by Robert Wilkinson
On October 30, 2021, Mars will enter Scorpio. What does this mean for all of us?
It means that how we generally “attack the problems of life,” or how we “take the initiative” leaves the balanced “compare and contrast” process of the idealistic Cardinal Air of Libra and now expresses that energy through the focused, intense, “take no prisoners” Fixed Water sign of Scorpio.
Scorpio is where we move past the idealistic and pleasing forms of Libra into the magnetic essence of the process of regeneration. Mars is in one of its home signs in Scorpio, so is at ease with the stable, consistent, “eliminate to purify” energy which severs the past, creating voids to be filled in the future. While Mars in Libra was in its sign of “exile,” being somewhat moderate, cautious, and seeking the “perfect balance,” when in Scorpio Mars is set loose to shred forms to find essentials.
Mars in Scorpio is in its own 8th house relative to its rulership of Aries, and in its own 1st house relative to its rulership of Scorpio. This offers us clues to its expression. Scorpio is where we turn past defeats into the power needed for future victories, and where we let go of all unnecessary considerations to achieve forward momentum on our own terms. Mars in this sign operates under its own rules, never forgets a slight, and often goes too far too fast. It is invincible in pursuit of its ends, even to the point of self-destruction.
Mars in Libra has been great for cautiously taking the thousand step route to accomplish, as it prepared for the relentless intensity of Scorpio. As Mars has the quality of “severing,” then while Mars in Libra has expressed “the iron fist in the velvet glove,” Mars in Scorpio will express more of a “take the war to the opponent” type of energy. Mars in its home signs is fearless, as it naturally knows how to use those energies to accomplish its ends, even if it seems ruthless at times.
Mars is now almost at maximum cruising speed, having gradually accelerated since its Autumn 2020 retrograde in Aries which allowed us to undo, re-do, or re-plan our lives wherever we have late Aries in our charts. It is currently moving at over 40 minutes’ motion per day and still gaining speed for many weeks to come. This indicates a gradual speeding up of our ability to use the transiting Mars energies, whether to execute projects or sever what must be severed so we can move forward unimpeded by errors in our expression.
Where Mars Is At in its Inner Planet Cycles
When Mars was in Mutable Virgo all of August and the first half of September, we accomplished “relative perfection” through that sign’s precision and practicality. In Libra the last half of September and all of October, it activated what Venus and Mercury heralded in that sign. While in Libra, the Sun conjuncted Mars at 16 Libra at the same time as the Inferior Conjunction at 17 Libra, setting a two year “Mercury retrograde conjunct Mars” type of energy into motion for two years!
Mercury made its first conjunction with Mars at 13 Virgo on August 18. When retrograde, it conjuncted Mars at 17 Libra on October 9, and will make its final conjunction when direct on November 10 at 8 Scorpio. So this year we’ve had or will have significant Mars conjunctions in Virgo, Libra, and Scorpio!
Venus will again conjunct Mars in Capricorn twice in February and March 2022, while the Sun and Mercury make their next conjunctions in late 2023. After that Venus conjuncts Mars in February 2024 at 7 Aquarius, Saturn’s direct station in October of this year.
Mars’ Path To Where We Are Now – Past As Prologue
Its transit in Virgo between mid-August and early October 2019 coincided with a lot of conjunctions which shaped September through December 2019 with residual effects lasting till August-September 2021 when Mars again transited Virgo. We were all making practical adjustments and sacrifices in our Virgo sector, taking care of business with an eye to details and how to do what we needed to do. Mars in Virgo is good for refining methods and re-ordering priorities to make our lives more efficient.
Mars was last in Libra between early October and late November 2019, with new ideals and a recalibration of how much time and energy we were devoting to our Libra influenced affairs. This was a period of learning to find the balance and hold it, rather than keep “comparing and contrasting,” paralyzing action. We’re now done with a new iteration of those energies we’ve just been through from mid-September to now.
Mars entered Scorpio in mid-November 2019, one of the signs it rules, along with Aries. Mars is most naturally itself in those two signs, and as mentioned above, in Scorpio it eliminates all which is unnecessary to attain the fulfillment of the process it’s engaged in. We now commence a new experience of using Mars in its home sign to re-focus our “attack on the problems of life” using the Fixed Water of Scorpio.
