MARS: Lord of Death and Bringer of Life,
and Its Soul-Centered Meaning in Your Chart

It is said in the Ancient Wisdom Teachings that from the perspective of the Soul, incarnation means “death” and what we experience as the physical termination of an incarnation is known to the Soul as the beginning of life. As both the traditional and Soul-Centered ruler of Scorpio, Mars has a very dualistic expression. But on both levels, Mars is very definitely the planet most closely associated with the desire nature.

On the Soul level, this is the desire for physical incarnation. It is in this respect that Mars is also connected to Aries for it is through the “doorway of the Ram” that the fiery impulse for physical life begins to take form. It is here that Mars reveals itself as the power behind the “Sacrificial Lamb”. A part of the Soul must be sacrificed, in order to descend into matter and manifest itself through a physical body on the Earth. It is through this incarnational process that the “death” of an aspect of one’s Higher Self occurs so that it may be born into the three worlds of the personality: physical, emotional, and rational. This is called the “mortification of the Soul” and the willing sacrifice of the “Light which is Love”. The descent into matter is part of our Path and it occurs again and again through the Law of Rebirth governed by the Law of Karma. Our rebirth into Light requires the redemption of the lower self and the original form of the desire nature which brought us into physical incarnation in the first place. The above can be said to be a metaphysical explanation for the Christian doctrine of “original sin”.

Many of us are on this redemptive Path to “Home”. But the desire for the release from continuous cyclic incarnation is also a function of Mars. The personality seeks its release through death—the “mortification of the flesh”—so that its inner, spiritual Essence may rejoin with its Parent/Soul after the experiences in Earthly incarnation. The magnetic force which pulls us through the “tunnel of Light” at physical death is none other than Mars’ “Soul-Mate”, Venus (Love). Mars is thus the ruler of the death of the Higher Self as it seeks to birth itself in the personality. It is also the death of the personality so that reunification with the Soul may take place.

Mars also stimulates one’s physical vitality through its rulership over the bloodstream. We can say that as long as a person’s consciousness is polarized exclusively in the lower self, Mars is of paramount importance. This facet of its influence has a great deal to do with the intimate connection Mars has to sexuality and the reproductive urge. Thus, at least in the biological sense, death is conquered. In Soul-Centered astrology, Mars is associated with the solar plexus center, the source of the astral/desire body of the lower self, and is thus thoroughly linked with the passion of the five senses.

Mars is one of two planetary expressions for the Sixth Ray of religion and devotion (the other is Neptune). As Pisces is also energetically linked to this Ray, Mars is also especially connected to this sign. It is interesting to note that Pluto, the higher octave of Mars is the esoteric ruler of the Fish. Thus there is a strong connection between the orientation to death of Mars and the Red Planet acting as the vehicle for the redemptive, regenerative energies of Pluto. Neptune is the traditional ruler of Pisces but is also a vehicle from the Soul level of the energy of the Christ. It is through Neptune and its esoteric rulership over Cancer (and the Moon’s esoteric rulership over Virgo) that the Holy Mother is brought into the archetypes of the major Piscean Age religion, Christianity. It is when Mars as “God of War” and Neptune as “God of Illusion” acting through the personality nature and solar plexus of Humanity, that the so-called “armies of God” are created and go about the planet slaughtering and maiming in the name of religion and “love”. Religious terrorism notwithstanding, we can look forward to a calming of such warlike religious expressions as the Sixth Ray Pisces Age recedes and the Seventh Ray Aquarian Age emerges.

In the Soul-centered natal horoscope, the position of Mars by sign and house will indicate the following:

Hint: The resolution to a great deal of this Soul-centered battle, has to do with the relative positions of Neptune and Pluto both in the natal horoscope and by the transits of these two planets to Mars.

