Mars in Cancer 2024: Emotions as Source of Strength

Mars from Gemini to Cancer: Think Less, Feel More

Wherever Mars transits, action is happening: named after the mythological God of War, Mars in Astrology is associated with our conscious desires, our style of self-assertion, and how we tend to go after what we want. Mars leads the way, opens new paths, and motivates us to move forward and follow our unique journey. Traditionally ruling both Aries and Scorpio, Mars is associated with our expression of sexuality, instinctual urges, our relationship with anger, and the desires that come from our ego. Transits of Mars show where action is taking place and mark shifts in our vitality levels, in how we channel our energy, as well as in how, collectively, we are drawn to expressing anger, sexuality, and asserting ourselves.

Mars’ transit through Gemini, a Mutable Air sign, emphasized our desire for change and diversity, energized our minds and our intellects, and fueled our mental activity and our fascination with learning and understanding life. This transit reminded us to be aware of the power of our minds and respect the fact that words cast spells and thoughts create realities.

Mars’ ingress into Cancer, a Cardinal Water sign, comes with a clear energetic shift. As the pace of our minds slows down, we have an opportunity to focus more on feeling and less on thinking, planning, and doing. With Mars in Cancer, our energy levels are highly dependent on our emotional states, they are inconsistent, tightly tied to the Moon’s phases and placements. During this transit, we have an opportunity to deepen our emotional self-knowledge and our awareness of what is moving in our inner world.

Mars Enters Cancer: Testing the Waters

Traditionally expressing Martian qualities tends to be challenging while Mars is in Cancer, a sign where the God of War is traditionally considered to be in his fall. While Mars’ purpose is to lead the way and open new paths, Cancer is essentially drawn to generating conditions of security and safety. During this transit, creating security, familiarity, and safety becomes the main motivation and drive for our actions, and we tend to do so in an indirect and cautious fashion, without taking unnecessary risks.

While Mars is here, we want to test the waters before we jump and we tend to be more risk-averse than usual. For this reason, for some of us, it tends to be more challenging to begin new endeavors, go after our desires, and take action with confidence during this time. Nevertheless, Cancer is a Cardinal sign, and naturally contains the impulse to begin something new: however, the impulse that leads us to take action is an emotional one. Emotions motivate our actions while Mars is in Cancer, which is something we can harness to our advantage but also something to be mindful of, because of the very nature of emotions.

Mars in aspect to Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, and the Moon’s Nodes

Mars is going to trine retrograde Saturn in Pisces on September 30. The Mars-Saturn trine supports our capacity to act in a consistent and focused manner. This alignment reminds us of the value of perseverance and patience and motivates us to think for the long term.

Mars in Cancer squares the Nodes of the Moon in Aries and Libra on September 15. This configuration brings our attention to skipped developmental steps or places where we haven’t fully matured emotionally: in particular, it highlights the need to address the root of challenges with expressing anger, asserting ourselves and our needs, and taking action on our desires. Family issues are also likely to be in the spotlight these days.

Mars is forming a sextile to retrograde Uranus in Taurus on October 24. This aspect reminds us to follow our path even when it deviates from societal expectations and supports our ability to pursue unconventional solutions and find new ways of doing things.

On October 28, Mars in Cancer trines retrograde Neptune in Pisces. The Mars-Neptune alignment invites us to act on our dreams and allow our intuition, inspiration, and spiritual values to guide our actions.

Mars is going to oppose Pluto in Capricorn on November 3, just a few hours before entering Leo. The Mars-Pluto opposition can bring to the surface underlying conflicts, power struggles, and deep-seated tensions, both on a global scale and in our personal lives. This alignment marks a time of critical turning points and significant breakthroughs: however, Mars-Pluto energy requires careful handling to avoid destructive outcomes.

Mars enters Cancer: Emotions as a Source of Strength

Mars is connected to the way we assert ourselves and express anger and aggression: because of the nature of Cancer, there is an increased tendency to do so in a passive-aggressive way when Mars is here. As direct confrontation feels uncomfortable and even scary, we may decide to assert our needs and express our anger or discomfort indirectly. It is a powerful time to pay attention to any tendency to be passive-aggressive, hold grudges, and allow resentments to fester and accumulate.

When Mars is in Cancer, we have a chance to observe how our emotions, especially those we suppress, influence our decisions and behaviors. This transit is an opportunity to gain awareness of how our past experiences are still impacting us, on an emotional level, in our present.  It is a time to recognize where we might be holding back due to fear, insecurity, or unresolved issues from the past. Mars’ journey through Cancer is a powerful moment to confront and process lingering emotions from the past, bringing them to the surface to better understand their influence on our actions and motivations.

Ultimately, Mars’ transit through Cancer reminds us that our emotions and our sensitivity can be a source of strength and courage: they can guide our actions in a way that nurtures both our and others’ emotional well-being and creates more self-knowledge and deeper intimacy.

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