Mars has left Leo (bye!) and entered into Virgo. The raw, aggressive and goal-directed energy in the heavens is now pointed to Virgo the Virgin. Mars will be transiting Virgo through July 2012 which takes us through the Republican primary season.

Virgo is the discriminating mind. Remember Sally in “When Harry Met Sally?” Sally was a Virgo who had a very specific way about ordering a meal. Apply meal to anything and everything in life and you have a Virgo.

Somewhere in your chart, and the charts of the Republican presidential candidates, is the sign of Virgo. Mars is now in that area of the chart making aspects to other planets in the chart.

Let’s take a look at how Mars in Virgo affects the men and women running for presidential nominee in the Republican Party. I don’t have times of birth, so will be basing the advice on planetary aspects only.

I will list the candidates in reverse alphabetical order to give the ever-ignored Santorum top billing. He can thank me later. He owes me two favors now.

Rick Santorum

Effect: Mars will oppose natal Mars (in Pisces), square Saturn (in Sagittarius), trine the sun (in Taurus) and sextile Neptune (in Scorpio). While the trine is nice, squares to Saturn and opposition to Mars means your enemies will clamp down hard.

Advice: The same advice Ohio Astrology provided on the prep sheet – CONNECT THE DOTS, RICK. Focus on ONE thing you want to say and connect the dots to the supporting ideas. Your moon in Aquarius square sun in Taurus connects ideas with practicality in an unusual way. And, as Newt pointed out, it’s difficult to talk economic theory in 30 seconds. Figure out how to connect the dots in 30 seconds.

Mitt Romney

Effect: Mars will oppose Mars, Mercury and sun (all in Pisces), square Uranus (in Gemini) and sextile moon (in Scorpio). The opposition will be fierce and when the square to Uranus occurs (June 2012), there will be some strange maneuvering and possibly another individual speaking on your behalf.

Advice: The combination of Pisces, Scorpio and Gemini suggests someone less than totally truthful with the ability to manipulate facts in a desired direction. Facts are going to be pounded into you like nails into plywood. Just answer each question factually.

Rick Perry

Effect: Mars will oppose your sun (in Pisces), conjunct your natal Saturn/moon conjunction (in Virgo) and trine your Uranus (in Cancer). Eeek! That sun opposition to Saturn/moon is difficult enough to live with day-to-day and now it will be triggered in front of a national audience. There is more anxiety on the way.

Advice: Your anxiety is part of your super-sensitive nature. Running for president is clearly putting the anxiety meter off the scale. Do you really want that sensitivity as the American Republican Presidential Primary Blue Plate Special? Reconsider what you are doing in running for President. The issues arising with this aspect are the big clues.

Ron Paul

Effect: Mars will conjunct Mercury, Neptune and Venus (all in Virgo), trine the moon (in Taurus), sextile Pluto (in Cancer), sextile Mars and Jupiter (in Scorpio) and oppose Saturn (in Pisces). You are the candidate most energized by this transit.

Advice: Revel in the details that will emerge as Mars transits Virgo. The dialogue will move in a direction you enjoy where you will be able to pull out that slide rule and explain how things work. The greatest challenges are this month (November 2011) and March 2012 when Mars opposes that Saturn. During that time, others will try to undermine your sense of mission and your connection to your consitituency.

Jon Huntsman

Effect: Mars will oppose Mercury and Venus (in Pisces), conjunct Pluto (in Virgo), trine Jupiter and Saturn (in Capricorn) and sextile Neptune (in Scorpio). Virgo and Aries aren’t natural bedfellows, but general this transit has energizing effects.

Advice: If you can make it through mid-December when Mars conjuncts that Pluto, you will be good until March 2012. You must then pass the same sort of test to get past March. Mars on Pluto suggests nasty, ugly fighting, mostly verbal. As mentioned in the prep sheet, if you can get a handle on your meanness, you might make it through.

Newt Gingrich

Effect: Mars will make T-squares and crosses through your entire chart. Yikes! I can almost feel the pain you will endure when fact upon fact are thrust into your heart like daggers into the heart of a vampire. Rather than daggers they are more like boomerangs that you will throw out only to see return with added force. Mars will square Mercury, Uranus, Saturn and sun (in Gemini), square moon (in Sagittarius), conjunct Neptune (in Virgo) and sextile Jupiter (in Cancer).

Advice: If you weren’t running for President, I’d say just lay low and keep quiet. But I’m going to offer that advice anyway, for the good of your being. This transit through your chart feels like those Christmas tree lights you threw in the box last year, all tangled up. See if you can untangle them.

Herman Cain

Effect: Mars will square Mercury, Venus and sun (in Sagittarius), square Uranus (in Gemini) and sextile Saturn (in Cancer). As already mentioned in blog, this aspect will create friction. Your unpredictable nature will be challenged in every little teensy weensy detail. Sagittarius likes big picture, the entire universe, not one little star 500 million light years from earth.

Advice: As already mentioned, you will have to focus on those pesky details. Find a story, get it straight and stick with it. Also fine-tune the details behind your big picture schemes. Go find an astrology book and read about Virgo. Be like that for 5 minutes.

Michele Bachmann

Effect: Mars will create a T-square with Venus (in Gemini) and Saturn (in Sagittarius), trine Mars (in Capricorn) and sextile Uranus (in Cancer). This is a double-edged sword. You will feel energized by the focus on practical matters, but this aspect will strain personal relationships.

Advice: Mars in Capricorn and sun in Aries make you ruthlessly competitive and provides you with a lot of raw energy. This can make you very self-centered. Be honest and open with those closest to you. Success in life is not truly individual. It involves those that work with you and those that help you along the way. Those that work with you and help you are calling out to you now.