Mars in Aries

Your energy levels are all high. Your energy type is primarily physical, raw and spontaneous. Your energy is often channeled into leading, starting things, and pioneering. You are courageous, independent and enterprising. You lack humility, patience and self-control.

This is a powerful Mars in that is provides a great deal of energy, but unfortunately there's often a lack of stick-to-it-iveness. You're inclined to leap before you look, with the result that you often find you've got too many irons in the fire to successfully control. There's a hot temper here, although normally there's no tendency to violence. However, if Mars is under heavy stress - in a Grand Cross for example - you could be a heavy drinker or a brawler. This Mars gives a slight tendency to attract cuts and burns, which of course would be more likely if Mars is under stress.

You have a healthy ego and a strong but rather hair-triggered sex drive. You are spontaneous and easily aroused as a rule. Men with this placement are often incorrigible woman-watchers regardless of their romantic status and their happiness (or lack of happiness) with same. They find the female body a turn-on. Alas, they sometimes at close range forget that love is not a ninety-yard dash, but rather a co-operative event, and there is generally no applause for coming in first! Women with this placement generally enjoy and are active participants in sex. They are also relatively creative sexually.

You want to be the dominant partner in the relationship, and you want enough challenge to keep the relationship interesting. You want a courageous but not too headstrong mate / lover. You're a spontaneous lover, eager to be involved. If your love life isn't satisfactory to you, and if relationships start well only to fizzle shortly thereafter, it could be that you're coming on a bit too strong. Some men and women will tend to be overwhelmed by your ardor or even suspicious of it; they may mistake if for plain old lust or even desperation.

You'd probably be happiest with a mate with Venus in a Fire sign, Venus in the 1st house, or a Venus/ Mars conjunction. A mate whose Venus conjoins your Ascendant might also be able to provide the kind of love you want.

You have initiative and a high energy level, although to be at your best you must enjoy what you're doing. You also have executive ability, although at times you can be a trifle domineering, which can hold you back. You fall down on repetitive jobs ¬when the challenge goes, so does your motivation! Some good career choices for you would be: construction in general, mechanical engineering, highway planning, sheep farming, wool processing, politics, or psychology.

You're highly motivated in the intellectual area - particularly in the field of psychology. Electronics and home computers also intrigue you, although in these fields a lot depends on your available funds. Being curious, you tend to be an avid reader; and at times books you read simply because nothing else is handy later come to your aid by providing you with knowledge you need in order to take advantage of some lucky break. Conversations and meetings - both planned and spontaneous - tend to alert you to opportunities that excite you. Speculative topics such as religion, politics, and astrology are particularly apt to motivate you to pursue them. You may get lucky breaks as a result of writing to newspapers or magazines; in fact, the field of publishing in general can be a source of good opportunities.

Mars in Aries: You may have a tendency to alienate others by aggressively refusing to accept demands placed upon you. By acting on the Aries premise that 'everyone looks out for himself', your behavior may appear rash, abrasive in exaggerated independence, and inconsiderate to others. You can lose energy and acceptance by fiercely maintaining your right to absolute independence.

You can constructively interact by using independence in ways that inspire others to take the initiative. As you view your impact on them objectively, you can naturally assert your courage and initiative in ways that lead to freedom for all concerned. You can gain physical energy by considering the other person and giving that person confidence in his or her ability to follow destiny.

Mars in Aries: Mars at home in its own sign is very sure about its desires. Its passions burn brightly, and it knows exactly who and what it wants. Being cardinal, Mars in Aries likes to take the initiative, and does tend to rush at people in a way that can be quite intimidating to those who like to make decisions more slowly. The person with Mars in Aries is excited by the pursuit, however, so rejections and evasions only serve to fuel the fire. Finding it hard to admit defeat, they cannot believe that they won't get what they want, and will see the slightest ambiguity as grounds for optimism. The Mars in Aries does have a tendency to enjoy the chase more than the end result, so that they often lose interest in people once they have caught them. They are then likely to run away just as fast as they were pursuing before! Someone who wants to retain the interest of this person will need to remain always a little elusive.

People with Mars in Aries feel energized by sexual desire - even if it is not fulfilled, it will make them feel more vital and alive. Very intuitive and trusting to instinct and gut reactions, they know exactly what is right for them, and will not compromise. They either desire people or not, the second they meet them: there is no uncertainty or doubt with Mars in Aries.

The person with Mars in Aries often appears much more confident than he / she feels, and may tend to look for an identity through his / her lovers, and try to prove him- / herself through sex. These people may go to great lengths to prove how independent they are, when they are really trying to define themselves through sex. Sex, therefore, to these people can assume huge symbolic significance; and they may invest the object of their desire with almost mythical status. They are searching for a hero to fire and inspire them, to help them discover the hero within. To this end, they may have to go on a long and lonely journey, facing many difficulties and rejections before they become the truly independent individual they need to be. Life holds many hard lessons for people with Mars in Aries. They step into each new sexual involvement with careless impulsiveness, naively believing that this one will be much easier than the last, and forgetting that Aries must pit itself against adversity in order to develop strength and self-reliance.

Mars in Aries people are attracted to sharply defined individuals of strong character. They enjoy a certain amount of combativeness and competition with their sexual partners, and are often quite sharp and argumentative with those they find attractive. Sexual desire stirs up anger for them; and they often feel safer expressing anger to lovers than to anyone else. It is important to them that the other person is strong enough to handle this, and can give as good as he/ she gets. There is a need for the lover to be of equal strength, and they will feel irritated by someone who gives in to them all the time, and will soon lose interest in such a person. They cannot be pushed into things themselves, and tend to despise those who can. Although they may be critical of their lovers themselves, they will fight ferociously to defend them against anyone else who dares to attack them.

Honest, open and direct, the Mars in Aries person likes to let his / her potential lovers know exactly how he / she feels. It is important to Mars in Aries people that things are straight-forward and that there is no confusion. They in turn like to know exactly where they stand, and cannot bear any form of deception. They have romantic ideals about sex, and need to be true to themselves, so that the pretence involved in having sex with someone that they do not really want or when they do not want it can be very undermining to them.

Mars in Aries is not really looking for physical sensation, but rather for some kind of spiritual fulfillment through sex. These people seek spiritually unity, a fusing and oneness with their lover which transcends the physical act. Through it, they hope to experience a moment of bliss in which separateness has been abandoned and they have become one with their lover.

Mars in Aries: You are energetic, aggressive and highly competitive, a combination that strongly suggests athletic potential. However, you also have a 'short fuse' and may tend to let your temper get in your way. You also might have difficulty disciplining yourself and focusing your abundant energy and desire, unless you also have some stabilizing factor (such as a prominent Saturn) in your chart.

Impulsive and overly confident, you usually leap before you look. Action is your middle name, and you rarely think about the consequences of your actions before you do something. You never let an obstacle stand in your way. You charge ahead, undaunted by risks; in fact, the more dangerous a venture is, the more eagerly you tackle it - whether you're speculating in the stock market or sailing single-handed across the Atlantic. Sometimes you accomplish tremendous feats of daring and courage; other times, you are simply reckless and foolhardy. You love challenges, even conflict, and want to keep things stirred up; peace and harmony bore you.

You have a strong sense of self, but little understanding of others. Assertive to the point of being pushy, you don't know how to go easy or be patient. Your impetuousness can cause you to be accident-prone. At times, you seem rather like an exuberant, roughneck kid, unaware of your own strength or of your effect on others. Subtlety and tact are unknown to you. Blustering and blunt, you have a way of saying the wrong thing at the wrong time, and can offend others with your coarseness or brute force.

The ultimate individualist, you can't bear to have anyone else tell you what to do or how to do it. The word 'compromise' isn't in your vocabulary; and since you rarely value others' opinions you are likely to have trouble in situations that require teamwork. If you can't do it on your own, you are at a loss. Fortunately, you have the drive and vitality to accomplish more than a dozen people, and usually function best when you can do everything yourself. Once you get going, it's hard to keep up with you; but your attention span is short, and you tend to run out of steam and interest rather quickly. You are better at starting things than completing them; and your life may be littered with half-finished projects.

Your sex drive is strong, but you lack true sensuality. Sex, to you, is a contest and a form of physical release - sort of an intimate boxing match - and your romantic quotient is zero. You also tend to be a bit rough, pushy and concerned only with your own satisfaction. Unless Libra or Taurus is prominent in your chart, you are probably more interested in adding notches to your bedpost than with having a meaningful relationship.

Mars in Aries: Mars in Aries is characterized by uncontainable energy that must find an outlet. This is the basic position of the initial impulse to action and self-expression leading to evolutionary experience. Mars in this sign indicates energy, initiative, courage, and impulsiveness. The drive to get things accomplished leads to creativity and the starting of many new projects. There is leadership ability in the sense that people with Mars in Aries can take the initiative and spark enthusiasm in others. They have a great desire to be first. However, they may lack the organizational ability of Capricorn and the staying power of Leo; hence they may not sustain their interest and enthusiasm long enough to see a project through to its conclusion. Children with this position should be taught to finish useful tasks.

This Mars position makes people headstrong and independent. They will not tolerate opposition or interference. The position can lead to success if the natives can learn to think before they act; otherwise, blind action may lead to danger and mistakes.

People with this position are highly competitive; they enjoy sports and physical games in which they can pit their strength and courage against those of their opponents. The star football player or racer, for instance, is likely to have Mars in Aries. They also have an ability or liking for work involving machinery. Many sports car and hot rod enthusiasts have Mars in this sign.

These people often receive injuries to their heads. When they are ill, they run high fevers, but they are also capable of surviving fevers that would kill others.

If Mars is afflicted in Aries, there can be egotism, aggressiveness, and anger. Although these people can have violent tempers, their anger is short-lived, unlike that of those with Mars in Scorpio. They need to learn to express more love and patience.

Dane Rudhyar points out that the aggressiveness of Mars in Aries is a psychological reaction against the muddle and confusion of Pisces, which was the previous evolutionary experience of the soul.

Consequently, these people have a great need to reassure themselves of their own worth through overt expressions of strength and courage.

Mars in Aries: Aries is the sign that Mars rules; and when in this sign, the planet becomes a strong focal point of a chart. As a result, when interpreting this placing, Mars should be considered second in importance to the influence of the ruling planet. It will bestow a powerful physical energy level which must be positively expressed. If there is not outlet through sports or another physically demanding activity, the system will stagnate, with the individual becoming restless and unfulfilled. The need to win, to be first, will be very important; and there should be no lack of drive. However, is Mars makes any aspect to Saturn or negative aspects to Uranus or Pluto, these should be studied with particular care, since they will inhibit the flow of energy.

These possibilities aside, the influence of Mars from its own sign is very pure, and will powerfully invigorate the individual, making him or her very much a 'get up and go' type who will encourage loved ones also to take bold, assertive action. If they do not respond, the subject is likely to take the upper hand and force issues. There will, however, be a strong tendency to lack consideration for others' feelings and needs, forcing others (and especially the partner, if he or she lacks confidence and assertiveness) to take what is believed to be the right action. If tact, diplomacy and sensitivity to the needs of others are present elsewhere in the chart, they will help counter the overzealous pushiness of this placing. If not, there can be problems, sometimes causing considerable embarrassment to others. So, encouragement is needed to be tactful and thoughtful.

The sex drive is powerfully increased by this placing, which also adds a strong emotional passion - but one that is simple and straightforward rather than seething, smoldering, intense or distorted by psychological twists and turns. The desire for motherhood can also be increased. The individual is usually uncomplicated, reducing apparently complex problems to a few simple components.

When the energy from Mars in Aries is flowing, and the individual is happily occupied with plenty of varied interests, all will be well; but the stagnating effect mentioned above will provoke health problems if it is allowed to persist. Usually, however, the subject will not allow this to happen.

Headaches will occur all too often, as will outbursts of Martian anger - a rapid loss of temper and a sudden raging storm that is over as quickly as it began. Resentfulness is not usual.

Mars in Aries: Your usually abundant energies are directed primarily along lines of ego assertion. You feel best and act best when you are not limited or restricted by elders, superiors or authority of any kind. You are swift to anger at any intrusion on your personal rights; you are quick on the trigger - the adrenal gland, controlling fight or flight, is sensitive, reacting sharply and generally on the aggressive side. You are a formidable adversary, for all your vitality is brought at once to bear on anyone who challenges your preeminence. Even in the chart of an otherwise timid soul, this will lend scrappiness to the nature. If your life aim is more detached, and if you are ambitious for worldly success, popularity, or any of the things that require self-control, your Mars will periodically trip you by directing your energies toward self-assertion at times when you ought to be thinking of something else. The abrupt, aggressive speech, the sharp retort when your independence is assailed (or when you imagine it to be), can stand between you and the rewards of self-control. To serve the deeper ends of life that frequently require forgetfulness of self, you must continuously stand guard over the tendency of your energies to flow through the millrace of the ego into strife and disharmony.

Mars in Aries: In Aries, Mars makes the native restless, dynamic; it is indicative of originality, daring, a healthy ego, but one which, if permitted full play, could indicate a native who feels that only his thoughts, feelings and comforts are of any importance. He is independent and enterprising, and has a keen appreciation for his own best interests.

He must learn to control his temper and impulses. Though inventive, he is sometimes in so much of a hurry that he neglects details, leaves himself open to ridicule, and can be prone to accidents. The astrologer's job is to help him gain a broader scope, envision new horizons, channel his energy and be more patient.

Mars in Aries: You are a bold, though potentially impetuous, suitor. Energy is created and maintained through honest and direct means that breed quick results, rather than through complex strategies and convoluted agendas. Decisions are best made impulsively; and if proved wrong, swiftly proceed with whatever's next, without looking back. Although lack of forethought can create problems, it is best to use these manners of assertion, or energy can remain as, or devolve into, anger.

You attract with a self-assured and energetic manner that comes right to the point and gets things started; with a direct sexual approach that excites because it leaves no room for mistaking your desires; and by a fearless, independent streak that puts you way out in front of competition.

You repel with an arrogance and pushiness that completely overlooks finer points and feelings; with a coarse and unsubtle, even violent, way which sets out to make sexual conquests; and with an inability to share and co-operate.

You are attracted to heroic types, or situations where the competition is stiff and you therefore stand to make the most heroic impression; to sexual objectives that can be swiftly achieved, or those who can swiftly achieve sexual objectives; and to athletic, adventurous, leader types.

You are repelled by faintheartedness and low-key situations where there is no competition or prize worth fighting for; by being treated as a sexual object - or not being treated as one, depending on your mood or gender; and by limp types with no get-up-and-go.

When you are alone, it can be for reasons which are as complex as you usually like to keep or have things straightforward. In other words, your direct, even pushy, sexual nature can be a problem in that it turns people off; or if you do not recognize this go¬ for it side of your personality, then you can be consistently put off by it in others to the point of there being no corners, or at least none that you find attractive. This second point is far more likely to be the case if you are female. And so the remedy here is to be a bit more softly-softly if you are the former, and to swallow your finer feelings and be more to the point and honest with yourself if you are the latter. Your problem could of course be a combination of the two, in which case be more circumspect, but not so much that the object of your desires is not clear about your feelings or intentions.

Mars in Aries: Although you are not particularly forward in your social manner, when it comes to physical affection you are usually the initiator and in some ways the aggressor. Therefore you are happiest with a partner who lets you play that role most of the time and who will not conflict or compete with you.

You are spontaneous and eager; and you like to participate actively in lovemaking. But in your eagerness, take care not to get carried away and leave your lover emotionally behind in an earlier stage of lovemaking. The lessons you must learn are those of restraint and staying power. You will get more sustained pleasure out of love if you bank your fires a bit, even letting your lover carry the load so you can relax.

Because you become physically intense within a rather short period, you can gain more satisfaction from a brief affair than most people. You can pack a full relationship into a lightning affair that would leave others unfulfilled.

Do not let your impulsiveness lead you to make premature commitments or act rashly from either love or anger. You may take the opposite view just as intensely a short time later, so always leave yourself plenty of room to maneuver.

Mars in Aries: You are a very independent and self-assertive person. Since you have a great deal of physical energy, you should try to get outdoors and let off steam in some active sport fairly often. You get very restless and fidgety if you are cooped up for any length of time.

You prefer to act on your own and set your own pace without waiting for people who work more slowly. Also, you like to be the first to take up a new activity. Although you are not at all a follower, you are perfectly willing to let others go their own way. You have no desire to impose your will on your friends, as long as they don't try to force their ways on you. However, you enjoy competition when someone offers a challenge. If pressed, you will fight for your beliefs. You get angry quite quickly, but you also cool off quickly and don't hold a grudge.

Obviously your greatest problem is learning to co-operate with others. It isn't that you want to create a fuss; but if the people you are with won't do something your way, you do it alone. But that is not always the most efficient way to attack a problem. You must learn how to give in now and then. Don't worry about having to compromise on anything important, for it isn't in your nature to do so.

You are also inclined to be rash and impulsive and to act without thinking, which can get you into trouble or even accidents. Accidents don't just happen; you create them through being careless. If you take time to be careful, you will have little difficulty.

Mars in Aries: With Mars in Aries you are most certainly a survivor in every way. Mars feels very much at home in the sign Aries. You are capable of quick and fearless action when the need arises You want everything now and will display a good deal of impatience when it is not immediately forthcoming! Use caution as this placement can make you somewhat accident prone.

Mars in Aries Woman: You're a warrior woman. You could have led the Charge of the Light Brigade. You start fast and you can stop on a dime. Whatever you do, it is with quickness and speed. You're impetuous, impatient, and impulsive, sometimes to the point of being rash. You go where the action is, and you usually are in the lead. You often charge ahead without looking behind to see who, if anyone, is following you. You leave the details to others, but first you motivate them to finish what you start. There’s always something new to go on to, a project that will challenge you once again. You thrive on the challenge, like a knight-errant.

You don’t go in for game-playing. When you want something or someone, you go for it or him. You act and react spontaneously, even if you have regrets later. Your first response is usually the true one. You’ll fight if a fight is necessary, because combat turns you on. But you can make up just as easily. You're no shrinking violet or clinging vine. You're an independent woman with a mind of your own. Yet, you're a true romantic. You like men who are on quests, who have goals and a vision for life. You don’t like threatening a man, so he’s got to be his own person to deal with you. He doesn’t have to be macho, though. He can be a gentle person like an artist or a poet. Just as long as he knows who he is and is secure in that. You do like a man who looks like a man and acts like one.

You respond to romance if the situation is right. If you're truly his lady and his Number One, then your passion is aroused to white heat. If you're not his sole focus, you wilt like a daisy without water. You just have to be first in his heart and in his mind.

You're able to make the first move if necessary, but you’d rather not. The idea of being swept away thrills you and then you like to alternate between who is assertive and who is receptive. Dominance and passivity as a love game appeals to you, as long as you both know it is only a game. You don’t want to be dominated in reality, only in fancy. You're a warrior, but you're first a lover.

Mars in Aries Woman: Some women with this position are just as assertive and competitive as their male counterparts; others project this part of themselves onto the men in their lives. You may be attracted mostly to strong, aggressive men, athletes, 'muscle men' or 'macho men'.

Mars in Aries Man: You know what you want when you want it. And you want what you want when you want it. Anything that gets in your way doesn’t stay there for long. You have a true warrior spirit.

Often you think you were born in the wrong time, because you’d have loved to have been a knight in shining armor, fighting battles for beautiful damsels, killing dragons, storming citadels. But it doesn’t matter. You find your own battles in this day and age. You're a person who’s not afraid to act, not afraid to show anger, not afraid to move in when there are things that need doing. You're the last person in the world who needs to take a course in assertiveness training!

You like a woman who can appreciate a real man, a man with this kind of get-up-and-go. Timid ladies aren’t for you. Too fragile. You don’t like to have to worry about crushing a poor butterfly. Crusades thrill you. You like the chance to fight for what you think is right, no matter what the obstructions. You're not big on patience. When you see a woman you want, you don’t beat around the bush about how you feel about her. Right away you let her know you're interested.

If she enjoys sports and activity, that’s good, because you're not one to sit around a lot unless you're watching an action movie or reading an adventure book. Projects you can work on inspire you because you can put passion into anything you do, even if it’s not a woman!

You're an enthusiastic lover and you come on strong. You're aggressive in bed and get turned on by dominance and submission games.

Passion is your middle name, and you’ve been called domineering more than once, but you have a playful side and, though this may come as a surprise, you're really sweet and somehow innocent in spite of all your energy.

Your perceptions are quick - too quick for some people but that’s too bad. They’ll just have to get used to it. You go with your gut reactions and you're seldom wrong. If you make a mistake, you just start over. You don't cry in your beer.

You go for two kinds of women and maybe one day you’ll find both in one gal. One is the warrior type, like you, a real challenge. The other is the super-feminine, with all the ruffles and frills, and you don’t see any reason she can’t combine the two.

Mars in Aries Man: Men with this position can be the ultimate 'macho men'. A 'man's man', you love hanging around the gym with the other guys, hunting, and going out drinking with your buddies. You'll stand up to anyone about anything, and never walk away from a fight. In fact, you are often the instigator. You particularly enjoy provoking authorities; and there is a rebellious, individualistic spirit in you that won't bend to the powers that be. The feistiness and violence inherent in this planetary position can indicate lack of feeling and compassion; and you can be cruel at times.

See also: Mars in Aries;

Mars in Aries: Ursula Andress, Alan Arkin, Clint Eastwood, Art Garfunkel. Aldous Huxley, Steve Jobs, Angelina Jolie, Paul Newman, Jack Nicklaus, OmNi, Paul Simon, Gloria Steinem, Swami Vivekananda, Orson Welles, Paramahansa Yogananda, BarryKl, Ellen, Elroy, Flickinger, Jeff, JerryP, LouG, Marcy, Sugeet, Suzanne, Tom, TonyC, Zoë

Mars in Taurus

You have high-to-adequate practical and emotional energies, but low mental and physical energies. Your energy is stable, controlled and persistent. If it often channeled into keeping things as they are, building (both literal and figurative types), and accumulating things. Your strengths are stability, craftsmanship and loyalty. You lack flexibility, inner drive and physical energy.

You're much slower to act and much more patient than someone with Mars in Aries. Anger can be a problem for you. You tend to hold it in for too long, so when you do blow up it's often over something trivial, and your anger is totally out of proportion to the circumstances. You're quite conservative in your actions and ambitions otherwise. In the health area, there's some danger of throat problems, particularly if Mars is under stress or in the 6th house.

You have a powerful sex drive, and can be quite sensuous and earthy. Men with this placement have a tendency to want their women to feel obligated to them; they therefore aim to please, and also often aim to procreate. Women with this placement tend to deal easily with the requirements of marriage and family life, including sex. They do, however, take a while to 'warm up', and don't like to be rushed into lovemaking.

You want money. You also want physical demonstrations of love, and possibly tangible tokens of affection. You exude a strong sexuality, but it's low-keyed rather than overwhelming. It tantalizes at the background of your personality. Though your wants at first glance may seem unromantic, you're not asking for something you're not willing to give yourself. You may very well enjoy expressing your love by giving gifts, making things, or doing practical things for your loved ones. And you're also probably physical in your romantic expression. You undoubtedly like to give - and get - hugs, kisses, and cuddles in addition to sex itself. You'd be happiest with a mate who has Venus in an Earth sign, Venus in the 2nd house, or Venus sextile your Mars.

You aren't too well-suited to business partnerships -partly because of a self-indulgent streak that can cause resentment and, ultimately, friction; and partly because of your stubborn streak. So you're better off to work for yourself or to work somewhere where you're allowed to do pretty much as you please. You're a hard worker as long as you see rewards on the horizon, but a life of all work and no play is definitely not a part of your game plan - you like the occasional long lunch, a decent vacation, and a good salary with which to get a fair number of life's goodies. With proper training, the following career areas could meet your needs: finance, banking, art, music, architecture, building, cattle breeding, faming, routine office work (if the pay is good and there's potential advancement).

Your motivation is highest when it comes to practical opportunities. Your style is to work hard and play hard. Art, music, and working with growing things can steer you towards success provided you don't close your eyes to new trends that might affect your work. (You are, at times, a trifle negative about change.) Romance can provide tangibly good opportunities at times. Building construction or decorating can also be a lucky theme in your life.

Mars in Taurus: Static You may have a tendency to alienate others by judging or ignoring their values in order to confirm your own sense of self-worth. This mental competitiveness may bring about defeat by cutting off others on a material or sensual level. You can lose the energy needed to establish your worth if you refuse to allow the experience of others to be incorporated into a rigid Taurean value system.

You can constructively interact with others by allowing them to contribute their ideas and values in a way that is supportive in manifesting material results. When you commit yourself to participating actively in the world, a solid foundation for material security can be established. Your values can be transformed and translated into greater material and sensual results by viewing others as your resources.

Mars in Taurus: Someone with Mars in Taurus will have a good connection to his/ her instinctual, physical needs. This will be a strong, no-nonsense person with a matter of fact attitude towards sex; someone who gets enormous enjoyment from his / her sexual relationships, and with wide tastes. These people could be into sex for its own sake, as pure physical pleasure, with no trimmings. They are comfortable with their own bodies and physical desires. More genteel types could find them positively crude.

With Mars in any of the Earth signs, there is the propensity to split love and sex; but someone with Mars in Taurus is most prone to this, simply because his/ her desire nature is so strong. These are not people who can easily be celibate, so if there is no-one in their lives who really matters to them, they are still going to look for sexual partners. They may take a pragmatic view of these liaisons, unaware of their own double standards, as when they are deeply involved with someone on a feeling level their values change dramatically.

Taurus is arguably the most possessive sign of the zodiac, and someone with Mars in Taurus may claim total ownership rights over his / her sexual partner. This differs from the emotional possessiveness of someone with Mars in Scorpio, as with Taurus the partner becomes a prized object in which a part of the self is invested. Infidelity is so completely threatening to these people that it is intolerable. They will value their partners highly, treat them as a possession, as an extension of themselves, and expect and demand absolute faithfulness. To say that they are jealous and possessive of loved ones is an understatement.

This is a very primitive Mars placement; we are dealing with a Neolithic man / woman here. The rest of the world may have developed more liberated attitudes to relationships, but these will not have filtered through to a Mars in Taurus person. This is someone who has traditional expectations, and is likely to want to play a traditional role in relationships.

The Mars in Taurus person will build a relationship slowly. These people do not rush into things, and will take their time to get to know a prospective partner. A sexual involvement does not necessarily mean to them that a relationship is underway. They will evaluate a potential relationship in a pragmatic way. Once involved, they are loyal and reliable, and are not afraid of making a commitment. They are at their best when in a secure relationship.

Mars in Taurus: Rather than chasing madly after your goals, you pursue them with dogged determination. You may take longer than some to achieve your desires, and you might not do it with so much flair and daring; but your accomplishments are more enduring. Once you decide you want something, you are not easily discouraged, and you often succeed because of your persistence and single-mindedness.

One thing you are likely to pursue is wealth; and you'll invest all your energy to this end. Material possessions and creature comforts are important to you; and you'll do whatever you have to do you can have them in abundance.

Another area in which you might choose to focus your energy is the arts. Taurus stabilizes Martian energy, giving you the patience and perseverance to spend years developing and perfecting your talent. Architecture and interior or furniture design in particular might interest you. You appreciate beautiful things; and even if you don't have much talent, you probably enjoy art and might collect it.

