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