Mars in Pisces, Jupiter in Aries: faith in your actions, acting on your faith

Starting from May 24th, Mars and Jupiter will begin a 40 days-long co-presence in the sign of Aries, the diurnal domicile of Mars. A lot of astrologers have already talked about this fiery cohabitation — I have myself dubbed it the himbo transit, but that’s a conversation for another time… — while this is an interesting topic for sure, today I’d like to tell you about the strange period leading up to that, and what themes it will stir up in our own lives, and how you can go about it: namely, Mars in Pisces and Jupiter in Aries.

You see, before the God of war reaches his nice (boiling hot) summer home of Aries, Jupiter will leave his domicile of Pisces to enter Mars’ residence of Aries on May 11. This will create an interesting situation where, for about two weeks, Mars and Jupiter will be in each other’s domiciles What does this mean for us mortals? 

Think of a planet in its “domicile” as its literal home, the resources it has access to: you have a responsibility over your own home and those who live in it, but you also have access to what you need and want — you have a lot of agency, and a lot of duties too. For instance, Jupiter is currently in his domicile of Pisces: the greater benefic, the temperate God of the law, health and wisdom finds resources and support in the benevolent waters of Pisces, where the ocean knows no bound to Jupiter’s expansion. Mars is also currently in these waters, making Jupiter its lord by domicile — in other words, Mars is like a guest in someone else’s home. Your host may treat you well, but you still don’t get much of a say in how the house operates!

This balance changes drastically on May 11th when Jupiter moves into Aries: here we have a situation known “generosity”: two planets being in each other’s domiciles, but not making an aspect (meaning the planets cannot “see” the rays emitted by the other). Generosity is an interesting configuration because unlike mutual reception (the same situation, but the two planets involved actually making an aspect), the planets have more limited ways of interacting… Yet they have to cooperate.

Think of swapping houses with someone for a certain period of time, but not being to contact or see each other. In a way, you can count on that person’s resources and you have some guarantee that they won’t trash your houses, because you both share a responsibility here… But it can still cause some problems, because it’s not your house (how do you figure out how to use the shower or turn the heat on? It’s more complicated when the owner of the house can’t show you how!)

So this is the type of energy we will be dealing with between Mars and Jupiter between May 11-May 24. This is complicated by the fact that Jupiter is a benefic planet (meaning it supports and generates, it “gives“) while Mars is a malefic one (it severed and breaks, it “takes”). So while Jupiter moving into a new house in your chart could be positive because it will bring about nice things (for example, creativity, pleasure and love if you’re a Sagittarius rising since it moves into your 5th house of Aries), Jupiter will still not be totally able to do what he wants since it will be under the rulership of Mars (in his house).

Now, let’s have a look at the specific configuration we have on our hands: this is still a pretty powerful one, because Mars has a lot of dignity in the late degrees of Pisces — and so does Jupiter in the early degrees of Aries.

In the cardinal, fire sign of Aries, the diurnal planet Jupiter is regenerated. Coming out of the deep waters of Pisces, the time isn’t to introspection or deep philosophical reflections: it is for action. The first decan of Aries is a youthful and determined one that doesn’t hesitate much to take action. By contrast, the last decan of Pisces is one of sacrifice. In this decan, there is a sense of giving something up and sacrificing yourself, although the purpose may not be very clear. 

The combination of Jupiter, the planet of faith and belief, and Mars the planet of action and force in these decans remind me of contemplation and action. In each other’s sign, Mars and Jupiter call for faith in our actions, and for action towards our faith, towards what we believe in. The weeks preceding this alignment, coupled to the solar eclipse in Taurus on April 30 May have called for moments of contemplation — withdrawing from the world to seek something higher, to reflect on the pleasures and moments of solace that life has to offer. Jupiter in Pisces is silent and absorbed in its inner realms. His ingress into Aries, with Mars still in his own sign offers an opportunity to act out the principles that have been reflected on. What are beliefs without action? How do our actions align with or contradict our beliefs? This period is a wonderful time to be spontaneous in the way we choose to act and to trust — to surrender to the call of the body after the journey undertaken by your mind. Write your thoughts down, fight who you wanna fight and kiss who you wanna kiss; make your inner desires into a thing of the world.

Mars having so much power in the last degrees of Pisces and Jupiter in the early ones of Aries reminds me of the concept of “purification”. Many cultures purify things through fire and water. When growing up in Madagascar, my grandma’s mum would burn eucalyptus leaves to purify the air. We baptise and consecrate people in water. Through the cuts and burns of Mars, we refine things until nothing is left but their essence, their very core — like burning or boiling something to a very high temperature until it is free of bacteria. Jupiter expands, it heals and makes us believe — through sacred waters we are washed anew. I believe that this is the uniting principle of such a a pair, a benefic in a malefic sign, and a malefic in a benefic’s sign: rage and faith, anger and devotion cut through layers of indecisiveness, only to reveal a purified core.

In the past few weeks, with the co-presence of Mars and Jupiter in Pisces, I’ve been reflecting on anger and the need for authenticity. When we feel angry, our bodies are setting us into motion so that we protect ourselves, so that we defend our integrity. Sometimes, we get angry at people because we feel like there is no mutual understanding: we are looking for a reaction that will reveal something true, something genuine in the other person. Just anger is a cry from the soul, a cry for truth — and sometimes the truth is scary. In the last degrees of Pisces, Mars is supported by triplicity, bound and decan: there is something to be said about the deep anger and injustice felt when we reflect deeply on ourselves and the world around us. This is an anger supported by our communities: anger can be destructive, but it is can also be a true wave of revolution, a call for action. Jupiter demands that we stay true, that we seek the higher truth: in bursts of energy and spontaneous actions we sometimes find the authenticity we so desperately need.

In May, Jupiter and Mars offer us redemption. Moving away from the slowness and fixed ways of Saturn in Aquarius, we come fresh and purified, ready for a fight. Who said battles can’t be joyful? The need for action of Mars is paired with the renewed enthusiasm of Jupiter: you can move mountains. You can use your strength just for play. On May 24, the Moon separates from Mars at 29° Pisces before moving towards Jupiter at 2° Aries, right before Mars finally ingresses in his own domicile. Honour this transition, surrender to the divine energy that is bubbling up within you. Spring is here.