Mars In Your Chart

Mars is a planet associated with fiery energy and a strong drive to fight for one's beliefs.

Mars is the "warrior" of the 9 Grahas [planets or heavenly bodies in Sanskrit] that govern your experience here on Earth. Mars takes his orders from the Sun. Therefore, when the Sun in your chart is strong, it can give "good orders" that uphold dharma. However, we often tend to focus on the wrong things or end up fighting or in disagreements because we feel we have been wronged, disrespected, misunderstood, or operating out of our ego.

This is where the real work comes in.

When we can take a step back and re-evaluate what is happening, we can get the lesson the first time and not have to repeat it.

The symbol for Mars is a circle with an arrow extending outwards. The representation shows a direction. It is up to us to determine which way to focus our energy and for what cause.

Mars has rulership of two signs in the zodiac- Aries and Scorpio. Both signs operate out of different extremes and bring about drastic transformation. Aries energy is more about beginnings. Raw marshal energy starts things, while Scorpio energy deals more with endings, and transformation can be challenging, so courage in that area is just as necessary. Whether you have placements in these signs in your natal chart, these areas of life are still active. As a collective, when Mars transits any one of the 12 houses, we tend to experience what that transit brings in one form or another in different areas of our lives.

Generally, the areas of life that Mars governs include passion, power, confidence, determination, blood circulation, masculinity, action, heat, fire, temperament, and much more.

A strong Mars is based on placement, and other factors in your chart can increase your ability to know when and where to exercise your efforts and how you digest your food and process the world around you. Mars is your internal defense system and external protector of truth. We need Mars. Mars cooks the food and gets us off the couch. Mars is our protector. We just can't let Mars become the bully; that is where a healthy Mars comes in.

People born on the 9th, 18th, or 27th of any month or with Mars in a challenging position may experience difficulties or issues with aggression and sometimes health-related issues in the body parts associated with Mars.

Check for yourself. How does Mars function in your life?

• How do you express yourself on a day-to-day basis? Is it very aggressive or passive-aggressive?

• Are you able to check yourself before you call others out?

• Do you learn quickly from your mistakes or bump your head several times before doing things differently?

• What is your active energy level on a day-to-day basis? Do you need a nap mid-day? Are you an early riser, or do you burn out quickly often?

Wherever Mars is placed should not be considered good or bad. Consider the placement as the energy that you have available to you. How you use said energy depends on your will and level of understanding at the time.

Also, when you have 'less' strength in one area, you are more potent in others. So even if one particular planet asks more of you, you get support from other planets because you are meant to be successful. Your goal here is to achieve balance in a way that is right for you. This is why the pursuit of balance looks different for everyone because everyone has different levels of energy available to meet our needs, whatever those needs may be.

How To Work With Mars

Vedic Astrology suggests upayes, which translates to remedies. Remedies can be helpful because you need all of the energy available to you to function at an optimal level. You can help yourself improve in specific areas by incorporating a few practices. These practices can help strengthen the expression of Mars in your chart, but keep in mind that when you "strengthen" it, it will be stronger and still function within duality.

For individualized remedies, you can consult an astrologer to see what practices will benefit you the most.

For general support with martial energy behavior changes will go a long way to improve your ability to think before you react, overcome anger, aggression, arrogance, lack of energy or drive, etc., please consider the following:

• Breathing- Your body requires oxygen to function. Intentional breathing exercises work by promoting the circulation of prana. By controlling your breath, you control your thoughts and reactions. You can "see" clearly instead of seeing red when you're calmer.

• Color Therapy- The color red is associated with the planet Mars. Wearing red, coral, carnelian, or other root chakra crystals and gems will energize Mars. Cool colors calm him down.

• Fast- fasting on Tuesdays, when possible, can help Martial energy function more productively

• Mantra- helps to calm the effects of all of the planets. When we can control our minds, our actions will follow. Mantras to awaken your mars will help or calm it down.] It will work when you select the right mantra for the best purpose.

• Movement- It helps to give your energy an outlet. Find what works for you and be consistent with it. Movements like Qigong or yoga help Mars because it refines this energy. Martial artists train themselves to fight only when they have to. It's not about subduing this energy. It's about refining it and, more often, aiming at the right thing at the right time.

• Self Control-is key with this energy. Depending on your placement, you may have come here to learn to be less reactive. So being "challenged in this area often will indicate that you need to know peace or which fight is worth fighting.

As students of astrology, we know that this science takes lifetimes of study. For those new to this, starting with the basics and implementing our discoveries through trial and error helps us navigate our experiences.