Today we’ll be exploring the meaning of Mars in Leo. I’m excited to discuss this because it just so happens that one of my favorite athletes has this placement in their chart – the one and only Michael Jordan. While there are plenty of famous people that have Mars in Leo, I’ve seen that Jordan embodies it in a way that is so literal and exact that I had no choice but to use him as our case study.
By the end of this analysis, I’m confident that you’ll have a much clearer idea about how to analyze Mars in Leo in a birth chart. Let’s start by quickly reviewing the themes of the two components we’ll be working with today…
Mars – The planet of fighters, warriors, and athletes – or basically anyone who competes. It represents the part of a person that pushes to win, to prove itself, and to overcome challenges through direct action. Mars governs the instinct to engage, to challenge opposition, and to assert oneself via effort, strength, and initiative. Wherever Mars is placed in a chart, it often shows where a person is most competitive and willing to enter situations that require intensity, pressure, and direct engagement. It is also associated with physical strain, injury, acute pain or trauma, blood, and fire. Mars rules the zodiac signs Aries and Scorpio.
Leo – Ruled by the Sun, this is the sign of stars – both literally and figuratively. Celebrities and famous people of all types fall under the dominion of Leo. It represents publicity, visibility and the spotlight. Whatever gets attention or generates attention is related to this glamorous sign. It is also associated with gifts, talents, luck and blessings – anything beneficial that is “God-given” as opposed to being earned through hard work. Leo also indicates kings, fathers, children (especially sons), creativity, gambling, and of course – lions! In terms of the body, it is said to govern the heart.
Alright, now that we’ve brushed up on the fundamentals, let’s take a deeper look at Michael Jordan’s birth chart and see how his Leo Mars manifests in his life. Please note… I am using the tropical zodiac for today’s analysis (though I sometimes use the sidereal zodiac in my work as well).
So right away, we can see that Jordan has Mars in Leo at 9 degrees.
His Mars is also in the 2nd House, it’s acting as the 10th Lord, and it’s in Pushya nakshatra.
So…what does all this mean?
Well, as stated above, Mars at it’s core represents warriors, competitors, athletes, hunters, and aggressive forces of all kinds. It also represents anger, acute damage/wounds, and the color red.
Leo on the other hand signifies fame, visibility, attention and stars. Leo is ruled by the Sun – which is literally a star. It can indicate fathers, gifts/talents, performing arts, kings and even cats (lions are cats obviously).
So what we can potentially end up with when we combine these two elements together is something like:
A warrior king An angry father A famous hunter A competitive performer A talent for fighting A visible wound A red lion Or…..an athlete (Mars) that is a star (Sun)
(Note: There are many additional possibilities. You just have to mix and match the core themes until you find an interpretation that fits your particular circumstances)
“An athlete that is a star.” I’m guessing that one rang a bell?
And if not, I’m guessing you’re an alien visiting from another galaxy? A very distant galaxy.
Because everyone on planet Earth knows at least this much about Michael Jordan: he is a starathlete!
In truth, Mars in Leo is actually a pretty simple placement to translate.
It typically suggests competition or aggression that is being carried out in either a public or performative way.
Which makes it one of the very best placements to have in your chart if you are an aspiring professional athlete or someone who wishes to become famous through competition.
With that said, millions of people on planet Earth have Mars in Leo in their birth chart.
And so you might be wondering, why don’t all of them end up becoming the best basketball player in the world?
Why is only Michael Jordan so fortunate???
All I can say is “Buckle up”, because this is where things get interesting : )
As I mentioned above, Jordan’s Mars is sitting in the 2nd House of his birth chart.
If you look at the chart yourself, you can see the number “2” right next to the blue arrow.
That’s the 2nd House.
Now, if you do a quick Google search about the 2nd House, you’ll likely find a bunch of information about it being the house of wealth, income, and resources.
Which, I suppose makes sense.
If we were to go ahead and use that interpretation, it would end up giving us a predication like:
“Michael Jordan will be a star (Sun) athlete (Mars) who makes money (2nd House)”…….. or……… “Michael Jordan supports himself financially (2nd House) by performing (Sun) in competitions (Mars).”
Those statements are actually quite true on their own. They’re pretty solid predictions honestly.
However, I believe we can generate an even better prediction. One that’s even more simple, accurate and eye-opening.
You see…..on a fundamental level…..the 12 Houses in astrology actually correspond to the original 12 zodiac signs.
For example, the 1st House is naturally the House of Aries – the 1st zodiac sign.
The 12th House is naturally the House of Pisces – the 12th zodiac sign.
And the 2nd House…..is naturally the House of Taurus – the 2nd zodiac sign.
So, traditionally speaking, the 2nd House in astrology directly relates to the zodiac sign of Taurus – meaning they share similar characteristics and symbolism.
That’s how it works. It’s basic astrology 101.
With that said, go ahead and do one more quick Google search and ask, “What does the word Taurus mean?”
You’ll find that Taurus is an old Latin word. And it means Bull.
Every zodiac sign has its own mascot or archetype, and for Taurus – it’s the bull.
