Mars in Libra World Tour, 2025

Allegedly out of its element in Libra, Mars will be making visits to remote places in the solar system, in our relationships and psyche. The next six weeks promise to reveal the nature of our moment.

Photo by Eric Francis

Mars on the Cardinal Cross: Introduction to This Whole Scenario

Dear Friend and Subscriber:

As of 7:23 pm EDT Wednesday, Mars was done with Virgo and is in cardinal air sign Libra. It will traverse Libra between now and Sept. 22 (the birthday of Bilbo and Frodo Baggins), when it enters its domicile Scorpio.

This promises to be an exciting few weeks, if we can remember the value of curiosity and equanimity. Mars at its most basic represents a certain kind of masculinity (so do the Sun and Chiron). And it’s going to take us on a very exciting tour. However, it’s worth mentioning that any thing male or masculine is facing difficult times, including the inner masculine nature of many women.

Cara Delevingne really means “rape the patriarchy,” since we may assume it would not give consent to being pegged, certainly not by her. This is a live-action photo of the digital environment in full force and effect, MetGala 2021. Photo by Angela Weiss.

Embarrassing to be a Man?

Over the weekend, I read in The New York Times Magazine that, “It must be mildly embarrassing to be a straight man, and it is incumbent upon each of them to mitigate this embarrassment in a way that feels authentic to him.”

This statement could only be made in the digital world by and for digital gender cultists. I will be sizing up this notion on Friday’s Planet Waves FM. However, I think that the newspaper of record has overstretched its editorial policy to allow into print the idea that it’s shameful — however slightly — to be a not-gay man.

Well, on second thought, every time I go to the website I find some new slam against men. The Times seems to be snorting digital poppers. (See my letter to them in the comments below.)

Mars in Detriment — A Foreign Country

In a similar fashion, Mars in Libra is in what’s called “detriment.” That means it’s out of its element, as if visiting a foreign country. Mars is the diurnal ruler of Aries; in its opposite sign, it’s not supposed to do well.

However, I notice that most of astrology misses the point of such a concept. Anyone who has traveled the world (by which I do not mean as a tourist) knows that exposure to foreign places makes you a better and more interesting person. The anti-dignities “detriment” and “fall” tend to strengthen planets in that they help create adaptations that make them influential in unusual ways.

Herbalists tell me you don’t want to grow medicinal herbs under lush, cushy conditions. You want the plant strengthened by less-than-ideal conditions.

Valles Marineris, the vulva on Mars, has a length of over 4,000 kilometres, meaning it covers almost a quarter of the planet. It is the biggest canyon in the solar system.

Libra is a Masculine Sign, Ruled by Venus

Libra is ruled by Venus. But it’s a masculine sign. Mars rules Aries, but it also rules Scorpio — a feminine sign. These various combinations make for all kinds of interesting blends of color, tone and flavor. There is more to gender than pee-pee and cha-cha, straight and queer, perp and victim.

Individualistic Mars will be transiting through the relational sign Libra. These six weeks will be among the most unusual in a long time, as Mars explores the four corners of human existence.

While Mars is in Libra, it will make aspects to many minor and major planets now on the cardinal cross, including the Saturn-Neptune-Borasisi group in Aries; the Family Hunger Games group in Capricorn (see part one and part two); the Jupiter group in Cancer (see forthcoming Easy Does It reading); and the Chiron-Eris-Zeus alignment stretching across Aries/Libra.

In the rest of this article I will run through those events, prevented from writing a book because I promised my team this article by 1 pm and it is now 11 am.

The photo research and ephemeris work are all done. All I have to do is sit here and type something interesting for a change. Let’s see how that goes.

NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover transmitted this image of a geological formation on the planet’s surface known as “Shrinkle Haven” to technicians on Earth. Researchers believe the structures in the image are evidence that ancient rivers flowed much faster and deeper than previously believed. NASA-Caltech-JPL

Mars opposite Saturn, Neptune (that is plenty) and Borasisi, on the Aries Point, and aligned with supergalaxy M-87 — happening right now. FFS, that’s a lot in one place and one time.

Over the next few days, Mars will be on the Aries Point via Libra. Before I forget, remind me to tell you that it’s also going to be conjunct the massive galaxy Messier 87, which is in Libra’s second degree. M87 is the gravitational focus of ALL of the nearby galaxies.

In case you’ve never done such a thing, this is a fantastic invitation to find yourself, right before it’s too late and such a concept is irrelevant.

