Mars square Pluto Natal & Transit: The Square of Power and Fear

Unused design for Suspiria by Tony Stella

The square of fear. Fear of our own power. Fear of what will happen if we assert ourselves, ask for what we need or want, or take a step forward. Fear of others exerting power over us. A question of how we will wield our power, or if we can. Fear of how someone else will wield theirs. A question of how in tune with our desires we really are.

Sometimes these fears aren’t at all invalid.

In a patriarchal, white supremacist, imperialist world fixated on the external and exerting dominance over everyone and everything we can, it’s reasonable to jump to “Mars square Pluto = abuse”, though at its root (and Pluto loves roots) Mars square Pluto is personal power vs. fear and suppression, or simply power with the volume turned up and turned inward. Yes, this aspect can turn violent and abusive, but more often than not this square turns that fear or violence inward. People with Mars square Pluto are tasked with learning to no longer suppress their power without letting it devour them. To quote Toni Morrison, “Freeing yourself was one thing; claiming ownership of that freed self was another.”

We may be technically free, but are we really? Do we hold the keys to our own cages? Does some secret system still have them hidden away in some secret pocket? What programs are running in our own minds to keep us from expressing or even knowing our will to begin with? Who caged us? Why?

If we’re disconnected from or fearful of our inner Mars, we weren’t always. Someone shamed us into it. They punished us for letting that energy out. They held those guns to our heads until we learned to hold them ourselves.

Natal and transiting Mars square Pluto is about exploring power, contacting inner power, suppressing personal power, and navigating intense feelings, drive, and motivation in general.

Mars square Pluto

People with natal Mars square Pluto understand power and abuse of power in a way that most people have to work to understand. They understand from a young age – perhaps even unconsciously – that hierarchies of power exist in the world. And while some choose to use that knowledge and understanding to do harm, the vast majority do not. Some people with Mars square Pluto become violent; most do not. They understand, often intuitively, how people in power often stand for abuse and/or perpetuate it themselves. They understand how easily power can go to one’s head. They understand that personal power does not exist in a vacuum, but must find a way to roam free through the fields of society without burning it down.

Internally, Mars square Pluto people can be rebellious by nature as they are naturally compelled to go against the grain, even if they don’t show it. Inside, they feel that their desires are just… different from those around them. Depending on the rest of the chart that this square is in, some are able to easily own this and others really struggle with feeling different from the group or from their generation.

Mars square Pluto is also about navigating anger and conflict in righteous, productive ways. Very few of us have actually witnessed people dealing with conflict in healthy ways, and natal Mars square Pluto is really zeroing in on this. They are learning how to hold anger without it becoming a destructive force, and how to deal with issues without running from them or blowing up. People with this placement very much benefit from physical exercise of some kind — something to help them let out the intense volcanic inner world without hurting themselves or others.

One of the lessons of Mars square Pluto is to learn how to own your own power, free yourself to make choices and take actions with careful thought but without fear, recognize an unearned power you already have, and find ways to use that power for the good of the world. Y’all have an incredible, irrepressible amount of energy behind you – like the unstoppable force of the seasons, perhaps. No matter what is happening, the Earth’s seasons power on, some way, somehow. That’s what Mars square Pluto people have inside of them. Once people with Mars square Pluto learn to channel the immense amount of energy they carry inside of them into constructive action, they are truth-tellers and sometimes very ambitious and very capable people.

Natal Mars square Pluto in sex and love

CW: Light SA mention in this section.

People with Mars square Pluto often have intense sexual energy or desire, but many also deal with a lot of fear and anxiety around sex and sexuality, especially earlier on in life. They may have a high need or desire for sex (and taking action in life, more generally) but struggle to show or act on that need. The idea of having sex may feel overwhelming or scary. In some cases this is rooted in early-life experiences with religion. In others, it comes from a simple understanding that “sex” can be used as a form of domination (I use quotes here because rape and sexual assault are not sex), and even that the media uses our very pure, natural, even innocent human desire to manipulate us into buying things, taking on certain viewpoints, and taking actions that we would not naturally take. But most of the time, it’s more of a vague discomfort with it. They may also be aware that sex and desire are some of the most irrepressible and motivating forces on earth.

The force of sexuality and desire can feel overwhelming for all of us, but Mars square Pluto people have a hard time enjoying that feeling of overwhelm. They may find sexual tension to be just plain tense, and not feel safe in a state of desire. For many Mars-Pluto people, sex is not enjoyable if they don’t feel 100% safe with the other person. “Safe” means different things for different people.

When they find the right partner, Mars square Pluto people who are connected to their sexuality, inner power, and desire in healthy ways are passionate, hot, and have both impressive endurance and a sort of magical, enchanting sexual energy overall.

Questions to consider for Mars square Pluto transit and natal:

Who or what is keeping us small and afraid?

Who are you keeping small and afraid?

Who took your power?

Who taught you to fear your own will as a child?

Who told you it was wrong to be fiery, passionate, energetic, angry, sexual, or to be yourself without apology?

Who taught you not to want?

Whose power have you taken?

In what ways have you abused others?

Whose inner fire have you tried to put out?

Who have you shamed for their desires?

Who taught you that another person being in touch with their own personal power means that yours is at threat?