Mars in Cancer

The distortion of protection

5/10-7/1

Mars entered his sign of debilitation-Cancer: on May 10th, and will remain there until July 1st.

Anytime a planet is debilitated, everything that planet is connected to is impaired. Let’s begin with the archetypal associations with the planet Mars for a broad-level understanding of the implications of this transit:

Mars governs protection and security and the force which is necessary to maintain those. In society, Mars is associated with police officers, the military, and other people in positions of protection. At the personal level, Mars is associated with brothers and men who have not yet had children. For the individual, Mars is the ability to be assertive and protect oneself when necessary. In the body, Mars is associated with agni or the digestive fire whose job it is to protect the body from pathogens which might enter from outside, and generally maintain the integrity and functioning of the system through digestion and metabolism.

These different archetypal indications of Mars all reflect the same impulse of protection and proactivity, as expressed through different layers of life. Fundamentally, this impulse is rooted in the fire element, which Mars is associated with.

You can expect the associated archetypes of Mars to feel somewhat challenged during this time. This is because a debilitated planet cannot properly express itself, which is why this position of Mars tends to create passive aggressive behavior, bitterness and repressed anger. The nature of Mars is to be direct and sometimes cutting. In Cancer (a soft, watery environment ruled by Moon- a sensitive planet), Mars is forced to reconsider his natural impulses, and therefore his behavior becomes somewhat distorted.

You may see this at play in those people in your life who embody the Mars archetypes, as well as in your own ability to be assertive and hold your ground. Sometimes this distortion of the fire element can even impact digestion, mostly through this confusion of emotions and the difficulty in expressing them.

During this time, it is good to spend a little extra time sitting with your own emotions, particularly if they involve frustration and irritation, and feel them in your body if there is not a way to express them externally. If you are to engage in confrontation or conflict, proceed slowly and carefully, making sure that everything is said which needs to be said.

Those who are paritcularly Martian in Nature may be put in positions in which they must feel their feelings in a way that for them feels confrontational. Those with strong Mars generally plow through difficulty without checking in with how they actually feel about it, so navigating this generally requires some care.

Venus will join Mars here from May 30th-July 1st, when Mars exits Capricorn. Mars-Venus is a combination for passion, romance and action-oriented love. Even with the debilitation of Mars this can be felt. Whatever area of life it is coming through for you, take advantage of the burst of vitality on offer there, it won’t last forever.