On September 2nd, 2019 Mars started a new 2-year cycle which will end on October 7th, 2021. 

A Mars cycle begins when the Sun is conjunct Mars. 

Mars is a very important archetype in our lives, even if it’s oftentimes overlooked. Any astrology enthusiast pays attention to their Saturn Return, but much fewer people pay attention to their Mars return. 

You have a Mars return every two years when transit Mars is at the same degree as your natal Mars. If for example, your natal Mars is at 11°Virgo, then you have your Mars return on September 5th, 2019, because on September 5th Mars is at 11° Virgo. 

The Mars Return – Becoming Who You Are Meant To Be

A Mars return is a pivotal time in your life. Any time you have a Mars return, you have a green line from the Universe to assert yourself and go after what you want. 

We have our first Mars return at the age of 2. This is when we truly become an individual, separate from our mother. Before the age of two, the child is not aware that he or she is a separate entity. Mars makes us aware that we are a distinct individual – with distinct wants and needs. 

It makes sense that Mars is concerned with initiative and action. Mars is the first planet to travel a full circle around the Sun. 

Mercury and Venus never travel too far away from the Sun. Mercury is always within 28° degrees of the Sun, and Venus never travels farther than 48° away from the Sun. Mars is the first planet to break away from the Sun, to find his own path, his own expression. 

Mars, the ruler of the 1st sign of the zodiac (Aries) represents the natural instinct of life to be expressed, to know more, do more, and be more. Without Mars, we would be pretty much a leaf in the wind. 

People who don’t embrace their Martian qualities don’t have a will on their own, and are always at the mercy of circumstances or other people’s agendas. 

A study has found the ONE trait that successful people share. It’s not the mindset. It’s not hard work. It’s not creativity. It’s not having good people skills. It’s not even intelligence. What all these people have in common is that they take action. They do things. They get up and do things every day. While other people are busy thinking, dreaming, feeling of philosophizing … successful people are busy doing. 

And the only planet that can help you become a doer is Mars. It does not matter where Mars is in your chart, if you’re a man or a woman, or in what family you were born – if you want to do great things in life, you have to learn to cultivate your inner Mars. You need to become a HERO. The hero of your destiny. 

The Mars Cycle And The Hero’s Journey

Mars’ journey around the Sun resembles the Hero’s journey. The Hero’s journey is a template created by the mythologist Joseph Campbell to describe the path every hero – in stories throughout the world – takes. 

In fact, all Hollywood blockbusters follow Joseph Campbel’s Hero’s journey: the story begins when the Hero is presented with a great challenge – to “kill the dragon” – which is a metaphor for confronting his greatest fear. 

The Hero has to prove they’re worthy of getting the prize: marrying the king’s daughter or overcoming a modern challenge, such as getting a degree, starting a venture, or saving a crumbling relationship. 

The 2-year Mars cycle around the Sun is the archetype of the Hero’s journey. As the first planet to travel a full circle around the Sun, Mars – or the Hero – adventures outside the ordinary world, symbolized by the territory of the Sun. 

The Hero’s journey starts when the Hero is presented with a challenge. The Hero is not fully committed at the beginning but they eventually overcome their fear and decide to cross the threshold. On their journey, the Hero meets the mentor, who trains them precious survival skills.   

The Hero finally commits to adventure and enters the Special World. This is a turning point, as the Hero leaves the Ordinary World to enter an unknown territory. In the Mars cycle, this is when we have the first Sun-Mars square, a few months in the cycle. 

The Hero makes friends and enemies and learns the rules of the Special World. Finally, he approaches ‘the most dangerous place’, usually the place where the villain lives. This is where the Hero has a direct confrontation with the Villan / the Shadow, which is nothing else but his own greatest fear. 

This is the part of the cycle when Mars is retrograde and in opposition to the Sun. In the current Mars cycle, Mars will oppose the Sun on October 13th, 2020. 

Finally, the Hero defeats the villain and takes possession of the prize. On his way back, the Hero is tested one more time to see if he or she has really learned the lessons from the Supreme Ordeal. That would be the 2nd – and last – Sun-Mars square. 

Eventually, the Hero returns to the Ordinary world, bringing back the prize. This is when the Mars cycle ends, as Mars is approaching yet another conjunction with the Sun. 

The Mars cycle can teach you a great deal about yourself. The world belongs to those who dare, and Mars will teach you how to overcome challenges and become a better person – a true Hero.

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