This Mars placement indicates great sensuality and sexuality; and satisfying your physical desires is probably first on your list of priorities. No-one understands the pleasures of the flesh as you do. Sex is never far from your thoughts; and you have a tendency to be led around by your libido. You invest so much time and energy into fulfilling your body's appetites that you might overlook other areas of life. Your approach to sex is straightforward and uncomplicated, devoid of fantasies or fetishes. Your only sexual problems might be insatiability and lack of discrimination.

You don't radiate with energy the way people who have Mars in Fire signs do; and unless you have several planets in Aries or Sagittarius, you probably aren't very athletic. However, you have tremendous endurance and muscle strength, and are capable of doing more physical work than almost anyone. Even if you appear rather lethargic and overweight, you are remarkably powerful; and beating you in a fight is much more difficult than it looks. You're a lover, not a fighter, though; and it takes a lot to make you mad. You also have great resistance to illness and stress.

Though you can be stubborn, you are generally easy-going and co-operative, and are able to set your ego aside when teamwork or compromise is needed.

Mars in Taurus: Since Mars in the sign Taurus shows a strong desire for money, much energy is exerted to acquire money and material possessions. This position of Mars indicates practicality, so that the energy is channeled into useful tasks that will produce concrete results.

Mars in Taurus is the sign of its detriment, being opposite the sign Scorpio, which Mars rules. The energy and action of Mars, therefore, will be slowed down by material obstacles and limitations. As Taurus is an Earth sign, the dense material plane does not respond as quickly as Mars would like to.

People with this Mars position are slow to act, but possess great determination and perseverance once a course of action has been chosen. Although they are not especially aggressive, if they are forced to fight then this position will make them strong and unyielding.

Mars in Taurus can produce craftsmen and skilled artisans capable of great patience and precision in the use of words. They create objects that are lovely and durable. Often they use solid, permanent materials such as metal and stone.

If Mars in Taurus is afflicted, there can be a preoccupation with sex and sensuality and an excessive attachment to money and material goods. These people can be jealous and possessive, especially where love and sex are concerned. The violence arising from sexual jealousy with Mars in Taurus can be just as intense as with Mars in Scorpio.

Mars in Taurus: There is plenty of passion here, and an abundant sex-drive will be expressed with Taurean warmth. Here is a sensuous and affectionate lover who is sometimes possessive. If Mars is unafflicted, there will be plenty of energy, used in a controlled, steady way.

Once anger is aroused, the rage of these subjects is only too obvious. It will take much provocation to reach this state, for Taurean patience will steady the Martian influence; but, because Mars quickens action, once their adrenalin is flowing those angry and heated feelings will be shown in no uncertain terms. These people must understand that, while such outbursts may be justified, they can cause great damage to those on the receiving end, for their feelings may be expressed far more passionately than they realize.

At its best, this placing adds determination, firmness and the ability to work very hard and tenaciously at both career and spare-time interests. Sometimes these qualities can develop into stubbornness; and Mars will definitely increase it if this trait is indicated elsewhere. In a chart dominated by Earth signs, the more adventurous side of Mars is slowed down, so it is important to look out for any tendency to get stuck in a rut. Over adherence to routine (even with a lively planet such as this) and a Taurean need for emotional and financial security will both be evident. A great deal of energy will be spent in making and spending money.

This is a marvelous placing for those who participate in heavy team games or the heavier sports in general - boxing, wrestling or weightlifting, for instance. Thinking of the Venus influence on Taurus, this will be a good, strong placing for a dancer, since discipline and routine are essential for such a profession; and, for the men, a great deal of weightlifting is involved - ballerinas are, after all, very much flesh and blood! The effect on health will be a tendency to feverishness and a vulnerability to throat infections.

Mars in Taurus: You work most naturally along lines related to security, and are your best self only when this is assured. Worry over money throws you off-balance: you need to be able to take for granted at least the essential comforts of life, and can get to demand a good deal more on the luxury side. You may get, have, spend and lose much property in your lifetime; conservatism in finances is not well-marked, and you have to learn it by sheer force of strength. In a deep sense, you relate security to emotional as well as financial matters, are ardent and stable in love, and require (and generally get) plenty of sex satisfaction. Yet in this, as in money, your energies can run away into prodigality and excesses. You are 'set in your ways', know how you want to do things, and generally manage to do them that way. You are not exactly aggressive in your search for independence; you don't make a big fuss about it, but you get what you want. Your motto is, 'I don't want to fight; just let's do it my way'; and with or without the consent of the governed, you generally prevail. You are a master of the art of passive aggression and passive resistance; whether your habits are right or wrong, good or bad, constructive or destructive, you keep ploughing along in the same furrow; and those who would oppose you generally stand to one side or get mowed down. Love and finances alike can fall before you; and your constant aim in life should be to stand aside from your own desires, your own intuition, and the things you take for granted, in order that you may judge objectively the value of your fixation and your effort.

Mars in Taurus: In Taurus, Mars points to passion, giving vent to emotions and involvement with those who bilk him by appealing to those emotions. The native's chief asset is perseverance. He works for security and drives toward his goals, real or imagined. Keeping on the move, he alienates many because he seems self-centered. He should strive for a more tactful approach and adopt an attitude of tolerance for others' foibles. He often thinks of love and money together - he is inclined to the physical, the creature comforts, and feels others must be worthy of his attentions. He must be taught not to bear grudges or brood about injustices.

Mars in Taurus: You are a sensuous, though potentially jealous, suitor. Energy is created and maintained over a drawn-out period as long as you have a material goal. Laid-back initially, you take a lot to be turned on; but once aroused you take even more to turn you off. The same applies to your temper: if you are frustrated in pursuit of possession of what you desire, it is like a red rag to a Bull; what was previously steady and productive devolves into a destructive and hard-to-subdue anger.

You attract with an earthy, sensuous and throbbing sexuality; great stamina; with an advantageous material position, or at least, a sound ability and commitment regarding such things; and with a solid dependability that stands its ground and defends you and yours.

You repel with a jealous and possessive nature that is blind to reason and won't let up; with an opportunistic obsession with the physical / material aspects of life that bar any appreciation of the spiritual or intangible; and with a stubborn, intractable and unrelenting attitude that is its own worst enemy.

You are attracted to Others who promise stability of some kind or other, who have substance, and who produce solid results; to traditionally sexual types and situations, perhaps even where chauvinism has a place, to some degree; and to physical permanence and unhurriedness.

You are repelled by material insufficiency and promises that are not met; by wooly, newfangled ideas concerning sexual roles (or that do not have a discernibly practical purpose); and by Others or relationships that are prone to change and upset.

When you are alone, it is, for one reason, because you have having to take stock of yourself physically and materially, and learn to be your own master where such matters are concerned. Conversely (or possibly as an eventuality of the first reason), the almost excessive importance that you place upon money and physical gratification could have isolated you from fruitful relationship, and maybe made you rather sluggish or complacent too. Ultimately then, in either respect, you may have to take some fall in the form of losing what or whom you hold most dear. This would force you to focus upon issues of physical and / or material satisfaction in order to appreciate their true value or limitations. If you have always, or for some time, been alone, then this states that such a revaluation is a priority concerning what you want and how you go about getting it.

Mars in Taurus: You take a while to warm up to lovemaking; but once in gear, you sustain a steady and unfaltering pace that allows plenty of time for full sexual expression. You should give careful consideration to your lover's rhythms and timing so that you do not either wear out or exasperate your partner. At times, even though you are still enjoying yourself, you should move on to something different, just to provide sufficient variety for your partner's swifter tastes. If you find a lover who can lingeringly savor each development, as you do, you will be in luck.

Your regular sexual drive needs consistent outlets to keep in balance, so you are best off with a regular partner, not depending on the vagaries of changing social contacts to find a lover.

You may enjoy expressing your love by making things by hand for your lover. This physical love-labor can be especially meaningful, lending the gift far more impact than store-bought merchandise. This is particularly true with love toys and bedroom accoutrements when you want a personal touch rather than more sterile machine-made products.

You are quite frank in your expression of affection, and you want a partner who does not intellectualize love too much but encourages you to manifest it directly in a manner that you both understand without words.

Mars in Taurus: You work carefully and rather slowly; but your results are almost always good, because your thoroughness makes up for lack of speed. You are also quite stubborn, and will resist anyone's efforts to speed you up or change your direction. You are not a quitter, and will stick to any task until it is done.

You have a strong desire to own things; and your possessions are very important to you. If you decide you want something, you will work very hard to get it. The only problem is that you may acquire so much stuff that your possessions get in your way. Your room may look like a packrat's nest.

You may have a problem with jealousy, tending to be very possessive of the people you love. You have to allow your friends some independence, or you will lose them. People cannot be owned like objects.

Whenever you work on something creative, you may be rather slow, but your taste and concern with craftsmanship are better than average. Even if you cannot do beautiful work yourself, you will respect others' work.

Anger can be a problem for you, because you have difficulty expressing it until it builds to the point that you lose control. It is all right to express this anger as long as you don't hurt anyone in the process. The problem is that other people may try to take advantage of your apparent patience, not realizing that you are really angry. It is up to you to let them know how you feel.

Mars in Taurus: Keynote: Energy is utilized in practical, persevering ways. Symbol: A bulldozer razes a site for an industrial development.

Since Taurus is the bull and Mars is the color red, Mars in Taurus can be expected to produce displays of temper or 'seeing red'. Yet the word 'temper' means more than a fiery outburst or sudden tantrum. A blade of steel is tempered by fire into an effective cutting instrument. Justice is tempered by mercy to make it psychologically equitable. Thus, the individual whose disposition is tempered by Mars in Taurus may have to decide whether he will smolder with resentment over real or fancied injustices, or whether he will burn with zeal to right wrongs and to shape the rude clay of Earth into more adequate forms.

Despite the harshness of the impact of Mars upon the obdurate material of Taurus, this is a felicitous combination for worldly achievement. It impels an individual to plough through resistance and to test his strength against obstacles, even though he may be forced to confront his antagonists by having his bridges burned behind him. Sometimes he feels that he has been compelled to fight for everything he gains; and in moments of discouragement may wonder if his victories have been worth the struggle. Nevertheless, he has the courage to endure, regardless of privations.

The person with Mars in Taurus prefers practical tasks to those of an abstract nature. He wants to move mountains, to make money, and to construct an impregnable bastion of security. Not for him are moralizing, philosophizing, and rationalizing debates as to what to do or not to do. Once he sees the need for action, he will push with bulldozer-like persistence toward a successful outcome to his endeavors. Yet all too often, having obtained the desired objective, he unwittingly allows it to slip from his grasp. Even in his lowest moments, however, he finds that, just as there are fires smoldering deep in the heart of the earth which periodically blaze into activity, he too can summon up a resurgence of the will-to-win which enables him to move resolutely forward again.

Any Mars-Venus combination is liable to produce a strongly sexed individual. In this case, where the erotic energy of Mars is grounded in the earthy nature of Venus-ruled Taurus, the instinctive drive of the planet can be subverted into overbearing arrogance, unreasoning jealousy, and fierce possessiveness. The effect of Mars in Taurus can be like an underground explosion which, by churning up the emotions, destroys the hope of attaining the most coveted rewards by undermining the stable foundation upon which all accomplishment must rest. The compulsion to obtain and retain material things often betrays a power complex. Such a person may be extremely generous, but only as long as the reins of authority are in his hands and he is undisputed lord over that which he considers to be his own.

While Venus in Taurus inclines to co-operate with nature, Mars in Taurus determines to conquer it. These people court challenges, and have the rugged strength to meet them. Engineering, construction work, and enterprises which reshape the contours of the earth absorb their attention. Men with this combination are builders of tunnels, dams, highways, factories, and skyscrapers. Women often have numerous physical labors to perform such as moving households and belongings to keep up with a peripatetic mate. The job of civilizing small children or a recalcitrant husband brings out the martial side of their temperament and calls forth their reserves of stamina.

All planets in detriment imply contradictory behavior. Mars in Taurus can be alternately peaceful and aggressive, stoical and self-indulgent, generous and grasping. Control is possible, however, if the person with this turn-about temperament can remain steadfast in the conviction that the only really worthwhile possessions is his own mind and soul. He has the strength of character to achieve his basic objectives. Therefore, it is especially important for him to understand the deeper desires which motivate him to action, and to make sure that the goals he seeks justify the effort expended in reaching them.

Mars in Taurus: Mars is not well placed in Taurus, where it is in detriment. Mars is persistent and patient in this sign, but also extremely stubborn, jealous and possessive. Money and sex are important. values need refining for they are of the earth, earthy. Security, whether invested in money or people, is important. Acquisitiveness is strong, as is pride. If Mars is afflicted, there is a tendency to resentfulness. Selfishness and too strong a possessiveness must be overcome. Sharing must be cultivated as a quality. Apt to be penurious.

Mars in Taurus: Mars in Taurus reflects a desire that seeks to become self-sustaining and self-reliant. This placement will correlate to a Soul that desires to discover, actualize, and establish its own value system and the meaning of a life reflected in those values. As a result, there is an instinctual resistance to accepting or adopting the value systems of anyone else, including the value system of the existing society that the Soul is born into. Mars in Taurus correlates to a deeply internalized focus that generates a defiant stance of separateness and independence from the overall circumstantial conditions of society.

Remaining instinctively separate from those conditions allows the Mars in Taurus person to become aware of the types of desires they need to act upon that will allow for an actualization of the values that most perfectly reflect the meaning of the current life. Great rewards will come through sustained efforts focused on the goals and objectives that will lead the Soul forward in its evolutionary requirements.

The house that Mars in Taurus is in, the house that the sign Taurus is on, the aspects that Mars makes to other planets, and the houses that those planets are in will correlate to the specific focus in subjective consciousness in which the Soul actualizes the individual sense of meaning for its life, and the value system that reflects that meaning. Self-reliance will be learned through these dynamics.

Sexually, Mars in Taurus reflects a desire nature that seeks to use sexual energy as a vehicle for the metamorphosis of emotional and psychological limitations. In order to accomplish this, the Soul will create sexually confrontational situations in which the emotional and psychological reality, and the needs that reflect this reality, surface into awareness. At worst, this can manifest as sexual violence in one form or another. Relative to the desire to become self-reliant, Mars in Taurus can manifest as strong masturbatory tendencies. As a result, the sexual nature is strong and constant.

The Mars in Taurus soul is strongly grounded in the body, manifesting a strong physical and sexual magnetism that is instinctive. This magnetism creates a vibration of attraction that creates the necessary sexual experiences through which the Soul learns about the nature of sexual energy, and the proper or improper use of it. On the one hand, the sexual nature can be quite primitive in the sense that Mars in Taurus can focus on sex for its own sake - a desire for intense physical stimulation only, as if the Soul is somehow separate from the body and emotions. On the other hand, the intensity of sexual experience that the Mars in Taurus creates instinctively unlocks the depths of the emotions that lead to the Soul.

Therefore, a progressive dissatisfaction will occur when sexual energy is limited to just physical intensity. This dissatisfaction reflects the Mars in Taurus people's core desire for a total connection to their Soul and to the Soul of the sexual partner. By experiencing the limitation of just physical sex, the Mars in Taurus person evolves into sexual desires that seek total absorption with the sexual partner, and thus absorption to the Soul within.

Until this is realized, the dynamics of sex as power, control, manipulation, and being attracted to others as sexual objects, or others being attracted to the Mars in Taurus person as a sexual object, will occur. When this occurs, the dynamics of sexual addiction, sexual slavery, sexual infidelity, and relationships that are created for sexual reasons only, will occur. The real lesson begins when Mars in Taurus transmutes profane sex to sacred sex. These people must transform themselves from the prostitute or gigolo to the pure state achieved when the Soul and body are united through sacred sexual practices. The specific types of desires that reflect his archetype are determined by the house that Mars is in, the house that the sign Taurus is on, the aspects Mars is making to other planets, and the houses that they are in.

As their lives evolve, these individuals must eventually embrace the Scorpio polarity. In essence, this means to create a desire to focus on the nature of their motivations, desires, intentions, and overall psychological dynamics. They need to move from 'this is just the way I am' to 'this is why I am this way'. This polarity demands that such individuals allow themselves to grow, from the limitations that the instinct of self-isolation imposes to a reality that allows acceptance of reality as relative. Thus, they see that other people's values, beliefs, ways of being, etc. are just as important and valid as their own.

Mars in Taurus Woman: “Give you land, lots of land,” could be your song. You're a real Earth Mother type, very grounded. You like your comforts and you’ll gladly share them. Count on you for the long haul. But don’t rush you. You have more endurance than any other ten people put together, but you’re lazy. At least until you decide to act, which might take quite a while. You're a bit like the Little Engine That Could. You just keep right on chugging away, no matter what. If you're committed, you don’t stop or waver. You may be slow, but you're steady and sure in your progress, and you continue on long after the competition has fallen by the wayside.

Patience is one of your virtues, but it can turn into rock-hard stubbornness. You can really dig in and make a big hole for yourself. But if a man is yours, you’ll stick with him through thick and thin. Your common sense makes you a veritable Rock of Gibraltar. Your needs are simple and basic. Give you reality. Land. Money. Food. Sex. And lots of all those things. Your endurance qualities extend to sex as well. You are a woman who can make love all night and again in the morning. You're in touch with your body and you take care of it. You're a world-class hugger. You love to touch. Your touch can be healing. You give great massages.

If a man wants you, he has to talk straight or, better yet, show you. He can touch you, hold you, make you comfortable, help you set up your house, pick you up at the airport, take care of you when you get sick, and come through for you when you need him. He’ll never regret it. You’ll be there for him. You're a steadfast woman, loyal and true.

You need a man who can make you feel secure, who is more traditional than experimental. He can be macho or the strong, silent type, but he has to be successful and have something to show for his efforts. You especially are attracted to a man who makes something with his hands, like a craftsman. But it’s okay if what he makes is only money. Your problem is that because you're so strong you attract the momma’s boys and if they satisfy you sexually and sensually, you overlook their weaknesses. You're such a lover of beauty and comfort that you can be seduced by a handsome build with a strong neck and massive shoulders, or by financial success. If you're dazzled you forget to worry about your inner person and if you are communicating well.

Mars in Taurus Woman: Women with this planetary placement might be attracted to teddy bear-like men who are both strong and gentle. You want someone who is affectionate, sensual, good-natured and down-to-earth. No James Dean types for you. Your masculine ideal is dependable, stable and a good provider; someone who'll praise your cooking and keep you warm at night. A man who enjoys doing the cooking himself is even better.

Mars in Taurus Man: Slow but sure might very well define you. You don't get rushed. You like to be definite and you're very motivated by issues of security. You like things that are real and palpable. Possessions are important, and you admit to being possessive about the people you love. They are yours. And you take care of them. Money is always something of a concern to you, no matter how much you have or don’t have. You get fixated on it. You like nature and can rough it at times, but you're always aware of where the money’s coming from. That’s because you like your creature comforts as well as your financial security. You pay attention to tomorrow. Your approach is conservative and cautious, and you want facts and figures, not pie-in-the-sky theory. Give you concrete examples.

You like what endures, whether it’s good, solid furniture or a meal that sticks to your ribs. You don’t need anything fancy. Good home cooking is better than fancy cuisine. Your home is important to you and you like to keep it stable. You're a caring guy, very sensual and sexual, and you can go the long mile. Because you love to touch and hug you're a calming influence with animals as well as people. Once you make a commitment, you can’t be budged off dead center. Stubborn is an understatement - you're the original immovable object.

You need sex and you appreciate it. Massage is a specialty of yours, and the gentle touch. You're aware of your body and its connection to the earth. You love doing things with your hands, like gardening or cooking. The beauties of nature invest you with healing vibrations. Your appetites are strong, but you're not an ostentatious person. You show a woman that you care by taking care. By doing real and practical things that make her life more comfortable. If she’s sick, you are there. She can always count on you for the long haul. You may not express your feelings eloquently, but your presence is solid and comforting.

You like doing the traditional male things for your woman, like opening doors and holding chairs. Being the provider is natural to you and it’s a role you like. You may be more of the strong, silent type, but your feelings are real and strong. Some people mistake you for passive because you're slow to act. It’s a big mistake. When you blow, the earth rumbles. You prefer peaceful tactics because you're dangerous when you erupt, like a volcano.

Mars in Taurus Man: Men with this position pride themselves on their sexual prowess. Your measure of a man is how many times he can make love in a night. Earning lots of money and owning expensive and showy things also makes you feel good about yourself as a man.

See also: Mars in Taurus;

Mars in Taurus: Muhammad Ali, Lucille Ball, Charlie Chaplin, Madonna Ciccone, Tom Cruise, Salvadore Dali, Bette Davis, Robert De Niro, Adolf Hitler, Michael Jackson, Mick Jagger, John F. Kennedy, Alex Jones, Ramana Maharshi, Shirley McLaine, David Rockefeller, Will Rogers, Bertrand Russell, Babe Ruth, BenSt, DJenkins, Doug, Flossie, Leif, LucJr, Mick, Paulo, Prabhukar, SFor, Sky, TomW, VinG

Mars in Gemini

Mars in the sign Gemini indicates mental activity and aggressiveness. Those with this Mars position have active and critical minds, and as a rule engineering and mechanical skill.

This position gives a love of debate and intellectual contest. If Mars is afflicted, there can be argumentativeness and irritability. Ingenuity and resourcefulness are typical with this position, but not necessarily perseverance, unless other things in the horoscope supply it.

Reporters, critics, and journalists often have Mars placed in Gemini. Great restlessness goes with this position, leading to many changes of occupation; and these people may work at several jobs simultaneously. If Mars is afflicted in Gemini, the speech can be sarcastic and rude.

Mars in Gemini: This placing stimulates the mind, although many astrologers have found that Mars is not well placed in this sign, as it is not physically invigorating. We do not necessarily agree, provided that some kind of intellectual motivation for physical action is shown. It is important for the individual to exercise the body as well as the mind (as is the case with everyone), but he or she may not be particularly inclined to do so unless some sort of intellectual challenge is involved. Many forms of exercise will be tried, but most will be deemed boring. Encourage your subject to find one which satisfies his intellectual and physical needs, and to stick to it. If this does not happen, restlessness will build up, bringing a rather sharp bad temper and irritability that will be directed not only towards others but also to the self, through considerable self-criticism. Energy may be dissipated through too many changes of direction, both in life in general and on a day-to-day basis. This will obviously lead to feelings of dissatisfaction, so look to other stabilizing areas of the chart for a steadier approach and sense of discipline; this influence can then be expressed in a more controlled and practical way.

Quite a strong element of versatility is usually present; and the key to getting the very best out of this placing is to remember that, because total relaxation is not usually enjoyed (again because it is considered boring), a change of occupation will be most beneficial. If heavy physical demands are made on the subject during the working day, he or she should invite intellectual challenges in the evening, or vice versa, remembering, of course, that the inclination to make too many changes must be controlled.

The arms and hands are vulnerable, so the subject should be encouraged to wear protective gloves when gardening or doing rough chores, and to be very careful when handling sharp tools or hot dishes - especially when Mars is making transits to the personal planets or the Ascendant.

As far as the sex life is concerned, here is a lively, experimental partner who will enjoy a rewarding sex life from youth right through to old age. The attitude towards sex will be light-hearted: it is fun, and to be enjoyed. This placing tends to take some of the steamy passion out of this sphere of life, but the subject will nevertheless be an energetic and often athletic lover, which in turn will help to keep the partner equally energetic, youthful, and athletic!

Mars in Gemini: Your energies flow naturally into adventurous paths. Movement, physical and mental, is essential to you, and you express best when working, playing, living actively, preferably at high speed. You are rarely bored or boring, but you can wear others, and yourself, out by the ferocity of your attack on life. You are extraordinarily aware of the world around you; sense perceptions are acute, swift, probably accurate; and you are voluble in expressing what you take in. Energy flows naturally to the tongue; you are a better talker than a listener; and are generally glib, discursive, extensive in your remarks written or spoken. With any concentrative force, this position gains value; without it, you scatter your energies. You are something of a sensualist, and like the physical expressions of love; you probably think sex is more important than it really is, and by thinking make it so. Energy flows into mind force as well as into physical activity; this is peculiarly a position in which, to have a sound mind, you must also have a sound body. You must beware of neglecting your physical well-being through letting your energies dam up in the pools of the mind; also of being blocked by sensational thoughts which from time to time will tend to dominate you. The negative reactions of the sex urge, such as envy, jealousy and hatred, can frustrate you if you let them get hold. Mind control and bodily vigor are the two things for which you should constantly strive.

Mars in Gemini: Mars in Gemini gives the native an active, restless mind; it makes him want to change things, to bend situations to his own will. He likes action, but tries too hard, too soon. The astrologer can teach him the value of concentration and the necessity, at times, of making adjustments instead of insisting that the world adjust to him.

Mars in Gemini is adventurous, but once the chase is over he doesn't enjoy the victory as much as he should. This includes numerous areas of life: sex, food, money. Thus, there are numerous affairs; and there is a general restless nature, and dissatisfaction with home life.

Mars in Gemini: You are an eloquent, though potentially tricky, suitor. Energy is created and maintained through the use of your intellect and words, and also your hands. Tactical pursuits like debate and chess also keep sharp your most valued weapons - your mind and tongue. Your rapier-like wit and lively nervous system need diverse and speedy input and stimulation, or they can devolve into biting sarcasm and defensive cynicism, such being the usual forms taken by any anger.

You attract with the gift of the gab; by being in the know and on the go; with a lively, adolescent-like wit and charm that dazzles and flatters with ease, and a kind of 'you can't pin me down' vibe; and with manual skills and an agile body, displaying versatility in more than one field.

You repel with a fly, roguish nature that palls as fast as it initially impresses; with a cold, unfeeling streak that cannot stay the emotional course; all head and no talk - at least, apparently; and with a fidgety or distracted temperament that never gets to, or steers around, the point.

You are attracted to lively situations where there is plenty of opportunity to interact in a quick, light and verbal fashion; to Others who have ready wit and a flashy sense of humor; and to where you are challenged to show your mental muscle or to keep people guessing.

You are repelled by dull, homey, predictable situations where nothing is happening at that very moment; by Others who cannot get their minds into gear and who are too slow to appreciate the pace of life as you like it; by a lack of stimulation; and by safe scenarios where everything and everyone is a known quantity.

When you are alone, it is because you have found the pace of your love or sex life too nerve-wracking to continue with. The reason behind this is that you have been driven simultaneously by a desire to satisfy your feelings on the one hand, and a fear of actually encountering them on the other. So when you do get what you desire, you then have to control it with your wits in a bid to avoid feeling what you are afraid of feeling. You set up reasons and schedules that pre-empt that dreaded encounter with your own emotional truth. This psychological split may well express itself as a love triangle. So being alone is telling you that it is time to stop living life on these two diverging lines of thinking and feeling, and to take stock of your inner fears and feelings with a view to understanding them. Then and only then will you be ready to emerge again into the fray.

Mars in Gemini: You are quite sensitive, and you learn the delicate art of lovemaking very quickly. For that reason, you need a lover who responds to a rather gentle touch, and who is ready to search for every possible means of sexual expression. You easily translate thought into action, and therefore you can become quite expert with a minimum of physical experience as long as it is backed up with a maximum of knowledge.

