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.

When Mars turns in on itself and can’t express itself outwardly, depression can result. The heavy planets in the chart may affect how Mars expresses it’s energy. Saturn (restricted and blocked), Chiron (wounded and defensive), Neptune (passive), or Pluto (buried rage). When Mars cannot express itself there is a feeling of powerlessness. If Mars does not feel potent enough to serve the Sun then depression may result. You know when Mars is not functioning in the chart the way it should when you see a person displaying a lack of energy, drive and motivation. Maybe they are no longer interested in sex or being a part of life, if you hear the words I can’t used a lot then you can be certain the person has lost their strength and courage to even try any more. Mars in water signs and houses do not always direct themselves well, anger may have unconscious roots (Mars in 4th/Cancer) or anger may have been deeply buried (Mars in Scorpio/8th) or even repressed and difficult to get hold of (Mars/Pisces 12th).

Violent relationship ends in death

Doctor Ann Gryboski, fatally shot her husband in an episode of domestic violence where she attempted to break up a fight between Pat and their son Christopher 25 yrs old. Pat Lancaster had reportedly been abusing his wife for years. The couple met when they were fixed up for a prom date, Pat went to school and earned a degree in marine engineering, out at sea is where Pat had felt most at home. Ann earned a master’s degree in public health. Both were in high respectable jobs it was a shock to all to learn what really went on in the marriage.

Ann Marie was painfully shy but friendly says Tom Mullen, who lives across the street. “I’d see her walking the dogs, and she’d keep her head down a lot. What happened that weekend is obvious: She got the hell beat out of her.”

Pat Lancaster’s chart

Aquarius is rising and this means Pat Lancaster can have interests in many different ideas, he comes across as having an independent nature, can be friendly, but it can also be difficult to get too close to him. Being a fixed air sign he can have a lot of opinions, with a mental approach to life. Aquarius rising can be eccentric and there can be a natural concern for mankind. Mental concentration is strong, he can approach others in an intellectual detached manner. Aquarius being fixed can also have a stubborn approach to life, and can be more group orientated.

The Asc rulers are Saturn and Uranus, Saturn is placed in Sagittarius/9th house and Uranus in Cancer/6th house. Lancaster can have mental discipline (Saturn/9th), and can heavily consume higher knowledge, he can be serious and somber at times. Uranus placed in the 6th house needs to do work which is very inventive and different, work history may be erratic, he may not fit into the normal day to day routine that other people do. A 6th house Uranus finds it difficult to be confined in a job he needs freedom and movement. In one of his jobs he was suddenly fired (Mars/Uranus) but the reasons to why were not given. A job which involves science, computer’s electrical engineering anything innovative, inventive, hi-tech, mechanical, and progressive. As stated above Lancaster worked as a Marine mechanic (Uranus in water sign of Cancer), he had a passion for boats and ships and set up a business repairing diesel engines. Later he landed a job as a senior lab technician (Mars in Capricorn 12th) his work has been spoken very highly of and he has been described as being very, very mechanical. At the Marine he would stay in the dormitory for part of his week while working, he lived partly in work.

Uranus in the 6h house of the chart can often bring disruptions to work and health, daily life, and physical routine. People who worked under Lancaster did not shed a positive light upon his character. One acquaintance, whose son worked for Lancaster last summer, wrote: “He was horrible, degrading and almost sadistic. Everyday [my son] asked if he could quit and finally he could take it no more.” Uranus opposes Mars in Capricorn 12th and he had to have emergency hip surgery and take medical leave from his work, in astrology the 12th house rules over hospital’s. There is a grand cross in the cardinal signs involving personal planets and Neptune and Uranus. This creates a tremendous amount of conflict in the chart, there is a LOT of tension in this horoscope.

