As for the biological parts of us, I feel the trauma plays a huge role in this.  So, the thing that comes to my mind is wondering about the relationship between Uranus and Mars.  A natural sextile.  But I wonder, (this may be a question for Air) how this plays from a phasal relationship.  For example, I have a 1st quarter trine from Uranus to Mars.  And Mars is my skip step to the nodal axis and is in my 11th house.  I am pretty sure it implies some sort of trauma.  Especially knowing my life circumstances.  LOL But I am wondering if there is a relationship to use as a rule of thumb.

As far as that pertaining to the question, I feel that unless I resolve this trauma, I am going to be more inclined to experience fight or flight.  I am taking the planetary pairs class, and they called the first quarter a 'crisis in action'.  'How do I do this' - What Hat do I wear'.

I imagine it will show up differently for others in a different phase.  I have heard a teaching that your Mars placement is your weapon of choice when angry.  

I also imagine that the relationship we have within our minds has changed a bit over those 40k years.  Although I am not positive about the archeology of it.  Were the amygdala's bigger than they are now?

Thanks for the mental exorcise.

Lisa, this will be brief it’s late, but just wanted to say your thought about mars and threat are provocative.

It raises for me thoughts about the cultural evidence of mars attuned to threat in this patriarchal period, and how that conditions all our mars’ energy in this time toward instinctual fending off which could manifest in many shadow and reactive ways.

So my questions have to do with mitigation of this instinct. I could be of the belief that this may, as you suggest, be endemic to mars and I add—regardless of placement and aspect, etc. The questions are of degree and consequent effect and are evidenced in the collective rather than just on an individual soul basis.

Again thanks for raising this . I’ve been giving much thought lately to how individuals’ mars and Venus are acted out in the collective, what are the influences and at what level transformation is possible.

What you’ve raised resonates! On that note, I retire!

And just now reading Bob’s thoughts on trauma, I wonder,  given a mars instinct toward protection, to what extent is trauma not so much from causative factors,  but from subjective factors related to mars instinctive actions as they manifest in our own reality based on the quality of the mars energetic we hold within ourselves? 

I think looking at it from the 40k years ago perspective, the majority on the planet are not fending off physical sabretooth tigers, but phycological ones.  I think for me it comes down to awareness. I believe a lot of us are not aware of how often we are in a self-protective state.  Or a trauma response.  I feel like it is one of the generational tasks at hand for the souls on the planet.  And probably has been for a while and will be for some time to come.  

For me even when aware of my tendency to react from fear, it is hard to take pause and choose my response.  Ultimately it has been about the awareness of realizing that fear has been born within.  And is not typically founded in reality.  That is why I say it is a phycological tiger.  Once I can calm my physiological responses and see my own projection, the change is stark.  Even then it takes time to be able to stave off the reaction in the moment. 

I have a Mars skip step.  And the choice has been a huge part of the learning for me.  With my nodal axis in Libra/Aries, my reactions have been to submit or swing the sword.  When the truth is somewhere in between.  It is entirely possible that my take on this is a projection in itself and i have a blind spot to it. But I see it as a mastery thing.  Once you master the reaction the choice for action reveals itself.  Until then it is a unconscious thing.

@Bob My thoughts are that yes, since we don't have the same threats as we did 40 TYA and our bodies are the same, our battles become more psychological in nature (if we live with physical safety) because the fight or flight system is still present. Trauma responses as a survival mechanism towards adaptation is relevant here. I like the idea that if we actively engage our Mars, we keep that energy from creating issues where there aren't any.

My question has to do with what our mars is engaged to do rather than whether it’s engaged.

It seems that it may be a kind of mindfulness that could be engaged resulting in a process like Bob describes. I could be wrong on this, but it seems since mars is instinctive and hooked to desire, it’s going to be engaged in some way regardless. So, is it going to kill the tiger or is it going to arrange petting sessions?

The difference seems to lie in a conscious pause.

How do we teach that pause to the collective is my question? As a preventative of violence in personal lives and in the collective?

For myself with Pluto square mars, that has been best done through mindfulness meditation. Prior to that it was learning through experiential challenges. Mars challenges provide much motivation for practice.

The breath in mindfulness may be how it transforms mars at the moment of mars quickening. Seems that Mars in Gemini 6th could provide a lovely set up for that practice which pulls in the broadening of the 12th house. 

@Janice

Your question on how we use our Mars most consciously and for the benefit of the whole flows nicely into this week's study on Neptune.

Neptune/12th house. Pondering the idea that if we leave things alone and let go of control then true nature/pure love can bubble up, how can we help our Mars feel satisfied and stay out of trouble!? Like you said life experience and mediation feel right.

Choosing to engage our Mars feels like a good avenue to violence prevention!

I was thinking too how in some ways we can't get it wrong- evolution will have its way with us.