Saturday, April 11, 2015

Mars-related Murmurings

 From Astrological Oracle Cards by Antonella Castelli
Astrologers have various eloquent ways of describing how the position of Mars in a natal chart reflects back in the personality. Stripped down to its bare bones, I see astrological Mars as pure energy, a driving force to be used for good or ill. The "ill" half of that, in its worst form is, of course, violence and war. As Mars is with us always, war and other forms of violence are with us always. The seed is within us all.

Ancient Romans unashamedly celebrated Mars and all it stood for, including war. Some of us have moved on since then, but all of us still need the assertiveness, courage, urge to compete, and all-round physical energy traditionally associated with Mars. The trick,which we, as a species, have yet to learn, is how to properly harness our innate Mars energies.

Astrologer Liz Greene in her book Mythic Astrology wrote:
"In the myths of every ancient people, the gods of war have always occupied a prominent and honored place. War was personified by these fierce gods as the glorious expression of the human fighting spirit - not merely bloodthirsty and cruel, but also disciplined, courageous, honorable and directed towards a noble goal. The war gods of myth are almost always portrayed battling with a monster - an image not merely of the outer enemy, but also of the bestial dark force within human beings which must be conquered for the sake of humanity."

Astrology aside, the rotational period and seasonal cycles of planet Mars are similar to those of Earth, as is the tilt that produces the seasons, though Mars is smaller than Earth, the planet's diameter is around 4,200 miles, double the size of the Moon.




 Mars Overseeing Aries and Scorpio

It's probably pure whimsy on my part, but drawing the astrological and astronomical together, I have wondered whether those similarities between Mars and Earth have contributed to our species' easy and strong reflection of the attributes accorded to planet Mars from ancient times until today.
(Illustration, right is from Medizinisch-Astrologisches Hausbuch, 1429. Nuremburg. (Medical Astrology Housebook).

Mars was the planet most clearly represented in results of research by French scientist Michel Gauquelin (1928-1991), in his attempt to test what validity, if any, there is in astrology's basic claims. For a brief outline of Michel Gauquelin's "Mars Effect"
see Aquamoonlight's piece HERE.


Mars-driven wars have wreaked havoc on all parts of Earth over centuries, eras and aeons, but in some instances aggressors and their energies have left behind artifacts, ideas and plans which, in time, proved helpful to developing civilisations. The Roman Empire, for instance, gets deservedly bad press for its brutality and acquisitiveness, yet it did leave in its wake much that was helpful and inspirational to later civilisations.


“Mars tugs at the human imagination like no other planet. With a force mightier than gravity, it attracts the eye to the shimmering red presence in the clear night sky...”
― John Noble Wilford, Mars Beckons



The Red Planet Mars by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The star of the unconquered will,
He rises in my breast,
Serene, and resolute, and still,
And calm, and self-possessed.

And thou, too, whosoe'er thou art,
That readest this brief psalm,
As one by one thy hopes depart,
Be resolute and calm.

Oh, fear not in a world like this,
And thou shalt know erelong,--
Know how sublime a thing it is
To suffer and be strong.


Staying with the arts but returning to myth, a representation in classical art: this one by early American painter John Singleton Copley (1738 – 1815)

 Mars, Venus and Vulcan

16 comments:

mike said...

I agree that Mars represents the energy and force inherent in aggression and war, but I suggest that Venus is representative of the root cause, or the desire and passion of the conflict. Most modern astrologers overlook Venus-as-warrior, but Venus' role in warfare is an ancient tale, and in old astrology as the morning star (rising before the Sun) inducing combat. Here are several links:

http://www.oxfordastrologer.com/2011/10/venus-the-she-warrior.html
http://www.aeonjournal.com/articles/aphrodite/aphrodite.html (see section "Aphrodite Areia")

It's peculiar that men are typically perceived as less emotional than women and that men start wars, yet warfare is an extreme of the emotions.

