Mars enters Libra – August 2023
Mars enters Libra on 27th August and staying there until stay there until 12th October. In Libra, is Mars detriment (or exile), because it’s opposite its own domicile of Aries. Libra is Venus’s domicile and Saturn’s exaltation. It’s a place that it’s not comfortable for Mars, and this can bring out it’s more restless or irritable side.
A planet in detriment is like if you were somewhere strange, far from home, where maybe you don’t know the language or the customs. It can be frustrating to do what you’re trying to achieve, or to feel that you fit in.
Me versus We
The quality of Mars is hot and dry, and Libra is hot and wet. There’s a disconnect because the dryness makes Mars separative, whereas Libra as a wet air sign gives a social and connective environment. Mars represents a contrary nature of being self-focused and independent, and the exertion of one’s own will. So Mars in Libra can indicate a sense of frustration and agitation. But it doesn’t mean things can’t be achieved, but it might take more conscious awareness, care, or effort to get things done, and might not feel easy and smooth.
As a Venus ruled sign of air, Libra is associated with harmony and the balance of ideas, thoughts, the mind, perception, and beauty. This extends into social dynamics, relationships, in the sense of maintaining social harmony, especially through abiding by social norms, graces or rules, diplomacy and consideration of others.
Mars in Libra is therefore pushed to be less focused on self or separateness, and more about others, which isn’t Mars’s natural inclination. This can result in an overcompensation in terms of trying too hard to fit with social conventions and norms, being extra considerate, or putting others first, at the expense of losing one’s own sense of own identity or independence.
Under Mars in Libra it can feel challenging to find that balance of being considerate of other people’s needs or wants, whilst also retaining your own sense of individuality and meeting your own needs. So there may be questions arising of how can you collaborate and be interdependent whilst maintaining your own sense of self as a separate being. And that can take work, effort, and awareness.
Non-conformism
The other way that Mars in Libra can manifest is through doing the opposite: through pushing back against whatever those conventions or norms being imposed are. This can manifest as going against social conventions, those judgements or thoughts about how people should act and interact, what’s acceptable or polite, or refined. And sometimes that can devolve into snobbery, or cliques, which is something to watch for with Libra.
And so Mars can be doing something in a way that is totally non-conformist and goes against the prevailing view of what’s acceptable. With the nature of Mars that might cause some friction, scandal, or provoke reactions in some way. Mars can indicate a rebellious nature. Sometimes that can cause tensions or negative responses. But the flip side of that is that sometimes questioning norms is needed, challenging the status quo if it harms rather than benefits.
Fighting Spirit
Mars also wants action, wants to fight, wants to do something. It’s a restless energy that needs to be focused. It’s the planet of the warrior. So that can mean arguments, conflicts, drama, in relationships or within the mind. So that’s something to watch out for. But a fighting spirit can be used in a productive way. Libra is about fairness, justice and finding balance, but also judgement (and that’s one of the reasons this is Saturn’s joy, Saturn very much about judging and being critical).
So Mars can be an advocate of that. Mars in Libra can represent defending and protecting harmony and fairness, fighting on behalf of Venus to uphold ideas that promote justice and fairness. For example fighting for social justice, fighting on behalf of others, being an advocate for others.
If Mars has an outlet for that energy and warrior spirit it can be it can be used in a really productive way. It’s when Mars energy gets too suppressed or has no outlet, then you can get a build up of it that becomes frustration, anger, and can then comes out in an explosive and destructive way.
What can be helpful this month is being aware of that, and if you feel yourself getting heated, or angry, just taking a step back rather than diving into a confrontation, or acting on impulse, as Mars is reactive and rash. Doing physical exercise great way to manage Mars energy. Mars planet of action, activity, athletics. So burning up energy and releasing physical tension can help.
Mars in libra can also indicate being mentally restless or agitated too, so having techniques or practices that help calm the mind may be helpful too such as breath work, yoga or anything which you find helps focuses the mind away from swirling unsettled thoughts for a while.
Innovation and Beauty
With Libra being the domicile of Venus, it brings in themes of creativity and beauty. This is very much about aesthetic form and structure which is pleasing, and there can be judgement about this. And again this is one reason why Saturn is comfortable here, because there’s a quality of being critical and a focus on form and structure which aligns with Saturn’s qualities.
But Mars’s rebellious and individualistic quality means creativity, beauty and art can be expressed in an edgy way, or with innovative ideas about what is beautiful. Or there can be push back about what is considered beautiful, what is pleasing, generating questions, debates or arguments about what should be the accepted norm of beauty and art.
So this expression of that, or a fight for that, could arise in personal creative projects or pursuits through this transit. Or we might see it coming up in film, music, writing and poetry, or other artistic expressions. It may produce something that’s very provocative or controversial. Mars is associated with scandal and what’s shocking.
Passion
But there’s also a passion with Mars, a determination and drive. Mars is associated with fire, which can consume and burn up. So sometimes there’s a need to be a cautious around passion, ambition or drive being all consuming. It needs to be directed towards something in a way that’s more constructive rather than just allowed to be chaotic, as Mars can signify being chaotic or instability.
Mars energy can be constructive. It can help us think outside the box, have inspired or innovative thoughts and ideas. And Mars represents courage, not being afraid to do something different, or be the first to try something. That courageous energy can be really helpful when you need to get something done, so that can be something to tap into over the next month if you need it.
The key thing is to make sure there’s an outlet for the Mars energy, and ideally in a way that helps Venusian themes this month of social awareness, consideration, fairness and balance.
Venus Retrograde
Venus, who is hosting Mars, is still Retrograde in Leo, so retrograde themes of getting to the heart of what you love or enjoy in life, including relationships, in a way that’s authentic, or reassessing or revisiting these and the theme of pleasure in life may be a part of this. Themes of self in relationship dynamics may come up, perhaps how to be more assertive or confident about authentic expression whilst collaborating or connecting with others in some way. Or you may have been reflecting on what you love in life and coming to some conclusions about how that might need protecting or defending. How can that Mars courage help address that in a way that isn’t destructively aggressive, but employs diplomacy, and consideration whilst being firm and assertive?
So wherever you have Libra in your birth chart might be the area of life that you find these kind of themes show up. Don’t forget planets can show external events and reference what’s happening to people around you, e.g. friends, family, co-workers, so not all these themes might be something that’s just specific to your own actions, but can be witnessing what happens in your world around you.
Image of Woman with a Sword by Darksouls1 at pixabay