Mars Cycle 2021 - 2023: One Human Show
Introduction
On October 7th and 8th 2021, Mars will conjunct the Sun at 15 degrees of Libra, beginning a fresh cycle of desire that will play out over the next two years. By setting your intentions now, you have the potential to work with these energies to get what you want.
What Mars Represents
Mars represents what we want and what we’re willing to do to get it. Unlike Venus, who wants to connect and harmonize, Mars is willing to separate from the status quo, disrupt the party, and do what it takes to achieve its goal. Mars is the fire of passion burning within us. Mars is the courage to both pursue and defend what matters to us.
When we find ourselves angry and frustrated, that’s Mars’ way of telling us it’s time to realign with our true desires. When we don’t know how to defend ourselves, when we lash out and attack others, when our energy is low, when we can’t seem to get our needs met, it’s time to get in touch with a higher expression of Mars. Often this involves both physical exercise (bonus points for martial arts) and taking decisive and sustained action to change your situation.
Working with Mars
Getting the most out of any planet or transit, even the ‘good’ ones, requires some intention and effort. Most of the good things in life do, if you think about it. To use astrologer Austin Coppock’s words, Mars “cuts and burns.” Cutting and burning without intention or skill can result in great harm, but those same actions, when intentionally wielded, also have the potential to cook a delicious meal or power an engine.
Similarly, when you make conscious choices to work with Mars both in your natal chart and throughout its cycle, you have the potential to minimize harmful outcomes and maximize those that could bring you joy.
Intro to Mars’ Cycle
Astrologer Adam Sommer has likened Mars’ cycle to the arc of Joseph Campbell's Monomyth. Also known as the Hero’s Journey, the Monomyth is the basic story arc of every myth of every culture throughout history. It begins with the status quo. Then the hero is called to adventure, meets guides, leaves the familiar world for a strange one inhabited by gods and monsters, battles an adversary, emerges with some sort of treasure, and finally returns home to share this treasure with the community.
Mars’ cycles last a little over two years, and they are irregular, occurring (figuratively) wherever the flip they want in the Zodiac. Compared to sweet Venus, whose regular cycle traces a perfect five-pointed star on the ecliptic, Mars' meanderings symbolize the adventures of an unruly maverick.
The cycle refers to the relationship between Mars and the Sun. It begins with Mars and the Sun in the same portion of the sky (the conjunction) and it reaches its halfway point when Mars occupies the opposite portion of the sky from the Sun (the opposition). During the five or so months surrounding either side of the opposition, Mars will cease to travel from sign to sign at its usual speed (typically about 6 weeks per sign) and will station retrograde, spending much longer than usual in one 15-degree area of the Zodiac. This is the area of life where the hero would encounter the adversary in battle. Once this period is complete, Mars and the Sun spend the next year or so traveling back to each other until they meet again in a different part of the sky. This represents the journey home, the integration of the treasure, and the discovery of a new status quo, from which an entirely new adventure can begin.
The 2019-2021 Cycle
To aid you in developing your intentions, I’ve interpreted this new cycle in the form of a story. The images in this story are not meant to be taken literally, but as metaphorical examples to inspire you to imagine positive outcomes for this particular cycle. Remember, desired outcomes are not guaranteed in this cycle, they are won by virtue of effort and wit.
01 Conjunction: 7 October 2021 PT; 8 October 2021 ET + UK
Mars and Sun at 15 Libra
The journey begins with the hero pondering over recent events, especially regarding compromises and agreements with others. Their desires are responding to a release or purge of a source of infectious enthusiasm. As much as the hero may want to please others, there is support for establishing and abiding by their own set of rules and boundaries and cutting ties with what no longer serves them.
02 Waxing Sextile: 7 May 2022
Mars 17 Pisces, Sun 17 Taurus
The hero finds themselves in a tricky and possibly daunting situation, pursuing a goal in a fog of delusion or flight of fancy, buoyed by faith for better or worse. The light that shines through the haze illuminates the ongoing shocking evolution of things they'd prefer would never change. Nevertheless, adaptation is necessary, and perhaps somewhat easier at this time than others, if the hero can navigate wisely within conditions of dimmed visibility.
