Mars Enters Sagittarius

 Sunset as seen on by Rover Spirit when sitting

at the edge of Gusev Crater on Mars

photo credit: NASA

When Mars transits through the zodiac's third quarter, we of this world always seem to have a really interesting period. Trying? Heck yes! But also interesting. Exactly what you don't need or aren't expecting - that's what happens.

And why would that be?

That would be because of the signs which compose the makeup of said 3rd quadrant, namely Libra, Scorpio and Sagittarius.

Libra is opposite Aries - the sign of 'I am/I do' which so describes Mars in a first person nutshell. And any sign opposite that where a planet acts in sync with its symbolism is the sign where that planet has a problem acting according to its symbolism. Like all other 3rd quadrant signs, Libra emphasizes some sort of joint activity and Mars is personally willful.

Since signs take precedence (sort of like weather does when we've scheduled outdoor activities here on Earth), when in Libra, Mars is constrained. And yet since any symbol is 100% of what it is, to constrain some percentage of Mars energy while/because it's in Libra means that energy 'goes' somewhere other than where it would usually go - into venting the expression of our will, aims or style.

Mars was in Libra between July 29 and September 14. During that time, a lot of energy was either building up or getting displaced - often to our detriment through problematic interactions with others (Libra), through issues having to do with those who embody Libra in our lives (those we are 'married' to by agreement whether they be partners, spouses or such societal entities as doctors, lawyers, civil authorities, etc.) or even through conflict or some incident which creates conflict.

The point is, it was all interactive. And we were either called upon to cooperate...or simply cope with what someone thrust upon us, or our need to get with someone (say a doctor or lawyer) because of some circumstance which had been thrust upon us. The Mars instinct to 'do what I want to do' was, in one way or another, curtailed.

 Mars as photographed from Viking 1 (1980)

Photo credit - NASA/JPL

Then Mars moved on into Scorpio, land of interactive emotionality. Known mostly (or at least greatly) as the signature sign of sexuality, Scorpio is actually all about choosing how we deal with any situation which has, or at least has the potential to arouse deeply ingrained, seemingly instinctive emotions. Though widely thought of as a sign about control, Scorpio isn't really about anyone's ability to control us - it's about our ability to control ourselves.

And being one of the zodiac's 3rd quadrant signs, all things emotionally Scorpio are evoked through interactive means. Thus we tend to want to 'own' the successes and blame others for the problems...which is just another way of not dealing with what we actually do/don't control.

After all, if we get into a situation with someone, by and large we choose/chose to be there (at least as adults). To take responsibility for that choice is a whole emotional process - and very Scorpionic. If and where we aren't good at it also tells us why Scorpio is the sign of psychology - a process of learning why we make  choices and how to deal with the choices we make. That process is sometimes about 'the other,' but only where we have been truly duped or abused. If we merely chose wrong or have tried to do what we want instead of what was required to make the situation work (or workable), that's us.

And while Mars was passing through Scorpio (Between September 14th and October 27/28 (depending on where you are), the emotionally honesty and integrity with which you handle emotional choices and emotionally evocative choices, that pretty much governed not merely your joy or frustration, but also how well things went along.

Put another way, this was a good month and a half for ogres and a highly testing month for those who hold themselves to 'playing fair.' While Mars passes through Scorpio, that tendency to 'want to play it by my rules' is strong. But that doesn't mean it always work; once Mars moves out of Scorpio, the ability to control by force of will passes too.

  Mars' Sagittarius ingress 2010

Seeing that Sagittarius tests functionality in a 'for not just one, but all' venue, when Mars passes through Sagittarius, much of what we chose under Mars-in-Scorpio choices gets looked into, critiqued and corrected.

Sagittarius, sign of justice as a theory asks if what we are doing/have chosen is merely right in our head, or if it also works in the broader scope of perception, operation and social/societal acceptance. The effect of this is that we are now likely to come against whether we acted only in our own regard during the weeks and months passed, of we paid attention to greater needs, ethics and other more "across-the-board" considerations.

With Mars entering Sagittarius in conjunction with Eros, it's likely that a lot of people will be pushing (Mars) very hard for what they want (Eros) or want to be right.

And yet, with this being the moment when Nessus goes direct, is this want merely sheer desire? Or is it some drive more darkly colored by wanting to crush anyone who would dare stand against them, right or wrong, moral or immoral, legal or corrupt?

It well may be. And yet those who maintain their 'cool,' who operate (and/or have operated) from a structurally sound position - those people may well now be able to move against forces ranged against them.

Throughout Mars' transit of Sagittarius the temptation towards outbursts remains. This is a highly energetic combination of sign and symbol, suggesting that the next six weeks or so are going to be anything but tame. Some will wax fanatic now, and some ideas will prove unworkable in current form. Patience may be in short supply but that's pretty much the test now. You won't want to work things through, but that's just the point.

The Mars in Sagittarius question: what are you capable of? Not what can you do, but what should you do? For the next while might may rule the right-of-way, but use of might doesn't make might right...and we all know right from wrong better than ever now, too.