Tapestry of the Gods
Volume III
by Michael D. Robbins

Astro-Rayology
in progress

Interpretations of Famous People by Ray, Sign and Life Emphasis
With Explanations of All Astrological and Rayological Elements

Mars in Pisces

Mars in Pisces or Mars in Relation to Pisces

(from Esoteric Astrology)

“[Alan] Leo gives us Jupiter, the Moon and Mars. He indicates, therefore, the success which is incident to proved discipleship and consequent readiness for initiation, the seeing of the vision with which Jupiter rewards the disciple, and the experience which Vulcan confers. Vulcan has been hitherto hidden, but its influence has steadily superseded all lunar control, for the personality or form side of life is lost to sight in the radiance of the Sun, the soul....We have consequently a vision of the Sun, the experience of the personality and effort, which is the mode of attainment governed by Mars. (EA 132-133)

2. Mars (in Pisces) in Relation to the Etheric Vehicle:
The etheric body, which transmits all manner of energies (personal and spiritual) will carry much emotional energy. There is a significant presence of the sixth ray in this combination, for Mars is a predominantly sixth ray planet and Pisces transmits the sixth and second rays constellationally. Hence, the solar plexus and heart centers are activated, and especially the solar plexus (whereas with second ray Jupiter in Pisces, the heart center would receive a greater share of the energy).

Depending upon the stage of evolution, noteworthy opportunity exists to transfer the energy of the solar plexus center towards and, finally, into the heart center. This is always an emotional process (as selfish and unselfish energies are in conflict); when water signs are involved, the process is still more emotional.

3. Mars (in Pisces) in Relation to the Astral Vehicle:
Pisces is, perhaps, the most sensitive of the signs, and this combination, in itself, contributes strongly to emotionalism—and sometimes, irrational emotionalism. The person is easily ‘moved’ or swayed by emotional appeals and language; sympathies (Pisces) are easily aroused (Mars) by painful situations. When pity and compassion are awakened, the Mars in Pisces person becomes highly motivated to end the cause of the pain perceived. ‘Feelings’ are easily ‘hurt’, and the energy of desire is mobilized to protect the astral nature of self and others from hurtful impacts. The person is easily moved to tears and has difficulty being objective about the “condition of the waters.” Additionally, there is a strong “desire to believe” (almost a will-to-believe), often in what most would consider impossible or, at least, improbable. This tendency can result in an unrealistic approach to life. Frequently there is a fervent faith which, hopefully, is counter-balanced by common sense.

4. Mars (in Pisces) in Relation to the Concrete Mind:
In and of itself, Mars in Pisces does not reinforce the characteristic functioning of the concrete mind. The strongest line of force from this combination influences the astral nature. Sentimentality is a kama-manasic condition blending, almost inextricably, feeling with thought. For the sentimental person, there is no thought without its accompanying feeling; thus, mental objectivity and detachment are difficult of achievement. Mars in Pisces induces sentimentality, and inclines the mind to think what the emotions what it to believe.

The condition is entirely other than Mars in Virgo, which added keen discrimination to the functioning of the lower mind. Mars in Pisces, however, can incline the person to believe whatever he wishes despite the evidence. This can be a prescription for fantasy and consequent maladaptive living; but on occasion, the evidence is false, and the faith correct—for faith has been called by St. Paul, “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen.” In any case, if the Mars in Pisces position is focal in the astrological chart, effort will be needed to establish firmly the independent functioning of the concrete mind, lest it be overpowered by feeling and emotion.

5. Mars (in Pisces) in Relation to the Personality as a Whole:
The powerful sixth ray of Mars in Pisces will color the personality accordingly. There is faith in that which unseen, and the personality functions as if those unseen factors were tangible realities. Mars is not a subtle planet, but in Pisces a degree of subtlety is acquired. There are initiatives, but they are quieter, less direct, more oblique, but often quite effective, nonetheless—“behind the scenes”. This subtlety can function for good or for ill; if for ill, the personality quietly pursues its own selfish desires, seeking to preserve its satisfactions within the field of matter; if for good, the disciple quietly works to fight against the snares of materiality and orient himself towards higher, more subtle dimensions.

6. Mars (in Pisces) in Relation to Glamor and Necessary Transmutations and Transformations:
The entire field of glamor is activated by this combination, with a special focus on glamor, proper, rather than on illusion (mental) and maya (etheric). Glamor, simply understood, is distortion, and Pisces (perhaps through its orthodox ruler Jupiter) gives a tendency towards exaggeration and, through Neptune (its special ruler), the tendency to over-imagination and fantasy. Under the Mars in Pisces influence there may appear the fervent pursuit of the unreal. The person may be full of faith, full of devotion, but blind to actualities—how things actually are within the tangible world. Mars governs the desires, and under Pisces desire may pursue will-o-the-wisps—possibilities which vanish into nothingness as one approaches them.

