Mars in Astrology: Energy, Desire, Action and Ruled Signs

Mars in the sky

Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun. Smaller than the Earth, it is rocky, and its red colour comes from iron oxide (rust) on its surface. It completes its orbit in about 687 days, that is 1.88 Earth years. Its day lasts roughly as long as ours: a little over 24 hours. It has two small moons, Phobos and Deimos, whose names mean "fear" and "terror" in Greek.

It is visible to the naked eye, and its unmistakable reddish hue has always drawn attention. About every 26 months, the Earth overtakes it, and Mars then seems to move backwards for a little over two months: this is its retrograde motion, an optical effect, as with the other planets.

Ares, Mars and the month of March

For the Greeks, Ares was the god of war. In Rome, Mars had a more complex status: a warrior god, legendary father of Romulus and Remus, but also a deity linked to fields and spring. The month of March, which opened the early Roman year, is dedicated to him, and so is Tuesday (Martis dies). His symbol, a circle with an arrow, is presented as a shield and a spear.

What Mars symbolises in astrology

In the birth chart, Mars evokes vital energy and action: the way one takes the plunge, defends what matters, fights or surpasses oneself; desire, anger, courage, competition, initiative. It is linked to the body in motion, to sport, to physically demanding work. Its symbolic shadow: impulsiveness, aggressiveness, impatience.

In Hellenistic tradition, Mars is the "lesser malefic" (with Saturn as the "greater malefic"): a body whose tone is harsh and tense. This label belongs to an ancient classification, which many modern astrologers have abandoned in favour of a more psychological reading: the energy of Mars is neutral in itself, and what matters is what one does with it.

Rulership and exaltation: the signs linked to Mars

See the portraits of Aries and of Scorpio.

Mars today: a world explored

Astronomers now know it through probes and robots that roll across its surface. It holds the highest volcano in the Solar System, Olympus Mons (about 22 kilometres high), and ancient riverbeds indicating that liquid water once flowed there billions of years ago. No living being has been found there. This modern knowledge does not diminish the symbolic power of the red colour, but it reminds us of the difference between what we know of Mars (a cold, dusty planet) and what it evokes in stories (war and fervour).

Reading Mars in a chart

Mars, like the other bodies, is read through its sign (the way of acting: direct, patient, passionate), its house (the area in which one invests energy) and its aspects. A Mars in Aries is described as direct; a Mars in Cancer, more indirect and protective. These descriptions are archetypes of language. Mars remains on average about six to seven weeks in a sign, longer during retrogrades.

In astrology, the movement of Mars across the sky is often used to date moments of "action" in life: this idea of "transits" is a reading game, not a calendar. See the houses and the aspects.

Gauquelin's "Mars effect"

A famous chapter: in the 1950s, the French statistician Michel Gauquelin claimed that sports champions were born more often than chance would predict when Mars was rising or at its culmination. This "Mars effect" was the subject of long controversy. The scientific community criticised the statistical biases of the study, and attempts at replication did not confirm the result. Astrologers themselves are divided on what to make of it.

An honest view of this reading

Here Mars is a symbol of energy and desire. Controlled tests have not established that the position of Mars at the moment of birth predicts a temperament or a destiny. You may nonetheless use this image to reflect on your way of acting and asserting yourself. See the history and limits of astrology.

Frequently asked questions

Also read

The meanings mentioned belong to tradition and symbolism. They are neither promises of results nor medical advice. Back to Guide to astrology basics.