What happens when Pluto and Mars meet in the birth chart or in transit? Let's dive in.
What is Pluto?
Pluto is the subconscious desire; it's compulsive, obsessional, subconscious, all-encompassing and comes with a hefty dose of survival instinct. Pluto destroys first, and then rebuilds.
What is Mars?
On the other hand, Mars - the lower octave of Pluto- is our conscious desire, what we want, what we strive for, how we go about the things we want. Mars is also concerned with survival, but more so, Mars wants to win and dominate. To Mars, there are only winners or losers, and if you're not winning - guess what you're doing?
Do I have Pluto in aspect to Mars in my birth chart?
To find out if you have Mars and Pluto in aspect in your birth chart, you must pull your astrology chart. You can do so by using our free astrology chart calculator. You'll also get access to a free birth chart report.
Mars-Pluto in the birth chart
We have a few situations possible with Mars and Pluto in contact. The first option is when the contact is harmonious, which includes the conjunction, trine, and sextile. When the contact is harmonious, meaning that there is no conflict between the subconscious desires and the conscious desires, we have someone who is quite literally unstoppable. There is primal, predatory energy about Pluto - Mars that nothing can stop. Once a goal is set, anything standing in the way will be overcome, burnt, or destroyed, until one reaches its goal. There is most definitely a certain degree of ruthlessness that comes with this aspect, which is why I started the article by mentioning innate spiritual warfare associated with this aspect.
Pluto-Mars: Manipulation caution
Pluto - Mars can definitely be an indication of a tendency to be self-serving, callous, predatory, and lacking in empathy. It can be a key feature in charts of high machiavellian & psychopaths, but it is of course not a curse nor a generalization one can make.
The potential is there, the rest of the chart and the level of consciousness of the person will determine how this aspect is used. This is definitely an aspect that can represent someone who can be highly manipulative to obtain what they desire.
When the aspect is harmonious (again - I include the conjunction, as well as trine and sextile) there is nothing standing in the way of the person. Their goals WILL be achieved, the only question is when and how, but it will. There is nothing stopping them, and there can be an obsession, a compulsion, to achieve goals. The problem is - as with every obsession - it can become all-encompassing, and all-consuming, and eat out other parts of their life. This is of course much truer of the conjunction than any other harmonious aspect.
Pluto - Mars: Destructiveness
Pluto - Mars in the birth chart represents a tendency toward destructive urges. Men tend to play this energy outwardly, while women tend to play it more so inwardly. Both genders do tend to have self-destructive tendencies. If the energy is not conscious, someone with Pluto in hard aspect to Mars could live with a subconscious self-hatred, leading them to pursue poor and self-destructive choices. If the energy is conscious, it is then only a matter of controlling the destructive tendencies to safe levels.
Pluto - Mars: Animalistic desires
Pluto - Mars of course has a hefty dose of sexuality associated with it - and again here we have two options. Mars sextile Pluto and Mars trine Pluto are much more likely to have a fairly balanced relationship to sexuality, but there is also the potential, and much more so with Mars conjunct Pluto, to become obsessed or consumed by sex. Sexuality can be linked with owning someone else, possessing, but also - bonding with someone else on a very primal, and soul level. Sex is meant to be an experience of death and rebirth, and these natives can be quite mesmerizing to anyone who doesn't have such a strong Plutonian energy. Sexually, Mars and Pluto are associated with a fair amount of violence and domination, which can be simply a matter of taste and a dominant/submissive kind of dynamic, but unfortunately, it does have a tendency to represent sexual abuse.
In the mythology of it, Pluto - the lord of hell- abducts Persephone and brings her to the underworld, where she is raped and forced to become the Queen of the underworld. The myth is supposed to represent how one's innocence and virginity are taken by force, an initiation rite leading to empowerment. It's quite the tale, and unfortunately, it does sometimes translate into actual sexual abuse, whether the person is on the Pluto side, or the Persephone side.
