There is an order in planetary functions, so to speak, that goes from the “personal planets” to the “transpersonal planets”. In Astrology, the Sun and Moon are also called planets, although we know they are not. But it works for the symbolism.
That said, the personal planets, Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus and Mars, correspond to the functions of self-knowledge and self-development. The transpersonal planets, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto, on the other hand, correspond to the functions of group-knowledge and group-development.
Mars, which lies between the Earth and Jupiter, is a symbol for the self-empowerment process that actively links an individual to a group-development. This means that the individual participates more actively in the group-development.
Mars and Pluto
Imagine the zodiac circle of twelve signs as a clock, where every “hour” (sign) is not only a demarcation of time but also a symbol for what is adequate for that time, that specific “hour” (sign). Now, imagine that the pointers of this clock are the planets in motion.
In this analogy, Aries would be the first hour of the day. This sign is ruled by Mars - that means it has a symbolic correspondence to Mars. The first sign of the zodiac is an audacious one, because it has to try something new. It is primarily concerned with taking action and defending its own interest, competing with others for the first place.
The other sign ruled by Mars is Scorpio. In modern astrology, this sign is also ruled by Pluto. Scorpio is the eighth sign of the zodiac and it relates to a different facet of Mars than that which corresponds to Aries. The eighth sign is a strategic one, because it has to survive many threats to its existence. It knows it needs to join forces with others so it can be stronger.
Although they are different, both Aries and Scorpio are about fighting for life. They face the always present risks of being alive and they go through many injuries, but regenerate and heal fast. They both need to rely on their will power and courage. And that is why Mars, ruler of Aries and Scorpio, is a focal symbol for the self-empowerment process, while Pluto is power itself.
Mars is a personal planet, while Pluto is transpersonal. Mars takes approximately 23 months to come full circle around the Sun, while Pluto takes 248 years to do the same path. Pluto is a symbol for the source of power that is rooted beneath the earth. It is a deep transformation that takes place when we are ready to surrender to forces that are much greater than us, like love. It is a symbol for spiritual will because one can only benefit from this power through redemption and surrender to spirit. Otherwise it is wild and destructive.
Right now Pluto is in Capricorn and we are seeing the source of power operating through the sign of Capricorn. This sign is about authority, structure, responsibility and commitment. It is about rationality, pragmatism and wisdom. But unless it is all commanded by spiritual will, we may see only abuse of authority, excessive rigidity, control and emotional coldness.
Empowerment of the Self
So, Mars rules the process of self-empowerment. But what is this process?
When I talk about power here, I am not talking about money or authority, although these things do increase power. I am actually talking about the power over yourself, the power which is based on spiritual will - the willingness to initiate something that you really want and overcome your fears.
First, we need to be brave inside. This means you need to be very honest with yourself about your flaws, your weaknesses, your selfishness or insecurity. Whatever it is, it can be painful to admit, especially if you don’t have it clear yet what your gifts and qualities are. So, you should be aware of that too.
When I invite you to empower yourself, I speak of this will power that you first have to prove to yourself. And it doesn’t come from anywhere. It must be fed day by day, with patience and focus, through the facing of your fears and your issues. It is a personal process that happens in your private life and bed.
Self-empowerment is also a process of allowing transformation, recognizing your need to mutate, that is, your need to operate your essence in a different manner. And that is made possible by your own crises. I know it may sound weird, but we should actually feel grateful for our crises because they really are opportunities for self-empowerment and the practicing of will power. Your crisis may be a fall from grace in your career, the departure of a loved one, a disease, the death of someone very dear. Whatever it is, it has the potential to turn you into a better person if you allow a transformation to occur inside you.
There are times of crisis in everybody’s life. So, you shouldn’t feel cursed because something bad happened. Actually, it is there to be overcome, but it must change you forever.
It is critical to develop inner strength, because it doesn’t matter how much we want to make life more comfortable, it will always shake our ground from time to time. So we should practice our will power to be best prepared, or at least to go through change with less fear in our hearts.
So I suggest you don’t be mad when there is difficulty in your way. This is life coaching you to be a better person, to contribute to a better world. There is always a way but you might have to investigate. And it is ok to fall sometimes, but take with you the lessons you learn when you fall. And don’t forget them.
Mars in 2022
If we want to work our self-empowerment, we should pay attention to the transits of Mars. When Mars unites with (conjunct) a planet, it stirs the energy up. And when that planet is a transpersonal one, it stirs up group-issues and group-developments. So it puts us in aligment with bigger realities than our own. That's when we can take action to move the energy and participate more actively in the process of planetary evolution.