The chart has Sun in Aries conjunct Moon, Mercury, square Mars, trine Jupiter, square Uranus, opposition Neptune and trine Pluto. There are 7 aspects involved with his Sun, in astrology there are lots of different outlets for the Sun’s expressions, the more difficult aspects to his Sun are (Nebulous Neptune + Rebellious Uranus + Mars) the Sun represents a persons struggles in becoming who one really is at the core, it denotes personality. The Sun represents the inner nature. With the Sun placed in Aries, the Sun is exalted in this sign, a strong sense of self expression, the sign of Aries likes to naturally lead. Aries is the sign of the fighter and Lancaster could be described as someone who likes to overcome obstacles, the desire to be first and best is natural with Aries. When faced with frustration he can have an explosive temper, especially since in his chart the Sun in Aries is squared by Mars (the ruling planet of Aries) and this can show a short tempered person with very little patience with delays or obstacles. This is even more obvious in Pat’s chart as Mars squares Moon and Mercury so emotional and verbal outbursts At best Aries has strength, and lots of energy, if the energy is driven positively he can be very disciplined (Mars/Capricorn). The Sun is also coloured by an Aries Moon in this chart, therefore there is a great emphasis on Aries in the horoscope and it becomes an extremely strong focal point in the chart. With the conjunction and especially in Aries he can be very subjective and focused on him self, his identity, and his own needs etc. Moon in Aries has a very impulsive nature. There can be a lot of unconscious habit patterns with the Sun conjunct the Moon in Aries 2nd especially since Mars in 12th house of the chart is the dispositor of three Aries planets. Anger may go back generations in his own family.

The Sun/Mercury conjunction in Aries – can symbolise strong opinions, Pat Lancaster identifies with his own opinions, self knowledge is important, there can be impatience and he may be blinded by his own pride and personal subjective feelings when he is coming to conclusions. At best he can be very individual and confident in his opinions. It becomes very important what aspects affect this emphasis by sign and house. Uranus squares this con-fig he possesses a highly opinionated nature, which can be stubborn, erratic, and very willful on the personality , emotional and mental level (Sun/Moon/Mercury all squared by rebellious Uranus) he has changeable  moods, as the Moon is stressed by Uranus he can change mood from one moment to the next and be very unpredictable with disturbed emotions. This may be very unsettling to his own nature as Pat Lancaster seeks security through his 2nd house planets, and when it comes to his own identity as a man (Aries). Neptune opposes the configuration meaning he also has a sensitive side and maybe he feels a lot of negative emotions, he may feel victimized with strong needs to escape. Because of the emphasis in Aries and Mars and Uranus aspects, Neptune won’t sit well in the chart, this side of his nature seems to be projected out onto his deeper relationships, his wife who became the victim of his rebellion, anger and his own hidden victimisation (Neptune/8th).

The strong emphasis in Aries falls in the 2nd house of possessions, self worth, what he owns. Being materially secure can be essential to his well being. Neptune opposes his planets in the 2nd from the 8th which can be more unconscious and deep rooted as the 8th is a water house. Neptune also has difficulty adjusting to reality. Neptune can distort reality and he may have lost connection to who he was (Sun/Neptune). The Moon in astrology expresses the feminine nature of an individual. Pat’s Moon square Neptune can represent his female partner (hidden Victim 8th house Neptune) the emotional nature of his inner female figure the weak unstable victim, and even his more artistic and charitable, healing and sensitive side of his own psyche was projected onto his female partner.

Here is Astrologer Jeff Greens analysis of Neptune in th 8th house.

Neptune in the Eighth House or Scorpio: this can be one of the most problematical positions for Neptune in that these people can unconsciously project a complex of fears, motives, or intentions onto people that creates the effect within themselves of being unable to open up to life in general, and others specifically, even though they desperately want to. There is an incredible level of intense suspicion that is projected onto people which is but a reflection of the impurity in themselves. This impurity reflects lifetimes of manipulating, using, and destroying others relative to their own purposes. When such behavior is pointed out these people create a stance of absolute denial. Through such inner denial they project that which they are onto others, the inner denial reflecting their own unconscious idealistic expectations of how they want to be, of how they want to see themselves. Psychic or spiritual trauma occurs when the holy mask that they create for themselves shatters into the nightmare of their actual reality, and when they realize that what they have projected onto others is but a reflection of themselves. The struggle between good and evil, masochistic and sadistic behavior is most emphasized when Neptune is in the Eight House or Scorpio. In addition, these individuals can have an unconscious fascination with “taboo” forms of sexual expression, a need to be dominated or to dominate, a desire to dissolve the ego through consuming forms of sensation of a sexual nature, and at the same time deny all of this to themselves and others. Some, by way of denial, will even pretend that they have no sexual desire at all, or that sex is a function of evil. Others can develop a superstructure of fancy or groovy words reflecting high minded intentions that only mask where they are actually coming from. A few will understand and experience the metamorphic and transcendent nature of sexual energy properly used. When Neptune transits the Eight House, forms stressful aspects through transit to Pluto or Mars, or the planetary ruler of the Eighth House, or to natal planets in the Eight House it can generate these issues and subsequent traumas.

