Friday, June 11, Mars enters Leo. What does this mean for all of us?

It means that how we generally “attack the problems of life,” or how we “take the initiative” leaves playing defense in the Cardinal Water of Cancer and now expresses it through the Fixed Fire of Leo. This will help us be more confident in our initiatives, with the ability to take what we’ve gathered and consolidated and express it in new creative and loving forms.

Mars is now almost at maximum cruising speed, having gradually accelerated since last Autumn’s retrograde in Aries. While it was still speeding up even a few weeks ago, it is now currently moving at 37 minutes per day and still gaining speed. This indicates a gradual speeding up of our ability to use the transiting Mars energies in diverse, sensitive, and creative ways.

When Mars was in Cancer, it favored caution, taking the initiative to shift gears, shift direction, shift allegiances, and shift methods to ensure security first, last, and always! What presented itself over the past few weeks paves the way for our Leo experiences in June and July. Now that Mars is in Fixed Leo, it anticipates what we’ll experience this Summer when the inner planets transit that sign. Many things which begin in the next few weeks will quickly take shape as Venus, and then Mercury and the Sun transit Leo.

Mars’ Path To Where We Are Now – Past As Prologue

Mars last transited Leo between early July and late August 2019. That period, like the one to come, gave us new initiatives wherever we have Leo in our charts, allowing us to know what our hearts were into. Mars in Leo is a time to show style in whatever we do, as well as playfulness.

Its transit in Virgo between mid-August and early October coincided with a lot of conjunctions which shaped September through December 2019. We were all making practical adjustments and sacrifices in our Virgo sector, taking care of business with an eye to details and how to do what we needed to do. Then Mars moved through Libra between early October and late November 2019, with new ideals and a recalibration of how much time and energy we were devoting to our Libra influenced affairs. This was a period of learning to find the balance and hold it, rather than keep “comparing and contrasting,” paralyzing action.

Mars entered Scorpio in mid-November 2019, one of the signs it rules, along with Aries. Mars is most naturally itself in those two signs, with Scorpio the zone where it eliminates all which is unnecessary to attain the fulfillment of the process it’s engaged in. After that it transited Sagittarius beginning early January 2020, a sign in harmony with its Fiery nature, so we “Flamed on” and set elements of the future into motion, activating much of the Jupiter promise from its year in Sagittarius.

Its transit of Capricorn began on February 16, 2020. This was a profound transit, as it triggered the numerous Capricorn conjunctions between January and March 2020. Capricorn is the sign of Mars’ exaltation, or greatest growth. The last half of February and all of March we learned to be pragmatic and organized with an eye to the long game, with an eye to accepting discipline and “responsible action. In March, many cycles were set into motion when Mars made conjunctions with Jupiter, Pluto, and Saturn.

Looking back at the past year, Mars enters Aquarius at the end of March 2020, immediately made a conjunction with Saturn at 1 Aquarius, thereby jumpstarting the new 20 year Aquarian era launched globally at the Grand Mutation conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn at 1 Aquarius at the December 2020 Solstice. During April and early May 2020, we saw the future, and ways to make a greater contribution to our greater good, as well as ways to cooperate through managing energy and things with an eye to the future. That period opened up new group initiatives, as well as new visions of a greater good for a greater number.

Mars in Pisces from mid-May through late June 2020 helped us learn to flow, bless, and forgive much. As Pisces is the sign of seclusion, it’s no wonder that fiery and aggressive Mars inflamed many passions of those who were quarantined. The period when Mars squared Uranus in mid-April through the various Mutable squares in June featured the beginning of the anti-mask rebellion (Pisces rules veils) as a widespread policy of mask wearing was mandated.

Then Mars entered Aries at the end of June 2020, where it remained until it finally entered Taurus in early January 2021! Mars in Aries last year was a time of testing and trials, conflicts and turning points, wherever we have late Aries, late Cancer, late Libra, and late Capricorn in our charts. We were all tested to protect what we cared about while maintaining inner equilibrium and a balanced sense of perspective and proportion.

Mars in Aries brought a period of open aggression and conflict between entrenched authority (Capricorn) and a future oriented impulse to move humanity in new directions (Aries). That was a time when planets or angles we have in Aries or Scorpio moved out of a watery expression (Pisces) into a fiery expression (Aries).

