Olga Rozzell
Astrology,
Health and Wellness Coaching
Mars and Venus in a horoscope
Astrological interpretations are based on mythology – the ancient art of transmitting information about the life, the humans, and universal laws from one generation to another. Venus is the Roman goddess of love, fertility, prosperity, and beauty. In the contemporary culture, she is mostly associated with anything feminine and with love and sex, while the associations with fertility, prosperity and beauty are less popular. Mars is the Roman god of war, a protector of peace. He became a symbol of everything masculine. In our culture, Mars and Venus are often interpreted as polarities of masculine and feminine, but this is not the case in astrology. In astrological interpretations, both Mars and Venus live peacefully in the same chart and represent not polar but complementary qualities. Both men and women possess the energy of both Mars and Venus, and it is in their best interests to connect to these energies and to express them in a positive way. Any energy of planets in a horoscope that is denied and repressed will express in our lives in a negative, destructive and uncontrollable manner. We need to understand our horoscope and the role of each planet and their position on the wheel to work with what we have constructively, e.g., expressing Mars energy as a motivation and strength instead of anger.
Venus the planet is the second from the Sun and our neighbor with an orbit between the orbits of Mercury and of Earth. She is the brightest and probably the most noticeable planet in the sky, and she is mysterious: due to her cycle of revolution around the Sun, she sometimes appears in the sky early in the morning before the dawn, sometimes in the evening just after the sunset, and sometimes she just disappears from the sky… The planet does not show its surface: it is covered in mist of water and dangerous sulfuric acid vapors. Sounds familiar, lovers?
Image: NASA
In a horoscope, Venus represents love (of course), a partner that we would like to attract (not necessarily the one we will be happy with, but rather our idea of a perfect lover and partner), the way we treat and make our money (remember that Venus is the goddess of prosperity), the way we relate to others, all things we are attracted to and all things we like (to have). For example, someone with Venus in formal, serious and businesslike Capricorn would mean that this person sees a perfect partner as someone who is serious, established, probably older or wiser. That is who the person will be looking for and will try to attract. Capricorn Venus will also mean that the person may become a good businessman (businesswoman) who knows how to deal with money and who can be frugal.
As a planet indicating attractions and partners, Venus, of course, is extremely important in a relationship horoscopes and readings. In these kinds of readings, Venus sign and position in the charts of both individuals get scrutinized, and the relationships of Venus with the partner’s planets are very indicative of attraction and love in a relationship.
Now, if you have read my article about the Moon, you may have a glimpse into the astrological interpretation that an astrologer develops based on your horoscope. Just the signs and the positions of your Moon and your Venus will tell an astrologer a whole story of your relationships and will suggest an explanation for your past relationships and the ones you should be seeking: you are attracted to the situations suggested by the sign and the position of your Venus, but your happiness and fulfillment are described by your Moon sign and her position on the horoscope wheel!
Mars is our other neighbor in the Solar System, revolving around the Sun between Earth and Jupiter. It appears in the sky as a red planet, reminding about the color of fight and war. It is known for having heavy storms on its surface, and this description matches completely its astrological meaning: in astrology, this is a planet that represents anger and fight, in addition to positive manifestations. The synchronicity between the planets’ qualities and the qualities of the gods whose names the planets were given at the time when nothing was known about the actual looks, surfaces or weathers of the planets is simply amazing.
Mars in a horoscope represents our motivation, our independence, our survival skills, and our autonomy. Mars sign and placement in a horoscope describes the areas of life where we try or should try to assert our selves, where we find challenge and combat it, where we act and where and how we find outlets for our physical energy. It also represents our sexual energy and force, our physical desire and action. Looking at the sign and the position of Mars in a birth horoscope, an astrologer can see where and how you face challenges, where and how you express yourself physically, how strong is your motivation and what area of life is the battlefield to establish your autonomy and independence. Looking at the current position of Mars in the sky and relating it to your birth horoscope, an astrologer can determine what are the areas of life where you face challenges now. Mars also represents surgeries and accidents, weapons and arguments, and it can give a very strong indication for potential problems with your health.
Image: NASA
Mars is also a very important planet in relationship horoscope interpretations: it signifies the sexual attraction and the physical desire, as well as arguments and violence when not in a beneficial position.
It is quite perplexing that our society came to juxtapose the Venusian and the Martian qualities and to separate their tasks as strictly feminine or masculine. Both our experience and the astrology suggest that either gender has both energies and has a need to express them. Astrological Mars and Venus are not contradictions: attraction and sexual drive, beauty and assertion, wealth and motivation, relating to others and keeping your independence are not contrasting qualities, but rather complementing traits that improve the experience of both men and women.
