This article was originally published in 2012. I am not certain where this art came from originally, but I found it here.
As many of you know, I have a special interest in energy imbalances and health as shown in the birthchart. 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. When there is an immune system disorder of some sort, such as Multiple Sclerosis, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue symdrome, and other similar ailments I nearly always see what I call a “fire problem” in the chart.
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.
The other day I did a reading for a client who has Multiple Sclerosis. Her chart showed Mars in Leo – a powerfully expressive Mars that demands attention and enthusiasm – but it was opposed by Neptune, the planet of subjugation and transcendence. She had no other fire in her chart, and she had a great deal of difficulty expressing her needs (Mars in Leo) or dealing with any feelings of anger when her boundaries were violated. After her MS diagnosis she found she could use that fact to assert herself more strongly into the world. Now when people tried to get her to do things she didn’t want to do, she could say “I can’t, I have MS.” The human mind/body system is an amazing thing.
When we discussed the Mars connection, she told me about a website called MASHNorth (Metaphysical And Spiritual Healing) that included information on a metaphysical approach to ALS. ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease) is related to MS in that both are neurological disorders, but in MS the immune system attacks the myelin sheathing on the nerves whereas in ALS the motor neurons disintegrate with no apparent cause. My Mars hypothesis is limited right now to immune system disorders, but the ideas in this website are interesting because they too deal with the warrior archetype (Mars was the god of war, and Mars does rule warfare, anger and rage):
We are proposing that prior group warrior memories are one environmental trigger of ALS, and that the warrior archetype of devoted physical action (as in soldiers, athletes, nurses, police and fire people) is associated with ALS, just as the Type A personality is associated with heart dis-ease. [See the details here.]
Studies have shown that military veterans are twice as likely to contract ALS, and athletes (such as Lou Gehrig, for whom the disease is named) also have a higher than normal incidence of the disease. This has led some to hypothesize that brain trauma could explain the higher incidence among these groups. However, both of these groups share this “warrior energy” which astrologers term as “Mars,” and the MASHNorth site suggests:
The stronger the vow and the attachment to a prior group warrior experience, the more the “top gun team warrior-ness” as in Lou Gehrig, Jimmy “Catfish” Hunter, top gun Gulf War veteran Major Michael Donnelly and the professional athletes. In terms of ALS, an intense warrior vow, as the scientific studies show, manifests as an elevated rate of ALS in warriors that is “dose related” and that occurs as an early onset.
I thought I’d take a look at Lou Gehrig’s chart, and sure enough we see the Moon in Aries, Mars’s own sign, opposite Mars in Libra. The Moon in Aries has a strong primal need to be a warrior: to be strong and assertive and think for oneself. Mars is said to be in its detriment in Libra because the drive (Mars) is for peace and harmony whether than assertion of the aggressive force. Mars is squared by Neptune, the planet of transcendence and spirituality. Neptune is a beautiful planet for creativity, art and meditation, but it is not very helpful for Martian enterprise. This chart has fire problems, and when you combine the conjunction of the Gemini Sun to Pluto, it’s clear that Lou Gehrig was going to have experiences that challenged him and forced him to deconstruct (Pluto) himself (Sun) to rebuild and transform.
Richard Pryor, a famous MS patient, has Mars in Scorpio, the other sign that is (traditionally) ruled by Mars. He has the Sun in Sagittarius, a fire sign, so the fire element is strong in his chart, but Pisces is rising and that Scorpio Mars, which can be quite intense in its need to project, is opposed by both Jupiter which expands it, and Saturn which oppresses it. (Here is another article about the astrology of MS.)
One of the cures for Mars problems is self-assertion and physical activity. In order for Mars to be properly expressed and find balance in the energetic system, it must be able to follow its path and accomplish its goals of achieving one’s individual needs and activating the energetic force. When this cannot be accomplished, it is my hypothesis and belief that the energetic force of Mars turns inward and is translated by the body into immune system disorders.
Note: There is growing evidence that exposure to glyphosate (the active ingredient in Roundup and other weed killers) is a factor in neurological diseases such as ALS, Parkinson’s, MS and even Alzheimers. But that does not negate the astrological/energetic connection which I believe can explain why some individuals are more susceptible to certain health issues than others with the same exposure.