“Every instinct that is found in any man is in all men. The strength of the emotion may not be so overpowering, the barriers against possession not so insurmountable, the urge to accomplish the desire less keen. With some, inhibitions and urges may be neutralized by other tendencies. But with every being the primal emotions are there. All men have an emotion to kill; when they strongly dislike some one they involuntarily wish he was dead. I have never killed any one, but I have read some obituary notices with great satisfaction.” Clarence Darrow, The Story of My Life

“All gods who receive homage are cruel. All gods dispense suffering without reason. Otherwise they would not be worshipped. Through indiscriminate suffering men know fear and fear is the most divine emotion. It is the stones for altars and the beginning of wisdom. Half gods are worshipped in wine and flowers. Real gods require blood.” Zora Neale Hurston, Their Eyes Were Watching God

mike (again) said...

Off topic - "Pick A Door That Stands Out The Most. Then See What It Says About Your Future."
http://www.littlechurchmouse.com/pick-a-door/

I chose #2 and yes, it fits.

Anonymous said...

Mars a murmurer?!
In pursuit of a new cosmogony, I study science to gain understanding of human behaviour, with a view to disproving the 'inevitability' of our current trajectory to self-extinction.
Here are some examples of one researchers' findings, which provide much food for thought.
(Me: Mars cj NN Cap sq Merc cj Pallas Libra and trine Moon Taurus.)
https://youtu.be/A4UMyTnlaMY
http://discovermagazine.com/1997/mar/testosteronerule1077

Sonny G said...


I looked at the chart alabe.com sent me- says my mars is in the 5th house.. now I have to go look up what that means lol.
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that was interesting Mike.. thanks. its me totally:)
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number 6, your path is quiet. You value solitude in all aspects of your life. You can spend large periods of time alone without feeling lonely. Your ideal path is one that is very still and quiet. You want to absorb everything around you without feeling overwhelmed. You seek meaning in every aspect of life. You live your life very deliberately- both in action and in thought. You don’t like crowds, but you do like people. You value authentic relationships, and you prefer the depth of one on one interaction.

Twilight said...

mike ~ I see what you're saying, but this post ain't about Venus, it's about Mars. ;-) I did say right at the top that Mars' energy can be used for good or ill, too. I can't be doing with the "Men are from Mars, women are from Venus" crap - have said so before I think, if not here then elsewhere (and probably got into trouble for it).

Thanks for the additional thoughts though - all good grist for the mill. ;-)


Re the doors - I chose #4. Hmmm. Sort of, kind of...half right.

Twilight said...

Sabina ~ No...lol - I am the murmurer, murmuring about Mars. :-)

Thank you for the links. I will go sample them. :-)

Twilight said...

Sonny ~ My natal Mars is in Scorpio and in 5th too, like yours - if my birth time is reasonably accurate within an hour, which I'm pretty sure it is.
Cafe Astrology's interpretation doesn't fit at all though.

I'm wary of house positions in general though, and prefer to stick with just planet and sign, and any aspects.

Does 5th house Mars fit you?

Anonymous said...

Yes, it is funny to think of Mars murmuring so I went looking and came up with this at history.com of all places:
'Nikola Tesla hears a Martian murmur in 1899.
The current NASA Mars mission owes a debt to Nikola Tesla for his inventions of the robot and radio remote control for guided vehicles. He may also have cemented the public’s belief in life on Mars by announcing that he’d received communications from the planet at his laboratory in Colorado Springs. While conducting experiments on high-frequency electrical transmission in 1899, Tesla picked up cosmic radio waves on his instruments. Announcing this development, he publicly opined that the messages came from outer space, possibly from inhabitants of Mars.'
(That errant apostrophe in my first post is embarrassing to dbl Virgo/Gem MC but I tend to post in the (Martian?) heat of the moment!)

Twilight said...

Sabina ~ Oh! Now that's interesting!
:-) People so wanted to believe - some of us still do....well, not about Mars especially, but somewhere out there.