However, you can be too knowledgeable, trying to pack too many different techniques into one night of love so that each individual expression is less meaningful. Better to savor each technique and reserve some for later enjoyment ¬there's a lot of life and love ahead of you.

On the opposite side, however, although you value the emotional communion of love, you grow bored if the physical expression is always the same. Your lover should be willing to experiment or at least go along with whatever you devise for variety's sake.

You may enjoy using props and mechanical embellishments in lovemaking, particularly in acting out sexual fantasies. Such expression can be quite fulfilling, as long as it is not a substitute for emotional communication.

Mars in Gemini: Your energies get turned on very rapidly, and you work very quickly. However, you may have trouble directing your energy at a single task for any length of time. You are inclined to start several projects at once and never finish any of them, because it's more exciting to move on to something else. This can be a real handicap in school, because you are required to apply yourself for extended periods to tasks that may not be especially interesting. If you cannot overcomes this basic tendency to dabble shallowly in many activities, you will not master any skill very completely.

On the other hand, you do have a quick mind, which you enjoy using, especially to debate and argue with others in a spirit of friendly disagreement. You may argue a particular point of view, not because you really believe it, but because it is fun to defend it. You are more likely to disagree with people about ideas than about almost anything else.

Try not to be so impulsive in the way that you think. If you make decisions too rapidly, you will often be wrong. This is another way in which you are too impatient to take the time to do the job thoroughly. Your fondness for change may make you want to travel and move around a lot. You probably like to ride around on your bicycle, just finding out what is going on.

Mars in Gemini: Keynote: Ideas are projected forcefully. Symbol: A fencer engages his opponent with agile parries and swift thrusts.

Mars in Gemini denotes an energetic thinker with a busy, restless mind. He is a voluble talker who seldom hesitates to jump into a debate on any subject that ignites his interest. This individual endeavors to convert ideas into effective action as quickly as possible in order to be free to pursue the new projects which claim his attention. He will labor diligently to achieve designated results, but is apt to exert himself in spurts rather than in a steady, even manner.

Since the fires of Mars flare fervently when stirred by the breezy enthusiasms of Gemini, this ideologically impetuous individual frequently incites others to action with his sudden inspirations. He can be intoxicated by words; and his beliefs are contagious. He may, however, switch his stand and confound his followers by espousing different points of view on different occasions.

This position gives an adventurous streak, although there is no great fondness for 'roughing it'. Such a person is handy to have on an expedition, since he is a good sport, takes a keen interest in his surroundings, and can cope with almost any exigency. Although inclined to avoid heavy work, he knows how to mend things, improvise diversions, and boost morale. Later, he is likely to write a rousing account of his experiences which he will not hesitate to embellish for added effect.

The Martian Geminian should never be fettered. Whether he is a taxicab driver or jet-set pacesetter, he needs to circulate in order to be physically and mentally renewed. He is a born salesman who can inject his own ideas into whatever project he is promoting, whether this involves backing a political candidate, introducing a scientific concept, or extolling the virtues of the latest timesaving gadget. This individual makes an aggressive literary agent, a clever sportswriter, or a versatile executive secretary. Such a person can be counted on to excel wherever the physical stamina of Mars combines with the verbal dexterity of Gemini.

The Mars-Gemini individual is well adapted to duel with words, and can wield the rapier of repartee or the sword of sarcasm with telling effect. He seldom has to take overt action against an antagonist, because he can fight much more devastatingly with cutting phrases. His strength lies in his ability to unbalance his opponent with cleverly placed thrusts so that his power is expended where it counts and not wasted in unnecessary sparring. He may have to make a special effort to guard against the dispersal of his energies and to prevent excitement and irritability from fraying his nerves.

This verbal sophisticate is capable of building a bridge of words between the world of the mind and the world of practical action. He can make indelible enterprises sound feasible, and knows how to present the reasonable in terms of the desirable. Although Gemini is not noted for endurance, Mars acts through it with such direct force that a self-perpetuating blaze may be kindled. A fire need be lit only once; and the Martian Geminian can be an intellectual firebrand, igniting a conflagration that may spread far beyond the original spark of an idea that set it burning.

Mars in Gemini: Alert, energetic, witty, sarcastic, often strife with relatives and friends. Energizes the tongue too much and makes it sharp and caustic. Can be the gossip and can have a forked tongue. Id afflicted, not trustworthy. Lively, mechanical-minded, and capable of doing many things well. Has to learn to conserve energy and direct it wisely. Otherwise the nervous system gives trouble. Biggest fault is failing to follow through and keep promises. This is why it is undependable. Scatters force and needs to learn concentration of power.

Mars in Gemini: Mars in Gemini reflects a desire structure that is energized through the motivation of independent thinking, and the desire to question every accepted opinion established by any authority. As a result, the mental temperament is argumentative and combative. Mars in Gemini desires to create its own mental constructions about the nature of things, to expand its level of awareness and consciousness through the expansion of its mental horizons. This will occur through the formation and reformulation of mental constructions or ideas that become ever larger and more expansive. The desire to continually expand and know more means Mars in Gemini will even challenge its own ideas at key points in the evolutionary journey. The desire nature is very restless and curious, and can pursue many different directions simultaneously. The weakness in this is not following through or completing anything (two pages in a book are read without completing the book, etc.), since what was curious or interesting yesterday may be boring today!

Sexually, Mars in Gemini manifests a mental desire to explore and understand the diversity of all possible sexual orientations and behaviors. To say that Mars in Gemini is sexually curious would be an understatement. Many will study the sexual traditions of many other cultures in the desire to obtain as much sexual knowledge as possible. On a physical level, Mars in Gemini can find it very difficult to disengage its mind from the sexual act. There is an inner voyeur that is forever observing the physical act of sex. This observation creates as mental amazement regarding sexual activities. This can be frustrating to the individual, as well as to the partner. This frustration can lead to the use of sexual methods that lead to physical intensity as a way of bypassing the mental orientation inherent within Mars in Gemini. There can be strong desires to experiment with sexual toys or devices as a way of achieving sexual stimulation. There can also be a desire to challenge the limitation of gender roles, or the manifestation of bisexual or homosexual desires. At best, Mars in Gemini creates sexual versatility and adaptability to the desires of both partners. In and of itself, Mars in Gemini will not preclude any possible sexual scenario.

Mars in Gemini can also reflect karmic or evolutionary conditions that manifest as sexual issues between one's siblings or parents. When this occurs, the sexual development of the Mars in Gemini person will be arrested. This will lead to a form of sexual infantilism, where the individual will be sexually immature as an adult. The genital region, as a result, can be 'frozen' because the nerves (Gemini) have become constricted.

As their lives evolve, these individuals must embrace the Sagittarian polarity. In essence, this means the desire to actualize one guiding philosophical system of thought that serves as a foundation to which the various mental constructions can be consistently related. This creates a consistency of perspective and a consistency of thought. It allows for a consistency of interpretation of the phenomenal reality that we participate in. It is also important that this polarity be embraced so that such individuals learn to access their own unique 'truth', versus the 'truths' that are all too often projected on them by other people. Sexually, it means to distinguish between natural sexual laws and expressions, and the 'fads' of the day - to move from 'try anything once' to 'this is consistent with who I am and what I need'.

Mars in Gemini Woman: You love conversation, even if it's one-sided. You can dazzle with your insights, your wit, and your ability to mix ideas and fly from thought to thought. Mental stimulation and doing lots of different things individually or simultaneously gets your juices flowing. You juggle a lot of mental things at once. Apples and oranges or whatever. Variety is your life-blood. You can do punk rock today and browse old book shops tomorrow. Then you'll be off to see the whales, or catch an art auction. As long as it's a change.

You're a woman with a brain. No one turns you on without intriguing your mind. You don't say a good body doesn't help - you take care of yours to look youthful. Neither does a smart, versatile mind.

Ideas and mental gyrations are your thing. Trivial Pursuit is a favorite pastime. You love puns and puzzles, especially crossword puzzles. As long as it is nothing heavy or depressing, you like figuring things out. Light, that's you. You need to circulate, like the air, and you need your social life like a flower needs water. Your life's a constant battle against boredom. If you get bored, you will curl up and die!

You flirt because you like to explore every option and you flirt with ideas the same way you flirt with men. That's why your ideal man must be nimble of mind as well as of foot. Nothing clumsy, please. Actually, you might have several flirtations going at once, with women as well as with men, nothing serious, mind you, and then drop the whole lot and go to bed with your books and magazines. Just reading a book with a lover turns you on. Sometimes you think you could be happy being celibate, that maybe you don't need sex at all. That's because you're such an independent thinker. Still, he can send you flowers and you'll appreciate them - as long as he includes a brilliantly clever card! It's the thought that counts, and thoughts count more with you than with most women.

Mars in Gemini Man: You are the type of guy who can have the TV, the stereo, and the radio all going at the same time, while talking on the phone and having a conversation with someone in the same room. You're the guy with a telephone in every room and six lines to choose from for outgoing or incoming calls. Information is your lifeblood and you think your brain is the most sexual organ in your body. Your greatest passion is for ideas. Intelligence turns you on quicker than feminine pulchritude. In fact, if a woman is intelligent enough she can be ugly or odd and have a chance with you. If she can stimulate your mind, she can stimulate your body. And you'll love her for it. As long as she doesn't try to pin you down.

Good conversation is more of an aphrodisiac to you than anything else. Without it, you can't get turned on at all. That's your favorite foreplay - before, during, and after sex. Sex for you is as much of a mental experience as it is physical, because you see most of life as a mental exercise anyway. You're logical to a fault. You don't get emotional. It's a waste of time.

You like to keep your options open and that's why you're an inveterate flirt. What's the harm? It's all in how you play the game. And you play it very well and with a light touch. Don't count on you for anything heavy.

Boredom is your enemy and you will do almost anything to keep it at bay, even having a sexual relationship. But you're not really sure you need to do sex. You can just as well think about it and talk about it. Give you good talk first and foremost. If what follows isn't so great, well, you can talk about that too, and it will at least be interesting. You're a good catch, if she can catch you. But she'll have to do it by going through your mind. And by letting you circulate. Otherwise, you will stagnate. Keep the information flowing. Consider all the possibilities of both the body and the spirit. After all, they're just two sides of the same coin, like you.

See also: Mars in Gemini;

Mars in Gemini: Sean Connery, Martin Luther King, Jr,.Henry Kissinger, Joni Mitchell, Al Pacino, Joseph Ratzinger, Arnold Schwarzenegger, O.J. Simpson, Meryl Streep, Ludwig van Beethoven, Tiger Woods, AndyF, Cate, Cheri, Clark, David, Dipesh, Farmer, Fergus, Jamie, Jason, Johanna, Joze, Jude, Judin, JudyPl, JulieD, Kay, Komala, Lori, LucSr, Mark, Mikael, Molly, RoyO, Tyler, Yarrow

Mars in Cancer

You have high emotional energies, adequate-to-low physical and practical energies, and low mental energies. Your energy is predominantly emotional, sympathetic and subtle. It is often channeled into gaining security, patriotism, and domestic activities. Your strengths include your ability to give TLC, instincts, and feelings. You lack perspective, direction, and spontaneity.

The fighting side of Mars is subdued here. You fight openly only when forced to do so; you prefer to use guilt to keep things under control, or you will sidle into things on the defensive, wondering if you'll be able to take the heat or be driven out of the kitchen by more assertive minds / bodies. I call this the mark of the worrywart, as your strong needs for security and nice things can put a lot of pressure on you to be 'the best' in some way - and of course perfection is hard to come by! Sometimes this position of Mars indicates difficulties in the involved house, because Mars here is in its fall and therefore hard to channel constructively. Other times, since Cancer is associated with home and family, it can attract a great deal of domestic discord. Your intuition is powerful; you should use it. But guard against negative psychism, and round out your development by also taking courses in philosophy or theosophy, to aid your psychic development. With practice, you could have good results with astral projection, past-life recall, and tarot in particular.

Mars in Cancer tends to have a somewhat uneven or erratic sexual quality. People with this placement can go for lengthy periods when they have little or no interest in sex. These periods are interspersed with other periods of extremely sensuous, amorous, and occasionally even promiscuous behavior. Sometimes, there are bouts of impotence or other sexual problems. However, if you're sure you're loved, you're liable to be both refined and faithful, even if not always in the mood for sexual frolics.

Mars in Cancer men have many appealing qualities, not the least of which is the fact that they like women and are protective and solicitous of them. They make marvelous friends; and if you're willing to settle for cuddles instead of fireworks when they're in their disinclined stage, they can be quite capable of meeting your needs. Mars in Cancer women often have some difficulty deciding whether they want to be Earth Mother or Lolita - and sometimes take turns playing both roles.

You want an emotional mate who likes to touch and be touched. The chances are good that you also want a family. You can be a clinging vine and smother your lover if you're not careful. Your intentions are good - you want to protect, provide for, and take care of him / her so that his / her every need will be fulfilled. You therefore do best with a mate who's a wee bit dependent, someone who wants a strong person who can advise and help him / her when need be. In general, this rules out anyone whose overall chart shows a strong Aries (dependent this person wouldn't be), Sagittarius (you'd cramp his / her style), or Aquarius (too independent for your tastes) influence. Choose someone who has Venus in a Water sign, in the 4th house, or conjunct his / her Mon for best results. His / her Venus on your Nadir might also be a good choice if you want a comfortable, relaxed, stay-at-home sort of relationship.

You're able to succeed in a number of career areas, but would be best off to aim for a position with a title, preferably a position that involves serving the public in some way. You're motivated to gain prominence, and aren't too well-suited to partnership unless your partner is a silent one. You are, however, a prime candidate to be owner-manager of your own business. You're not suited to assembly-line work in a factory; nor are you suited to office work where you're one of several doing the same sort of work; you need to express your individuality in the career area. Some good career areas for you are: catering, cooking, bartending, advertising, office work (but not the very junior positions unless you really feel needed and there's scope for advancement once you prove yourself), shop keeping, plumbing, nursing, hotel work, and fishing.

Working hard around your home is one way to find opportunities for personal growth. It doesn't really matter whether your work is actually connected with your home or merely done in your home; if your motivation is high, the opportunities will come. Cooking, delivery work, and the business world in general can also provide you with lucky breaks. In general, the less glamorous the field, the more opportunities you'll find, as you're most highly motivated when you see unfilled needs or people needing protection. This may often mean succeeding because you take on work nobody else wants to do.

Mars in Cancer: You have a tendency to alienate others by competing with them for fulfillment of emotional needs. You may aggressively demand attention and assume that the needs of others are a threat to your security. When others don't give you the support and attention you think you need, you can lose energy by using the Cancerian emotional touchiness to reject them.

Dynamic You can be constructively assertive with others by using sensitivity to become aware of others' needs as well as your own. When you are willing to set aside self-centeredness and adopt a position of responsibility, you can acknowledge the feelings of others as well as express your own needs positively. You can gain energy when you commit yourself to initiating closeness and objectively organizing situations in which everyone's needs can be met.

Mars in Cancer: Someone with Mars in Cancer is going to move cautiously wherever failure and rejection are a possibility. Like the crab, these people will approach their objective sideways-on. They will act carefully, and pay attention to what kind of response they are eliciting.

In relationships, someone with Mars in Cancer will not want to risk rejection, and will often not make a move unless sure of being accepted. These people will use their sensitivity to the non-verbal signals to gauge how safe it is before risking a refusal. However, Cancer is a cardinal sign, so despite their self-protectiveness Mars in Cancer people will initiate. When they feel emotionally secure, either because the external situation is non-threatening or from an inner security established within themselves, then Mars in Cancer people can act passionately and powerfully.

This is a sexually passionate placement with deep and intense needs for emotional safety within a relationship. People with Mars in Cancer are particularly likely to want sexual contact to reassure them that they are wanted, although their need to be wanted extends beyond the sexual and will permeate their whole life. They may try to make themselves indispensable to others so that they will never be abandoned.

In sexual relationships, they need to feel they belong, to feel protected and secure, and will in turn offer a sense of protection and containment to their partner. Mars in Cancer will often mother their partner and want mothering themselves. They enjoy taking care of others, both physically and emotionally. They are likely to be gentle, kindly and sympathetic.

Someone with Mars in Cancer will recognize and value the deeper exchanges of a sexual union and the bonds that exist on a feeling level. These people are likely to be possessive and to expect their partner to be completely faithful, though they will not necessarily apply this same standard to themselves. However, they will remain faithful if their infidelity would threaten their security or violate their feeling of belonging to someone else.

Mars in Cancer: Mars has a difficult time expressing itself through this sign, for the two energies are radically different. Mars is active, assertive and individualistic; Cancer is passive, introverted and desirous of union with significant others. The physical vitality and the courage and confidence inherent in Mars are diminished when the planet is placed in Cancer. You might find it hard to assert yourself or to go after what you really want in an aggressive, decisive way. Instead, you tend to pursue your desires in a round¬about or stop-start manner, changing your course of action from day to day.

One thing you will strive to achieve is security, and you may invest a great deal of energy to this end. You might seek security in material wealth and work hard to acquire as many financial assets as possible. Or, you could find security in your family and put lots of your energy and enthusiasm into your family life. Perhaps much of the activity in your life is centered around your home and/ or family.

Though you are not naturally a fighter, you are like a mother bear when it comes to protecting your home and children, and would defend them to the death if need be. This fierce protectiveness extends to all members of your family and your expanded family - co-workers, neighbors, fellow citizens - and you might be known for your vociferous patriotism and loyalty.

You are strongly sexual and sensual, but are really only fulfilled within the structure of a committed, stable relationship. Sex without emotion seems meaningless and empty. You are happiest when you can share your powerful feelings with a partner to whom you are devoted and with whom you are comfortable and secure. Once involved in an intimate relationship, you aren't likely to be unfaithful, and couldn't bear any disloyalty from your lover. Infidelity threatens the sense of security you find within the relationship.

Highly emotional, you can be rather 'touchy', easily upset and volatile. Most probably, you are very susceptible to emotional stress and tension; and your feelings are quickly engaged. Thus, your emotional responses - particularly anger - sometimes seem disproportionate to the situation. Sensitive to what you envision as attacks on you personally, you tend to over-react with defensiveness when you believe you are being challenged in some way. You might feel vulnerable or weak, and try to compensate by attacking first or hardest.

Mars in Cancer: Keynote: Circumstances demand defensive action. Symbol: A settler buys a gun in order to protect his home.

Mars in Cancer directs the full force of the feeling nature into the struggle to acquire an estate and to guard that which has been obtained. A soldier's place is not normally in the home. Therefore, aggressive Mars is in its fall in the domestic sign of Cancer where militancy is distressingly out of place.

Although the fire of Mars and the water of Cancer are more apt to boil than the blend, their enforced coalescence produces potent effects. The suppressed emotionalism of fire-water combinations may result in smoldering irritation followed by sudden outbursts of temper or 'letting off steam'. When positively directed, the pent-up feelings can be channeled into passionate dedication to a cause. Often such an individual is driven to sublimate the ferment of feelings, which vie for control of his nature, into fervid endeavor. The result may be a brand of genius which is tinged with lunacy but which, nonetheless, gives rise to accomplishment.

Venus in Cancer can be smug in its reliance on traditional values. By contrast, Mars in Cancer churns up obscure problems, particularly on the home front. Excessive tension is liable to create internal distress in the form of nervousness and digestive upsets. Women with this placement often undergo abdominal operations; men are oppressed by possessive mothers; babies have difficulty retaining their food. Unconscious resentments lead to a dependence on cigarettes, alcohol, or drugs which wreak destruction upon the hapless cells of the body in socially acceptable ways. Addictive tendencies may be triggered by the use of artificial stimulants to counteract a sense of physical depletion.

A Mars-Cancer person should study and apply the principles of psychoanalysis in probing the depths of his own mind. Here he can wield the cutting force of Mars like a surgeon's knife in order to locate hidden sources of conflict. Frequently, he will find that many of his difficulties can be traced to childhood traumas or to uncongenial parents.

Although this position gives strong domestic inclinations, the nesting instinct is often thwarted by sudden, enforced changes of residence, political upheavals, or uncontrollable circumstances. Almost invariably, some frustration mars the harmony of the home. A typical Mars-Cancer woman had to work so hard earning money to maintain her household that she would return from her job too exhausted to do more than have a couple of drinks and fall into bed. Three miserable marriages and an unloving mother had combined to rob her of the tranquil home life she so desperately craved.

Since Mars is the go-getter as well as a goad to action, it frequently provides a clue to a person's profession. In Cancer, it inclines toward occupations connected with the sea, food, housing, or children. The strenuous work involved in running a busy home, institution, hotel, or restaurant is characteristic of this configuration.

A good swimmer does not fight the sea, but allows it to buoy him up. Similarly, the Mars-Cancer person must learn that some battles are won through letting go and surrendering to necessity. Otherwise, he may waste energy struggling for lost causes. He needs to cultivate a quiet spirit, a happy disposition, and faith that the ongoing stream of life will bear him toward his goal.

Mars in Cancer: Very sensitive. Over-emotional. There are difficulties with digestion due to emotions. Strife in home conditions. Ambitious and hard workers, but changeable. Very domesticated. Cannot fight, for is not aggressive outwardly. Holds everything in and steams inside. Timidity is strong if there are not other positive energies to help. Very sensitive stomach. Should not put juices on an empty stomach, for it irritates the stomach linings. People with Mars in Cancer have a 'red' stomach so acids can give upsets. Should not eat when tired or upset. Digestion strongly affected by moods and feelings.

Mars in Cancer: Mars in Cancer will correlate with a Soul that desires to create a safe, secure personal reality in order for its evolutionary intentions to be actualized. The primary structure or form that Mars in Cancer will instinctively orient to in order for this security to be realized is that of family, home, and trusted friends. By extension, this drive reflects the core evolutionary intention of the Mars in Cancer archetype - to move from seeking its security needs through external forms or structures to realizing that the security it requires lies within itself. In order for this evolution to take place, the Mars in Cancer person will typically be born into a family situation in which the parents do not meet these projected security needs in some way.

This can manifest in various scenarios, such as emotional conflict between the parents in which the child learns that something can go wrong at any moment, having parents who divorce, experiencing disruptions within the family structure on an ongoing basis, having one or both parents who are emotionally domineering and demanding towards the child, or having one or both parents that emotionally or sexually abuse or violate the child in some way. When the projected and expected emotional security needs of the child are not met, the psychological and emotional consequences will lead to displaced anger, and to a total breakdown of trust. Sexual abuse or violation in childhood will lead to a deep sexual anger and distorted sexual desires as the child moves into puberty and adulthood. In combination, these displaced emotional and / or sexual dynamics will be 'acted out' on other people. One of the worst forms of this 'acting out' of displaced emotions can manifest as pathological jealousy. Another example is reflected in the Mars in Cancer person becoming 'emotionally frozen', stemming from the fear of being emotionally vulnerable.

The house that Mars is in, the house that the sign Cancer is in, the house and sign that the Moon is in, the sign of the Fourth House and the location of its planetary ruler, and the aspects that these planets form to other planets and the houses that those planets are in, serve as the primary ways through which the Mars in Cancer person learns how to become inwardly secure. It is through these dynamics that the displaced emotions of childhood are 'triggered'. As such, they serve to progressively make the Mars in Cancer person aware of the causal factors that ignite his or her emotional states or relations. In this way, emotional self-knowledge takes place over time - a key intention of Mars in Cancer. The phasal relationship between Mars and Pluto will show how this is accomplished.

Sexually speaking, the Mars in Cancer person will be born with fundamental fears of insecurity linked with the act of birth itself. The anxiety of separation from the womb of the mother is symbolized by not only the birth moment, but also the cutting of the umbilical cord. As a result of the separation anxiety experienced at birth, the Mars in Cancer person will exhibit a deep fear of sexual vulnerability which mirrors the fear of emotional vulnerability relative to trust. The emotional and psychological compensation for these fears is to create situations in which the Mars in Cancer person attempts to totally control his or her emotional and sexual life. As a result, Mars in Cancer can be very sexually and emotionally possessive, domineering, and irrationally jealous. Hypocritically, these people can demand that their partner be absolutely faithful while at the same time giving themselves the right to have sex with someone else. Their sexual energy and needs are directly linked with their existing emotional dynamics. Because the emotional dynamics can be so complex in the Mars in Cancer person, the nature of his or her sexual dynamics can be just as complex.

The root issue, again, is linked with the original anxiety of separation from the womb at birth, and, through extension, with the various causal factors of emotional problems from childhood. As a result, men who have Mars in Cancer can have a preoccupation with the breasts of women, and a strong oral orientation to the woman. Women can have a strong oral orientation to the man. This orientation reflects the child's need to bond with the mother at birth through breast feeding, and the security that this creates in the child. In essence, it also reflects the Mars in Cancer person's desire for the original security of the womb.

For some who have Mars in Cancer, various forms of sexual violence or dominance can manifest because of their unresolved anger. In women this can manifest as psychologically, emotionally, and sexually 'castrating' the man in some way; and in men it can manifest as sexual power over women. Such men use women as sexual objects in order to build up an otherwise weak self-image. Some will remain sexually arrested or immature, which will also cause various forms of sexual dysfunction. Sexual distortions can be focused on children or on people who are very much younger or older. Some children who have Mars in Cancer, and who have been sexually abused by a parent, will desire or attempt to have sex with other children, or with a sibling.

Once this Mars in Cancer person realizes the evolutionary intention of inner security, his or her emotional and sexual orientation to life will change. Instead of being controlling, domineering, and possessive, he or she will become supportive and nurturing, and display an incredible emotional empathy that can truly heal the emotions of others. He or she will reflect a deep emotional wisdom that is offered in non-manipulative ways. He or she will be self-empowered, and seek to empower others. Sexually, he or she will be secure from within him- or herself, and will no longer fear being sexually or emotionally vulnerable. He or she will encourage and support the emotional and sexual vulnerability of others. He or she will desire to emotionally and sexually unite with another so that the sexual experience becomes a source of emotional and psychic renewal. When this occurs, the Mars in Cancer person has realized the evolutionary intention of his or her Soul.

As their lives evolve, these individuals must embrace the Capricorn polarity. Essentially, this will mean learning how to accept responsibility in their own actions, to become totally self-determined, to become emotionally and sexually mature, and to access the causative factors for their various emotional states, along with the sexual desires that manifest from them.

Mars in Cancer Woman: You get angry when your feelings are hurt or your security is threatened. And because you're so sensitive and easily hurt you've developed a crusty exterior. But beneath it lurks a real hearts-and-flowers person, a sentimental and romantic dreamer. Though you're often moody and shy, people shouldn't underestimate you. You are original and creative and can be psychically tuned in. People mistake your being thin-skinned for weakness, but you are ambitious and very tenacious. You'll hold on longer than anyone. You're a survivor. You protect you and yours. And you have a long memory when you've been wounded.

Financial security is uppermost with you and you are driven by the need for it. If you are feeling overwhelmed by insecurity you can seem quite selfish, but even then you're always a sucker for someone or something that needs your help. You identify with stray cats and the world's orphans and homeless persons. Your mother was a consummate worrier and she passed it on to you, so you get caught in the there-but-for-the-grace-of-God syndrome and try to mother everyone. You're old fashioned. Domesticity turns you on even if you find yourself traveling a lot. Home is where the hearth is and children are a strong instinctual drive for you. You're very home-oriented and like to cook. A good meal can fix just about any of life's ills. And a Teddy bear is always a comfort. Coziness shuts out the world's harshness.

