At 12:46 pm PDT September 4, Mars enters Cancer. 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 the Mutable Air of Gemini and now expresses it through the Cardinal Water of Cancer. Having discovered many things in Gemini, Mars now leaves its multi-tasking mode and enters the more cautious sign of Cancer. This will help us consolidate many things through our ability to play good defense and protect what we’ve accomplished so far.

Mars begins to slow toward its coming retrograde in Leo and Cancer, entering its shadow zone at 18 Cancer on October 5. Mars in Cardinal Cancer is cautious, but “sure in its insecurity.” Mars in this sign takes the initiative to shift gears, shift direction, shift allegiances, and shift methods to ensure security first, last, and always!

This is a turning point in the Whole Cycle which began when Mars was in Aries which stabilized when Mars was in Taurus. We’ve just finished the highly adaptable and distractible Mars in Gemini which brought us information which we can now use to consolidate what we need to during Mars in Cancer.

Mars conjunct Jupiter in Gemini in mid-August was its last conjunction with an outer planet until January 2026. It set a number of diverse cycles in to motion when we experienced Mars conjunct Pluto at 1 Aquarius in February, Mars conjunct Saturn at 15 Pisces in April, Mars conjunct Neptune at 29 Pisces in April, and Mars conjunct Uranus at 27 Taurus on July 15. Each of these, along with Mars conjunct Jupiter at 17 Gemini set two year cycles of spiritual transformation into motion wherever they fell in our charts.

Mars in Cancer is in its own 4th house relative to its rulership of Aries, and in its own 9th house relative to its rulership of Scorpio. This offers us clues to its expression.

Cancer is where the Aries part of Mars takes the knowledge it acquired in Gemini and “turns a corner,” consolidating energy inwardly as it reorients to the “outside world.” Cancer is where Mars can relax a little and indulge its Scorpionic need for sensation and emotional connection. Mars in its own 9th sign allows its Scorpio side to glimpse a distant vision of a more personal connection. Mars in Cancer can know the truth of its own feelings from a broader view.

In Cancer Mars is defensive and “self-gathering,” turning its initiative to ensuring supply of its needs. As Mars’ nature is Fire and Water, Cancer is a familiar and friendly element, even if it is the sign of “least development” for Mars, given that Cancer is the “fall” of Mars, just as Capricorn is its “exaltation.” Neither Gemini nor Cancer have the discipline, immediate initiative, or fixed determination that is Mars’ nature.

Mars’ now gives our Aries and Scorpio sectors a Cancer emphasis. Its entry into Cancer throws the primary focus of activity in the house where we have the first 10 degrees of Cancer from now through September 20/21. From September 21 through October 10/11, the focus of activity will be in the house where we have the second 10 degrees of Cancer, followed by the focus on 21-30 Cancer from October 11 through November 3/4, when it enters Leo.

Mars begins the month moving 36.8 minutes per day while beginning to slow for its coming retrograde in early Leo and the last half of Cancer at the end of this year into 2025. By the end of September it will be moving 31.3 minutes a day. In Cancer it will activate any planets we have in Cancer and the house it’s transiting. If caution, deliberation, an indirect approach, or a fallback position are needed to deal with something, Mars in Cancer cautions us to go slow as we “just do it!”

Mars’ Path To How We Got Here and Where We’re Going

We’re now almost at the end of the last Mars’ retrograde cycle which began in January 2023 at 9 Gemini after its retrograde from 26 Gemini between late October and mid-January. It moved forward in Gemini through late March 2023 when it entered Cancer, staying there until it entered Leo at the powerful Fixed T-square in late May. It moved into Virgo mid-July, and into Libra in late August. It entered Scorpio in mid-October, entered Sagittarius in late November, entered Capricorn in early January, and Aquarius in mid-February.

Mars in Sagittarius (December) moved the remains of the “stripping down and purifying” energy of Scorpio up and out, freed of obsolete things and considerations. Mars in Capricorn (January through mid-February) organized the Sag realizations into practical forms of power which in Aquarius can be applied to a greater vision of a greater good for a greater number.