Beginning January 2020 it transited Sagittarius, a sign in harmony with its Fiery nature, so we “Flamed on” and set elements of the future into motion, activating much of the Jupiter promise from its year in Sagittarius. We’ll renew that pulse beginning mid-December, lasting through most of January.
Its transit of Capricorn began on February 16, 2020. This was a profound transit, as it triggered the numerous Capricorn conjunctions between January and March 2020. Capricorn is the sign of Mars’ exaltation, or greatest growth. The last half of February and all of March 2020 we learned to be pragmatic and organized with an eye to the long game, with an eye to accepting discipline and “responsible action. In March, many cycles were set into motion when Mars made conjunctions with Jupiter, Pluto, and Saturn.
Looking back at 2020, Mars entered Aquarius at the end of March, immediately made a conjunction with Saturn at 1 Aquarius, thereby jumpstarting the new 20 year Aquarian era launched globally at the Grand Mutation conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn at 1 Aquarius at the December 2020 Solstice. During April and early May 2020, we saw the future, and ways to make a greater contribution to our greater good, as well as ways to cooperate through managing energy and things with an eye to the future.
That period opened up new group initiatives, as well as new visions of a greater good for a greater number. Of note was that Mercury went SD at 29 Aquarius in early March 2020, and Mars passed through the “Transfiguration Zone” at 29-30 Aquarius in mid-May 2020, activating what we’re going through in 2021 as Jupiter is also making three transits through that Aquarian zone. This year expands the promise of the transfiguration process we’ve been going through since May 2020.
Mars in Pisces from mid-May through late June 2020 helped us learn to flow, bless, and forgive much. As Pisces is the sign of seclusion, it’s no wonder that fiery and aggressive Mars inflamed many passions of those who were quarantined. The period when Mars squared Uranus in mid-April through the various Mutable squares in June featured the beginning of the anti-mask rebellion (Pisces rules veils) as a widespread policy of mask wearing was mandated.
Then Mars entered Aries at the end of June 2020, where it remained until it finally entered Taurus in early January 2021! Mars in Aries last year was a time of testing and trials, conflicts and turning points, wherever we have late Aries, late Cancer, late Libra, and late Capricorn in our charts. We were all tested to protect what we cared about while maintaining inner equilibrium and a balanced sense of perspective and proportion.
Mars in Aries brought a period of open aggression and conflict between entrenched authority (Capricorn) and a future oriented impulse to move humanity in new directions (Aries). That was a time when planets or angles we have in Aries or Scorpio moved out of a watery expression (Pisces) into a fiery expression (Aries).
We then saw Mars’ entry into Taurus in early January 2021, moving the natural fire of Mars in Aries into one of the signs of its “exile,” meaning it’s in a sign opposite one it rules. When it entered Taurus, it immediately made major squares to Jupiter and Saturn, and received squares from the Sun, Mercury, and Venus! These tested us to stay focused, see what we want and why we want it, and be more heartfelt in our lives.
Mars moved into Gemini in early March 2021, where its Aries side found productivity, and its Scorpio side found regeneration. March and April were about discovering and externalizing information which naturally led to the shifts in allegiance and direction while Mars was Cancer, as well as the need to integrate these new directives in our lives to make us more secure.
It then moved through Leo between mid-June and late July 2021. Fiery Leo is another element Mars is familiar with. Mars in Leo offered new initiatives wherever we have Leo in our charts, allowing us to know what our hearts were into. Mars in Leo is a time to show style in whatever we do, as well as playfulness.
As Water (Cancer) and Fire (Leo) are elements integral to Mars’ nature, Mars is comfortable in those signs, even if it doesn’t grow that much in Cancer. Mars does very well in the Fixed Fire of Leo, as the Aries part of Mars is Fiery, and the Scorpio part of Mars is Fixed. Mars in Virgo was also favorable, since the Earthy Virgo is related to its exaltation Earth sign of Capricorn.
