Mars in Leo and Sun in Scorpio: the Astrology of a Mutual Reception

Adam Elenbaas
Hey everyone. This is Adam Elenbaas from Nightlight astrology. Mars has moved into the sign of Leo and is now in mutual reception with the sun. The sun is in Scorpio Mars's sign, while Mars is in Leo, the sun sign. So between now and the remainder of the year, we have these two planets in a mutual reception, a whole sign square, and Mars is going to slow down station and turn retrograde in the sun sign as well.

So we're going to take a look at some of the themes that are we're likely to experience or notice within ourselves and around us in the next, say, month and a half, I will lay out the timeline for you. I'll show you exactly what this mutual reception looks like what it means. We'll talk about themes related to Mars and the Sun, and I'll give you five things to watch for. That's our agenda for today. Before we get into it, as always, remember to like and subscribe. We did some research and found that a lot of people watch the channel but are not yet subscribed. It's free to do so. It helps us grow our business and our community. We really appreciate it.

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A great election for studying astrology. As we begin the program, Pluto will be entering Aquarius, a great sign correlated to the study of celestial topics, including aliens, which is why the webinar is going to be really fun anyway. So on that note, let us turn our attention now to the real time clock, and let's take a look at what is coming. So here we have Mars having entered Leo, and we can see that the sun is in Scorpio. So this means, while the sun is still in Scorpio for a couple more weeks, that these two planets will be in a mutual reception with one another. So if we just kind of drag this out a little bit, we're going to see that the two planets are in that mutual reception in whole sign square all the way up until about November 22 then the sun switches into Sagittarius, at which point the two planets Trine one another. Can start to see that Trine forming. Well, that also is a signal to us in the superior cycle of a planet, that when the sun Trine the planet, it is ready to turn direction.

So if you'll notice, as the two planets come through the Trine, shortly after that, Mars will slow down, and you're going to see that station coming in, and that happens just in about 10 days after the Trine is made. That's a little secret that you can use to help you identify the periods under which the superior planets, which would be Mars Jupiter and Saturn, will turn directions retrograde or direct. It's always right around the time of the whole sign Trine, or the degree based Trine, between the two planets, the sun and the superior planet, anyway. So Sun goes through the trine to Mars in Leo, and then Mars stations and turns retrograde, at which point it will move backward through Leo and then begin to create that additional opposition to Pluto, which is happening in early January. So we can see, here's early January and there's the Mars Pluto opposition again, just a few days after the new year. So pretty powerful transit.

But what we want to pay attention to right now is right here. So this early this week, on Monday, Mars entered Leo and is now creating that mutual reception with the sun that lasts about the next two weeks until about November 22 so between now and then, these two planets have this very. Powerful form of mutual reception. And then the sun starts trining Mars, and Mars turns retrograde in Leo. So I want to explore that mutual reception dynamic today in terms of an underlying theme to watch for over the next two weeks. It's like a it's like a astrological buffet. Every day it's like, well, what, which transits Do you want to talk about? There are always a number of them happening and different things to pay attention to. And sometimes there'll be, you know, there'll be a transit that really steals the show. It's like, this is in the spotlight.

There's no denying it. It's Mars opposite Pluto, or whatever the case might be. But this is, this is a little bit subtler in the sense that Mars in the sun are not making an exact opposition, and yet, the reception they have for one another by being in each other's science is a very strong form of reception, which means the two planets are connected in a way that's quite powerful right now, even if they're not aspecting. So here are five things to watch for. First of all, actually, before I get into this, I almost forgot I wanted to just let's remind ourselves about the sun and Mars a little bit. Sometimes Mars has actually been called the Right Arm of the Sun. And for example, in a kind of monarchical picture or image, you might think of the king as the sun and the king's army as Mars. Or you might think of the the instruments and advantages or tools or weapons of power, or, you know, the kind of administrative or executive qualities or faculties of a king or queen, whatever the royalty is, if it's a leader, Mars, might be The power that they have at their disposal to execute and to assert.

So the two planets together have a pretty good relationship when it comes to things like willpower, strength, executive decision making, judgments and action, ambition and like assertiveness or aggression, and in the ways that those two things work together positively, it's a really nice combination where there's a will, there's a way, ambition, and the kind of confidence and determination and perseverance to go and do something. So when these two planets work together, you can also think about the sun as representing that which is ideal and that which we desire. So for example, there's a classic text written by Vettius Valens called the anthology, and he describes the sun as Daimon, which is a word that it has a really interesting history in ancient Greek philosophy. But one of the things that it represents is this idea that there is something like a spirit in each soul when they're born into a body that gives it a series or set of ideal images that are inherent somehow in the soul and its reasons for being here that's like a you know, in the acorn is the blueprint of an oak tree, something that it wants to become.