On the Aries side of the Aries Point is a triple conjunction, one that is a sign of our times: the extremely, insanely rare alignment of Saturn and Neptune in Aries. This has happened only four times since 1 B.C. and according to the Leo King astrologer, you have to track back to about 4500 B.C. (world population said to be about 40 million) to have this conjunction on the Aries Point.

This grouping of energies — Mars, Saturn, Neptune, M87 and the Aries Point — describes something big. I think for somnambulant humans stumbling through life, it describes the incredible gravitas of our moment. Most people are Not Getting It.

My bottom line on the Saturn-Neptune alignment (which will be exact it’s one and only time on Feb. 20, 2026) is that it represents the inner resources we need to form a whole new experience of “self” under the invisible assault of synthetic thought and artificial God.

Or, it represents the formation of that artificial god in our minds.

Borasisi, properly (66652) Borasisi, formerly 1999 RZ253, is aligned with both Saturn and Neptune now. One of my very favorite minor planets, named in honor of Kurt Vonnegut, Borasisi was discovered in 1999. It has an orbit of just over 287 years, so it’s right beyond Pluto’s average orbit. It is about the belief or disbelief factor in nearly everything. It’s about the human tendency to believe lies and disbelieve the truth. It’s about the tendency to think something is true if you believe it.

NASA’s Curiosity robot captured this panorama using its Mastcam while heading west away from Gediz Vallis channel on Nov. 2, 2024, the 4,352nd Martian day, of the mission. The Mars rover’s tracks across the rocky terrain are visible at right. NASA/JPL-Caltech

Mars Square the Family Hunger Game Pattern — approx. Aug. 15-22

Since last June or so, I’ve been going on and on about what I am calling the Family Hunger Game pattern (see my coverage, part one and part two). This is a group of factors in early- to mid-Capricorn that represents the multi-generational chaos of families. This just goes on and on, and it’s not getting better.

In a conversation yesterday, my county sheriff told me that mental health interventions are up three-fold since “covid.” They have tripled. A 30% increase would be a lot; this is a 300% increase. Listen to the scanner for an hour most places and you will hear domestic violence calls, altered mental state calls, and various other signs of declining psychic stability — all of which are rooted in family dysfunction and its best friend, substance abuse.

Who is doing anything about this? Well, some people are figuring out that alcohol is poison, and that it does not relieve stress. What exactly is your concept of moderation? I used to be the editor of Kane’s Beverage Week. The booze industry says it’s healthy to drink every day. It must be true!

Mars getting into this pattern will stir the pot aggressively. You cannot do anything about all those other people, but you can do something for yourself. And that something is not about trauma worship and claiming exalted victimhood. It’s not about taking personal issues and marching in the street.

Mars Opposite Salacia, Sept. 26

Mars opposite slow-mover Salacia in Aries around Aug. 26 asks the question: who are you as a sexual being? I mean, who are you really? How do you want to relate to people and be related to, and do you have an accurate read on others and what they want?

That is not found in any category on any rainbow flag. Every person has their own sexual and emotional orientation. Right now, humanity is totally disoriented due to having been shocked out of body first by electricity and then into hallucination by digital conditions.

To find your sexual orientation, you need to explore physical attraction and physical sex in person with your body, your emotions and your senses. Full Stop.

NASA’s Opportunity rover recorded a panoramic view before entering the upper end of the valley in June 2017. NASA-JPL/Caltech/Cornell/ASU

Mars square Jupiter (and Kronos) in Cancer, on and about Sept. 4

This is the mark of the True Believer; the evangelist; the campaigner; the go-getter who works against himself. It’s the person who does not know when to stop. Special point Kronos (a kind of super Saturn) is in the background. Add a generous helping of self-aggrandizement and you have…TikTok!

Take a hint from your old Uncle Eric. Life is not TikTok! Nobody effing cares how many followers and/or clicks someone allegedly has. Nobody actually cares if Joey So and So the Bodybuilding Influencer is or isn’t racist.

What matters is who you are; what might matter to you is not just what you believe but why you believe it, which can take a lot of reflection. And the most important element of this involves who you present yourself as in your relationships. I suggest making a list of your demands and your expectations and…burning it. Careful not to burn down the house.

This aspect can represent a test of character, which does not mean an audition for a TV show. The meaning of this interesting word has evolved from “symbol marked or branded on the body” to “alphabetic letter, graphic symbol standing for a sound or syllable” to “a defining quality, individual feature” to “sum of qualities that define a person or thing and distinguish it from another” to “moral qualities assigned to a person by repute.” The latter is what I am talking about: a test of your moral qualities when you have a chance to suspend your ethics.

The sense of “person in a play or novel” is first attested in the 1660s, in reference to the “defining qualities” he or she is given by the author. You are the author.