Another aspect in his chart is Venus in Gemini opposed Saturn in Sagittarius along the 3rd/9th axis. The pain of love can be acutely felt, defences can build up around his feelings he may be very insecure in a relationship, on the intellectual level. Pat Lancaster has Pluto in the 7th house this placement makes quite a few powerful trines to his Aries planets, control (Pluto) and assertiveness (Aries planets) naturally expressed around his possessions (2nd house planets) and relationships (7th house). Pluto in the 7th house means the person is learning to relate in relationships on an equal basis. Not dominating or being dominated, and being careful of not creating an extreme imbalance there can sometimes be an obsessive need to be in a relationship, too much emotional control in the relationship and manipulation can occur in the worst scenario of Pluto n 7th. With too much dominance in the relationship for years, things seemed to be getting more and more extreme and out of control. Saturn in the horoscope is square to Pluto and there are lessons around authority and power. Often emotional shocks can occur as the old way of relating needs to change and die and a new relationship can be born. This is the real extreme manifestation of Pluto in the realm of relationships (7th).

The South Node in the 4th house Gemini relates to his ideas, and the past and he may have needed to consider how he has come about his ideas on the home/family and broaden his perspective through his outer world, career.

 

Taurus

Taurus has a deep rooted need for material and emotional stability. Both of these things are fundamental to his sense of well being, and he instinctively withholds and conserves whatever belongs to him. Taureans’ have a need to possess, whether objects, money, or people. Security has to manifest itself in a tangible, unchanging form, so that it can be relied upon. Taureans possess a strong security building impulse and make good investors, bankers, and accountants. This is the first of the Earth signs on the zodiac wheel and as a result he is deeply practical and realistic. Taurus is learning to relate to the earthy world, and build a sense of permanent worth into it. The essential purpose of this zodiac sign is to maintain the stability of earthly things, and to have a highly developed sense of harmony and wholesomeness. Taurus represents the need to put down roots and establish a home base as he is a practical no nonsense sign. Taurus has a patient, docile and accepting nature. The Taurean respects the value of money, and works long and hard to achieve his goals.

Taurus doesn’t like anything which demands immediate action thrust into his face, he needs a slow and relaxed pace with plenty of time to consider things carefully. The possible pitfalls to avoid if you are born under this sign is becoming stubborn and refusing to budge, often he can be entrenched in familiar worlds of habit and routine to the point of being stuck in a rut. The Bulls inner stillness turns to stagnation. Taurus is in touch with his sensual side, and as a physical sign he has strong instinctive driven desires that seek satisfaction in very personal ways. The sign has a deep affinity for music, design, good food, and all the good things in life. His appetite and appreciation for food can lead to weight problems. It is the ’sensual’ and not the ’sexual’ manner that pleases his senses.

Touching, tasting, hearing, smelling and seeing helps Taurus appreciate life from it’s most basic physical level. Taureans are ruled by the planet Venus and are born romantics with a need to indulge in the tactile expression of love. Taurus has endless patience and an easy peace loving disposition, he is also extremely loyal and steadfast with a grounded nature. Taurus has the ability to create an atmosphere of peace and tranquility, and this is highly conductive for the formation of a stable and loving relationship. Taurus has a flair for design and colour and enjoys deep affinity with music, and he will often possess a beautiful singing or speaking voice. While this is a dependable sign on the physical plane, as the first fixed sign of the zodiac wheel he is the most inflexible of all the fixed signs. Security is what Taurus can trust, what he can trust doesn’t change, corrode, or leave him. Taurus is not idealistic in his nature he just knows how to sustain and preserve what he value’s in life. The main objective is to stabilize conditions by carefully building frameworks of security that will prove everlasting.

One critical theme of Taurus is to cultivate self value, and establish his personal sense of self worth; something that does not come from external sources such as wealth or a prestigious title, it has to come from the deeper subjective part of self, for it to feel truly valuable to him. Once such self worth is established nobody can take it away. When Taurus finds his true purpose in life his inner creativity knows no bounds and the talents and skills he possesses are all expressions of an artistic nature. The deepest motivation for Taurus is to be useful and productive, to build something solid, permanent, and tangible in the world. Taurus inspires us to develop our creative talents and abilities with patience and physical energy for a specific purpose.