And so the Daimon is like a spirit, but it's also like an image of some ideal that we wish to become. And it's multifaceted. It's more like a mandala than a single image like I want to become, you know, just one thing. It's kind of like a total picture and kind of interlocking, overlapping series of images that we seek to become, that we wish to grow into as the arc of a life goes on. But that doesn't mean that we will but there are desires like that that live in the soul. And what's interesting is that Mars, within the context of that kind of ideal image that the sun represents is often about the will and the confidence and the determination and the active power of choice and volition that we use to somehow move toward that Ambit, that that goal, that golden image of what we wish we were, or what we think we can become, or whatever. So when the two planets are in mutual reception.

That's why you get ambition and the willpower to go and pursue your ambition. So the two planets can have are conducive to each other's qualities, you might say, or their agendas are not at odds with each other. This is why, for example, the sun is exalted in the sign of Aries, where Mars is the ruler. So there's an affinity that the two have for each other when it comes to, you know, like the early spring sign of Aries is kind of a trajectory of growth and ambition as the light is rising up toward its apex, and both Mars and the Sun are sort of very happy in that place, sort of a ambitious place.

Adam Elenbaas
We also have Mars, exalted in the sign of Capricorn, which comes at the winter solstice, where the light is rising up from a lowly, dark place, gradually, steadily climbing the mountain. And Mars is associated with that climb, exalted in Capricorn. One, and that's the climb where the sun is rising. You see how the sun rising and Mars go together. Now, the dark side of this is, of course, that not every ambition is good, not every use of the will is kind or constructive or compassionate. We have to with Mars in the sun. We have to contend with things like vanity, willpower, dominance, aggression, bullying, all sorts of things. On the other side, you can deal with things like fear and inadequacy, like, Oh, I'm not good enough, and Mars in the sun can be about that kind of Hero's Journey to overcome a feeling of not being capable, or something like that. There's a lot that Mars in the sun will feel like it has to prove, and it can be also about figuring out the right relationship with power.

Will ambition, because some people will say, well, it's just easier to live in a world where I don't have ambitions because they're inherently selfish. And other people will say, you know, you know, you know, screw off with your puritanical thinking. I'm going to pursue what I want, you know, sort of my way or the highway. And they're extremes, so tempering those extremes is also always a part of the relationship between Mars and the Sun. It's like what does, and I know that not everyone's going to resonate with like a image of kings or whatever, but like, what does the good king or queen do with the power that they have? How do they create? I mean, one of the things that I love about the I Ching is that so many of the texts of the hexagram were meant for political leaders who were meant to guide a state in an ideal sense, not that the world is ideal, but in an ideal sense, they were supposed to lead a civilization or a society in a way that would be conducive to the wisdom of the Tao. So it's like, how what does the executive capacity within a human being who's a leader, look like when it's being used for something that is good for more than just the leader themselves.

Those are deep questions that the sun Mars dynamic always brings up. You know the knight, the knight in shining armor. You have themes of power and arrogance, like if you think about the six of swords in the taro. Let's see if I can bring the image up. Six of Swords in Tao. Is a good one or no, is it? I'm sorry, six of wands. My bad. Six of wands. Yeah, here we go. I'm gonna just bring this up on the screen over here. You think about, like, chivalry, the Knights code. Here's the six of wands, riding high on the horse. Victory, you know, is this, is this guy arrogant? You know, see, like, is, is there some sense of, uh, yeah, look at look at me.

You know, one of the things that we think about when we think, when we think about chivalry and knights, is that they serve something other than themselves. They serve the king, or they serve love. They serve the maiden, you know. So there's always some question about how humility and transcendence and sacrifice and service. Remember that Mars is, and I've said this, how many times, right? But Mars is connected to the word martyr, and soldiers, Knights are often people who will die for someone or something else. So where does that sense of not that we are going that far with this, right? But where does that sense of selfless service, sacrifice, serving something beyond my own power, my own self interest, come into the equation with such a powerful combination of force, strength, ambition, ego? I mean, look, it's a knight in shining armor. They're shining, right? There's the sun. So five things to watch for over the next couple of weeks, in a kind of subtle level, this will be appearing, and I've just got focus issues with my camera. Here. There we go. So one is my will my way.

