All about Mars in Scorpio or in the 8th house

Like a celestial sentry, Mars readies us to fight for what we hold dear. Here’s where you feel passionate, fired up and may have a surplus of energy.

Temper alert! You may find that your fuse is shorter when it comes to this area of life. Or you may run hot and cold. You’re willing to act instinctually instead of deliberately—and sometimes things get messy as a result.

Lusty Mars is the forthright companion to seductive Venus and can bring out the “cosmic caveperson” in us all. Raw desire is directed by Mars, and that includes everything from our sex drive to our professional pursuits. Where there’s smoke there’s fire, so why not build upon that heat? Daring, energetic Mars provides exothermic momentum for our most trailblazing missions.

Natal Mars or Mars Sign

Whatever zodiac sign and house Mars was orbiting through at your time of birth determines your “natal Mars” or “Mars sign.” More specifically, this will guide you in the following ways:

Motivation: How driven you are to achieve and what lights your fire
Lust: Your passionate instincts and erotic drive
Leadership: Where you’ll readily jump in and take charge
Fight: What gets you riled up and ready to throw down; how you do battle
Initiative: How readily you’ll start a project, relationship, etc.
Raw instincts: What makes you move into action without thinking twice

Mars is one of the inner planets, along with Venus and Mercury. Because of its closer proximity to the Sun, it moves through all twelve zodiac signs in 687 days, spending an average of 6-8 weeks in each zodiac sign.

What is my Mars sign?

Use our cosmic calculator to discover what zodiac sign and house Mars was in when you were born. To accurately determine the house, you will need to know your birth time.

What if the zodiac sign and house are different?

This is common! Read both the sign and house description below. Do these interpretations pull you in two different directions? That’s not unusual. We human beings have range. Astrology is an interpretive dance, a tool which provides a fascinating layer of self-discovery. Do some “astro mixology.” Reflect on how you can work with both energies to enhance your life.

Find your Mars Sign

Calculate Yours!

Special positions of Mars

Retrograde

Mars turns retrograde once every two years for a span of approximately two and a half months. It’s not that unusual to be born with this planet in reverse. You may have to work harder to muscle through its lessons, but once you nail this planet’s energy, your additional effort may actually lead to a rock-solid mastery of working with Jupiter in your life.

Domicile: Aries

The planet’s home base, an easy flow if placed here in the chart

Detriment: Libra

Opposite sign of home base, may need to work harder to integrate the planet’s energy if placed here in the chart

Exalted: Capricorn

The planet’s most powerful position; indicates ease and added fortune with using the planet’s energy if placed here in the chart

Fall: Cancer

Opposite sign to the exalted position, can indicate struggles with utilizing the planet’s energy if placed here in the chart

Mars in Scorpio or the 8th House

There’s no such thing as “too intense” for those born with Mars in Scorpio or the 8th house.

You love to dial up the passion to level: extreme. That’s what makes every situation memorable as far as you’re concerned. You’d rather laugh until your stomach hurts than merely chuckle, or deep dive into a friend’s relationship drama to mine the golden wisdom than proffer a surface platitude.

Since most mortals can’t hang with your range, you may go through life feeling as if very few people understand you. Your soul squad—and romantic soulmate—will mirror your emotional complexity and embrace the full-spectrum feelings that you bring to the mix. And most of all, they won’t be scared off when you have one of your meltdown moments, crying, obsessing and shaking your fist to the sky. Being THAT vulnerable is hard for Mars in Scorpio, but you need to feel safe going there with friends and romantic partners. 

Mars in Scorpio in love

Intensifier Mars is actually happy in the passionate sign of Scorpio; in fact before astronomers knew that Pluto (Scorpio’s ruling star) existed, Mars was considered the ruling planet of Scorpio, along with Aries. It may take you longer than most people to find The One since you’re a bit of a rare (and complicated) bird. Don’t give up hope that your person exists! But DO give up on trying to turn an average schmo into a soulmate—and learn to weed out the losers quickly.

What’s behind closed doors, Mars in Scorpio?

The 8th house is home to that which is hidden, and Scorpio is associated with the underworld. You may be attracted to people with “a past,” or brooding, simmering qualities. Goodbyes are especially hard for you since Mars in Scorpio can make you possessive AND obsessive, and 8th house placements desire to merge completely.

As result, you may waste years pining for an unrequited attraction—often because you confused one night of mind-blowing sex with true love! After enough trial runs, you’re likely to lock in a legendary love affair that will last a lifetime.

As a true master of seduction, sexual energy simply oozes out of you. But with Mars in this deeply private sign and profoundly intimate house, you may only turn on your full-tilt eroticism behind closed doors. (That said, you may lean toward sexy clothes that fit your body well and show off your creative flair.) When it comes to your drive, you draw from a deep well and regenerate quicker than many.

Most people can’t keep up with Mars in Scorpio’s productivity—and when you see a goal in your crosshairs, you’ll work tirelessly to pursue it. But be careful not to get ruthless and single-minded in your quest. On one hand, you could be capable of the Scorpion sting through manipulation, while on the other, you could rise like the Phoenix from the proverbial ashes and guide others through their darkest times back into the light.

Our new podcast is here!