Ramblings, Reflections and Ruminations of Daniel Giamario | Dec 28, 2024 |
Introduction
The synodic cycles of Mercury, Venus and Mars are one of the essential foundational elements of the Shamanic Astrology Paradigm ™ and of the Turning of The Ages Mystery School. I refer to the synodic period as an Overstory – an average of 116 days for Mercury, 584 days for Venus, and 25-26 months for Mars. Each of these synods are completely unique and not comparable to Sun-Moon synods or those of the outer planets. I revolutionized these understandings with my classic Mountain Astrologer articles of 1997-1998.
The word “synod” simply means “meeting” (or sometimes an assembly or council). Used in this planetary context, it refers to the meeting between Mercury, Venus or Mars with the Sun. The 29.5-day synodic Moon cycle, for example, is the pattern of the meetings between the Moon and Sun. In each synod, everything that the planet (or Moon) can do will take place. In the 584-day Venus synod, all phases exist: heliacal rise, morning star, exterior underworld, evening star, retrograde, and interior metamorphic underworld.
An understanding of these synodic overstories allows an individual to perceive the intention of their personal natal chart within a larger context, a larger narrative: the Overstory. Interesting insights can also be gained when applying the concept to the collective.
As Mars’ new synodic cycle begins on January 15 2025, now is a great time time to explore this in greater depth.
Mars in TOTAMS Astrology
In TOTAMS Astrology Mars symbolizes the “sacred masculine” in men and women. Natal Mars on a man’s chart symbolizes his current life intent in developing his unique expression of masculinity. On a woman’s chart, Mars begins as a projection onto another or others (an expanded view of the Jungian “animus”), and then can be incorporated into herself in the Inner Sacred Marriage Process. This process is presented in depth in Course 03 of the TOTAMS Foundational Certification curriculum, Relationships: Chart Comparison & Inner Wholeness.
The Mars Cycle
In TOTAMS’ understanding, the phases of a Mars synod differ considerably from how most other astrologers, past and present, see them. Most importantly, the synodic Overstory begins with the acronychal rise of Mars, when Mars rises in the East as the Sun sets. This is the Mars-Sun opposition. It is also when Mars is closest to the Sun and Earth, when Mars is brightest, and when Mars is retrograde. This then resonates with how it works with Venus and Mercury. The overstories change when the planet is retrograde, closest, and brightest. Metamorphosis into a new archetype occurs with the retrograde. The framework that is developed here with all three also aligns with the view of the ancients. They created their understanding from what they perceived with their senses, their eyes. The far greater abstraction of the exact, but unobservable, Sun-Moon, Sun-Mercury, Sun-Venus, and Sun-Mars conjunctions were seldom used for tables or ceremony.
The Six Phases of Each Synodic Overstory Cycle
Phase Zero
This phase is at the very end and the beginning of a new Overstory. It is called Gestation and Incubation, when the next Mars overstory is being conceived. It commences when Mars reaches the sign of the next overstory that begins with the Sun-Mars opposition. Mars is in the morning sky in this phase. In the Gemini Overstory of 2022-2025, this phase lasts from September 4 2024 to January 15 2025.
Phase One
This phase is called Birth and Emergence, likened to an education or training. This phase begins with the acronychal rise (first breath) and includes the key point where Mars stations direct. It concludes when Mars reaches the same degree of the first breath. In the upcoming Cancer Overstory, this phase lasts from January 15 2025 to April 8 2025, a total of 83 days. This phase is in the evening sky and throughout Mars in in Cancer.
Phase Two
This phase is called the Questing. It begins when Mars has returned to the degree of the Sun-Mars opposition and concludes when Mars enters the Underworld. During this phase Mars encounters numerous challenges and hard tasks, often symbolized by a series of seven to ten Moon-Mars conjunctions, as he travels across the evening sky. In the Cancer Overstory, this phase is from April 8 2025 to November 13 2025, a total of 219 days.