We then saw Mars’ entry into Taurus in early January 2021, moving the natural fire of Mars in Aries into one of the signs of its “exile,” meaning it’s in a sign opposite one it rules. When it entered Taurus, it immediately made major squares to Jupiter and Saturn, and received squares from the Sun, Mercury, and Venus! These tested us to stay focused, see what we want and why we want it, and be more heartfelt in our lives.

Mars moved into Gemini in early March 2021, where its Aries side found productivity, and its Scorpio side found regeneration. March and April were about discovering and externalizing information which naturally led to the shifts in allegiance and direction while Mars was Cancer, as well as the need to integrate these new directives in our lives to make us more secure.

It now moves into Leo, impacting the houses and planets we have in Aries and Scorpio, since the element quality is moving from Water to Fire. As these two elements both are integral to Mars’ nature, Mars is comfortable in Cancer and Leo, even if it doesn’t grow that much in Cancer. As Leo is Fixed Fire, Mars does very well, as the Aries part of Mars is Fiery, and the Scorpio part of Mars is Fixed.

While Mars is in Leo, It puts a huge focus of activity in the house where we have the first 10 degrees of Leo from now through June 26. After that, it transits the second 10 degrees of Leo from June 26 through July 13, and will transit the last 10 degrees of Leo between July 13 and July 29, after which it enters Virgo.

The Mars Challenge Since January 2019

When Mars was in Aries, it brought new beginnings to those with Sun or Ascendant in Aries, and new emergent developments to those with Sun or Ascendant in Capricorn. It puts the focus on relationships to those with Sun or Ascendant in Libra, and fulfillment to those with Sun or Ascendant in Cancer. (Again, these crucial points of choice and change were re-set in some way between July 2020 and January 2021.)

While Mars was in Taurus, it brought new beginnings to those with Sun or Ascendant in Taurus, and new emergent developments to those with Sun or Ascendant in Aquarius. It put the focus on relationships to those with Sun or Ascendant in Scorpio, and fulfillment or public activity to those with Sun or Ascendant in Leo. (This was re-set with Mars’ transit of Taurus in January and February 2021.)

While Mars was in Gemini, it brought new beginnings to those with Sun or Ascendant in Gemini, and new emergent developments to those with Sun or Ascendant in Pisces. It put the focus on relationships to those with Sun or Ascendant in Sagittarius, and fulfillment to those with Sun or Ascendant in Virgo. (This April-May 2019 cycle was re-set between early March and late April.)

While Mars was in Cancer, it brought new beginnings to those with Sun or Ascendant in Cancer, and new emergent developments to those with Sun or Ascendant in Aries. It put the focus on relationships to those with Sun or Ascendant in Capricorn, and fulfillment or public activity to those with Sun or Ascendant in Libra. (This was re-set over the past few weeks.)

While Mars is in Leo, it brings new beginnings to those with Sun or Ascendant in Leo, and new emergent developments to those with Sun or Ascendant in Taurus. It put the focus on relationships to those with Sun or Ascendant in Aquarius, and fulfillment or public activity to those with Sun or Ascendant in Scorpio.

While Mars was in Virgo, it brought new beginnings to those with Sun or Ascendant in Virgo, and new emergent developments to those with Sun or Ascendant in Gemini. It put the focus on relationships to those with Sun or Ascendant in Pisces, and fulfillment or public activity to those with Sun or Ascendant in Sagittarius.

While Mars was in Libra, it brought new beginnings to those with Sun or Ascendant in Libra, and new emergent developments to those with Sun or Ascendant in Cancer. It put the focus on relationships to those with Sun or Ascendant in Aries, and fulfillment or public activity to those with Sun or Ascendant in Capricorn.

While Mars was in Scorpio, it brought new beginnings to those with Sun or Ascendant in Scorpio, and new emergent developments to those with Sun or Ascendant in Leo. It put the focus on relationships to those with Sun or Ascendant in Taurus, and fulfillment or public activity to those with Sun or Ascendant in Aquarius.

While Mars was in Sagittarius, it brought new beginnings to those with Sun or Ascendant in Sagittarius, and new emergent developments to those with Sun or Ascendant in Virgo. It put the focus on relationships to those with Sun or Ascendant in Gemini, and fulfillment or public activity to those with Sun or Ascendant in Pisces.

