The Planets: The Role of Mars in Astrology

Mars, the planet of war

There are only 4 terrestrial planets in the solar system: Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars . The Red Planet, always so called because of its characteristic visible color caused by the large amounts of iron oxide that cover it, is undoubtedly the planet humans know best.

Despite its rather extreme temperatures and thin atmosphere, Mars is undoubtedly the planet in our solar system most similar to Earth: this is why our interest in the Red Planet has always been extremely high.

It is a planet larger than our natural satellite, the Moon, and smaller than Earth; its diameter is in fact about half that of our planet, and it has a day length similar to that of Earth (also due to the inclination of its rotation axis).

On Mars Thanks to the extraordinary modern technologies, it has been possible to clearly see valleys, polar ice caps, sandy deserts, volcanic formations... according to recent studies it seems that in the past there was a hydrosphere on Mars.

The surface is also full of craters because there are no erosive weather elements and its atmosphere is not dense enough to slow down and pulverize meteorites before they reach and impact the planet.

On Mars The highest mountain in the entire Solar System is located here, named after Greek mythology: Mount Olympus. Its summit is a full 27 kilometers above the ground.

It was in fact Greco-Roman culture that associated this planet and its characteristic red light with the deity Ares/Mars and attributed to it the qualities of the god of war.

The myth of Ares-Mars

According to Ancient Greek mythology, Ares was the son of Zeus and Hera and has a more grim identity than traditionally thought. In fact, he is not the god of war, but one of the gods of war. Athena was also a deity of war, but one associated with strategy and cunning for the purposes of combat. Ares, on the other hand, is the god of slaughter, the violence of war, of rage-blinded combat, and of bloodlust. A rather disturbing deity, therefore, as disturbing as his red light in the night sky must have seemed.

In its archaic Roman translation, Mars He was the god of thunder, nature, fertility, and rain. His father was Jupiter and his mother Tellus, one of the maternal deities. Initially, Roman mythology was quite different from the Greek, and Mars was considered a sort of guide for mankind. But over the centuries, the overlap between Ares and Mars became complete, and he became associated with wars and battles.

Mars He was associated with spring, as it was during that period that both wars and agricultural work began, activities to which he was in any case connected. He somehow represented the strength and youthful virtue of nature; his energy was somehow compared to the power of the shoot that breaks through the earth to reach the warm rays of the sun. Spring was the time of year for most celebrations in his honor.

The importance of Mars In Roman culture, it was undoubtedly greater than that attributed to Ares in Greece: the Roman people, in fact, considered themselves the sons of Mars, since according to legend the god mated with the Vestal Virgin Rhea Silvia, who gave birth to none other than Romulus and Remus. This importance translated into the fact that a day of the week, Tuesday, was associated with him, as was the month of March. As well as, of course, the planet that cast its red glow in the night skies.

The Red Planet in Astrology

Mars It is considered the symbol of an aggressive relationship with the world. It takes about two years to complete its journey through the Zodiac. Symbolically, this planet is associated with strength, courage, and determination. Anatomically and physiologically, it is obviously connected to the penis and muscles. Its domicile is in Aries and Scorpio, while its detriment is in Taurus and Libra. Its exaltation is in Capricorn and its fall in Cancer.

From an archetypal point of view, when we talk about Mars we are referring to a warrior, a powerful and courageous man who, however, shows a dark side full of violence, brutality and anger.

Mars It is the very symbol of vital energy and it is no coincidence that its influence is the first in the zodiacal path: in fact, it begins with Aries, which is a strongly "Martian" sign, since its dynamism is what gives birth to the spark that starts the entire cycle.

Among its attributes are undoubtedly competitiveness, personal assertiveness, the desire to compete, to fight, to win, to subdue enemies, to overcome obstacles, to slay dragons and monsters, to conquer princesses, to seize extraordinary treasures... the heroic adventure is undoubtedly a martial art. We could translate all of this into one word: action. Mars It is the symbol of courage, discipline, determination, but also of violence and accidents.

When this planet appears in the male chart, it represents the way the subject expresses himself in the emotional relationship, while in the female charts it indicates the ideal partner, the type of man who inevitably attracts the woman in question. From a certain point of view, Mars represents the lover, while the Sun represents the husband.

The positive influence of Mars It pushes towards a certain spontaneity, a sincere and no-frills way of presenting oneself, with great strength, a collaborative spirit and obviously a courageous way of facing the events that arise before us.

If, however, the influence of Mars If it's negative, we're drawing on the dark side of the planet/symbol: we'll find ourselves faced with violence, impatience, anger, and aggression. In this case, the action is no longer creative, but destructive.

From an allegorical point of view in fact Mars It represents a certain duality that could be summed up with the words that define its archetype: action, initiative, vitality, courage, sexual impulses, betrayal.

See also the meaning of other Planets in Astrology