At 8:31 am PDT May 20, Mars enters Leo What does this mean for all of us?

It means that how we generally “attack the problems of life,” or how we “take the initiative” leaves playing defense in the Cardinal Water of Cancer and now expresses it through the Fixed Fire of Leo. This will help us be more confident in our initiatives, with the ability to take what we’ve gathered and consolidated and express it in new creative and loving forms. While Mars in Cancer is cautious, plays good defense, and is focused on protecting what we’ve accomplished so far, Mars in Leo is more dynamic, expressive, and inspired!

Mars continues to speed up after its long retrograde in Gemini, and in Leo anticipates what we’ll experience this Summer when the inner planets transit that sign. Mars in Fixed Leo is sure of itself, and as spontaneous as Mars in a Fire sign can be, we can express a lot of highly energetic experiences the next two months! Mars in Cancer prepared us for our experiences in May, June and July which will only become more dramatic when Venus enters Leo in a couple of weeks.

Mars is now moving at about 34 minutes a day and continues to speed up. By early July it’ll move at 36 minutes a day and still be gaining speed. This indicates a gradual speeding up of our ability to use the transiting Mars energies in diverse, sensitive, and creative ways.

Mars’ Path To Where We Are Now

We’ll begin with Mars’ last transit through Cancer in the Spring of 2021, which brought shifts in allegiance and direction and the need to integrate these new directives in our lives to make us more secure. It then moved through Leo between mid-June and late July 2021. Fiery Leo is another element Mars is familiar with. Mars in Leo offered new initiatives wherever we have Leo in our charts, allowing us to know what our hearts were into. Mars in Leo is a time to show style in whatever we do, as well as playfulness.

As Water (Cancer) and Fire (Leo) are elements integral to Mars’ nature, Mars is comfortable in those signs, even if it doesn’t grow that much in Cancer. Mars does very well in the Fixed Fire of Leo, as the Aries part of Mars is Fiery, and the Scorpio part of Mars is Fixed. Mars in Virgo was also favorable, since the Earthy Virgo is related to its exaltation Earth sign of Capricorn.

Between mid-September through late October 2021 we experienced another transit of Mars through the idealistic Cardinal Air sign of Libra, shifting the ruler of the houses and planets we have in Aries and Scorpio from Virgo Earth to Libra Air. After that period of it not “being at home,” it then moved from the idealistic Air of Libra to its natural Water element in Scorpio where it stayed all of November and the first half of December. This affected planets and houses where we have Aries and Scorpio, shifting the emphasis from Air to Water.

Mars was in Sag from mid-December through late January 2022, and was in Capricorn from then to early March, when it entered Aquarius. Mars in Capricorn is in its sign of “exaltation,” helping whatever we have in Aries or Scorpio to become more efficient and practical. Mars was in the Air sign of Aquarius from early March to mid-April 2022, and returned to Watery Pisces between mid-April and late May.

In Pisces, especially during the time it was conjunct Neptune, was a time to flow, bless, and forgive much, since we were dealing with the vast ocean of Neptunian collective consciousness. When it left the Water of Pisces and entered the Fire of Aries in late May 2022, it transitioned to an inspirational emphasis and moved our Aries and Scorpio planets and sectors into a Fiery expression. It entered Taurus in early July, and then entered Gemini in late August, where it remained until late March of 2023, when it entered Cancer.

Mars’ now gives our Aries and Scorpio sectors a Leo emphasis. Its entry into Leo throws the primary focus of activity in the house where we have the first 10 degrees of Leo from now through June 6. From June 6 through the Solstice, the focus of activity will be in the house where we have the second 10 degrees of Leo, with the focus on 21-30 Leo from June 23 through July 10.

