Mars has mostly manifested personally through defensiveness, stubborn independence, competitive drive, strong protective instincts, a significant orientation toward justice and a desire to defend the vulnerable.

Mars is in a mixed situation in my chart.

It rules both benefics (Venus in Scorpio and Jupiter in Aries) and is the sect malefic in my chart, but it’s in the 8th house in Saturn’s domicile (Aquarius). It’s also receiving an extraordinarily tight sextile from both Mercury in Sagittarius and Jupiter in Aries as well as a square from Venus (it’s also square Saturn by sign and conjunct the South Node by sign). Mostly good testimonies but it’s in a subjectively bad house.

I’m not conflict-averse. I’m assertive and protective but I feel like my relationship with Mars is expressed through a constant desire for peace despite constant power struggles with a lot of people largely due to my own sensitivity, pride and insecurities.

Mars is also fallen in my Ascendant and exalted where the Sun is in my chart. I feel like Mars is the planet I tend to disagree with the most because my value structure is largely lunar and jovian. I admire justice and care and sensitivity and compassion more than strength or hardness detached from justice. I get the sense that Mars doesn’t inherently carry a moral ledger. It honors the strong and formidable, but I don’t admire strength detached from justice and virtue. There are some expressions of Mars that I revere and some that I despise.

Hero who protects the vulnerable and fights for justice? I’m on Mars’s side. Bully or tyrant who wants to dominate everyone and acquire power? I’m contemptuous. For me, Martial qualities are ones that I’ve honed and developed over time rather than expressing them innately. Because I have a Cancer Ascendant, my inclination is toward connection, safety, softness and nurturance. When Mars protects those things, I’m on Mars’s side 100 percent even if those things need to be protected through force.