reimagining aries & the mars wound (with horoscopes for the rising signs)

We’ve just had our Saturn-Neptune conjunction at 0º Aries back on February 20th. These conjunctions only occur every 36-37 years, acting as hot spots for boundary-dissolving events that reshape collective and personal reality. Even though the exact conjunction has already passed, larger transits act much like a bell curve of energy. So while we’re still hovering around that peak, we’ve been building to this moment since March 2024 and won’t clear the 15º orb until April 2027. This slow burn transit defined 2025 as Saturn and Neptune came within less than a degree of each other and we are now living in the ongoing process of dissolution in 2026, ready to start something entirely new as the old dissipates. 

A feature of Saturn-Neptune is aimlessness, a sensation of being confused or lost without the things that previously held us in place. On one hand, these (now dissolving) walls were very real chains that trapped and limited but on the other hand, they also made sense. Human beings have always strived to make sense of the world around them, to create order in chaos, through societal systems or even in the humble simplicity of daily routines. Not only does this regulate the nervous system but it ultimately increases the chance of survival. When a broken system collapses, it takes away external power, control, and rigidity but it also takes away a sense of stability, replacing it with uncertainty. This process is exacerbated by the early degrees of Aries, representing the warfare involved in approaching new territory. In many archetypal beginnings there is bloodshed, from childbirth to colonization, and 2025-2026 may be a time where we are all battling our first Herculean labors in the Aries sector of the chart. 

THE NEW IMAGE

Lately I have been working through Howard Sasportas and Liz Greene’s lecture series, “The Seminars on Psychological Astrology” given in person in the mid to late 80s, and later published in 1992-1993. In volume 3, The Luminaries, Sasportas takes a moment to reflect on the transits building at that time in Capricorn where the last Saturn-Neptune conjunction took place in 1989, Uranus was also involved in this conjunction. 

“Neptune is dissolving a whole range of things associated with Capricorn, softening some of the rigidity of this sign, asking that the Capricorn principle (which covers fathering) become more pliable and empathetic… It’s as if Saturn is saying the time has come to concretise these new images of fathering instigated by the movements of Neptune and Uranus.” (p.137)

You may notice the Millennials were born around this time. So while Sasportas and Greene were living the transits and watching the culture shift toward a new kind of “father image”, the Millennials born in the late 80s to early 90s are now walking embodiments of that last Saturn-Neptune (and Uranus) conjunction in Capricorn. I bring this up because it covers a very relevant point here: Saturn-Neptune is dissolving the very archetype of the sign it transits by softening it and thus creating an entirely new image in its place. What I remember the most is hearing the derogatory “snowflake” label– used by the Boomers and Gen X– that followed them around in the 2010s as they came of age. 

This label accuses them of being too sensitive and fragile for the world, believing them to be overly entitled to special treatment as they exhibited a compassionate and politically conscious nature. This was novel and triggering to the elder generations who have struggled to integrate this “new image” characterized by unique individuality and emotional intelligence. This chapter in The Luminaries was specifically on the astrological and psychological function of the father; an archetypal father is the one who provides an enticing avenue away from the comfort of the mother and into the world for greater self-development. The imprint of the Capricorn stellium shows the Millennials (particularly those born in 1984-1997 during the Neptune transit) as a generational father, showing us a new way that requires us to leave the comfort of rigidity and control disguised as “resilience” and “grit”. This is a group that has had to come to terms with the fact that engaging in the typical forms of “hard work” will not necessarily mean that you will enjoy the success of generations past. They’ve faced economic struggles and housing delays that have awakened them to other paths and ways of being successful in the world. While I wouldn’t say that this configuration is mastered, as this is a challenging and ongoing process for these individuals, they are ultimately modeling this to Gen Z and Gen Alpha even as they teach themselves. 

