash, loud and sometimes even rude. Long story short, our cosmic warrior can be a little rough around the edges.
‘The power is in action, not reaction’ – is the motto of this fiery planet.
In our love life, Mars rules over our sexual desires.
While Venus is the planet associated with our romantic attraction, Mars governs physical attraction, chemistry and raw sex appeal.
Mars in a Birth Chart
Mars is considered to be a personal planet, which means its energy has a prominent influence on our outward personality.
Analysing our Mars placement in a birth chart can help understand what really drives us in life.
This planet makes you stand up, take inspired action and get things done.
When well-placed, it blesses the native with great physical strength, never-ending ambition, ton of confidence, and enormous drive in life.
Those with prominent Mars placement in their birth chart, can be ruthless and highly ambitions when it comes to achieving their goals.
When badly aspected, Mars can cause a real havoc when it comes to anger management.
It is considered to be a malefic planet in Astrology, which means it can cause a lot of problems when badly placed or aspecting other planets in a harsh way (via square, opposition or conjunction).
Engaging in martial arts and active sports is usually recommended as the remedy for problems caused by this planet.
It takes about 2 years for Mars to complete its orbit through the Zodiac, which means it usually spends 2-7 months in each sign.
Mars retrograde happens approximately every 2 years.
How to Work with your Mars Zodiac Sign
Mars is exalted in Capricorn and the sign of its fall positionis Cancer (which is opposite Capricorn).
Mars is in its detriment in Libra and Taurus (these two signs are opposite Aries and Scorpio).
Bear in mind, the Zodiac sign of Mars in your Birth Chart is not an indication that you will be either successful or unsuccessful in areas ruled by Mars.
It’s vital to study the core qualities of the sign it is in and apply them accordingly in order to succeed and use the power of Mars to get driven and motivated.
A powerful example is Mohammad Ali, one of the greatest boxers of all time.
He had his Mars in Taurus, it its detriment position.
However, it didn’t stop him from becoming one of the greatest fighters of his generation.
He used the core qualities of resilience and determination of Taurus and applied them successfully to the physical expression of Marcian energy.
This ability is super important when it comes to career in sports.
The house that Mars is in will help determine the best direction of how to use and apply the power of Mars to succeed in any career.
It is recommended to study and work with your Mars placement if you feel lack of energy and drive in life.
Mars through the Houses
Mars in the 1st House
This is a very powerful placement. Aries, ruled by Mars, is the natural ruler of this house.
Mars in the 1st house makes you the force of nature to be reckoned with.
Those with this placement, especially close to the ascendant, are fiercely independent.
They are natural leaders who exude ton of self-confidence. From an early age they feel they are destined for success.
They often exude a ton of contagious enthusiasm and have this unique ability to initiate and lead others.
However, Mars in the 1st house usually doesn’t have the staying power. Those with this placement can get bored pretty quickly.
The most effective way to keep the fire burning is to work in a tandem with someone who can follow through and maintain the momentum.
This placement can cause issues with aggression and anger management.
Engaging in active sports is highly recommended to channel Marcian energy in a healthy way without getting into trouble.
Mars in the 2nd House
This placement blesses the natives with ability to work hard at achieving their goals.
Slow but steady wins the race.
Those with this placement don’t like to be rushed, however they possess an enormous amount of resilience.
If you have Mars in the 2nd House, it’s very likely you are focused on gaining financial resources and personal possessions.
However, you may struggle with controlling your spending habits. Saving may not be one of your strongest points.
One of the biggest lessons of this placement is to exercise patience and discipline when it comes to shopping and spending in general. Don’t let your material status determine your self-worth.
Mars in the 3rd House
If you have Mars in the 3rd House, you might be quite restless with abundance of mental energy. You are alert, enthusiastic and curious.
Most likely than not, you have an over-reactive mind which often makes you act on a first impulse.
This can cause a lot problems when it comes to communicating with others.
One of the biggest lessons of this placement is to develop patience, analytical skills and critical thinking.
You may also experience problems with your siblings and/or neighbours.
Again, the best remedy is to work on your communication skills and try not to say something out of sheer impatience.
Mars in the 4th House
If you have Mars in the 4th House, you are fiercely protective of your family and closest friends.
However, there may be tension and conflicts in your family environment.
Perhaps you are too demanding of your nearest and dearest?
Try not to be too critical and argumentative when it comes to your loved ones.
You may have a strong desire to separate from your family of origin from a young age.
However, there may be a few obstacles on your way to freedom and independence.
There might be issues and delays with buying your own property. It can cause a lot of frustration and stress in your life.
Try to engage in home renovation projects and gardening to utilize abundance of Marcian energy. Exercising at home can help to release frustration build up as well.
