Chapter XXI. The Twelve Positions of Mars | Sacred Texts Archive

Solar Biology, by Hiram E. Butler, [1887], at sacred-texts.com

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CHAPTER XXI.

THE TWELVE POSITIONS OF MARS.

♂ (Mars): its Function.

Mars expresses the principles of parental love, and must be considered in its effects upon the natural instincts connected with this love, as manifested in all forms of animate life. In the animal nature it is entirely selfish, combative, and tyrannical, destroying others for the preservation of its own young; and in man, where it is allowed to rule without reason it will manifest the same phases as in the brute creation; so that while it embodies and expresses the elements of love, carefulness, and maternal protection and preservation, it also manifests hatred, combativeness, and antagonism when its interests are disturbed or threatened. So, whenever we find it in parts of the body whose phenomena are wholly instinctive, it must be considered as acting in conjunction with either the spiritual or the animal nature, according to the predominance of the higher or the lower faculties in the individual.

♂ (Mars) in ♈ (Aries).

Here Mars contributes all its qualities to the intellect, giving a high ideal of family life, and a desire to instruct and elevate children, often requiring too much

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of them intellectually, or trying to put "old heads on young shoulders," as it is often expressed.

It gives carefulness, neatness, and economy in domestic and business life. It gives much the same mental tendencies as though the person was born in the sign Cancer; gives vague imaginings of evil, and frequently cruel and combative tendencies.

♂ (Mars) in ♉ (Taurus).

Here the characteristics of Mars are contributed in the strongest and most direct manner to the feelings and emotions; and while giving a strong love for their own children, such love will be largely characterized by the animal instincts. It gives courage in combat, and makes one very sensitive concerning the treatment their own children receive from others.

♂ (Mars) in ♊ (Gemini).

In this case the family love is changed to love of knowledge. It gives adaptation for school-teaching, general education, and the care of children. It also gives love of beauty, culture, and refinement in children, and love of scientific knowledge in the direction of home and domestic uses, and sometimes is extended to scientific pursuits.

♂ (Mars) in ♋ (Cancer).

This is its native home, where it gives the strongest parental love, and love of children in general. It greatly increases the domestic qualities, and often overpowers other strong tendencies, subjugating them to the

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domestic life; and, if the nature is fine, it will modify and elevate the lower animal tendencies associated with it. It gives love of agricultural life and stock-raising.

♂ (Mars) in ♌ (Leo).

This makes the parental love deep, strong, and enduring, and, in case of the death of a child, is apt to affect the parents’ health. Such parents are apt to be over-indulgent with their children, and should heed the words of Solomon in this matter. It turns the ideal of a family life into the love channels and awakens all the finer sensibilities, and thus may be caused to contribute its nature to whatever leading characteristics the nativity may possess.

Being feminine in quality, it will add fineness to the male nature. It gives some tendency to the occult sciences and to spirituality.

It often causes irritable and combative tendencies, and in organisms where these conditions are dominant it will find its fullest expression in that direction. It will frequently cause a feeling of restlessness and dissatisfaction in one's nature, and in many cases contribute to cause dyspeptic and other difficulties, according to the innate nature or sign in which the person is born.

♂ (Mars) in ♍ (Virgo).

Here it is found as an enemy to the digestive function, causing frequent derangement and necessitating great care in diet and habits. Such persons need to have their food prepared in their own homes, or by persons with whom they are in sympathy. It tends to lessen conjugality and increase the general love of the

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opposite sex. It also injures their discriminative ability and intuitive faculties, and is apt to make them materialistic, positive, and in some cases pretentious and deceptive; but this applies mainly to outside interests, as their intuitions and sympathies would remain active and clear in matters pertaining to their own home and family.

♂ (Mars) in ♎ (Libra).

This position imparts its nature to the perceptive faculties, both physical and mental. It inclines the person to be very materialistic. It gives increased tendencies and intuitions in the direction of acquiring wealth, self-preservation, and protection, and to care of family. It contributes to the powers of foresight and foreknowledge of events that will affect those under their care, especially family and children. It fixes their eyes upon the things of this world, and imparts energy and activity in the pursuit of business interests.

It affects the sexual nature so that in some cases it makes the magnetism so antagonistic, that it will produce disease and death in the husband or wife. This only occurs when companions are incompatible, and where the planetary conditions are such as to give Mars the controlling influence; and this may be known by the complexion and physiognomy. In man it will produce a pale, beardless face, velvety voice, and extremely sanguine temperament. In woman, the same temperament and pale face, and a voice which appears to start deep down in the body.

This position of Mars gives peculiar extremes to the

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temper, which is apparently kind and gentle, but easily ruffled, though it is shown only by occasional cutting and unpleasant insinuations. The parental affections incline to the plane of the animal loves, and the sex inclinations are quite selfish.

♂ (Mars) in ♏ (Scorpio).

This gives one a positive tendency, and an inclination to be the controlling power in the household. It gives a strong family love, and a tendency to adhere closely to the uses of the sexual nature, but a greater love for this relation than for the care of children, or for the higher phases of conjugality. The person will incline to self-gratification and pride of family appearances and possessions. The general tendencies are toward a public life rather than a domestic one.

♂ (Mars) in ♐ (Sagittarius).

Mars is an adversary in this sign if the innate nature is one of the sensitive signs, as it then makes them liable to extremes in action and feeling, and sometimes to conditions resembling obsession; but it usually gives an inclination to make everything conserve the uses of home and family.

When there are other conditions that aid in increasing the family loves, it makes one a servant to their own children; but they are apt to neglect their education; and if acquisitiveness is large, require them to work to increase the store of this world's goods when they ought to be at school. This position, as a rule, inclines parents to be too impatient, exacting and severe with

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their children and to use the rod too frequently. Lessons in the recognition of the rights of child life should be impressed upon this nature while young, not only by precept, but by example, in showing that their own desires and rights are respected and encouraged in all reasonable matters, thus establishing in the child's mind precedents for their guidance at maturity. Mars, in this sign, contributes a great deal of the law nature and disposition; so these persons will be apt to stand up for their rights: they also incline to be governed by rule and law in mechanical matters, in which they are apt to have good abilities, with a tendency to the manufacture of domestic goods.

♂ (Mars) in ♑ (Capricorn).

This gives a great love for the care of children, with special adaptation for teaching; and, if a female, for the position of a matron of an asylum or other institution for the young. It often enslaves parents to their children, giving an inclination to serve them altogether too much. It also gives some inclination to domestic science and love of education.

♂ (Mars) in ♒ (Aquarius).

This gives a love for the motto, "The world is my family." It turns the loves largely away from the family to the public, militating against conjugality, giving a love of travel and inclination for meeting strangers and associating familiarly with them.

If other conditions have produced family love, it will give great pride of appearance and show in one's children;

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also regard for external personal appearance, custom, and conventionality.

♂ (Mars) in ♓ (Pisces).

This gives a restless dissatisfaction, and often creates antagonism in domestic life, through peculiar tendencies and exacting requirements; so that such lives frequently becomes burdensome and their homes broken up, though the person may in other matters be naturally kind and loving. It gives uncertainty of feeling, with disinclination to marriage, yet a disposition to yield to and serve a companion, but liability to be attracted to those who are more or less antagonistic. (In such cases we often find small lines running parallel with the life-line, extending partly around the thumb; which are expressive of the above domestic conditions.) It ordinarily gives fidelity in marriage; but when inverted, uses its power in the opposite direction.

It gives faithfulness to children, but turns the family love largely into channels of knowledge, giving studious tendencies and some adaptation to writing: it also gives love of travel, with liability to periods of melancholy.