Mars, the spirit of war and will, has left the realm of securing the home and now moves into a territory far more bombastic and proud, willing to make dramatic pronouncements and stir up shit for its cause.

Personally, I find righteousness increasingly repugnant and unhelpful for any kind of relationship. Today, however, what feels like the teaching that’s being offered is how important it is to stand proudly for whatever cause or people are yours. There is a way in which we aspire to have objective morals and laws, and there is a way in which our morality begins with whom we are aligned with, whom we identify with. We’re more likely to overlook the criminal elements of our home team, for example, and to highlight the criminality of our adversaries.

This message to me feels quite dramatic, as is Leo’s purview, but at its heart it speaks to me of being for yourself, being for your people. Even in conflict, each party in a conflict has its own interests and values that must meet and clash so that a true harmony can arise. When someone is pretending to care, or hiding their true values, then any agreement will be incomplete and prone to disruption down the line.

So the positive power of this message, to burn with righteousness, feels like a willingness to glow with the love and passion of your cause. May we hold that power without the shadow of dehumanizing and degrading our adversaries.