Often when the US federal government takes some important, strategic action like bombing or invading another country, the astrological alignments are so precise, I’m convinced there’s a “court astrologer” influencing and timing the actions.

Then there are local governments and the decision to cancel all sporting events while Mars is transiting Aries. Dumb. Here it would be wise to consult the local astrologers.

But you may have noticed that while the local governments are trying to keep people safe from illness, the people are getting increasingly restless and agitated. So while the threat from illness may have decreased, the threat from each other is growing. If people can’t release this energy, there’s more trouble to come.

Mars and Aries

Mars, the mythological god of war, astrologically rules the sign of Aries. Mars went into Aries at the very end of June 2020. Usually Mars transits a sign for a couple months (with a two-year cycle around the sun). But this year — this unusual 2020 — Mars will go retrograde and be in Aries both backwards and forwards until January 2021 – that’s six months of Mars in the sign it rules.

Mars, like Saturn, can get a lot of negative press. Because Mars is the active, male principle there can be lots of violence associated with it. But it’s important to understand that without Mars, we would never take action, start that project, stand up for ourselves, and demand basic human rights. Mars and Aries have courage. Mars stands up for itself.

Aries rules the “self” and it’s no wonder the “selfie” came to prominence during the Uranus transit of Aries from 2011-2018. Self-esteem is critical to the functioning of a self. When there is high self-esteem, Mars and Aries have the courage to stand up for self and demand the intrinsic rights of self. When there is low self-esteem, then Aries and Mars become angry, domineering and potentially violent.

Athletes

Athletes are ruled by Mars due to the drive, goal-orientation, energy and competitiveness needed in an athlete. If a person has Mars in the first house of the horoscope, there is athletic ability, especially if in a fire sign. The sun or moon in Aries also creates a great drive to assert self which athleticism being a popular channel for this.

With Mars transiting Aries, there is also a collective need for this outlet. Not only does the energy of sports provide outlet for natural energy, it also fosters the sense of community that is being challenged during Saturn’s transit of Aquarius which brought us the new “social distancing.”

Violence

While we don’t want people to get sick and/or die from illness, we also don’t want them killing each other. The rise in violence and non-peaceful protests has increased this year which can be attributed to the great transits of Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto through the authoritarian sign of Capricorn.

Aries squares Capricorn so the energy of Mars in Aries will continue to battle the forces of government, authoritarian control, regulation and law during the next six months.

Mars is a personal planet while Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto are non-personal, outer planets that govern longer time periods and society’s shifts and evolutions. Mars generally cannot win against so large a force; but that will not stop Mars from trying.

This is a story that is in many myths of the individual facing a much larger force and winning. Ultimately, Mars is saying that the individual matters. Mars can face this larger force with courage and resolve or it can face this larger force with petty acts of violence.

Mars in Aries Wants Sports

Allowing sports will not solve the global issues that face us, but it will allow the individuals to express the natural, human need for activity. Humans can only drink in front of the television for so long if they have a well-aspected Mars.

Today’s world has much suppression for the natural energies of humans including legal drugs, illegal drugs, and media. We don’t want people to take recreational opiates and fall asleep in the car but we also don’t want them to go outside and play basketball. Alcohol restrictions lift daily (thank you Neptune in Pisces) but this will just create more problems with Mars which as fire does not want to be drowned in water.

What is Mars to do?

Again, Mars may not have the overwhelming strength and structure of Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto. Yet the courage of Mars will not stop it from demanding what the self needs.