The Fire Mars

Mars in Aries wears the impenetrable armour of the warrior.  Mars represented military power as a way to secure peace, and was a father (pater) of the Roman people. In the mythic genealogy and founding myths of Rome, Mars was the father of Romulus and Rebus with Rhea Silvia. His love affair with Venus symbolically reconciled the two different traditions of Rome’s founding; Venus was the divine mother of the hero Aeneas, celebrated as the Trojan who “founded” Rome several generations before Romulus laid out the city walls. Mars in Aries represents the fiery passions of the warrior willing to sacrifice their life for the protection of home and family.  In mythology Ares was tried for killing a son of Poseidon who raped his daughter and was acquitted by the Olympus Gods.  This energy is intense, fiery and passionate. Mars in Aries is the representation of the renewal of spring and fertility and virility it brings. It is ardent and passionate in its expression as it seeks to fertilise the earth once more and awaken her from hibernation.

Mars in Leo is Hercules the Heroic adventurer in his Nemean Lion skin, battling demons and charming the hearts of many.  He was the greatest of the Greek heroes, a paragon of masculinity, the ancestor of royal clans who claimed to be his descendants.  Extraordinary strength, courage, ingenuity, and sexual prowess with both males and females were among his characteristic attributes. Heracles used his wits on several occasions when his strength did not suffice.  The ancient Greeks celebrated the festival of the Heracleia, which commemorated the death of Heracles, on the second day of the month of Metageitnion (which would fall in late July or early August).  Another episode of his female affairs that stands out was his stay at the palace of Thespius king of Thespiae, who wished him to kill the Lion of Cithaeron. As a reward, the king offered him the chance to make love to his daughters, all fifty of them, in one night. Heracles complied and they all became pregnant and all bore sons. This is sometimes referred to as his Thirteenth Labour.  As symbol of masculinity and warriorship, Heracles also had a number of male lovers. Plutarch, in his Eroticos, maintains that Heracles’ male lovers were beyond counting.

Mars in Sagittarius,  Sagittarius is ruled by Jupiter (Zeus) well known for his many liaisons.  As the sky god Zeus had easy access to the women of the world and took full advantage of it. Also, his power as a supreme god made him difficult to resist. Prior to his marriage to Hera he was married first to Metis, then Themis. He was interested in Demeter but she resisted him. His third wife was Mnemosyne. He was involved with Leto shortly before his marriage to Hera. The list of lovers after his final marriage, to Hera, is considerable: and include: Europa, Io, Ganymede, Callisto and Semele.  Sagittarius corresponds with the God Pabilsag who has strong connections to the lost city of Larak as its patron deity.  Pabilsag was called the warrior of Enlil and had the body of a Scorpion and the upper portion of a man.

The wild bull with brindled thighs, whose house is noble! My king, the wild bull with brindled thighs, whose house is noble! Pabilsaj, the wild bull with brindled thighs, whose house is noble! His house, the house of Larag, is noble, his house is noble! His city, a mighty city, is abundant, and his house is noble! The warrior’s house is the house of Larag; Lord Pabilsaj’s city is a mighty city ……. His birthplace was the shrine Nibru ……. The place where he drank good milk was the house ……. From the place, the pure place, ……. Isin, the unique house ……. The place which the bull embraces ……. Like a scorpion rising up from among the thorns, he is a fearsome scorpion; like a wolf rising up from his lair, he is likely to growl; like a lion rising up in the pathway, he is likely to beat …….

Mars in Sagittarius has the lusty sensual and erotic sex drive of Jupiter, its ruler here the native abandons themselves to the joys of sexual fulfilment with gusto.

The Earth Mars

Mars in Taurus, Mars in Virgo

Taurus was a representation of the God Enlil, Virgo was a representation of the Goddess Ninlil.

