Mars in Astrology

What does Mars rule over in your birth chart?

Astrologers treat this planet as the engine behind your action, competition and physical energy. Your temper falls under it as well. Your birth chart maps the sky as it looked at the exact moment and place of your birth. We read Mars on that map to see how you fight to reach your goals and how you handle stress.

This placement also gives you insight into physical desire and courage. Astrologers read it as a picture of how you pursue romance and what pulls you toward someone. In a crisis, it reveals your instincts. Your chart reflects whether, when a tough problem comes up, you confront the issue right away or map out a quiet strategy.

• Drive: see how you begin projects and spend your physical energy
• Anger: see what triggers your temper and how you settle down
• Desire: check how you pursue romance and how you show attraction
• Courage: check how you face fear and hold your ground
• Competition: watch how you play to win and deal with rivals

Reading your Mars sign

The zodiac sign Mars sat in at your birth acts as a filter for your energy. When your chart places the planet at 14°23′ Aries, astrologers describe you as direct, fast and bold. You probably move quickly and clear the air without delay. Taurus or Capricorn usually means you work at a steady pace and stay firm for a long time.

For easier reading, we sort the 12 signs into 4 elements. Fire signs tend to burn hot and move quickly, and Aries, Leo and Sagittarius belong to that group. Earth signs put their energy into practical results that you can touch and see. Air signs like to talk things over, while water signs follow gut feelings and emotional loyalty.

Finding the house Mars is in

Your sign shows how you act, while the house shows where that energy goes to work. Astrologers mark off 12 sections called houses in your chart, and each section covers a life area such as money, home or work. To calculate them, you need the exact time of birth, such as 8:15 AM. The sky moves through all 12 sections every day.

The house that holds Mars often marks the area of life where you work hardest. You might also feel the most friction there. When the planet sits in house 10, astrologers say you put your drive into your career and your public reputation. You might put more energy into running the household or debating with family members when the planet lands in house 4.

Mars across the signs

When is Mars retrograde, and when is it strong?

Every 26 months, Earth goes past Mars in orbit. The red planet then appears to move backward during a stretch of about 9 to 11 weeks. That backward-looking loop is what astrologers call retrograde motion. It can stretch the planet's stay in 1 sign to as much as 7 months. Astrologers say people born in this phase pace themselves and keep anger in before speaking.

The sign a planet occupies also tells traditional astrologers how comfortable that planet is. It sits in domicile in Aries and Scorpio, meaning it acts like a homeowner inside its own house. We read it as strong in Capricorn too, and there it supports steady discipline. Libra, Taurus or Cancer may have you taking longer to assert yourself directly.