Mars in Aquarius renewed the “visionary organized activity” directly related to the “expansive structures” which began with the Grand Mutation at 1 Aquarius in December 2020, giving new impetus to that 20/200 year energy. It then moved through the deep waters of Pisces from the March Equinox to now, with only Aries, Taurus, and Gemini to go before it completes that cycle and moves into its next retrograde period in early December 2024!

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 just happened from April 30 through June 8/9.)

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 just happened between June 9 and July 20.)

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 just happened between July 20 and now.)

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 in now being re-set between September 4 and November 3, 2024, with Mars re-visiting Cancer retrograde and direct between January 5 and April 16, 2025.)

While Mars was 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 activities to those with Sun or Ascendant in Scorpio. (This year Mars enters Leo on November 3, will reach 7 Leo before it goes retrograde on December 6, and remains in Leo RX until January 5, 2025 when it re-enters Cancer. It will re-enter Leo in direct motion on April 17/18, where it stays until it enters Virgo on June 17, 2025)

While Mars was 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 July 9 and late August 2023 with the next one coming between mid-June and early August 2025.)

While Mars was 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 late August and mid-October 2023.)

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 mid-October and late November 2023.)

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 between late November 2023 and early January 2024.)

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 between early January and mid February 2024.)

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 February 12 through March 22.)

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 just re-set between March 22 and April 30, 2024.)

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, linked below, where I explain the various phases in the planetary cycles in terms of the Whole Cycle for various generations.

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 teaches us “All play and no work make for an ungrounded life.” Mars in Libra teaches us “All work with no socializing makes for an unsustainable life.” Mars in Scorpio teaches 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.”

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 was 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!)

Of note is that just after Pluto re-entered Aquarius again in January 2024, we had Mercury conjunct Pluto at 1 Aquarius in early February, followed by Mars and Venus both making conjunctions at that exact degree on Feb 13 and 17 respectively. This are bringing new power to the initial pulse launched at the Grand Mutation in December 2020.

Aspects in Play

We’re now going to experience a renewed Cancer experience in the house(s) where we have that sign in our charts. During Mars’ transit of Cancer it expresses our Cancer tendencies, and is somewhat of a “toolbox ready to be used as needed.”

The main aspects from Mars to the outer planets show Mars has just completed a biseptile to Saturn, a square to Neptune, and a quincunx to Pluto. As it moves through Cancer, it will first make a triseptile to Pluto in the second week of September while also tredecile Saturn and decile Uranus. Then in mid-month it noviles Uranus, and semi-squares it by the end of September. It trines Saturn at the end of the month, and is tredecile Neptune and septile Uranus in early October. The Sun squares Mars for the first three weeks of the month, and then at the end of October Mars deciles Jupiter, sesquisquares Saturn, sextiles Uranus, trines Neptune, and opposes Pluto, making two configurations which will be very favorable for planets we have at the end of Earth and Water signs.

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?

Mars began a new cycle when it conjuncted the Sun at 26 Scorpio in November 2023, and has passed all its oppositions to the outer planets until its next opposition to Pluto in late October-early November 2024. So it’s now opening its cycles with Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto while just opening a new one with Jupiter. The last conjunction is the one made with Jupiter was mid-August. Soon Mars begins to make and take oppositions beginning in November 2024 through January 2025.

Of course, that also means 2023’s many oppositions from Mars to the outer planets was extremely important. That phase began with Mars at 1 Leo making the first non-Lunar opposition to another planet with its opposition to Pluto in late May. It then made an opposition to Saturn in mid-July, Neptune in late August, with 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.)

From Here We Move On

While Mars now initiates a new focus wherever we have Cancer, and expands on all the other conjunction cycles it’s set into motion this year. Of special note was its transit of late Taurus in July as it activated the April Jupiter conjunction with Uranus at 22 Taurus, promising a new time, new way, and new day for everyone.

This is going to activate our Cancer sectors in a big way, so slow down and examine if an action is feeding you or draining you. Is this “part of the tribe” or is it something which doesn’t really fit? Manage the immediate feelings with sensitivity and tenderness, don’t take offense at slights, and if the direct approach isn’t working, use an indirect approach.

This is the time to “gather our medicine,” using it wisely to care for what needs caring for. It’s a great time to practice nurturing self and others, so be cautious each step of the way. Care for self and others, detach from self-indulgent behavior, and make sure you’re caring for what you care about.

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