Yea! Mars makes it home on 28 June at 01:45 GMT. By home, the implication is that Mars enters a sign that he rules... familiar ground, a natural setting: Mars in Aries. True, Mars in Aries might sound scary... tense, dangerous, warlike. However, given his comfort zone in the sign, with some astute guidelines the transit can be construed as a time when one can productively engage tension, go dynamic, and make serious hay. Since daylight’s burning, here’s a walk through Mars’ home turf romp with the planets that stand more distant from the Sun than he.
Given retrogradation, Mars remains in Aries for more than four months. He makes it nearly through the entire sign all the way to 28 Aries 06 on 9 September before he retrogrades. Then, he advances to the rear by retrograde until 14 November when he ends up about midway through the sign, 15 Aries 14. He finishes his stay at home transit on 6 Jan 2021 where he strides into Taurus. Soon thereafter he rolls up his sleeves to expose his sweaty, sinewy arms in preparation for a square to Saturn, a conjunction with Uranus, then a square to Jupiter. Surely this gives the initial weeks of 2021 a strong transit brew to work out the post holiday cobwebs and whatever hangovers 2020 leaves behind.
During his Aries campaign Mars and the transits he engages with superior planets (meaning further from the Sun than himself) create a plethora of life plot points in which everyone is inspired to become a proactive protagonist in the story of their life. Simply put, do Mars and go out and seize life instead of permitting life to happen to you.
Before Mars contends with any planets, on 1 July he opposes the Super-Galactic Center (approximately 2 Libra). The rumored self-referentialism of Mars in Aries actually serves a strong purpose here. In the moment all relationships and interactions come into considerate review. If an alliance, collaboration or interaction serves ones purposes for where they intend to be in six months or so, fantastic! More energy applied furthers such causes. If an exchange feels draining, fatiguing or non-contributing, cutting it loose is better... and doing so clearly, consciously and sooner are all better. Who needs antagonists when going for good galactic goals anyway!?
Over the next couple of weeks Mars asserts itself with the usual gusto, perhaps bravado. The results achieved soon heap up and force a consideration of ones output and effort. On 14 July, Mars crosses Chiron by conjunction, the only one of these alignments during Mars’ occupancy of Aries. Here, feelings of “not enough” tend to get flagged. Instead of lamenting that others tend to evaluate your skill and competence as something less than ideal, what can be done to add to your arsenal of tools? How can additional knowledge be gleaned and applied? Any Yoda-like mentor appearing should be engaged, even if only a morsel of insight or two get conveyed. Keys to opening life opportunities can be tiny, even minuscule. It’s how the key gets used that matters. And once the door is open... there’s the matter of crossing the threshold. Once invited in, you gotta take a most confident step.
Mars forms two squares to Jupiter while the grand gaseous one transits Capricorn. These occur on 4 August with Mars direct, and 18 October with Mars retrograde. This pattern demands “get on with it and get on with it now.” “Forget about the cost, there’s a dang deadline,” (real, imagined or self-imposed). All true. The consideration, given that Mars and Jupiter rule fire signs, will aggressive, uncompromising effort lay waste to the land? Can extreme activity produce only good results? The answer is that if the moment is read and responded to with immediate instinctiveness, yes. Shortly after a rocket taking astronauts into space launches, it enters a zone of maximum dynamic pressure. The rocket throttles back to ensure safe passage and not be jostled to pieces. All the Mars to Jupiter squares, no matter the sign, are like that. Hit it hard. Hit it now. Apply measured, proper torque to all activities. Do not over tighten. And get on with it while the thrust is under you... like when Jupiter’s got your back.
The next Mars pattern occurs as he squares Pluto on 12 August. He does this again by retrograde on 9 October, and one more time in the Aries to Capricorn pattern on 23 December. This aspect is volatile because it signifies unlimited passion. If such passion is applied consistently throughout these patterns, that’s better. When it’s avoided or ignored, it backs up and bottlenecks. That’s not so good. While some may contend the world may be in sticky straits regarding nuclear armament, there’s a profoundly personal aspect to this imagery, too. You gotta do what you gotta do... as in what your soul issues as an incarnation criterion... because that’s where you find your soul’s atomic agenda and spirit’s altruism.
