MARS MOVEMENTS•••
Mars in Aries; July of 2020 to January of 2021—Part 1

Mars will move through Aries from tomorrow, June 27th, until January 6th of 2021 as a retrograde occurring from September through mid-November will lengthen this warring time frame within these Aries-motivated energies of thriving, for both necessary action and unnecessary aggression.

Raven Kaldera* describes Mars in Aries in this way, asking “where is the line between action and aggression?—Aries doesn’t know and doesn’t care… is it true that every act of creation is an act of violence, forcing your will into a resisting world?—of course it is, says Mars in Aries—so what? Should you seek out struggles or wait for them to find you?—why sit around and wait for anything, says Aries—go for it.”

❝Just do it.❞
——Nike slogan

Continued, Kaldera explains further, that “the ability to «do» becomes a compulsion to «do something», anything, preferably something big and fast and energetic.” Where these energies become problematic, and even violently unnecessary—despite one’s best intentions—stems from the archetypal motivations; “Ares, a creature of emotion and strong passions, would jump in wherever he thought that one side might need help, like a sort of divine vigilante looking for fights to take part in… who he chose to help was generally a spur-of-the-moment, subjective decision, not based on any thoughtful consideration, and might just as easily be the wrong side… Ares was not a strategist; in fact, it seemed sometimes as if it didn’t matter much to him who the “right” side was—he just needed to be fighting someone, for something…”

Imagine a Mars-fueled bulldozing energy in the air in all directions, which will be completing this ongoing demolition between No Longer and Not Yet, renovating existing structures, and promptly paving new ground to eventually create new foundations, without apology, pushing over anything that comes in its way.

We are all fighting for a new reality, and there are bound to be some disagreements along the way toward what this reality looks like and stands for.

❝When a storm of harassment disturbs our thinking and brings us down to our knees, the umbrella of our imagination can shield us against destructive aggression. It is offering shelter and is teaching us how to conquer ourselves, train our resilience, and grit our teeth. We better learn to adopt the virtue of endurance, as life consists of both ‘passion’ and ‘patience.’❞
——Erik Pevernagi

It will be essential to keep the driver of the bulldozing energy (the ego) in a mindfully measured check so as not to absentmindedly destroy some of the enriching resources remaining from No Longer, so that they may be used effectively within Not Yet through lessons eventually learned… not knowing the lessons exactly at this time, here in the Now, will make it intolerably irritating to navigate so carefully around such realities, with the likes of a hot-tempered heavy-handed Mars energy, only strengthened through the impatient energies of Aries.

It will be a natural inclination to simply forge forward aggressively, taking out or down whatever happens to be in the way, despite the valuable resources which inevitably exist within the metaphorical soils and spoils.

Instead of a bulldozer, rather—a slow and steady sifter would be ideal.

It will be an interesting summer—hot and heated, indeed; a busied and potentially bullying autumn, likely without reprieve; all of this preparing for a winter warmed from our own motivations of nerve, gumption, will, and repressed anger—all needing appropriately expressed.

At first, these transitions of demolition and determination might feel somewhat needed. Necessary. Exhilarating. Even constructive. Then these energies, despite all that’s seemingly been ‘done’ or in the works, will become frustrated. Stuck. Possibly even deliberately blocked. Or, perpetually mounting and frustrated. And finally, these issues and obstacles will need to be expressed—loudly, without warning, with brutal force, and determined will despite all resistances…

❝It is said that the present is pregnant with the future.❞
——Voltaire

While Mars is in Aries, Mars will square Jupiter, Saturn, and Pluto in Capricorn through the entire month of August, then again beginning September 18th through October 22nd while retrograde, and a final time, once again moving directly, beginning on winter solstice through January of 2021, moving in tandem as Jupiter and Saturn move into Aquarius… these bulldozing bombardments will inevitably re-trigger January’s Saturn/Pluto conjunction at 22° Capricorn, and how those transitions have played themselves out since then…

These transitions within a collective actuality would include, so far as I write this, the pandemic surfacing into mainstream news several months after the fact, as well as its consequential financial and economic motivations and still-lingering aftermath, details abound regarding the campaigning and electioneering here in the states, and most recently, the democratic protests as a voice regarding historic and systemic discrimination and the too-many-to-count misuses of unnecessary violence in the name of authority or ‘institutionalized effectiveness’.

