Mars in Astral Magic

...everything you need to know to create Mars talismans, prayers or petitions.

As one of the malefic planets, Mars certainly has his edges, to say the least. Violence, cutting, burning, war, anger and impatience – these are all the territories of Mars.

However, Mars does also have many positive qualities, such as protection, courage, assertiveness and the ability to get into action with energy. These more positive attributes are what we are looking to harness when we create Mars talismans, petitions or prayers in astrological magic.

Here are a few basics for what you need to know if you want to work with Mars in this tradition.

Making Mars talismans

First things first:

Unlike other types of magic, which may follow the cycle of the moon for timing rituals in a looser way (e.g., the waxing moon for gains and the waning moon for letting go) talismans and petitions following the Picatrix require more precise timing.

Mars talismans can therefore only be created when Mars:

• is strong in his signs of rulership (Scorpio and Aries) or Exaltation (Capricorn)

• is rising or culminating (i.e., within five degrees of the ascendant or mid-heaven)

• is not combust (i.e., within 17 degrees on either side of the Sun)

• has the support of the moon, which must be swift in motion, free from malefic aspects/placements and not void of course

In this system, this is the only time when Mars has the “juice” to be captured in a permanent or semi-permanent talisman.

If you are interested in making Martial talismans or petitions in the astrological magic tradition, but have no idea how to properly assess the details stated above, then consider upgrading to a paid subscription. This is where I will be publishing magical elections, including elections for Mars. These election will include precise timing and other instructions you can follow to do this work.

What you need to create a Mars talisman

If you have a good magical election for the Mars, you will need the following:

Herbs and/or incense: ginger, pepper, chilli pepper, garlic, tobacco, mustard seed, cumin

You can either burn this plant material on a charcoal filter (although be careful with pepper/chilli, which creates a very caustic smoke) or use their natural essential oils in a diffuser (I often choose this route because I live in a small apartment, and charcoal filters with burning herbs is not the nicest smell, especially in a small space). Stick or cone incense is fine as well (probably only ginger), but make sure it isn’t synthetic. We need the real herbs here. A cigarette would also do the trick in this case if you’re going the tobacco route.

While the herbs and/or essential oils are a mandatory ingredient, each of the following is optional, depending on what kind of talismans you are making:

Metal: Iron (I often use iron powder, which is easy to get)

Gemstones: bloodstone, hematite, jasper (especially red jasper)

If you want to make a permanent talisman, you can draw or carve the symbols and images (I’ll get to that soon) onto one of the these materials.

Symbols and Images

Astrological magic is a magic of images, and they play an important role in talisman creation. The following are a must for creating talismans to provide a “home” for the energy to reside.

The first is the planetary seal of the Mars, which looks like this:

You then need to include an image listed in the Picatrix. Here is an image listed in the book:

The image of Mars,…., is the shape of a crowned man holding an inscribed sword in his right hand. This is his shape.

If you are drawing or engraving this image onto paper or stone but aren’t much of an artist, then no worries. Stick figures are perfectly fine.

A Mars altar

I’m going to save the steps of the ritual (which are fairly simple, especially compared to a system like ceremonial magic) for another post. However, here are a few tips for creating a Mars altar you can use both for creating talismans and connecting with martial energy.

Here are some more things that relate to Mars:

• Colors: deep red, mustard yellow

• Number: 5

• Animals: eagle, hawk, birds of prey in general, dogs, tigers, wasps

• Spirit and intelligence of Mars: link here

• Magic square:

• Places: butcher, military base, police station, furnaces, fireplaces, blacksmith/places of metal work

• Flowers: red geranium, daffodils

• Stones: bloodstone, jasper, hematite

• Martial Gods and Figures: Ares, Kartikeya (Skanda), Horus, Odin

Here’s where creativity comes in. For example, your Mars altar could include 5 red candles, five daffodils, the magic square of the Mars printed on a red cloth and set up in a fireplace. You could dress completely in red or go for a cosplay option and dress up in a police uniform. Before the ritual starts, it’s also a good idea to get the blood flowing by taking a little jog or doing some jumping jacks.

Or another idea completely. It’s really up to you.

A few more thoughts about Mars talismans

Although Mars talismans definitely have their place, they do tend to bring more Mars-like energy into your life when you’re wearing them. This can be great if you’re in a situation where you need to battle it out in court or stand up to a bully, for example. However, if this is not the case, the energy might be too intense for regular wear.

For example, I made some Mars in Scorpio talismans a few years ago to bring me more energy and the desire for rigorous exercise (not usually my cup of tea). They worked great. But when I wore them at home, the fighting with my spouse and kids definitely heated up. Because of this, I avoid wearing them if anyone else is around.

Personally, I think Mars talismans are best for protection. I also prefer Mars in Capricorn talismans, which have more focus, discipline and less heat than the others. I made some paper Mars in Capricorn talismans a while back which have been very effective in this regard.

A few great Mars in Capricorn elections are coming up, which I’ll be posting to my paid subscribers. If you’re interested, please consider opting for a paid subscription.