The Mars Challenge For All Signs

• When Mars was in Aries, it brought new beginnings to those with Sun or Ascendant in Aries, and new emergent developments to those with Sun or Ascendant in Capricorn. It puts the focus on relationships to those with Sun or Ascendant in Libra, and fulfillment to those with Sun or Ascendant in Cancer. (This last happened between July 2020 and January 2021. This cycle was re-set most recently from late May to July 4.)
• While Mars was in Taurus, it brought new beginnings to those with Sun or Ascendant in Taurus, and new emergent developments to those with Sun or Ascendant in Aquarius. It puts the focus on relationships to those with Sun or Ascendant in Scorpio, and fulfillment or public activity to those with Sun or Ascendant in Leo. (This last happened January and February 2021. This cycle was re-set from July 4 to now.)
• While Mars was in Gemini, it brought new beginnings to those with Sun or Ascendant in Gemini, and new emergent developments to those with Sun or Ascendant in Pisces. It puts the focus on relationships to those with Sun or Ascendant in Sagittarius, and fulfillment to those with Sun or Ascendant in Virgo. (This happened between early March and late April 2021, and the recent transit of Gemini re-set the energy anew between late August 2023 and late March 2023.)
• While Mars was in Cancer, it brought new beginnings to those with Sun or Ascendant in Cancer, and new emergent developments to those with Sun or Ascendant in Aries. It puts the focus on relationships to those with Sun or Ascendant in Capricorn, and fulfillment or public activity to those with Sun or Ascendant in Libra. (This cycle was re-set and renewed between late March and now.)
• While Mars is in Leo, it brings new beginnings to those with Sun or Ascendant in Leo, and new emergent developments to those with Sun or Ascendant in Taurus. It puts the focus on relationships to those with Sun or Ascendant in Aquarius, and fulfillment or public activity to those with Sun or Ascendant in Scorpio. (This cycle was re-set between mid-June and late July 2021 and re-sets again between now and early July.)
• While Mars is in Virgo, it brings new beginnings to those with Sun or Ascendant in Virgo, and new emergent developments to those with Sun or Ascendant in Gemini. It puts the focus on relationships to those with Sun or Ascendant in Pisces, and fulfillment or public activity to those with Sun or Ascendant in Sagittarius. This cycle was re-set between late July and mid-September 2021.)
• While Mars is in Libra, it brings new beginnings to those with Sun or Ascendant in Libra, and new emergent developments to those with Sun or Ascendant in Cancer. It put the focus on relationships to those with Sun or Ascendant in Aries, and fulfillment or public activity to those with Sun or Ascendant in Capricorn. (This cycle was re-set between mid-September and late October 2021.)
• While Mars is in Scorpio, it brings new beginnings to those with Sun or Ascendant in Scorpio, and new emergent developments to those with Sun or Ascendant in Leo. It put the focus on relationships to those with Sun or Ascendant in Taurus, and fulfillment or public activity to those with Sun or Ascendant in Aquarius. (This cycle was re-set from November through mid-December 2021.)
• While Mars was in Sagittarius, it brought new beginnings to those with Sun or Ascendant in Sagittarius, and new emergent developments to those with Sun or Ascendant in Virgo. It put the focus on relationships to those with Sun or Ascendant in Gemini, and fulfillment or public activity to those with Sun or Ascendant in Pisces. (This cycle was re-set from December through late January 2022.)
• While Mars was in Capricorn, it brought new beginnings to those with Sun or Ascendant in Capricorn, and new emergent developments to those with Sun or Ascendant in Libra. It put the focus on relationships to those with Sun or Ascendant in Cancer, and fulfillment or public activity to those with Sun or Ascendant in Aries. (This cycle was re-set from late January through early March 2022)
• While Mars was in Aquarius, it brought new beginnings to those with Sun or Ascendant in Aquarius, and new emergent developments to those with Sun or Ascendant in Scorpio. It put the focus on relationships to those with Sun or Ascendant in Leo, and fulfillment or public activity to those with Sun or Ascendant in Taurus. (This cycle was re-set from early March through mid-April 2022.)
• While Mars was in Pisces, it brought new beginnings to those with Sun or Ascendant in Pisces, and new emergent developments to those with Sun or Ascendant in Sagittarius. It put the focus on relationships to those with Sun or Ascendant in Virgo, and fulfillment or public activity to those with Sun or Ascendant in Gemini. (This last happened from mid-May through late June 2020. This cycle was re-set from mid-April to late May 2022 .)