The traditional he-man appeals to you - the kind of a man who can provide a good home for you and your children. You find nothing sexier than making a baby. He's courtly and romantic, somewhat patriarchal even. You know that underneath there's always a little boy lurking. You fall into the mother-caretaker-helper role very easily, even if you're a liberated woman philosophically opposed to it. It's an automatic tea-and-sympathy response that you can't help. Once you feel secure with a man, you've got an active imagination with a love of erotica and a loony sense of humor, but you can't bear impersonality or detachment. You merge with your lover at a very deep level sexually, and afterward you want him to hold you, not roll over and go to sleep.

Mars in Cancer Woman: Women with this planetary placement are most attracted to men who are warm, affectionate, romantic, nurturing and sensitive. You find it rather endearing to see a man cry, and are put off by 'tough guys' who hide their emotions. A devoted family man, who loves children and takes good care of his mother, touches your heart. You also want someone who is a good provider, who can give you a nice home and financial security. Slightly plump homebodies who enjoy cooking and like nothing better than to cuddle up with you in front of the fire appeal to you most.

Mars in Cancer Man: You are determined to survive, and even when you get stomachaches from worry, you get out there and take care of business. A big motivating factor for you is having others to take care of. You make sure the people you love are provided for, to the point of being overprotective. You like having your family around you, your wife and your children nearby. you believe in conjugal bliss. Even when you have to travel, your home is very important and you usually take some mementos with you to keep in touch emotionally. You call home a lot. You're ambitious because you need to succeed to feel secure. Your mother had a lot to do with that. She was always worried. So, you work hard to get money in the bank and keep food on the table. Disaster always threatens just around the corner, so you like to stock up, especially on foodstuffs. Your mother always kept a well-stocked larder just in case.

Once you feel secure, you help others in need. Because you're yourself so sensitive to hurt, you feel for others' pain. You don't always show it, for you've got a thick protective shell, but you're really shy and very sensitive. You put a lot of feeling into everything you do and you have a strong psychic sense. Because of this, you're often indirect. Because you've been hurt a lot you can be very macho, but underneath you're a sucker for romance and children. You're old-fashioned in your behavior and traditional in your manner. You look to the past for guidance on how to do things.

When you feel insecure, you can turn into a whiny baby just looking for someone to take care of you. You're tenacious and when you get a hold of someone, you don't let go. You can really get your hooks in and hang on. But when you've got yourself together, this tenacity is only healthy persistence. You work long and hard until you reach your goal. You may get there crabwise, but you do stick to it until it's achieved.

Domesticity turns you on and you like a womanly woman with big breasts who can cook a good meal and provide a romantic atmosphere. Once your security is assured, you can get into intimacy in a big way. You like staying home, cuddling, using erotica. You're not aggressive, but you can get wrapped up in lovemaking for hours on end. You're a sentimental dreamer.

Mars in Cancer Man: Men with Mars in Cancer may have a particularly difficult time accepting and dealing with the great sensitivity and emotion they experience. Perhaps you choose to channel this sensitivity into an artistic field. Since Cancer is in the sign of children, nurturing and the creative process, you might put your energy into birthing 'children of the mind'. However, it is also possible that you may feel weak or unmasculine, and over-compensate with excessively 'macho' behavior or attempt to appear manly through use of violence. Perhaps you harbor much anger towards women - especially if Mars is stressfully aspected by Uranus or Pluto - and either denigrate them or try to assuage your feelings of inadequacy through sexual 'conquests'.

See also: Mars in Cancer;

Mars in Cancer: Sri Aurobindo, Ingrid Bergman, Warren Buffett, Al Capone, Isadora Duncan, William Randolph Hearst, J. Krishnamurti, Karl Marx, Nisargadatta, Dolly Parton, Pablo Picasso, Wilhelm Reich, Jesse Ventura, H.G. Wells, Robin Williams, Malcolm X, Andrew, Arine, Ashira, BobG, Carolyn, Collon, Fisher, Geoff, JerryH, Jyothi, Lina, MarieBr, Nicole, Ralph, Tara, VinCal

Mars in Leo

You have high physical energies, adequate practical and mental energies, and adequate-to-low emotional energies. Your energy is confident, exuberant and dramatic. It is often channeled into getting others to do what you want, being in charge, and entertaining. Your strengths include generosity, leadership ability and enthusiasm. You lack the ability to work without recognition, and also lack humility, and the ability to play second fiddle.

You're an inspirational person, and probably have a considerable amount of self-confidence. Your willpower is also strong. You have a quick but easily-appeased temper. Normally you don't hold grudges. Sometimes, you can be a bit too pushy, though; and if Mars is under stress you must watch out for a tendency to be domineering. (On the other hand, if Mars is in a Yod, you have to watch out for domineering people.)

You have a direct approach when it comes to sex; and you want what you want when you want it. Men with Mars in Leo are normally optimistic about their chances of scoring, and have tons of ideas for the creative pursuit of the opposite sex. Women with this placement can appear haughty. They're generally not looking for just any old passion; they want THE grand passion. Hence, they dig their heels in, and it takes some effort to sweep them off their feet. People with Mars in Leo generally have a tremendous amount of sex appeal even if not traditionally good-looking.

You want - you demand - to be the center of attention. You also want to achieve something in life, and won't take kindly to having your goals interfered with. Your approach to sexuality is fairly direct. You don't necessarily come on strong, but you make your wants known and aren't much on playing games. Probably you're faithful; certainly you expect fidelity from your mate or lover. For best results, choose someone who has Venus in a Fire sign, Venus in the 5th house, or a Sun / Venus conjunction. Try to see that this Venus isn't under stress from natal Uranus or from your own Uranus.

You have what it takes to work for yourself if you want to. Your energy level is high, and your productivity generally good - although you're not the fastest of workers. A tendency toward arrogance needs watching if you employ or supervise others (or hope to eventually). Otherwise, you 'sell yourself' well and generally work to make the most positive use of your potentials. Some career areas to consider are: art, acting, stock exchange work, paper-making or selling, jewelry-making or selling, cosmetic sales or make-up artist, or the dance.

Your motivation is high when you're contemplating large-scale action - trips to foreign countries, making a hit on Broadway, harnessing solar energy, etc.. Lucky breaks tend to come when you slip off to do your own thing rather than when you follow the crowd. However, crowd scenes can sometimes provide small opportunities, provided there aren't too many bureaucratic maneuvers to contend with. Herb gardening, flower arranging, acting, dance, and astrology are all areas where your motivation would tend to be high even though the scope of your work may not be far-reaching initially.

Mars in Leo: You may have a tendency to alienate others by asserting in ways that make you appear larger than life. If you compete for center stage in order to ensure that you will be acknowledged, you may, as a consequence, sacrifice leadership. You can lose energy by indulging in the Leo dramatic demonstrations of authority over others and by pressing to get your way regardless of their feelings.

You can constructively assert leadership by using the power of dramatic emotional expression to inspire and encourage others in their self-expression. Acting on a commitment to inspire others through your enthusiasm can reinforce your sense of independence. Your energies increase in direct proportion to your willingness to unite with others.

Mars in Leo: The person with Mars in Leo desires with passionate intensity; and, like Mars in Aries, tends to attribute mythical qualities to those he / she wants. Mars in Leo people are looking for someone larger than life, whom they can truly admire; and because of this they tend to expect a great deal from their lovers. They are prone to serial monogamy, falling passionately in love with someone who seems to embody all the qualities they want. During this phase, they will see the lover as perfect, and will be unstinting in their praise. They will devote all their energy and attention to pleasing this person until the imperfections begin to appear. Then they begin to feel angry and cheated as though the lover has deliberately set out to deceive them and let them down. The tendency then is to be very critical and see only the bad whereas before they had seen only the good. People with Mars in Leo like to dramatize, so they will tend to draw a lot of people in to sympathize with their disappointment. Mars in Leo people are proud and unyielding, so this pattern tends to be repeated many times before they are able to stop blaming others and see how fixed and unrealistic expectations bring about their own disappointment.

For people with Mars in Leo, sex is generally one of life's pleasures. They give a great deal of attention to setting the scene and creating the right atmosphere. Their bedroom will be the most important room in the home, and will be beautifully decorated in rich, romantic colors. Sex is something special to them; and they like everything to be exactly right. It is rather like staging the first night of a play; and great care is taken to ensure success. They know exactly what pleases people and enjoy giving pleasure, always bearing in mind that sex should be entertaining. They are generous with compliments and attention, and are able to make their partner feel really prized.

Because their self-esteem is bound up with sex, Mars in Leo people can be very sensitive to criticism and rejection. There is a tendency to feel that they have to put on a great performance in order to prove that they are better lovers than anyone else; and this can rob them of some of their natural spontaneity. When they trust to some of their instincts, they have an intuitive knowledge of what is pleasurable; and this, together with their warmth and enthusiasm, can make them quite inspiring lovers.

People with Mars in Leo are attracted to success. They tend to look to their sexual partners to confirm their identity and enhance their status, so that achievement, wealth and fame are all things that turn them on. They like the good life and enjoy luxury, so that someone who can offer these things is likely to seem very attractive to them; and they also get great pleasure from sharing their own good fortune.

The person with Mars in Leo has a great capacity for enjoying life. These people's pleasures are very important to them, so it is vital to them that their lovers have a sense of fun and are able to share these pleasures with them. They will quickly lose interest in someone who lacks a strong appetite for life.

Mars in Leo people can be very arrogant and high-handed at times. Their belief that they are a law unto themselves can create a lot of conflict, drama and heartbreak in their relationships. They find it difficult to back down once they have taken a stand, and they may even end a relationship rather than admit they are wrong.

Touchy and easily hurt, they feel humiliated by rejection, and tend to need constant reassurance of their desirability. Being belittled or made fun of feels like death to the Mars in Leo person; and anyone who does this will kill off any desire immediately. In order for a relationship to flourish, this person needs to feel appreciated and respected; and his / her partner must be attentive and generous with praise and encouragement. If these things are not forthcoming, the Mars in Leo person will feel unwanted and turned off.

To the person with Mars in Leo, sex is life-giving and vital to his / her sense of identity. These people are seeking to discover their own uniqueness through it, and so put themselves wholeheartedly into it. It is a creative act for them; and they need to feel proud of what they do. They are highly principled where sex is concerned, regarding faithfulness and loyalty as essential to a successful relationship.

Mars in Leo: You project an image of confidence, self-sufficiency and vitality that makes people notice you immediately. Charismatic and gregarious, you see yourself as a natural leader; and because you believe so strongly in your own importance and ability, others are inspired to follow you. Ambitious and egotistic, you are likely to channel your abundant energy into becoming 'somebody'. You want to be recognized and admired by all. However, you can be arrogant and vain, forgetting that a king depends on his subjects as much as they depend on him. In your self-centeredness, you often fail to realize the needs of others, and thus turn off those whose adoration and respect you so desperately desire.

You love being 'centre stage' and excel when called on to perform for an audience. You possess an innate sense of the dramatic, and are completely unselfconscious; therefore, you might choose to channel your energies into acting.

Your drive to express yourself might also find an outlet in one of the other art forms. Not only are you highly creative, but also you have plenty of energy, determination, and the self-esteem to keep believing in yourself regardless of what the critics say. Though you might be stung initially by criticism, you never admit defeat, and bounce back from disappointments easily. However, you may lack discrimination; and, if your talent is second-rate, you probably won't realize or admit it. Although you can apply much vigor and stamina toward achieving your objectives, you really don't want to have to work your way up the ladder, and may be lazy and impatient about 'paying your dues' before reaping the glory. You expect overnight success and instant fame.

Excessive pride is one of your most likely pitfalls. You are always ready to accept praise for your accomplishments, but rarely take the blame for any failures. It is almost impossible for you to concede to a fault or mistake, or to accept advice from someone else. Since you won't acknowledge your errors, you can't learn from them, and consequently are destined to repeat them.

You take great pride in your skills as a lover, and may be quite boastful about your sexual prowess. Affectionate and physically demonstrative, you enjoy the drama and excitement of a passionate affair. Though it bolsters your ego to have many sexual partners, you aren't as fickle as someone with Mars in Sagittarius or Gemini, and can be content in a monogamous relationship so long as your lover pays attention to you. You expect total devotion from your mate, and would see infidelity as an insult to you personally. But because you believe your partner already has the best there is, you'd probably be the last to know if she / he had other interests.

Men with Mars in Leo usually have a high opinion of themselves and their masculinity, but still desire constant flattery and ego-reinforcement from friends and lovers. You don't feel you have to do much of anything to earn the appreciation of others - your companionship should be enough. You are good-natured and optimistic, and your positive attitude and childlike enthusiasm endear you to many. You enjoy being magnanimous with people you like, and can be generous with your time, money and talents. Since you don't feel threatened by others, you willingly use whatever influence of power you have to help them achieve recognition, and enjoy playing the role of mentor or patron. Should one of your protégées 'make it', however, she / he had better dedicate the best-selling novel to you or give his / her first-born son your home.

Women with this planetary placement are most attracted to dynamic, charismatic, larger-than-life men. Status is important to you in a mate; and you want someone who is well-known, respected and admired by all. The more important he is, the better. You are seeking vicarious fame, and want to bask in his reflected glory. Big, blond 'Greek Gods', beach boys and movie / rock star types appeal to you most.

Mars in Leo: Mars in the sign Leo gives energy, willpower, and creativity. Since much of this ability is expressed in the arts, many dramatic actors have Mars in this sign.

Like Mars in Aries, this sign gives positive initiative; but stability and determination are greater because Leo is a fixed sign. There is a natural ability for leadership because the self-confidence of Mars in Leo people inspires confidence in others. These people want to be in the forefront of whatever is going on; and they are competitive in activities that are important to them. They have strong, undeviating beliefs and opinions, which can arouse opposition among those who disagree with them.

Mars placed here also gives fixed, passionate desires. Although people with Mars in Leo are usually ardent lovers, they are also capable of jealousy and possessiveness. The men exude strength and masculinity, and are high-spirited and proud. People with this Mars position, then, are powerfully attracted to members of the opposite sex, who in turn sense their life and vitality.

If Mars is afflicted in Leo, there can be egotistical leanings and an overbearing manner with a tendency to dominate others. There is also an inclination to believe in one's own infallibility.

Mars in Leo: The fiery enthusiasm, energy and assertiveness of Mars are well complemented in Leo; and this placing gives excellent organizational ability and powers of leadership. Nevertheless, the individual must guard against becoming too pushy, especially with others who are less extrovert.

The emotions are positively increased, and there will be a great love of life; special pleasure will be gained from enabling others to be happy and enjoy themselves. The sex life will be full, rewarding and colorful; but if Mars is negatively aspected by Saturn, energy will be spent more unevenly than is usual when these two planets are at loggerheads. There is usually a sense of drama; and while this can be fun, it must be controlled - as must a tendency to exaggerate and show off, which can become bombastic at times. There is a genuine hatred of small-mindedness and petty behavior. The temper is quick (almost as much as when Mars is in Aries), but Leo magnanimity means all will be forgiven and forgotten equally quickly.

A passion for art and creativity is often shown. If painting or design is enjoyed, there is usually a flair for color - especially hot, sunny shades. If the Sun sign complements the Mars placing (being another Fire sign, for instance), the subject will look for such colors when choosing clothes, which will also allow plenty of movement.

If over enthusiasm is consciously controlled, or is countered by other, somewhat more sober elements in the chart, this placing is a marvelously invigorating one. It adds a certain robustness to the health; but look to the spine, which could be prone to strain, especially if the subject is confined to an office desk for long hours at a time. A backrest chair would be an excellent investment. As Leo rules the heart, you should also encourage steady exercise, whatever the age of the subject. This does not mean that he or she will be prone to heart attacks, but it is as well to remember that the heart is a powerful muscle - a machine - and, like all machines, will work better and longer if it is kept well oiled and sensibly used. For exercise, all kinds of dancing are to be recommended, as are workouts at a well-equipped health club.

Mars in Leo: Energy flows normally in self-centered channels, serving the main bent of your nature by ensuring that you will always, as if by instinct, put your best foot forward. You have abundant animal magnetism and charm, and can 'get away with murder': people take things from you that they'd be angry at another about, and you like to 'make 'em take it and like it'. You are probably easy to look at, and make the most of your natural graces. Your energies are the willing servant of your ego, enabling you to dramatize whatever life task you set yourself. Energy may or may not be abundant, but in any case you make the most of what you have: this is the position of someone who 'dies with his boots on' and can always be counted on to do his duty, provided that the duty is one that he can relate to his deep ego centers. This is not a genuinely unselfish position for Mars, though if the total personality requires unselfishness, the energies will work toward this end as readily as toward another. This position of Mars in itself tells little about the character or personality, except that, whatever the ego demands, Mars will serve it with stability and a good deal of self-dramatization.

Mars in Leo: In Leo, Mars is a symbol of great creative energy - the native is restless, anxious, dynamic, forceful; at times he pushes himself to such an extent that he frightens people, including members of the opposite sex.

He possesses a great degree of personal magnetism; he both repels and attracts. His personality is reflected in his creative endeavors. His personal touch is on almost everything he does. He tends to be self-centered, and doesn't believe anything is of real importance unless he, personally, feels its effects. He is impulsive, and acts with haste but seldom repents, because he is alert for a second chance. There may be battles with loved ones, and the danger that the excitement he finds in these clashes could blossom into psychological disorder.

Mars in Leo: You are a Royal, though potentially conceited, suitor. Energy is created and maintained through striving towards something that makes you feel pride and respect for yourself and / or Other. Finding the noble thing to do can be extremely important when you are having to fight your way through or out of a compromising or pressurized situation. Merely pretending that you are getting what you want with boasts and flourishes in spite of fair criticism is the sign of incipient anger.

You attract with a very confident and stylish way of asserting and displaying yourself; with a dignified and highly honorable manner of conducting yourself, especially when under emotional pressure; and with an impressive and chivalrous sexuality that comes across as relaxed and in command.

You repel with a pompous, vain self-righteousness that is blind to constructive and important advice; by steamrollering anyone or anything that gets in your way; with pure egotism posing as superiority; and with an imperious sexuality that demands its self-styled and self-elected rights.

You are attracted to Others who admire your social style and / or creative talents; to the spotlight; to the Other who can be your 'king' or 'queen' in the sense that he / she is respectful, honorable, and someone to be proud of; and to sexual or confrontational situations where your prowess and dignity win the day.

You are repelled by cynical or overly critical Others who fail to appreciate the drama of life; by low-key or lackluster Others or situations that put you in a bad light, or that drag you down to their level; and by mean-spirited, back-stabbing means of getting what is wanted.

When you are alone, it is because either you have been banished by pricing yourself out of the market, or you have been upstaged as a result of not admitting to your failings or doing anything about them - at least not until it was too late. And bear in mind that being 'alone' can also mean that you are still with an Other but are not getting what you want. How long you spend in exile therefore has everything to do with facing up to your ego's delusions of grandeur, because they are at the root of your aloneness. Of all the Mars signs, yours can find it hardest to eat humble-pie - but when you do recognize what's best all round, you will be amazed at how swiftly things get turned around. A case of having to stoop to conquer.

Mars in Leo: Your approach to lovemaking is rather direct and friendly; and you may be somewhat frustrated by a lover who requires extensive courting or who insists on innumerable verbal games before approaching the physical side of love.

However, once lovemaking is assured, you make elaborate preparations, particularly in lavish surroundings and sumptuous fittings. But remember to consider your partner's ideas, because some people respond to such elaborateness by becoming self-conscious and unable to fully let go.

You are the warmest and most open of lovers, but you may tend to go through one or two basic scenarios over and over without being entirely aware of it. This may become wearing; but if you consult your partner for suggestions and new directions, this needn't become a problem.

You are generous to a fault with your lover, particularly in supplying aids for lovemaking and tokens of affection. This can be most meaningful to you, but don't be surprised if your lover requires less or does not fully appreciate all your efforts. Where the hand fails in such matters, the heart will provide.

Mars in Leo: You have a great deal of pride, and you enjoy doing things on your own initiative. An appeal to your sense of fairness brings out the best in you; and you will do anything to maintain these qualities. If you know that someone is relying on you, you work very hard to live up to that person's expectations. On the other hand, you are sometimes quite touchy about your sense of dignity. If someone makes fun of you or says something sarcastic, you get very angry and feel that you have to prove your worth to that person. At times, you may act arrogant and domineering toward others. You can't always be first, but you have such a need to be a leader that it may be difficult for you to accept anyone else in this role.

You demand that others let you be yourself so you can run your life as you want. You are quire stubborn about this; in fact, the harder someone pushes you, the more you resist or persevere on your original course.

You probably have considerable self-confidence and even courage, but you are not especially reckless. At best, you have a good understanding of yourself, of your limitations as well as your strengths, which you emphasize, of course. In fact, you may feel uncomfortable with the softer side of your personality, your emotions and weaknesses. You would like to appear strong and self-possessed at all times.

Mars in Leo: Keynote: Creative energies stimulate vivacious activity. Symbol: An actor bounds vigorously onto a stage.

Mars in Leo gives an abundance of élan vital and the incentive to project ideas in dramatic ways. Few combinations impart more personal magnetism. Everything is done 'with heart', and in a grand and chivalrous manner. There is a liking for the big, the bright, and the bold. Issues are clearly drawn and action is taken without fear of consequences.

The Martial Leo seldom hesitates to act but will do what is needed without wasting energy debating the pros and cons of a matter. His heart tells him what is right; and generally its impulses are sound and trustworthy. This Promethean spirit quickly grows impatient with those timid souls who, because they lack the courage to take a definite stand, allow golden opportunities to elude them.

Leo is the born leader whom Mars impels to take the steps required to rise to a position of prominence. The presence of a fiery planet in a fiery sign gives a double dose of assertiveness which may prove almost too hot to handle. The defects of this position arise from a tendency toward extremism. Excessive zeal for a just cause can degenerate into a fanaticism which arouses antagonism even in those who are being helped.

The energy of Mars reinforced by the individualism of Leo fosters the ability to excel in artistic enterprises, such as acting, singing, and dancing, which require self-projection. One expects dramatic entrances and exits, starling effects and original touches from these colorful personalities. They aspire to transcend previous accomplishments and move on to greater things.

Mars also supplies the motive power to push forward, to brave opposition in competitive fields, and to be brash when necessary. On the negative side, it can make a person pushy and presumptuous.

Sometimes, Mars in Leo signifies a power complex which drives an individual to struggle relentlessly for personal recognition and to use dictatorial means to achieve the desires status. He will fight his way to the top, not only because he wants admiration, but because he craves power.

Whatever his vocation, the person with Mars in Leo expresses himself with style and verve. He can take personal initiative and should execute his original ideas, even if by trying to keep everything in his own hands he overestimates his ability to cope with unexpected contingencies. His willingness to give personal attention to whatever he does accounts in large measure for his successes. He is ready to take a gamble, and will strike out on his own while others are clinging to the coattails of convention. He may win gloriously or lose ignominiously, but at least he is not a mediocrity.

One expects the king of beasts to be strong and bold, even if occasionally dangerous, and should be approached with deference. Mars intensifies Leo's courage, pride and generosity, but it can also incite hasty judgment and lack of restraint. The Martial Leo is seldom petty or mean, but he needs to check his temper and to realize that power entails responsibility. It is hard for the noble lion to pay obeisance to anyone. Yet there are times when he must submit to others, even if only to prove that he has this additional power over the kingdom of his own soul.

Mars in Leo: Here is energy plus. Leo is a Fire sign, and Mars is a Fire planet. Dramatic, enthusiastic, ambitious and passionate. Have no intention of taking back seat to anyone unless there is a strong Neptune in the chart to nullify the ego. Quarrelsome and jealous where those he loves are concerned if Mars is afflicted. Hates to be wrong and can be extremely fixed in convictions and opinions.

Tremendous vitality and courage. Can have heart trouble if he overdoes physically.

Mars in Leo: This will correlate to a Soul who desires to take charge of and be in total control of its life and destiny. With Mars in Leo, the Soul desires to creatively actualize its evolutionary / karmic intentions and requirements to the fullest possible extent. As a result, the dynamic of creative independence will be emphasized relative to a personal will structure that instinctively resists any circumstance or person that attempts to restrict any experience or direction that the Mars in Leo person desires to act upon. In essence, Mars in Leo desires to be master of its own life. Mars in Leo will reflect a Soul that appears to be self-inflated and self-important, expects to be acknowledged for how special it is, and instinctively acts in such a way as to appear to be the very centre of the universe. Mars in Leo will reflect a Soul that is highly focused, intense, creative, rigid, passionate, dignified, inspiring, narcissistic, and selfish. In evolutionary terms, there will be reasons for the Soul to have Mars in the sign of Leo. For example, it is not uncommon for such a Soul to have had a series of recent lifetimes in which there was no sense of personal power, and to have experienced life in a way that was beyond his or her personal control. As a result, the Soul desires to counteract this experience through manifesting and creating a life in which a necessary Soul strengthening can occur. Looked at in this way, it can be understood as a necessary development for the Soul. The astrologer must positively reinforce this intention to the client, because typically such a client would have repeatedly heard from many people that he or she is too selfish, etc..

The house that Mars in Leo is in, the aspects that it is making to other planets, the house that the sign Aries is on, the house that the sign Leo is on, and the location of the Sun (the planetary ruler of Leo) will all correlate to how and where the archetype of creative actualization of the Soul's karmic evolutionary intentions will specifically occur.

Sexually speaking, Mars in Leo will manifest desires of creative self-discovery that will not tolerate restrictions from any external source. The only source of restriction will occur from within itself - any sexual behavior or expression that creates a loss of personal dignity or esteem will be resisted with great force. Mars in Leo will manifest an intense, deep, passionate, assertive, and narcissistic orientation to the sexual experience. There is a high degree of focus on self-pleasure. In men, this can correlate to the 'Adonis complex', where they expect to be sexually worshipped. In women, this manifests as the 'Cleopatra complex', where they also expect to be sexually worshipped. In both men and women there will be a strong focus on using their own bodies as temples of creative self-discovery through autoerotic practices. Many will be highly creative in designing masturbatory practices that allow for a deep intensity of psychological, emotional, and physical sensation, the intensity of which serves to renew and release the Soul simultaneously.

In their sexual relationships, the Mars in Leo person is focused on experiencing his or her own intense stimulation through his or her partner. The partner serves as a vehicle through which this stimulation occurs. Through increasing the degree of stimulation and sensation in this way, the Mars in Leo person thus stimulates the partner because of the inner intensity of his or her own sensations. The specific nature of the types of sexual desires that the Mars in Leo desires to creatively actualize can be determined by the actual house that Mars is in, the aspects that it is making to other planets, and the houses that those planets are in. The phasal relationship of Mars and Pluto will correlate with how this is done.

As their lives evolve, these individuals must learn to embrace the Aquarian polarity. In essence, this means learning how to validate themselves from within themselves without constantly demanding praise and recognition, but also how to best actualize their creativity and need for recognition within the context of what society needs from them. Such people have an evolutionary need to validate and acknowledge the purposes and creativity of others as being equal to their own. They must ultimately understand that the source of creativity does not originate from their own egos or Souls, and that they must help others actualize their own creative purposes. Sexually, it means to learn how to objectify and embrace the sexual desires and needs of their partner - to listen and learn how to satisfy their partner's needs and not just their own.