Pluto - Mars: Potentially violent
Lastly, and this is more so true of Mars conjunct Pluto and the below difficult aspects, Mars-Pluto can be utterly violent, psychologically or physically. As Pluto is obsessive, compulsive, and quite boundless / unleashed, when it meets Mars, the planet of war and aggression, there can be a very instinctive instinct of protecting, defending, conquering, and dominating. This gives men with very "masculine energy" in the primal sense of it, but it also gives people - men or women- with a strong inclination for violence and aggression.
Mars-Pluto is linked to high criminality and as I mentioned above, it can also be linked with Dark Triad traits, due to mostly three factors: The very strong instinct of survival, the very strong instinct to dominate, and the tendency to have such a tunnel vision that nothing can stand in the way of the person; not even morality or the law. To gauge whether someone would be stopped by morals or the law, you'd want to look at their Jupiter, among other things, to see where their moral compass stands.
When Mars is in a difficult aspect to Pluto, like for example Mars square Pluto, Mars opposite Pluto, or Mars quincunx Pluto, everything we just said above is applicable, but there is an additional element to it.
Here, we have the conscious desires and drive (Mars), which are coming in the way of the soul's desires (Pluto). The classic representation of this is someone who get caught up in chasing goals and dreams with a vengeance. The energy is relentlessly dedicated to a goal, with complete and utter tunnel vision, but once the goal is achieved - the person is left feeling unfulfilled. Something is missing, it's not giving them the hit, the high, that they were hoping for. The person feels let down, but soon enough - they set their eyes on a new prize, and go at it with passion and relentlessness. Yet again, the cycle repeats.
This is particularly true of the quincunx and opposition of Mars and Pluto, but here the matter is to learn how to overcome the fleeting desires, whether they're professional, sexual, romantic, or else - and learn how to only pursue the things that are truly aligned with your soul and purpose.
Some spiritual work needs to be done, otherwise, you end up pursuing endlessly things and goals which aren't aligned with you and therefore not fulfilling, and you suffer a bad case of new shiny object syndrome. Seeing such an aspect in one's birth chart should be a sign to look more deeply in the birth chart and seek to understand what is truly at play.
Mars-Pluto in transits
When Pluto transits Mars in an individual's birth chart, it's a powerful and transformative astrological event that influences one's energy, assertiveness, and personal drive.
If you're a woman, you will find your own masculine energy changing (either becoming more masculine or on the contrary, falling in your feminine).
If you're a man, this transit represents a period of time where you are being challenged to step into your masculine energy in a more powerful and healthy way.
This transit typically spans several years and brings profound changes to how you assert yourself and pursue your desires.
Here's what you can expect during Pluto's transit of Mars:
Intense energy: Pluto's influence infuses your energy and drive with intensity. You'll feel a strong urge to go after your goals and desires, often with unwavering determination. This can lead to significant achievements and personal growth as it's a time of extraordinary productivity, working relentlessly toward your objectives.
Transformation of ambitions: Pluto's transit can prompt a reevaluation of your ambitions and desires. You may undergo a significant shift in your goals and aspirations, leading to a deeper understanding of what truly motivates you.
Power struggles: Pluto's energies can manifest as power struggles and conflicts, both internal and external. You may encounter challenges from others who oppose your objectives, pushing you to assert your will more forcefully.
Powerful desires: It's not unusual to meet someone during this transit that triggers an overwhelming attraction, potentially destructive. This is particularly true for women. You can find yourself attracted to someone beyond reason, unable to stop yourself from wanting them. There is a potentiality of destructive desires with Pluto transiting Mars, especially if the aspect is hard. It can be a good transit to meet someone, especially so if the transit is soft or a conjunction.
If you're interested in exploring your own timelines & upcoming events or learning more about predictions in astrology, we offer in-depth transit readings and an astrology course to learn how to form predictions.
Recommended reading for Mars-Pluto:
(May contain affiliate links)
"Pluto: The evolutionary journey of the soul": By Jeff Green. A wonderful and in depth take on Pluto
"The book of Pluto": By Steven Forrest. Also a wonderful read.
"Healing Pluto problems": A take on healing Pluto
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