On June 26 Mars moved into the sign of Aries for 6 weeks. Aries is one of the powerful signs that Mars rules. The other sign Mars rules is Scorpio. Of these two signs Aries is considered the “positive sign”. This doesn’t mean “good”, it just means that Mars is embodying the male, or more outward moving aspect of Mars. When a planet inhabits its own sign it is very strong!
What does this mean for all of us humans inhabiting this planet? In Vedic astrology each of the planets rules one of the chakras in the human nervous system. This is how the planets have such a profound effect on us. The planets that rule the chakras go in the natural order of planets in the solar system:
1st or root chakra- Saturn
2nd chakra- Jupiter
3rd chakra or solar plexus- Mars
4th or heart chakra- Venus
5th or throat chakra- Mercury
6th chakra or 3rd eye- Sun and Moon (The sun rules the 3rd eye and moon is the mind or reflection of that point.
7th or Crown chakra is beyond all of the influence of the planets
This helps us to understand that when a planet is exalted or strong by its placement in a particular sign, it strengthens that energy within a particular chakra. Even nature will reflect these positions at the time. So Mars is a fiery planet, and currently in the fire sign of Aries. This means that our solar plexus is fired up which gives us more of a fiery nature right now. Energy is neither good or bad….it’s how we use it. Many people can channel it in a positive direction, like being active, getting a lot done, or even being disciplined in a practice like martial arts or yoga. Others might respond to it in a negative way like getting angry more easily or to restless. It’s up to us to determine how to respond to all that energy.
Mars moves into the sign of Aries for six weeks once every 1 1/2 years, so this is not too unusual. The big deal this year is that Rahu is there in Aries as well with Mars right now. Rahu is the Sanskrit name for one of the eclipse points in space. This is where the wild card comes in. Rahu directs our energy outward into material existence and amplifies any planet it is with. Often Rahu has an unbalanced nature that tends to be unsatisfied and want more. This can be a particularly difficult combination with Mars! One thing I really like to keep my eyes on is that date of an actual conjunction. This is when Mars and Rahu will come together on the same degree. So that date for that is coming up on JULY 31ST. I always find it interesting to mark these dates in my calendar and watch the movie that unfolds around me. Often I can see the results of these conjunctions in the outer world. If not I can definitely feel them. Sometimes I will look at a current astrology chart just to see why I am feeling so affected in a certain way. This helps me to understand how astrology affects everyone better.
Here is a little Mars/Rahu story as anecdote from my own life. I was at a music workshop in Berkeley right around the time Mars went into Aries with Rahu. Plus I just went into a Mars sub, sub period at the 3rd level of my dasha timing which is significant. In my particular horoscope Aries is the 4th house. The 4th house represents the house of home and property. So naturally I was waiting to see if anything related to fire, angry neighbor or Mars related events would happen at my home. However one of the problems with astrology is that certain houses also represent many other things. In this case the 4th house also represents the house of “car”. Two days after Mars moved into my 4th house with Rahu my car was broken into with three windows smashed out! On the other hand I was really enjoying my week learning music (Venus) and knowledge (Jupiter) because both of those planets were strong at the time. It was definitely an experience of extremes.
So one of the keys to understanding how these influences might affect you is to know what house Aries is either from you rising sign or moon. For that I would highly recommend an updated astrological reading from time to time to look at transits and your personal timing chart. There are so many things that a trained astrologer looks at to help you understand. Here is a very basic idea for you:
Aries rising or moon- Mars is in your first house of self and the body
Taurus- Mars is in your 12th house of sleep and spiritual awakening
Gemini- Mars is in your 11th house of financial gain and friends
Cancer- Mars is in your 10th house of career (This is a very powerful time for you in this area.)
Leo- Mars is in your 9th house of learning, teachers and good luck
Virgo- Mars is in your 8th house of hidden feelings and income from spouse or other people
Libra- Mars is in your 7th house of relationship
Scorpio- Mars is in your 6th house of health
Sagittarius- Mars is in your 5th house of children and creativity
Capricorn- Mars is in your 4th house of home, property, feelings and car
Aquarius- Mars is in your 3rd house of siblings, the arts and communication
Pisces- Mars is in your 2nd house of finances
Please enjoy the intensity of Mars right now, but you might want to lay low around July 31.