Mars in Leo Woman: You were born to rule, no matter what domain you find yourself in. The grand gesture becomes you and you are always personally involved with whatever you do, setting your individual stamp on it. You live by the dictum "Whatever is worth doing is worth doing well." You admit that you like to run things, and that you're a woman to be reckoned with. You're ambitious and proud. Your honor is topmost, and you're not afraid to take a stand or assume a position of power. You can handle it because you have vision and leadership abilities. You take your responsibilities seriously and you can take the heat, too. Even though you can be self-centered, you're not really selfish and you're never stingy. You'll open your home and heart to those you like and shower them with warmth and attention. You enjoy seeing others glow with happiness.

Since you're so honorable, you expect the same from others. Once you've formed an attachment you put your trust in the relationship. You're loyal to a fault and sometimes you have to be proved wrong in a particularly nasty way before you see the light. That's because you do everything wholeheartedly. Nothing short of the best will do. you'd rather fail magnificently than succeed in a mediocre way. You need outlets for your creativity, and you're strongly motivated to express yourself in whatever mode you choose. You lean toward extreme situations of the "larger than life" variety- anything to avoid everyday-ness.

Your loves tend either toward the soap opera or the grand opera. You're a sucker for romantic fantasies. The ordinary and common completely turn you off. It will be on the grand scale, if only in your imagination. No matter what other qualifications he has you've got to have sexual chemistry with a man. You're playful and passionate in bed. You love to romp and act silly, wrestle to see who's stronger. You have a giving nature. If he makes you feel adored you'll cater to his whims. he has to be strong with a definite personal style. He can be a film mogul, or an out-of-work actor, as long as he's bold, you look good together, and enjoy passionate sex.

Mars in Leo Man: You like being a man. You're proud and passionate and you always do everything in a big way. You hate to fuss with the details. You go for the big picture and you go for the gold. You never settle for second best. You’d rather have a grand failure than a small success. You hate what’s mediocre and tawdry. Whatever you do, you put your whole heart and energy into it, and you work hard to bring all of your creativity potential to bear on whatever it is. You get totally behind a project when you believe in it. In fact, you can get so fired up with a sense of mission that you become somewhat fanatical. You’ve got to put your personal stamp on what you get involved in. Leadership comes easily to you and you gravitate toward the power center. You know you were born to rule, and because of this you are generous and open. You believe in benevolent rule. Your honor is unimpeachable and you're never afraid to take the heat. Being important brings heavy responsibilities.

You confess to being hot-tempered, self-centered, and sometimes imperial-seeming, but you're never petty or stingy. You give with an open heart and you’ll share what you have with those you like. You're affectionate and give out a lot of attention. You like to see people respond to your warmth and love - they can get a tan just from your glow. You're trusting to a fault, and once anyone is an intimate of yours they’ve got your full trust. Only an overt betrayal will make you default on that, for until you're hit over the head with the evidence, you expect everyone else to be as loyal and honorable as you are.

Sexually, you're a passionate man. You crave romance and drama and you want to sweep your lady love off her feet and give her the movie version of life and love. Glamour and power turn you on, in a woman and in life. You like trips to exotic places with luxurious surroundings as part of your love life, and you're always in charge. You're not afraid to show your affection and you’ll fight for your rights. You can overpower those who can’t stand their ground. You don’t need a woman to shore up your ego by being a doormat. You want her to be queen to your king, and you want us to look good together and give off an aura of power. You need to love and be loved in a big way that’s affectionate and demonstrative.

Mars in Leo Man: As with Mars in Aries, men with this Mars position tend to lose their hair prematurely. The fiery nature of Mars burns the roots of the hair.

See also: Mars in Leo;

Mars in Leo: Fred Astaire, William Blake, Wilt Chamberlain, Cher, Hillary Rodham Clinton, George Clooney, James Dean, Michael Jordan, Helen Keller, Donovan Leitch, Paul McCartney, Benjamin Netanyahu, Ezra Pound, Robert Redford, Frank Sinatra, Bruce Springsteen, Sting, James Taylor, Donald Trump, Brian Wilson, AndySc, Beth, CharlesS, ChrisC, Donny, George, Leen, Maitreyi, Marie, Patrice, PaulS, Prabhuta, ScottS, Supr, Tammy, Virginia

Mars in Virgo

You have high practical energies, adequate-to-high mental energies, adequate physical energies, and low emotional energies. Your energy is service-oriented, disciplined and efficient. It is often channeled into reasoning, finding flaws, and helping others. Your strengths include self-discipline, technical aptitudes, and unselfishness. You lack the ability to see the forest for the trees, imagination, and enthusiasm.

You can be a bit like the Boy Scout who drags the little old lady across the street in spite of her protests that she doesn't want to go. You mean well, and probably wouldn't push people around or argue with them for your own sake; but you have awfully definite ideas about what's good and bad for people in general and those you care about in particular. As a result, you can be too critical of others, interfering more than is good for either them or you. This trait can be channeled positively, however; for example, your sort of motivation can be a good asset if you're involved in a career in the medical field, or are a secretary, computer programmer or operator, or statistician. In any case, this Mars can be best used for acquiring knowledge and putting it to practical use. With this position, the enthusiasm of Mars is dulled to a large extent; although you tend to be physically active, you're not keen on strenuous activity unless there's some practical purpose to it.

Mars in Virgo people generally tend to be very careful and discreet about sex. Occasionally they're 'late bloomers' in this area. Various types of sexual hang-ups can manifest if Mars is under stress here; usually these have to do with rejecting people for rather petty reasons. Both sexes have to learn that good reasoning skills don't make for infallible judgment in the sexual arena. Men with this placement are often so busy repressing their emotions that they may not be very insightful about a woman's wants - or their own. Women with this placement set high standards for men - sometimes unattainably so. Both sexes can be incredibly dense when it comes to picking up on someone's romantic signals; paradoxically, they find very blatant overtures offensive. Patience, as well as more than a modicum of refinement, will be necessary to break the ice - which generally turns out not to be ice at all, but rather a protective coating of 'intellectual polyurethane' designed to protect the emotions from getting scratched, scuffed or stained.

You want a healthy mate/ lover. While not cold, you probably don't want a terribly sexually-demanding partner, as you tend to feel you have energy for other pursuits as well. You're very careful whom you get involved with. You're also careful where and how you get involved; you're nothing if not discreet! This doesn't necessarily mean you lack spontaneity; it does, however, mean that you're not one to rush into things. Impulsiveness tends to leave you feeling guilty; lack of preparedness worries you. So when you become involved, you invariably know exactly when you're doing! And while you may like variety, you don't like one-night stands. Being discriminating is your style, and it will work for you as long as you don't take it to extremes. You'd be happiest with a mate or lover who has Mars in an Earth sign, Mars in the sixth house, a Mercury/ Mars conjunction, or a Mercury/ Mars sextile.

Working for yourself or working where you have scope to do your own thing would be the best, although you're not averse to working your way up the ranks to a middle-management position if necessary. You're probably a hard worker and a meticulous one, though you may at times be less than honest if your job, a promotion, or a big commission is on the line. You're not at your best as 'the big boss' as you're inclined to be rather critical of your staff, yet at the same time are loathe to fire anyone. Some good career areas for you would be: the food industry, food inspector, clerical work (preferably a 'person Friday' in a small office), the police force, editing, teaching, chemistry, photography, and nursing.

Working hard comes naturally to you. Your job, relocation, and / or work transfers can lead to some of your best lucky breaks. Less important opportunities can come as a result of seemingly trivial things like going for a drive, getting a new refrigerator, having your typewriter repaired, etc.. The key here is that your opportunities tend to come in connection with serviceable things and practical activities rather than from involvement with luxuries or highly 'iffy' projects. Co-workers, editors, and professional people in general tend to motivate you by giving you encouragement.

Mars in Virgo: You may have a tendency to alienate others by taking what they do or say too personally and then aggressively demanding to be acknowledged as right all the time. Consequently, you may seek to prove the Virgo rightness by making others wrong. When your own or the actions of others fall short of your standards, you can be quick to criticize and judge. By focusing on errors, you may lose your momentum.

You can constructively assert yourself by taking the initiative in assisting others to straighten out their lives. Acting on your commitment to serve effectively, you might allow yourself to share responsibility and overcome the need to be right about everything, as well as the feeling that you have to do others' work for them. You can develop practical methods that aid others in achieving their ideals of perfection. Through humanely applying your passionate sense of order to chaotic situations in a tolerant way, you can experience satisfaction and a new sense of system. Your energy is increased in the process of making these changes.

Mars in Virgo: Someone with Mars in Virgo will be moderate and self-contained. These people will have the sensual sensitivity that all the Earth signs possess, but they will be reserved in expressing it. Sex does not matter much to them. Unlike Mars in Taurus, they have no desire in the abstract so they are quite capable of long periods of celibacy if there is no-one around that interests them. When in a new relationship, however, they may initially be very sexually active, trying to compensate for previous abstinence.

While someone with Mars in Virgo still takes sensual pleasure in his/ her body for its own sake, this is tempered by a practical, matter-of-fact attitude to physical needs and desires. This is not someone who is easily drawn into the excesses of a Mars in Taurus; Mars in Virgo is far more circumspect and health-conscious.

Someone with Mars in Virgo will exercise considerable caution in getting involved in a relationship. These people do not want to make a mistake, and will select a partner with care. In choosing, they may seek to fulfill quite particular criteria. In extreme cases, a prospective partner may feel like a job applicant being measured against a detailed set of requirements to see if he / she is suitable for the position. Virgo has a reputation for being choosy, fussy and critical; and for someone with Mars in Virgo all of this can be brought to bear in his or her approach to a sexual partner.

Virgo is a very analytical sign, and Mars in Virgo can be analytical to an extreme. At their worst, these people will lose track of the inherent meaning in a situation, in trying to unravel and understand the detail. They can analyze a situation to death. More positively, they will always be prepared to talk about things and to try to understand themselves and their partner.

Mars in Virgo people may want a partner who is useful, perhaps someone who helps out with practical or technical problems; and they may offer this to those they are involved with. Joint ventures and activities will be an important part of their relationships.

Mars in Virgo: You are hard-working and conscientious, focusing much of your energy into your job. When something needs to be done, you are the one who does it; and you manage to accomplish more than most people through efficient, practical organization of time and resources. This is the position of the office manager, production supervisor or shift foreman, the dynamo behind the scenes who actually runs the show and without whom the operation couldn't function. You tend to be a perfectionist, and have little patience with yourself or others when they make mistakes. However, your ambitions are modest, and you have no desire for fame, fortune and power (unless Leo is prominent in your chart). Because your ego is smaller than most and you don't stand up for yourself, you may not receive the credit you deserve.

In fact, you are fearful of having to assert yourself, and may 'choke' in situations that require aggression. Perhaps you feel weak or vulnerable, unable to protect yourself physically. Rather than moving outwardly with force and vigor, you often hold your energy in check, which results in a build-up of tension. The way you are most likely to release this pent-up aggression is through complaining, irritability and nervous habits. Stress and unexpressed anger also can cause you to have problems with your stomach or digestive system. Not only are you more susceptible to stress than most people, but also you don't possess a great deal of natural vitality, and therefore you need to take good care of your health through proper diet, rest and exercise. Yoga, in particular, might appeal to you since you probably don't have much interest in competitive sports.

Although you may not be willing to fight for yourself, you often stand up for the rights and well-being of others, particularly those who are less fortunate than yourself. You are especially concerned with helping the sick and handicapped, and might choose to focus your energy into medical work. When it comes to nursing the ailing, you can be tireless in your efforts. You need to feel needed.

Though your sex drive is strong, you might not feel comfortable about expressing it, and tend to be a bit puritanical. You could even be somewhat fearful of letting your passion loose, of giving in to such overpowering sensations. It's hard for you just to relax and enjoy yourself, without worrying or judging. Therefore, you may repress much of your desire and be critical of people who are more sexually open or indulgent. At the same time, though, you envy them. Your perfectionism also might cause you to suffer from performance anxiety.

Mars in Virgo Woman: You do everything with great attention to detail, whether it’s organizing a corporate meeting or making a cup of tea. Perfection comes naturally to you, and you're efficient and highly skilled in your work and in your personal life. That translates into your being very practical. You're a woman who believes that form follows function, and therefore you like things that work and you want to know what makes them work. The proof of the pudding is in the eating, and the pudding will be right if the ingredients are the best and the correct instructions are meticulously followed. Everything must be performed in the right sequence. You're a sequential person, very good at the concept of going from A to B to C and so on, not skipping around. You like order and you bring a rational intelligence to bear on creating it all around yourself. Your drawers are neat and well-arranged, your desk is clean and uncluttered, your files are properly labeled, your kitchen is handy and practical. Method is second-nature to you, and you don’t mind taking the time to do what has to be done properly. Why do it slapdash? Attention to life’s little details can be a meditative or spiritual experience for you, because you know its importance to the big picture. Someone once wrote, “It’s the little things that count. We can sit on a mountain but not a tack.” You understand that notion very well and incorporate it into your daily life.

The idea of master craftsmanship appeals to you and you will spend the necessary time to develop your skills in every area of life, including the sexual. You're one of the best lovers around because you pay attention to details. You notice and remember what people like, whether it’s a special brand of coffee or two lumps of sugar in their tea, and you provide it. Sometimes your attention to detail may make you seem fussy or even prudish, but when you let go of your inhibitions, you're very earthy and sensual. And you care a lot and show it by serving those you love. The men you like are fastidious. They use logic and strive for excellence no matter what their work. You appreciate a sense of craft as well as intelligence and kindness. You can be critical and so can a man you like, but that's OK because nothing is nicer than something when it's right, be it a kiss or a concert.

Mars in Virgo Woman: Women with Mars in Virgo are attracted to modest, unassuming, shy men. No Rambo types for you. You are looking for someone you can depend on, who is gentle, considerate, hard-working and practical. Cleanliness is high on your list of priorities, too, and it is much more important to you that your partner be neat than good-looking.

Mars in Virgo Man: You're an exacting sort of person with a great sense of technique. You like using your rational mind to reason things out or to make things happen. You're very practical and you like to know why things work. Working with your hands gives you pleasure, whether it’s crafting something, typing, even cooking. You are a hands-on guy and you don’t mind getting your hands dirty, for afterward you can enjoy getting them clean again. Whatever you do, you like to make sure it’s done in the correct and proper sequence. For that reason, you like to study manuals that explain clearly what to do or how to use a special piece of equipment. Using a tool properly is a craft in itself. You can be creative, but it is the master craftsmanship kind of thing, not spontaneous artistry. You work methodically and sequentially, always striving to be the best you can be at whatever it is you are doing.

There are those who find you prim or call you a prude, but it’s not true. Underneath your meticulousness hides a satyr, a Pan, who can play the pipes of earthy sensuality. Clean and neat turns you on, but don’t be fooled. You give great back rubs and know just which oils are best. You're very thorough when it comes to making love, for you pride yourself on being effective and reliable. You're gentlemanly and naturally intelligent, though you have trained your mind to be a disciplined and useful tool. You like to keep your body in the same condition. A fit mind in a fit body is your goal.

You like old-fashioned women, the kind that are both competent and intelligent. You know a lady when you meet one, and you can recognize class. Though you don’t like to show off, you’ll pay a lot of attention to her details and compliment her on a pin she’s wearing or notice she’s had her hair dressed differently. You’ll be sensitive to what she likes, whether it’s at the dinner table or in bed, and do it for her to the best of your ability. You're a perfectionist, and you always want her to have the perfect experience with you. Sometimes this gets in the way of your pleasing yourself, because you're so critical to make sure it’s just right. Still, when you do get it “just right” it makes you and your partner very happy. That’s worth working for, isn’t it?

Mars in Virgo Man: Men with Mars in Virgo often pride themselves on their efficiency, organization skills and dependability. You can be a workaholic, and expect everyone else to devote as much energy and effort as you do to the job. Working makes you feel good about yourself; and your ego is gratified if you believe you are indispensible. Though you aren't looking for lots of prestige and money for your contributions, you'll become cranky, complaining and negative if others don't recognize and appreciate how much you do. You want to serve in some way, and might be happier in a support or service position than one that is highly visible.

Unless Fire signs are prominent in your chart, you may be somewhat insecure about your masculinity, and might feel you are a bit of a 'wimp'. You fear you won't be able to assert yourself when necessary. Perhaps you have more brain than brawn, and lack athletic ability. However, you may attempt to overcompensate for your timidity with excessive bravado.

See also: Mars in Virgo;

Mars in Virgo: Ammachi, Helena Blavatsky, G.W. Bush, Johnny Depp, Princess Diana, Robert Downey, Jr., Melanie Griffith, Ernest Hemingway, Carl Lewis, Charles Manson, Willie Nelson, Friedrich Nietzche, Barack Obama, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, George Patton, Peter Sellers, Mother Teresa, Stevie Wonder, Al, BPoe, Duane, Dunja, Eva, GaryCl, JBLight, JonathanG, JT, Michael, Miriam, Seligma

Mars in Libra

You have high mental energies, adequate to low physical energies, and low practical and emotional energies. Your energy is pleasant, relaxed and social. It is often channeled into socializing, diplomacy and mediating. Your strengths include fairness, the ability to compromise, and cooperativeness. You lack decisiveness, independence and loyalty.

You have a strong sense of fairness; but because you're not always as perceptive as you should be, you may often find yourself torn between two choices of action. Sometimes this Mars position signifies a great deal of inner conflict centering around opposing needs for independence and supportive people. In any case, much of your energy is channeled into partnerships of various types which may or may not be long-lasting. Your physical energy level tends to fluctuate, and a lot depends on the aspects you have to Mars. Aspects between Mars in this position and Moon, Venus or Neptune can make you rather lazy, while aspects to the Sun, Jupiter, and Pluto tend to increase physical energy.

I have often suspected that a certain number of people with Mars in Libra prefer cocktail parties and pleasant social chit-chat to sex. Sex, after all, is so messy! It can really play havoc with fancy hairdos, and afterwards there's inevitably all that dirty laundry. And for what?

People with Mars in Libra have no qualms about initiating sexual encounters and no qualms about walking away from them when they cease to please. They don't, however, walk away until they have somewhere else to go as a rule. Men with this placement tend not to be sexually demanding; nor are they anti-sex. They can take it or leave it, depending on who's offering it. Women with this placement are most responsive - and most faithful - to lovers who mirror their own personalities. In other words, they tend to be drawn to the concept of total union, and sex is only one small facet of this merging.

You want companionship. You want to avoid loneliness, and will pay just about any price (in terms of compromising or altering your needs) to do so. However, you're also apt to want a growth-oriented relationship, so you're apt to be quick to instigate change if you feel things are getting too hum-drum. You don't mind taking the initiative to get a new relationship off the ground; you're a little less quick to initiate a break-up unless either there's someone else waiting in the wings or your lover has refused to budge and things just can't be improved enough to restore harmony. You'd do best with someone who has Venus in an Air sign, in the 7th house, or trine your Mars.

You need to use discrimination in choosing a job if you don't want to experience disappointment. Anything involving hard physical labor is out, unless the end result is a work of beauty. Secondly, you don't take orders very well, so menial work isn't a good bet unless it's of a temporary nature. What is good for you? Try the following areas: clock-making or repair, artistic work, politics, sales, brokerage work, modeling agencies, beautician or barber.

You're motivated to be a success in the working world, and thus are willing to relocate, work long hours, or even work for a rather disagreeable boss as long as you see a promotion, raise, or some sort of prestige out there waiting for you. The areas in which your lucky breaks fall tend to vary according to your own definition of luck and what you want out of life. Romances, however - even very short-lived ones - are common door-openers for you. Participating in local social events, and working in travel agencies or beauty shops, or getting involved in dance or exercise programs, can bring opportunities your way.

Mars in Libra: You may have a tendency to alienate others by manipulating their responses in an aggressive way that produces false harmony. You may demand the Libra version of harmony by behaving as you think others want you to and expecting them to act as you want them to in exchange. You may subtly compete with others to see who can be the most harmonious person, and thus victimize yourself by continually demanding that others act fairly. You can lose energy by holding others responsible for creating justice and co-operation in your world; and when disruption occurs, blaming them for the disharmony.

Dynamic You can assert yourself constructively by actively, responsibly and directly initiating social interaction on the basis of personal integrity. When you ask others what it is they want from the relationship and honestly share what it is you want, you are then able to create harmony based on truth. Thus, you can gain energy by experiencing yourself as the source of harmony or disharmony in your interactions.

Mars in Libra: Mars in Libra carries within itself a basic dichotomy. The Mars principle describes how you set about getting what you need for yourself, and shows how you define yourself. Libra is about you in relation to another and gaining self-knowledge by using others as a mirror. These two opposing principles do not combine comfortably. How can you define yourself or decide what you want effectively if you consider the other person's needs before your own?

The person with Mars in Libra then attributes enormous importance to what the 'other' wants, and tends to give away his / her energy and sexual needs. These people do not know what they want until they have discovered what the other person wants. If you ask Mars in Libra people what they want to do, they will invariably answer by asking what you want to do. This makes decision-making virtually impossible because they are unable to focus in on what they want, but are always looking for answers from the outside, drawing in others to help them decide. Because of this difficulty in knowing what they want, they tend to be very ambivalent and give out double messages all the time. If they make a definite statement they will immediately qualify it, so that what they really want becomes blurred and open to doubt.

In their sexual relationships, Mars in Libra people like to observe the social niceties ¬Venusian touches such as romantic notes, thank-you letters, and cards sent to continue the connection. Romantic and charming, they know what pleases and show a flattering interest in their partner's life and emotional well-being. They always ask the right questions and respond appropriately, which can be very seductive.

Enjoying repartee and flirtation, people with Mars in Libra may tend to flirt for ever without ever getting round to doing anything. They enjoy creating the right setting - a romantic meal with soft lights and sweet music. There is a perfect atmosphere for sex, and the promise and the innuendo are there, but the sex itself may never materialize. This is because Libra feels much more comfortable with social pleasantries than with the disturbing intimacy of sex. People with Mars here like to initiate contacts, forge links and hold relationships together, but they also like to keep at a distance and avoid intense involvement, often using niceness and politeness as a barrier to intimacy. However, the urge to establish a sexual relationship is a driving force for people with Mars in Libra, so that even if there is not much actual sex involved, they do need to feel that they have a sexual partner, and will put a great deal of effort into pleasing their partner and holding the relationship together.

Mars in Libra: Your passions never rule your thinking, and you rarely act in haste or anger. Concerned with justice and fairness, you don't let your ego get in the way of your decisions and actions. Your objective, unemotional approach could enable you to be a good judge, manager, general or diplomat, However, you often have difficulty asserting yourself and going after what you want in a direct, decisive manner. Instead, your tendency is to think too much before you act; and, because you usually can see value in both sides of every issue, you vacillate or change your course of action several times before reaching your goal. Or, you may defer to others and let them decide for you.

Aggression in any form seems threatening to you, and you don't deal well with confrontations, arguments, forcefulness or physical combativeness. When faced with challenges, you may experience anxiety rather than positive stimulation. If possible, you'd like your environment and relationships to be balanced, harmonious and congenial at all times. Your desire is to unite with others rather than oppose them, and you'll always seek a way to work with others instead of against them if possible. You want to make friends, not adversaries.

Consequently, you might not enjoy sports (unless Fire signs predominate in your chart). There's too much antagonism and competitiveness involved - and too much chance of getting injured, or at least dirty! Since you don't possess a lot of natural vitality either, you may not like to exert yourself physically. Unless other factors in your chart provide energy and stamina, you probably need to get more rest and take better care of yourself than most people.

One area in which you are likely to be assertive is relationships. You invest much of your energy into pursuing and maintaining relationships of all kinds, but especially romantic ones. Although you are never pushy or forceful, once you decide you want someone you'll exert gentle and continuous effort toward establishing a partnership with him / her. You might even make love your life's work.

For you, sex is always best within the context of a loving and stable relationship; and you find casual affairs unfulfilling. Instead of being excited by the novelty of a new sexual encounter, you usually feel anxious, apprehensive or insecure. For you to enjoy sex, you also must be getting along well with your lover; a disagreement before bed will turn you off completely. Though you are very affectionate and romantic, your sex drive is rather low. You tend to overly idealize sex, expecting emotional as well as physical satisfaction. When it comes to lovemaking, you are conservative and cautious, reluctant to try anything new or different. You want everything about the experience to be nice, neat and predictable. No spontaneous, impassioned encounters in parked cars or elevators for you; and clean sheets, soft music and candlelight are more powerful aphrodisiacs than triple-X movies or exotic underwear.

Art is another area into which you might channel much of your energy and effort. You can be passionate about art and aesthetics, and might even feel invigorated by the act of creating something of beauty.

Mars in Libra Woman: You are not a pushy person and you don’t like pushy people. You like to be nice. To you, being nice means doing what other people want or what makes them comfortable. You always try to keep in balance and you're always very aware of when things get out of balance. What gets you mad is unfairness of any kind. Though you don’t like to argue, you’ll take a stand on any issue of injustice. But you'd rather have a civilized debate than a heated argument. It’s always better to keep the atmosphere pleasant and unriled. Strife upsets you and you have a nose for its presence when it’s brewing. You try to motivate others to work out their difficulties in a nice and refined way, and you usually succeed because you're such a rational person. You can see both sides of the problem and you are a good mediator. People respect and value that.

The men you like are from opposite poles. Either they are very masculine with traditional good looks or they are gentle and artistic, maybe with long flowing locks. You alternate between being attracted by brains and by handsomeness. You go first one way and then the other in your search for the right balance. But you like being in a relationship. In fact, it’s hard for you not to be in one, whatever kind it is. You can compromise easily, sometimes too easily, because it’s so important for you to have a relationship. You bend over backwards to avoid confrontation because you hate negative feelings. So much so there are times you can’t feel your own, and then you get evasive in your tactics, burning dinner or forgetting telephone calls just to get even. But as soon as evenness is restored, you revert to your natural good manners and tact.

Sexually, you're fairly conventional and you don’t go for the experimental side. Sex, like life, should be mutually enjoyable and refined, not too boisterous. It should be another form of communication and include all the nice trimmings like good restaurants, excellent conversation, well-groomed good looks, and proper manners. You like finding out about your partner and how he feels about our relationship. You're always open to discussion, as long as it’s objective and carried on in a civilized manner. Don’t make you mad, though, or you’ll dredge up every slight.

Mars in Libra Woman: Women with Mars in Libra are attracted to men who are intelligent, sociable, impeccably dressed, and squeaky-clean, with perfect manners and good taste - old-fashioned 'gentlemen'. You are intimidated by forceful, passionate men, and prefer a partner who is more restrained. 'Jocks' and cowboy-types are too coarse for you; you want someone who is totally civilized and as far removed from the physical world as possible.

Mars in Libra Man: You're a lover not a fighter. The only thing that will make you stand up and fight is injustice. Your good at fighting for others rights, not so good at fighting for your own. That's because you were brought up to be polite, with good manners- a person who did not offend or hurt someone else. You're a gentleman, and a gentleman always takes the other person's feelings into consideration before your own. You don't mind doing this because you prize equality among people. It's the best way to achieve grace and harmony in any situation, and you do this with considerable finesse. Because of your natural charm, you're a good mediator, for you can acutely appraise what's really going on and act accordingly to keep or restore the balance. You hate to lose your cool and it's very hard for you to show anger. Despite this, you're often caught in the middle. You'd rather kill with kindness than get mad at someone. You catch more flies with honey. Because you want people to like each other, you turn the other cheek.

