Mars says - I will act. Leo says - I will matter. Put them together and we get - I will act in a way that matters. And that can be magnificent. Has moved mountains. It can also go sideways in a hurry.
In Leo, the sign of the heart/the ego - Mars can be confident and brave. Here he can awaken/re-awaken a competitive spirit or motivation within us. A fire gets lit. Leo is a house of risk and Mars will be more likely to take them here. He/we can want to lead/stand out. And because anything taken too far pulls us into shadow territory, maybe especially in a sign ruled by the Sun - this wanting to 'stand out' thing, this needing to 'take up more space' thing, can make Mars/all of us, angry if we feel disrespected or treated with anything less than dignity.
Mars entered fixed fire Leo on September 27th, and he will be in Leo until November 25th when he will move into Virgo. On January 10th, 2027, Mars is going to station retrograde at 10-degrees Virgo and then get back into Leo in late February. He will station direct on April 1st at 20-degrees Leo, so we will be back on April 1st, 2027 to the Eclipse energy of August 12th, 2026.
Between Venus's retro in Scorpio and Libra dn Mars retro in Virgo and Leo (not to mention Mercury's retro in Scorpio) - this is going to be a VERY LONG FALL AND WINTER :)
Mars is the warrior. He fights, competes, protects, takes risks, pushes forward and goes after what he wants/spends energy in pursuit of something. Leo is the king's house. It is the place of sovereignty, dignity, recognition, pride, creativity and the right to occupy space.
So, Mars in Leo asks a very particular question. What are we willing to fight for when being seen matters? Or maybe what are we willing to fight for/take action on - when to do so makes us MORE VISIBLE.
This is different from Mars in a sign where the emphasis is simply on getting something done. And he will spend part of this retrograde in Virgo, yes, getting something done. But for now we/he are in Leo. In Leo, the manner of the action matters. The warrior doesn't just want to win - he wants his victory to mean something. He wants his courage recognized. He wants to know that what he did mattered.
And this can bring rewards and lots of goodies, but this is also where the shadow can begin. If his effort isn't acknowledged, Mars in Leo can become increasingly emphatic. I said it. Nothing happens. I SAID IT. Still nothing. Fine. I'll make you look at me. And suddenly the original issue has been eclipsed by the size of the reaction. And this ain't pretty.
Anger, with Mars in Leo, can be fueled by invisibility. This isn't so much about not getting what we want as it is with Mars in other signs, but something more akin to
"You didn't recognize what I gave."
Mars in Leo can be particularly sensitive to being ignored, being taken for granted, having his contribution minimized, being publicly embarrassed, having someone else receive credit or being treated as though his/our effort doesn't matter. Keep this in mind when dealing with people now. Keep this in mind with your own re-actions.
It is easy for anger to become disproportionately large because the argument isn't really about the immediate event. The deeper accusation is - "How dare you act as though I don't matter?" And because Leo is a fixed sign, once that question gets activated, the warrior may have an extraordinarily difficult time letting it go of it or simply walking away.
There is also something almost mythic about Mars arriving in Leo. The warrior enters the palace. And who does he think he is there to serve? Is he protecting the kingdom? Is he defending the king? Is he trying to become king? Is he proving his worth to the king? Or has he forgotten that he is a warrior and begun behaving as though every disagreement is a challenge to the throne?
At his healthiest - the warrior protects what is valuable (which is what Venus is all about figuring out right now with her retrograde). He takes responsibility. He acts courageously. He stands between danger and the vulnerable. He takes the lead when leadership is required. He inspires other people through his willingness to act.
People follow because HE GOES FIRST. That is an important distinction from simply demanding attention. Leadership versus domination. Boss vs bossy. Mars in Leo can be enormously charismatic because action itself becomes visible. There is something compelling about someone who says - "I'll do it." And then does it. That is the leadership side of Mars in Leo - confidence translated into action.
And then the distortion is - "If you won't follow me, I will make you." Then leadership becomes dominance. The king who inspires loyalty becomes the king who requires loyalty. The warrior who protects the kingdom becomes the warrior who needs a battle. And maybe the most dangerous expression is when being seen becomes more important than what we are actually doing! Let's keep this in mind.
That's where the ugly displays, theatrical confrontations, reckless risks and volcanic temper can appear.
What we can try to do during this transit as life tosses situations at us for us to work with this stuff - and this is the reason that Virgo follows Leo - is lean away from pride and into DIGNITY. Pride is something like - do they recognize me? Dignity is more like - do I recognize myself in what I did? Does this action make me larger or smaller? Does my effort lift me up or am I trying to force someone else to see me?
And then there is Pluto because Mars in Leo immediately gets to oppose Pluto and this is going to get REPEATED. If Mars in Leo is saying - I will ACT. Pluto in Aquarius is saying - THERE ARE FORCES LARGER THAN YOU ARE BUDDY. This transit is about learning/dealing with what and who has power over us.
(Mars is also going to catch up with the South Node and with Jupiter during his time in Leo. We will talk about that in Part II)
The opposition will expose what happens when personal will collides with collective power. Who gets to decide? Who gets heard? Who has authority? Who is allowed to take up space? What happens when an individual's will conflicts with the group? This could make the opening of this transit feel especially combustible and vulnerable. And then the retrograde that takes us into 2027 feels like a long examination of how we use will, visibility, pride and authority. Plus, the 'who/what has power over us' lessons.
