Aries is dominated by the planet Mars, which was also the former ruling planet of Scorpio prior to Pluto adopting that position and assuming jurisdiction over the Scorpion. Mars is named for the Roman God of War who was believed by his supporters to be unafraid in battle. Much the same can be said for those individuals who fall under the influence of the Mars-governed Aries. They possess an inner strength upon which they can draw in order to take on almost anything or anyone. With a boundless supply of energy, vitality and stamina, these natives can "stay in the game" longer than most and probably win. Independent and well aware of their own interests, Aries subjects are competitive creatures who tackle life with zeal and vigor. At times, their approach to a project might be construed as arrogant or domineering, but such are the qualities needed in a leader...or so any Aries native would probably maintain. Those whose ruling planet is Mars come straight to the point, with no "shilly-shallying." Mars is the great initiator, the bold challenger and the champion of all that is good and right. Mars cuts through all obstacles with the sword of righteousness. This planet forms the part of a character which believes itself to be invincible...the very sense of adventure, bravery and strength of purpose. Mars represents the ability to act, with or without forethought, and is the protective reaction to threat, coupled with a reflexive reaction toward promise and opportunity. Mars is strength, vitality and the will to conquer.

Physical drive, energy and aggression are basic in the planetary influence of Mars and there is no stopping those with a Mars nature...which can be brave to the point of becoming foolhardy, unless tempered by other influences. Fortunately, this can be diverted. Attainment of a goal is often so important that other purposes can be shelved. Here, there is a fighting instinct that knocks down all obstacles, whether they be small or large. Sports, adventure and love of the outdoor life are all found in the personality of those ruled by Mars. Travel, military affairs and any form of new and virile experience appeal to those who fall under the jurisdiction of this planet. Skill and mechanical ability are part of the Mars character and, as natural concomitants, honesty and reliability are also to be found in the make-up of these individuals. Such are the positive aspects of Mars. In contrast, the influence of Mars can breed impatience, savagery, boastfulness and a tendency toward useless, wasteful combat. Action is the keyword here, in the fullest sense of the term, and in order to obtain it, persons swayed by this influence may become destructive. When Mars natives are prone to envy, nothing can stop their rash, impetuous nature, except their own power of reason which, luckily, is strong and therefore helpful.

Physically, the typical Mars individual is well above average size and strength. Most are tall, but a few may be more stockily built or even somewhat oversized in bulk. Mars subjects are both bold and gallant in manner when intelligent and cultured...otherwise, the are prone to become coarse and cruel. In an anatomical sense, Mars is associated with red blood corpuscles, the muscular system, the adrenal glands and sexual organs. Mars supplies impulse to those it rules, but such people must seek elsewhere for foresight, which is the one faculty sadly lacking in the nature of Mars. Chiefly on that account, the influence of this planet is considered somewhat unfavorable and must be greatly tempered in order to turn its iron will into fine steel.

Items particularly associated with Mars are: honeysuckle; geranium; holly; pine; rhubarb; pineapple; woodpecker; eagle; tiger and shark (to name but a few of the many animals ssociated with this planet). The metal iron is also linked to Mars while the semi-precious stones associated with this planet are jasper and rubies. Tuesday is considered a particularly lucky day for Mars subjects, while their special colors are, most appropriately, blood-red and any other hues considered by nature to be of an "angry" shade.

The great moral lesson to be learned by the children of Mars is the need to balance desire against the needs of others.

Mars, the fourth planet from the Sun, is known as the "Red Planet" since the rocks, soil and sky have a reddish or pinkish hue. This distinct red color has been observed by astrologers throughout history. Mars was given its name by the Romans in honor of their God of War, but other civilizations have bestowed similar names upon this planet and the Ancient Egyptians named it Her Descher, which means "the red one." Mars is the most Earth-like of all the planets with polar ice caps that grow and recede with the change of seasons. It also has markings which appear to be similar to the water channels of Earth. Recent space orbiters, however, did not reveal any canals on the planet, but did find evidence of erosion on the surface and dry riverbeds, which would indicate that Mars once possessed liquid water, though it appears to have been barren of any such substance for millions of years. Today, Mars is too cool and its atmosphere too thin to allow liquid water to exist at the surface, although there is speculation that it may still be found in subsurface reservoirs. There is no evidence of civilization and it seems unlikely that any form of life currently inhabits the planet, but there may be fossils of life-forms from a time when the climate was warmer and liquid water existed. Biologists believe that Mars might now be self-sterilizing and that the combination of solar ultraviolet radiation which saturates the surface, coupled with the extreme dryness of the soil and the oxidizing nature of the soil chemistry, prevent the formation of living organisms. Existence of life on this planet at some time in the past remains a subject of much speculation. Although much smaller than Earth, the surface area of Mars is about the same as Earth's land surface area.