Mars in the 5th House
If you have Mars in the 5th House, it’s very likely you have a burning desire to express yourself creatively.
This is a great placement for a career in competitive sports (provided there are other supportive placements & aspects in your birth chart).
Overall you are full of energy and always ready to take on a new challenge.
It’s advised to watch your gambling habits with this placement.
There is a danger it can get the better of you and get you into financial trouble.
There is also a chance you might have a turbulent relationship with your children with this placement.
The best remedy for any issues with this placement is to engage in competitive sports.
It will help balance out negative aspects of Mars.
Mars in the 6th House
If you have Mars in the 6th House, you take your work and day-to-day routines extremely seriously. Most likely than not, you are a classical workaholic or a compulsive exerciser.
You may have a tendency to get irritated and impatient with your co- workers or employees.
If Mars is well aspected, you are blessed with great health and enormous amount of physical stamina.
Watch out for accidents at work with this placement. Make sure you don’t overwork yourself to avoid burnouts.
Invite your work colleagues to join you at the gym or engage in competitive sports with them if you feel the negative effects of this placement.
Working at finding the optimal life-work balance will certainly help manage this energy better.
Mars in the 7th House
If you have your Mars in the 7th house, your personal relationships and business partnerships maybe a major source of conflict and stress in your life.
This is a tricky placement for Mars. Some astrologers suggest it’s a major indicator of the possibility of a divorce.
Don’t freak out though! There must be other indicators of a divorce in your birth chart to support this statement.
However, you should pay close attention to your partnerships if you wish to succeed in this area of life.
Don’t let you impatience and random anger outbursts ruin your relationships.
It’s often recommended to exercise together with you partner to balance out negative energies of Mars.
Mars in the 8th House
This is a very powerful placement for Mars. Scorpio, ruled by Pluto and Mars, is the natural ruler of the 8th house.
Your intuition is always on point.
Most likely than not you’ve got some powerful business instincts and tend to spend a lot of energy on achieving financial success.
This Mars placement is an indicator of tremendous sexual drive.
Sex and physical contact are extremely important to you.
On the negative side, this placement can make you way too secretive, paranoid and not trusting others. Balance it out by studying the occult and hidden knowledge.
Mars in the 9th House
If you have Mars in the 9th House, you tend to love international travels and use every opportunity to go on a trip.
You love exploring foreign countries and cultures.
Your mind is curious and eager to learn about various philosophical concepts.
On the negative side, you can become self-righteous and arrogant when it comes to defending your belief system.
Try to stay open-minded and willing to look at things from a different angle.
Mars in the 10th House
If you have your natal Mars in the 10th house, you are the boss!
This is a really powerful placement for Mars.
You possess tremendous drive for success, especially when it comes to climbing corporate ladder and achieving high social status.
On the negative side, you tend to be super impatient with your work colleagues and often run into conflicts with authority figures.
One of the biggest lessons of this placement is to learn how to work and effectively communicate with others.
Once mastered, there is no one stopping you!
Mars in the 11th House
With Mars in the 11th house, you are likely a classic social butterfly. You tend to invest a lot of energy and enthusiasm into building your social network.
You are a strong believer that your network is your net worth.
However, you also have the tendency to argue a lot with your friends.
Sometimes you just act out on first impulse and can easily part ways even with your closest friends just because they simply annoyed you.
Exercise patience and reason when it comes to communicating with your contacts.
You have a great potential to achieve a lot through your ability to network and mingle like no other. Don’t ruin it out of sheer impatience.
Mars in the 12th House
If you have Mars in the 12th House, you may have the tendency to have intense emotional reactions and even phobias. This is a tricky placement for Mars.
One of the best remedies for this placement is extreme self-care.
Looking after your mental health should be your priority at all times.
You do need a lot more rest and sleep than an average person. Don’t be too harsh on yourself if you don’t feel as driven as others around you.
It doesn’t make you ‘less than’.
Even though you might not have the best physical stamina, you are blessed with truly unique skills and abilities.
Mars in the 12th house can make you super psychic and intuitive.
Engage in creative and esoteric arts. You can achieve profound results in these fields.
Use this free Birth Chart calculator to create your Natal Chart in case you haven’t had a chance to get it yet.
N.B.: Remember that it’s ideal to have your EXACT time of birth on hand. Use 12 p.m. noon if you have no way to get this information. The best option, of course, is to get a personal reading with a professional astrologer who can provide birth-time rectification. Birth time and birthplace are crucial pieces of information for your Natal Chart, as they determine the unique position of the houses and planets that can help you understand transits and their impact on your personal journey.