Phase Three
This is the Underworld phase. It begins when Mars reaches 15degrees from the Sun, includes the Sun-Mars conjunction, and concludes when Mars again reaches 15degrees from the Sun while slowly emerging into the morning sky. This is a time of vulnerability and surrender which involves shamanic death and rebirth initiations, similar to when Venus enters the exterior underworld on the other side of the Sun, off the world stage. In the Cancer Overstory, this phase is from November 13 2025 to March 16 2026, a total of 123 days.
Phase Four
This phase is called Rebirth and Growth of Wisdom. Wisdom grows as Mars rises after his underworld initiations, passes through four to six Moon-Mars conjunctions, and is gaining awareness and a more mature consciousness. Moving through the morning sky, this Mars phase concludes when Mars re-enters the sign of the Overstory. In the Cancer Overstory, this phase is from March 16 2026 to August 11 2026, a total of 148 days.
Phase Five
This phase is called Maturity and Elder Knowledge. This is when Mars integrates and assimilates the knowledge and experiences gained from the journey, and hopefully can become a true Elder. Seen in the morning sky, the phase begins when Mars reaches the sign of the Overstory, then has a series of Moon-Mars conjunctions, It concludes when Mars reaches the sign of the next Overstory. In the Cancer Overstory, this phase is from August 11 2026 to November 25 2026, a total of 79 days.
Phase Zero
This phase is an ending and a beginning. In the Cancer Overstory, this phase is from November 25 2026 to February 19 2027. Beginning with Mars’ ingress into the sign of the Overstory, it proceeds until reaching the sign of the next Overstory, which will be Virgo.
Note: Detailed data of this new Mars synodic cycle as well as those of Venus and Mercury is included in the resources you receive with our recent December Solstice Seminar (2025 Preview) recordings. Click here to secure these vital resources consisting of nearly 5h of video content and over 100-page strong PDFs. Beginning in April 2025, TOTAMS will also present another 19-months group experience celebrating and ceremonializing the interweaving cycles of Mars and Venus. Stay tuned, details forthcoming!
The Intent of the Cancer Overstory
Each Mars synodic Overstory describes the evolutionary possibilities for Mars, for both Men and Women, at this time of the Great Turning of The Ages. The Overtories of Mars progress sequentially through the signs, although sometimes one may be skipped. Cancer follows Gemini, but the one after is Virgo. Each Cancer Overstory has a similar pattern. Cancer Overstories start(ed) during the years 1899, 1914, 1946, 1960, 1993, 2007, 2025, 2040, and 2072.
One of the most important missions of TOTAMS is to participate in the evolution of the signs (the Mystery Schools of Life) themselves. The Cancer of 2000 years ago or even 100 years ago is not the same as what is both possible and necessary now. Each sign has a timeless essence, but the content can change over time.
Our definition of Cancer is: “How to provide personal and hierarchical nourishment with responsibility, to ‘seeds’, until they attain their maturity (or not).” This includes parent to child, therapist to client, and teacher to student relationships The Cancer Mystery School also contains within it the mission and purpose of establishing the ways to make that work in family, clan, tribe or country. At this Great Turning of The Ages, the evolution of Cancer must include the entire planet: all children, all students etc., beyond tribe, family, and especially beyond countries. All children are as important as our own.
Currently there is much Cancer shadow present – think Gaza and the missing children! An evolved Cancer needs to see beyond “My Country”, right or wrong, or “We’re Number One” – all of these being the well known shadows of the United States with four planets in Cancer.
This Mars synodic Overstory of Cancer is a challenge for the Sacred Masculine in Men and Women to create a larger, more global vision of family. This vison is to be founded on personal sovereignty and the free individual. It is not to be confused with the collectivist Great Reset of the WEF which is actually the shadow of Aquarius, run hierarchically by a small elite of unelected oligarchs, plutocrats and psychopathic technocrats, assisted by an inverted AI simulacrum.
