Mars in Capricorn: Vigor & Valor

Mars, the Bringer of War, tends to blaze out quickly. Mars in Aries can be like a cannon shot and Mars in Scorpio can be likened to the sting of a scorpion. Whether huge and booming or precise and silent, Mars in his signs of domicile shares an explosive, propulsive, fast set of images. To use muscles as an analogy, Mars in domicile represents the fast twitch muscle fibers: great for bursts of energy, but sputtering out quickly.

Unlike Saturn, the Lesser Malefic Mars is not known for his staying power.

But Mars in Capricorn is different. Mars in Capricorn is relentless. Mars in Capricorn is in for the whole marathon, not just a sprint. The cooler and more grounded nature of the earth sign of Capricorn where Mars finds his exaltation changes the game. Here, in a Saturn ruled sign, Mars possesses a kind of steely resolve to see things through. Mars in exaltation represents the slow twitch muscle fibers: those required and evolved for repetitive, long-term efforts.

These Vigor & Valor talismans emphasize the grit that sustains endurance and fortitude, as well as the discretion that is the proverbial better part of valor. They were created with the intent of bestowing their bearers with a tenacious and enduring wellspring of vigorous potency and courageous valor, so as to render their will as strong as the iron of Mars’s sword and shield.

In the context of the Summit collection, the Vigor & Valor talismans evoke the hardy adaptation of mountain goats, who climb perilously steep rock walls for bits of sustenance. The grueling climb to the mountaintop requires not just raw power, but also foresight, planning, resolve, and a capacity for adaption while traversing different terrains, obstacles, and challenges.

Over and above the fortitude that Mars in Capricorn brings compared to Mars in Aries or Scorpio, this election prominently involves both the Lesser and Greater benefics. With Mars applying to sextile Jupiter in Pisces and conjoin Venus in Capricorn on the ascendant, the jagged edges and sharp corners that bring Mars his fearsome reputation come out quite a bit more tamed and manageable. Like fine scotch aged to perfection, the fire and bite of these Vigor & Valor talismans has been smoothed out and sweetened for a much more well-rounded, pleasant experience than one might expect from martial energies.

The Vigor & Valor talismans would be a boon to anyone who wants not just to just do it but to do more: to lighten your burdens not for the sake of ease but for shouldering more weight, to reduce fear by facing it head on with courage rather than managing it through avoidance or through eliminating the obstacle ahead of time, and to persevere with determination and ardor through any hardship.

Rain, one of the mages of Idola Stellarum, adds the following personal note on the Vigor & Valor talisman: “With my natal Mars quite afflicted, I was initially a bit wary of these talismans. Despite my assessment of the more lovely and benefic aspects of this election that I anticipated would temper the harsher qualities of Mars, I nevertheless expected a difficult adjustment period given my relationship with Mars to date. In retrospect, my fears were ultimately pretty unfounded: I had both a smooth introduction and an ongoing pleasant experience with my Vigor & Valor talisman.”

Technical Details

These Vigor & Valor talismans were ensouled on the morning of Friday, February 4, 2022 between 5:00am and 5:24am EST.

Essential Features of the Election

For planetary astromagical elections, we require that the relevant planet have essential dignity while either rising on the Ascendant or culminating on the Midheaven during the relevant planetary hour. This election took place while Mars was within 5 degrees of the Ascendant during Mars hour. Mars was dignified by exaltation, potentiated and stabilized by its placement in Capricorn. Mars’ exaltation in Capricorn is well-suited to more strategic, calculated, and decisive manifestations of martial prowess, and the Saturnian influence adds fortitude and endurance that can offset the martial tendency to quick bursts of energy that lack staying power.

Planetary elections also require the Moon to be in sufficiently good condition. In this election, Luna was essentially unafflicted at 27 degrees of Pisces, increasing in light during her first quarter and moving at reasonably fast speed. Luna was ruled by highly dignified Jupiter, in the Term and Face of Mars. Luna was also the sect light of Mars in this night chart. Luna’s next aspect would be a square to Mars from his home sign of Aries, about which more below.

