Astrology gives us the gift of divine perspective
A glimpse into a higher design of trials, explorations, and lessons all woven together with the purpose of transformation and soul growth as individuals and as a collective.
Witchcraft gives us the gift of tangible divine practice
A way of life that allows us to connect the magick to the mundane, to harness and work with the soul purpose we discover through spiritual exploration.
Astrology + Witchcraft, when practiced together, therefore amplify one another and further expand their potential.
And one of the simplest ways to begin intertwining these together is working with the planetary rulers of the days of the week in your magickal routines and rituals.
Daily cosmic witchcraft can be as simple as inviting the ruler of whatever day it currently is to join in on whatever spiritual practice you're already doing, so don't overthink things! But I also know how fun and helpful it can be to get to know and work with a new spiritual entity on a deeper level, so I wanted to be give us all the opportunity to really explore each of the major planets to encourage your own natural practice to form on its own.
Tuesday, ruled by Mars
Planet of action, drive, confrontation, & motivation. Movement, passion/lust, sex drive, fuel, and physical energy.
Astro Quick Facts:
Role: Our desire, drive, and action
Element: Fire 🜂
Rules/Domicile: Aries ♈🐏, Scorpio ♏🦂
Detriment/Opposite: Libra ♎⚖️, Taurus ♉🐂
Generation: Inner/Personal planet
Day of the Week: Tuesday
Download as a pdf:
There are a lot of misunderstandings in the complex world of astrology, but Mars in particular is one of the planets I really do find to be so terribly misconstrued. And maybe it's not even so much that Mars itself is misunderstood, it's more that this placement gets really overlooked and taken for granted in my opinion.
You know the phrase, "That's just the way I am!" (and how frustrating it is to hear?) That is a good representation of how Mars placements are viewed. We hear that Mars is our action planet, and we move on. But how powerful is it to understand the way you move, what you want, your on-the-fly decisions, your reflexes and instincts, and why you do what you do?
When we peel back the layers of Mars, we are examining one of the most important aspects of our inner operating systems. So if you're one of the people who ask questions like, "Why am I the what that I am?" You are in a wonderful place to learn more about and work with your Mars placement.
On Tuesdays, ask yourself:
How can I be present with my desires without completely letting go of the wheel?
Drive & Action. Action is everything from how we move, to how we react, to what gets us to initiate. Action can be generative or it can be passive. The things that trigger our actions are a very noteworthy piece of our Mars experience—this is our drive. It's what fuels our jets, and what puts them out. A lack of or a weak drive is going to take us places we don't really want to be, doing things we don't really care about doing...and for what?
Desire creates drive, and therefore action. Getting clear on what we desire is key for understanding our actions. What we want matters. Sure, it's not the only thing that matters, but to try and disregard our wants completely will only result in a foggy (at best) understanding of why we do what we do on both a conscious and an unconscious level.
Movement as inertia, movement as change. In our modern world, it is safe to say we are a fast-paced, always-moving society. But humans are creatures of habit, which means that even when we are constantly GOing in our day-to-day, if we zoom out to a larger perspective we will often see that we're not actually going anywhere. We're staying right where we've always been. This is a game-changing piece of the Mars puzzle, because to better understand our action, we first have to understand the difference between the things we do to adapt and evolve and transform, and the things we do to create stability, consistency, and routine.
The always elusive, sustainability. Our movements, actions, drive, and desires, all exist in both short and long term versions. And to make things nice and spicy, they don't always line up with one another, do they? What we want to do right now, what we want to do tomorrow, and what we want to do in a year, 10 years, 40 years...you'd think they'd all fit nicely and funnel into one another but this is RARELY the case. And I'm emphasizing the rarity here because everyone thinks there is something wrong with them for being out of alignment here, but you gotta understand that it's supposed to be this way. It's the Mars puzzle! A puzzle wouldn't be a puzzle if we didn't have to figure out how to put it together, it would be just a piece of cardboard with a picture on it. So stop fighting the process, the process is part of it, and instead take an interest in the process itself.
Are you satisfied? With so much talk around our desires, our drive, our action, and movement, we would be leaving out a critical point if we didn't talk about the concept of accomplishment. In other words...did the action achieve the desire? The idea and the act of achieving is something that is very messy in our culture. What was once considered a hard day's work by previous generations is now largely considered to be a waste of how time is spent in this life by newer generations. As an astrologer, I like to see this. It means we're examining our desires and what drives us. I think things tend to get a little overly complicated when we try and tell one another what should matter, and so it's best to hone in on what drives you, what motivates you, how do you react, when do you feel satisfied and accomplished? I don't know that there is any one right way to act, or a specifically defined form of satisfaction and achievement. So I don't know how helpful it would be to try and define it on a universal scale anyways.
Check your chart:
Beginner:
-Look at the sign your Mars is in.
-What planet rules that sign?
-Your Mars is in _________ and ruled by _________.
Intermediate:
--Look at which house your Mars placement is in.
--What sign rules that house in your chart? --What planet rules that sign?
--The area of life your actions are most centered around is the _________ House, which is in the sign of _________ and ruled by the planet _________.
Advanced:
---Do you have any aspects to your Mars placement in your natal chart?
---Are there any current transits aspecting your natal Mars?
---Is current transiting Mars aspecting any parts of your natal chart?
^ ^ ^ What To Do With Any or All of the Above:
Ultimately, your intuition is going to be the best guide when nurturing your planetary relationships. I recommend keeping these Martian concepts in mind, taking that knowledge into your Tuesday, and letting it permeate how you spend your time.
Mars Magick Activities:
Fire - Mars is associated with the fire element, and so any vibe or activity that ramps up the heat is a great way to work with Mars. Whether it's building an actual fire, lighting a candle, wearing orange and red, eating spicy foods, or getting your heart pumping.
Trying something new - A great way to get out of stagnancy and keep your motivation strong is doing something out of the ordinary. It doesn't have to be big, it doesn't have to be expensive, it just needs to be something you've never done or don't normally do.
Doing something to create consistency - Now on the flip side here, when we're in a stage where we are trying to create more stability and sustainability for ourselves, another way we can work with our Mars placement is to do something that encourages healthy routine and habit. Same as above, doesn't need to be big or expensive, a simple act of commitment to your desires.
Identify your desires - Well sheesh how are we supposed to get clear and act with intention if we don't even take the time to ask ourselves what the actual fuck we want in life? Write them out in your journal, in a letter, on notes around your space. Speak them aloud in the mirror, while working on something challenging, while cooking, working out, cleaning, driving, etc.
Life-work balance - use Tuesdays to examine how you've been spending your time. Are the things you're doing bringing you satisfaction when you reflect at the end of the day?
Schedule and task management - Is it a day to multitask and knock some shit out? Or is it time for some much needed play? What needs to get done and what can wait? When you're feeling overwhelmed with your to-do list, get in touch with your Mars' needs.
Moving - This is such a hard one because we live in a time where exercise and physical activity are both something largely lacking in our society, but they have also become forms of trauma and abuse. Learning what kind of movement your Mars placement craves and enjoys is the best place to start. It's important to consider if you're already nearing or in burnout, or if you have been in a place of stagnancy and monotony. From there, it's a matter of being able to tune-in and deliver.
To sum up:
As you'll continue learning in all of our daily magick lessons, there is no wrong way to work with Mars magick. I hope this lesson serves as a helpful base or starting point that inspires you to allow your own natural planetary practice to evolve and grow over time. Get curious, and get excited. It's fun to work closely with a planet or a celestial body, and to see how your unique connection unfolds in your spiritual practice and in your life.
Comment below if this was helpful for you, and any other questions you have about working with Mars!
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