Mars and health

The astrology of Selma Blair and the Mars factor of MS

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UPDATE!  Selma Blair kindly provided her birth time after reading and approving this post: 8:45 am. I’ve written a great deal over the years about the way the energies of the personality, as reflected in the natal chart, affect our health. The planetary position of Mars in the chart seems to have a great deal to do with ailments of all kinds including fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and other such immune system disorders. The way in which we respond to our health problems are also connected to our Mars placements. Mars in the birthchart shows the ways in which we assert and defend ourselves, and how we process anger and resentment.

A reader turned me on to the work of Dr. John Sarno who writes on this very subject from a medical perspective and if this topic is of interest to you I suggest you do a Google search for his work.

In any case, Selma Blair has been in the news for the past few years due to her advocacy for sufferers of multiple sclerosis and that is another disease in which I have found a connection to Mars.   Mars is a fire planet, and fire is the element of action and initiation – it creates the drive and ambition that inspires us and stimulates desire and need.  When a chart lacks the fire element, or if there is a strong Mars that is afflicted by a challenging aspect from Neptune, Saturn or Pluto without other supporting factors, the  fire energy is more difficult to express and can back up into energetic blocks in the body.  You can read more about that in this earlier post.

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But let’s get back to Ms. […]

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By |2021-08-29T07:27:15-04:00August 25th, 2021|Health & Healing, People|16 Comments

The astrology of Multiple Sclerosis, 2019 edition

astrology of multiple sclerosisClients and longtime readers of this blog know that I have a special interest in the way the energy of an astrological chart manifests in health problems and I have written before about the correlation to a compromised Mars placement and various autoimmune diseases.   Disclaimer:  I have no medical training and any medical information that appears in this blog contains only my own hypothetical beliefs and should not in any way be construed as medical advice.

The astrological role of Mars is to energize us and provide defense for the personality.  Mars is known as the planet of war, but also motivates and inspires and can be brought to rage and anger if we are thwarted.  Many of us are afraid of anger, both in ourselves and others, and we often repress our own rage and/or find it difficult to defend ourselves when necessary.  How well we are predisposed to deal with matters of war and action and courage is demonstrated by the placement of Mars in the astrological chart.  When Mars in the astrological chart is debilitated or blocked, the frustration and anger can build up in the body’s energetic system and emerge in a variety of health issues.  Chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis – I have seen all of these issues, as well as multiple sclerosis, in clients with a compromised Mars in their charts.

Multiple sclerosis is classified as an autoimmune disease – a disease in which the immune system attacks the body and the body is unable to defend itself against the attack.  You can easily see the correspondence between Mars and this definition – there is an attack and a lack of defense, both are Mars factors.  I have written before on […]

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By |2021-08-25T06:01:31-04:00March 2nd, 2019|Health & Healing|8 Comments

Mars retrograde December 2011- January 2012

Mars retrograde 2011-2012You may have heard that Mars is getting ready to turn retrograde, an event that only occurs every two years or so.  Mars is known as a malefic in traditional astrology signifying bad luck and loss (Mars is the “lesser malefic” and Saturn is the “greater malefic”), but in my work a strong Mars is absolutely essential for good fortune and for good health. Mars symbolizes our drive and inspiration, and the need each of us have for certain experiences.  We need food to eat and experience hunger: that hunger is Mars in action.  We have sexual drives that demand satisfaction: that demand for satisfaction is Mars.  We need to feel that our loved ones reciprocate our affection: that need is Mars.  When we are excited about going for a walk in the woods, that excitement is Mars.  When we hear music and absolutely have to dance, that urge is Mars too.

When Mars is weak or afflicted in the birthchart, these urges are weakened.  When we are unable to ask for the things we need or want, when we allow inertia to take the place of inspiration, Mars is weakened and it becomes more difficult for us to achieve our goals and dreams.  Not impossible – just as any weak muscle we can exercise our Mars so that it becomes stronger.  A weak Mars can also make it difficult for an individual to defend themselves or create good boundaries, resulting in a feeling of powerlessness that leads to a depression or frustrated state that saps our energy and creativity and ultimately creates a state of chronic poor health. When we feel our needs aren’t met we become angry, and overtime this can lead to a […]

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By |2021-12-24T14:11:46-05:00December 28th, 2011|Planetary cycles|15 Comments

Exercise can moderate anger: the Mars factor

exercise and marsA recent article in the New York Times reports that a study which evaluated the responses of 16 young men with “high trait anger” (short fuse reactions) after exercising on a stationary bike for 30 minutes.

[T]he results of the study suggest  that “exercise, even a single bout of it, can have a robust prophylactic effect” against the buildup of anger, said Nathaniel Thom, a stress physiologist who was the study’s lead researcher.“It’s like taking aspirin to combat heart disease,” he said. “You reduce your risk.”

When the men did not exercise, they had considerable difficulty controlling their racing emotion. But after exercise, they handled what they saw with more aplomb. Their moods were under firmer control.

This will not be news to anyone who has ever been an exercise junkie, but astrologically we can connect this phenomenon with the planet Mars in the birthchart.   This will be old hat to my clients and many of my readers and listeners who have heard me recommend vigorous exercise for anyone with what I call “Mars problems” in the natal chart.
Mars represents desire and the individual will – it describes how we go about getting what we want, and how we defend what we have.  Anger occurs when our desires are thwarted, and if it is left to simmer for too long it erupts into rage.  Unexpressed anger or rage, or what I call “unexpressed Mars,” can be associated with many chronic health problems.
I recommend exercise for people who have a stressed Mars in their chart because exercise helps to put us in touch with that fiery energy that lives in the solar plexus and masquerades as […]
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By |2022-09-01T14:48:15-04:00August 21st, 2010|Health & Healing|2 Comments