Transiting Neptune conjunct Natal Mars

This is not a good time to strike out to further your own self-interest in life. Your energy level is low, and you are subject to fits of discouragement and malaise. This is one of the more difficult transits of Neptune, because the nature of Mars and that of Neptune are very much opposed to each other. Mars in your horoscope stands for your ego drives, but Neptune manages to pull the rug out from under them. Mars makes you assert your individuality and take the necessary actions to establish your place in the world among other people. Whatever you do along these lines- working to get ahead in your job, beginning a new enterprise or embarking on a program of vigorous mental or physical activity- Neptune will make it difficult for you to succeed. It is not that you are unlucky exactly but that you do not have enough push to follow through. Under this transit your efforts are likely to be half-hearted. Even if you want to do something, you may just feel too tired.

Another side of this transit is that you may get involved in an activity or project that is dishonest, misrepresented or simply subversive, although not necessarily political. You may not be aware that it is dishonest, but if you are and choose to be involved anyway, you are running an enormous risk. Avoid any scheme that you know to be dishonest, because with this transit you simply cannot count on it coming out favorably for you.

This is not a good time to advance yourself, but try not to get discouraged, for that will not help you. Instead, cut your losses and disengage yourself if possible from any activity that could create difficulties. Get into a position where you can afford to be unconcerned about results. Detaching yourself from your own energies is the best way to deal with this transit. Act because you enjoy the action, not because you are trying to win. If you can take this course of detached consciousness, you may learn something about how your life works; in fact, you may learn that your own efforts have fouled you up. In your eagerness to succeed, you may have aroused opposition that was not expressed openly, but waited subversively in the wings to trip you up.

On the physical level, this transit can give rise to infections that severely debilitate the body. It is a good idea to adopt a rigorous physical regimen and avoid situations that tax your physical strength or expose you to disease. Also avoid using drugs during this transit unless absolutely necessary. Your body is unusually sensitive to poisons now.

Transiting Neptune sextile Natal Mars

At this time, success and getting your own way will not seem so important to you. You are much more concerned with whether your life serves higher goals and principles than with your own needs. It is very important to you that your own individuality be expressed as part of the larger scheme.

Consequently you are likely to work with others toward shared spiritual or metaphysical goals, and you may actively participate in a religious or spiritual movement. But you will probably stay out of the limelight for the most part, because you are in a rather retiring mood. It is as if the effort of pushing yourself into the forefront would disturb your attempt to find peace, which is more important to you now. This is a time for reflection rather than vigorous action.

As you succeed in quieting the demands of your ego, you will discover the smaller, quieter voices that exist within us all. You may discover that the furious activity that has dominated your life hasn't really meant much to you, that you did it for others in order to feel better about yourself. You may discover a psychic side to your consciousness that you haven't noticed before because you have been so busy rushing around.

One of Neptune's more benevolent effects is that it gives you empathy for others and the ability to intuitively understand their positions. With this transit you realize that you have been where they are, and you know from first-hand experience the tricks that people play on themselves and the foolish mistakes they make. So along with your increased understanding of spiritual truth comes the ability to understand others and to accept their shortcomings. You know that you are in the same place they are.

Transiting Neptune square Natal Mars

There are a number of dangers with this transit. It affects your sense of who you are and challenges the validity of the life course you have set for yourself, as well as your image of yourself as an effective person.

The chief danger of this transit is that it sets you up for situations in which you will emerge as a loser, especially in your work and at home. Or someone else may set you up in such a way that you are forced to act without knowing what is really going on, and therefore you act ineffectively. Since you are not likely to get much reinforcement from others at this time, you will be forced to rely on your own inner resources and self-confidence. Do not expect others to provide you with backbone; you need to provide your own.

Be careful not to get involved with any dubious schemes, and make sure that any project you do get into is real. Certainly avoid anything you know to be corrupt or dishonest, for you will probably lose out and lose face as well.

Defeats may make you feel discouraged, but don't take them too seriously. Like all transits, this one will pass. And there is a lesson to be learned here. The more you identify with what you do rather than what you are, the more difficulties this transit will cause. You are not what you do. This transit may force you to confront that issue, and if it does, you will learn to handle your life much more successfully because you will not always have to protect yourself.

Another danger with this transit is that you may become wrapped up in fighting for some terribly idealistic cause that has little chance of succeeding or of giving you any real satisfaction. All that you can count on is that you will be required to surrender your individuality for a "higher purpose," which usually turns out to be someone else's ego!

This may be a period of low physical energy. You may even feel like sleeping all the time, and within reason it is probably best to take it easy. Don't subject your body to unusual stresses or strains, and avoid exposure to illness, for your body is unusually subject to infection now.

Transiting Neptune trine Natal Mars

As with most Mars-Neptune transits, this is not a good time to strike out boldly into the world to further your own interests. However, this transit does provide the opportunity to learn certain very valuable lessons without the discouraging defeats that most Mars-Neptune transits engender.

During this time you will not feel inclined to assert yourself at other people's expense. Instead you may wish to work to help others without any concern for your own advancement. This is a good time for any kind of charitable work or for working with poor or otherwise disadvantaged people. Similarly you may become involved with others in an organization concerned with mystical or spiritual teaching. Whatever your area of work, the main consideration is that you work for knowledge and insight and to help others, not for your own advancement.

Do not be afraid that your life will lack fulfillment. You will find that ultimately all your activities for and with others for a common purpose will be fulfilling. We often have an idea that our own interests are somehow not consistent with those of others. But at this time you will discover that your needs and desires are identical with other people's. In order to learn this, you must get away from working solely for yourself. This transit will help you do that.

Related to the above effect is a greater concern with metaphysical and spiritual truth. You will become increasingly able to understand how you as an individual fit into the entire universe. Your idea of who you are and what your individuality consists of will expand greatly. You will not be so isolated by the notions you have had about what you are.

Transiting Neptune quincunx Natal Mars

Transiting Neptune opposite Natal Mars

For the duration of this transit you will have to be very careful in a number of areas, and in others it would be a good idea to keep your expectations rather low.

First, be careful not to get yourself involved, wittingly or unwittingly, in any kind of bogus enterprise. Mars-Neptune can mean deceitful actions, and this transit may involve you in such acts either as the victim or as the perpetrator of some swindle. To avoid becoming a victim, you should scrutinize with great care all seeming "opportunities" that come up now and stay away altogether from any speculative or high risk ventures. With regard to the second danger, you should avoid perpetrating any kind of swindle, not only because it is unethical, but because you're not likely to succeed. Schemes do not usually work out as anticipated under this transit.

At this time you should also be careful of your health. This combination can produce illnesses such as anemia, which weaken you, making you feel tired all the time. It can also make you subject to infections that are hard to diagnose and cure. Even at best, you are not likely to feel as vigorous as usual. Be particularly careful about taking any kind of drug under this transit.

You should not plan to launch new activities during this period. Because your energy level is low, you can't put the necessary energy into a new project to make it work out as you want. This transit can produce a crisis of self-confidence, resulting either from personal defeats by others or from a totally unpredictable and irrational spell of depression. Consequently you will find it hard to continue with projects that require great exertion. It would be best to avoid starting any new projects at this time, and you should try to maneuver yourself into a position in which you don't have to do anything critical. But above all, don't take these feelings of defeat too seriously; you are just going through a period of low energy. There is no reason to contemplate giving up, because very soon you will be back to your old level of competence. The only permanent effect of this transit is that you may learn to have a more realistic understanding of your limitations and to be more conservative with your energies.