Mars, our planet of swinging manhood, bald desire and “go time,” is at long last climbing out of the tepid and trepidatious sponge bath of Cancer and onto the regal, shameless stage of Leo on Friday, April 18, 2025.
When does Mars enter Leo?
From then to June 17, 2025, Mars will roar through the mane-shaking, masturbating-in-the-mirror sign of the big top and the big cat.
Mars is the jock strap planet of action. Understanding Mars helps us realize how passion and power are held and released.
Think: fight or flight. Active or passive. To jump or to wait.
Mars takes roughly two years to go around the sun, spending about two months in each zodiac sign.
The planetary ruler of hot-headed Aries and intense AF Scorpio, Mars also rules blood and our sense of vitality; fittingly, when it comes to understanding how we express our sexuality and assert our power, we look to the placement of mighty Mars.
“The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect but by the play instinct.”
Carl Jung
The lord of war has spent the past three months and 11 days in Cancer, the sign of its fall — i.e., where it is least able to express its power and prowess.
As astrologer Julia Topaz tells The Post, “Mars in Cancer meant long months of indirect action, sensitivity, and us being so in our feelings that we found it hard to take action. Now, with Mars in Leo, the fire is back!”
Mars in Leo
Mars in Leo is big-time child-star energy — eager to express, entertain and be celebrated for achievements both large and negligible. Mars in Leo is permission at long last to revel in your selfhood. It’s the shift from the pilled, potato chip-stained hoodie to the string bikini and the ring light.
“Mars in Leo craves passion, attention and, above all, authenticity. It’s the performer, the lover, the leader, the creator! It’s now a beautiful time to create, initiate and go all-in on what lights us up. You might already be feeling the urge to move at a faster pace and call it quits on emotional lingering,” said Topaz.
Mars in Leo is hungry; it’s here to party, and it will be heard.
This energy is not always likable, but it is undeniable. Because Mars rules both carnal desire and conflict, the ingress into Leo will be a profound shift in our personal and professional lives, inviting us to take the lion’s share and prioritize play.
Leo luminary Carl Jung reminds us, “The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect but by the play instinct.”
The power of play
That instinct to play, explore, express, experiment and be witnessed is the energetic footprint of Mars in Leo. As Leo is a fixed sign, this transit imbues us all with a can-do attitude and a stick-to-it-ness.
Mars in Leo is courageous, motivated by competition and unfazed by failure. This Mars transit asks us to try, try, try and enjoy the dramatic heights of victory and defeat.
At its best, Mars in Leo teaches us that understanding can be an act of creation.
Unapologetically confident, Mars in Leo teaches that believing we can predicates our ability to do. There’s a bit of a hold my purse, take my picture, kiss my ring, worship my efforts small and large vibe at work here, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
Bear in mind that the difference between confidence and arrogance is feeling capable versus superior, and that line is defined by the ability to hear, honor and integrate difficult feedback.
Bad kitty
On the underbelly of Mars in the sign of the big cat, love of play can translate to playing games with the delicate hearts of others, getting an erotic thrill from a game of cat and mouse, or love-bombing, ghost, repeat.
Further, Mars in Leo can behave like a petulant child, impatient and prone to outbursts in the grocery store and meltdowns in the middle of the street. Regulating anger and waiting our turn is a challenge under these skies, but a bit of self-awareness goes a long way. You can feel your feelings without acting them out or activating everyone around you.
Remember, folks, for play to be positive, it must be consensual, so don’t co-opt anyone into your dangerous theatrics.
Use the power of this fixed, focused transit to forge ahead with faith in your fire and the knowledge that winning does not require someone else to lose.
Astrologer Reda Wigle researches and irreverently reports back on planetary configurations and their effect on each zodiac sign. Her horoscopes integrate history, poetry, pop culture and personal experience. To book a reading, visit her website.