Just to name a collective few so that you may interpret these energies into your own personal metaphors and metaphorical meanings of striving to survive, despite it all… structural realities aside—how one allows these and utilizes these is either powerful, or futile… the choices are endlessly yours.

❝But we must understand that emotions are unreliable and at times, tyrannical. They should never be permitted to dominate us.❞
——James C. Dobson

To empathize further how these energies could manifest by feelings of such ill impassioned force—a building, mounting, and ongoing mess of conflicted inflictions has been made, and all obligated authorities or institutional structures of support are refusing to admit the mess even exists or take any responsibility for its creation, perpetuation, or necessary solution—and so severe actions now need to be taken… not to offend or become untoward by my interpretation, however, from personal experience, I can’t help but envision the circumstance of domestic violence through the potentiality of these energies overcompensating—pitifully, and without apology, it is practiced by authority to render itself irrelevant until the ‘victim’ is actually brutalized, beaten, and broken, with visible evidence before assistance of any kind will be provided… illuminating its darkest capacities of manifestation, these Mars in Aries squares to the authoritative energies of Capricorn may ‘need evidence’ before any action can, or will, be taken in actuality, especially in situations where an assistance is required.

On the other hand, actual evidence could be taken on with passion to actually motivate change, in the most positive and beneficial ways… mountains could actually be moved.

Obviously, this visual need not be so violent, especially in regard to the average personal experience—though you may now more fully understand, and prepare for, just how harsh it may be for an/Other, depending upon what Mars may be activating within the chart—the ordinary personal experience through these transitions will likely require, simply, a courageous degree of open-mindedness, which will need to be continually practiced throughout the remaining weeks of the year, as Mars in Aries is typically quite narrow-minded in its approach, and of course, open-heartedness will help assuage any damage done either way.

❝For it is in your power to retire into yourself whenever you choose.❞
——Marcus Aurelius

On a directly personal level, these energies could be quite motivating, productive, and groundbreaking, however exhausting, even depleting, and it could feel as though you are willfully determined to the creating of your own life, your own reality, your own bluer than blue horizons, despite it all, on your own terms—only to be matched with resistance… or, if you are without a plan or strategy, it could feel as though life is railroading your best efforts, pummeling your ponderings, and bullying you all around, unnecessarily, and action will then be necessary to discern, eliminate or more appropriately motivate whatever the source of this happens to be.

For those of you who had planned on creating your own ideals at the beginning of the year, before tragedy and chaos struck—it’ll be an ideal time to begin again, despite it all, come what may. Mars energies, especially in Aries, are those inner motivations fighting to survive, and more specifically, to thrive—especially in the face of all adversity.

When in Aries, we begin, as it’s natural in Nature; with Mars, we do… these next six months will be a widespread opportunity in bombarded urgency  to begin from the beginning, working your way up, strategically and patiently, and absolutely realistically—regardless of how annoying, frustrating, resisting, constraining (or seemingly impossible) it may be.

Ultimately, beyond the collective reality that will inevitably play itself out, however horrifically and sadly, predictably violently or underhandedly—the personal narrative through these determined transitions will likely push toward an egoically perpetuated, and thereby fiercely protected, inner issue of contention that needs to be more carefully understood and more appropriately navigated, honored, resourced, and utilized.

❝The greater the gap between self perception and reality, the more aggression is unleashed on those who point out the discrepancy.❞
——Stefan Molyneux

Kaldera continues on, as does Mars in Aries, that “Ares is the embodiment of the aggressive forward push, something that we generally want to appear in a blast of competence and fearlessness when we need it and to conveniently disappear afterward, waiting on our command… Ares was called upon with great pleadings when the citadel needed defending, and the rest of the time he was dismissed as an impetuous brute—the problem is that it’s not so easy to put that genie back into the bottle to be ignored until it’s needed next.”