So, Mars is uniting with all transpersonal planets from March until August 2022. This is a big deal we should benefit from to empower ourselves. I will be sharing with you my insights on each chart generated for Mars conjunctions to the transpersonal planets in future posts, starting with Mars conjunct Pluto in early March.
Ending 2021-2022 cycle (the astrological year starts on March 20th 2022, when the Sun enters Aries, until the next Aries season in 2023):
Jan 11th: Mars in Sagittarius square Neptune in Pisces
Feb 4th: Mars in Capricorn sextile Jupiter in Pisces
Feb 8th: Mars in Capricorn trine Uranus in Taurus
Feb 23rd: Mars in Capricorn sextile Neptune in Pisces
Mar 3rd: Mars conjunct Pluto in Capricorn
The 2021-2022 cycle is ending with the challenge to point a direction to go next. There should be commitments being done to our heart’s desires. These are commitments to be taken seriously and with discipline. We are building new bases, and they are different from the old ones, but they can be reliable for the future.
We can feel like tapping into the complete unknown and it can become intense by the time Mars unites with (conjunct) Pluto. There could be extreme situations that evoke fears and deep seated emotions, which feels painful and even threatening to your mental health. The intensity of this transit should be used to strengthen your will power, your willingness to overcome these fears and destructive emotions.
Of course, the current planetary positions will interact with your natal chart’s planetary positions. And this will give a special result that applies only to you. If you want to know more, you can generate your own chart in one of the websites I mention in the notes below. There you can investigate in which house of your chart the transit is happening and what it means for you. I will soon post videos to explain the houses’ symbolism to help you with that. Now, you can also contact me for a personal reading.
2022-2023 cycle:
Mar 22nd: Mars in Aquarius square Uranus in Taurus
Apr 5th: Mars conjunct Saturn in Aquarius
May 4th: Mars in Pisces sextile Uranus in Taurus
May 18th: Mars conjunct Neptune in Pisces
May 22nd: Mars in Pisces sextile Pluto retrograde in Capricorn
May 29th: Mars conjunct Jupiter in Aries
Jun 27th: Mars in Aries sextile Saturn retrograde in Aquarius
Jul 2nd: Mars in Aries square Pluto retrograde in Capricorn
Aug 1st: Mars conjunct Uranus in Taurus
Aug 7th: Mars in Taurus square Saturn retrograde in Aquarius
Aug 11th: Mars in Taurus sextile Neptune retrograde in Pisces
Aug 14th: Mars in Taurus trine Pluto retrograde in Capricorn
Sep 1st: Mars in Gemini sextile Jupiter retrograde in Aries
Sep 28th: Mars in Gemini trine Saturn retrograde in Aquarius
Oct 12th: Mars in Gemini square Neptune retrograde in Pisces
Nov 19th: Mars retrograde in Gemini square Neptune retrograde in Pisces
Nov 28th: Mars retrograde in Gemini trine Saturn in Aquarius
Mar 14th 2023: Mars in Gemini square Neptune in Pisces
Mars is travelling through the signs of Aquarius, Pisces, Aries, Taurus and Gemini. In Aquarius it will unite with (conjunct) Saturn. In Pisces, it will conjunct Neptune. When it crosses Aries, it will conjunct Jupiter. Finally, it will conjunct Uranus when it is in Taurus.
Mars-Jupiter cycle culminates on Oct 28th 2023 when Mars in Scorpio opposes Jupiter retrograde in Taurus. Mars and Jupiter are aspecting each other twice this year.
Mars-Saturn cycle culminates on Jul 20th 2023 when Mars in Virgo opposes Saturn retrograde in Pisces. Mars and Saturn are aspecting each other five times this year.
Mars-Uranus cycle culminates on Nov 11th 2023 when Mars in Scorpio opposes Uranus in Taurus. Mars and Uranus are aspecting each other three times this year.
Mars-Neptune cycle culminates on Aug 22nd 2023 when Mars in Virgo opposes Neptune retrograde in Pisces. Mars and Neptune are aspecting each other five times this year (3 squares).
Mars-Pluto cycle culminates on May 21st 2023 when Mars in Leo opposes Pluto retrograde in Aquarius (the cycle starts just before the astrological new year). Mars and Pluto are aspecting each other three times this year.
You can also watch the video for this post on my YouTube channel. Remember I will be sharing my insights for each conjunction of Mars to the transpersonal planets in future posts/videos.
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