Since the 1st house signifies the bearer of the talisman, we also look at the condition of the Lord of the Ascendant in planetary elections. In this election, the Ascendant ruler of Capricorn was a dignified Saturn in Aquarius, combust but in chariot. More on this below.

Further Magical Factors of the Election

Normally, having Mars on the Ascendant in a magical election can kindle some of the more vicious aspects of Mars, encouraging the bearer of a Mars talismans toward embodying the more belligerent and destructive qualities of the Lesser Malefic. However, placing a benefic on the Ascendant mitigates this influence substantially, and this working took place while both Mars and Venus were conjunct the Ascendant within five degrees to ensure Venus’ influence would cool down the more fiery aspects of Mars.

More than this, though, Mars was also applying within 5 astrological minutes to a sextile with Jupiter, who was highly dignified by domicile in Pisces and within his own terms. As an extra bonus, Jupiter also made an exact sextile to the Ascendant shortly after this working began. The powerful and exact influence of both the Lesser and Greater benefic in this election made it quite a special working, culminating in a Mars talisman with the jagged edges of martial energies sanded down to a smooth finish.

Luna and Mars possessed mutual reception by triplicity rulership, and each are in signs of their participating triplicity rulership, thereby adding attunement to each other’s prospects.

Reflection on Weaknesses of the Election

In any other but a Mars election, a square to Mars by the Moon would be considered a dealbreaker. However, given that Mars was the significator, the wide orb of about 10 degrees, Luna’s mutual reception with Mars, and the benefic influences on both Luna and Mars, we consider the Moon-Mars square to add to the harmony and martial potency of this election, while offering sufficient mitigations to take the edge off of this tense aspect. Moreover, Picatrix states that having a benefic on the Ascendant mitigates afflictions of the Moon, adding another overriding factor to whatever concern one might have about a square to a malefic planet.

The major negative factor in this election is the combustion of Saturn. Had Saturn not had dignity to offset this significant affliction, it would have certainly been a dealbreaker. In addition to this, the co-presence of Venus in the first house (and even better, conjunct the Ascendant) as well as the sextile by Jupiter to the Ascendant offer about as good of a benefic counterbalance as one could hope for.

Recommendations

While we do not generally recommend talismans of the malefic planets as a first talisman, the influence of Venus and Jupiter in this election render these talismans about as safe as one could hope for a Mars talisman. Particularly for those with a dignified natal Mars, attunement to this talisman would not be expected to be particularly difficult. People who have trouble managing their temper or find themselves often with the problem of having too much energy rather than too little might consider taking a pass on this talisman. 

Ceremonial Details

Gemstone & Talismanic Image

The Vigor & Valor talismans were crafted from 18x25mm natural red jasper cabochons. The red jasper stones were carved with the image of the sage Beylus, which according to Picatrix is “the form of a crowned man with an inscribed sword in his right hand.” On the obverse side of the cabochon were carved the symbol of Mars, the sigil of his planetary intelligence, and the glyph of Capricorn. Herbs of mustard seed, tamarind, and ginger were affixed to the back of the talisman.

Ritual Setup

An altar suffused with vermillion was erected to Mars the day before and constructed during Mars hours. Generous offerings of spices, foods, spirits, and bones were made to Mars, and the altar was illuminated by five red candles emblazoned with symbols, seals, and sigils of Mars crafted and consecrated earlier in the week during Mars hour. After initial preparatory work, the ceremony of ensoulment was opened at precisely 5:00am on February 4, 2022 to the soundtrack of Gustav Holst’s “Mars, the Bringer of War” from The Planets Suite for Orchestra. 

Suffumigation

An incense blend of bdellium, cinnamon, dragon’s blood, ginger, and an additional secret was ground and mixed during Mars hours the day before the election.