Mars in Pisces is, potentially, a militantly mystical combination, and with it comes the many glamors of the Path, and the “glamor of aspiration” itself (all these glamors amounting to a militant, self-convinced, escape from reality). Under this influence, one may develop the “crusader” mentality, thinking that he must (militantly) ‘save’ others. This combination can be called, graphically and picturesquely, the “salvation army”.

What is needed is purification—especially of the emotional nature. This combination points to the need for ‘drying’ (after many purificatory tears) so that things can be seen as they are, no longer subject to the refractions of the watery sentient nature.

7. Mars (in Pisces) in Relation to Sex:
The sexual impulse is, in this case, is desire-driven. It does not occur because of super-abundant vitality which builds up and must be discharged, but because of a deep craving for intimacy and for the elimination of boundaries. Pisces brings susceptibility and vulnerability, and Mars—impulse. Upon the Mutable Cross, and even upon the early Fixed Cross, one expects no very great regulation of the sexual urges from this combination. But later, when soul is more firmly in charge of its personality, there can be a self-sacrificial consecration of the sexual energy for purposes of service with tendencies towards celibacy (similarly to Mars in Virgo). Mars in Pisces is a combination which can be effective in the process of sublimation—the elevation of heavier energies into their subtler, more ethereal counterparts.

8. Mars (in Pisces) in Relation to the Management and Expenditure of Energy:
Pisces is an energy which leads to dissolution and diffusion; it is not an energy which establishes firm boundaries. Thus, within the ‘atmosphere’ of Pisces, the efforts associated with Mars may be ill-focused and dissipate into futility. But, when experience is greater and the will stronger, there can be a Martian determination to finish (Pisces) certain karmically related tasks, and a militant focusing of energy upon precisely those tasks. There may be energy lost in the ensuing karmic battles, but they are necessary battles.

9. Mars (in Pisces) in Relation to Courage:
The personality can be courageous—Pisces is one of the most courageous signs, because it has so much to face, and so much to relinquish. The courage of this combination will be quiet courage—often known only to the man, himself, and his God. This is an entirely different situation from that of Mars in Aries or Leo, where acts of courage are so often accompanied by fanfares. Frequently there will be bravery in silence, and unseen risks taken to assist others who will never know the source of their help. (The opposite is also true, and hidden enemies can operate under this combination, quietly concealing their aggression and the harm they wish to do.)

10. Mars (in Pisces) in Relation to Aspiration:
Just as desire was strong (and blind) in early evolutionary days when the directive to the human soul under Pisces was, “Go forth into Matter”, so aspiration will be strong in latter days. Just as Mars inclined a man to endless desires within the ocean of matter, so, later, it inclines him to aspire towards the things of the soul and spirit, and to be incessantly discontent with his bondage—bondage and freedom being the great Piscean themes.

11. Mars (in Pisces) in Relation to Idealism:
When unfoldments during the long course of human evolution make the appearance of idealism possible, Mars in Pisces is one of the most idealistic combinations—almost to excess. Reality, to Pisces, is of “another world”, of a higher dimension or plane. Pisces is the sign of consummation, and in the three worlds of human evolution there is no consummation, no completion, no perfection. This is a combination which feeds “divine discontent”, and the longing for fulfillment in an ideal state—whether that state precipitates into the physical world, or whether the aspiring one “goes” towards that state—ascending from the physical world (this being a far more likely possibility in relation to Mars in Pisces). Upon the Fixed Cross, to these strong idealistic tendencies, there is added the quality of selflessness—so fundamental to the consciousness of the developed Piscean individual. Selfless, self-sacrificing idealism—this attitude is possible when the energy of Mars in Pisces is re-oriented towards soul expression.

12. Mars (in Pisces) in Relation to Life’s Battlefield and the Readiness and Willingness to Fight:
Fighting under Mars in Pisces is not normally overtly combative, but as the Tibetan says of the sixth ray person—“As a soldier, he hates fighting but often when roused in battle fights like one possessed.” (EP I 209). This combination contributes a powerful sixth ray to any human energy system. Thus, if the cause is great enough; if the ideals are high enough—the Mars in Pisces person will fight “as if it were the end of the world”, as if there were nothing to lose, for indeed there is a “do or die” attitude about this position, and intimations of decisive final battles even hover in the consciousness.