This trait is a great advantage in social situations, but it's not so great for you personally. In your zeal to bend to the other guy's position, you often neglect your needs. Then you get mad at yourself for being so easy. When this happens, you become devious and do subversive things, like being late for dates or forgetting something that's important to the other person. Accidentally on purpose, as it were. And when you finally allow yourself to know that you're mad, you recall every slight and disappointment of the last decade- which, of course, you were too well mannered to mention at the time they happened!

Grace and beauty turn you on in a woman, as does her intelligence and aesthetic taste. Sexually, you always remain a gentleman. You're affectionate and want lovemaking to be mutually enjoyable, in elegant, sensual surroundings. No kinky stuff for you. Your ideal woman is very feminine with a sharp brain. In your search for the perfect balance, you swing between extremes, first going for the brainless beauty queen and then for the plain-Jane scholar. Still, you must be in a relationship. Sharing and equality are vital to you.

Mars in Libra Man: Men with this Mars placement pride themselves on their refinement and good taste. However, you can be terribly vain about your looks and the image you present. You enjoy dressing fashionably and like to impress people with your knowledge of music, art, fine wines, etc.; and you would rather discuss the classics than football. You know the best restaurants and tailor in town, and are more likely to have an art dealer than a stock broker or bookie. To you, fastidiousness and the ability to get along with everyone are virtues in a man. Tactful, sociable and well-mannered, you are the perfect dinner guest, a pleasant and amiable friend, and every mother's ideal son-in-law.

See also: Mars in Libra;

Mars in Libra: Kim Basinger, Bill Clinton, John Dillinger, Sigmund Freud, Bill Gates, Alfred Hitchcock, Nicole Kidman, U.G. Krishnamurti, John Lennon, John Malkovich, George Orwell, Arnold Palmer, Robert Plant, Elvis Presley, Karl Renz, John D. Rockefeller, Evelyn Robert de Rothschild, Nikola Tesla, Ted Turner, Gore Vidal, AbbieJ, Arrow, Bobbie, ChrisTr, Jen, Keith, Leigh, Marybeth, Michelle, Roberto, Samp, Shiloh, Silas, Suji

Mars in Scorpio

Your energy levels are high in all areas. Your energy is gutsy, probing and non-stop. It is often channeled into understanding things, being the power behind the throne, and finding hidden things of both a literal and a figurative nature. Your strengths include being purposeful, perceptive and dedicated. You lack forgiveness, openness and adaptability.

This Mars placement gives you tremendous potential to do good or harm, so strength of character is required if you want to channel your energy positively. You have such strong likes and dislikes that the maxim 'thoughts are things' bears especially strong meaning. With this Mars, a negative thought about someone else will have tremendous power and will be felt by the person you're thinking about, unless he or she is totally insensitive. Fortunately, the same holds true of your positive thoughts. Needless to say, your emotions are intense; and as this is a position of extremes, you can be a strong ally or a dangerous enemy; and love - if soured - can turn to hate. Your intuition is strong, your psychic potential good. In particular, you'd have good aptitudes for alchemy, magic, and creative visualization.

Sex and Scorpio are well-nigh synonymous. However, that insatiably voracious sexual appetite is often only a mask for what Mars in Scorpio really wants, which is understanding. For someone to take the time to get close enough to see - and touch ¬the real person on all levels, and understand - physically, mentally and emotionally ¬is the ultimate turn-on for Mars in Scorpio. The males, given this kind of encouragement, will be totally faithful, and value the woman who succeeds in this regard above all else. Women with this placement find intelligence a turn-on. They especially find the sort of intelligence known as 'street-smarts' a turn-on. But they, too, are ultimately looking for understanding above all else.

You want sex. You also want to be allowed to be a bit or more than a bit self-indulgent on occasion. But there's a paradox here. Even though you want sex, and actively seek it,... because Scorpio is a passive sign, you're not entirely comfortable proclaiming your wants and pushing for them openly. In fact, you may try to deny them even to yourself. From what I've seen, Mars in Scorpio, particularly in women, is inclined to stifle or downplay its sexual energies for lengthy periods. Sometimes this is due to an overly moralistic upbringing, sometimes because your sexual energies are sublimated into psychology or the occult, and sometimes merely because of a lack of a suitable sexual partner.

Anyway, because of this tendency, when your needs do make themselves felt, you may go through long periods when you're almost insatiable. You do best with someone who can adjust to both your 'on' and your 'off' periods. Choose someone who has Venus in a Water sign, in the 8th house, or conjunct Pluto, for best results.

You can do well on your own. You're also a good company person, provided you're treated well. You do especially well in service industries. You don't do so well in partnerships because you can be stubborn and dictatorial - neither of which will help you when there's a stalemate. Some good career areas for you are: medicine, surgery, engineering of virtually any type; ice-making, refrigeration, police work, banking, mining, undertaking, or brewing.

You're highly motivated to see everything there is to see and do everything there is to do; for this reason, travel, reading, and expanding your circle of business and social contacts would tend to appeal to you strongly. Romance, pregnancy, and caring for others are activities that frequently open doors. Psychology can be a good source of opportunity for you, too. I find that sometimes this position has a way of bringing lucky breaks at times when you're either too tired or too busy to appreciate them fully.

Mars in Scorpio: You may have a tendency to alienate others by competing for power over your environment. Consequently, you can lose energy if you suppress your desires and motives in order to maintain control. The Scorpio secretiveness in taking action may cause others to mistrust you and thus set the stage for explosive confrontations.

You can assert leadership constructively by committing yourself to responsible expression of motives and intentions. When you reveal your desires, others will know and trust your leadership and ability to use existing circumstances to transform a stagnant situation. You can gain energy in exposing your motives to others and thus free yourself to act.

Mars in Scorpio: Mars is in dignity in Scorpio; and someone with this placement is likely to have a quietly powerful and unobtrusively charismatic presence, backed up by an inner strength and sense of purpose. These people will have a certainty in their manner that conveys that they are not people to be toyed with. This is the most assertive and potentially ruthless of the Water signs.

This sounds a promising placement for passionate sex, and Mars in Scorpio people are indeed passionate. However, when it comes to relationships they are often so intense and sex is often such a traumatic arena that they never actually do it, though they can spend a lot of time anguishing over it.

Their sexual contacts are likely to be intensely emotional. They may have such huge feelings invested in sex that they seize up when they are attracted to someone, and all spontaneous responses fail; things just stop flowing. For a Mars in Scorpio person, sex is all or nothing; it is felt as life and death - which can throw them into dreadful crisis and inner turmoil. Sex is indeed intimately connected to life and death; and a Mars in Scorpio person will be closer to this truth than anyone else. This placement makes for a depth of emotional honesty and integrity that you do not find with Mars in the other Water signs, but it can also produce the most agonized expression.

Once a relationship becomes established, someone with Mars in Scorpio will not be afraid of commitment. These people will offer and demand absolute loyalty, and will stand by their partners through thick and thin. They will also be the most jealous and possessive of all the Water signs, and are particularly vulnerable to feelings of sexual jealousy. This is because their feelings become so deeply engaged in their sexual relationships. With such an emotional investment, they have a great deal to lose. There is nothing lukewarm about Mars in Scorpio. These people will want to own their sexual partner; anyone not wanting to be possessed might find their intensity too much.

Mars in Scorpio: You have tremendous will-power and drive, and are able to focus all your energy on your objective. Once you make up your mind to do something, you either achieve it or die trying. You can be ruthless in the pursuit of your goals, and to those who try to stand in your way you show no mercy. No adversary is too formidable - even governments or religious institutions. You are an extremist, however, and can become obsessive in your quests, losing sight of reason or practicality and refusing to compromise or change once you've set your course of action. Your all-or-nothing attitude can cause you to triumph or lose spectacularly.

You may have the ability to transform others or situations in some way. Sometimes you accomplish this by manipulating their unconscious desires; sometimes you inspire the masses with your fearlessness and passion. However, the transformations you effect need not take the form of confrontation with the powers that be. You might influence others to kick drugs, change careers or take up occult studies, and thus transform their lives and outlooks in some important way. Or, you may develop your potential for psychic healing and use this power to benefit humanity.

Intensely passionate and sensual, you are likely to put a great deal of your energy into sex. You exude an almost animal magnetism that makes you extremely attractive to the opposite sex, regardless of how good-looking you are. You have an active and powerful libido, and are fascinated with sexuality in all its expressions. For you, the sex act is a way to merge with your partner, emotionally as well as physically. You may be a consummate lover with an uncanny understanding of your own and your partner's deepest desires. Or, you might be afraid of the strength of your own passion and attempt to repress it, lest it take control of you. Power struggles and issues of domination could play a part in your sexual expression, and you might use your sexuality to manipulate others. You are jealous and possessive of your sexual partners; and, if betrayed, are likely to become vengeful, perhaps even violent. In the extreme, you might be cruel or perverse, obsessed with the dark side of sexuality.

Mars in Scorpio: Mars in the sign Scorpio indicates powerful emotions and desires. This tremendous emotional intensity gives the natives relentless courage and thoroughness in executing their intentions. It can lead to the greatest heights of spiritual achievement or to the lowest depths of moral degradation, depending on the amount of wisdom and type of motivation by which the energy is guided.

These people have resourcefulness, courage, and energy, especially in meeting difficult situations. Even the possibility of death does not frighten them, if they must face it in order to accomplish their goals. They are capable of an uncompromising fight to the end in defense of their principles. The two-hundred Spartan soldiers who held off the entire invading Persian army are an example of the Mars in Scorpio principle.

The powerful sex drive that goes with Mars in Scorpio, if wrongly motivated, can result in possessiveness and intense jealousy. People with this position tend toward an all-or-nothing attitude which makes compromising with them very difficult. Since it is hard for them to be neutral or indifferent, they make either friends or enemies of those with whom they have sustained dealings. They are secretive and do not reveal their plans or actions without good reason. They need to learn greater detachment and objectivity.

There is danger of coarseness and bluntness with this position, since at times these people do not take into consideration the feelings of those less forceful than themselves.

When Mars is afflicted in Scorpio, there can be intense anger and resentment; but unlike the anger of Mars in Aries, such feelings are not forgotten easily. People with this position can hold grudges, nursing their anger like steam in a pressure cooker until the effects of its outlet are disastrous. Consequently, they make the most dangerous kind of enemy. If Mars is heavily afflicted in Scorpio, there is the tendency to dominate others emotionally, forcing them into submissiveness and servitude.

Mars in Scorpio: This placing will be a focal point of the chart, since Mars was the ruler of Scorpio before Pluto was discovered. Old textbooks may declare that Mars (rather than Pluto) rules Scorpio, but this is out of line with modern astrological thought. Nevertheless, the influence is a powerful one, and should be given full attention.

The heavy emotion of Scorpio is intensified by the passion of Mars; and it is essential that someone with this placing finds rewarding and satisfying sexual expression. Do not dismiss this statement as a generalization; while we all need sexual fulfillment, if this is not forthcoming for someone with Mars in Scorpio there will be resentfulness and a brooding unhappiness which may be hard to pin down if the individual is not consciously aware of his or her problems - sometimes obsessive tendencies emerge.

There is marvelous potential in this placing, and if the emotions related to all spheres of life are allowed to flow positively, we find brilliant engineers, miners, specialists in the wine trade and many other professions who have Mars in Scorpio. On the negative side, jealousy can be a problem, and in extreme circumstances the subject may show vengeful tendencies. There will be a love of good food, and sometimes a liking for really living it up!

Here are the whole-hoggers; for instance, when they decide they need to lose weight they will go on a severe crash diet - then have a large and calorific celebration once they have achieved their goal! If the love of food and drink gets out of hand, it may be that they are compensating for a lack of emotional fulfillment. Try to talk problems through; there may well be a tendency to gloss over difficulties, for the subject can be very secretive. It is vital that these people are emotionally involved in their careers because, while moneymaking is immensely important to them, the forceful and highly-charged energies of Mars should be fully expressed through work.

The physical energy of Mars will be plentiful; and as the placing adds considerable determination (often stubbornness), heavy exercise - and sometimes martial arts ¬will usually be enjoyed. Water sports are also very popular. As the genitals are governed by Scorpio, any inflammation or slight problem in that area should not be ignored. Mothers of babies with this placing should take particular precautions to avoid diaper rash, which could cause above-average discomfort.

Mars in Scorpio: The most impressive position of Mars in the Vitasphere. It can be the best or the worst of all possible things to find in the chart. In its best form, the energies flow into channels that make for deep personal security, through business and love. Magnetism is powerful; the vital forces serve the ego forcefully: to draw others and hold them, and to extract from the world the maximum of material and spiritual benefits. In its worst form, the same security urges turn to fear that the ends of the ego will not be achieved, and the native seeks escape in a variety of undesirable forms. He becomes timid, vacillating, quarrelsome, self-indulgent and apparently weak. Some of the good and some of the bad are likely to show forth in your life as a result of this position. Your constant aim must be self-control - to direct your energies and your habits away from yourself into objective action; to draw other people to you, and to hold them, with love rather than fear; to avoid the negative, destructive instincts of jealousy, fear and suspicion; and to achieve faith in yourself, your world and the people who inhabit it with you. Your energies are an almost tangible force emanating from you in a sort of aura; you make yourself felt wherever you are; and you can genuinely build up or tear down another person by what you think about him. This is because your instincts are so powerful that you show in movement, action and tone what you innerly are believing, and you are nearly as effective in silence as in speech. You should cultivate mind power, reserve and self-discipline in order to lead your magnetism into channels where it will help and not hinder you.

Mars in Scorpio: Mars in Scorpio is perceptive but drives himself harder than he would drive anyone else. The native is passionate, determined, and attracted to people he does not really respect. He has great magnetism, and draws persons who want to love, live, move, chase and be chased. He is not given too much time for relaxation!

The astrologer must help him find peace through personal fulfillment, and teach him the lesson of true relaxation. He must help the native obtain a greater degree of self-discipline and self-control. There is much power and creativity here - it is to be hoped that it can be used constructively.

Mars in Scorpio: You are a passionate, though potentially cruel, suitor. Energy is created and maintained through the uncompromising and undeviating pursuit of whatever it is that you truly desire. Such should include powerful or front-line occupation, the military, getting closer to any place of power (internal or external), or creating deep change, especially with regard to how you make known and satisfy your desires - or it can remain as or devolve into a highly destructive anger.

You attract with an intense sexual effectiveness that does not necessarily have anything to do with how you look; with a forcefulness that brooks no opposition; with an intrepidity that shrinks from no challenge; and with a spiritual stamina that makes it through the night.

You repel with a poisonous and destructive resentfulness; with a negative opinion of anyone whose weaknesses remind you of your own; with a disinclination to honestly confront the enemy within, and so forgive those who (appear to) have been hostile towards you; and with ruthless vengefulness.

You are attracted to powerful people and relationships that inevitably get very close to you, and transform you - despite your reservations; to charismatic types and/ or dangerous situations that demand your complete and utter involvement; and to breaking (sexual) taboos, thus forcing confrontations.

You are repelled by wimpishness and superficiality; by fainthearted attempts to win you body and soul, something which alone can merit a relationship worthy of your involvement; and by your own self-disgust borne of a reluctance to bite the bullet and take the plunge - into a relationship or your own Shadow.

When you are alone, it is because you have been denying or suppressing those strong desires, especially for some kind of personal transformation, to which the above refers. Indeed, you could be 'alone' even though you are in a relationship. This is because you feel you must experience some kind of emotional pressure or pain to maintain an ongoing sense of being intensely involved - but you have rigged it, probably unconsciously, so that no crisis or confrontation occurs. But inevitably it will, whether you are alone or not. So you must own up to this dark and powerful streak, and note how it has affected Other in the past, and thereby attract a relationship and partner that does it justice - or renew the one you are or were in as a result of taking stock of your provocativeness and overhauling your manner of expressing it.

Mars in Scorpio: Your energies tend to be rather muffled and smoldering, in that you harbor a desire for a long time before allowing it to break out, and then it is very intense. For this reason, your lover may not be truly aware of the nature or extent of your needs, which when revealed may surprise or overwhelm him or her. It is wise to express yourself verbally beforehand so that your partner is prepared.

Because of this rather dominating high energy, you often rule a relationship, directly or indirectly, particularly in its physical aspects. To you, sex is a kind of mutual self-immolation, which you sometimes lead your lover into without warning. You need a partner who is open to sexual adventure and self-abandonment; someone who can experience your kind of sexuality.

You may rely particularly on the physical and organic aspects of sex for relaying cues of affection to a lover, and therefore you should avoid sexually conservative types unless you relish continually shocking your partner. True communication takes a while for you to develop; but once it is established, the ties are very deep and not easily broken.

Mars in Scorpio: You have a strong will, and you let everyone know what you want. But you do not seem especially pushy, just persistent. You apply pressure steadily until you get what you want. If someone makes you angry, instead of blowing right off, you go into a slow burn. people know you are upset, however, because you are likely to make sarcastic and biting remarks. But this tendency to hold back your anger can work against you, partly because the anger is not released, so you stay angry. You may hold a grudge for quite a long time. But also the intensity of your anger, even though it is held in, may be rather frightening to others whose emotions are not as strong as yours.

But you do not get angrily easily. You can be pushed quite far before you get mad; and even then it may not develop right away. But sometimes you remember a past incident when you could have gotten angry but didn't, and suddenly you are just as angry as if the incident had just occurred. If necessary, you are a fighter, although you don't look for fights. But you don't run from them, either; and when you get into it, you fight with body and soul, for your deepest emotions become involved.

You have such strong likes and dislikes that it is hard from you to be neutral about anything. You relate to the world around you very emotionally, and there is very little to which you do not react.

Mars in Scorpio Woman: You are a woman who is not afraid to take chances. In fact, you love being on the edge of riskiness. You're an either/or person. For you there is no middle ground. You are totally into the moment and you invest it with great intensity of feeling and passion of action. It doesn't matter if it's good or bad, joy or sorrow. You have a relentless quality in your actions and reactions- you do nothing by halves. Life is something you experience intensely from either pole, negative or positive. If you're in love, you're obsessed. If you're out of love, you're remote. When you go after something or someone, you get it. There's a magnetism about you that surrounds the object of your desire and pulls it irresistibly to you. You know that and you depend on this power of attraction to get you what you want. To say you are naturally sexy is an understatement. Sex oozes out of your pores, even when you are not particularly thinking about it. Which is rare. Sex is a big issue for you all the time, or almost all the time. Whichever way, total passion or complete celibacy, you go to the extreme. You like to test yourself and others, for the sake of probing beneath the surface to find out what's really going on down there in the depths.

Disaster doesn't faze you. You'll even push things to the brink and let them collapse, so something better can take their place. Things fall apart, but life always goes on. You like to be in control because you've been in the position of not being in control. You've dealt with abuse and you know about the power syndrome. Life is a dangerous business and you leave little to chance. You analyze all the different angles. Maybe you are not always objective, but your insights are deep and penetrating and you live close to their instinctual source. When you hate, you do it with passion, to the point of becoming self-destructive to get your revenge.

Your ideal man is powerful in some way, with great charisma. He may have an air of mystery and intrigue, leaving a lot to the imagination. He's dedicated or obsessed with an idea or work, and he takes risks or lives on the edge. He might be a religious fanatic or a relationship addict. But when it's good, sex can be a truly spiritual experience, like being reincarnated together. You may have to struggle, but that only makes your love stronger.

Mars in Scorpio Woman: Women with Mars in Scorpio are often attracted to men who project an image of power. This could mean take-control types, authority figures or those who are in important business / government positions. Or, you might be fascinated by men who attempt to appear tough or mean, such as 'biker' types or petty criminals and thugs. You like your men to be overtly sexual, but you're looking for someone who is strongly emotional and passionate as well. Dark, smoldering, intense men of few words probably interest you most. Because this planetary combination sometimes signifies sexual frustration, you might find yourself continually involved with men who aren't good for you or who don't give you what you want. In the extreme, you could be attracted to men who are cruel or abusive toward you. And, because Scorpio is the sign of transformation, it's quite likely that you will be transformed in some way by the men in your life.

Mars in Scorpio Man: You are a prime risk-taker in all areas of your life, but sex is the main one. You test yourself constantly and go to the extreme. Polarities attract you powerfully. Love and hate. Life and death. Birth and rebirth. Light and dark. Good and evil. You experience them in yourself deliberately, for you must plumb the depths of any experience. Your gaze can undress people, but it not only takes off their clothes, it goes down into their souls and sees what they are hiding there. You're a natural psychoanalyst. You're a builder, but you also like tearing things down so they can be rebuilt better. You recycle everything, from your garbage to your love life, to squeeze out the essence of meaning. Whatever you do, it's with great intensity and feeling. Passion is the word-lots of it. You can even go so far as to give up sex altogether for a long time, just to test yourself and exert self-discipline. Or you can debase yourself in exotic or far-out situations. You seek the dark side the better to know the light. Since you've lived close to the edge, you know the need for self-control. You can be secretive, because there's always much more going on with you than meets the eye, and there's a lot you keep to yourself.

The saying "Be careful what you wish for, you may get it" applies to you. You have a talent for making things happen. Your desire nature is so powerful it can run your life, which is why you practice discipline. But you have to be careful you don't then over-control. You walk a tightrope between the dangerous and the divine, which is why you're attracted to fanatical religions. You have a taste for vengeance so look out. You can wipe someone out with sarcasm or simply decide they don't exist. Fire or ice, you'll get even, even if you have to destroy yourself in the process. It will still be satisfying.

Sex for you is often a place to act out your power issues, and you can dominate or be dominated. The right woman can make it a spiritual experience that will transform you into the sublime human being you really are. You have to go through a lot together before you can trust her, but once you do you rise to the heights and join the company of the angels. And that's worth everything.

Mars in Scorpio Man: Men with Mars in Scorpio like to think of themselves as being 'forces to reckon with'. Though you might not be the type to start fights in bars, you are like a poisonous snake coiled and ready to strike, and can be ominous if provoked. You certainly won't run away from a confrontation, and seem to be fearless in the face of danger. Power is important to you, but you probably prefer to wield it from behind the scenes, and you want to be in control of everyone and everything in your environment. As a result, you tend to be domineering, unwilling to trust others or delegate authority to them. Proud of your prowess, you might emphasize your sexuality or use it to get what you want.

See also: Mars in Scorpio;

Mars in Scorpio: Carlos Castaneda, Deepak Chopra, John Dee, Sally Field, Mahatma Gandhi, Robert Hand, Jimi Hendrix, Bruce Lee, Maharaj Ji, Mickey Mantle, Cathy O’Brien, Jack Parsons, Ayn Rand, Albert Schweitzer, Suzanne Somers, Jon Voight, Oprah Winfrey, Mark Zuckerberg, Andrea, BenT, Cesar, Cynthia, DavMcC, Dheeraj, DonW, Erika, Gina, Jack, Jean, JerGar, JerryGr, Kyle, Lance, Lorraine, Ricardo, Shakura, Steve, VinCar, Zeno

Mars in Sagittarius

You have high physical energies, adequate mental and emotional energies, and low practical energies. Your energy is freedom-seeking, erratic and speculative. it is often channeled into gambling of a literal or figurative nature, publishing, and giving advice to others. Your strengths include hope, optimism and enthusiasm. You lack discrimination, endurance and consistency.

You have a strong sense of justice and an inner strength based on a positive philosophy of life. You're also courageous and very good at debating, persuading, and popularizing. Your spontaneity is a plus, although at times it can contribute to sloppiness or slapdash work. And should your Mars be under severe stress - in a Grand Cross, for example - your tendency to act without thinking can get you into a fair amount of difficulty.

Sexually, you're expansive and undoubtedly not the sort to 'save yourself for marriage'. You tend to approach any kind of sexual encounter optimistically, and sometimes with not a lot of discrimination. If it's offered, after all, it must be a sign that somebody 'up there' thinks you need it. If it's not offered, men with Mars in Sagittarius can be quite bold, blunt, and even crude about asking for it. And they have few qualms about one-night or even one-hour stands. What they do have qualms about is committing and taking responsibility; they are not, by nature, Boy Scouts, and hence do not always come prepared. Women with this Mars placement tend not to be really good at 'feminine wiles' and often wind up being the best friend rather than the lover. They do, however, enjoy sex - although they sometimes, to their detriment, get it mixed up with love.

It's hard to say what you want, except that you want what you believe in. And you'll fight to get it. 'It' might be foreign travel, higher education, specialized knowledge, or merely freedom to come and go as you please with no strings. You tend to approach virtually any involvement in a wide-open, anything-goes fashion. For this reason, a lot depends on your philosophy of life. There can be beautifully spontaneous relationships that deepen without losing their zest as time goes on, or there can merely be a series of rather superficial relationships - fun while they last, but not lasting long. Your best chances of happiness would come from involvement with someone who has Venus in a Fire sign, Venus in the 9th house, or a Venus / Jupiter conjunction. People with Fire or Air predominating in their charts will probably be more compatible with you than those who have Earth or Water predominating.

You're best off working for someone else in a salaried job. You have a high energy level and are a self-starter, but meeting deadlines isn't your strong suit. You have a tendency to get side-tracked and spread yourself too thin. In a corporation, this tendency will be squashed pretty quickly, and therefore will be kept under control by you if you value your job. But when self-employed, or working freelance, with no-one to account for your time, your unreliability can lead to more than one setback. Curb that tendency to scatter your energies, and success will be yours! With proper training, you could do well in the following areas: legal work, religious work, publishing, diplomatic work, publicity, communications, lecturing, philosophy, travel, exploring, or flight engineering.

Unless an activity has tremendous potential to improve your life, your interest in it passes quickly and your motivation remains on low. Trips to little-explored foreign places and opportunities to teach or do research in new, wide-open fields would be typical of the sort of activity that motivates you strongly. On a smaller scale, social activity involving shared creative or intellectual interests, or meeting people who expand your mind somehow, can lead to lucky breaks. So can romance. Fads, especially those of a recreational nature, can provide you with good opportunities, as can any action on your part that's designed purposely to remove restrictions from your life.

Mars in Sagittarius: You may have a tendency to alienate others by competitively pitting your philosophical understanding against another's intelligence. You can inadvertently imply that the beliefs of others are based on inferior understanding and intellectual ability. You may lose energy for expanded insights by using the power of Sagittarius intellect to intimidate others with demonstrations of self-righteousness.

You can assert a powerful intellect by inspiring others to attain their intellectual heights. When you are willing to learn as well as teach, you can accept the views of others and incorporate their ideas with yours. Taking the time to understand another's point of view first allows you to establish a line of communication. You can gain energy by acknowledging the intellectual contributions of others and actively inspiring them to reach out and expand their goals and ideals.

Mars in Sagittarius: People with Mars in Sagittarius tend to have huge expectations of sex. Believing it to be a path to self-knowledge, many are looking for sex to give meaning to life, and they may elevate it to the status of a religious belief. This can lead to restless promiscuity as they search for the spiritual enlightenment they crave. They can make a religion out of their own need for sexual freedom in order to pursue this elusive goal. On the surface, they appear to be happy and easy-going; but underneath there may be emptiness, despair, and a sense of having been cheated, as life constantly fails to match up to expectations. This provokes an endless search for the deep sexual healing that they believe could soothe this inner pain.