The atmosphere of Mars is composed primarily of carbon dioxide with small amounts of other gases, the most common of which are: nitrogen, argon, oxygen, water and neon. Martian air contains approximately 1/1000 as much water as that of Earth. The average recorded temperature of the planet is minus 63 degrees Celsius, with a maximum temperature of 20 degrees Celsius and a minimum of minus 140 degrees Celsius. Mars has some remarkable geological characteristics which include the largest volcanic mountain, Olympus Mons (27 km high and 600 km across), in the solar system. There are volcanoes in the northern Tharsis region that are so huge they have deformed the planet's sphericity, and a gigantic equatorial rift valley named the Vallis Marineris. This canyon system stretches a distance equivalent to that from New York to Los Angeles and Arizona's Grand Canyon could fit easily into one of the side canyons of this great chasm. The first spacecraft to visit Mars was Mariner 4 in 1965. When it is in the nighttime sky, Mars is easily visible from Earth without the aid of a telescope or binoculars.

Mars has two small moons, Phobos and Deimos, discovered in 1877 by Asaph Hall. They are examples of what are called minor satellites...small chunks of rock in orbit around a planet as compared with large satellites like the Earth's Moon. Both Phobos and Deimos are presumed to be approximately two billion years old and are dark bodies, saturated with craters...although Deimos (the smaller of the two and the furthest from Mars) has a smoother appearance caused by the partial filling of some of its craters and Phobos sports striated patterns which are most likely cracks caused by the impact event of the largest crater on this moon. Both of Mars' moons are comprised of blackish carbonaceous chondrite. It is not known how these satellites formed, but it is possible they may be asteroids which were snared into orbit by the planet's gravitational pull. In mythology, Phobos (meaning "panic" or "fear" and root of the word "phobia") and Deimos (meaning "terror" or "dread") were the twin sons of Mars and Venus, who always accompanied their father on the battlefield. Their sister was Harmonia, Goddess of Harmony and Concord. According to some sources, Phobos and Deimos were the names of the horses that drew Mars' chariot, while others state they were merely attendants or companions to the God of War.

Mars, Roman God of War for whom the month of March is named, was the son of Juno and (dependent upon the source) either her husband, Jove, or a magical flower. He was originally the God of fertility and vegetation, but later became associated with battle. As the God of Spring, when his major festivals were celebrated, he presided over agriculture in general. In his warlike aspect, Mars was offered sacrifices prior to combat and was said to appear on the battlefield accompanied by Bellona, a warrior goddess who drove his chariot and variously identified as his wife, sister or daughter. Mars (unlike his Greek counterpart Ares) was more widely worshipped than any of the other Roman Gods, probably because his two sons, Romulus and Remus, were believed to have founded the city...Romulus later slaying Remus during a quarrel over the proposed site.

Despite his reputation and typical depiction as a warrior in full battle regalia complete with crested helmet, shield and lance, Mars was not known to be a brilliant soldier. He first began the practice of war by becoming involved in the squabbles which constantly took place in Olympus but soon began to enjoy fighting for its own sake. He often blundered into battle and was easily tricked. For example, it is written that the Goddess Athene defeated him twice...Hercules forced him to retreat from Earth to Olympus...and the Giants imprisoned him for thirteen months in a bronze vessel. He was said to have raped the vestal virgin, Rhea Silvia (mother of Romulus and Remus) and, when he reclined upon the couch of Venus in the arms of this Goddess, her husband (Vulcan) trapped them there with an invisible net. They were forced to lie, locked in an embrace, while the other Immortals guffawed at their predicament.

On another occasion, the Gods tried Mars for murdering the son of Neptune, but he was released based on the plea that he was saving his daughter from being ravished. This statement is subject to doubt since Mars was known to be an ingenious liar. Eventually, Mars came to be considered as the God of Purposeless War. The Greeks (who knew him as Ares) rather despised this God, but the Romans made him a hero and he always supported their legions.

To commemorate his victory over the assasins of Julius Caesar in 42 BC, the Emperor Augustus honored Mars with the cult title Ultor (meaning "Avenger") and built a new temple in honor of the God. The main sanctuaries of Mars were the temple in the Campus Martius ("Field of Mars") in Rome and the Temple of Mars Ultor ("Mars the Avenger") built under the direction of Augustus. A festival was celebrated to honor Mars every year on March 1st (called the Feriae Marti), which was New Years Day in the old Roman calendar. Another Roman festival at which Mars was honored was the Armilustrium on October 19th, when military arms were ritually purified and placed in storage for the winter.

Each of the astrological planets has its own ancient symbol or glyph, created from different combinations of three basic elements that the early astrologers referred to as the Circle of Spirit, the Crescent of Soul and the Cross of Matter. The glyph of Mars is the symbol of the Sun (Circle) with an arrow. This aptly describes how individuals ruled by Mars defend and assert themselves or their egos. It also represents the human survival factor. This glyph symbolizes the energy of Mars bursting forth from the constraints of life with a desire to do...to be...and to conquer. Here, the Cross of Matter is transformed into an arrow and drawn atop a Circle to represent the ascendance of the material over the spiritual. It is generally viewed as a universal symbol for the male. The design has also been likened to the spear and shield (the sacred Ancile) which belonged to the ancient Roman God of War after whom this planet is named.