The individual battleground (especially upon the later Mutable Cross and upon the Fixed Cross) will focus on final confrontations with karmic obstacles and conditions which demand redress. Will one have the courage to face decisively these long residual and limiting conditions? Can one with faith fight the final battle which brings on the deluge of personal pralaya—with eyes of faith focussed upon the opportunity of the coming cycle and not preoccupied with the inevitable losses of the cycle which is terminating. The battlefield in Pisces is with “unfinished business”, and the battles may occur in silence. Mars in Pisces gives the courage to endure them.

More externally and objectively, Mars in Pisces confers the trait of self-sacrifice, and promotes the tendency to fight for the liberation and release for those who are less privileged—the unfortunate, the persecuted and down-trodden. This combination is a great defender of the weak. Of course, one must make sure that he does not wrongly envision people as weak, subtly dis-empowering them, just so he can have the dubious privilege of defending and saving them!

13. Mars (in Pisces) in Relation to the Nature of Personality Rebellion against the Soul:
At this time in human development and on the threshold of the Aquarian Age, Pisces represents the old order, the power structure of the departing Age. In the reactionary consciousness, Mars in Pisces battles to preserve and defend this old order and its authoritarianism. We might think of this influence, negatively, as the ‘militancy of the Forces of Obstruction’. The many religious battles of the past five hundred years (for instance, between Protestant and Catholic) can be understood in this light. In our own century Nazism and aspects of Communism have also been idealistically and militantly reactionary, and can be similarly understood.

We might also think of Mars in Pisces as stimulating what might be called the ‘forces of irrationality and blind belief’. This is a fight against the principle of detachment from personality life, a fight for continued affiliation with the material element. The battling personality wishes to remain a “submerged fish” and not become, let us say, a “flying fish”—free from the “ocean of matter”. Such an application of the Mars in Pisces force is definitely involutionary, forcing the submergence of the human soul.

14. Mars (in Pisces) in Relation to Personality Cooperation with the Soul:
The potential selflessness of this combination is high. The advancing disciple under Mars in Pisces is willing to tread the Path unto the end, no matter what the sacrifice may be. Pisces is the sign of self-effacement, self-renunciation and self-dissolution—the dissolution of the lower ego in the energy and purposes of the soul. Having abandoned selfish desire, and in a spirit of often militant self-effacement and self-renunciation, the disciple influenced by this combination will fight (with detachment and surrender) for mercy, charity, and sympathy in human affairs and, in general, for the redemption and salvation of humanity. The soul (as Solar Angel) is naturally redemptive; this is its raison-d’être within the Fourth Creative Hierarchy (the Hierarchy of Human Monads). At a certain point of development upon the Fixed Cross, this soul will have (under the influence of Mars in Pisces) a personality which stands forcefully (even militantly) in alignment with these redemptive purposes.

15. A Few Points Concerning Mars:

a. Wherever Mars is found, there will be a fight. The sign in which Mars is found will frequently indicate the medium through which the fight will occur.
b. Planets in houses indicate the kind of influence that’s going to come towards the person, because, before a high stage of evolution is reached, people are very subject to circumstance—reactive and not process-active—more passive than initiating spiritual undertakings.
c. The glamors of every planetary position should be listed for esotericists so that they can understand what they are confronting. All planetary positions, responded to in a certain way, can contribute to glamour)

a. Militant self-sacrifice; the hero willing to sacrifice his life
b. Courage to seek self-effacement
c. Treading the Path with ardor; hastening the feet along the Path
d. Effort to salvage; defending the weak
e. The burning ground
f. Energizing high ideals; great devotion
g. Fighting for release
h. Militant ‘salvationism’
i. Salvation army; crusading; self-sacrificial militancy
j. Emergency workers; facing danger in emergency situations
k. Courage with Pluto as esoteric ruler
l. Combat and battles on the astral plane
m. Ambulance driver
n. The “last stand”—
o. Walking on water through faith
p. Taps
q. Loss through war
r. Final battles
s. Naval battles; “Man-o-War”
t. Ardent belief and romanticism
u. Dancing
v. The power of the ocean
w. The power of imagery
x. Activation of the astral body
y. Retribution; striking back at the end; retributive karma
z. The power of the sea
aa. Destructive storms
bb. The power of the sea of glamor
cc. Feet as weapons
dd. Assassination or secret attack; secret service
ee. Covert action
ff. Drive towards the unseen, faith in the hidden realms. Believing in those things
gg. A challenging position for Mars. When Mars asserts itself it meets with the wounding of Chiron and the contra-power of Pluto and Uranus. You had better be sure of its expression. Refining the Mars energy. Made sacrifices to leave soccer. Got injuries that do not really happen—they occurred as signs. Unreleased power which you have to find the right way to release.