Mars in Cancer

After several months of an extended stay in busy, restless Gemini, Mars is finally ready to move on, on March 25. Seldom does the Red Planet linger for so long in any one sign. The only reason he’s dithered is due to his retrograde over the end of 2022 and into the beginning of 2023. This cosmic event only happens every two years, with this particular retrograde having been quite the doozy. Rampant communication, nervous system activation and frenetic activity have been the order of the day for months now and it’s high time that we all took a nourishing break.

Fortunately, that’s exactly what the next sign of Mars – Cancer – is all about. In the watery realms of the crab, Mars settles into home, family and nesting. Instead of continually seeking change and excitement, Mars is more than ready to snuggle up on the couch with his favorite homecooked meal, as passed down by grandmamma.

Granted, the Warrior God is not particularly comfortable in this most home-loving of signs. In fact, in traditional, ancient Astrology, Mars in Cancer is said to be in ‘Fall”, opposite his “Exaltation” sign of Capricorn. All that this means is that Mars is not as able as he usually is to express his bold, assertive energies in the usual way. Here, Mars becomes, well, watered down. Driven by emotions and intuition, Mars acts on his gut and follows his feelings.

 Seeing as Mars also rules the principle of desire, what we may end up craving is somewhere we can belong, feel secure and put down roots. This is a natural progression from travel-orientated, flighty Gemini. After all, who doesn’t love coming home after a chaotic day to put their feet up?

With this yearning, we may take to wandering, just like the crab that Cancer symbolizes. During our journey, we might come to realize that home is within us and around us, not necessarily something that we need to seek from outside. The crab knows this – he carries his home on his back, moving when the need takes him, searching for the ‘exact right place’ that his heart tells him resonates.

Mars also rules passion, chemistry and physical desire. In Cancer, our desire is to conceive and create. Children come in more forms than just one. What can you conceive of during this season? What creative endeavor speaks to you, satisfies you, soothes you, nurtures you?  

Another question to ask might be in what way can you extend this nurturing energy towards others? Mars in Cancer is protective, and fiercely so. Over these few weeks, we may be moved to have the backs of the ones that we adore. We could expect the same treatment back, but with Cancer, there’s always the danger of passively-aggressively expecting others to mind-read. Mars in Cancer can become particularly sulky when feeling neglected or overlooked. Yet, not speaking up can lead to simmering resentment and emotional outbursts. This is when we can see glimmers of the notorious ‘Fallen’ Mars.