Actions from our Emotional Home

Mars has now moved into Cancer after transiting Gemini for a long seven months, and there might be a feeling of excitement as we take note of the change. This transit is particularly important in the context of 2023, because it's the Chariot year (2+0+2+3=7 and VII is the Chariot in the Major Arcana)  By applying the associations between tarot and astrology, we would see:

• The Chariot card corresponds to the sign of Cancer.
• Mars is the planetary ruler of the Tower.
• The Tower is the teacher card for the Chariot.

So, while this transit is not a particularly long one, it is important in helping us embody the Chariot year lessons of examining which vehicles we move through life in, and where we can push our power towards a deeper foundation of nurturance.

As a planetary energy, Mars is connected to outward action, force, and willpower. It is a planet that helps us to actualize our desires and engage in movements that help us get what we need. This is a planet of passions, heat, and heart. Mars pushes us towards what we hope to create, achieve, and manifest. Cancer, on the other hand, is a sign associated with home and knowing that we are safe and nurtured. So, any planet moving through Cancer is asking us to use its energy towards the creation of spaces where we can feel vulnerable.

The energy of Mars can make Cancer’s boundaries feel pricklier than normal, and it can feel uncomfortable when it turns its external energy towards the internal realm, but overall, this transit is a beautiful opportunity to send energy and vitality into our emotional worlds, and to see how our passions can elevate us when we truly nurture ourselves.

When Mars’ actions are filtered through the lens of Cancer, the resulting energy is passionate about creating safe spaces and new areas of vulnerability. Mars in Cancer shifts our force of will and desire towards surety about our emotional protections. This is the same drive that defends our safe-havens and the energy which urges us to protect our inner child, those we love, and those who are innocent, scared, or defenseless.  You know that fierce desire to sit your friend down in front of a nourishing bowl of soup when you recognize they haven't been taking care of themselves? It's that feeling of care and protectiveness, especially towards ourselves, that this transit brings forward.

For anyone familiar with the Sailor Moon series by Naoko Takeuchi, the Mars in Cancer archetype is very much like the relationship between Sailor Mars and Sailor Moon. Sailor Moon is full of hope and inspiration and softness, and Sailor Mars uses her intensity and her harshness to protect Sailor Moon’s innocence, joy, and love and encourages Sailor Moon to be the very best version of herself. Sailor Mars is fiercely passionate about protecting that which she cares for most — the innocent love that is embodied by Sailor Moon. 

As Mars transits through Cancer, the action you might be called to take will depend on which house Mars is moving through for you. 

To get this information, look at your birth chart and notice which house Cancer was in when you were born. Find that house and your invitation to action below!

You can get a free version of your chart on astro-charts.com.

Where you can take Heartfelt Action:

1st house - Your sense of self, what it means to be you in the world, and how you embody your innate individual energy.

2nd house - Your values, with your finances, and growing the things that matter most to you.

3rd house - Your communication, your learning, and your connection with those who are close to you (siblings, neighbors)

4th house - Your sense of home, your connection with your ancestry, and your family structure.

5th house - Your creativity, what you are birthing forth into the world, and how you play.

6th house - Taking heart-felt action around your routines, your habits, and how you care for your body.

7th house - Your relationships, your partnerships, and your one-on-one connections with others.

8th house - Your connection with the mystical, the power you give to others, and the hidden or taboo pieces of identity.

9th house - Your higher learning, your journey as teacher, and your expansive worldviews.

10th house - Taking heart-felt action around your work in the world, how you are seen by others, and your career.

11th house - Your community, your wider sphere of influence, and your connection to the wider human sphere.

12th house - Your spirituality, your connection with the Universe/God/Goddexx, and your magic.

🦀 Victoria

 Victoria started engaging with the tarot and with astrology in 2015 during what she later learned was a Tower year. Her practice integrates tarot and astrology, with the goals of achieving more self-empowerment and greater self-understanding through these tools. If you’re interested in learning about the impacts of Mars in Cancer on your own chart, or having an astrology/tarot readings geared towards growth and soul connection, you can book Victoria for a virtual reading. Learn more @thescalesofthegoat on Instagram, or at https://www.thescalesofthegoat.com