While I’ve been actively planning my French adventure for April, Mars has been transiting my 9^th house.

In this time I’ve had the energy boost required to book the majority of my travel for the year. It felt like it needed to be done. That having those trips in the calendar was not just the silver lining, light in the tunnel, (insert another appropriate cliché) to look forward to, but it was also a constant reminder as to why I’m working as hard as I have been.

The Balinese laugh at it: at how we work so hard all year to afford a holiday to relax from all the hard work we do to pay for the holiday. When you put it like that…

Anyways, my point is, while Mars has been transiting my 9^th house, he’s been activating 9^th house concerns. That’s what happens when Mars transits around your chart – he adds energy and potency to whatever part of life he’s travelling through.

Of course, the 9^th isn’t just about travel- it’s also about higher learning, religion and spirituality, publishing, broadcasting, teaching. It’s anything that takes us from our current view or range of experiences and pushes us beyond.

The 9^th is a cadent house, and we know from early Tuesday Toolboxes, that means it’s a house where we learn.

While Mars was in Scorpio, the transit was of a Scorpio flavour: deep, intense, with razor-sharp focus. The energy you apply to the house being transited already has that type of energy – the transit will simply heighten it.

In Sagittarius, it’s very different. Sagittarius is more about exploration beyond your boundaries rather than deeper within them. It’s about actively gathering knowledge through experience.

Wherever Mars is transiting is also where you’ll be wanting to assert your own will…and in doing so, may come into conflicts with others who don’t necessarily agree with either a) your view of the world or b) what you’re doing to go after whatever it is that you’re hungry for. You’ll be doing all of that in a Sagittarian way.

That’s another thing about Mars – the hunger.

The way in which you use your Mars is, as with most things, your call. You can be bad Mars (aggressive, passive-aggressive, irritable, argumentative, pugnacious and looking for a fight- any fight) or you can be good Mars (assertive, confident, and actively expressing your anger and resentment in a positive way).

If you’ve been doing a lot of complaining about how you never get what you want, and things always happen to you, and there’s always someone else getting more…etc…take a good look at what and who and how you’re fighting for.

It’s through frustration and inactivity – or the perception of inactivity – that bad Mars comes into the ring- often simply for the sake of doing something, anything. If you find yourself feeling like this, lace up the trainers and use your energy in a more productive way.

So, what does this have to do with anything? Quite simply Mars is about to move into Sagittarius. This will be a reboot for whatever part of life is ruled by Sagittarius for you.

In my case, it’s the 10^th– that’s work, career, authority figures, public stuff. It’s where my energy will be going for the next couple of months.

Want to know more about Mars in Sagittarius? Here’s one I prepared earlier, and another I prepared even earlier than that.

Mars will be in Sagittarius until 18/3/18.

Doing it for yourself…

If you have your chart already, look for the symbol for Mars

And the symbol for Sagittarius. It is what it looks like- an arrow questing outwards.

If you don’t have your chart, read this post on how to get one.

If you don’t know what the houses mean, check out series 1 of the Toolbox or this post.

If you don’t have any idea about your birth time, or can’t be faffed working it out, you can follow the solar guide:

• If your Sun or Ascendant is in Sagittarius, Mars will be transiting your 1^st house.
• If your Sun or Ascendant is in Capricorn Mars will be transiting your 12^th house.
• If your Sun or Ascendant is in Aquarius, Mars will be transiting your 11^th house.
• If your Sun or Ascendant is in Pisces, Mars will be transiting your 10^thhouse.
• If your Sun or Ascendant is in Aries, Mars will be transiting your 9^thhouse.
• If your Sun or Ascendant is in Taurus Mars will be transiting your 8^thhouse.
• If your Sun of Ascendant is in Gemini Mars will be transiting your 7^thhouse.
• If your Sun or Ascendant is in Cancer, Mars will be transiting your 6^thhouse.
• If your Sun or Ascendant is in Leo, Mars will be transiting your 5^thhouse.
• If your Sun or Ascendant is in Virgo, Mars will be transiting your 4^thhouse.
• If your Sun or Ascendant is in Libra, Mars will be transiting your 3^rdhouse.
• If your Sun or Ascendant is in Scorpio, Mars will be transiting your 2^ndhouse.