Goodness, there are no no grammar police around here - I make enough typos in comments for them to close me down and lock me up, but I'm still here! ;-)

Bob said...

Hi Annie. I enjoy reading your blog.

When I read the comments about your injuries I had to find out what had happened. Turned out to be your Mars and it seems the chart I have worked for you may be close to being correct.

Relocating the chart to the site of the Richard B. Dunn telescope it has an MC of 236°54' (I make all of my measurements in right ascension instead of longitude). The chart's (your) Mars is at 236°50'. Your Mars is right on the MC at that longitude.

The 2015 solar return (I use precession corrected charts) has a Nadir (different than the IC, it is exactly 90° from the Asc in RA) at 243°06'. At 10 (or 11) am, MST, March 23rd, transit Saturn was at 243°19'.

The MC of the quotidian prog SR was 108°10'. Transit Uranus was on the Desc at 108°17'.

I also posted to the Musical Signatures thread this am.

I am Bob, screen name unique_astrology, chosen because of a technique I discovered and developed.

Another Kansan, I was born in Topeka, Jan 25, 1941, 3:35 am, CST.

I can't read the captcha to enter it - get rid of it please.

Twilight said...

Bob ~ Bob ~ Hi there - thanks for your comment here and on the earlier, music signature tunes, post (which I've now published as it was awaiting moderation).

Last thing first: catchpa. Sorry about this. I've tried to eliminate it, have my settings adjusted for that but it still remains. I've re-set the option several times - once just now, but nothing changes. the format of the catchpa changes from time to time, sometimes it's easier than others, sometimes just one click.

Regarding the astrology of my accident - I'm grateful for your research. From what you've found, it's a great pity we hadn't taken a different trip on the day I...er... tripped !

I had "blamed" a left-over reflection of recent Uranus/Pluto squares - Uranus had been very close to natal Saturn.

It's good to meet another sun in early Aquarius, of a similar generation to my own, who is interested in astrology. We are few and far between I've found, especially so if born in the UK.

Sonny G said...

Hi Bob-- good to meet another 7--your 25 day reduced:)


Annie-I read the symbol in my wheel wrong:( the mars symbol -if looking at the circle/wheel is the section right of the middle bottom..has pisces in the outer section and the mars symbol inside. hope I made sense with that description.. if that means 12th house Mars then its 100% accurate:) since childhood my privacy has been something I've cherished, appreciated and sheltered against everything and everyone-regardless of the relationship.
I tend the smile and chatter a lot about things that are'nt really relevant because I learned early on it keeps folks occupied and not looking at that which I choose for them not to see.. makes no difference if its a positive or negative- Its Mine and not up for opinion..know what I mean lol

Twilight said...

Sonny ~ 12th house in a natal chart is the house above the ascendant, 1st house is the house below the ascendant - ascendant is mid left of the chart, in a chart image (it might make it clearer to take a look at the chart for Dale Messick in the previous post - House numbers 1 to 12 are shown towards the centre of the chart image).

Right of mid-bottom of the circle would be 5th house, as you originally thought.

Maybe you have some other planet in 12th house to account for the feelings you describe?

mike (again) said...

Bob - Small world...I entered Earth in Topeka, KS, too!

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Sonny - I know parts of your chart, because you are a few weeks younger than I. I believe you have Libra ascendant and you probably have Saturn and perhaps S Node in your 12th house.

mike (again) said...

P.S. - Sonny, Neptune was at 19* Libra, Saturn at 2* Libra, S Node at 22* Virgo.

Sonny G said...

thanks Annie and Mike.. I'm gonna visit the kindle store and see if they have ""astrology for dummies" lol

by now I should at least know what I have in what house and which house number it is..

the years I've been visiting here have often made me wonder if a young unwed mother in new york city might have just chosen a day she felt was special and had my certificate made out the way she wanted it...its possible)she was after all a libra with a leo ascend ,so drama was the name of the game, always:)