Now let’s take a brief look at the position of Mars in each of the signs:

Aries: Mars is manifesting its energy through a sign that is on the First (Will) and Seventh (Order) Rays. Thus a battle takes place in the life to reorient the will of the personality to the Will of the Soul. Once this is accomplished, the external life can be expressive of the Internal Order of the Higher Self. The sacrifice of the Aries Lamb has a great deal to do with having to undergo those tests in life which require the transformation of personal desires. It is the task of Soul-centered people with Mars in Aries to clear a way in the personality life for the expression of the Path. The Soul-centered individual with Mars in Aries is likely to initiate some phase of group work which furthers the work of the “Fire of Life.”

Taurus: The battle which Mars engenders in this sign has to do with one’s attachment to material forms and possessions. It is also very much connected with the physical forms that our desires may take: that special look, that particular kind of man or woman, etc. Individuals with this placement may find that their spiritual path requires them to remain free of those strong magnetic attachments to materiality that so overwhelm the majority of people. This battle with the form life may also manifest as the incorrect use of sexual or financial energy. The cultivation of a proper rapport with Venus and the creation of right relationships with love and money, i.e. the transformation of selfishness, may greatly help the situation. On the Soul-centered level, the planet Vulcan is involved (as esoteric ruler of Taurus), bringing in a great deal of spiritual will/power.

Gemini: Mars in this position tends to accentuate the duality of the Twins, adding to the tension between the lower and Higher Self. This tension serves a very positive purpose in the life of a Soul-centered individual however, as it gives rise to a clear distinction in the individual’s mind as to the difference between the desires of the personality and those of the Soul. As the Soul-centered ruler of Gemini, Venus works to harmonize this tension through a person’s endeavors at right human relationships. The victory over this battle of duality is assured as Venus promises the eventual marriage of this or any, pair of opposites. Mars in Gemini is also capable of opening the Path for the loving energies of the Higher Self as this combination joins a Sixth Ray planet (devotion) to a Second Ray sign (love/wisdom). It is through the energy of Mercury in the world of the personality that this greater message may be communicated.

Cancer: As Neptune is the esoteric ruler of Cancer, the Sixth Ray energy of Mars is augmented in this sign. This creates a tremendous sense of devotion which can be “blind” and illusionary when expressed through the uninitiated. Thus on the personality level, Mars in this sign may lead an individual to obsessive devotion based purely on sensual romanticism or desires untempered by reason. On the Soul-centered level, the Third Ray energy (Active Intelligence) of Cancer predominates. The individual is very much involved with the right use and proper direction of the mind in order to bring about the transformation of the lower desire nature. In this way, the personality is helped in its path of conscious devotion to the will of the Soul. The battle for Mars in Cancer is involved with acquiring detachment from the obsessive pull of the emotions.

Leo: Fire is the “great liberator”, and with Mars in Leo, it indicates the potential to liberate oneself from a focus of self-consciousness to one of consciousness to the Self. It is in this aspect of the transformation process that this particular battle of Mars takes place. The consistent preoccupation with one’s personality and the need to express the desires of the lower self are very strong when Mars and the Lion are joined together. The battle that has to be fought is a difficult one, as the vitality and creativity of the ego must come under the direction of the Soul if spiritual advancement is to come about. This usually takes place through the Fifth Ray (Concrete Mind) mental qualities of Leo, as fiery passions for the advancement of oneself give way to enlightening ideas for the benefit of the group.

Virgo: This sign is ruled by the Moon from the level of the Soul and is very closely associated with that portion of pregnancy known as “the quickening.” This is when the fetus is first felt to be stirring in the womb. It is at this point that the Soul makes its initial contact with the physical form in preparation to receive it. When Mars is in Virgo, we can say that the individual is in a process of “quickening the spiritual Path”. Mars always opens a way; it is after all the ruler of Aries, the pioneer. Mars in this sign creates the way for the presence of the indwelling Soul to birth itself into objective consciousness. This is accomplished through the Sixth Ray and the necessary devotion to the selfless service that heals the wounds and divisions of the personality.