These images that we can see through the example of the Millennials draw us back to the core of Saturn-Neptune and the significance of their conjunction. Like Sasportas said, Neptune’s job is to create empathy and pliability, something that we should keep in mind now for the current conjunction and reimaging of Aries. 

THE MARS WOUND

If Saturn-Neptune represents the dissolution of a sign’s archetype, it will do this first by highlighting a wound or a way of operating that is not sustainable. The easiest way to uncover the wound, and what must be given up to heal it, is by looking at the planetary ruler of the sign. 

Mars as the ruler of Aries serves the Solar identity and what it needs in its journey of becoming. Just like the archetypal father provides an avenue away from the comfort of mother to develop a greater sense of self, Mars might be understood as an aspect of the child driven by its primal needs in order to survive emergence into the public world. This later becomes refined by the other planets. Mercury and Venus, for example, might show the proverbial child how to appropriately regulate some of these primitive needs in order to communicate and relate to the world more harmoniously. Mars, though, is ultimately how we healthily assert ourselves, representing the activity required to make things happen with our own potency if we are to continue living. 

Now that Neptune is in a Mars ruled sign, it is calling attention to the collective unconscious wound of overactivity or underactivity that so often leads to total malfunction. Overactivity occurs when one is so single mindedly driven by survival that all of their energy is dedicated to motion, inevitably leading to burn out and often putting them in a much more precarious position than before. Underactivity is just as significant an issue and it is, surprisingly, the unseen companion to overactivity related burn out. If all of one’s energy is dedicated to staying in motion in one area, an area that will supposedly produce this sense of survival and safety, this leaves many other areas underutilized or even avoided. This is the atrophy of one’s health, creativity, relationships, emotional needs, or any other number of things that would, if invested in, increase the chance of not just mere survival but of the ability to truly step into the fullest potential of life. Malfunction or maladaptive behavior is the combination of these two extremes because they both lead to one crisis or another: injury, illness, debt, heartbreak, unfulfillment, and any other event that could cause personal disempowerment and emasculation. 

This isn’t a new wound, but the Saturn-Neptune conjunction taking place in this sign indicates that this isn’t a typical Neptune in Aries cycle. There is a new image wanting to form through the Aries archetype, through the future generation being born at this time, and through those living the transits now. The sector that Aries and Mars rules at this time is asking us to be more “pliable and empathetic” with ourselves, imploring us to find a new way to move through life than we have been. 

If in the late 80’s, Saturn-Neptune began to change the avenue of how success could be found, no longer through a Saturnian image of rigidity and suppression, we are now going through a similar change with the Martian image of survival. A new image is emerging, allowing the space to be authentic in our desires, no longer buying into over and underactivity that perpetuates a performance. This is the softening of what we think we must do with our energy and the shift toward what we actually want to do with it. Just like the world contracted before, showing the Millennials that they could no longer use old formulas for their success, the same will happen now. No amount of “hard work” will guarantee survival and it certainly will not allow for the fullest potential of life, our task is to learn how to move in a new way. 

REWIRING TO RECEIVE

Reimaging the Aries survival instinct is not so easy, if it were, we wouldn’t have seen such resistance to the “snowflake” generation during the last conjunction. This is something that requires years of recalibration and restructuring, especially if there is already a deep resonance with the former toxic masculine image of Aries. We are not necessarily talking about gender here, though I’m sure it is relevant, the remaining years of Saturn in Aries co present with Neptune (until 2028) will require us all to assess the masculine parts that assert, move, act, or give and how they override the feminine parts that rest, intuit, listen, and receive. Society is set up in such a way that we are disconnected from this balance and unsure of how to trust our feminine parts. These parts do not come from logic or control, they come from the uncontrollable unknown. There is a natural tendency to act and organize in times of crisis and confusion but Saturn in Aries may suspend or delay the ability to lean on these masculine functions. 