In the sleeping quarters, in the flowered bed fragrant like a cedar forest, Enlil made love to his wife and took great pleasure in it. He sat her on his dais appropriate to the status of Enlil, and made the people pray to her. The lord whose statements are powerful also determined a fate for the Lady (Aruru), the woman of his favour; he gave her the name Nintur, the ‘Lady who gives birth’, the ‘Lady who spreads her knees’. (…) Proud woman, surpassing the mountains! You who always fulfil your desires—from now on, Sud, Enlil is the king and Ninlil is the queen. The goddess without name has a famous name now,

Mars in Taurus represents the virility of Enlil fertilising the land, as does Mars in Virgo. Both these signs have a strong earthy virility that represent the earth in its most fertile period.

Mars in Capricorn,

Capricorn was connected the Sumerian God Enki and signified rulership in his name.  Enki was responsible for fertilising the fertile crescent with his seed – water of the Euphrates and Tigris.  Enki was a very virile and lusty God who fertilised they earth so that life could begin.

Capricorn was also connected to Pan whose son with Aphrodite (Venus), Priapus was renown for his erect and enormous phallus.  Priapus was a minor fertility deity and the large erect Phallus represents the virility of the earthy Capricorn with its large powers of virility.  Mars in this sign assumes the insatiable lust of Enki and Priapus.

Air Mars

Gemini Mars understand their sexual duality as one half of a whole..

The original human nature was not like the present, but different. The sexes were not two, as they are now, but originally three in number; there was man, woman, and a union of the two […] Terrible was their might and strength, and the thoughts of their hearts were great, and they dared to scale the heavens, and they made an attack on the Gods.

The Gods took council and Zeus discovered a way to humble their pride and improve their manners. They would continue to exist, but he cut them in two like a sorb-apple which is halved for pickling.
After the division, the two parts of man (the Androgyne), each desiring his other half, came together and throwing their arms around one another, entwined in mutual embraces, longing to grow into one; they were on the point of dying from hunger and self-neglect because they did not like to do anything apart; and when one of the halves died and the other survived, the survivor sought another mate, man or woman, as we call them–being the sections of entire men or women–and clung to that.
They were being destroyed when Zeus, in pity of them, invented a new plan. He turned the parts of generation round to the front, for this had not always been their position, and they sowed the seed no longer as hitherto like grasshoppers, in the ground, but in one another; and after the transposition the male generated in the female in order that by mutual embraces of man and woman they might breed and the race might continue; or if man came to man they might be satisfied, and rest, and go their ways to the business of life: so ancient is the desire of one another which is implanted within us, reuniting our original nature, making one of two, and healing the state of man.  

Hermaphroditus, the two-sexed child of Aphrodite and Hermes (Venus and Mercury) has long been a symbol of androgyny.  All three of these gods figure largely among erotic and fertility figures, and all possess distinctly sexual overtones. Sometimes, Hermaphroditus is referred to as Aphroditus.  In one version of the myth Salmacis was overcome by lust for Hermaphroditus, who was very handsome but still young, and tried to seduce him, but was rejected. When he thought her to be gone, Hermaphroditus undressed and entered the waters of the empty pool. Salmacis sprang out from behind a tree and jumped into the pool. She wrapped herself around the boy, forcibly kissing him and touching his breast. While he struggled, she called out to the gods that they should never part. Her wish was granted, and their bodies blended into one form, “a creature of both sexes”.  Hermaphroditus prayed to Hermes and Aphrodite that anyone else who bathed in the pool would be similarly transformed, and his wish was granted.  Hermaphroditus is associated with marriage the joining of two souls into one.  Even today the most auspicious time to get married is when the sun is in the sign of Gemini.

Mars in Libra.  The Scales represent Mother Ceres in her role of protector and administrator of justice as she weighs life and right in her scales, as such although Libra is an air sign it still contains an earthy sensual quality of its patrons Ceres and Venus.  Mars in Libra is capable of being very virile and passionate in expression.  Libra in Babylonian times was part of the constellation of Scorpio and those scales weighing life and right still contain Plutonian themes, Venus in Libra is very aware of the intensities of desire that exist within their own soul which is why they relate so well to others.  Libra begins at the equinox and at this point Persephone returns to her husband Pluto and the earth itself begins to reabsorb the vegetation and nutrients back within the soil to be broken down and recycled in time for spring.  Mars here understands about breaking down the old and creating life anew.

