In the Stars: Transiting Mars trine Natal Mars

Tomorrow, transiting Mars (in Libra, in my First House) forms a trine with my natal Mars (in Aquarius, in my Fifth House). I thought this would be a good time to blog about the oft-maligned energy of Mars and its Tarot connections.

Quick Primer/Refresher

• Mars is the planet of physical energy (yes, this includes sexual energy), the will to win, and the ability to turn ideas into action. Its placement in a birth chart describes how we express our energies, assert ourselves, and go about meeting our desires and needs -- in other words, how we act.
• The trine aspect occurs when two planets or luminaries are at a 120 degree angle to each other. This is considered to be a highly favorable aspect.

Chart courtesy of Astrodienst
www.astro.com

In general, from an astrological standpoint, a trine between transiting Mars and natal Mars is about strong self-assertion, self-confidence, and self-assurance. It's a high-energy transit from which I can hope to gain extra drive with corresponding results. A hefty amount of ego is likely to be involved.

For my Mars-Mars transit, we need to consider:

• Aquarius -- a unique, independent, humanitarian Air sign
• Libra -- a harmonious, charming, indecisive Air sign
• the First House (House of Self)
• the Fifth House (House of Creativity)

I could elaborate further and bring in the natural rulers of these signs and houses, as well as other aspects taking place on the same day -- but I think things are probably complicated enough for the moment!

TAROT CONNECTIONS

In the Tarot, the planet Mars is most commonly seen as being linked to The Tower (Trump 16). This is the association made by the Golden Dawn. In his Mandala Astrological Tarot, A.T. Mann associates Mars not only with The Tower, but with The Emperor (Trump 4), Death (Trump 13), and The Devil (Trump 15).

Personally, I associate the energy of Mars with The Tower (as per the Golden Dawn) and, secondarily, with The Emperor (which the Golden Dawn links with the sign Aries, ruled by Mars). So for this Mars-Mars trine, I'm going to use The Tower and The Emperor to explore the situation.

Cards are from the Rider-Waite-Smith tarot deck (U.S. Games Systems, Inc.)

Now, in typical Tarot interpretations, it's easy to see how The Emperor embodies the qualities of Mars -- leadership, assertiveness, self-confidence, action, ego. When The Emperor walks (pardon me, strides) into a room, people notice. He cuts a fine figure, inspiring loyalty and admiration from his subjects. A "good" Emperor uses these qualities to the benefit of his subjects. A "bad" Emperor uses these traits to quash everybody and everything in his path.

Furthermore, in this situation, The Emperor represents transiting Mars in my First House. This is a highly dominant position that gives me the opportunity to further my own interests. With transiting Mars in Libra, active cooperation or partnership with others may be an important factor.

The Tower often inspires "shock and awe" -- and not in a good way. The first reaction to seeing The Tower card is likely to be, "Oh no! Something big and bad is about to happen!" Cringe! Duck! Run for cover! We anticipate our foundation being snatched out from under us. We fear the collapse of everything we hold dear, hurricane-force winds, and general devastation and destruction. Even the most optimistic Tarot readers usually concede that The Tower means a major overhaul, even if the breakdown of something significant makes it possible for something better to be created.

In my birth chart, this "Tower" energy manifests in the sign Aquarius in my Fifth House. It's a constant energy, present from my moment of birth and ongoing. Impatience, detachment, and a love of experimentation and/or risk-taking can be hallmarks of Mars in Aquarius. Mars in the Fifth House typically suggests personal magnetism, impatience (again!), and risk-taking (again!). It's pretty easy to see why a combination of these characteristics might signal more than one Tower moment in my life.

I feel that if we look at The Emperor "trine" The Tower, we improve the odds that the upheaval represented by The Tower will actually be of tremendous benefit, and might even be modified or "controlled" by The Emperor's overriding authority. As Trump Four, The Emperor suggests stability and security. Trump Sixteen reduces to the number Seven which, as I discussed in a recent blog post, can indicate a certain amount of tension, possibly a struggle to reconcile opposing forces or a time of growth and expansion that could destabilize our world as we know it. Seven also recommends reflection or contemplation, which could help us prevent a catastrophe.

So trine away, dear Mars(es)! I will look for opportunities to push my agenda and instigate forward progress.