There is a real social implication here too. Femininity is generally suppressed and rejected in cultures that rely on these hyper masculine tendencies to control, plan, and make sense to others. In response, there is a greater fear of being seen as emotional, delusional, or weak when there is such a structural imbalance between masculine and feminine. It’s not just an internal fear of the wild, unknown feminine but an external reputational hazard too. How does it look to others? To listen to a more intuitive part of ourselves, letting go of control when it makes more logical sense to devise a plan of action. During this transit, life may reorganize itself in such a way that there is no choice but to rest and receive because there is no logical way forward. It sounds simple on the surface, but this is a war on all of the ingrained beliefs that disparage our feminine qualities and of course, the biggest roadblock to femininity of all is a dysregulated nervous system. 

It really is helpful to think of Aries in gym metaphors– it’s very on the nose, I know, but the next few years are essentially acting as an energetic gym in the sector that Aries rules. The reason why so many struggle to maintain a consistent exercise routine, for example, is because of the classic nervous system crash. If physical activity was not established as a baseline of self care from an early age, it’s most likely to be foreign and intimidating later in life. Most people will fall for the “new year, new me” craze at some point, attempting to bring a foreign habit into their lives at full speed and are surprised when they can’t sustain it over a longer period of time. This is a very Aries-like thing to do, diving head first into something until the nervous system crashes and bringing it back down to a more comfortable baseline. It’s the same with anything: if you’ve never experienced a healthy relationship, a large amount of money, public visibility, or any other expansive lifestyle shift, chances are that obtaining it for the first time will feel incredibly overwhelming and will ultimately result in a rubber band effect. 

Sustainability occurs over time through slow repetition, resting in between, in order to expand the capacity needed to hold greater amounts and establish something foreign as familiar. This is the delicate balance between action and passivity. These scenarios, from gym consistency to greater visibility, all require the ability to microdose discomfort; instead of mile-long runs every single day of the week, it might be 20 minute interval training a few days a week. When starting something, the new stimulus alone is already uncomfortable enough as it stretches capacity, it’s not until this new stimulus finally becomes comfortable that it’s time to progress to the next level. There are a variety of pressures that push us to dive head first and skip these integral steps, whether it’s a deep self loathing that drives a momentary gym obsession or great anxiety that creates fiscal irresponsibility. These pressurized emotions are the first sign of an impending nervous system crash. 

Saturn-Neptune in Aries challenges us to sit inside these uncomfortable emotions without necessarily doing anything about them as rebalancing this old image will require us to be uncharacteristically open and receptive for change to take place in the sector of the chart that Aries rules. Starting from anxiety or self hatred creates a very different outcome than starting from a genuine desire to improve and expand life’s potential. Transits through Aries ultimately signify a sense of identity and autonomy while Saturn-Neptune might indicate that there’s an area in the chart where we do not like what we see, where we are wounded and trapped. 

Above all, this time asks for trust and surrender among the disappointing delays. The good news is that these planets are offering a blueprint to an evolved identity, but it is foreign and intimidating because this version of Aries is much softer than what we’re used to. The most intimidating thing of all is the ability to cease the clumsy, but comfortable, overactivity and to allow guidance to emerge from silence and stillness. Without that noise, there is no performance to maintain. Only the question of who you are without it.

RISING SIGN HOROSCOPES

*These are most applicable for 2025-2026, particularly April of 2026 during the Mercury-Mars-Saturn conjunction on April 19th-20th, but will stay relevant throughout Saturn (until 2028) and Neptune's (until 2038) transits through Aries. Read for your rising (ascendant) sign, you can calculate your birth chart here.

Aries rising: 

This conjunction is happening in your 1st house, dissolving the identity you’ve built around self-sufficiency, independence, and force. There may be confusion around who you are without constant motion or assertion. The Mars wound here often shows up as over identifying with action as proof of self, or swinging into total shutdown after burnout. A new image is forming that is less concerned with proving autonomy and more focused on moving from a place of internal alignment rather than pressure.