As with all Fire signs, but most intensely with Sagittarius, there is a propensity to feel limited by the body, which holds them down when they want to be all spirit; and this can lead to a total rejection of the physical. This manifestation of Mars in Sagittarius can indicated someone who despises the ways of the flesh and aspires to devote him¬/ herself to the concerns of the mind and spirit, therefore renouncing sex completely.

On a more ordinary everyday level, most people with Mars in Sagittarius do not live in such an extreme way, but they do all have the need for sex to bring meaning to life, together with a strong belief in personal freedom. There is a common desire for sex to enrich their lives spiritually and offer a gateway to personal development. They are stimulated by differences and challenge, and so are often attracted to those who come from very different backgrounds who can give them a new perspective and widen their horizons.

The impulsive nature of Mars in Sagittarius people means that they often jump too quickly into close relationships and then immediately feel restricted, so that often they have no sooner started a relationship than they have dreams of leaving. There is a tendency to run away from difficult situations rather than face up to the consequences of their own action. Indeed, they often find it hard to accept responsibility for what happens, believing that they have acted with the best of intentions and that therefore it must be the other person's fault.

In order to enjoy sex, these people need to feel free to act spontaneously. Within a relationship that offers this, they are very active and enthusiastic sexual partners, uninhibited and keen to experiment. They need the stimulation of variety, and tend to become bored if sex is too predictable.

The person with Mars in Sagittarius will want to get a lot of fun out of his / her relationships, and will enjoy going out to the cinema, concerts, and other entertainments with his / her partner. These people are also likely to enjoy their partners participating in sporting activities with them, so that a shared morning job or a tough game of tennis could be quite an aphrodisiac!

People with Mars in this sign are able to make their partners feel really good. They have a warm enthusiasm which they give out freely - if they want you, they really show it. Generous-spirited and optimistic, they expect to be desired, and so act in an open, confident way. If they are rebuffed, they will just try again or turn their attention elsewhere. They can, however, be rather careless with other people's feelings, tending to act first and think later, which can be very painful to those who are more sensitive. They find it hard to focus on the here and now or empathize with other people, as their gaze is firmly fixed on the distant horizon. They prefer to ignore difficulties, and that includes people's hurt feelings. Rather than grapple with present problems, they will concentrate on their visions for the future and chase their dreams. For someone who shares these dreams, it can be an exciting road to travel.

Mars in Sagittarius: Restless and energetic, you need lots of physical activity, and have trouble sitting still for long. You want to be on the move as much as possible. Your boundless curiosity and adventurousness may inspire you to explore distant realms; and you enjoy nothing better than travelling.

You probably enjoy sports and have natural athletic ability as well as energy, speed and enthusiasm. Since Sagittarius is associated with the legs, you might excel at skiing, running, soccer, basketball or bicycling. Or, your love of speed and gambling could make you an auto- or horse-racing enthusiast. Unless you have some stabilizing factors in your birth chart, though, you may not have the disciplined and determination to develop your talent fully; you want to have a good time, and once it becomes work you lose interest.

You have a tendency to scatter your energy, to try to do too many things at the same time, and to spread yourself too thinly. Because your attention span is short and your interests are many, you often start things but fail to finish them, and are inclined to promise more than you can deliver. It seems that you are always late and rushing madly from place to place, like the rabbit in Alice in Wonderland.

Friendly, witty and good-natured, you have many associates, people with whom you like to do things and have fun. You love to talk, but prefer to keep the subjects light and humors, and often entertain friends with jokes and amusing stories. You have a vivid imagination, and might channel your energy and enthusiasm into creating a colorful fantasy world. Too often, however, you prefer the fantasy land you've imagined to the responsibilities of the material world.

You believe that you are invincible; and your irrepressible confidence and optimism usually get you through the tough times, so that it seems as though you were born under a lucky star. Often you succeed because you never stop to think about failing. You are the quintessential salesperson or con artist, and sometimes even manage to convince yourself that your snake oil really works. Even if one of your fanciful schemes doesn't pan out, however, you bounce back from defeats with hope in your heart and a smile on your face, and it's hard to stay mad at you for long. To you, it's all a game, and the playing is what counts.

You approach sex as if it, too, were a game to be enjoyed, but not taken too seriously. It's difficult for you to commit to one person, partly because you don't want to limit your opportunities and partly because you are afraid of serious involvements. You are terrified of being 'trapped' in a relationship. In this area as in so many others, you are better at starting things than finishing them.

Mars in Sagittarius Woman: You are woman on the move, mentally and philosophically as well as physically. Even if it's only in your mind, you are a great traveler and you visit a lot of foreign lands. You like the great outdoors, camping trips, hikes, and whatever is foreign-cultures, languages, food, etc. You do things in a big way and you are always striving to reach beyond yourself. You sometimes trip over your own feet in the process. But that's only because you've got your sights set on the far distance and don't look at what's in front of you. Luckily, you've got a great sense of humor and can laugh at yourself.

Spirituality is important to you, and you feel you've got a mission in life. But you are an independent thinker and you won't be bound by anyone else's idea of what is right. You make your own decisions, follow your own path, once you find it. You're a true believer, but it can take you a while to discover what you believe. Then you become a bit of a proselytizer or you can turn into a missionary, for you act upon your beliefs. You speak bluntly and freely, and you don't care what others think. You say what you mean regardless of who doesn't like it. This makes you seem irrelevant, but you're really like the kid in the story about the emperor's new clothes. You speak the truth and that often upsets the status quo.

You like sex and take it in your stride. You have your standards, but you're not exactly a shrinking violet. You don't necessarily think monogamous relationships are the only way to live. You are restless and you need your freedom. Especially if the man you are with isn't stimulating enough for you. But you always have hope and faith in the future, no matter where you are today. If this relationship doesn't work, the next one will. Your man must be active and have scope and vision. Foreigners attract you, especially if they fly a lot or teach philosophy. Most of all, a man must be able to have fun. And he has to be someone you can believe in. Together you can do great things and go fabulous places. Life will be a continuous challenging adventure of learning and growing.

Mars in Sagittarius Woman: Women with Mars in Sagittarius find humorous, upbeat, fun-loving men most appealing. You want a partner with whom you can go places and do things, not someone who will sit quietly with you in front of the fireplace. In particular, you might be attracted to athletes and / or tall, active, robust men who make you laugh.

Mars in Sagittarius Man: Yours is an adventurous spirit. Whether it’s mental or physical, You’ve got to keep moving around. You travel constantly, even if it’s only a commuter’s drive or in your mind. You like to learn about everything and anything, for that keeps you moving forward. Other cultures, other countries, other languages all interest you. You know that there’s nothing, and you mean nothing, that you can’t do if you set your mind to it and want it badly enough. You just don’t believe in the word no. You're a positive thinker and an optimist. You're always looking for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, because you know it’s there somewhere. You have a special mission in Life, even if you haven’t yet figured out what it is. That’s why spiritual issues are important for you. But they have to be of your own choosing, not something someone else tries to ram down your throat. You're independent and you won’t be led by anyone else’s ideas. You develop your own. Then, when you're satisfied, you're very true to what you believe. You confess it’s hard for you to stay in one place long enough to find out what you need to know, and you're not always realistic about what you choose to believe.

Still, you’ll risk your all to get to the higher truth, for you crave the excitement of exploring the unknown and you're greatly motivated to understand everything you contact. One always knows where one stands with you, and you’ll always say what you think, even if not asked. you're blunt and free with your speech and your thoughts - honest to a fault as they say. Sometimes you say too much or the wrong thing, but you know how to temper it with humor. You love to laugh and most everybody laughs with you.

Even when you make love, you laugh and have fun. Especially when you make love. If sex isn’t fun, why do it? On the other hand, you can be very spiritual about your sexuality and lovemaking, to the point of practicing spiritual rituals connected with it. You see sex as an expression of the highest we humans can reach as well as the most carnal. You don’t make a commitment until you're sure, for you're a ramblin’ man by nature. Limitations frustrate you unbearably and you like your freedom - too well. Of course, you're searching for your true love and the love you can believe in forever, but in the meantime you need to explore many different women. How else will you know when you meet the right one?

Mars in Sagittarius Man: Men with this planetary combination are proud of their sense of humor, positive attitude, athletic ability and playfulness, and see wit and optimism as desirable qualities in a man. You enjoy nothing more than watching a ball game or going out drinking with the boys. But when things get too serious you become uncomfortable and you fill your life with activity to avoid dealing with important issues. Free and easy with your money and time, you like to impress others with your generosity. Responsibility, however, isn't your strong suit, and things like mortgage payments and business meetings tend to slip your mind.

See also: Mars in Sagittarius;

Mars in Sagittarius: Warren Beatty, George Carlin, Prince Charles, Dick Cheney, Judy Garland, Bill Hicks, Dustin Hoffman, Carl Jung, Ken Kesey, Terence McKenna, Jack Nicholson, Vaslav Nijinsky, Edouard de Rothschild, Susanna Arundhati Roy, Mark Twain, AlexP, Alicia, Antonio, Elijah, Erin, Gabriela, Ivy, JJ, Maureen, MFor, PapayaJ, Pete, River, Travis

Mars in Capricorn

You have high practical energies, adequate physical and mental energies, and adequate-to-low emotional energies. Your energy is predominantly practical, attainment-oriented, and sustained. It is often channeled into planning, overcoming feelings of being unloved, and organizing. Your strengths include your tendencies to be respectful, ambitious and responsible. You lack friendliness, a sense of humor, and humility.

You probably started planning your career while still in your teens - or even before ¬because you have a tremendous amount of ambition. You like to be in charge, too. Although you have quite a bit of magnetism, you're not a particularly warm person, and can be quite aloof for a long time while you're seeing if others measure up to your standards. And when you are angry, your coldness is enough to freeze everything in your path. You're well coordinated as a rule, and not averse to physical activity and hard work.

You have a strong - but often well-hidden - sex drive, and can be an excellent lover once you finally trust your partner and yourself. You tend to have very specific sexual wants, and sometimes aren't terribly comfortable with these. You're also very demanding of yourself in terms of putting your partner's satisfaction before your own. One of the lessons Mars in Capricorn men seem to be forced to learn at their parents' knees is how to be a good sport or a good loser. Carried into the sexual arena, this means they will generally yield quite politely and agreeably to a woman's demands. However, if this doesn't give satisfaction for them, they may start to be resentful, and, instead of speaking up (real men are ALWAYS satisfied if they satisfy the woman), they may start seeking out women they can use for sex and sex only, which usually only serves to compound the problem by making them feel guilty, and this in turn makes them try even harder to please their significant other at the expense of their own needs. Women with Mars in Capricorn tend to be logical about sex. They see it as a need that can be attained. They don't generally confuse sex with love, and they tend to be 'good shoppers' who know their rights - all of which sounds terribly cold and unromantic; unromantic, maybe, but these women, once committed, tend to be both very warm and very wise.

You want advancement and recognition. You're inclined to make quite specific demands on your mate or lover, these demands having to do with the sort of support you need to advance in life and gain the recognition you want. But you're not all take and no give - you almost certainly demand a great deal of yourself when it comes to playing romantic roles. You tend to want the sort of love life described in novels, complete with the early phase of fireworks alternating with excruciatingly painful doubts, the eventual vows of eternal love, and a happy-ever-after ending. But this doesn't always happen; and even if it comes close, there'll undoubtedly be some hum¬drum or even turned-off periods. Expect these - and don't take them too hard; they happen to everybody. You'd do best with someone who has Venus in an Earth sign, Venus in the 10th house, or a Venus / Saturn conjunction. (Note: Contrary to popular belief, Venus conjunct Saturn doesn't automatically imply frigidity. In fact, I find it more often gives romantic intensity. While people with this aspect may be a bit slow to warm up, when they do there's generally plenty of romantic ardor!)

You're a hard worker having both integrity and perseverance. You're probably very ambitious and a good organizer too. So your ability to run or supervise a business is no doubt very good. Best career areas for you are: office work where there's scope for advancement, mining, government work, politics, mathematics, or osteopathy.

You're highly motivated to be successful in the career area. Social and recreational interests, therefore, tend to take a back seat to work. You might unconsciously say 'no' to lucky breaks if they come in these two areas, because if you've got work planned you're reluctant to reschedule it. You must remember that it is possible to mix work and pleasure successfully. Opportunities can be linked to friendships as well as to your work.

Mars in Capricorn: You have a tendency to alienate others by competitively pitting the Capricorn need for maintaining a social image against the well-being of others. When you regard social prestige as a means of self-justification, you can treat yourself and others as objects to be used in fulfilling your ambitions. In adopting austerity to achieve your aims, you may lose energy by cutting off your feelings and emotions.

You can assert leadership by sharing a sense of organization and social protocol. By encouraging others to accomplish their ambitions, you can relieve the tension brought on by the need to justify yourself. When you share the natural Capricorn ability for organizational leadership, you can experience the more personal rewards of career accomplishment. Your energy can be increased by your establishing social prestige for an organization that is bigger than yourself.

Mars in Capricorn: Someone with Mars in Capricorn is likely to have an air of authority, and an innate dignity and bearing. These people give an impression of self-mastery, and conduct themselves with decorum. They may seem quietly distinguished. All the Earth signs exercise self-control, caution and reserve, but these traits are most in evidence in someone with Mars in Capricorn. This could be because their dignity is at stake, which is arguably something that matters a great deal to them. They may restrict their lives in order to maintain their dignity.

When initiating sexual relationships, someone with Mars in Capricorn will take considerable care not to make inappropriate moves. A rejection would be a loss of dignity. Yet these people will have a strong sex drive and strong needs for physical contact, so when sexually involved and certain of their partner they can be every bit as ardent as Mars in Taurus. People with Mars in Capricorn may be painstakingly slow in establishing contact, but once they have, they want the rewards for their efforts. They will take a sexual relationship seriously, and expect it to last.

Like Mars in Virgo, people with Mars in Capricorn can go through long periods when, if not in a relationship, they remain celibate. For Mars in Capricorn, these may be rather austere times, when they bury themselves in their work or productive activity and switch off their sexual needs. This is their way of surviving. When they do have a partner, they will let go of some of their control and have a powerful sensuality.

People with Mars in Capricorn will be ambitious, and might choose a sexual partner who helps them get on in life or who enhances their status in some way. They may choose someone who opens doors that might otherwise remain closed, or who has money. This is not as calculated as it sounds, for a Mars in Capricorn person may literally get turned on by money or authority. Alternatively, a Mars in Capricorn person may start up in business with his / her lover. The dividing line between business partnerships and sexual relationships can easily blur. This is in many ways an ideal placement for a working sexual relationship.

Mars in Capricorn: Ambitious, hard-working and determined, you channel much of your energy into your career, and have a tendency to become a workaholic. You believe in making it on your own, through your efforts. Able to focus and direct your energies productively, you don't waste effort, and therefore accomplish more than most people. You pursue your desires with cautious, steady, well-planned steps, and won't attempt something unless it seems to be a sure thing. No flash-in-the-pan schemes for you. Patient and persevering, you are willing to wait for what you want. Not only do you want your achievements to last, but also you have a strong sense of responsibility and commitment to your company and / or community, and aren't likely to bail out if the going gets tough.

Quite probably, you have managerial ability and are good at organizing others and delegating responsibility. Your common sense and practicality could be advantageously applied in almost any area of business. However, your tendency to be overly cautious and skeptical can cause you to miss out on opportunities at times; and your fear of the unknown might lead you to look to the past for answers. Taking risks is difficult for you, and you have trouble breaking out of old habit patterns and traditions in order to try new ideas.

Somewhat pessimistic, you are inclined to look for trouble, often expecting the worst. Perhaps you lack self-confidence because you are all too aware of your limitations. Other people may see you as somber, withdrawn and rigid. Certainly you take your responsibilities seriously and are anything but frivolous; however, you may need to 'lighten up' a bit.

Although your natural vitality is not great, you have tremendous endurance and strength of will that enable you to overcome illnesses. As a child, you might have been rather sickly or limited in some way, but your energy and health usually improve as you mature. Your self-reliance, stubbornness and tendency to dig in your heals in the face of adversity could result in a long, independent life.

Your sex drive is strong, and you have plenty of appreciation of all physical and sensual pleasures. However, you probably conceal your desires behind a carefully controlled and dignified exterior. In public you appear cool, refined, even uptight, but in private you are not shy about expressing your lustfulness. Perhaps you might attempt to repress your powerful sexuality since it is important to you always to be in control of yourself, and you wouldn't want your libido to get out of hand. You might even be a bit insecure about your sexual ability; and men in particular may suffer from performance anxiety or fear they are not desirable. However, you are likely to retain your sexual appetite until late in life and amaze younger partners with your vitality.

Men with Mars in Capricorn might have had difficulty being children. You couldn't wait to grow up, and always seemed more mature and serious than other boys. Not until you were nearly forty did you start to become comfortable with yourself. You pride yourself on your common sense, practicality and stability, and look askance at men who behave like overgrown adolescents or shirk their responsibilities. To you, a 'real man' is one who heads a prosperous company and is a respected member of his community.

Women with this planetary combination often seek a substitute father in their partners. You want a man who is the strong, silent type, who takes charge of problems and manages them efficiently. Serious, mature, dependable and dignified men appeal to you most, and you are put off by boisterous, childish or carefree types who show no signs of achieving material success. Your ideal man is tall, dark and handsome, a protector and provider on whom you can lean and who will always take care of you.

Mars in Capricorn Woman: You're a woman with definite plans and goals, and your plans include financial success and security. That may seem materialistic, but one of life’s realities is that you need money. You're not afraid of hard work and when you set your mind to a goal, you accomplish it. no matter how long it takes. You're serious about all that you do, you have patience and discipline, and you can hold out for what you want because you know how to realistically appraise a situation and how to wait.

Since you were a child you’ve been mature, and you know that it’s best to work within the system and adjust, so you keep to the status quo. You respect authority and you aim to become an authority figure yourself. You know about the bottom line, and you’ll do the necessary dirty work. There’s a workaholic streak in you, but you're no clone. You're also an individualistic person with the stamina to go the distance and reach the top.

If need be, you’ll dress for success — elegantly. You're proper in your behavior and you have strong ethics. In fact, you're sometimes rigid in your moral code, a bit of a puritan. That may be because you're afraid of destitution. You need to succeed in order to feel safe. This can make you act as if you don't need anyone because you always had to be competent as a child and you became self-sufficient. Rejection terrifies you, so you protect yourself.

Truth to tell, you long for a man to take care of you and be protective, but it’s hard for you to let go of your fears and allow that to happen. You don’t like being dependent — that’s scary. Besides, you're usually the most competent person around and you end up taking charge just because everyone else is dithering.

You’d like a strong man who knows how to handle himself and doesn’t go to pieces in a crisis. Someone responsible and reliable, maybe a corporate type. Or a very individualistic loner who knows the ropes and can get you safely across the border if shooting starts. With such a man you could be totally unrepressed, let go of your strict controls, and unleash your earthy sensuality. Then you can undress for success.

Mars in Capricorn Man: Count on you for stability and endurance. You may not be the flashiest guy on the block, but you're probably the most reliable. And the most ethical. You're very success-oriented, but your idea of success may not be the other guy’s idea. Though you stick within the establishment and you work hard, you're basically a loner and an individualist. If it goes against your moral code, you simply won’t do it and no amount of outside pressure will make you cave in. Your primary interest lies in creating a power base for yourself founded on your own stringent determinations, so you're realistic in your actions. If you have to kowtow to the corporate dress code, it doesn’t bother you. You’ll grow a beard on your vacation. You know how to do a lot with very little, and you know the true meaning of conservative. It means “conservation” - basic, down-to-earth ideals. You were raised on the work ethic and money and prestige mean a lot to you. That’s how you survive in this world. And you mean to survive and thrive, and be able to protect those you love.

You're not the world’s fastest starter. Remember the tortoise and the hare? You're the tortoise. You go slow but you get there. The race is not always to the swift, remember that. In the long run, it’s endurance and stick-to-it-iveness that count. You're a planner and therefore not very spontaneous, but you're well-organized and you know what’s expected of you. The spotlight doesn’t interest you. You prefer to work behind the scenes. You'd rather be kingmaker than king. And you're in no hurry. Because you know you’ll make it.

You're the same with relationships. You take your time and wait to see that things are right and will work out. You like a woman who is proper and knows and respects appropriate social behavior. Acting out in public is one sure way to chase you off in the opposite direction. You confess you're not the most confident of men. You can fade into the woodwork in your desire not to be too obvious, and this makes you repressed about your feelings. You had to learn self-control early as a survival tool, but along with it came a whole set of inhibitions. Once released, however, you can romp in the hay in a most earthy way! On the job or in bed, you're good for the long haul.

See also: Mars in Capricorn;

Mars in Capricorn: Woody Allen, Marlon Brando, Jim Carrey, Ty Cobb, Aleister Crowley, Walt Disney, Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein, Lady Gaga, Uri Geller, Tenzin Gyatso, George Harrison, L.Ron Hubbard, Timothy Leary, Bob Marley, Groucho Marx, Meher Baba, Osho, Brad Pitt, Ronald Reagan, Lynn Forester de Rothschild, Patti Smith, Alford, Bernie, Bram, Jane, Olof, Pankaj, Q, Raga

Mars in Aquarius

You have high mental energies, adequate practical energies, adequate-to-low emotional energies, and low physical energies. Your energy is mentally-dynamic, truth-seeking and scientific. It is often channeled into avoiding restrictive relationships and possessive people, discovering truth, and humanitarian causes. Your strengths include your friendliness, originality and independence. You lack conformity, empathy, and respect for tradition.

Mars is at its best when it has a physical outlet. Aquarius is an intellectual sign and loathes to expend any more physical energy than it has to. Consequently, Mars tends to be uncomfortable in Aquarius, and may not be as productive here as it is in some other placements. If you're convinced of the importance of a cause or course of action, there's no problem, as this gives you the motivation to take physical action. Otherwise, the energy of Mars can get bottled up inside where it creates inner conflicts and nervous tension. The source of conflict is very often a conflict between your need for friends and your need to be an individual in the truest sense. This latter need tends to make you scornful of things like tradition and conservatism, and hence makes some people a little wary of you, which, of course, makes you uncomfortable and makes your inner conflict more pronounced. Often you can do well in areas like electronics, science, and writing, where your originality will be appreciated rather than frowned on.

Sexually, you're experimental and prefer to play the field for a while before settling down. Men in particular find it easier to have women as friends than to have them as lovers - they don't always have an easy time keeping lovers happy. Though kind, they tend to be brotherly rather than loverly, and can have a detached, almost clinical attitude toward sex that can earn them an undeserved reputation for cold-heartedness. These men may need to realize that, while sex may well be just another normal bodily function, most women prefer it to have a little more mystique than, say, flossing one's teeth or showering. Women with this placement tend to be turned on by intuition, truthfulness, and helpfulness. Mental orgasms are just as important as physical ones - if not more so - to this woman.

You want friends, and may be more comfortable with a platonic relationship than a passionate one. You want an interesting mate or lover, and a relationship that evolves and renews itself continually. Being independent, you don't want a clinging vine or a terribly possessive partner. Your style of romantic / sexual expression is multifaceted, making it hard to generalize about you. Basically, you're idealistic; you may therefore do a lot of 'market research' or keep your options open longer than some of your peers. You'd do best with someone who has Venus in an Air sign, Venus in the 11th house, or a Venus / Uranus conjunction or sextile.

You need a profession rather than a job. It should be predominantly mental work rather than physical. Since you have a rather strong individualistic streak, general office work is not a good choice. Your dislike of the nine-to-five routine is apt to show in this type of setting and make you unpopular. You can successfully work for yourself, though, or in an area where you're given a lot of freedom. Some potentially good career areas for you are: astronomy, gymnastics, art, electricity, lecturing, and working with formulae in general (as in science and astrology).

To be frank, it's impossible for me to generalize about what motivates you. Mars in Aquarius, taken on its own, doesn't have typical, consistent motivator. What really motivates one of you is apt to be the same thing that causes someone else to turn up his / her nose in disgust. Furthermore, what motivates you now may irritate you or just plainly leave you cold a month for now. Trips, social activities and club involvements can all bring lucky breaks provided you're keen on them, but there's no way to be more specific as far as I can see.

Mars in Aquarius: You may tend to alienate others by asserting that the Aquarian ability to express and achieve humanitarian ideals is exclusive. As a result, you may think you need to become coldly dispassionate toward others in order to act freely on those ideals. Thus, you can inadvertently estrange yourself from those who might participate in group effort. You may lose energy by cutting yourself off from the dynamics of the group consciousness.

You can assert for the group ideals rather than using the group to support personal plans or models. When you are able to identify yourself as part of the group rather than separate, you can implement the Aquarian humanitarian ideals for human beings. You can gain energy by inspiring yourself and others in the group to grow toward and manifest these ideals.

Mars in Aquarius: 'He will die with total strangers, but he will not live with me.' This line from Dory Previn's song 'The Altruist and the Needy Case' expresses perfectly what Mars in Aquarius is all about. Very cool and impersonal, these people will fight to the death for a cause they believe in, but find it very hard to deal with intimate personal and emotional issues.

Intense involvement feels very claustrophobic to the person with Mars in Aquarius. These people have a detached and intellectual attitude to sexuality, and have difficulty handling emotional situations. They often have strong principles concerning personal freedom, so that honesty and openness are valued much more highly than sexual fidelity. However, Aquarius is a fixed sign and does not change easily, so people with Mars here tend to have long-lasting relationships, even though they may have more than one on the go at a time. Like other fixed signs, Aquarius believe strongly in loyalty and trust, and will not easily forgive someone who betrays them.

The physical side of sex is not really very important to those with Mars in Aquarius, although they are likely to be interested in it as a topic of conversation. Their need for friendship is much stronger than their need for physical contact, so it is of much more significance to them that their partner shares their interests and ideals than their bed. Fighting for a cause stimulates their sexuality, and they are likely to be attracted to those who fight alongside them. They may only desire those whose thinking is politically right-on, and may define their sexuality according to their political beliefs. Radical feminists who become lesbians not because of a natural inclination but because they believe in it as a political ideal are acting in a typically Mars in Aquarius way.

Those with Mars here hate any form of possessiveness, and will coldly rebuff public displays of affection, which they see as claiming ownership. In fact, they may not really enjoy being touched at all, and generally feel more comfortable communicating through the written or spoken word than with their body. Because they tend to be distanced from their feelings, they often have difficulty in understanding their own desire nature. There is a tendency to project coolness onto others, while failing to recognize it in themselves. There is a lot of discomfort and uncertainty where strong feelings are concerned, which can make the Mars in Aquarius person quite defensive and unpredictable. Because these people cannot trust their own instincts, they find it hard to trust others, and may prefer to end a relationship rather than risk getting hurt.

Having strongly held ideals about sex and relationships, the Mars in Aquarius person always tries to act honorably and fairly. It is a matter of principle to these people to accord their partners equal rights and to listen to their point of view; and they always try to behave democratically and to be a thoughtful friend.

Mars in Aquarius: You are concerned with the world of ideas, particularly those of an unconventional or progressive nature; and you invest much energy in mental pursuits. Always eager to learn new things, you want to be challenged intellectually.