We just finished its transit through idealistic Cardinal Air sign of Libra which shifted the element quality of the ruler of the houses and planets we have in Aries and Scorpio from Virgo Earth to Libra Air, and now shift again from the idealistic Air of Libra to its natural Water element in Scorpio. This affects planets and houses where we have Aries and Scorpio, shifting the emphasis from Air to Water.
While Mars is in Scorpio it puts a huge focus of activity in the house where we have the first 10 degrees of Scorpio from now through November 14. After that, it transits the second 10 degrees of Scorpio from November 14 through November 28, and will transit the last 10 degrees of Scorpio between November 28 and December 13, after which it enters Sagittarius.
The Mars Challenge For All Signs
When Mars was in Aries, it brought new beginnings to those with Sun or Ascendant in Aries, and new emergent developments to those with Sun or Ascendant in Capricorn. It puts the focus on relationships to those with Sun or Ascendant in Libra, and fulfillment to those with Sun or Ascendant in Cancer. (Again, these crucial points of choice and change were re-set in some way between July 2020 and January 2021.)
While Mars was in Taurus, it brought new beginnings to those with Sun or Ascendant in Taurus, and new emergent developments to those with Sun or Ascendant in Aquarius. It puts the focus on relationships to those with Sun or Ascendant in Scorpio, and fulfillment or public activity to those with Sun or Ascendant in Leo. (This was re-set with Mars’ transit of Taurus in January and February 2021.)
While Mars was in Gemini, it brought new beginnings to those with Sun or Ascendant in Gemini, and new emergent developments to those with Sun or Ascendant in Pisces. It puts the focus on relationships to those with Sun or Ascendant in Sagittarius, and fulfillment to those with Sun or Ascendant in Virgo. (This April-May 2019 cycle was re-set between early March and late April 2021.)
While Mars was in Cancer, it brought new beginnings to those with Sun or Ascendant in Cancer, and new emergent developments to those with Sun or Ascendant in Aries. It puts the focus on relationships to those with Sun or Ascendant in Capricorn, and fulfillment or public activity to those with Sun or Ascendant in Libra. (This cycle was re-set between late April and mid-June 2021.)
While Mars is in Leo, it brings new beginnings to those with Sun or Ascendant in Leo, and new emergent developments to those with Sun or Ascendant in Taurus. It puts the focus on relationships to those with Sun or Ascendant in Aquarius, and fulfillment or public activity to those with Sun or Ascendant in Scorpio. (This cycle was re-set between mid-June and late July.)
While Mars is in Virgo, it brings new beginnings to those with Sun or Ascendant in Virgo, and new emergent developments to those with Sun or Ascendant in Gemini. It puts the focus on relationships to those with Sun or Ascendant in Pisces, and fulfillment or public activity to those with Sun or Ascendant in Sagittarius. This cycle was re-set between late July and mid-September.)
While Mars is in Libra, it brings new beginnings to those with Sun or Ascendant in Libra, and new emergent developments to those with Sun or Ascendant in Cancer. It put the focus on relationships to those with Sun or Ascendant in Aries, and fulfillment or public activity to those with Sun or Ascendant in Capricorn. (This cycle was re-set in the past 7 weeks.)
While Mars is in Scorpio, it brings new beginnings to those with Sun or Ascendant in Scorpio, and new emergent developments to those with Sun or Ascendant in Leo. It puts the focus on relationships to those with Sun or Ascendant in Taurus, and fulfillment or public activity to those with Sun or Ascendant in Aquarius.
While Mars is in Sagittarius, it brings new beginnings to those with Sun or Ascendant in Sagittarius, and new emergent developments to those with Sun or Ascendant in Virgo. It puts the focus on relationships to those with Sun or Ascendant in Gemini, and fulfillment or public activity to those with Sun or Ascendant in Pisces.
While Mars is in Capricorn, it brings new beginnings to those with Sun or Ascendant in Capricorn, and new emergent developments to those with Sun or Ascendant in Libra. It puts the focus on relationships to those with Sun or Ascendant in Cancer, and fulfillment or public activity to those with Sun or Ascendant in Aries.