And because the 2nd House is naturally the House of Taurus…. that means we could also say that the 2nd House is naturally the House of the Bulls.
So….tying this all together, how might we translate Mars in Leo in the 2nd House?
If we strip away all the complexity and just stick to the most basic, elementary principles in astrology, what do we end up with?
How about this: Michael Jordan will be a star (Sun) athlete (Mars)……for the Chicago Bulls (2nd House/Taurus) ?
What do you think? Accurate enough?
The final piece of the puzzle that ties this whole placement together in Michael’s chart is the fact that Mars is the 10th lord.
If you are new to astrology, let me explain what the 10th Lord is.
When you look at the zodiac sign that is in the 10th House of his chart (it’s the house at the very top), you will see the sign of Aries there.
Aries is ruled by Mars.
Therefore in astrology we say that “Mars is the planet ruling the 10th” or….”Mars is the 10th Lord.”
This means that Mars is dictating or at least heavily connected to the themes of the 10th House in MJ’s life.
And what are those themes?
Well, the two biggest ones are career and legacy! That’s what the 10th House and the 10th lord represent in a birth chart.
In fact, in the English language, the word “Ten” is an ancient Latin word that means, “to hold in place” or to, “stretch out“.
And that’s what your legacy is technically.
It is the part of you that “holds on” or remains after you are gone. It’s what “stretches” out your existence and allows you to continue to leave an impact on the world despite being dead.
And so when we factor the 10th Lord into the equation, the final outcome that we are left with is something like this:
As a competitor/athlete (Mars)…..Michael Jordan will be the star (Leo) of the Bulls (2nd House). And this will heavily define his career and/or legacy (10th Lord).
In case your mind isn’t sufficiently blown yet, we’ve got one last variable that I think is worth discussing.
In Vedic astrology, there’s a strong emphasis on something called nakshatras.
The nakshatras are basically just sections of the sky. There are 27 of them in total – each of equal length.
Every planet in a birth chart falls into one of these nakshatras (sections of the sky), adding an extra layer of meaning beyond the zodiac signs.
Michael Jordan’s Mars sits in a nakshatra called Pushya.
And similar to the zodiac signs, every nakshatra has an animal associated with it.
When a planet sits in a nakshatra, there is an increased chance that it will become associated in some way with the animal of that nakhshatra.
With that said, would you like to know what the animal of Pushya is……?
I’ll spare you the drum roll. It’s a goat. A male….GOAT.
Now ask yourself this:
With regards to Michael Jordan’s legacy as the hyper-competitive, star player of the Bulls……have you ever heard of him in any way……being associated with a goat? A……G.O.A.T. ????
When we combine all the elements of Michael Jordan’s Mars placement together, including the zodiac sign, the house, the lord, and the nakshatra, what we are finally left with as a finished product is this:
Michael Jordan was the star (Leo) athlete (Mars) of the Chicago Bulls (2nd House), which defined his career/legacy (10th Lord) and cemented his status as the greatest of all time – G.O.A.T. (Pushya)
Don’t worry, if you are starting to get a bit freaked out, you’re not alone.
The first time I read Jordan’s chart and connected the dots I was also a bit in shock.
It’s just so precise and spot on it’s mind boggling.
And you don’t even need to bend the rules or definitions of astrology at all in order to arrive at this beautifully true prediction about him.
It’s perfect!
And with that said, I’m going to wrap this article up and call it a day.
I hope that I gave you all a clear and easy-to-follow example of how to evaluate Mars in Leo in a chart.
Obviously not everyone is going to end up with the exact same circumstances as Michael Jordan if they have a Leo Mars in their chart.
That’s not how it works – sadly.
Instead, astrological placements are sort of like baking ingredients. You can take the same three or four ingredients, mix ’em up, and make dozens of different dishes with them.
However, with that said, if you are cooking the way you are supposed to be cooking, then you should ALWAYS be able to clearly taste each ingredient when you take your first bite.
If not, something is likely off and you should go back and review what you actually put into the mixing bowl – if you get my drift.
That’s it for me today guys. Catch you next time,
Cheers!
P.S. – If you want your mind blown even more, take a look at that horseshoe symbol that sits right next to Michael Jordan’s Mars in his chart. That’s the planet Rahu, also referred to as the North Node. It’s technically an eclipse – though in astrology it’s very important and treated like a real planet.
Anyways, once you locate Rahu, check the zodiac sign that it’s placed in. Can you see it? It’s the sign of Cancer. Cancer represents a variety of things in astrology, but like every zodiac sign, it also governs a particular region of the human body. For example, Aries rules the head. Pisces rules the feet. Leo rules the heart. And Cancer… is said to rule the chest or breast region of the body.
Andif you look at his chart, MJ has Rahu (symbolized by the horseshoe/Omega symbol) in Cancer(the sign that rules the chest region of the body).
With that said, go ahead and do a quick Google search on Michael Jordan’s tattoos. See what you find : )
If you need some help, try giving this article a read. And remember: Rahu = horseshoe symbol, Cancer = the chest. Ask yourself: what happens when you combine them…?
