Personally, my Mars is broken in Libra. Mars shows how you get what you want. It shows how you hunt, how you get the man/woman and also how you take out an enemy. The problem with Mars in Libra is that Libra is nice. Libra is not actually any nicer than anyone else but they do have to act as if they are. This is their job on the planet.
This means I may want to hit you with a bat but the second I think it I realize that these are not “nice” things to do. Since I’m not allowed to disturb the peace, that plate does not crash down on top of your head – which I regret!
The result of all this? Well no one is that nice, so when Libra blows – look out.
Mars is well placed in Aries, the sign it rules and the sign opposite Libra. Aries Mars throws the first punch. Everyone knows that gives a clear advantage. Aries knows instinctively, “nice” is incongruous with war. Libra Mars wants to discuss the unpleasantness over dinner – Aries is going to have Libra for dinner.
Worse, if Libra does manage to strike it can only use the same amount of force that has been used against them…and probably just a slight bit less. The reason is that Libra must balance everything. You hit me with force of 10, and I hit back with force of 9.8.Because this way, I’m the nice one. See how ridiculous this is?
Mars is also very well placed in Scorpio. Where Aries is overt (that’s their fist smashing into your face), an enemy with a Scorpio Mars will subtly dismantle you from the inside out using elaborate covert techniques. Where Aries will kick your ass in two seconds, a Scorpio Mars is much more insidious.
Scorpio has the poker face in the zodiac. They will lie in wait or perhaps slowly undermine you in a myriad of ways. Many of these will be psychological, Scorpio’s natural playground. Undercover cop? That’s a Scorpio Mars technique. You don’t know what’s happening until you’re in the bag.
The exalted placement for Mars is Capricorn. This is because Capricorn is goal-oriented and tenacious as hell. It just doesn’t quit until its goal is achieved. It’s a cautious planner who acts with integrity and so is nearly unbeatable. Think “controlled force.” They plan and have covered both their ass and anything your ass can possibly think of before they launch an attack. Further, they will keep going bumped, bruised, bloody, or whatever until victory is achieved.
Rash-acting Aries Mars can get in trouble when they punch a black-belt in karate on impulse because they did not take the time to size up the foe. Scorpio Mars can get in trouble when the psych games turn on them, and the cat becomes the mouse. Capricorn Mars is the creme de la creme. If you want to come out on top, you might pretend you have one.
Where is your Mars?
Learn about your Mars – Natal Chart Report
shell you made me laugh out loud with Aries Mars as a disaster 🙂
I think it certainly can be. I’m repeatedly described as fearless in love as well as challenge. I think having a close Venus conjunction tempers it somewhat.
Interesting to me is how my South Node, Venus Mars in Aries aspect my Aries Mum; my Pluto and North Node in Libra aspect my Libra Dad. I definitely learned how to fight from my Dad (he has Taurus Mars conjunct my Sun to the exact degree).
He never, ever picked a fight with anyone in his life, but when he got challenged to one (for example when he was in the Army) he would beat his opponent SOUNDLY.
He was always telling me that there was infinite strength in WALKING AWAY and I learned that, yesiree I did!
Isthmus your observations are very interesting…I wonder if the go go go is Jupiter and Saturn is the (eventual) brakes??
Also, Aries Mars can be remarkably simple, in that “counting to 10” works like a charm, most of the time.
And if your toes can’t warm up in bed, and your lover is away (or non-existent) you can just think up some annoying circumstance that bugged the crap out of you…that anger warms you right up! Go Fire Mars! LOL.
Mars in twelfth in Cancer,I can drive myself up a wall with all of the thinking I get done.I sometimes think myself into tiredness.I also agree with having tenacity no ones getting in my way even if they do in some way manage to hurt me I get what I want,and I am very fascinated with motives,I have lots of integrity.I can easily admit when I’m wrong but at most times a lot are afraid to come stand up to me and tell me directly to my face.I’m doing something right!Some may see it as I ought to be shamed,but I do nothing without motive or justification these days that is
Kashmiri is your mars in opposition to your saturn??
Hey miss, no, my Mars is part of a grand trine, with Neptune in my 12th and Saturn in my 8th.
Mars in Libra, 2nd House, smack dab in the middle.
It’s not freakin’ pretty. I take more crap from people than I should, but when the BS meter hits the red zone, run for cover.
