On Saturday, November 18th, 2023, the Sun is conjunct Mars and we have a new 2-year Mars cycle.
This is a very important transit because it initiates a brand-new Hero’s Journey.
The Sun is our identity, and Mars is how we take action, so when the Sun and Mars meet in the sky, we press the reset button.
This is a cosmic call to reassess our goals, redefine our desires, and realign our actions with our authentic self.
Mars – The Impulse To Act
Unlike Mercury and Venus, which never go a full circle around the Sun – as seen from Earth – Mars is the first planet that makes a full orbit around the Sun. With Mercury and Venus we can’t have squares, trines or oppositions with the Sun. With Mars, we can.
So Mars is the first planet that challenges the fated dimension of our personality – the Sun – and has a will of its own. Mars is our free will – how do we get to change our destiny and have a say in our evolutionary development.
We have our first Mars return at the age of 2. This is the age of endless “no’s”. At 2, the child finds out that they have a will, and they want to exercise it.
The “no” phase is very important in our psychological development.
This is when we learn that we have boundaries, and that we can alter our circumstances.
Without a properly developed Mars, we feel we have no say in the making of our own lives, being trapped in a perpetual child phase, depending on others for survival.
The archetype associated with the planet Mars is the warrior, and indeed Mars was traditionally the god of war. What is interesting, is that Mars was not just the god of war, but also the king of the army. He doesn’t fight for the sake of destruction, but to protect the interests of the king (the Sun).
Similarly, the actions we take are in the best interests of our inner Sun, or of our highest Self.
When Mars is healthy, our actions simply follow our purpose – and we grow and evolve. When we don’t know who we are and what our spiritual purpose is, our actions are disjointed, and as a result we can become scattered or aggressive.
If we feel stuck, uninspired, or lethargic, this can be traced to an unhealthy expression of the Mars archetype. Most of the time, we associate Mars with anger and aggression, but depression, in many cases, is rooted in the lack of expression of Mars.
When our actions are not aligned with our true purpose (Sun), when our inner fire is not ignited, we find ourselves in a state of stagnation and emotional heaviness.
Mars is the impulse to act and pursue our wants and desires (Venus). When this natural instinct is inhibited, when there’s no outlet for the dynamic Mars energy, we dissociate from ourselves and forget who we are.
It doesn’t help that in our society, Mars energy is not always valued. Pursuing our desires is considered selfish. Stating our point of view in a conversation is considered confrontational. However selfishness, anger, or aggression are usually symptoms of misaligned Mars energy.
Mars in its purest expression just ‘knows’ what to do. It is deeply connected with its intuition and takes actions that serve the best interest of our authentic selves.
Do you feel engaged and motivated? Do you go for what you want? Do you get things done?
Or do you lack energy and motivation, procrastinate, and busy yourself with things that are not productive and not moving you towards your goals?
Sun Conjunct Mars – A New Mars Cycle
If it’s the latter, there is good news. This pattern can change on November 18th. When we start a new Mars cycle, we have a unique celestial opportunity to press the ‘reset’ button.
The Sun-Mars conjunction is our chance to rewire our Martian impulses, realign our actions with our authentic desires, and break free from the shackles of inertia that hold us back.
Many of us believe change is hard. We’ve always done things ‘this way’. Doing things differently feels alien.
But the truth is, change doesn’t have to be hard. The Mars type of change is not hard, because it’s rooted in our wants and desires (Venus). But it does require a key quality: courage.
With Mars, we don’t actually know what will happen if we take action. We might fail. We might get criticized. But the outcome is not the point. It’s the actual act of standing in our truth that will do all the heavy lifting for us.
What do you value? What makes you happy? What’s the natural next step to align your actions with your authentic desires and step into the life you truly want?
Sun Conjunct Mars In Scorpio
The sign of the Sun-Mars conjunction will give us clues about the most effective ways to express our desires and assert ourselves.
