Mars in Leo
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Mars in Leo - by transit
When Mars is in Leo, it means that Mars is being hosted by the Sun, which is the planetary ruler of Leo. That means that Mars expresses itself through the hot, dry, fiery energy of the Sun.When we add Mars to this solar mix, we combine the energy of aggression, competition and assertion with fame, celebrity and attention. This is a very potent and feisty mix. Mars is a hot and dry planet, and so enjoys being in fire signs.
Whenever Mars enters Leo, it means that it has left the sign of its fall, Cancer. This always feels like a nice change, because Mars struggles to be its bad ass, competitive self in a sign that is all about nourishment. In Leo, Mars regains a sense of motivation and energy.
Mars in Leo brings about a sense of playful competitiveness. Mars in Leo wants to do MORE — have more fun, be more brave, exert even MORE energy.
Mars in Leo - in the birth chart
When people have Mars in Leo in the birth chart, the interplay between fame and competition gets played out over an entire lifetime, instead of six weeks. It's important to remember that when we actually look at someone's birth chart, there are SO MANY different factors at play that can influence how a planet is going to show up in your birth chart. In this section, I am exploring how the archetypes of Mars and the Sun might appear in the chart, very generally.
If you have Mars in Leo, you can study your Sun (both sign and house placement) to learn more about how your Mars will manifest in your life. Or you can book a reading with me to get personalized info.
People with Mars in Leo are likely to have a life long relationship/dynamic with themes of fame, legacy and their quest for greatness. As we will see in the chart example section, famous people with Mars in Leo are known for their competitiveness, their ambition, and their ability to put the work in to get there. Mars in Leo folks are willing to do whatever it takes to get there, and that includes putting in long hours at the gym or at the office. Personally, I don't like playing games with Mars in Leo people, because they want to win so fucking badly.
If you have Mars in Leo, think about your relationship to your reputation and legacy. How do you want to be remembered? How do you want to your work to life on after you pass? And most importantly — how do these desires influence the choices you make? How does this desire to be remembered (or not) impact you?
Examples of people with Mars in Leo in their birth charts
In this section, we'll look at a some examples of famous people with Mars in Leo. Of course, we don't know the inner lives of celebrities and famous people, so take all of these observations with a grain of salt. If you have any other examples of celebrities with Mars in Leo, let me know in the comments!
Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé is one of my favourite examples, because her public life combines so many essential Mars in Leo traits. She is well-known as a leader in her field and for being in control of her artistic vision. She is also is known for her athleticism and powerful feats of strength and endurance that accompany being a high-level performer. There are dozens of "Here's Beyoncé's exact workout" and all of them looking horrifyingly painful to me, personally. It just goes to show how far a Mars in Leo can push someone. They have a very specific vision of success, one that includes feats of strength, physical power, and an artistic legacy.
The archetype of royalty are very strong in her public persona — there is literally an autobiography about her called "Queen Bey: A Celebration of the Power and Creativity of Beyoncé Knowles-Carter." Beyoncé is know for being extremely private and careful in how she curates her public appearance. There are very few interviews with her, and often when she works with media, it's in her voice — by her, not about her.
But it has taken decades of dedication, hard work, strategic thinking and business acumen to get where she is today. Beyoncé is a great example of how a Mars in Leo indicates royalty, fame, and enduring legacy that is the result of hard, difficult work. She might be extremely wealthy and successful, but it has likely come at a cost — a cost to her time, her health, her body, her personal life, etc. Mars in Leo will help you find success, but it will also take its toll.
Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan is another example of Mars in Leo as an indicator of powerful athleticism and success in competitive sports. Jordan is known as one of the greatest athletes of all time, and has achieved some remarkable career highlights, including winning "enough Most Valuable Player awards to stock his own wing at the Hall of Fame". Overachiever, much?
In The Last Dance, a sports documentary miniseries co-produced by ESPN Films and Netflix, Jordan's competitive personality and drive to win was one of the major themes explored. And yet, "Jordan allowed the filming with the agreement that the footage would only be used with his direct permission" (source). Once again, we see themes of control over reputation and concern about legacy and how he will be seen and remembered.
Jordan has Mars in Leo in the Second House, which further indicates that this Mars in Leo energy has a deep connection to how he makes money and supports himself.
Donald Trump
I'm sorry to mention Donald Trump, again, but it's not my fault he is such a striking example of these archetypes!
Trump is an interesting case of Mars in Leo because his placement is right on the Ascendant, which means his Mars in Leo is very much infused into his personality and character. In Trump, we see some of the more negative and aggressive side of Mars in Leo. Trump is a bully, a strong man, a braggart — that is one of his core appeals, that he can be forceful, domineering and in control. His supporters like him because of his strength.
And even before he got into politics, we saw that power and authority being used through the role of Executive — "You're fired!" Trump inherited a legacy from his father, and the Trump name has been central to his success. The most business success he's had has come from using the Trump name as a brand to sell products.
Trump's concern for legacy and public reputation are extremely clear in his approach to running for office and his time in office. His bombastic and domineering presence, the aggressive language, the "us vs them" fear mongering he stoked. It's all quintessential Mars + the Sun energy, albiet a destructive, nationalistic and aggressive one.
Mars in Leo can stoke that nationalist fervour, to cause us to want to fight and compete on behalf of something larger than ourselves, a symbol or an idea. That's not to say that everyone who has this placement is going to be like Donald Trump, of course! We all have free will. You can always try to channel your Mars in Leo nature towards something that benefits everyone and that makes the world a better place.
I hope you've found this exploration of Mars in Leo helpful! Tracking the movements of the inner planets through the zodiac signs can be a wonderful way to learn astrology and to deepen your relationships with the planets.
Do you have Mars in Leo? Share you experiences in the comments below! I'd love to hear how some of these traits resonate with you.