Mars, the Mighty and Marvelous

Martius, the month of March, is named after him. So is the fourth planet from the sun and a bar of chocolate, but we know him mainly as the god of war.

If you lived in ancient Rome, his name would be as familiar to you as your own, especially at this time of year with all of the holidays and festivals dedicated to the City's favourite son. You would be choosing your prettiest ribbons, studying the form of the newest racehorse or bargaining for the best seats at a track and field meet. Or perhaps preparing for war overseas, for Spring was the beginning of the Roman campaign season.

There is a common belief that depictions of Mars show him as a warrior, but look a little closer and you see that he is no savage attacker but a disicplined soldier in regulation battle dress bearing regulation arms. As Mars Gradivus, he was the patron of the legions and a fitting role model for the highly trained Roman infantryman. It is his Greek equivalent, Ares, who has the character traits of the wild warrior.

For Mars was also the father of Rome. It was believed he had dallied with a Vestal Virgin who subsequently gave birth to the twins Romulus and Remus, the founders of the Eternal City, and so he was known as Mars Pater, the father and protector of all the people who lived within the gates.

He is definitely a male god, we use the astrological sigil of the planet Mars to represent men and masculine energy. Prominently displaying the arrow of action, it symbolises the male essence, the energy of yang - active and expanding. As an earlier fertility god he was Mars Sylvanus, responsible for the shoots of grain which thrust from the soil after planting.

In astrology, Mars is the ruler of Aries and signals the season when everything awakens, grows, rises and sprouts after winter. This is the planetary time of energy and action, with the element of fire bringing the very spark of life

The reddish tinge of Mars in the night sky made our ancestors think of blood, and consequently war, but don't for one moment believe that in modern times we are any more sophisticated. Even though we know the bloody appearance is caused by soil rich in iron oxide, (old-fashioned rust), the threat of invasion from the Red Planet plagued our imaginations only a couple of generations back.

Like all deities, certain animals are associated with him, in this case the wolf and the woodpecker, and his companions are Fuga and Timor, flight and fear. The moons of Mars are named in Greek for these companions, and before everyone becomes too confused about Phobos and Deimos, remember that Tuesday is also named for the god of war. The French have Mardi, the Spanish Martes, and it is Martedi in Italian. In English we call this day after Tyr, the boldest of the cold- climate gods, who inspires courage and heroism in battle, and is the Northern equivalent of Mars. Tyr has soldier-like qualities as well, he is noble and self-sacrificing. On the day of Ragnarok, he will kill Garm, the guardian of hell, but will himself die from his wounds.

So March is a month for action. Decorate your house with some red blooms and bring a little male energy into your everyday affairs.

Susanna Duffy is a Civil Celebrant and mythologist. She creates ceremonies and Rites of Passage for individual and civic functions using ancient myths in modern settings and produces an ezine of Legends and Lore for the general reader

---

Bewitching Jewelry -- Amulets, Talismans and Charms

Throughout the ages, men and women have used gemstones and... Read More

Better Red than Dead!

Red, perhaps the first color our eyes perceive.It is said... Read More

In Seach Of Heroes - Matrimonial Heroes (Part One)

Just as our arrival at destination is tied to the... Read More

Mexican Living: The Unexplained

The inexplicable bothers me. It always has. You know, the... Read More

Nelsons Last Words: Kiss Me, Hardy or Kismet, Hardy?

"Kiss me, Hardy" or "Kismet, Hardy"? Both versions are commonly... Read More

Shakespeare and Human Nature

Isn't it peculiar how human nature evolves through environmental and... Read More

Mythology and Parables in Modern Communication - Part 4

At the end of Part 3 in this series I... Read More

Art, Artists, and the Web: Part 1--Why Every Artist Should Have Their Own Website

First rate art is in danger of being left behind... Read More

From Dynasty to Destiny: Ten Celebrated Inventions of Ancient China

In the last two centuries, new cultural discoveries have nearly... Read More

Your Souls Purpose Is Found In the Zodiac

Of course, science has explained this to us, and we... Read More

Is America Still Racist?

This is one entry in my Heroes and Villains Volume... Read More

Mythology and Parables in Modern Communication - Part 2

There is a big adjustment coming in terms of our... Read More

What To Expect From A Feng Shui Consultation

If you are wishing to harmonize or balance your house... Read More

Hip-hop Jewelry and Todays Stars

Watch any of the major movie, television, and music award... Read More

A Defense of Cultural Intelligence

When humans set off to address fundamental issues about what... Read More

Elvis Presley, Lifting Off

He seems to live forever. A network television movie about... Read More

Mexican Living: Daily Schedule of an Expatriate

I was wondering if you might be interested in what... Read More

The New Age Movement

What is the New Age Movement? It is similar to... Read More

Murder Solved From The Grave

I am very interested in reading about ghostly stories and... Read More

Native American Life After Prophetstown

My name is Luksi Humma, I am Choctaw or, Chahta,... Read More

Cant Afford Illness in America

I had become too sick to live in America.Even with... Read More

To Quote or Not to Quote

"By necessity, by proclivity, and by delight, we all quote."... Read More

The Crisis of Human Survival

Environmental Pollution1. Damage to The Ozone Layer Causes Radiation PollutionThe... Read More

The Trickster of Folklore

Folklore includes a traditional trickster figure, the subject of many... Read More

Yes Tarot Readings Are For You!

Have you ever thought?What is the best way out of... Read More

Crazy Horse

My ancestry includes Colonel Miles (or Myles) Keough (or Keogh)... Read More

Christopher Columbus

CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS: - It seems a mystery to most academics... Read More

The Different Styles of Inuit Sculptures

At first, all Inuit soapstone sculptures from the Arctic may... Read More

A Short Biography on Some of Europes Most Loved and Hated Monarchs - Pt2 (Mad) King George III

King George III who suffered from porphyria, a maddening disease,... Read More

Inuit Drum Dancing Of The Arctic

Like many other aboriginal cultures around the world, the Inuit... Read More

African Americans: Get the Winning Edge

Everybody wants an edge that will give him or her... Read More

Opal Jewelry -- Your Own Personal Piece of Rainbow

Opal is a magnificent gemstone whose shades encompass virtually every... Read More

Smart Art Investments - Buy What You Love!

Collecting art can be one of the most enjoyable ways... Read More