Human Values and Astrology
Value: Love Sub-value: Dedication
Planet (graha) Mars (Kuja)
He who has red limbs, He who is the son of earth,
He who is young, he who does good,
He who has a gross body, He who gives wealth,
He who removes debts, he who looks at you,
He who causes disease, He who destroys diseases,
He who is as powerful as current, He who causes wounds,
He who fulfils desires, He who gives money and is Kuja,
He who likes to hear Sama, he who wears red cloths,
He who has blood red eyes, he who is reddish,
He who is of the colour of blood,
He who teaches us all duties,
He who wears red garland, he who wears golden ear studs,
He who is the lord of planets
For him who reads all these names of the son of earth,
Would get rid of all his debts, bad luck, poverty,
Would get wealth, get many wives who are pretty,
And without any doubt beget sons,
Who would improve the stature of the family.
To those who worship with great many flowers,
Mars the do-gooder and the son of goddess earth,
All problems created by that planet will surely vanish.
Mars is a planet of energy – energy that can be dedicated to a purpose, energy that can be set apart, energy that manifests as protection, enabling, reaching of goals and life’s purpose. Here, we look to human values with dedication as a sub-value of Love, and the take up of action with purpose and outcomes as evidenced by Mars.
Planet Mars
Mars: the planet of fire, logic and courage, a planet of action and responsibility for action. Mars is the planet preoccupied with matters of fire and heat, hot places, the desert and the sauna. Mars is also cutting into things, cutting using heat, cutting using scissors, cutting using scalpels and knives, hence the planet signifying surgery. Moreover, Mars is a physical planet.
As a physical planet, Mars spends energy: there is action, courage, initiative. Action is undertaken with enthusiasm and courage, action with a purpose, action that has fine tuning, a fine focus. As a physical planet, Mars engages in the body, its toning and fitness; Mars is a rival who likes competition, challenges and aggression. There are times when Mars can be impulsive and lacking in patience. This is in odd contrast to the renowned ability of Mars to be restless, bored, ever seeking and waiting for action. Mars can embody opposites, however finely focussed on the body and its capacity, Mars needs proper motivation for action.
With the right motivation, Mars can be brilliant, insightful and loaded with commitment. Ever full of energy Mars has the need for balance between force and tact, gentleness and subtlety. Where Mars is focussed, we find strength, bala. Strong willed and with focus, Mars is realistic, hard working and ambitious. A strong-willed Mars can be stubborn in pursuing the goals identified. An afflicted Mars may present as a neurotic person who cannot manage the mind going too fast: a neurotic, a psycho-neurotic, a sociopath. Balance in all things is needed.
Character and Mars
As an actor on the stage called life, Mars takes the roles of the warrior, the pioneer, the adventurer. An uncouth Mars might be the noble savage, or the young man full of enthusiasm who is a bit wet behind the ears and thus, impulsive, daring to enter where angels fear to tread.
Where are the places we find Mars? The one born with Mars characteristics is found in the stadium and gymnasia, ever spending bodily energy in competition, sports and pitting oneself against one’s rivals. Mars can be found in the battlefield, the trenches, the arsenal where arms and ammunition and other military equipment are stored. This is the home of Mars the warrior. We find Mars in the places of heat, in the arid lands with little or no vegetation, in the smelter, the foundry, the steam engines and turbines that generate force and energy. Mars can be found on the racetrack galloping at speed, Mars is the pugilist in the boxing ring, spending energy and force against an opponent.
Opponent processes are a good description of things and activities for Mars: the weapon, the missile launcher, ammunition, all these ways to direct and spend immense force capture Mars. Mars is Iron and the places where iron is forged; Mars is scissors, sharp objects, and cutting implements. Mars is the industrial machinery that separates objects to make new forms. When we look to what Mars is doing, Mars is forever beginning things (and being told to finish what you started); Mars is the companion of Frodo, setting off on new journeys, new beginnings. We find Mars in competitions, in fights, in battles, in accidents and in the hospitals after surgery. Mars is the one ever in search of the task which will take one on the journey, the odyssey.