Obviously within these transit spans there are other “phase relationships” between transiting Mars and all the planets in our charts, but to go into all of them would make this article a book. For example, Mars makes aspects to your other planets which are different than aspects to your Sun and Ascendant. All aspects, waxing and waning, fall within “The Whole Cycle” of each planet to every other planets and our Ascendant. You can find out more about the Whole Cycle in my book Saturn: Spiritual Master, Spiritual Friend. where I explain the various phases in the planetary cycles in terms of the Whole Cycle for various generations.

Mars Links to the Past, Present, and Future

While Mars now initiates a new time of activity wherever we have Leo, it activates the information the inner planets will bring us when they transit Leo in June, July and August. Mars activates what the other planets have set into play with their transits, which in turn affects what springs forth when Jupiter subsequently transits those points.

When Mars conjuncted Jupiter in Aries on May 29 at 4 Aries, it began a new two year cycle of opportunity and expansion wherever that falls in our charts. That sets the pace for the rapidly unfolding developments of Jupiter in Aries, which was active from late May through late October 2022, with a rapid return between late December and mid-May 2023.

Mars Set the Pattern of the New Age in 2020

Mars conjunction with Saturn at 1 Aquarius in March 2020 launched a totally future oriented period of human existence which began to take shape in a new 20 year Aquarian Era with Jupiter’s conjunction with Saturn on that same degree in December 2020. And here it’s important to note that this is the last transit of Saturn through Aquarius before we “slip across the edge of the Age” after 2050.

I explained how various Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto transits over the past 3 centuries each strengthened the advent of the Age of Aquarius in the article Uranus Awakened the Age of Aquarius, Neptune Dreamed It Into Collective Consciousness, and Pluto Will Sprout It Into Life, as well as why we are not yet fully into the Age of Aquarius yet, but will be in the third quarter of this century. Of course, living on the cusp of a Great Age means we will be dealing with the dying echoes of the Age of Pisces for some time to come, since many who were born under those dying assumptions will try to perpetuate them as long as they can.

Just remember that the Capricorn cycles set into motion by Mars in March 2020 will have far reaching implications, some of which won’t be completed until 2053! We won’t have another Saturn conjunct Pluto for over 30 years, nor another Jupiter conjunct Pluto until early 2033. These Capricorn cycles will play out until the next transit of the outer planets over the conjunction points as a finish to what just began, and as prelude to the next cycles beginning then. (There will be an exact Sun conjunct Jupiter as both conjunct Pluto in February 2033 at the Angel Point at 15 Aquarius. That promises to be a much happier cycle than the current one!)

Aspects in Play

We’re now going to experience a renewed Leo experience in the house(s) where we have that sign in our charts. During Mars’ transit of Leo, it makes the first non-lunar opposition to an outer planet since the oppositions from Scorpio to Uranus in late 2022. In the next few weeks, it will make many aspects to the outer planets and receive many aspects from the inner planets. I won’t go into detail about the inner planet aspects, except to say that it will be in a very favorable relationship with Mercury through early July, which will assist our Taurus and Leo house functions tremendously.

The main aspects from Mars to the outer planets show Mars makes the opposition to Pluto through late May. It makes a biquintile to Neptune in late June, a quincunx in the first week of July, and a triseptile in the second week of July. Mars begins its time in Leo with a quintile to Uranus, followed by a binovile at the end of the first week of June. That’s followed by the square from 22 Leo to 22 Taurus in late June, opening a new time, new way, new day, and new life for many.

At its entry into Leo, besides the opposition to Pluto and the quintile to Uranus, it makes a biquintile to Saturn, followed by the quincunx at the end of May and beginning of June. Mars is triseptile Saturn the second week of June, en route to its opposition in early Virgo in July.

As I’ve offered before, when Mars is within a degree of forming or separating while making a hard aspect with a planet, slow down and show deliberation and caution in how you use force. Hard aspects to/from Mars always require that we moderate or antidote impulsiveness and impatience.

What Do Mars Oppositions Teach Us?

