Mars in Scorpio: Return to the Underworld

Mars in Scorpio: Return to the Underworld

The entry of Mars into the sign of Scorpio on September 22, 2025 opens a period of intense internal and external conflicts. This planet, associated with the drive for action, struggle and survival, returns in Scorpio to its original realm: the world of instinct, death and transformation. If Mars in Aries represents open struggle and direct confrontation, Mars in Scorpio resembles a war in the underground – quiet, hidden, but relentlessly fought to the end.

Jung would say that this is where the encounter with the “shadow” occurs. These are not just our individual complexes, but collective forces operating below the surface of consciousness: repressed desires, fears, aggression, and urges that demand form and meaning. Mars in Scorpio doesn’t ask us if we want to face those contents; he leads us there, often through crises, losses and situations that destroy existing security.

The symbolism of Scorpio is related to the process of nigreda in alchemical work – a dark, decaying state in which the old form must die so that a new one can be born from it. Mars here acts as a catalyst for that process: it destroys what is superficial, unnecessary and false, so that the energy is directed towards the essence. But it is a destruction that does not forgive self-deception. Any attempt to control, manipulate or maintain the status quo ends in an explosion or a complete breakdown.

Archetypally, this is an encounter with the warrior in his deepest form – one who carries not the sword for glory, but the knife of the surgeon or initiate, the cutting that leads to change. The violence here is not necessarily physical, but psychological and spiritual: breaking with old patterns, with inauthentic relationships, with addictions that have become fetters.

Cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn)
For cardinal signs, this is a period of dealing with power relations. At work: there may be conflict with authority figures, a struggle for position or pressure to make difficult decisions that affect others. Those who run away from confrontation will be pushed into it. In relationships: the latent struggle for dominance will surface. A partner can become a mirror of repressed aggression or fear of losing control.

On the inner plane: it’s time to recognize where the energy is leaking – whether through the constant need to be “first”, to maintain peace at all costs, or through attachment to external authority. The crisis shows where the false foundations are.

Fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius)
Fixed signs feel this transit most directly, as Mars in Scorpio triggers their deep resistance zones.

At work: unexpected changes or pressures that force them to leave security and routine. Plans that seemed stable can collapse overnight.
In relationships: emotional relationships enter a phase of radical cleansing. Anything based on habit, manipulation or addiction can reach a breaking point.

On the inner plane: confronting one’s fixations – ideas, beliefs or relationships that have become petrified. This is the process of “alchemical death” – a painful but necessary shedding of the old layer of skin.

Mutable Signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces)
For mutable signs, the challenge is focus and dealing with inner fragmentation.
At work: situations force them to stop relying on improvisation and take a clear stand. Scattered energy here leads to exhaustion, while focused action brings powerful results.

In relationships: They may feel trapped between the need for freedom and someone else’s intense emotional demands. Trying to escape will not work – what is left unsaid must eventually be said.

On the inner plane: it’s time to recognize patterns of escape – through rationalization, spiritual fantasies or constant shifting of focus. Mars in Scorpio asks not to run away, but to bite into what hurts and to endure.

Mars in Scorpio does not reward discipline or obedience. He is looking for complete inner honesty. If the struggle is fought externally, it is actually a reflection of internal tension. If the struggle is fought from within, there is a possibility of transformation. Jung would say, “What you resist persists. What you accept changes.”