And then once Mars goes retrograde and especially once he gets back into Leo next February -
Why am I fighting this? What am I trying to prove? Why does being ignored make me so angry? Am I fighting for something or fighting to be acknowledged for fighting? Is this actually my battle? Am I leading, or am I demanding to be followed? What does courage look like when nobody applauds?
And that last one may be particularly important. Because the MATURE Mars in Leo doesn't stop acting simply because nobody is watching. The warrior eventually discovers that dignity doesn't require an audience.
And that is the highest expression of Mars in Leo (and take it from me, born with a retrograde Mars in Leo in an exact opposition to Saturn/Sun) - we don't have to make ourselves impossible to ignore. We have to become so clear about what is worth our effort that we don't waste our fire trying to convince people to see it.
Mars in Leo can be an excellent LIFE-GIVING and life-affirming transit.
Let's make a list of positives here! :)
1. The MARS SHIFT FROM CANCER TO LEO - We go from Cancer, where we are defending ourselves - to Mars in Leo - "What do I want to create?". Instead of energy going toward defending territory, family, identity, history, or emotional security, some of that energy becomes available for expression, creation, play, performance, competition, romance, entrepreneurship and leadership. We say we are going to make something and then we actually make it.
2. COURAGE BECOMES VISIBLE - Leo is not just about being seen. It is about having the courage to show ourselves. Mars here can encourage people to put their work out there, take the stage, start the business, enter the competition, make the proposal, audition, perform, speak up, lead the project. This doesn't have to be some big, complicated thing. It can actually be very uncomplicated. "This is what I can do. Watch me." We are not saying - watch me because I am better than you are - we are saying 'Watch me because I am willing to give this thing a shot. I am willing to TRY".
3. WE ARE MORE WILLING TO STEP UP AND LEAD - Mars in Leo can bring a certain decisive confidence that has been missing. Someone eventually has to stand up and say they will go first. And then actually go first. Then other people may be relieved. That's the constructive side of the king/warrior story. A good leader doesn't need to dominate the room. They give everyone else permission to move. So collectively, this can be a period when people discover that leadership is not necessarily about having authority over others. Sometimes it's just about taking responsibility for the first step.
4. JOY CAN COME BACK - this is an underrated positive. Mars is desire and appetite. Leo is a fire sign. After Mars has spent so much time in Cancer, there can be a collective movement from protecting life to participating in life. Leo wants to play. It is the sign of entertainment, sports, romance, children, games, creativity, celebration, spectacle. There can be more willingness to enjoy being alive rather than constantly preparing for what might go wrong. Mars in Leo doesn't only want attention, although yes he wants attention :) - he wants ALIVENESS.
5. CREATIVE COURAGE - This might be one of the best manifestations. Mars gives Leo the energy to move from inspiration into production. So instead of having an idea we actually have the energy to do/build the thing. For artists, performers, entrepreneurs, writers, designers, inventors, teachers - everyone is making something - this can be excellent fuel. "This is mine. I made this. This matters to me." Ownership. Then Mars' move into Virgo is where the thing gets refined and then back to Leo to present again.
6. HEALTHY COMPETITION - Mars likes a contest. Leo likes the ARENA. At his best, Mars in Leo can make competition fun rather than threatening. Let's see what you can do. I'll show you what I can do. Let's make each other better. That is very different from competition based on humiliation or domination. The healthy Mars-in-Leo competitor doesn't need the other person to lose in order to prove their own worth. They can actually enjoy having worthy opponents. I sometimes watch chess videos and they usually have a great camaraderie and respect for each other.
7. CHILDREN AND PLAY MATTER AGAIN - Leo has an important relationship with the child - not necessarily childishness, although sometimes that, too, but the part of us that wants to play simply because playing feels good. Not everything has to be productive. Go outside. Make something. Dance. Play the game. Build the ridiculous thing. Put on the costume. Tell the story. Take the photograph. This is Mars as creative life force, rather than Mars as conflict.
8. ROMANCE MATTERS AGAIN - coupled with Venus retrograde (especially maybe when she gets back into Libra and the intensity lessens a bit), there can be more willingness to flirt, make the first move, plan the date, dress up, be playful, take a romantic risk or just admit we have a crush. And of course this applies to long-term relationships, too - remembering your partner is someone you are still capable of desiring, pursuing and having fun with - not just someone with whom you share responsibilities. There is also something very Leo about being chosen. Leo wants to know - "You saw me. You could have chosen anyone. You chose me." The shadow, of course, is needing constant validation - prove you love me, prove I'm special, prove I'm desirable. But the healthy expression is much sweeter - I know what I feel. I know what I desire. I'm willing to show it. And I'm willing to let someone else show me that they desire me, too. And this brings us back to our larger Mars in Leo theme about becoming the courage to be VISIBLE - romance requires courage because desire makes us visible. We have to risk being seen wanting something.
I had 10, but the last two have slipped away from my decreasing attention span. If I think of them, I will pop back in.
Keep in mind as we move through the next couple months and then again when Mars gets into Virgo that we will BE BACK here in Leo next year. So we get all the way through Leo/our spotlight and into Virgo - where we get the reality of making something work/fixing it/paying attention to the details - and then head back into Leo and then back to Virgo.
And we want to keep in mind the North Node in Aquarius and Mars multiple stand-offs with Pluto - are we acting on something that brings to life/serves (Leo/Virgo) ourselves AND others or, being Mars in any fire sign is very ANTSY - acting from a need for something to move so we don't have to sit with what we feel .... and Saturn and Neptune are both answering to Mars as we make this journey ...
We will look at all this and more in Part II.
xo all
No comments
Post a Comment