And I was just alluding to this, but a Mars Sun theme can be about acknowledging and honoring there's something I want, and I have to figure out a way. What is my way of going about achieving or accomplishing the thing that I want? And that's important, because critical to the accomplishment of anything in our lives is not just accomplishing it, but figuring out how to accomplish it in a way that is honoring and connected to something authentic in us. Like, if you want to become I don't know a great astrologer, a key part of how you do that is also to figure out what kind of astrologer you are. You know a musician. I want to become a great music. Musician, yeah, but you also have to figure out what makes you a great musician. So when I say, My Will my way. Of course, the shadow side of all of this would be, how do I get something done, regardless of anyone else thinks, how do I bully or bulldoze my way to the results that I want? That's a shadow of Mars sun. But the other question is, how do I authentically go about becoming, embodying, achieving or accomplishing something that I want or desire in a way that is not compromising of my integrity or what is you know, it's like in line with my spirit.

I a force greater than myself, Mars and the Sun can make us realize that, you know, one of the things that I'll never forget, my grandfather said, and he was a veteran of the Korean War, and he he was not impressed with, I don't know. I'll just, just say he wasn't impressed with that, with that war. In hindsight, you know, as a young man, he was very eager to serve and to be a soldier, and there was a lot of honor and pride in in such a position. And I think this is a story that many soldiers have told, not in in all places, probably for all times, when he was actually in combat and he saw a friend of his get killed right in front of him, you know.

And I'm sure many people out there have family members, or maybe even people listening to this have served and have seen people die. And he just had this recognition that that war was a force greater than himself, and that his ambitions to be a soldier and his desire to be a hero were just not the that the actual reality of war was a force so much greater than that ambition and personal agenda and sort of image of himself as a soldier, that war sort of subsumed that ambition, and he felt that it was a kind of foolish, youthful ambition that the actual experience of combat sort of wiped right out of him.

And then, of course, he actually, you know, he did his service and his duty and everything, and came home and had to deal with, you know, alcoholism, and then getting clean and sober. And I look at that process, and I think, yeah, that's the thing is that most of us try to wield the power. It's very Lord of the Rings, by the way. I always, I can't help but bring in The Lord of the Rings. You try to wield that ring, and it will eventually possess you.

And that's the thing about Mars and the Sun is that it's like it's a great, tremendous power. And if you're not careful with it, it will not be something that you can hold or wield. It will possess you, and you can suddenly become a bad guy, you know, even though you don't see yourself that way, you and one of the easiest ways to become a bad guy, in my humble opinion, is to be self righteous, you know, to act, to forget that we're we're not better than anyone else, like there's, you know, it's radical, but like, just imagine that in every situation, you pull yourself back from doing or saying things, because you keep that mantra alive, I'm not better than this person. I'm not better than anyone else.

That kind of humility is crucial for working with Mars in the sun, because if you try to wield Mars in the sun, and I get identified with it, it's problematic. And that's number three, conflation and differentiation. You get conflated with Mars and the Sun and the power of Mars in the sun, and you get on that high horse, and then you get knocked off to remember that you are not the power.

You are a conduit as a soul, a meeting ground for the gods and the archetypes. It's like, think it was Wordsworth, James, someone like to quote Wordsworth, who said we are lived by powers we pretend to understand. So and Jung said that, you know, when we get conflated with archetypes, I am the knight, I am powerful, I am Almighty, I am this or that. I'm strong, I'm a I'm the man, you know, I'm the woman, or whatever, however we identify. I'm the this, I'm the that,

Adam Elenbaas
then to that extent, the differentiation will be tremendously painful. Will become dis we will be have to go through like a disempowerment and sort of be dis dispossessed, or if that's even a word, it's painful to have that power like stripped away from us. Uh, there's I was thinking about this a lot recently as I as I was contemplating this mutual mutual reception, and thinking about it in terms of something I heard a bodybuilding coach say, and I thought this was super fascinating.

He said that one of the things that bodybuilders have to be very careful of is to live with an incredibly realistic understanding of how your body will look during a contest, like write the prep, and then the contest, your body will look that way for literally a couple of days of your life, and that's it. And then you'll refeed your body.

Your body fat percentage will go up, and you're not going to look you just can't look that way. And many of the bodybuilders who end up becoming really sick and abusing drugs and all sorts of stuff like that, that's happening because they can't handle the differentiation. Yeah, you you've prepped your body into the space for a contest, but then as soon as it's over, you have to let go of that image. It's like Olympian, you know, the Olympians. That's the championship, one of the championships called the Olympia. Think about that. Gods and Goddesses, human beings cannot look like that for more than like a day. It's amazing.

The kind of you know, the the the prep that goes into it. And it's a, it's a very interesting to me, arc to follow. And then what, again, what I heard this body building coach say was, like people who really have a hard time are those that can't let go of the fact that you're you cannot look that. It's not natural to look that way for more than like a day or two, and then your body needs to you have to go through a recovery process. And if you have, if you don't have a healthy relationship with a more normal like look and feel to your body, which is still remarkably good for all those bodybuilders, you know.