While Mars is in Aquarius, it brings new beginnings to those with Sun or Ascendant in Aquarius, and new emergent developments to those with Sun or Ascendant in Scorpio. It puts the focus on relationships to those with Sun or Ascendant in Leo, and fulfillment or public activity to those with Sun or Ascendant in Taurus.
While Mars is in Pisces, it brings new beginnings to those with Sun or Ascendant in Pisces, and new emergent developments to those with Sun or Ascendant in Sagittarius. It puts the focus on relationships to those with Sun or Ascendant in Virgo, and fulfillment or public activity to those with Sun or Ascendant in Gemini.
Obviously within these transit spans there are other “phase relationships” between transiting Mars and all the planets in our charts, but to go into all of them would make this article a book. For example, Mars makes aspects to your other planets which are different than aspects to your Sun and Ascendant. All aspects, waxing and waning, fall within “The Whole Cycle” of each planet to every other planets and our Ascendant. You can find out more about the Whole Cycle in my book Saturn: Spiritual Master, Spiritual Friend. where I explain the various phases in the planetary cycles in terms of the Whole Cycle for various generations.
Mars Links to the Past, Present, and Future
As I mentioned earlier, the Mars conjunction with Saturn at 1 Aquarius launched a totally future oriented period of human existence. This began to take shape in a new 20 year Aquarian Era with Jupiter’s conjunction with Saturn on that same degree in December 2020. And here it’s important to note that this is the last transit of Saturn through Aquarius before we “slip across the edge of the Age” after 2050.
I explained how various Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto transits over the past 3 centuries each strengthened the advent of the Age of Aquarius in the article Uranus Awakened the Age of Aquarius, Neptune Dreamed It Into Collective Consciousness, and Pluto Will Sprout It Into Life, as well as why we are not yet fully into the Age of Aquarius yet, but will be in the third quarter of this century. Of course, living on the cusp of a Great Age means we will be dealing with the dying echoes of the Age of Pisces for some time to come, since many who were born under those dying assumptions will try to perpetuate them as long as they can.
Just remember that the Capricorn cycles set into motion by Mars in March 2020 will have far reaching implications, some of which won’t be completed until 2053! We won’t have another Saturn conjunct Pluto for over 30 years, nor another Jupiter conjunct Pluto for 12 years. These Capricorn cycles will play out until the next transit of the outer planets over the conjunction points as a finish to what just began, and as prelude to the next cycles beginning then. (There will be an exact Sun conjunct Jupiter as both conjunct Pluto in Feb 2033 at the Angel Point at 15 Aquarius. That promises to be a much happier cycle than the current one!)
Aspects in Play
Mars in Scorpio moves through a mixed bag of aspects, mostly favorable to Venus the entire month and to Neptune and Pluto the last half of the month. While the first week of the month shows Mars in serendipitous tredecile to Jupiter, it quickly gives way to the very intense Mercury conjunct Mars with both square Saturn the entire second week of the month.
The month ends with Mars in a favorable trine to Neptune and approaching the productive sextile with Pluto. Still, with the Mercury conjunct Mars square Saturn, expect friction to be in the air between November 5 and 14. As I’ve offered before, when Mars is within a degree of forming or separating while making a hard aspect with a planet, slow down and show deliberation and caution in how you use force, with an eye to moderating or antidoting impulsiveness and impatience. Mars aspects this month show great interactive blessings, followed by the intense friction of the squares, requiring good Leo energies in all of us.
What Do Mars Oppositions Teach Us?
Because of where the inner planets were located, we had no oppositions other than those made by the Moon for many months. That ended when Mars opposed Pluto in June, followed by Mars’ and the inner planet oppositions to Pluto, Saturn, Jupiter, and Neptune as they transited Cancer, Leo, and Virgo. All oppositions by Mars can be tense, and oppositions to any of the outer spiritual planets require us to use different spiritual planetary energies.