Mars in Aquarius.  Aquarius, represented the waters of the great one to the Babylonians, Enki / Ea poured his water of life or semen upon his wife Ninhursag (lady mountain) to fertilise the land in particular the rivers of the Euphrates, Tigris and the fertile crescent is associated with the fertile waters of Enki.  Mars is in a sign that represents the fertilisation of the earth through the water cycle, Enki symbolises the magic of the raindrop, the snow flake that falls from the air to merge with the earth the virility within nature.  Aquarius in Ancient times was associated with the shortest day in the northern hemisphere, this time has always been associated with celebration and bringing fertility back to the land through rituals. The myth Enki (Aquarius)and Inanna (Venus) tells the story of the young goddess who visits the senior god of Eridu, and is entertained by him in a feast. The seductive god plies her with beer, and the young goddess maintains her virtue, whilst Enki proceeds to get drunk. In generosity he gives her all the gifts of his Me, including: The art of lovemaking! The kissing of the phallus!  Mars in this lusty sign is insatiable.

Mars in Water

Mars in Cancer, Khonsu was the Egyptian moon God (Ruler of Cancer).  His name reflects the fact that the Moon (referred to as Iah in Egyptian) travels across the night sky, for it means traveller, and also had the titles Embracer, Pathfinder, and Defender, as he was thought to watch over night travellers. As the god of light in the night, Khonsu was invoked to protect against wild animals, increase male virility, and aid with healing. It was said that when Khonsu caused the crescent moon to shine, women conceived, cattle became fertile, and all nostrils and every throat was filled with fresh air.  Mars has its virility increased in this sign as a symbol of the potent fertility of Cancer the Womb and Mars the seed.

Mars in Scorpio, in ancient times the signs of Taurus and Scorpio represented the spring and autumn equinox.

The goddess Ereshkigal ruling the underworld and the non-productive part of the natural cycle when the earth reabsorbs the vegetation and recycles the nutrients.  Ereshkigal’s husband Gulganna the heavenly bull representing the fertile aspect of the cycle. Ereshkigal is often described as Innana’s (Venus) big sister.  In Roman mythology this cycle is portrayed by the myth of Ceres and Proserpina.  Venus, in order to bring love to Pluto, sent her son Amor also known as Cupid to hit Pluto with one of his arrows. Proserpina was at the Pergusa Lake, where she was playing with some nymphs and collecting flowers, when Pluto came out from the Mount Etna with four black horses named Orphnaeus, Aethon, Nycteus and Alastor. He abducted her in order to marry her and live with her in the underworld of which he was the ruler.  Mars here is filled with those Plutonian passions for Persephone, they are intensely passionate and very virile.

Mars in Pisces, Poseidon (Neptune) ruler of Pisces was in ancient Greece an earth God connected to the fertility cycle, Demeter and Persephone.  In classical Greece he was still referred to as ‘earth shaker’ denoting his passionate earthy nature that lay hidden in mythology.  GAIA The Goddess of the Earth was also a consort of Poseidon. She bore him numerous children including the giants Antaios and Kharybdis.  Poseidon was known for his many lovers.

The fish of Pisces may be connected to Siduri, the Sumerian barmaid Goddess (an incarnation of Venus) who lives at the lip of the sea, this was her advice to Gilgamesh:

Gilgamesh, whither are you wandering? Life, which you look for, you will never find. For when the gods created man, they let death be his share, and life withheld in their own hands. Gilgamesh, fill your belly. Day and night make merry. Let days be full of joy, dance and make music day and night. And wear fresh clothes. And wash your head and bathe. Look at the child that is holding your hand, and let your wife delight in your embrace. These things alone are the concern of men.

Mars in Pisces can make the earth tremble with passion, and fill your days with delight.