But if you don't, then you will do all sorts of unnatural things that can eventually kill you because you can't let go of that look like, wow, that is, that's the temptation of trying to reach Olympus, right, with the physical form. I think that's fascinating. And such temptations exist along every path, I think, for example, of Star Wars, where the temptation that Luke faces as he is developing his skills as a Jedi is to become seduced by the power of those skills. It's the same thing. So think about that. Because when we get conflated with things that are very powerful, and then we have to differentiate and let go, sometimes there's a kind of like a cliff we fall off from, and it's much better to slowly walk our way back down the hill. What inflates will deflate.

Yeah. I mean, here is the big secret, according to the Tao, everything that's full will be emptied, and everything that's emptied will be full. And so when tremendous periods of power and power plays and amplifications of themes and images of power and strength and dominance and victory, those things will be there. And inevitably there will be periods of decline, diminishment, deflation, if we don't have a relationship with both sides, the sun and Mars will be about relentlessly grasping at power. And number five, what does it mean to be empowered? I mean, it looks probably different for different people in different situations, but I would say that at the heart of the sun, because, remember, the sun is related to the heart is the idea that whatever we do with strength and power should be for the benefit of all, that there should be an aura of generosity and of sharing whatever good fortune you've come into, that there is an awareness that there should be some giving back, that there should be some way in which the good fortune you come into, you recognize did not simply come from you, but came from forces greater than yourself that you pretend to understand.

And so the natural response is to share and to be generous and compassionate, forgiving, just virtuous, that anyone who comes into contact with power that is lacking those qualities will become dispossessed. They will lose that power, because the way that power seems to situate itself comfortably in any kind of like sustaining rhythm in the cosmos is with places that can hold it. And one of the ways that power is held is by constantly being distributed. Because, when they think about it like a but like a reservoir, the heart is like a reservoir, and it feeds an entire ecosystem, and the rain keeps filling it up, because it feeds out, it gets filled up. There's something like that about, like, really amazing. Powerful people is that they don't take and try to hold the power. There's something that keeps giving it out, which coincides with the rain that keeps filling it up. So those images are important, because the heart is at its best when whatever power and shine, and you know, greatness is, you know, kind of emanating from it is consciously being shared, distributed. So these are important teachings to think about, as the sun and Mars are in mutual reception for a couple of weeks. And I personally feel like this is the message I need on election day. You know what I mean, because the world will keep on going and the results will be the results. But I need this meditation on power and what it looks like from the perspective of these ancient wisdom traditions, and keep that alive in me. That's something I can do, that's a way I can have an impact in on this channel and in the way that we try to share astrology generously and openly with people through need based offerings. I'm also very glad to announce that our need based reading service is now open and available. So you can go over to our website and I'm going to see if I can't just pull this up really quick. Let's see. Here it is. So, okay, hold on. I'm

Adam Elenbaas
yeah, oh, hold on. I'm having a hard time finding it Okay. Hold on. Just one second. Let me actually just pause this. Okay, sorry, took me a second there. So I'm going to take you over to Nightlight astrology.com you go under the readings tab, and you are going to find our new need based astrology readings and I am very excited, in that same spirit of generosity, to share with you something that you all helped us build through the last couple of Kickstarters. Here under the need based astrology readings tab, you will find that we have a new staff of readers, some of whom are our course directors, some of whom are seasoned tutors in our classes, and some of whom are wonderful emerging talents from our programs, recent alumni, you will find that there are tiered readings available that allow different pricing and different budget points so that you can have a reading that is going to work with your budget, and a tier of different readers Who are all very talented to work with. So I'm very excited to announce the launching of this service. And I wanted to launch it today because it feels like an auspicious day, on a day where there are, there's so much clashing, you know, so much division. This is something that I can put into the world on such a day that I think will give something back and remind us that you know wherever we can share and we can see the best in each other and try to do something to help each other. I think that's going to always take us the farthest. So anyway, this is our little thing that we can do to help. So you'll find on the affordable reading astrology tab, under the readings tab, excuse me, that's a mouthful. You'll find the need based astrology reading service and tiers of pricing and some really amazing people and astrologers from within our programs and our staff that are there to work with you, read your chart, help you understand what's going on in your life at a little deeper level. So please do check that out book a reading and, yeah, thank you to everybody over the past two years of the Kickstarter who helped us gradually raise enough money to move into this service. It took a lot of effort and a lot of planning, and we had, you know, to bring in some new staff over the past year, and as that's all happened, we've gotten the service ready to go for all of you. So yeah, you guys helped make it happen, and let's keep the good vibes going at Nightlight, after I sign off, you can learn more about the upcoming program. Come study with us. We also have affordable tuition that we offer through our upcoming program. So hope to see you there, and hope you're having a great day. Bye. You.