While Mars was in Capricorn, it brought new beginnings to those with Sun or Ascendant in Capricorn, and new emergent developments to those with Sun or Ascendant in Libra. It put the focus on relationships to those with Sun or Ascendant in Cancer, and fulfillment or public activity to those with Sun or Ascendant in Aries.

While Mars was in Aquarius, it brought new beginnings to those with Sun or Ascendant in Aquarius, and new emergent developments to those with Sun or Ascendant in Scorpio. It put the focus on relationships to those with Sun or Ascendant in Leo, and fulfillment or public activity to those with Sun or Ascendant in Taurus.

While Mars was in Pisces, it brought new beginnings to those with Sun or Ascendant in Pisces, and new emergent developments to those with Sun or Ascendant in Sagittarius. It put the focus on relationships to those with Sun or Ascendant in Virgo, and fulfillment or public activity to those with Sun or Ascendant in Gemini.

Obviously within these transit spans there are other “phase relationships” between transiting Mars and all the planets in our charts, but to go into all of them would make this article a book. For example, Mars makes aspects to your other planets which are different than aspects to your Sun and Ascendant. All aspects, waxing and waning, fall within “The Whole Cycle” of each planet to every other planets and our Ascendant. You can find out more about the Whole Cycle in my book Saturn: Spiritual Master, Spiritual Friend. where I explain the various phases in the planetary cycles in terms of the Whole Cycle for various generations.

Mars Links to the Past, Present, and Future

As I mentioned earlier, the Mars conjunction with Saturn at 1 Aquarius launched a totally future oriented period of human existence. This began to take shape in a new 20 year Aquarian Era with Jupiter’s conjunction with Saturn on that same degree in December. And here it’s important to note that this is the last transit of Saturn through Aquarius before we “slip across the edge of the Age” after 2050.

I explained how various Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto transits over the past 3 centuries each strengthened the advent of the Age of Aquarius in the article Uranus Awakened the Age of Aquarius, Neptune Dreamed It Into Collective Consciousness, and Pluto Will Sprout It Into Life, as well as why we are not yet fully into the Age of Aquarius yet, but will be in the third quarter of this century. Of course, living on the cusp of a Great Age means we will be dealing with the dying echoes of the Age of Pisces for some time to come, since many who were born under those dying assumptions will try to perpetuate them as long as they can.

Just remember that the Capricorn cycles set into motion by Mars in March 2020 will have far reaching implications, some of which won’t be completed until 2053! We won’t have another Saturn conjunct Pluto for over 30 years, nor another Jupiter conjunct Pluto for 12 years. These Capricorn cycles will play out until the next transit of the outer planets over the conjunction points as a finish to what just began, and as prelude to the next cycles beginning then. (There will be an exact Sun conjunct Jupiter as both conjunct Pluto in Feb 2033 at the Angel Point at 15 Aquarius. That promises to be a much happier cycle than the current one!)

Aspects in Play

As Mars enters Leo, we immediately experience a quincunx to Jupiter and a binovile to Uranus, forcing hard adjustments while putting some things on the shelf. It then semisquares and septiles Mercury, triseptiles Jupiter, and sesquisquares Neptune. This is a bit of friction in the midst of major turning points. As the month ends it opposes Saturn and squares Uranus, forming a very powerful T-square with the void at 13-14 Scorpio!

This T-square at the beginning of July will put pressure on any planets we may have in the middle degrees of Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius, but it’s also phenomenally integrative, and should generate a lot of focus in the houses where we have Fixed signs. After that, Mercury septiles Mars just before Venus conjuncts Mars on July 13. Mercury then semisquares and noviles Mars just as Mars becomes the nozzle for a slightly offset Yod, of Finger of God, with Neptune and Pluto!

At the end of April, just as the Sun conjuncts Uranus, both Mercury and Venus make a semi-square to Mars, which is followed in May with Sun septile Mars and Mars sextile Uranus. In mid-May Mars quincunxes Saturn, and in late May the Sun semisquares Mars followed by Mars trining Neptune and opposing Pluto in early June.

What Do Mars Oppositions Teach Us?