It’s one thing to have the Sun-Mars conjunction in Libra, and a completely different thing to have it in Scorpio.
The Sun-Mars conjunction happens at 25° Scorpio. This is a particularly potent Mars cycle. Why? Because Mars actually rules Scorpio.
In Scorpio, Mars finds it easier to express itself. Mars in Scorpio is a natural at all things Mars.
Mars rules 2 signs: Aries and Scorpio.
If Mars in Aries is spontaneous action, Mars in Scorpio is the stoic determination.
When Mars in Scorpio wants something, it will get it. Period. Unlike Mars in Aries, which is the genius spark of initiation that gets things moving, but doesn’t necessarily have the stamina to sustain them, Mars in Scorpio is a powerhouse of relentless determination.
Scorpio is a water sign, which means it’s motivated by its deepest emotions. Put “water”, “fixed”, and “Mars” together and you get a Rocky type of character – resilient, strong, determined, and ready to face any challenge.
Mars in Scorpio is here to remind us that we have the in-built stamina and resilience to get absolutely anything we want.
The only question Mars in Scorpio will press you to answer is “Do you really want it?” “Do you want it badly enough?”.
Because if you do, you will get it.
Sun conjunct Mars In Scorpio – Slaying The Dragon
BUT. There is always a but.
Scorpio’s waters run deep. There are often hidden layers of ramifications to Mars in Scorpio’s desires. Things are often not as straightforward as they appear to be.
Scorpio as an astrology archetype represents the deep bonds that form between people – the type of bonds that are necessary for survival.
From the agricultural revolution onwards, a couple had a greater chance of survival than individuals on their own. The 2 parents knew they had to be together through thick and thin, and worked hard to keep things together for the sake of their and their children’s survival.
These deep Scorpionic bonds become the unwritten rules of relating. Our parents pass them down to us. We pass them down to our children. But then it comes to a point where these unwritten rules no longer serve our evolution.
We don’t have to do things the way they have always been done. Yes, these rules served us well. But there’s a time to use their legacy as a catalyst for alchemical transformation.
How do we do that?
By metaphorically slaying the dragon.
Dragons represent our subconscious, and facing them is symbolic of integrating hidden aspects of the self.
Carl Jung talked about confronting one’s inner dragons as part of the individuation process.
In Joseph Campbell’s theories, slaying the dragon is a key part of the hero’s journey. The hero faces challenges, undergoes a transformation, and returns with newfound wisdom. The dragon is the ultimate challenge or the hero’s deepest fear.
The dragon is portrayed in the earliest legends and myths, including the tale of St. George, a Christian martyr who slew a dragon that was terrorizing a city.
This age-old narrative represents the courage of doing the impossible – the most difficult task, by addressing the formidable adversary, liberating the community from the grip of fear and oppression.
We find the slaying the dragon metaphor in the Vedic Rahu/Ketu (North Node/South Node) myth too.
In the myth, Lord Vishnu beheaded dragon Svarbhānu, who sneakily stole the immortality elixir, threatening the divine order, symbolized by the Sun and the Moon.
A New Mars Cycle – We Always Have A Choice
Slaying the dragon is a Scorpio metaphor for cutting the umbilical cord – not in the way Aries cuts Pisces’, to leave the womb and become an individual in its own right – but to cut our karmic umbilical cord.
When the dragon – a metaphor for our karmic baggage – is slain, the past (South Node) and future (North Node) are separated.
The newfound awareness of their separation is the prerequisite of free will.
This understanding helps us untangle from the threads of our past, allowing us to consciously shape our destiny.
When we are no longer unconscious of how our karmic baggage influences us, we reclaim the power to make choices aligned with our true selves.
At the Sun-Mars conjunction in Scorpio, reflect on the deep-seated fears or ingrained patterns that may be holding you back from getting what you want.
What issue do you need to address to break free from past conditioning? What dragon do you need to slay to pave the way for personal transformation?
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