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Astrological
Mars
(with affinities to the Zodiac sign Aries
and the 1st house)
 In
ancient times Babylonian astrologers knew the planet, we now call
Mars, to be a (complicated) underworld fertility god of war and
pestilence, Nergal.
Nergal, let us say, had some very serious "anger issues."
The
ancient Greeks likewise named the planet after their feared god
of war, Ares. However, as gods go, Ares was a much more simple and
straightforward thuggish and violent god of war. According to mythologist,
Karl Karenyi, the ancient Greek Homeric hymns (circa 8th Century
BC) described Ares, the Greek god of War (known to the Romans as
Mars), as a hairy, foul, mean-mouthed, brute standing over 600 feet
tall...
So...
it probably goes without saying that the Greeks were not all that
"comfortable" and/or "at ease" with the archetypal hairy,
foul, mean-mouthed, and brutish energy contained within Ares. And,
for that matter, neither are most of us ...
Hercules
Connection
It is however interesting to note that for a period of time around
the 5th Century BC, started by the mystical Pythagoreans, the Greeks
began calling this fiery planet the "star of Hercules."
(They thought all the planets were wandering stars.) This amounted
to a huge step up in status, because even from the most ancient
of times in Greece, Hercules had been an incredibly popular Greek
hero. He was undoubtedly the number one favorite hero of the ancient
Greeks.
One small caution... modern day television has greatly cleaned up
the raw, powerful imagery of Hercules for millions of happy and
satisfied female viewers. As such, you may be missing out on much
of the uncensored, impulsive, gritty, fiery, sweaty, charge ahead,
take no prisoners, warrior energy of Hercules.
When
the Romans got around to naming the planet, it was named Mars, their
(eventual) god of war. However, the Romans, considered themselves
to be sons of Mars, and so he (Mars) was prominently worshipped
and given honor. Mars, like Nergal, was "complicated."
In
early Roman history Mars was a god of spring, growth in nature,
and fertility, and the protector of cattle. Mars is also mentioned
as a chthonic god (earth-god) and this could explain why he became
a god of death and finally a god of war. He is the son of Jupiter
and Juno. According to some sources, Mars is the father of Romulus
and Remus by the Vestal Ilia (Rhea Silvia). Because he was the father
of these legendary founders of Rome, and thus of the Roman people,
the Romans styled themselves 'sons of Mars'.
Mars
in the Birth Chart
Yep... for better or for worse... we've all got Mars in the birth
chart... and if you try ignoring or giving Mars away... and failing
to give his warrior energy a channel for healthy expression in your
life - then, once Mars falls into shadow, you'll constantly be meeting
up with this god of War's anger (in all of the worst ways).
Wherever
you go... you'll be encountering astrological Mars in your dreams,
in the people you meet, and in your depressions...
In Your Depressions?
Bet you probably didn't know that
anger and depression
are related? In the highly recommended book The Inner Planets
co-written by Howard Sasportas and Liz Greene, Sasportas points
out that Fritz Perl (the Gestalt therapist) used to ask his patients
suffering from depression: "Okay, so who (or what) are you depressed
at?"
Henchman
In The Inner Planets, Sasportas vividly describes Ares (Mars)
as: "The
Sun's Henchman..." And, as such, a healthy and well expressed Mars
seeks to serve the purposes of our Sun!
Mars
in the birth chart
reflects your instinct to survive...
aggression...
assertiveness, and how you go about getting
what you need to survive! Mars
reflects:
ME! ME! ME!
(or in your case - YOU! YOU! YOU!) And
contrary to popular belief -
that's not all BAD! BAD! BAD!
Positives?
Let's chat for a minute about some of the significant gifts that
the warrior god, Mars, provides for us...
We're
probably already too well aware of (and afraid of) the potential
dangers and dark side involved with aggression and rage...
however,
in the Howard Sasportas/Liz Greene book
Dynamics of the Unconscious,
Sasportas lists four very powerful, positive purposes for Mars and
healthy aggression:
One:
Mars serves as a protection against
predatory attack. (We don't allow other people's Mars to walk
all over us)
Two:
Mars is a deep force inside us that provides the impetus to learn
and master new skills.
(It turns potential talents into reality.)
Three:
Mars is the basis for achieving independence and breaking away
from those who would
otherwise dominate or overprotect us.
Four:
Mars endows us with the will to unfold more of who we are, and
grow into what we are meant to become.
(If you're from the United States, then I bet you remember that
Army commercial with the slogan:
"Be all that you can be!")
Summing
Up
Mars is that fiery burst of warrior energy that shouts out to you:
"Hey! No matter how bad things get, no matter how hopeless things
look... your life matters and you must survive!"
Thanks
for stopping by the Mars Do Drop In Saloon.
Before leaving - be sure to check out the
Martian Manifesto!
The
Art of War
written by Sun Tzu
As one of greatest classic Chinese texts, written 2000 years
ago -
this fascinating book shows the spirit of a true warrior
is one who desires victory without engaging in battle.
(Buy
it now at Amazon.com)
King,
Warrior, Magician and Lover
written by Robert Moore and Douglas Gillette
Rediscovering the Archetypes of the Mature Masculine
(Buy
it now at Amazon.com)
Women
Who Run With Wolves
written by Clarissa Pinkola Estes
Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype
(Buy
it now at Amazon.com) |
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