It is important for you to be able to think and speak freely. Often you find yourself at odds with accepted 'truths'. You enjoy being thought of as 'different', a unique individual. As a result, you may become involved in unpopular political causes, or avant-garde art movements, or be on the cutting edge of scientific or technological causes.

Because Aquarius is a fixed sign, you can hold rather stubbornly to your opinions. When you believe in something, you believe passionately and express your ideas with evangelistic zeal. Though you consider yourself open-minded, you really regard your way of thinking as the only 'right' way. You love discussing ideas; and your 'discussions' frequently escalate to heated debates. You enjoy nothing better than a good intellectual argument with a worthy opponent. Others may find you extremely opinionated; but you see no virtue in being wishy-washy.

You are always ready to stand up or fight for what you believe in. You have the energy and enthusiasm to stir others to action, and could be effective as a labor organizer, politician, team captain, project head, or leader of a group dedicated to social change. However, you lack diplomacy and can alienate people with your abrasive and self-righteous approach. From time to time, you might find yourself in trouble with authority figures: parents, teachers, employers, even the law.

One of your purposes in life is to break down old structures and change outworn traditions so that new ones can take their place. In the extreme, however, this expression might take the form of terrorism, for Aquarius is also the sign of revolution and violent upheavals. Rash and explosive, Mars in Aquarius can indicate the 'rebel without a cause' who rails against any authority or established order and wants change for the sake of change alone.

Easily bored, you require a high level of excitement and stimulation. Sexually, you are intrigued by anything new or unconventional. You consider yourself open-minded about sexual issues, and may want to experiment with all sorts of sexual behaviors and partners. For you, variety certainly is the spice of life.

Men with this planetary position usually pride themselves on their intelligence and uniqueness. You want to be seen by others as open-minded, unconventional, independent, and a free-thinker; and you admire these characteristics in other men.

Stereotypical male roles don't interest you; and you don't need to appear 'macho' to feel masculine. Nor are you threatened by strong, independent women; and probably you are more egalitarian than most men.

Women with Mars in Aquarius are attracted to men who are intelligent, forthright, independent, egalitarian and / or unusual in some way. All sorts of men from all age groups, races and backgrounds interest you - the differences keep things from getting dull. Most importantly, your partner(s) must be your friend(s). You want a companion with whom you can share ideas; and you probably have many platonic male friends, too.

Mars in Aquarius: Mars in the sign Aquarius gives the desire for independence to pursue unusual or unorthodox courses of action. The natives demand the freedom to do things their own way. Their actions may be inspired by a superior level of intelligence combined with good organizing ability, which can lead to work in mechanical, electronic, and other engineering fields. Further, if the energy is well directed, there can be worthwhile accomplishment in humanitarian work concerned with inventive and scientific achievements. Much more can be achieved through teamwork than through individual efforts, if the lesson of group co-operation is learned.

This Mars position produces reformist tendencies that are translated into action. Natives devise original methods of doing things, and are contemptuous of traditional views and methods, unless these conform to logic and practical experience. Tradition is respected only if it deserves respect, in contrast to the Mars in Capricorn position, with which orders are obeyed merely because they are issued by authority. Consequently, people with Mars in Aquarius do not work well under authoritarian direction. They must be allowed to learn by their own mistakes. However, they are in danger of discarding the old ways before being able to replace them with something better. Thus the outcome of their actions can be either constructive or destructive, depending on the degree of wisdom and maturity indicated by the overall horoscope pattern.

If Mars is afflicted in Aquarius, there can be a desire to overthrown the established order rather than regenerate and improve it. Many revolutionaries have Mars in Aquarius. People with an afflicted Mars in this sign need to learn the art of harmonious functioning with friends and in groups.

If Mars is afflicted in Aquarius, there can be trouble with circulation of the blood.

Mars in Aquarius: The independence and need for freedom often present with a Martian influence is very evident when that planet is placed in Aquarius, and nicely complements many Aquarian characteristics. There is a decidedly unconventional streak - indeed, we think that this planetary placing contributes more zaniness than any other. Although this can be extremely amusing and entertaining to friends and loved ones, it can also result in embarrassment at times.

There is often stubbornness, and the energy of Mars is spent rather unevenly, so that there will be considerable bursts of activity followed by times when the individual will want to get on with the usual demands of living but may be unable to do so, perhaps because of tension or sheer eccentricity in the shape of perversity.

It is vitally important that the aspects Mars receives are studied with great care: if the planet is afflicted by the Moon, Saturn or Uranus, the likelihood of nervous strain and tension is considerable, and ways of releasing them must be sought. Because this placing contributes considerable individuality, it is difficult to make positive suggestions along these lines, so look to other areas of the birth chart which might suggest some energetic and demanding sporting activity or, as a contrast, something much more introspective, such as yoga.

An element of the pioneering spirit of Mars is combined with the humanitarian side of Aquarius in this placing; as a result, the subject will do much to relieve suffering, perhaps even a certain amount of fieldwork in places that have suffered a famine or flood.

There is no very highly-charged emotional influence from this sign; in fact, while the subject will enjoy sex and may want to experiment, the need for freedom could delay commitment. Look out for complications in this sphere of life if other areas of the chart contradict these tendencies; but in all probability, unless Mars or Uranus are personal planets, the Sun, the Moon and Ascending signs, plus the influence of Venus, will overrule.

Considerable originality is often indicated by this placing, and can be expressed through scientific experimentation, inventiveness or simply an interest in offbeat and unusual subjects. Exercise and sporting activities should contribute to a steady and regular expenditure of energy, with the additional benefit that they also encourage good circulation.

Mars in Aquarius: Your energies flow into social channels which may be quite idealistic or quite personal. The more idealistic you can make them, the more you can prevent the social urges from becoming centered in yourself, and the greater will be your success and happiness. There is a constant struggle within you between self and others; you are a pretty high-strung person. To translate your energies away from nerves and into channels of material and social progress is to achieve the best that this position has to offer. You have constantly to fight a curious trend toward introversion, for as indicated by all the positions of Mars in the fixed signs, you may become set in your ways and your desires, and must therefore see to it that your desires reside primarily outside yourself, in the world of material affairs. If you run into difficulties with the world - and you often do, one way or another - you will tend to feel sorry for yourself, and perhaps to console yourself in ways that block your progress. Genuine humanitarianism is your best role; whether you are in business, a profession or the arts, gear your energies to the thoughts of others, and rest assured that the benefits of your efforts will thus come back to you, like bread cast on the waters.

Mars in Aquarius: In Aquarius, Mars gives us the native who is idealistic, active with organizations; he is sensitive, often impatient with the failure of others to 'see the obvious'. The astrologer must help him to avoid becoming so bogged down with group tasks that he neglects his own problems, his own job and ambitions. Organizational ability is indicated; the native has the fire to inspire others, to make friends for various causes - including the unpopular ones.

His views, generally, are not of the orthodox type; this leads to battles with authority, including parental authority. He tends to become set in his ways, but seldom loses touch with humanity - he would rather hurt himself than injure others.

Mars in Aquarius: You are an inventive, though potentially odd, suitor. Energy is created and maintained through making sure that you can pursue your possibly quite unusual, quirky, abstract aims in equally unusual, quirky, abstract ways. You like to make your mind up as you go along, not keeping to a set schedule or route if you can help it. This appears erratic to Other, but it's actually your free-wheeling way of doing things. If denied, your usually cool temperament can turn into sudden, laser-like anger.

You attract with an unusual, unclassifiable approach that is exciting because there is an 'anything-can-happen' feel to it; with the feeling about you that you are your own person; and with an interest and urge to involve yourself in progressive, innovative and New Age projects.

You repel with a lack of sexual substance or any real willingness to commit yourself; with a perverse, odd or peculiar quality about you that is symptomatic of similar notions and feelings, or that hides indecisiveness; and with a lot of far-flung ideas and intentions but little else.

You are attracted to friendly sexual (mind)games that do not necessarily lead to anything more serious; to any Other who appeals to your taste for the unusual, unconventional, complex or even off-the-wall; and to group or team activities rather than solely one-to-one ones.

You are repelled by having your sexuality presumed upon simply because it is open or unusual; by meat-and-potato types who bore you and fail to appreciate your uniqueness and the intricacies of your personality; and by being forced to interact more intimately than is comfortable to you.

When you are alone, it is because your desires, and your way of expressing them, are possibly too rarefied for a suitable Other to be available at the present time. Maybe you do not realize how unusual your tastes are, and have been trying to find an Other who is straight or ordinary, giving rise to disappointments. Or you have failed to relate to Other properly for the same reason, and consequently things haven't worked out. The more you accept the erratic and out-of-the-ordinary nature of what turns you on, the more, paradoxically, you will have to turn you on. Deny it, and it will be denied you. So go out on a limb, maybe use computer dating in a spirit of experimentation. If you are fully aware of your quirkiness, and are alone within or without a relationship, the time has come to 'out' yourself and surprise yourself into a (re)new(ed) relationship.

Mars in Aquarius: Your style of expression is multifaceted, and you focus on exploring a number of forms of fulfillment rather than developing one particular area.

You may be tempted to play the field to find maximum opportunities to extend your range of expression. This can be rewarding, but it can result in a lack of communication and a certain sexual dilettantism. Ideally, you should find a partner who wants to be as wide-ranging as you are, combining variety with truly satisfying intimacy. This should not preclude the possibility of having others share your mutual enjoyment, but one steady partner will provide the regular expression you need and the real closeness that only a long-range relationship can provide.

You go out of your way to discover and fulfill all your lover's fantasies, which makes you a particularly desirable partner. But be sure to avoid jealous lovers, for you must remain free to express your personality, even if you do not choose to exercise that freedom. When you try out new varieties of sexual expression, however, you should define each sexual vignette quite carefully, so that it can be carried out fully without confusion.

Mars in Aquarius: Rather than working according to established patterns, you want to find your own way, which you hope will be better. As a result, you are quite inventive and original. But often you do something just because it is different, even when the old way is better. Being original is fine, but it's a waste of time to be different for its own sake. Also you may have difficulty with authorities - parents, teachers or officials ¬unless they take the trouble to explain why you should do what they ask. You don't follow orders very well.

As you get older, you will be concerned with the greater good of society. You are quite capable of directing your efforts to goals that will not benefit you personally but will benefit others. Even while you are young, you resent authority, not so much because you are against society, but because you feel that your ideas are better ideas and would benefit everyone.

If you are convinced of the importance of a cause, you work better with a group than you do alone. You know how to align your own objectives with other people's so that the results are satisfying to all.

Mars in Aquarius Woman: Freedom means a lot to you. It's your principal motivating factor. You're highly individualistic and you hate to be told what to do. You're altruistically minded and very attracted by ideas and theories on how to improve humanity's lot. You abhor selfishness. You have a conscience and your scope of understanding leads you to do your duty to the group voluntarily. You don't need to be coerced or reminded. You like to analyze actions - your own and everybody else's. It gives you an edge because you're good at dissecting things on the mental level. Your favorite color is cool and you use a combination of intuition and logic to fuel your intellect. There's an electricity about you. Fire without heat. You can come up with an explanation for just about anything and make it sound good, but you don't care for emotionalism since it gets in then way of reason. And reason is what separates us from the beasts. Because of this penchant of yours for rationality, you hate to get angry and blow your cool. It's much neater to analyze the situation without getting involved.

Trouble is, once you've analyzed and dissected a man mentally, you're usually bored and ready to move on, collect another specimen, and begin the process all over again. It's a technique you use to feel free, and that feeling of freedom is as necessary to you as breathing air. Even if you're in a committed relationship. Because of this, you're interested in different sexual lifestyles. You'll consider open marriage, no marriage, group sex, bisexuality, homosexuality, asexuality. Even communal sex. Communes appeal to you whether they're into group sex or completely celibate and devoted to the study of some religious idea. Groups in general suit you, even if it's only a health spa with all the latest gadgets and techniques.

You like men who are different or special in some way; geniuses, rebels, idealists, iconoclasts, scientists on the leading edge of new thought. Ideally, you'd like a man who is all of these things. You need him to turn on your mind, and then your body will follow along. Your brain is the sexiest organ in your body.

Mars in Aquarius Man: Your name is Mr. Cool. You identify with extraterrestrials. You like all sorts of typical male-type things, like motorcycles and aerodynamics, but your interest is purely mental. You're not at all a macho man in reality. What you are is detached and intellectual. Your approach to life is theoretical. It's safer that way. You don't like to get involved. It's too messy and when emotions get heated it's impossible to figure out what's going on. You hate being confused or losing your cool, and you rarely get angry because being involved breeds subjectivity and that blows your style. You might say that you are a scientist of life, because you can create a theory to explain almost anything. You prefer keeping things mental and objective.

You are caught up in your humanitarian ideals and trying to live up to them. You believe in brotherhood and universality, at least in theory. Practice is another thing, but you don't worry about it. You like experimentation of all kinds, including sexual. You'll explore the idea of bisexuality or asexuality. You may not bother to actually do it, but you'll consider it as a possibility. You like to look at all the options because you might want a change tomorrow. Change is your thing. You have a hard time relating to individuals as such, but you like the idea of joining a celibate community devoted to higher ideals. Study appeals to you when it is of a spiritual nature, just so long as things don't get too personal. You would rather make a major commitment to a community than to an individual.

Your ideal woman is both brilliant and beautiful, but not in an ordinary, generic blond way. Something exotic, special, or far-out attracts you. You like unusual people and unique anything. You have no trouble being a man but you don't go for the macho behavior. It's too crude and nonintellectual. You think the mind is the sexiest. It's the mind that determines what we find erotic. The body is just a follower while the mind is the leader. Your main problem is that you tend to dissect everything, and once you've analyzed a woman and learned what makes her tick, you're likely to get bored and move on to the next specimen. Or you can turn yourself on by just thinking about sex. You don't even have to do it.

See also: Mars in Aquarius;

Mars in Aquarius: George Bush, Sr., Queen Elizabeth II, Bobby Fischer, Jane Fonda, Georges Gurdjieff, Hugh Hefner, Howard Hughes, Ramakrishna, Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., Robert Anton Wilson, Joanne Woodward, Dewitt, Ju, LaurieSw, Medwick, Merrill, Nirvesh, Phylissa, Ray, Robert, Sarik, Victoria

Mars in Pisces

Your have high but erratic emotional energies, adequate mental energies, adequate-to-low physical energies, and low practical energies. Your energy is unifying, erratic and intuitive. It is often channeled into serving others, unifying ideas or principles, and looking for solutions to difficult problems. Your strengths include your being charitable, receptive, and imaginative. You lack consistency, drive and goals.

There are plusses to this Mars; but overall, it is a difficult placing. On a positive note, this position will help offset selfishness found elsewhere in the chart. It also makes you kind, forgiving, and a good listener. Usually it suggests shyness; people with this position are almost never aggressive, and are frequently of the sort who apologize when someone else steps on their foot. But the potential problems are many. Sometimes there's a tendency to be too influenced by others. Other times, there's a tendency to wander through life with no goals. In still other instances, there's a fear of the unknown in the material world that leads to involvement in religion or some form of psychic phenomenon to the exclusion of all else. The emotions are almost always unpredictable, with ecstatic highs and a tendency to brood when depressed. This latter tendency needs watching; if carried to extremes, it can make you quite neurotic or even trigger a persecution complex. Should this be a Mars T-square, a Grand Cross, or otherwise under severe stress, extra care is needed with alcohol, tranquilizers, and psychic phenomena of the spiritualist nature, as these can cause you to lose touch with reality.

Sexually? Well, Mars in Pisces can usually take sex or leave it alone. If it's a total union - spiritually, intellectually and emotionally - they'll take it. If someone else needs it, they'll offer it - particularly if the 'needer' is a wounded bird - non-orgasmic, impotent, not awfully confident of his / her own sexuality, for example. Mostly, though, Mars in Pisces is just as happy merely being held as he or she is being ravished. Mars in Pisces men are phenomenally patient; they therefore often attract women with various sorts of sexual hang-ups. Often they turn out to be just what the doctor ordered for these women - though occasionally they'll need a doctor for themselves by the time the affair's over. Women with Mars in Pisces tend to be somewhat leery of closeness, as if they fear losing themselves and their own identities in the relationship. They often prefer friends to lovers for this reason, and invariably go through a phase of being terrified to discover that there are sexual feelings in the relationship. The terror is worse for a woman with this placement if she can trace these feelings within herself. However, once this phase is transcended (which it can be), this woman is loyal and loving, though she may always prefer the after-cuddles to the actual sex.

You want time for contemplation. You don't want a terribly aggressive or sexually demanding mate or lover. Your sexuality and type of romantic self-expression is subtle. You're not aggressive yourself, and don't like people who come on strong. Your overtures to possible romantic partners are sometimes so low-keyed that they get misinterpreted - or even missed altogether. They may, in fact, be more instinctive than conscious much of the time, making it hard for you to figure out what's happening yourself. For this reason, you need a very perceptive and rather sensitive type of lover, someone who's willing to spend time and energy drawing you out of yourself. Someone with Venus in a Water sign, Venus in the 12th house, or Venus conjunct Neptune, would be ideal.

There are quite a few career directions you can go in successfully, assuming you're willing to get proper training. Normally, you do best working under others in a public service capacity, though. No matter what you do, you're apt to experience some dissatisfaction, as with Mars in Pisces there's a distinct tendency to prefer dreaming to doing. Some good career areas for you are: automotive engineering, diving or diving instruction, the textile industry, nursing, medicine, prison work, psychiatric work, movie work, the shoe trade, work connected with the manufacture or sale of alcohol, and chemical engineering.

Psychology motivates you, as does virtually anything creative or occult or anything that can be done now and forgotten about for a long time. By the latter, I mean one-shot, intensive project - things that may involve hard work but give long-term (preferably permanent) results once done. Motivation flags in areas where the work is repetitive and has to be done regularly to stay caught up. You meet luck in the form of people who either help you do things you can't do yourself due to lack of skill or help you pay for things you truly need. Lucky breaks can also come in the career area, but these are not always taken advantage of due to a fear that career success will detract from harmony on the home front. Productive hobbies are a good source of opportunity; particularly those connected with beautifying your home, exploring your subconscious in order to remove failure programs, or doing anything that helps you become more self-sufficient. Theater and film work, social service work, and hospital work are also good areas to explore.

Mars in Pisces: You may alienate others by assuming that you are the only one who sees the true spiritual vision. Consequently, by operating from a belief in the Piscean spiritual superiority, you can camouflage your motives and desires, and negate the input of others. In withholding yourself from direct involvement, you can lose the vitality of your direction and become confused. This may result in a scattering of your personal energies.

You can assert yourself by communicating openly about problems that exist in the personal life. As you share spiritual solutions to practical problems and allow others to share their insights also, everyone will benefit from an expanded spiritual awareness. You can gain energy from practical service and a revitalizing sense of faith in your vision when you allow open and direct interaction with others.

Mars in Pisces: Mars in Pisces is the most romantic and tricky placement of the Water signs. This is someone who is extremely sensitive to romantic gestures in love, and able to tune in to his / her loved ones on the subtlest levels. These people can make the most attentive lovers, who seduce and overwhelm their loved ones with flattery and attention. And yet, just as the object of their affections begins to succumb, they may be on their way, ever elusive, to the next lover. Their effusive gestures of affection can be in some ways impersonal. With a Mars in Pisces suitor, you are never sure whether you are the real thing or just a sounding board on which he / she is practicing - the idealized love object of the moment. These people may want to keep their vision intact more than they want a partner. And they may enjoy the seduction process more than a real relationship. They may be in love with the concept of being in love.

If you are 'the real thing' for a Mars in Pisces person, then your relationship will be infused with romance and mystery. These people will need a degree of intrigue to keep them involved, and will themselves regularly inject special ingredients into the relationship to keep the romance alive. These are poetic souls for whom fantasy, fiction and fairy-tale may be more real than facts.

There is a deep yearning for an at-oneness with their partner; a total merging, which they are likely to seek to satisfy through sexual contact. For them, sex may be a spiritual and sacred experience. It may be an at-oneness with something far greater than their partner and themselves that they seek, whether they are conscious of it or not. For someone with Mars in Pisces, there will be a conscious awareness of this spiritual dimension. The practice of tantric yoga symbolically represents their orientation. Someone with such an orientation could, if not in a relationship, spend long periods celibate. These people may choose to transcend their sexual desires and to merge with something higher, something divine, bypassing sexuality entirely.

Paradoxically, those with Mars in Pisces can also be the most promiscuous, with no sense of sexual boundaries, and wanting everyone that they feel attracted to. It really does depend on their level of consciousness. This is the most passive of the Water signs, and perhaps the one with the greatest diversity of expression.

Mars in Pisces: You have a great deal of trouble asserting yourself, and tend to be rather shy, withdrawn, even timid. Passive and peace-loving, you have no desire to behave aggressively or engage in any sort of contest or combat with others. You believe in 'turning the other cheek' and are more likely to respond to an assault with forgiveness or retreat than with violence.

This attitude stems from your keen sensitivity to the feelings of others - not only humans, but animals and plants as well. You can almost feel another's pain yourself, and thus cannot bear to inflict injury on anyone or anything. Instead, you are likely to strive to improve the lot of all defenseless or underprivileged creatures; and the only fight you might engage in willingly is the fight to end cruelty and tyranny in the world.

You are private and inclined to withdraw from outer-world activity, unless you have a number of other planets in sociable signs. What activities you do engage in are probably of a personal, inner-directed nature. For artists and persons involved in spiritual pursuits, such isolation and introspection is essential. Highly imaginative, you probably channel much of your energy and enthusiasm into some sort of artistic endeavor. Your sensitivity to color, tone and rhythm might incline you to painting, photography, dance, music or poetry in particular.

Unless Fire signs are prominent elsewhere in your birth chart, this placement of Mars signifies a lack of natural vitality, energy and resistance to illness. You probably need plenty of sleep, and are more susceptible to contagious diseases than most people. Allergies, too, might trouble you because you are so hypersensitive to everything in your environment. Although you may not enjoy athletics or any sort of physical activity, you could increase your stamina and vigor through regular exercise.

Because Pisces is more concerned with cosmic realms than with the physical world, you might not have much interest in sex. In order for you to be satisfied physically, you need to be emotionally involved, too. You are extremely idealistic and romantic about sexual matters; and your expectations might be of a fantasy, storybook sort that are impossible to achieve in real life. In extreme cases, this placement could indicate celibacy for religious reasons or self-denial so that all your energy can be used for your art.

Mars in Pisces Woman: You're an idealist and a romantic. You need inspiration in order to do anything. When you are inspired you have limitless energy, no matter what you're doing. When you have inspiration you can go on forever. Ordinary tasks seem imbued with meaning for you, for you have a great sense of what it means to be truly humble, and you are elevated by it. Your vibes are so strong that you can tune in to almost anything, like a psychic. Altered states of consciousness appeal to you because you like to lose myself in whatever you do, whether it’s your work or lovemaking. You can submerge yourself in a cause or a lover. Because you hate confrontation some people find you passive, but it’s passive resistance. You’d rather wear down or confuse than fight head on. You're evasive. You flow with a situation and go right into it, like water can flow downhill and inundate a road, blocking traffic for miles. You're like that when you need to be.

Life’s not direct. It’s all shadings and subtleties, grayness and soft contours. You find direction by indirection, and come up with creative solutions no one else would have imagined. You're good at strategy. Even when you am being most indirect, you're busy sensing the atmosphere and smelling things out. You'll act according to what you pick up intuitively and with your feelings.

The erotic interests you, as long as it’s poetic and filmy. You like sex props like sexy underwear and visual stimulation, smells, and sounds. You have the urge to merge and you're not always that discriminating, especially if you’ve had a few drinks or are high on something. You go for men who reflect your sensitivity - the sweet, gentle, idealistic poet or musician. Your ideal man is someone with a vision who will be kind to you. His inspiration turns you on and makes you feel great passion by fueling your need to be inspired. Then you idealize him. The trouble is that You can blind myself to reality. You have to be careful that the man you see as a magical artist with a message for humanity doesn’t turn out to be just one more alcoholic who’s having a nightmare rather than a true vision. Still, if he needs you. . . There’s that flow again!

Mars in Pisces Woman: Women with this planetary combination are attracted to men who are gentle, peace-loving, romantic and emotional. Blustering, rough or 'macho' types don't interest you in the least. You find the sensitive artist or selfless, saintly humanitarian much more appealing.

Your heart is touched by someone who appears helpless and needy; and consequently, you have a tendency to fall for men who are physically or emotionally ill. As a result, you might find yourself continually getting involved with dependent partners who are not capable of taking care of themselves, and end up sacrificing for them.

Overly idealistic, you may be disappointed frequently by the men in your life because you refuse to see them as they really are, viewing them instead through the mist of your illusions. You are seeking the perfect lover, a soul mate, but what you are looking for cannot be found on the Earth plane.

Mars in Pisces Man: You have the soul of a poet. You don’t always show it, but you're a sensitive man. You feel your way through life. Logic isn’t one of your strong points. You follow your hunches and usually get where you're going, even if it takes you a bit longer by an indirect route. But the scenery on the winding country lane is much more attractive than on the highway. You like to put your toe in the water before you step in all the way, and you wave your mental antennae around to pick up the currents in the air before you make a definitive statement. You have to fight your own indifference, because you're prone to just float and fluctuate in an unmotivated state. Like a sailboat, you have to catch the breeze before you can move. Then you're quick and sure and to the point. And you constantly adjust to which way the wind is blowing, using strategy rather than confrontation to get things accomplished.

You don’t always understand why you do things because you're not particularly straightforward but sort of multi-determined, and you're guided by your imagination and inner sensitivities. You come up with creative solutions this way, but you usually have no clue where they came from. Ambiguity isn’t a problem for you because nothing is what it seems, and things can have multiple meanings anyway. You like to be helpful and kind, and you can be self-sacrificing for those you love. Your idealism carries you through hurts and disappointments but you have to watch out for your anger sneaking up on you unawares. You have a propensity for violent response when negative feelings get loose in you and become overwhelming. Especially if you’ve had one too many.

You're in love with being in love, and the romantic atmosphere inspires you to write poetry and send flowers. Give you the works - sexy lingerie, lovely fragrance, candlelight, the moon and roses, imaginative sex play. Especially by the sea. Being submerged is a wonderful feeling and you can really get into the flow of true intimacy. Under the right conditions, you can go for a long time. Afterward, you like to send beautiful cards or flowers or special gifts to commemorate our blissful experience.

Mars in Pisces Man: Men with Mars in Pisces often feel somewhat insecure about their masculinity. Perhaps you have trouble accepting your sensitivity and emotionalism, believing that such things are signs of weakness. You might fear that you could not defend yourself against an attack or take care of yourself in difficult circumstances; and these fears make you feel inadequate. You are proud of your artistic / musical ability, however, and want to be respected for this talent. You also admire creativity in other men. If you are involved in religious pursuits, you find strength in your beliefs and practices, and want to be recognized for your spirituality. Men who are able to accept their sensitivity, vulnerability and strong emotions as positive qualities see these as desirable characteristics in a man.

See also: Mars in Pisces;

Mars in Pisces: Shirley Temple Black, Johnny Cash, Milton William Cooper, Bob Dylan, J.Paul Getty, Elton John, Marilyn Monroe, Mitt Romney, Elizabeth Taylor, Vincent van Gogh, Abbe, BillH, J, Joy, JRosh, Judi, Nancee, Roy, Suzie, TonyO