At this point in its cycle, Mars is actually some sort of “herald” as it transits Cancer, Leo, and Virgo before the inner planets pass it in July and August. We’ve had no oppositions other than those made by the Moon for many months; Mars just finished its opposition to Pluto, and now begins its run of oppositions to the other outer planets.

It will oppose Saturn in early July, marking the mid-point of that cycle which began in March 2020. It then opposes Jupiter from 30 Leo to 30 Aquarius, marking the midpoint of their cycle which began in March 2020, and giving more power to the externalization of the Transfiguration energies of 29/30 Aquarius. Please remember that while they can be tense, those oppositions require us to use different spiritual planetary energies, and all oppositions made by Mars externalize various types of wisdom, since the “Tension of Opposites” between the planetary expressions in the signs they’re in entirely determines the spiritual tests to learn and demonstrate.

As I noted in Chapter 2 in my book Saturn: Spiritual Master, Spiritual Friend,

Mars' duality is Grace/Sin. This is the aspect of consciousness that shows whether our responses are manifesting error or truth, maladjustment or beauty. By our Martian function we force things before their time or confront abrasive, aggressive, or hostile energies in ourselves and others, and thus we learn how to sever what must be severed, and further what must be furthered, quickly and directly. (As an aside, the original meaning of “sin” had nothing to do with moral failure. It was an archery term meaning “to miss the mark,” or not hitting the center of a target. I use it here in that sense.)

So we’ve begun the “tests of skill” in expressing the realizations which surface at Mars oppositions. June and July will bring realizations about Pluto, Saturn, and Jupiter. September and November will give us realizations about Neptune and Uranus.

Picking Up the Pace Since The Grand Mutation of 2020!

In March 2020, Mars conjuncted Jupiter at 1 Aquarius, beginning our initiatives in moving into a fixed larger vision of a greater good, a greater contribution, and a greater way to manage collective energies synergistically so that all parts cooperate together for a greater achievement than any could have done separately. After Mars helped us all “graduate into a new realm of being” in early May, we then entered into the flow which will take us into the Aquarian ideal coming forth over the next 12 years

These 2020 Aquarian initiatives which are already expanding will be activated in transformational seed forms after Pluto enters Aquarius 2023 and goes SRX at 1 Aquarius. That will sprout new seeds from the Mars/Saturn conjunction and the Jupiter/Saturn conjunction, both at 1 Aquarius. As I mentioned earlier, everything Aquarian accelerates in 2033 when it conjuncts Pluto at the Angel Point.

The next 7 weeks will activate our ability to release many things, whether by letting go or demonstrating what we know. We can move from the caution and tentative movement of Mars in Cancer into new expressions, new actions, new creativity and new fun! Mars in Leo is power expressing itself through the sign of the ruling noble, the King or Queen archetype which allows us to bring prosperity to our realm by making clear the laws which govern our behavior. With Mars in the sign of the ruler who does things with grand style, don’t hesitate to seize the day!

Mars in Virgo teaches us “All play and no work make for an ungrounded life.” Mars in Libra teaches us “All work with no socializing makes for an unsustainable life.” Mars in Scorpio teaches us “doing the wrong thing in the wrong way with the wrong people will never make us happy, so do the right thing and be happy!”

Mars in Sagittarius teaches us how to be a “stylish and bold Archer riding our Sacred Arrows to our dream,” as well as “scattered effort leaves us frustrated.” Mars in Capricorn teaches us “Work for the now, work for the future, work for all time.” Mars in Aquarius teaches us “As you strive for greater things, you make manifest a future ideal which will outlive you.” Mars in Pisces teaches us “to witness our common humanity as we struggle for clarity in a murky collective environment.”

Mars in Aries teaches us how to act on our own initiative, not defer so much to others, and “working half-heartedly is not the way to accomplish much.” Mars in Taurus teaches us to “take pleasure in our work” as we learned to keep it simple and steady despite crosswinds, and Mars in Gemini teaches us adaptability because “there are many ways to get things done.” Mars in Cancer teaches us to “be watchful as we work,” acting with sensitivity, care, and caution.

Mars in Leo will teach us to “work with flair and style,” putting on the show as we accomplish things in inspired ways. So when opportunity beckons, see it as a chance to show your power and style, your command of energy to be expressed in a creative way.

Reprinted on crystalwind.ca with persmission from Robert Wilkinson.

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