Mars: Rulership, Exaltation, Detriment and Fall

Mars, the red planet, is the next one in orbit around the Sun after our Earth. Mars, known as the action planet of the zodiac, lives up to its reputation as the ‘Red Planet’ with its fiery and dynamic nature. This celestial body embodies energy, passion, drive, and determination. Mars urges individuals to take action, be assertive, and make their presence known. It is a planet that motivates us to get things done and discourages us from remaining on the sidelines.

Mars, the ruling planet of Aries and traditionally Scorpio, carries a fascinating paradox as it governs both the beginning and end of life. It symbolizes our primal, animalistic nature, responsible for our first breath as well as our final one. Often associated with war, aggression, and destruction, Mars represents an unconscious energy that we often suppress and restrain.
The restrictions we place on our expression of energy, particularly in the realm of sexuality, can lead to various inhibitions, accumulated anger, and frustration hidden beneath the surface. These emotions may remain concealed behind the face we present to the world. Mars also represents our basic energy and the first chakra, indicating the fears that can hold us back and control our lives.
Yet, when we find the courage to embrace our full potential on Earth, Mars becomes a powerful ally. It aids us in grounding ourselves, addressing material and existential challenges, and supplying the energy necessary to pursue our goals and ambitions.
Beyond the more negative associations, Mars is a force that can fuel our passions, determination, and drive. It symbolizes the warrior within us, ready to face life’s challenges head-on. Mars encourages us to channel our assertiveness, passion, and desire in constructive ways, such as excelling in sports, pursuing our ambitions, and expressing ourselves confidently.
The day associated with Mars is Tuesday, and its color is red, both symbolizing the planet’s bold and intense nature. In summary, Mars represents an untamed and primal aspect of ourselves, offering both challenges and opportunities for growth and achievement if we learn to harness its energy wisely.
Mars is the inner power that will make you start a sport, Mars is the strength you need to fight for your dreams. The planet has a strong masculine energy, thus also ruling the masculine sexual drive. Naturally, it is also connected with the terms “action”, “conquer” and “domination”. Women, of course, also have their Martian traits. The planet can make a woman very dynamic, having the mentality of a man.

Ambition and competition fall under Mars’s influence. Whether in the workplace or on the sports field, Mars pushes us to confront challenges and strive to be our best or even better. While aggression is a characteristic of Mars, it also values courage and honor. The planet admires assertion and a daring, fearless nature.

It is important to understand that Mars’s energy can have constructive or destructive manifestations. In ancient times, Mars was regarded as the God of War and was associated with brutal violence. While this energy still persists, Mars also encourages us to channel this force for positive purposes. Stamina, ambition, and achievements align with Mars’s principles.

Mars governs our sexuality and sexual energy, and it is also connected to weapons, accidents, and surgery, showcasing the dualistic nature of this planet. Ultimately, Mars’s energy can be beneficial if harnessed properly. It takes nearly two years for Mars to complete its orbit through the zodiac. Mars represents masculine energy and rules both Aries and Scorpio, as well as the First and Eighth Houses in astrology.

Mars In Astrology

If we seek to understand the influence of Mars across the zodiac, we must recognize it as the harbinger of all beginnings. It represents the first breath we take, the primal scream that marks our entry into this world, and the embodiment we currently inhabit. Mars holds a powerful symbolism of fate and karma, often regarded as the greatest malefic in Eastern traditions, while Saturn assumes a similar role in the West. In truth, both planets reflect aspects of our unconscious desires and needs, often overlooked by our rational faculties.

While we rely heavily on our mind and heart, instincts frequently go misunderstood or suppressed as undesirable. However, by embracing a healthy, instinctive, and fearless approach to life, along with strong boundaries, we can harness the benefits of Mars to manifest our aspirations and goals.

In astrological readings, Mars is commonly associated with speed, instinct, impulsiveness, aggression, and anger. However, it also serves as a reservoir of energy that we must utilize throughout our lives, wherever it may be positioned in our birth chart. Depending on its sign, dignity, and aspects, we can gauge an individual’s ability to direct their energy toward their objectives. A weak placement in Cancer or challenging squares may bend one’s energy toward destructive or self-destructive behavior. As the ruler of our basic, instinctive, and unconscious tendencies, Mars can lead to crimes of passion, clouding our judgment and choices.