03 Waxing Square: 27 August 2022
Mars 4 Gemini, Sun 4 Virgo
The hero is drawn to pursue many ideas at once, but encounters a conflict of interests when it comes to finishing a project involving careful analysis and meticulous processes. The ideas and projects are inspired by diplomatic negotiations between dramatic connections and lavish pleasantries on the one side, and the inclination to renounce an obligation on the other, both aggravated by the influx of sudden changes to things that used to be stable and dependable. The hero is challenged to put ego to one side in order to facilitate a functional solution.
04 Waxing Trine: 17 October 2022
Mars 24 Gemini, Sun 24 Libra
The hero is drawn toward many paths and feels that they must make a choice, while their imagination is prone to playing tricks on them and care must be taken to discern what is real. They are supported by a friend, a lover, a creative project or perhaps their own ability to find equilibrium within themselves, and there is a strong desire for harmony which can inspire compromise. While there may be much pressure to make a choice now, the coming Mars retrograde suggests that actions taken now will require reworking over the next few months.
05 Retrograde Station: 30 October 2022
Mars 25 Gemini, Sun 7 Scorpio
The hero is forced to retrace steps taken in recent months. That illusory fog remains a problem, and they may need to go back and try another path, or correct their understanding. Perhaps the helpful connection encountered during the waxing trine has revealed a more troubling and dangerous side as they respond to the hero's influence. This could result in a toxic feedback loop if the hero is not careful. On the bright side, with intention the hero could instead choose to use this energy to focus in and drill down on an issue of importance.
06 Opposition: 7 December 2022 PT; 8 December 2022 ET + UK
Mars 16 Gemini, Sun 16 Sagittarius
The hero finds themselves filled with energy for pursuing many ideas, which can also lead to anxiety or an overly full and stressful schedule. There is tension between those intellectual ambitions and the pursuit of some goal or belief, especially if the hero is unsure which goal is worth their dedication. There is difficulty discerning between imagination and reality where a passion or love interest is concerned, which could amplify the hero's chances of finding themselves in over their head. The hero may be tempted to criticize others to blow off steam, but would be better off doing The Work of Byron Katie than lashing out at others.
07 Direct Station: 12 January 2023
Mars 8 Gemini, Sun 22 Capricorn
The hero is finally ready to move forward again, their many interests now backed by a more serious reconsideration of their approach to time management, plus an increased ease of operating independently. They will do best by fully embracing complete responsibility for their life. Even the most unsavory aspects of it--even the parts that someone else screwed up.
08 Waning Trine: 29 January 2023 PT + ET; 30 January 2023 UK
Mars 9 Gemini, Sun 9 Aquarius
The hero is aided in their intellectual and organizational pursuits by an increased ability to function and thrive independently.
09 Waning Square: 16 March 2023
Mars 25 Gemini, Sun 25 Pisces
Once again the hero must battle their own imagination, beliefs, delusions and anxieties. It will require careful navigation to discern which actions are worth pursuing, which path to choose, as the mind struggles to perceive the situation objectively while riding an emotional roller coaster. This lack of clarity is no impediment to speaking loudly, however. This battle may be most useful if played out in the realm of the arts. Better to write Don Quixote than to be Don Quixote.
10 Waning Sextile: 21 May 2023 PT; 22 May 2023 ET + UK
Mars 0 Leo, Sun 0 Gemini
The hero faces an intense fear of rejection by stepping into the public eye and playing every character in a one-person show about the importance of adapting to a rapidly changing environment.
11 Return to 15 Libra: 19 September 2023
Mars 15 Libra, Sun 26 Virgo
After a successful tour of the show the hero returns home, enjoying accolades and revenue, but also contemplating the ultimate result of their efforts, how they will be remembered and the utility of what they are contributing to the world.
12 Next Conjunction: 18 November 2023
Mars and Sun at 25 Scorpio
Hearing the call of temptation, the hero struggles with the terrible gift of getting whatever they want, and begins therapy in hopes of putting an end to a cycle of unconscious self-destruction.
Now Do It
May this imagined tale serve to inspire you as you map out your intentions for your own journey. While the general feeling of each part should be applicable to everyone in some way, to really get a sense of how this could play out in your own life, you’ll want to look at how each of these transits will interact with your natal chart.
If you’d like help with any or all of this, I would love to aid you in envisioning your journey with a natal chart reading. Remember, this journey will be what you make of it. Set your sights high, make your plans practical, then do the work. I wish you every good thing on your journey!