The intention in this Cancer Mars Overstory is that a new vision of Cancer masculinity can unfold from this cycle. This will most certainly require facing the shadow of Cancer and moving beyond the previous meanings and assumed expressions. What can a non-patriarchal version of Mars in Cancer be like? That is the project at hand. Hopefully, out of this can emerge the vision of Dane Rudhyar that he termed: “The Planetarization of Consciousness.” Thankfully, the 2025 transit of Jupiter through Cancer can help amplify, activate and expand the project.
An Analogue to the Human Archetypal Lifespan
Some years ago I realized that the Mars synod can be seen to be analogous with an archetypal human lifespan. I currently perceive that to be 89-90 years, or three Saturn Returns. Following is a brief sketch of the idea using the six phases of the Mars synod.
Phase Zero: Conception to first breath; the Moon-Mars conjunctions align with the three trimesters carrying a child to term.
Phase One: Age 0 to 13-16, childhood to puberty; the Moon-Mars conjunctions align with maturation stages.
Phase Two: Age 13-16 to 39, puberty to midlife crisis; the Moon-Mars conjunctions indicate the early challenges and lessons of emerging adulthood through prime of early adulthood.
Phase Three: Age 39-46, midlife crisis including Pluto and Neptune squares and Uranus and Saturn oppositions; the Moon-Mars conjunctions further illumine the initiatory processes.
Phase Four: Age 46-66, stages of the mature and fully initiated adult; the Moon-Mars conjunctions define the stages.
Phase Five: Age 66-90, stages of elderhood and old age; the Moon-Mars conjunctions mark the stages.
The dates given are approximate and can vary depending on when the various timeline planetary initiations take place for each individual. For example, the Pluto square that is a feature of Phase Three can happen as early as age 36 or later than age 46.
It is fascinating to discover where your own personal Mars placement shows up within this larger synodic Overstory. There are also major insights that can be gained in the collective world when knowing where Mars is using this analogue.
Navigation of the Cycle
TOTAMS uses a Three Worlds Approach, with the outer planets being allocated to the three worlds: Uranus and Neptune to the Upper World; Saturn, Jupiter and the Lunar Nodes to the Middle World; Pluto and Chiron to the Lower World. Mercury, Venus and Mars are unique in that all three worlds are found within their synodic cycles.
The knowledge of where Mars is in the larger context of the Overstory offers great clues for how to navigate and align with the intent. Phase Zero and Phase Five have an Upper World flavor, Phase Three has an obvious Lower World sense, and Phases One, Two and Four are very much Middle World. However it is important to remember that all three are always in play, and as much as is possible, to live in all three simultaneously, without any splitting off. All three worlds and all phases and all initiatory processes are normal and natural, without judgment of “good” or “bad.” All have their intended purpose!
On the Front Lines of this Cycle
There are going to be those of us who are on the frontlines of the Mars in Cancer synodic Overstory.
These are in order of greatest importance:
1) Being in a Mars Return. These occur around ages 15, 32, 47, 64 and 79.
2) Having the same Sun-Mars angle on your birth chart in the same Mars phase.
3) Having the same natal Mars sign as the Overstory that is unfolding.
Final Thoughts
Over the years I have noticed that the Venus cycle seems to be easier for people to grasp and learn. Possibly this is because the Mars cycle is quite a bit longer and attention spans are not what they used to be. I contend that the Mars cycle is every bit as important as the Venus cycle, and many insights and great value can be found in it. If this sparks your interest, as mentioned above, TOTAMS will initiate another 19-months group experience at the heliacal rise of Venus end of March 2025. This certainly includes the relationship with the Mars cycle. We also are in the process of revamping the TOTAMS Certification Level course on the synodic cycles of the Moon, Mercury, Venus and Mars, The Overstory: Cycles of Inner Planets. Presale available!