All oppositions made by Mars externalize various types of wisdom, since the “Tension of Opposites” between the planetary expressions in the signs they’re in entirely determines the spiritual tests to learn and demonstrate. As I noted in Chapter 2 in my book Saturn: Spiritual Master, Spiritual Friend,
Mars' duality is Grace/Sin. This is the aspect of consciousness that shows whether our responses are manifesting error or truth, maladjustment or beauty. By our Martian function we force things before their time or confront abrasive, aggressive, or hostile energies in ourselves and others, and thus we learn how to sever what must be severed, and further what must be furthered, quickly and directly. (As an aside, the original meaning of “sin” had nothing to do with moral failure. It was an archery term meaning “to miss the mark,” or not hitting the center of a target. I use it here in that sense.)
So we’ve navigated many “tests of skill” this past Summer expressing the realizations which surface at Mars oppositions. June and July brought realizations about Pluto, Saturn, and Jupiter while September and November give us realizations about Neptune and Uranus.
Picking Up the Pace Since The Grand Mutation of 2020!
In March 2020, Mars conjuncted Jupiter at 1 Aquarius, beginning our initiatives in moving into a fixed larger vision of a greater good, a greater contribution, and a greater way to manage collective energies synergistically so that all parts cooperate together for a greater achievement than any could have done separately. After Mars helped us all “graduate into a new realm of being” in early May 2020, we then entered into the flow which will take us into the Aquarian ideal coming forth over the next 12 years
These 2020 Aquarian initiatives which are already expanding will be activated in transformational seed forms after Pluto enters Aquarius 2023 and goes SRX at 1 Aquarius. That will sprout new seeds from the Mars/Saturn conjunction and the Grand Mutation Jupiter/Saturn conjunction, both at 1 Aquarius. As I mentioned earlier, everything Aquarian accelerates in 2033 when it conjuncts Pluto at the Angel Point.
The next 7 weeks will activate our ability to be focused, eliminating all unnecessary considerations to move things forward wherever we have Scorpio in our chart. We now move from the balanced rhythmic moderated responses of Mars in Libra in its interactive dances to the intensely one pointed efforts of Mars in Scorpio. With Mars in the sign of the Warrior-Guardian, try to remember that a warrior knows when to retreat, defend, and guard what’s been accomplished and doesn’t have to push when it’s time to relax!
To bring you full circle, something I began during the previous Mars transit of Virgo which I’ve added to with each subsequent sign transit. Mars in Virgo teaches us “All play and no work make for an ungrounded life.” To which I’ll add that worrying about outcomes and perfection only makes the journey tedious, so trust in the efficiency of the process to bring the project home in the right way and time.
Mars in Libra teaches us “All work with no socializing makes for an unsustainable life.” Mars in Scorpio teaches us “doing the wrong thing in the wrong way with the wrong people will never make us happy, so do the right thing and be happy!” Mars in Sagittarius teaches us how to be a “stylish and bold Archer riding our Sacred Arrows to our dream,” as well as “scattered effort leaves us frustrated.”
Mars in Capricorn teaches us “Work for the now, work for the future, work for all time.” Mars in Aquarius teaches us “As you strive for greater things, you make manifest a future ideal which will outlive you.” Mars in Pisces teaches us “to witness our common humanity as we struggle for clarity in a murky collective environment.”
Mars in Aries teaches us how to act on our own initiative, not defer so much to others, and “working half-heartedly is not the way to accomplish much.” Mars in Taurus teaches us to “take pleasure in our work” as we learned to keep it simple and steady despite crosswinds, and Mars in Gemini teaches us adaptability because “there are many ways to get things done.” Mars in Cancer teaches us to “be watchful as we work,” acting with sensitivity, care, and caution.
Mars in Leo taught us to “work with flair and style,” putting on the show as we accomplish things in inspired ways. So we’ve now had chances to show our power and style when opportunities presented themselves, and have seen how our command of energy can be expressed in creative ways.
Now that we’ve learned the “significance of form” and made the work pleasing and balanced, now it’s time to focus on accomplishing whatever we need to in order to prepare for a greater adventure in 2022. This position teaches us to know when to press forward, when to back off, when to let go, and when to see what our magnetism is and is not bringing us. Time to dive deep!
Copyright © 2021 Robert Wilkinson
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