Mars meets up and convenes with Eris in on Aries in a transit triptych: 17 August, 2 October Mars retrograde, 22 December. While potentially confrontational, Mars and Eris possess kindred natures. How do I get inside the secret sanctum? The key issue is to seek what inclusion is required to accomplish your agenda to the fullest. Remember that childhood game where a group of kids link arms in a circle and one outsider has to work into the gathering? It’s like that. Use what is required, only what is required, and only what you’ll feel good about using to get into circles that serve your purposes. If a gathering, group or activity serves no purpose, it’s totally cool not to engage with it. Also, there’s a cost factor. Sure you can buy your way into groups, airline travel programs, golf clubs and more. Ultimately, is it worth it? Do you like how you feel while there? You clearly know how you got there. Fitting inside your skin is a great goal and a key component to these passages and a compliment to your being.
The Martian opposes Haumea, the Hawaiian creative dwarf planet now surfing Libra on 23 August, 23 September by retrograde and finally on 3 January 2021. Simply, this is a triangulation check regarding your creative output. The agenda is to neutralize anything or anyone that feels like it (or they) might stand in the way of you getting where you gotta go. This is perceptual. This means look inside first and make sure it’s not simply your opinion that another person, party or place does not align with your goals. Delete assumptions with clear communication. Articulate your agendas. Listen to the responses of those around you. When agreements and liaisons are achieved, have a bite to eat to savor and celebrate the alliances.
Mars squares Saturn on 23 August, and again by retrograde on 29 September, right as Saturn stations, restoring direct motion. There’s a bad rap for Mars and Saturn combo plates. In actually, these aspects have no intention of denying or delaying efforts. In fact the opposite is true. Saturn rewards the work and enthusiastic output of Mars. Should any throttling exist, it’s because Saturn encourages Mars to find an easier, more efficient way. Maybe a way in which grease does not need to be applied to grinding gears because gears do not need to grind at all. With these aspects running Aries to Capricorn, the chance to cover ground, complete tasks, and kick the proverbial can down the road occur. The trend is to accomplish more in less time than initially budgeted. That’s a very good thing. Capricorn loves it when one comes in ahead of schedule, perfectly completed and under budget.
In the dawning days of 2021 Mars completes transits to major planets while in Aries and prepares for a reconcentrated effort, decked out in a new suit of zodiacal apparel. Mars now in Taurus, digs in, dives deep and commits to the long haul. Wouldn’t you know? The first of his major aspects Mars makes in 2021 loves this. On 12 January Mars squares Saturn in Aquarius, a sign that Saturn classically rules. Saturn recognizes that to sustain the efforts of “revolution” long, enduring work is required. So, for anyone looking to knock it out of the park, the realization that hours in the batting cage to perfect the technique of taking a good rip would be better done long before stepping to the plate. This is a “Showtime!” aspect... not let’s rehearse for Showtime that may happen some day.
A bit more than a week later Mars aligns with Uranus in Taurus, and the day or so after that, he squares Jupiter in Aquarius. Couple of things here... the Mars-Saturn thing sounds uber-revolutionary. But based upon what beliefs? Is altruism involved? Are the attributes of the time being ripe in place? Is Jupiter embedded in every step of this campaign? Will this be chock full of win-wins?
While not a prediction, per se, one could argue the above pattern to be an astrological signature of mass vaccinations. Whether it is, or whether it isn’t, the agenda is clear: Strike the flint of fortuitous efforts that benefit the greater good. All the benefit received from such effort, when it comes to you in reward of your efforts, graciously receive it... something to grasp as Venus turns direct in the present moment.
It’s a heap of Mars starting in a but couple of days. Some regions of the planet are wide open again from the pandemic. Some only now reopening, others perhaps will need to shut down again. No matter what coronavirus consciousness you must endure, Mars in Aries marks the time to take personal responsibility for all personal objectives and work the next months within this glorious Martian framework to create all the good you possibly can. The getting’s getting good. Daylight’s burning. Task up!
More soon.