It is also important to recognize that our society does not condition or educate appropriate methods of expressing anger, and I will likely ponder on this in a separate post.

It will be most probable that you are overworked through this time that Mars moves through Aries—by your own goals or agenda or those of an/Other, run ragged by your own motivations, or firmly opposed through your highest ideals, or through the motivations of others… it will be imperative for you to understand how to appropriately push forward for your ideals through this time, through varying structures of resistance, and how to constructively use your energies and resources so that they do not begin to use and metaphorically abuse you. And, of course, it would behoove you to know where these energies will be activated within your nativity in order to properly prepare for these transitions and resistances.

❝I knew precisely what things I wanted to do—and when and why—and I was deeply resentful of other people’s attempts to enforce structure on my days…❞
——Sara Baume

What is actually worth your time and efforts?

How much can you actually realistically handle?

When, if at all, is a fight necessary for your ideals?

Where within your ideals is an impetus to fight and defend?

Why, exactly, are your ideals worth fighting for and defending?

What needs to occur, or not occur, for an inner motivation to surge?

Could you create a strategy to better utilize your resources?

∆

I will post separately each of Mars’ movements through its time in Aries, for each of its aspects both directly and through retrograde, especially the squares back toward the Capricornian stellium—to Saturn, Pluto, and Jupiter, though I will quickly pinpoint here what each description by degree will decree through July through Mars’ introductory aspectual connections…

★July 8th—Mars square MercuryRx at 6°07′ Aries/Cancer—try not to choose sides just yet, it’s not yet necessary; look for solutions and similarities toward whatever is coming at you rather than adding further complications or differences and inevitable frustration… however, complacency is not at all safe, nor does it describe security; means of actual security and survival should be handled carefully and strategically.

★July 14th—Mars/Chiron conjunction at 9°26′ Aries—you know exactly what the issue will be for you personally at this point, though you may need further, more clarifying, assistance in understanding what it «means» for you specifically, archetypally, and in actuality—how to work with it; what are you doing and how are you focusing toward what you really want?—what is your unconscious mind and psyche trying to tell you?

★July 27th—Mars square Mercury at 16°20′ Aries/Cancer—you may already be overdoing it and need to call in for assistance of some kind, and this help or recovery may be “too late”, though it will all fall into place as it’s supposed to; feelings of puzzlement and/or curiosity could drive you forward now within the realm of whatever needs further unraveling or understanding; concentrated efforts of disciplined focus and patient  preservation should be both routinely and ritually practiced at this point.

Plenty more to come, as the energies come bulldozing toward you without apology… no need to fret, but plenty of need to prepare and self-moderate.

Where there’s a will for your ideals, there’s always a way—as I predicted this year would provide in plenty, both the necessary will and the way—and again, Mars in Aries will bombard you with this same sentiment from all directions, again and again, likely three times, asking quite aggressively and absolutely out of turn—how much exactly do these ideals mean to you, what are they worth, and what are you willing to do for them?

❝I know myself—but that is all.❞
——F Scott Fitzgerald

∆

*Kaldera, R. “Myth Astrology.” Llewellyn Publications; ©2005.
Goldsmith, M. “The Zodiac by Degrees.” Weiser Books; ©2004.
Hill, L. “360 Degrees of Wisdom.” A Plume Book; ©2004.

Image credit— @80svintagecomics on Instagram

★Upcoming squares—

Mars/Jupiter—Aries/Capricorn
August 4 at 19°44′
October 18 at 19°27′
January 22 at 7°59′ Taurus/Aquarius

Mars/Saturn—Aries/Capricorn
August 24 at 26°19′
September 29 at 25°20′
January 13 at 3°04′ Taurus/Aquarius

Mars/Pluto—Aries/Capricorn
August 12 at 23°06′
October 9 at 22°30′
December 23 at 23°55′