Mars, the God
of War, is the ruler of Aries. In astrology, Mars is the
planet of energy, action, and desire. It is the survival
instinct, and can be thought of as the "leftover" animal
nature of man.
Mars rules our animal
instincts for aggression, anger, and survival. Our sexual
desires come under the rule of Mars. Whereas Venus rules
romantic attraction, Mars is most associated with basic body
attraction. This is the planet of
action rather than reaction. With Mars, there is no
contemplation before action. The drive associated with Mars
differs from that of the Sun in that it is self-assertion
rather than assertion of the will; it is raw energy
rather than creative energy.
|Mars is the push that gets us out of
bed in the morning, our drive and desire nature, and our
active energy. When we are "acting out" our Mars, we are
assertive, directed, forthright, and adventurous. On
the negative side, we can be impulsive, rash, impatient, aggressive, and
In the chart, the position
of Mars by sign shows our basic sexual nature, how we
express our anger (our temper), what makes us angry, and our first
instinct to act. Our competitive nature is revealed in the
nature of Mars' sign. By house, the position of Mars shows
the areas of life where we apply our drive and express our
enthusiasm. Planets that Mars contacts are colored with
action and self-assertion. These planets can represent the
kinds of experiences we seek.
See each position of Mars by sign:
Mars in the Signs
in the Elements
Mars in the Houses
Aspects of Mars in the Natal Chart:
Mars-Sun aspects |
Mars-Moon aspects |
| Mars-Venus aspects
Mars-Saturn aspects |
Mars-Pluto aspects |
Mars-Chiron aspects |
your Mars sign?
to Planets & Luminaries in Astrology
The symbol, or glyph, of Mars is widely used as a symbol of
the male. It shows the circle of spirit, directed outwards and thrust onto the world, symbolizing direction and assertion.
Mars takes about 2 to 2-1/2 years to transit each sign. Mars is retrograde
approximately every 2 years.
Mars is exalted in the sign of Capricorn; the sign of its fall
is Cancer (opposite the exalted sign); and Mars is in its detriment in