Libra: When Mars is in this sign and expressing through the personality, the individual is constantly at war with herself through her relationships. On the Soul-centered level, this battle ceases and Mars comes to a resting place. Instead of being at war with oneself, the individual can now act as an arbitrator between warring factions, pointing the direction to greater harmony for group purposes. Rays Three (Active Intelligence) and Seven (Ceremonial Order) are both expressive of the structure and right use of mental energy. Thus the Sixth Ray devotional energy of Mars when in the Scales, is balanced by objectivity and the urge to bring about peaceful solutions for the good of the whole. Mars in this position can thus be seen as a crusader and standard bearer for the Law of Right Human Relations, governed by Venus, the exoteric ruler of the sign.

Scorpio: This is the strongest position for Mars as Scorpio is the ruled by the Red Planet on both exoteric and Soul-centered levels. There is no avoiding the battle to transform the desire nature when Mars is in this sign! The lower self will make its “last stand” and put up a terrific fight in order to keep its attachments to the desires of the personality. If found in the horoscope of a person who has already been through the “fiery door” and has thus transmuted the desire nature into the loving expression of the will of the Soul, Mars in Scorpio can indicate a true healer and light-worker. Mars in Aries indicates the birth of the personality, while in Scorpio, Mars indicates the personality’s death. As we shall now see, the next two signs bring the released personality onto the Path (Sagittarius) of Initiation (Capricorn).

Sagittarius: On the personality level, this position often increases the duality and war between the lower and Higher Self. The Soul-centered Mars in Sagittarius person however, will not let anything stop him from achieving his spiritual purpose. Sagittarius is also found upon the Sixth Ray, making an individual with this planet/sign combination very devoted to the Path. As he marches forward, Mars in Sagittarius opens this Path for others to follow, expressing love and courage, joy and optimism as qualities of the Soul. The Holy Grail, symbol of the true Goal of life, has been sighted. The house position of Mars in this sign will indicate the nature of those activities of life undertaken in order to achieve it. Mars in this placement is the arrow in the bow of the Archer, pointing the way to the Mountain Top of fulfillment.

Capricorn: From the perspective of the personality, Mars in Capricorn can be seen as the culmination or victory of personal ambitions over the limitations of the material world. Unless Mars is poorly aspected, the ego has usually become successful in dominating its environment. Quite often, a personality-centered individual can be found with a very positive placement of Mars in Capricorn but the ambitious nature of this combination gives no rest, no sense of ultimate achievement. From the Soul-centered perspective, Mars in Capricorn indicates that the desires of the material plane have been placed under the total dominance of the Soul, thus achieving victory over the physical world. The individual stands ready to go forth as a server of Light, using the First Ray qualities of the Goat to establish the Will of the Soul (which is the Will to Love) in the world.

Aquarius: At an earlier stage of development, Mars in Aquarius may try to bend the collective will of any group of people into an expression of the will of his personality. He battles with the rules of society and any established mode of social behavior. The Soul-centered individual with Mars in this position has matured. Aquarius is on the Fifth Ray, ruled by Venus and the Law of Right Human Relations. Thus from the level of the Soul, Mars in Aquarius will utilize its energy towards being a vehicle for the encouragement of group identity and collective purpose. The battle isn’t over, only the battleground has changed. Aquarius is ruled from the Soul level by Jupiter and the Second Ray. When combined with the Ray influence of Mars, this combination becomes very idealistic, often leading a person into doing battle to defend the humanitarian ideals and principles of the group to which he or she belongs.

Pisces: On the personality level, the strong Sixth and Second Ray elements in this planet/sign combination easily lead to blind devotion to religious, romantic, or political idealism. The focus of the will is subjugated to the intensity of the emotional nature of these issues. When Mars in Pisces is in the horoscope of a Soul-centered individual however, the energy of Pluto (esoteric ruler of the Fish) and the First Ray come into focus. The person is then able to use the will to infuse higher purpose into any set of circumstances. In addition, Pluto’s transformational energy couples with the loving devotion of the Second and Sixth Rays, bringing redemption and release not only to one’s own lower self but acting also as a healing vehicle for others.