In the glyph of Mars, the circle of spirit is directed towards specific goals, symbolized by the arrow. This is the planet of individual willpower and often focused on instincts, the basic tasks of daily survival, and the primary drives involved in the perpetuation of human life. It is the opposite of Venus, for while Venus represents the feminine, passive and softer archetype, Mars is the masculine archetype, active and bellicose. It is an archetype of decision and cut, energy that decides things.

The arrow also symbolizes dynamic activity. With a sharp arrow, we can be impulsive or dissipate energy in almost unconscious displays of unbridled passion or anger. With the circle too tight, we can appear selfish and arrogant. When the archetype is in balance, it indicates confidence and self-discipline to effectively achieve goals.

Mars travels about 30 minutes daily (half a degree) and takes approximately 22 months to cross the entire zodiac. When it goes into retrogradation movement, it can stay up to 7 months in a sign. House 1 is associated with the planet, which rules the signs of Aries and Scorpio. It has its exaltation in the Capricorn sign and its fall in Cancer. Tuesday is its day of the week.

The red planet also represents Ares, the God of War. At the beginning of time, Ares was the god of agriculture, giving crops the life that comes from the sun and the arrow of action so that farmers have the strength to persevere and defend their crops from all predators. However, this association was changed by the Roman soldiers to symbolize the warrior's ability and willingness to attack his enemies and defend his life with his arrow, that is, the planet started to have a more belligerent connotation, of war and competition. The force behind Mars can be compared to a sword, which cuts and decides, not to run away. It is a symbol of struggle, desire, and conquest.

What Mars can bring to your birth chart

The position of Mars in the signs of the Zodiac provides information about the person’s characteristic way of acting when influenced by the principle of desire and action. It compels us to compete, to fight, it makes us act and overcome obstacles and rivalries, representing our driving force, the motivation to act and succeed. A well-positioned Mars in the birth chart can provide good physical strength, especially if well aspected with the Rising sign, as well as a good dose of assertiveness and ambition. It best represents ages 36 to 40 (when the sun ends) going up to age 54 (when the Jupiter phase begins). According to some schools, astrological symbolism is the delineation of interpretations or predictions of men, whether partners, friends, enemies, rivals, or anyone else with an age close to that mentioned.

Fighters and sportsmen benefit when they have a strong Mars on their charts. It is also the star that helps us fight enemies and diseases. It is the energetic correspondence of Mars within us that motivates us to act with willpower, physical energy, courage, and perseverance to achieve our desires. It is our ability to transform ideas into actions at the moment we want and desire.

If Mars is weak (as in the Pisces sign, for example), then the individual's driving force tends to be more attenuated, influencing a lower desire to compete. People with a weakened Mars positioning tend to face even everyday life more difficult and arduous. The astrological house where Mars is in the birth chart is the area of life where a person is most likely to assert themselves and warm their head.

The sign where Mars is positioned also indicates the types of expression through which the person will act, impose themselves and the way to relate sexually. When Mars is in Gemini, for example, there may be a tendency for arguments. In Aries, physical confrontations. In Leo, an exacerbated authoritarianism. In Libra, hesitation to act. In the Cancer sign, it can influence a more contained, internalized aggression, although causing a powerful and emotional irritation. When Mars is in Taurus, Libra, or Pisces, the individual can become calmer compared to other more belligerent signs.

The positive side of mars gives strength, energy, courage, dynamism, and determination. It makes the individual take a taste for adventures, be always ready to act and conquer. It brings out the will to win, the instinct to defend oneself, and independence. It makes possible the assertion of their own rights and expression of thoughts and feelings, giving even more audacity and courage in risky situations.

Under stress, it makes the individual somehow more reckless, impatient, harsh, impulsive, taking excessive and sometimes unnecessary risks. Anger, violence, and combativeness are other negative traits, followed by selfishness, irritation, and arrogance. The person can become more intolerant, hyperactive, out of control, dissatisfied, domineering, or arguing. On the other hand, the individual may present fear, cowardice, and a feeling of impotence. This inhibition can lead them to not want to enter competitions, to be hesitant or inert. It inspires a lack of energy that can lead to unproductiveness or giving up. It is up to us to constructively use this incredible strength.

Mars is more powerful at night, so if you have a night chart, you might consider Mars to have a little more power in your birth chart. House 10 might be the best position for Mars. The same can no longer be said about Houses 4 and 7, as they are houses not much in line with the energy of this star, as well as the signs that govern: Cancer and Libra.

Conquer, act and react

Mars is fundamentally about conquest, desire, and energy, it brings an impulse that helps the “I” to assert itself. Other planets and the Sun express themselves through the power of action of Mars, which represents the force to act, the stamina that our Ego has at its disposal, its capacity for effective realization. Its energy is strong and imposing, conquering and dominating everything in the environment.

When a planet conjuncts Mars, it is affected by its nature. Thus, it becomes more aggressive and direct. For example, Mars conjunct Jupiter can make people take over and fight for what they believe. Its teachings become more powerful and direct.

It is the position of Mars in the signs that indicates the people's characteristic type of ambition, which can tell us a lot about the way they do their work. We must remember that desire leads to ambition. The planet's position will also show how danger and more energetic attitudes are handled by the people and how they deal with such issues.