Once you start digging into astrology, you’ll come across the concept that some planets work better in some Signs better than others. All the planets rule at least one of the Signs, and those placements are considered pretty strong… like Sun in Leo or Mercury in Virgo. Even better: each planet also has a Sign in which it is considered to be “exalted”: a placement where, in theory, that planet does its very best work, like Moon in Taurus or Venus in Pisces.
Any planet opposite the sign of its exaltation is said to be in its “fall.” This doesn’t mean you’re automatically doomed if you have Jupiter in Capricorn or Venus in Virgo for example, but placements in their fall can be inherently difficult to work with. Mars is thought of as exalted in Capricorn, and thus is in its fall in Cancer.
Welcome to one of the trickiest of all planetary placements to work with: Mars in Cancer! Cancer is a highly sensitive, imaginative, and nurturing sign. It is naturally associated with activities like feeding babies and collecting antiques and quietly sulking. Cancer, generally speaking, would rather sit at home and read in bed then go out adventuring.
Mars, on the other hand, likes action. Mars prefers to find solutions to things by shooting them, stabbing them, or blowing them up. Mars doesn’t want to sit around and wait for anything. Mars doesn’t want revenge: it wants to avoid having to get revenge by winning in the first place… but if revenge is required, so be it.
As you can imagine, putting these two energies together is pretty darned awkward. Mars in Cancer is energetic but has a hard time directing that energy properly. Mars in Cancer is easily provoked by emotional arguments. Mars in Cancer often have a hard time knowing where to direct its anger, and once it chooses a target it can get ugly and messy with it. Sometimes Mars in Cancer will choke on its own rage rather than take action, and sometimes it’ll just choke you because it’s had enough.
Mars in Cancer is going to pinch you really hard if you don’t put that camera down, pal.
Just as Mars in Cancer can lead to these problematic effects in a birth chart, it can produce similar results when that is its current location in the sky, like it is between now and August 9th. It’s a powerful energy to work with, but like making a soufflé, it can be really tricky and take a lot of practice. Don’t worry though… I’m going to walk you through it.
Next time: your survival guide to the current transit of Mars through the sign of cancer. Bring protective gear.
Read Previous Post