That’s been happening a lot lately. *head desk*
Hi Deirdre and thanks for the welcome. 🙂
What a wonderfully written piece on Mars. My ex husband (Westpoint) has Mars in Capricorn and it really is the cream de la cream. Fabulous placement for a military officer and commander of units (which he was). I think it was other stuff in his chart that made him keep his cool so well, which was a brilliant compliment to mars in capricorn, but it is a super nice placement.
Mars in Aries is too pushy for me. Anything in Aries seems pretty pushy to me. My own Venus in Aries in the W. chart seems to pushy to me and to lots of other people around me when it comes to certain matters.
Mars in Libra might be too polite, but Mars in Aries will just as soon shoot themselves in the foot than to take the appropriate amount of time to think something over. then again, it is probably great when someone needs to take action quickly. How about the ‘hero’ who pulls people out of fires? That seems like the most exalted use of mars in Aries.
I have Mars in Gemini which also must be broken because I still have broken glass all over my house from a temper tantrum from three days ago. Not only that, I ruined things that I cared about when I did that. Prints inside of frames getting all ripped up and so forth. Scrapes on the walls and chunks of missing paint.
Does anyone reckon that maybe that wasn’t my mars but more likely that thing about Taurus usually not getting all that mad but when they blow…duck and run for cover?
You know what I wish someone could explain to me?
Mars in PISCES.
Mars in Cancer here…. not as bad as its reputation 🙂 but yeah, indirect that’s for sure. Although mine is conjunct Mercury…
I like a mild Mars. I knew a woman with her Mars in Cap in a grand cross natally and it was a constant battle of wills (with her), a new confrontation (which I “felt” as a fight) every day. (As a side note, I don’t mind fighting with men but HATE to fight with women.)
I have an easier time, generally, with the part of the chart that’s like mine: Cancer/Leo/Virgo…. and have a harder time (understanding, relating to) with my opposition and the signs surrounding them (Sag/Cap/Aqu)…
Mars in Leo in the 12th trine Neptune in Sag in the 4th. When the going gets tough I go home and take a nap and dream about how awsome I am.
Mars in Cancer here. I have Mars in the 1st house….would this make me aggressive for a Mars in Cancer?
I do know that when I feel cornered or pushed I flip out, but of course not immediately. It’s funny because I think I come off as sort of relaxed and mild (could be the Gemini rising?) but you hit the wrong button and the tables turn. I’m also very protective of people I care about and I fight till the end.
pisces.
7th.
so i guess i have that too nice libra mars bug, too. only self sacrificing letting the other guy do more damage 😛
stupid martyr complexes. better off in service or mysticizing than sitting there bleeding dammit.
uhm. yeah. excuse me…
Mars in Cancer according to Lilly and others has ‘Triplicity’ dignity and Terms in the early degrees. Even though Mars is in Fall in Cancer the cooling waters here offers Mars some redeeming qualities.He is less a hot head and more so energetic according to aspects and the Moon position. If a planet has some dignity then it performance has greater opperational potentional. (unless the person is a teenager still)
I will write part two of the Mars Action Hero shortly.
kingsley
I’ll look for it Kingsley. I get very confused about how Mars operates in water signs other than Scorpio. mars in Gemini myself, it is really hard for me to get how mars in pisc or cancer feels to have it in ones chart, and how it might operate according to perceptions of those who have it, or those who know those who have it. thanks
Kingsley, thanks for your thoughts. I’m not surprized by these ppl’s attitudes. I think both misconceptions are due to ppl making quick judgements based on superficial qualities, which is something we all do. e.g. I’m very direct and tend to eschew romance in dating which could be interpreted as “masculine.”
Kashmiri, good point about the Jupiter conj Saturn contact, I never thought of that. I assumed it might have to do w/the inertia of fixed signs – once they’re rolling, they’re hard to stop, but when they’ve stopped, hard to get rolling again!
Mars in virgo, that means: I’m not a fighter. I don’t ‘hunt’ men and I would be a hard worker but for the piles ( hehe, piles!) of Libra in my chart which seem to make me a lazy perfectionist.
It’s interesting reading people’s opinions on Mars in Pisces cause I have it myself and I don’t identify with passivity at all. I’m actually quite forceful and assertive. I defend myself extremely well. I can be pretty vicious with my words. I have my Mars in Pisces in the 8th house and Pluto in the 3rd house so getting nasty with people is not a problem at all. I kinda feel like I have Mars in Aries. I have Sun and Venus in Aries and when I’m really upset I flip out on people, sometimes yelling and screaming. I blow up very quickly and then when it’s over, it’s over. I can’t hold a grudge to save my life lol. Whenever I kiss and make up with someone I totally move on from whatever turmoil just occurred. I see no reason to hold grudges. I will never give someone that kind of power over me, where they affect me long after everything is said and done. “F” that! I guess i have aspects in my chart that alter my Mars in Pisces. I have Mars square Neptune by 3 degrees and Mars Trine Ascendant by less than 1 degree. I also have Sun square Ascendant by 4 degrees. Maybe those aspects also help beef up my Mars in Pisces lol.