Mars is comfortable in the gym, building the body
Human Values
Our values are our principles, our guides to action. Values are our codes of internal conduct, the principles upon which we run our lives and make our decisions. Our values are first given to us by our parents; these develop, expand and are tested in experience. Other people impress their values upon us. We may take on the values of people we admire, such as those values given to us by our peers, our teachers, the wider community. Our moral values are often sourced from our faith. This is how we put into practice the principles which direct our goals, our behaviour and our life.
Our values often include universal principles such as truthfulness, peace, love, right conduct and non-violence. These principles are often essential for our personal and social survival. Putting things back to front, we can often work out what values are present in a situation or an event or a reaction (our own)(someone else’s) when we analyse either ourselves or others, for behaviour reveals choices, and choices are based on our values. Our values guide our actions.
In Vedic Astrology, Mars is the embodiment of dedication. Dedication is a sub-value of Love, along with tolerance, compassion, generosity, forgiveness, friendship, kindness, and service to others. These are all eternal qualities within the person which are elicited by our education, the guidance of our parents and the teachings of love.
Mars and Dedication
When we ask ourselves, What is dedication?, we find some antiquated matters and some modern relevance. As a verb, as a doing word, to dedicate is to set apart, to devote energy to. We declare, we proclaim, we devote time, talents and resources towards an object, a purpose, an activity. This is to dedicate. A dedication as an event can be a dedication feast, a dedication cross, a dedication day. We may dedicate a poem, we may dedicate a book, a bridge, a highway, a church or we can dedicate land and set it aside for a purpose. It is also common in the media to dedicate an episode to the memory of someone who has passed, or an entire program or media event can be dedicated to a special purpose.
So when we take up dedication, we are in the act of dedicating, being dedicated, setting energy apart, and/or being devoted with a solemn purpose. Dedication is giving up, devoting yourself, your time, your labour, etc., to the service of a person or to the pursuit of a purpose. Dedication has the elements of assignment (time, talents, resources), property and possession, and purpose. A setting apart. Dedication is single-mindedness in loyalty to beliefs, or to artistic/professional integrity.
So we can easily see the assignment of Mars to property developed (inner strength, skills acquired and enhanced) or possessions (innate ability and capacity for the warrior energy, the adventure, journey, the act of defending and protecting the community or resources) for a purpose: the achievement of a personal goal, the welfare of a team, a group, the society, the culture. Dedication for Mars is the full focus of one’s time / talents / resources for the body, the relationship, the task, the job, for the self, the outcomes desired, the personal purpose for the community, the society, the nation.
Firmness of purpose comes with fine-tuning skill, ability, training, repetition, practice. In between, there can be inactivity, boredom, ennui. The Mars character can endure long periods of inactivity which can be viewed as inert laziness only to spring into action with full energy when required. This Mars character (thoughts, words, actions) evinces bravery, courage and the warrior profile: to lead. Mars can be the officer commanding, filled with logic advancing on the fog of war and committing to outcomes, Thus do we see Mars with firmness of purpose. This firmness can be transferred to business and banking, trade and commerce, the gymnasium and the physical rehabilitation centre where people recover from surgery, injury, strokes, debility.
the capacity Mars gives to us with dedication …
Mars and the human value of dedication go together well. Mars as planet with initiative, drive and personal power is the Mars of action and responsibility. On the negative side, we may see Mars as assertion, aggression and conflict driven. While Mars is often found in the arenas of conflict and war, dedication is setting aside one’s energy for a proper purpose; dedication as a sub-value of Love is dedication which encompasses – inter-alia – kindness, forgiveness, compassion, selfless service, tolerance, friendship and generosity of spirit. Human values put into action are what give sign, symbol and encounter with nobility and true humanness.
in ancient times, Mars was the gladiator, ever meeting challenges and enetering into competition against rivals
Angaraka stotram (Prayer to planet Mars) Translated by P.R.Ramachander