New images (2025) from NASA's Curiosity rover show a series of "boxwork" ridges, which look like large spiderwebs when viewed from above. NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

Mars Opposite Chiron and Eris, on or about Sept. 15-16

With 45 minutes left to write, let’s talk about this aspect pattern. If there is a lifesaver in the midst of all of our current astrology, this is the one. If there is the option to wake up and be real, this is the one.

This should be a book and you’ll never find another astrologer who agrees with or supports this assertion except maybe Rick Levine or Melanie Reinhart or someone else I’ve been friends with for 25 years.

Eris represents the takeover of humanity by mass media. It enters Aries at the dawn of the radio era, then the TV era, and into the computer/digital era. Each of these technologies works over all of society and each individual entirely, and meanwhile, nobody much notices or gives a toss. Environments operate invisibly and below the level of perception. The concept of “environment” means subliminal action.

Psychedelic Eric McLuhan, NYC, 2016. Photo by Eric Francis

‘Utterly Transformed and Distorted’

Here is Eris, pure and not so simple, acting as the invisible environment with profound effects. Said in the words of media theorist Eric McLuhan, in a personal email to me from around 2016:

“The body is everywhere assaulted by all of our new media, a state which has resulted in deep disorientation of intellect and destabilization of culture throughout the world. In the age of disembodied communication, the meaning and significance and experience of the body is utterly transformed and distorted.”

Please — read that out loud so you hear yourself say the words. If you’re wondering why the world is so goddamned crazy right now, it’s because most people are floating around as hungry, raging phantoms.

NASA's Perseverance Mars rover used its dual-camera Mastcam-Z imager to capture this image of "Santa Cruz," a hill within Jezero Crater, on April 29, 2021. (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS). We cannot be sure this image was not created by one of my late friend Charlie Lemay’s photography students.

The Radio-TV-Digital Spectrum

Though we need more nuance, the radio—TV—digital spectrum of mass media history, which is Eris in Aries (1922-present), includes a mass media environment wherein there are no men and no women, only electrons, pixels, bits and bytes moving at the speed of light which:

— Unravels individuality (undoes the individuating effect of literacy)

— Drives people out of body (which translates to makes them insane and violent, both physically and psychically). People who do not know who they are resort to violence as a way to find out. This currently manifests as the obsession with attack videos and rage bait on the internet.

— Makes people tribal — especially women...who are far more sensitive to the disembodying and de-individuating effects of electrical technology.

— And let’s say this again: electricity generally tends to DESEX people…this is “women acting like men” and “the feminization of men” and (for much of the 20c) any concept of mothering or householding being considered “sexist.”

— Induces MASS CONSCIOUSNESS rather than group consciousness (which is described by Saturn).

The Education of Achilles by Chiron, fresco from Herculaneum, 1st century AD (Museo Archeologico Nazionale, Naples)

And Then Comes Chiron

Chiron represents the opposite of all of these electrical effects. Chiron is about the awakening of the individual. It’s about distinction and the deepest expression of who one is. Therefore, Chiron versus Eris is a real confrontation.

The Chiron-Eris conjunction is your invitation to awaken from your tribal faux “identity” and to stand up as who you are. This will be welcomed by some; it will be extremely challenging for others; it will be painful to others yet; and it will be impossible for some.

Most people derive both security and identity from being part of something they think exists and that they think is larger than they are. And if this comes with the loss of one’s individual sense of being, so what — that’s really annoying anyway.

So here we have Chiron in its maximum expression of “inconvenient benefic.” Chiron also manifests as the mentor and the teacher, who sets the example of standing out and standing apart.

And Then Comes Mars

Mars enters this setup on Sept. 15, though the effects will be warming up well before that. Mars is leading the quest for someone thinking of themselves as their own person and not “part of” anything. I’m not saying that we’re not interdependent and enmeshed in the web of life.

I am saying that you have your own mind and your own purpose and your own karma and your own mission on the planet at this time. I will end with the words of Prof. Robert Solomon of the University of Texas at Austin, quoted in the outstanding film Waking Life by Richard Linklater.

“It might be true that there are six billion people in the world and counting. Nevertheless, what you do makes a difference. It makes a difference, first of all, in material terms. Makes a difference to other people and it sets an example. In short, I think the message here is that we should never simply write ourselves off and see ourselves as the victim of various forces. It's always our decision who we are.”

It is always your decision who you are. And remember, it’s not my job to wake you up. It’s my job to stay awake no matter what you or anyone says or does.

Signing off at 1:16 pm —

With love,

Your faithful astrologer,

A group is not a mass. Photo courtesy of the Doobie Brothers.