Mars embodies all that is fiery, sharp, red, and spicy. It resembles a weapon of any form, capable of inflicting pain. Any entity it encounters may experience bruises and harm, unless we fortify our boundaries and respect our instincts. Mars embodies the energy of battle, motivating us to fight for what we deserve or desire. However, without the guidance of the Sun and Mercury, it lacks awareness and common sense. Moreover, Mars struggles to grasp emotions without the influence of the Moon and Venus.

This planet epitomizes a soldier and an officer, a man donning a uniform, and a young shooter aiming high. It impels us to keep our heads held high and propels us forward. When Mars appears retrograde, it is perceived as the most challenging backward movement in the zodiacal circle. It represents acute states, encompassing the physical, emotional, and mental realms, often manifesting through the element it occupies. Given that its rulership and detriment lie in the element of Water, emotion stands as Mars’ primary challenge and ultimate reward.

A healthy Mars in our chart necessitates a harmonious relationship with the Moon and the emotional depths of our heart. It involves compassion, understanding, and support derived from our family and ancestral heritage. Ultimately, by embracing the watery nature of our emotions, we unlock the key to unleashing the potential of Mars in our lives.

In addition, he is a planet that can bring lust and yearning, creating passion which can be used as a source of energy for conquering the desired object or situation. He forces us for quick results, and this can create a warrior in us. Defeat is a word he does not like in his vocabulary, and he will do anything not to lose. This, of course, can even lead to violence and cruelty in extreme situations. Mars rules the sign of Aries, while is also the older ruler of Scorpio. Since the discovery of Pluto, Mars has remained the co-ruler of the sign. In addition, Mars is responsible for the 1st house and makes a full circle around the zodiac in approximately 2 years.

He spends about 2 months in each sign and gets into a retrograde movement for approximately 2,5 – 3 months every 2 years. Mars is exalted when in the sign of Capricorn, in fall and weak when in Pisces, while operates with difficulty in Libra and Taurus where he is in detriment. The passage of the planet through any house activates quicker paces of events, gives courage to solve house-related problems but also can give hasty mistakes as products. Generally, whenever Mars forms a strong transiting aspect to any other planets, life accelerates and brings us forward.

The red planet is connected with sexuality, but not necessarily with the sexual preferences of an individual. The instinct of sexuality, the basic animalistic need to couple, the raw carnal attraction are all included in the power that Mars influences on us as a species. Some of the problems that the transits of Mars can bring are rushed decisions, physical accidents and anger. Indeed, the planet rules fury and frustration, as it does not like to be limited by any surroundings that reality imposes. In addition, he hates failures, which can bring quite a lot of nervousness when some happen.

Mars desires the glory of victory, and will not hesitate to cause violence in order to get it. After all, Mars is the god of war, blood and whatever is sharp. Knives, weapons, and sharp tools are under the planet’s governance, as well as the art of their usage. Thus, surgeons and doctors are also ruled by the red planet. Generally, all professions that have a uniform and that involve some activities including quick response are a part of the Martial realm. Sports and recreational activities that include physical activity and of course all martial arts are also falling under his governance.

Due to his connection with the 1st house, the planet governs the physical body, the Ego and the instinct of survival. As Mars is a rather quick moving planet, its passage through a sign gives some extra strength to all people born under it. Of course, each one of them experiences that transit in a different house, having different life areas affected. Also, the amount of energy that one of his transits will grant the native with largely depends on his natal aspects, while also on the natal aspects of the planets that Mars is in conjunction with by transit. As a planetary force, Mars requires from us to battle our way forward.

Whoever is more receptive to the planet’s energy will eventually have larger amounts of courage to dedicate in his struggles passage. Those who tune in with its frequencies will be offered his gifts more quickly, especially if they empower him through physical activities. Indeed, when we keep our body in a good condition and exercise it, we can have more strength to cope with other things in our lives. Leaving our body without activity is naturally allowing laziness and sloth enter various areas of our lives.

Every individual should research his natal Mars placement in order to understand better its functions. Many times, Mars is operating as a “malefic” because human beings tend to act before they think. Thus, the house where it is natally located should be examined better, so that we can see – for example – if we have tendencies for accidents or wrong decisions, and then try to tame the Martian drive.

Find in which house your Mars is located in your natal chart, and read the respective article to uncover more about its functions:

Each planets have a different effect on you, depending on which house and sign they reside in. In order to find out where they are located in your natal chart, you can use our free birth chart generator. Also, examine the aspects that they form with other planets in your chart. You will understand a lot more about the detailed role that they have in your horoscope.