At this point in its cycle, Mars is actually some sort of “herald” as it transits Leo and Virgo before the inner planets pass it this Summer. We’ve had no oppositions other than those made by the Moon for many months; Mars now makes the first non-Lunar opposition to another planet with its current tight opposition to Pluto. The next opposition will be with Saturn in mid-July, Neptune in late August, followed by oppositions to Jupiter and Uranus in late October and early November.

Please remember that while they can be tense, those oppositions require us to use different spiritual planetary energies. All oppositions made by Mars externalize various types of wisdom, since the “Tension of Opposites” between the planetary expressions in the signs they’re in entirely determines the spiritual tests to learn and demonstrate.

As I noted in Chapter 2 in my book Saturn: Spiritual Master, Spiritual Friend,

Mars' duality is Grace/Sin. This is the aspect of consciousness that shows whether our responses are manifesting error or truth, maladjustment or beauty. By our Martian function we force things before their time or confront abrasive, aggressive, or hostile energies in ourselves and others, and thus we learn how to sever what must be severed, and further what must be furthered, quickly and directly. (As an aside, the original meaning of “sin” had nothing to do with moral failure. It was an archery term meaning “to miss the mark,” or not hitting the center of a target. I use it here in that sense.)

So beginning now, we enter a time of “tests of skill” in expressing the realizations which surface at Mars oppositions. May, June and July will bring realizations about Pluto and Saturn, August brings realizations about Neptune, while late October and November bring realizations about Jupiter and Uranus.

Into The Future

During this time of Mars in Leo, open to being more playful, creative, and positive in your expressions. Be as dramatic as you need to be, but remember that just because something is expressed dramatically doesn’t make it true or even desirable. Keep using your new discoveries of Mars in Gemini to express your heart. This helps us renew our Leo skills, where we can take the enthusiasm and power generated in Aries, grounded in Taurus, explored in Gemini and “gathered” in Cancer to get a new orientation to what we’re doing and why.

What We Experience When Mars is in Each Sign

Mars in Aries teaches us how to act on our own initiative, not defer so much to others, and “working half-heartedly is not the way to accomplish much.” Mars in Taurus teaches us to “take pleasure in our work” as we learn to keep it simple and steady despite crosswinds, and Mars in Gemini teaches us adaptability because “there are many ways to get things done.” Mars in Cancer teaches us to “be watchful as we work,” acting with sensitivity, care, and caution.

Mars in Leo teaches us to “work with flair and style,” putting on the show as we accomplish things in inspired ways. This is a time to show our power and style when opportunities present themselves, and see how our command of energy can be expressed in creative ways. Mars in Virgo taught us “All play and no work make for an ungrounded life.” Mars in Libra taught us “All work with no socializing makes for an unsustainable life.” Mars in Scorpio taught us “doing the wrong thing in the wrong way with the wrong people will never make us happy, so do the right thing and be happy!”

Mars in Sagittarius teaches us how to be a “stylish and bold Archer riding our Sacred Arrows to our dream,” as well as “scattered effort leaves us frustrated.” Mars in Capricorn teaches us “Work for the now, work for the future, work for all time.” Mars in Aquarius teaches us “As you strive for greater things, you make manifest a future ideal which will outlive you.” Mars in Pisces teaches us “to witness our common humanity as we struggle for clarity in a murky collective environment.”

We got a sense of the promise of things to come when Mars transited Sagittarius, got a new look at what we are to do and how we are to do it during Mars in Capricorn, and a new engagement with multiple long wave Aquarian cycles. We moved through vast fogs of the collective consciousness where we had to bless a lot to move down the time stream in Pisces so we could embrace the important new initiatives of Mars conjunct Jupiter in Aries!

We secured the momentum in Taurus and found there were many ways to do things in Gemini, and found relative security and intimacy in Cancer. Now it’s time to enjoy the ongoing shared creative play with our Spiritual Brothers and Sisters.

Reprinted on crystalwind.ca with written permission from Robert Wilkinson. Copying this article to other blogs is strictly prohibited. It is copyright protected. 

© Copyright 2023 Robert Wilkinson

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