Mars Rx in Leo ~ 3 themes to watch out for.

Mars Rx in Leo

Mars is very much at home in the sign of the Sun, Leo, where this masculine archetype can enact the Sun’s will with heroic flair and drama.

A Leo Mars is warmhearted, passionate and romantic, chivalrous even. He takes pride in showmanship. And the theatrical display of ritual that is designed to inspire awe in his opponents. It’s appropriate to use war language when speaking of Mars.

When in pursuit of his heart’s desire or on an important quest, he demands admiration and loyalty, to the point of vanity. He is the knight in shining armour.

Mars is now stationing, intensifying his energy here before turning retrograde on December 7.

As Mars walks backwards into Cancer and later from Cancer back into Leo for the second time we will see the contrast between these two signs.

Leo and Cancer, Sun and Moon, King and Queen.

Leo is masculine and yang, Cancer is yin, feminine. Extrovert and introvert, external to internal, goal-focused to process-focused, fire to water.

There could not be more contrast. Yet we can hold space for both.

Mars Rx in Cancer

Mars Rx in Cancer signals a changing of the guard; a new head of the house, the estate, the empire.

Mars is now ruled by the Moon. And is more subject to the vicissitudes of fate, the fickle heart of fortune.

Circumstances push us into a more defensive role. Protecting the home, looking after the children, keeping everything safe, cooking food for the family.

There is family karma to attend to. Old attachments, trapped emotions and resentments surface. None of these things are under our control either. It can be triggering, but it’s also healing.

This yin journey of Mars is internal.

An astrologer mentioned that while Mars is in Cancer he noticed more women having surgery, especially breast surgery. If this is you allow yourself more than the usual amount of time to recover. Expect to have less energy and motivation than usual.

When Mars moves back into Leo he will pick up dignity and his vitality will be restored. The loss of heart experienced when he was eaten by the lion will come back. And his creativity and purpose will be restored.

Scroll to the bottom for a complete timeline for Mars Rx.

3 THEMES TO WATCH OUT FOR

1. A Heroic Fail or Dramatic Downfall

In traditional hellenistic astrology a planet’s retrograde was considered a weakening of the planet’s strength. It could not perform its normal functions.

And thinking about the myth of Hercules and the Lion. So too our culture of hero-worshipping and adoration of strength and domination. After Hercules kills the Lion, he then flays it with its own claws, and so stealing the protective qualities of its magical hide. The Lion’s pelt becomes Hercule’s signature, as well as his shield. He is triumphant and has won a trophy in the process.

Perfect, bravo.

Strength and power is rewarded and applauded.

But! The hero narrative does not always follow in a straight line, especially where retrogrades are concerned.

In the current story something goes wrong.

The dignity that Mars has while in the Sun’s domain is diminished because of the retrograde. Unable to act with the boldness and courage the Sun bestows on him, he resorts to other means to get what he wants. Perhaps less noble means. This is the fallen Mars.

This will be even more obvious when Mars moves back into Cancer, when he loses even more dignity.

This could mean more than wounded pride. It’s a deeper injury, involving tender feelings as well as loss of vitality.

Perhaps you will see someone you admire or are loyal to fall from grace in a dramatic fashion. Or someone you thought powerful and brave reveals a weakness that changes how you see them. Or someone you thought invincible is inexplicably demoralised, such as when grown men cry.

2. Forced to Accept Defeat

Mars is our forward momentum, the strength and drive to succeed, our motivation for getting up in the morning, and the energy we need for getting the work done. It is all the jobs we must do in order to manage our lives well.

It is raw power, testosterone and anger, aggression and violence.

But when Mars is retrograde the batteries are flat, the car won’t start, there is no power source.

Tired, flat or can’t be bothered.

So we are forced to stop, to pause and consider our situation. Mars is not big on thinking, traditionally he has no brains. This now becomes an internal yin process. If you are used to getting what you want by force, with might and muscle, you might find that your hands are tied. Or in purely physical terms a disability or injury requires patience and fortitude.

Ambitions shift and change, desires ferment and deepen.

These yin Mars qualities will seem strange at first. When Mars moves further into Cancer an opportunity to develop your inner strength is offered. Rather than feeling disempowered or defeated you might instead see it as a chance to develop empathy, humility and self-nurturing.

Rather than competition and aggression you can experience co-operation and collaboration. You might have to accept help and be brave enough to show your vulnerability. To stop striving so hard, to find inner stillness. To be present in the moment.

3. Strange Reversals

Mars in Leo is very interested in control. He sees himself on top of everything, the boss, the head of state, the military general, the captain, the King’s right hand, the company CEO. He has minions to do his bidding, armies at his command.

Imagine then what happens when roles are reversed? Hierarchies of domination are subject to shift and change without warning, either in the boardroom or the kitchen.

What if those in power no longer have control over your life? Would you feel adrift without someone to run things and make decisions for you? Or would you feel liberated?

A retrograde Mars can empower the weak, and weaken the powerful. If you have felt disempowered, diminished or bullied in a situation, an opportunity to step up and move forward could present itself. And this could be a departure from who you usually are.

And if instead you find yourself on the bottom that might be a huge relief, and a lessening of the burden you have carried. Let someone else take charge and be responsible. The world won’t fall apart.

Timeline

• 7 December — Mars Rx
• 12 December — Venus opposes Mars
• 3 January — Mars opposes Pluto just after the new Moon.
• 7 January — Mars Rx ingress into Cancer
• 17 January — Mars opposes Sun (peak cycle)
• 25 February — Mars stations direct 17degrees Cancer
• 18 April — Mars ingress into Leo
• 27 April — Mars opposes Pluto for third and final time
• 18 June — Mars enters Virgo.

Thanks for reading! by the way there are some more astrology articles on my substack here.

~ Anna Marie