OK, so when we think of Valentine’s Day, it’s easy for our minds to head straight to our darling goddess planet Venus, astrological ruler of love, romance, and beauty. But there is a whole other side to the love coin when it comes to astrology, and…
OK, so when we think of Valentine’s Day, it’s easy for our minds to head straight to our darling goddess planet Venus, astrological ruler of love, romance, and beauty. But there is a whole other side to the love coin when it comes to astrology, and that’s wild n‘ crazy Mars: the planet of sex, desire, and passion. Mars is well-known for being the god of war, but there’s more to Mars than its pure aggression. Mars rules over animalistic and passionate instincts of all kinds, so that directly relates to things like sex, libido, and desire, as well. Think of Venus as representing the sweet, lovey-dovey romantic side of love, while Mars represents your sex drive and most carnal desires. Given its steamy and passionate rulings, you can bet Mars‘ placement this Valentine’s Day is going to have an effect on each zodiac sign when it comes to sex, desire, and maybe even a hot temper. God of war, after all — and all’s fair in love and war, right?
Since the start of 2019, Mars has been fireballing through its home sign of Aries, where its energy is strongest — and therefore it’s very much able to flaunt its hyper-direct, trailblazing, action-oriented nature. But in the wee hours of the morning on Feb. 14, Mars will transition into the earthy, Venus-ruled sign of Taurus, where it’ll stay through March 31. Bustle spoke with astrologer Lisa Stardust about the transition: „The shift from Mars in Aries to Taurus creates a different perspective in how we assert our energy,“ she shares. „Mars in Aries is the spark and inspiration, and Mars in Taurus works… to implement these actions.“
So yes, Mars‘ energy in Taurus feels very different than it does in Aries. Mars in Aries makes us energized and hyper AF, ready to charge forward with guns blazin‘ and make impulsive power moves at the drop of a hat. Mars in Taurus, on the other hand, is going to make us much more slow and deliberate about decisions, with an eye on the long-term. „Mars in Taurus is very sexual, indulging in earthly desires brings them comforts,“ explains Stardust. „When under attack, Mars in Taurus thinks carefully before acting out.“
„As my mentor Annabel Gat says: ‚Mars in Taurus just wants to plow ahead. It’s a gentle placement for Mars, just watch out not to push the Bull too hard, as their horns are not to be messed with,'“ shares Stardust. „‚Once the Bull sees red, there’s no going back.'“
Having Mars move into a new sign on Valentine’s Day will obviously have an effect on all the Mars-ruled parts of ourselves astrologically, and it’s extra significant considering that it’s leaving its home sign, a transit which hadn’t happened for more than a year prior.
And that’s not all. Mars, hot-headed and quick-to-action as it is, will be getting into some dramatic tiffs with other planets leading up to Valentine’s Day, which will definitely have a rocky effect on our love and sex lives as we approach the holiday. On Feb. 13 (yes, peeps, the literal day before Valentine’s Day), Mars will be in hard aspect to Uranus (planet of unpredictability and sudden changes). With both planets in Aries, their conjunction isn’t going to be pretty — especially because Mars will be in its final degrees of the sign prior to moving into Taurus, making it extra edgy and volatile.
