Introduction

On Monday, September 2nd 2019, Mars will conjunct the Sun at 9 degrees of Virgo, 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 13-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: Two Years, Eleven Chapters and One Epilogue

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.

Chapter 1: The Artisan

09/02/2019

Sun conjunct Mars 9 Virgo

The hero is an artisan who seeks to create an old thing in a new way, so that it serves the people as they are now, adapting to changes in the landscape, climate, and technology. This useful item, this perfect machine, would spark joy and imagination, while also lending a pleasing nod to tradition, or an idealized version of tradition, cleansed of its soiled past.

First they must examine the previous iterations of this thing, define the ways they no longer suit the current times and decide what must go in order to make room for innovation. They imagine this perfect, adaptable thing, label their intentions for what it will do, sketch various designs, build mock-ups, and allow their imagination to run wild in this initial phase of design.

Chapter 2: A Foot in Each World

02/23/2020

Sun 5 Pisces sextile Mars 5 Capricorn

The hero is roused to action, not in the world of things or people, but in the realm of imagination and fantasy. While perhaps experiencing a lack of physical energy and mental clarity, they rethink tradition, dreaming of new structures inspired by the changing landscape, meanwhile letting go of something previously desired.

Chapter 3: Unbelievable

06/06/2020

Sun 16 Gemini square Mars 16 Pisces

The hero leaves the ordinary world to spend time reconnecting to their many different selves, following wherever curiosity may lead and encountering desires unbound by reality. While they will have to work harder than usual to see the truth in any given situation, in all matters artistic our hero has the power to construct epic non-realities. Tinkering alone in the workshop, the artisan combines ideas with emotions, pushing the boundaries of what should be possible.

Chapter 4: Art on Fire

08/16/2020

Sun 24 Leo trine Mars 24 Aries

Completely inspired by, and in love with, their creation, the artisan expresses their beliefs powerfully, with the aim of reconciling a rift between opposed individuals or groups. This creation, which challenges both power and tradition, is meant to tear down those aspects of each which no longer serve the people. They demolish the fourth wall, literally and/or figuratively. If done wisely, this act will recognize that whatever action is taken must be revisited, re-examined and reworked over the next several months. Perhaps this is where the first prototype of the new invention is revealed, with subsequent edits to be expected.

Chapter 5: Theory and Practice

09/09/2020

Sun 17 Virgo; Mars stations retrograde at 28 Aries

The hero revisits their initial intentions for their creation, realizing that what was created in moments of passion and fantasy has strayed somewhat from that practical vision. In order to realign the project to serve the intended purpose, what was previously done will need to be modified and some parts cut out completely or at least recycled.

Chapter 6: You Can’t Please Everybody

10/13/2020

Sun 21 Libra opposite Mars Rx 21 Aries

In the battle to rework the design, the hero wrestles with their passionate vision, the desire to make this thing beautiful and pleasing, to have it serve all people for all purposes, and the challenge it poses to tradition. It’s possible that in order to make this thing actually function, one of these ideals will need to be compromised. The artisan must choose whether to stubbornly double down on an approach or to evolve the project.

Chapter 7: Like a Phoenix

11/14/2020

Sun 23 Scorpio; Mars stations direct at 15 Aries

Here the hero has the potential to finally become clear on what they truly desire to bring forth. Used carefully, this clarity could boost efforts to reform the project’s design. However, care must be taken to avoid accidentally burning down the workshop in a moment of passion or binge drinking in premature celebration.

Chapter 8: Editing Ideals

12/11/2020

Sun 19 Sagittarius trine Mars 19 Aries

The artisan realizes that by releasing a previously held belief or goal, they are able to cut away those portions of the design that have been preventing this creation from working properly. At last, this is the final prototype.

Chapter 9: Strange Fruits

02/01/2021

Sun 12 Aquarius square Mars 12 Taurus

In this phase of the journey, our hero wrestles their idea into form. While their energy levels may fluctuate, the creation is worth the effort. What is being created will be of service to the greater community, and that vision inspires the action necessary to complete the tasks at hand.

Chapter 10: Complete Expression

04/13/2021

Sun 24 Aries sextile Mars 24 Gemini

At last, the finished product is distributed to those who will use it. It has the effect of energizing the passions and imaginations of many and is revealed to be a revolutionary innovation. While some critics may judge it harshly, others passionately endorse it and are united through its utilization.

Chapter 11: Final Product v1.0

08/14/2021

Sun 22 Leo; Mars 9 Virgo

The hero returns home with their creation, feeling a healthy mix of pride and humility. What was made serves its purpose, and life with this new thing is improved in the manner intended. As any great artisan would, they continue to assess what they have made, already re-envisioning the perfect machine, only more perfect.

Epilogue: Revising Contracts

01/07/2021

Sun conjunct Mars 14 Libra

The artisan hires a lawyer for the purpose of renegotiating contracts to ensure that they are paid a fair percentage of royalties for their invention. The next journey begins: adventures in equity!

Now Do It

May this imagined tale of an artisan's humble battle to bring a functional object into reality serve to inspire you as you map out your intentions for your own journey. While the general feeling of each chapter should be applicable to everyone in some way, to really get a feel for 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. That is exactly what I do in the Mars Cycle Reading.

If you know your rising sign, I’ve designed worksheets to help you wrap your mind around what areas of life are slated for practical innovations in the next two years and to track your intentions in a manageable way. Pin your worksheet to the wall so you can keep your eye on the prize throughout the full cycle. They are free to download when you sign up for the newsletter.

If you’d like help with any or all of this, I would love to aid you in envisioning your journey with a Mars Cycle 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!

Mars Cycle Worksheets

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