I guess that explains why I have to work out or I don’t feel well, both physically and emotionally. Mars in Leo squared Neptune in Pisces. Also have Sun, Moon, Mercury and Rising in Sag all just on the 12th/1st house cusp. And yes, several years ago I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia and had to quit work because of frequent mind-exploding migraines (which I have since gotten under control with change of diet/lifestyle). Go figure, right? But I am working on channeling that energy and being more aware of it all, a full-time job for sure! Fire, fire, fire!!
This article was very interesting to me. I’ve read some medical astrology books, but Mars/Neptune and excessive fire signs are all new ideas to me. Thanks!
~G~
Excellent observation and intuition about how energy can be turned inward and “the way out” through self assertion and physical activity. Beautiful wrok.
Thank you Beth. :)
My goodness, this is very timely.
I have a retrograde Mars in Leo, square Neptune in Scorpio and very widely opposite Saturn. I have had problems with motivation all my life and in recent years struggled with chronic fatigue, and severe migraines going into peri menopause.
Last year I decided I really needed to try and get fit and moving or spend the rest of my life as a slug. It’s not that easy, but with the help of acupuncture and pilates I’ve been getting going and feeling much better for it. I also started karate, as I felt that with the Neptune contact something with a more spiritual basis would help.
I then discovered that when I started it, Mars was transiting my NN and Saturn was on my BML. That’s when I realised I had a natal sextile (hurray!) from Mars to BML, and I’ve been working on using this aspect ever since.
I do have a heavily aspected Venus in Sagittarius which allows some fiery expression, but it’s mostly mental. I’m very glad to see your research – it confirms to me that I really need to activate that Mars.
Thank you (and apologies for the long post!)
Really interesting and right on! My mother recently passed away from lupus–she had no fire in her chart, but had Pluto conjunct her sun in Cancer. Crazy amounts of anger in her, and she rarely exercised. Thx!
My husband is a super Aries. 12th house Mars/Sun/Venus all closely conjunct opposing Pluto in Libra (these planets also make a t-square to 3rd H. Moon in Cancer). Mercury is also in Aries opposing Jupiter/Saturn in Libra. He is a war vet and has suffered from fibromyalgia since he was 13. You wouldnt think this from seeing him since he is devoted to weight lifting at a bodybuilder’s level as he says it lessens his pain. The “soreness” he feels from working out is better to him than the pain from fibro. Cannabis also helps relieve the pain temporarily. So for him I’d definately say that his condition is not due to a lack of fire (he has Neptune in Sag. trining his Aries Sun stellium). Would you then assume that it might be a lack of properly channeling all that fiery energy? I’m still trying to figure if anything else will benefit his condition and hopefully ultimately get rid of the fibro altogether…
Lack of fire isn’t the problem Sam, but you have Mars in the 12th house where it is transmuted, blocked by a Pluto opposition. Moon in Cancer is uncomfortable with the expression of Mars, and it is stressed by the blocked Mars. So you can see the Mars problem here. Interesting that he has chosen weightlifting as a cure – that is something I recommend to many of my clients with Mars problems. When we lift something heavy and we make that roar to help us – that is Mars at work.
[…] a few weeks ago I did a reading for a client with MS and wrote about it here in a discussion of the correlation between “warrior energy” and immune system disorders […]
Amazing! I’ve had CFS twice, glandular fever and all sorts of mystery illnesses that temporarily incapacitate. I worked out about 10 years ago that my ‘thinking’ and beliefs triggered this off every time. I go through the thought process….’I don’t know what to do, so can’t move forward’ (so afraid to make the wrong choice I don’t take any, I’m afraid to assert myself and sure enough the body follows suit and stops asserting itself). Since I’ve worked out this pattern, I’ve had no further problems with this illness expression. Sun in Sag, Asc Scorp, Mars in 1st in sag conjunct neptune. Both Mars/Neptune square moon/jupiter in Pisces. Thanks for your insight!
[…] a few weeks ago I did a reading for a client with MS and wrote about it here in a discussion of the correlation between “warrior energy” and immune system disorders […]
[…] is an attack and a lack of defense, both are Mars factors. I have written before on this subject generally here, and on multiple sclerosis particularly here. Autoimmune diseases, for which no medical reason […]