Mars Ingress – Fight or Fight

The month of May will include four ingress changes: Mercury leaving Aries and entering Taurus then leaving Taurus and entering Gemini, Venus leaving Aries and entering Taurus, Mars leaving Gemini and entering Cancer, and Lilith leaving Aquarius and entering Pisces. Ingress results in a change in tone and meaning for a point, which is an energy shift designed to promote and continue growth as well as change on a regular and ongoing basis. Each point moves at a different speed, so the ingress for Mercury, which is faster than Mars, happens more frequently and is part of a recurring cycle in which every point eventually “returns” to the same degree as part of its elliptical cycle around the Sun. This article will look at Mars ingress from Gemini into Cancer.

Changing the Tone, Changing the Meaning

On May 15 at 11:08 pm Eastern Standard Time (EST) Mars will leave Gemini and enter Cancer. Mars is the point associated with our desire, passion, aggression, and action. In Gemini the “tone” is tied to how we communicate; we all feel a certain amount of verbal aggression and assertiveness while Mars moves through Gemini. It started out in Gemini on March 31 and did not go retrograde, so its movement through this sign was its usual approximate 1 ½ month time frame. It will spend six weeks and four days in Gemini before making ingress into Cancer on May 15^th.

In Cancer, Mars, a fire point finds itself in the nurturing water energy that rules the Moon, and the feminine divine. As the point of masculinity, this journey through the sign of the mother can be rather challenging, energetically speaking. In Cancer, the focus is on who we need to protect and care for and the emotional responsibilities we have with regard to the people in our life, especially our family. Including retrograde motion, Mars takes roughly two years to return to a degree as it makes its way around the chart. When I was born, my Mars was at 11 degrees 47 minutes (11d47m) of Taurus and every other year Mars will “return” to my natal degree and “trigger” that point in some profound way for me.

Mars in Cancer

After Gemini “communication”, the move into Cancer can put us in a defensive or protective mode. The symbol of the crab is telling; the hard-outer shell protects the soft vulnerable interior. Cancer energy is nurturing and compassionate, while the Mars point is about taking action and asserting oneself. I often think of Mars in Cancer, at its best, as the idea of the superhero or superheroine, someone willing to use power (Mars) to protect others (Cancer). For the period between May 15 and July 1, it is a powerful time to think about how we need to protect ourselves and those we care about. We need to be cautious about either overextending ourselves or “pushing” ourselves into the “business” of those we care about because we want to “protect” them.

As with any material I write about regarding astrology, it is most useful if you know your own chart. In my case, Cancer rules my 8^th House of Intimate Relationships and will have the strongest impact on my marriage. As it turns out, I do not have any points in Cancer, but my wife’s Sun sign is Cancer, so I can expect a strong impact through its impact on her. The period from May 15 to July 1 will have me focused on what I need to do to take care of my wife and I will have to watch out for being, perhaps, overprotective in some way that could present a challenge for us. Since it is not energy I normally experience as part of my design, there is quite a bit of growth potential I can experience during this transit.

Generally speaking, Mars in Cancer is about the assertion of emotions, which can take many forms, from speaking up about a vulnerability or working hard to protect against people or situations that make us feel vulnerable. For this reason, it can be a wise idea to spend some time alone in meditation and then in connection when we feel like we can be open without feeling unsafe. One of the best opportunities that can appear during this period would be a chance to act heroically on behalf of someone else or a group of people in need.  Taking on a cause, whether personal help for someone in your immediate circle or something more public, can be a great way to direct this energy.

Mars in Cancer and Family

Mars in Cancer can certainly bring family matters into intense focus at this time. Any unresolved or potentially troubling matters can surface through frustration, irritation, and even anger. Mars is the fight part of the fight or flight instinct when under stress or in challenging situations. Family can often be both the most intense source of love or hatred, depending on the situation and behavior of the family members involved. Mars, which rules Aries, and in traditional astrology, before the discovery of Pluto, ruled Scorpio, is not gentle energy. The time Mars spends in Cancer can really make us emotionally intense about our most personal relationships.

Lastly, the transition from Mars in Gemini to Mars in Cancer can feel like flying through the air and landing in the deep end of a pool. Gemini energy with Mars enjoys verbal sparring and argumentation, while Cancer energy with Mars enjoys a good emotional confrontation. Do not expect your feelings to “keep quiet” during this transit. The last time Mars was in Cancer was between June 4, 2017, to July 19, 2017. For me, and my family, this was an intense period of change. My father had contracted a serious illness and needed to be moved into a care facility just short of hospice. He has since recovered and returned home over 6 months ago. I know to expect some intense situation involving my family that will likely be profoundly transformative. The awareness through astrology will help me navigate it this time, as it did the previous time, and the time before that.