Mars in leo here.
I fight like a lion.
“come in peace or leave in pieces”
just as long as you don’t piss me off I won’t mind you, I have more important matters to attend to. 😉
Nuff said.
((Elsa)) I have mercury and a stellum in Libra and I feel like a mealy-mouthed hypocrite a lot for being sweet when people don’t deserve it. I can only imagine Mars there would be worse.
I have Mars in Leo. Unlike Mars in Scorp, you can see a Leo attack coming from miles away. (It’s all the hot air.) Though I don’t attack a lot. Leo mars is like an offended lion. Sniffing haughtily and trying to look dignified. I think this makes people want to try to get under my skin. Like bear-baiting.
Leo mars is like the character Cyrano (well, except for the pining and writing love-letters for people.)
Flamboyant, hot-tempered, and possessing an outrageous sense of dignity.
Ha ha ha. I have Leo Mars too 🙂 The only real aspect it makes is to Neptune and I generally feel like that Flashy Pirate Elsa often refers to!
mars in pisces in the 5th, strong emotions, helped by either crying or dancing. Karate helped a lot at one time. emotions tied with movement and mysticism. currently a lot of ashtanga yoga
My mars is in Pisces, conjunct Mercury, trining my Scorp Moon/Rising. This is why I have to be very, very careful to ‘pick my battles’… When I go to war, it’s likely going to be ‘to the death’. I can easily sense your deepest emotional weakness and sting it with absolute accuracy. The best way I’ve learned to channel this is to only draw on it when I’m defending those that cannot defend themselves.
mars in scorpio in the 3rd
Mars in Libra in 7th. Angry? Furious!! But I took today off because I don’t want to be nice, and would rather burn a sick day than trying to balance things out at work. Can I pretty please have an Aries Mars for a day???
Mars in Cancer, Twelfth house. I am the ankle-biting chihuahua.
Hi Togi,
How did you figure out about your progressed Mars? And, how often are these progressions (with Mars)throughout our lives? So curious. I too have Mars Sag by the way.
Thanks for your time, X
Mars in Capricorn in the 5th, conjunct my sun.
I’m all about calculated plans of attack, maximum effect for minimal effort, most bang for my buck. (My Virgo Moon/Saturn conj. trining this surely has an influence). With sun and 5th house involved (plus Leo asc.), it’s a huge plus if whatever I do is done stylishly, or at least garners appropriate attention and praise. 😉
I’ve been thinking about this dynamic in my chart a lot, recently. I read somewhere that sun/mars conjunct usually means physical vigor. There’s none of that here though. I’ve always been a low energy person. However, I’ve been watching myself in yoga class. Ya know, yoga, where movements are slow, fluid, and deliberate. But unless I make a conscious effort not to, my movements are always quick and sharp. That’s also how I take action. With all the earth and Saturn involved, I may take my time deciding what action to take, but once I’ve made up my mind, it’s as good as done.
Mars in Aries in the 9th house.
I never throw the first punch, I’m to nice (read scared) and reasonable for that. But if I didn’t hold myself back, yes I would eat them for lunch, especially when I’m right.
This is fascinating and (ugh) quite timely..I’m still muddling through and scratching my head over my own chart, but…
Reading through the commentary on Mars in Pisces? I love water/oceans but never lose sight that it can and will ‘getcha’ faster than spit. If you’re lucky you might never see it coming. Riptides, leviathans, cataracts, barracuda, monster waves, rapids, giant clams, whirlpools and on and on…
Whoo doggies…
scorpio mars. PLEASE throw the first punch.
i found this interesting:
Sadge Mars
Mars at zero degrees Cancer, here, 4th house. Don’t mess with my family!
Elevated by sign, dehabilitated by house. I guess that’s “I will assassinate you politely with 12235643-ton-paperwork-throwing-star, because you are being unfair.” I know you combine signs, houses and aspects to determine how a planet operates in a chart, but what’s the most important factor?
So my question is, why did you call your mars “broken” and why “exalted”? i’m sure you’ve got a reason, is it aspects or how well the planet gets along in the sign? do you mind the degree?
my mars is in aquarius, conjunct the moon, both edged just inside my first house. ascending capricorn.