Taurus rising: 

This is unfolding in your 12th house, dissolving unconscious patterns that have quietly dictated your behavior. The Mars wound here can look like avoidance disguised as rest, or overexertion as a way to outrun what hasn’t been processed. There may be a sense of aimlessness or fatigue as old coping mechanisms fall away. A new image is forming around surrender, where action is no longer used to escape but arises from a deeper awareness of what actually needs to be done.

Gemini rising: 

This conjunction activates your 11th house, dissolving your role within communities, networks, and future plans. The Mars wound here can manifest as overextending yourself for collective goals or withdrawing entirely when those efforts don’t yield a sense of belonging. There may be confusion around where you fit or what you’re working toward. A new image is forming that prioritizes authentic alignment over participation for the sake of validation.

Cancer rising: 

This is happening in your 10th house, dissolving your public image, roles, career trajectory, and sense of direction. The Mars wound here often revolves around overworking to maintain control or reputation, or losing motivation entirely when external structures fail. There may be uncertainty around what success even means anymore. A new image is forming that requires a more intuitive and flexible relationship with ambition, rather than one rooted in pressure or expectation.

Leo rising: 

This conjunction moves through your 9th house, dissolving belief systems, long-term visions, and your sense of meaning. The Mars wound here can show up as aggressively defending a worldview or abandoning direction altogether when certainty collapses. There may be confusion around what you believe or where you’re headed. A new image is forming that allows for a more fluid, evolving relationship with truth rather than rigid conviction.

Virgo rising: 

This is unfolding in your 8th house, dissolving dynamics around control, intimacy, and shared resources. The Mars wound here often appears as hyper-control in vulnerable situations or complete withdrawal to avoid dependence. There may be instability around financial or emotional entanglements. A new image is forming that requires trust, where power is not maintained through force but through the ability to remain open in uncertain terrain.

Libra rising: 

This conjunction is in your 7th house, dissolving relationship dynamics and the way you engage with others. The Mars wound here can look like over compromising to maintain peace or asserting yourself in ways that create imbalance. There may be confusion around what you want from others or what they expect from you. A new image is forming that allows for more honest and fluid connection, rather than one based on control or avoidance.

Scorpio rising: 

This is happening in your 6th house, dissolving routines, work structures, and your relationship to effort. The Mars wound here often shows up as overworking to maintain control over your environment or neglecting responsibilities until they become overwhelming. There may be disruptions to your usual systems. A new image is forming that requires a more sustainable approach to effort, where consistency replaces extremes. Btw that gym metaphor was most applicable to you!

Sagittarius rising: 

This conjunction activates your 5th house, dissolving creative expression, pleasure, and your relationship to desire. The Mars wound here can manifest as chasing intensity or losing touch with what you actually enjoy. There may be confusion around what feels good or worth pursuing. A new image is forming that allows desire to exist without pressure, where creativity is no longer tied to performance or outcome.

Capricorn rising: 

This is unfolding in your 4th house, dissolving foundations related to home, family, and emotional security. The Mars wound here often appears as trying to control your environment to feel safe or disconnecting from your needs entirely. There may be instability in your living situation or inner world. A new image is forming that requires redefining safety, where control is replaced with adaptability and emotional awareness.

Aquarius rising: 

This conjunction moves through your 3rd house, dissolving thought patterns, communication styles, and how you process information. The Mars wound here can show up as forcing clarity where there is none or shutting down communication altogether. There may be difficulty articulating your thoughts. A new image is forming that allows for uncertainty in the mind, where understanding develops over time rather than through immediate conclusions.

Pisces rising: 

This is happening in your 2nd house, dissolving your relationship to money, resources, and self-worth. The Mars wound here often revolves around overexerting yourself to secure stability or avoiding responsibility and attachment altogether. There may be instability in finances or values. A new image is forming that redefines worth beyond productivity, where sustainability replaces urgency.

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