Mars in Virgo and your Dharma Checklist

There's no shortage of activity in the news these days. Financial crises, global protests, political strife and more seem to inspire us to consider the major thematic shifts in world consciousness, while simultaneously urging us to grab a six pack and run for it.

Well, running away does have its place. So does taking a stand and changing the world. But, as the planet Mars moves into the sign of Virgo, we are reminded of a third option (and, perhaps, a good starting place): our dharma.

Dharma is one of the most important components of Hindu philosophy. In basic terms, it is comprised of our individual duties, obligations, and the manner in which we are called to serve. In the caste system, one's dharma is dictated by their societal position. We don't need to belong to a caste to consider our dharma, however. Instead, we need only consider fulfilling the duties that all of us have, particular to our own circumstances. We must take action in the practical, immediate circumstances in which we live. As Gandhi famously said, "You must be the change you want to see in the world."


The planet Mars represents how we take action, our motivation, our drive. Also, depending on how that action is taken, Mars rules conflict. Mars has recently moved out of the sign Leo which, though not a conflict driven sign, is certainly a passionate and dramatic one. Mars in Leo urges us to take action in a grand way, with confidence (and a healthy dose of ego).

Mars in Virgo, on the other hand, is practical, analytical, hard-working. Virgo doesn't share the need for limelight that Leo aches for, and therefore can quietly, at times painstakingly, sort out the details and get to work. Does this sound exciting? Perhaps not. But Virgo as a sign isn't really about excitement. It's about precision, practicality, and dependability, and hard work. Mars in Virgo urges us to put our noses to the grindstone and work on the practical duties that we're all faced with- or, in other words, our dharma.

Like any placement, there are challenges to Mars in Virgo. There's the potential for tension, for worry, for over-critical analysis. When you're paying attention to every single detail, it's easy to get a little stressed out. But with Mars in Virgo, we can really get down to business on our individual dharma and the tasks we have at hand. We can finish our checklist of household chores before we, say, sell our possessions and join Greenpeace (wait a few years till Mars moves into Sagittarius and this won't sound quite as crazy). In so doing, we can get a foothold on the role we have to play in the big picture of our world. Mars in Virgo gives us the opportunity to start small, to work in our individual roles (in our families, our jobs, our communities) towards bigger changes and bigger accomplishments. Once we finish our own dharma checklists, we can play a bigger, more meaningful role in the world's checklist (and that's a particularly long list...)

So, without letting yourself worry too much... start checking off those boxes!

Readers, do you feel the urge to be practical now that Mars is in Virgo? Or, if you have access to your natal chart, where does transiting Mars in Virgo fall? What's on your "dharma checklist"? Leave a comment!