Mars in Cancer: I will fight if you provoke me enough to come out of my shell, but can’t we cuddle up in here and have something yummy?
Mars in Cancer: Unless you f*** with my family, in which case this crab claw will be so far up your ass you’ll be spitting out she crab soup.
Ahem.
Oh, and mine’s in 2H (fall) too. Heh. I really don’t wanna fight, don’t wanna fight, don’t wanna fight right up until the moment I wanna fight and then, as the kids say, it’s on like Donkey Kong. And I WILL win, no matter the cost.
thanks CP Griffin, I forget that water has awesome power too. good reminder
Mars in Leo in the 8th. I won’t hesitate to kick your ass if there’s a legitimate reason to. In fact, I’d enjoy it.
Mars in Pisces here.
Always reedy to defend the underdog. Fight for the weak and helpless. For myself…a bit passive aggressive. Too easily feel the victim. But Grand Trine between Mars, Sun, and Saturn give me strength and staying power…though in Water signs it is more emotional than firey (obviously).
Mars can trigger aggression in others…so if we have issues with feeling hard done by…see how by not owning your Mars you will activate it in others.
I have Mars in Scorpio in the 12th so I also fight for the underdog. I don’t show my anger outright and less so than someone with it in another house that’s more visible to others. But I will seeth and strike when I feel it is well deserved. I have been known to do the trench coat psychological warfare. But I also think I try to use my Mars to spread compassion where it is needed when I am confronted with it. I care deeply for those who are either without or on the outskirts for whatever reason and are or feel rejected by society.
Libra Mars also, conjunct Moon. It takes cultivating the opposite energy purposefully– reminding myself that I can use my Aries Juno to be a warrior too!– to unbreak it.
Not an easy placement.
I have Gemini Mars, 9th house.
Virgo mars in the tenth, sq Uranus… I have a mars and saturn ruled chart. I am very much the fighter, in every sense of the word. But it really really always is about justice (libra sun, aq. moon)
Mars in Gemini, in 6th house… i’m a jack of all trades! like a typical Gemini I “dabble” in a lil bit of everything but don’t have the attention span to focus long enough to master any of it.. it takes a lot of effort for me to fully engage and be dedicated to something! if its out of sight its out of mind… that’s why I have elsaelsa on my bookmark tabs so its BAM!!! in my face 😉
Mars is Sag…Sun in Libra…AC is Cancer…Saturn in Aries. I do experience the libra balance issue and trust me…when I speak my mind…I usually get slapped hard…but I kinda enjoy it…it just gets me fired up to take action! 🙂
Mars in Leo doesn’t attack– it defends.
A lion won’t go out of its way to attack you. But if it feels threatened, God help you. You’re a meal.
And that’s me, straight up, hold the ice.
I have mars in Taurus. I do take a lot of bull shit for quite sometime but i do turn it back and push very hard when enough is enough.
I have been attracted to mars in scorpio men and yeah they do get stuck when the games turn on them.
I don’t know where that comes from, I’m not sure if its my eighth house sun, mercury and venus or just that pluto and saturn are in scorpio.
I feel like it’s only fair to turn the mirror on them
but my venus is in aries so that says i do like to fight and my mars is trine uranus so the other person is shocked and surprised when I lash out.
I wish my mars was in the 10th though, it’s in the ninth house.
(I think I just shared a lot of my chart right there – feels very revealing)
Mine in taurus 9th house too! :))
And 8th house aries venus too! :)))
Thanks for sharing this Elsa. It gives me perspective on why the people i’ve met (mars in scorpio) are the way they are. Also why my Dad is the way he is (Mars in Capricorn – Aries ascendant).
p.s. i also realized w/ mars in gem i use a lot of exclamations… mainly b/c if i build the nerve to write about something i want that feeling of excitement to be felt and when i’m upset or butting heads with someone, i can be real vindictive and sarcastic but Venus in Cancer makes me feel bad so i try to say something differently from what i thought and instead throw some serious mental flames their way…
Super sunny Sag with Scorpio Mars in the 10th conjunct Pluto. Apparently I come across as intense to some people, especially those who I have no desire to deal with. I guess I project this ‘fall way back’ aura or else I may verbally digest them, or give them a look that will melt them. It works well when not wanting to deal with shenanigans. And those who cross me, the first thought that crosses my mind like clockwork is ” You will regret that, and you will never forget me. ” But I swear I’m a nice person! Lol.