Quotes for the Red Planet: Mars

First an astrological look at the Planet Mars

The Sun formulates our goals: Mars pursues them. Through Mars we learn to act as independent and self sufficient beings, and to project ourselves into the world. Mars gives us the courage to stand up for our rights to assert ourselves and express our anger when necessary. Mars describes what we want from life and corresponds to our basic drives and motivations. Mars is concerned with assertion. To assert oneself is to declare one’s interests, to affirm, to be positive, to maintains one’s position, one’s individuality, in the face of pressure. The Mars principle not only helps us fight off unwanted pressure from the outside world but can also enable us to cope when the internal psychological conflict. Psychologically Mars represents the heroic archetype. Mars loves testing our strength and courage through competition of all kinds. Mars in the birth chart shows how we impose our will on the world, and whether we have the mental and physical stamina to follow through.

The Martian impulse is a selfish one, it is concerned with going out and getting what we want. Aspects to our Mars may indicate what we have learned about being selfish when we were young. Some people are told very strictly in childhood that it is wrong to be selfish, and then find it difficult late in life to allow themselves to want for something or be able to ask for it. Others are raised in a very competitive environment, and are taught the only way to survive is to push oneself forward. At worst Mars energy causes us to react in the heat of the moment without thinking of the consequences. This highly volatile and primitive energy works it’s best when it is consciously focused.

Mars is also the significator, along with Venus, of our sexuality, but whereas Venus relates to harmony of sexual union and to sensual pleasure, Mars relates to the sexual part of life which involves forcing the issue, the chase, the conquest, penetration. Again this incurs vulnerability. Mars brings passion and excitement to our lives, the more fully we live our Mars, the more vibrant we feel and the greater our well being. Mars represents male sexuality, and in man’s chart it shows how he feels about about and expresses his masculinity. In a woman’s chart it describes the qualities she finds desirable in a man, as well as the manner in which she expresses Mars energy herself.

Mars can also describe a tendency to be too eager to fight, perceiving threats from the outside where none where intended. A mismanaged Mars can incline towards aggression and anti social behavior. Mars in the chart shows how we direct our energies, our capacity for displaying forcefulness and aggression, and to the extent where our anger can be quickly aroused. It also indicates how far we are able or willing to be hurt and hurt others. Mars also represents the courage we need to become independent. We need a certain amount of drive to fulfill our inherent potential, as well as the conviction that we have the capacity to make something of ourselves. Mars assists the Sun in developing our healthy ego so that we can achieve our personal aims. Our sense of aggression provides the impetus that enables us to master the world and learn new skills, both qualities are essential to our sense of well being and self esteem. We need some fight in us to turn a potential situation into a concrete one.

Quotes for Mars

" The basic difference between being assertive and being aggressive is how our words and behavior affect the rights and well being of others." Sharon Anthony

"Too many of us fail to fulfill our needs because we say no rather than yes, or perhaps later in life, yes when we should say no." - William Glasser

"The practice of assertiveness: being authentic in our dealings with others; treating our values and persons with decent respect in social contexts; refusing to fake the reality of who we are or what we esteem in order to avoid disapproval; the willingness to stand up for ourselves and our ideas in appropriate ways in appropriate contexts". Nathaniel Branden

“Happiness and self confidence come naturally when you are moving and progressing toward becoming the very best person you can possibly be".