As the fiery planet enters its own realm, it heaves a sigh of relief and starts to get back to work. Mars in Scorpio is powerful and passionate, in a subtle almost mysterious way. He is intense in the depths of Scorpio, a smouldering fire here and his piercing nature demands honesty, loyalty and depth from those around him. This is a Mars armed and ready for combat, yet his weapons are hidden, sometimes even to himself.
In this feminine water sign, he works in the emotional worlds, the deep inner places where angels and demons dwell together. To a Scorpio, things are often black or white, and they rarely do things by halves. Scorpio can also be obsessive, so focused on getting to the core of somethings that it blocks out the world around. Mars drives this even more, like a detective on the trail of a killer who ignores all else until he has his man.
One celebrity that embodies his Mars in Scorpio is gravel-voiced Joaquin Phoenix; with a strong Mars signature in his chart it plays a large role in his life. Known for his roles in movies with dark or intense themes, from a killer in To Die For, to heroin-addicted country singer Johnny Cash in Walk the Line and more recently his portrayal of the pain and trauma that created the tortured psychopath “Joker” character in this year’s movie of the same name. True to his Scorpio nature, Joaquin is no stranger to the dark realms of life and has been awarded many times over for his ability to portray it in film.
His success is attributed to the depth and commitment of his research (including becoming a firefighter for Ladder 49 and wiring his jaw shut for The Master) and ability to totally inhabit a character so that he powerfully fills whatever role he plays. As one critic commented of his role in Spike Jonze movie Her…
“Her is even harder to imagine without Mr. Phoenix, an actor who excels at exquisite isolation”.
Joaquin is also like the light-averse scorpion in his hesitancy to accept awards and be part of the glitz and glamour of Hollywood. And let’s not forget how he faked a different life for 18 months to make mockumentary “I’m Still Here” with Casey Affleck. Joaquin pretended to walk away from acting, move into rap and act crazy 24/7, all to prove the point that reality is never like what we see in the media.
So during this current tour of Scorpio, Mars offers us the energy to drive to the truth of things and cut away what is superfluous or unnecessary. As he brings his sharp edge to the ground recently covered by Mercury’s retrograde, it reminds me of the process of clarifying stock – everything that has boiled up and risen to the surface can be swept away to ensure clarity in our forward direction. Taking control of the final days of Scorpio Season, he will also be tending to Mercury’s station to go direct tomorrow.
This is an opportunity for the deep, inner work we’ve been doing to finally produce clear results.
We can use his energy to cut off or let go of what no longer serves, so we can move forward with a renewed sense of vigour. Mars’ opposition to Uranus on Sunday urges us to break free and be ourselves, to push for what we want despite the opinions or judgements of others. Bring out your inner rebel, throw off the chains that bind or follow new revelations down a totally new path. Bring out your inner Joaquin and totally embody whatever new life you desire!
Photo credit – Sarah Dunn