The other day it occurred to me that physical exertion corresponding to the sign and/or house placement of a person's Mars could serve as a sort of active meditation to get a person more in touch with the meaning and intention of their Mars energy.  Mars is vitality!  Mars is passion and drive! So why wouldn't we want to get in touch with that daring little bastard?  Read on for your Mars Exercise Routine!

Mars in Aries/First House

For the purposes of this exercise, you need to workout SOLO.  You also need to do something NEW, that you've never done before.  It has to be gutsy, adventurous, and aggressive.  Going to the firing range and shooting off a few rounds at a moving target would be great, and though it might not seem conducive to a meditative practice, we're talking about "active meditations" today, and this one would help you release aggression in a way that (hopefully) will leave you more centered and at one with yourself. What do you learn here?  Channeling passion and even anger towards a specific goal (in this case, hitting the bulls-eye) will keep you on target in your everyday life as well.

Mars in Taurus/Second House

You probably shouldn't exercise at all, honestly--I mean, not if it makes you uncomfortable. ;) Just kidding. Everyone is exercising today, and your exercise will involve a leisurely stroll through a rose garden, a meadow, or even a park (so long as it's a park that you find aesthetically pleasing--good landscaping would be a plus). What do you learn? You learn that the best work, and the highest ambitions, will be won through a comfortable and relaxed approach to life. You get more done in life when you stop to smell the roses.

Mars in Gemini/Third House

Activities that involve hand-eye coordination help you work your brain muscle at the same time you're working your other muscles. You also like to have another person to "play off."  For that reason, I HIGHLY recommend a fast-moving game of ping-pong. If you can have several balls going at once, even better. What do you learn? Your mind can get scattered pretty easily, and you have to learn that it's OKAY to let go of one project when it's necessary to concentrate on another. Lost one ball?  Well, there's another in play, so go for it!

Mars in Cancer/Fourth House

Clean Out the Basement! Or the attic, or the closets, or WHEREVER it is you're hiding all the old trinkets and whatsits you've been hoarding over the years that you think are full of sentimental value. As you're doing all that lifting and hauling, sorting and remembering, take time to assign a real value to these objects and then discard the ones that are (honestly) crap. What you'll learn is that the memories and people and emotional support in your life are much more likely to help you accomplish your goals than those dusty old objects you never even remembered you had.

Mars in Leo/Fifth House

It *has* to be creative and it *has* to involve you being the center of attention. DANCE! Your warm little attention-seeking heart will be best-served by implementing your own dance moves with a romantic interest of your choosing. You learn that when you express yourself, it makes everyone feel good! And when everyone feels good, you feel vital and motivated to accomplish whatever you set out to achieve.

Mars in Virgo/Sixth House

Well if you don't have a friend who needs you to help them move, then certainly you can put that care-giving, service-oriented nature a boost some other way. Walking the dog? PERFECT! Which is great, because I know how you like "perfect!" ;) Take great care that the pup has all its needs met, including a full, clean cold water bowl after the walk. What do you learn? Being in service to others is motivating. When you make other people's lives better and healthier, you are motivated to continue!

Mars in Libra/Seventh House

Partner's tennis would be an excellent work-out for you, Libra, because you get to relate not only to your own partner, with whom you need to establish balance and harmony in order to function effectively, but you also get to consider yourself in light of your opponents.  Did they serve better than you? Well that's fine, because your backhand is better, and you'll learn how to improve by noting each others' skills. Both competition and harmonic interaction are motivators for you.

Mars in Scorpio/Eighth House

Have SEX. Sex, sex, and then maybe a little more sex. It can be with yourself, it can be with another, or it can be with multiple others. Just have sex. Acknowledge your base desires. Engage in fantasy play. Recognize your sexual power. What do you learn from this? Ummm, I don't know, but you'll hopefully have an orgasm, and that's better than any lesson. Seriously though--expressing your raw desires in a way that brings no harm to yourself or others is a great release for you and helps you to feel comfortable with yourself and your ambitions.

Mars in Sagittarius/Ninth House

You can learn a lot from teaching others a type of exercise of physical movement that you have mastered. If there isn't anything like that that comes to mind, you're also keen to learn new things, especially if they allow for philosophical, cultural expansion. I don't know what your cultural background is, but I'll rattle off a few cultural activities that might be interesting for you to learn, and that might move you beyond your boundaries (since you're into expansion, I'll try to make it a long list): yoga, mud-wrestling, karate, hunting, sail-boating, horseback riding, bull-roping, ballet, African dance, surfing, spelunking, mountain-climbing, cricket, ultimate frisbee, football (aka soccer), football (aka American football), canoeing, ice-skating, or bowling. What do you learn? Actively involving yourself in an activity that steps you outside of your own cultural boundaries or knowledge base helps you to learn a lot about yourself.

Mars in Capricorn/Tenth House

Well I already gave mountain-climbing to Sagittarius, and that's always the activity associated with you sure-footed goats, but let's get real here (and I know you like to "get real"), it is highly unlikely that the individual reading this will ever have the opportunity to go mountain climbing. I mean, if you do, then it would be an excellent active meditation for you. But if it's not (I'm a Mars in Capricorn, and seriously, I reserve my energies for what I can accomplish and climbing a mountain is not one of those!) then a suitable, practical alternative would be to climb to the top of a hill. If you don't live in a hilly area, find a steep set of steps. One step at a time, taking breaks when you need it. I'm guessing you'll know even before you begin how much time it will take you to reach the top. When you get there, take a moment to notice where you've come from and how far you've climbed. The lesson here is that ambition coupled with dedicated effort will *always* get you to the top.

Mars in Aquarius/Eleventh House

You need to march in support of a humanitarian goal that you support. Connect the act of giving yourself to a cause with the physical act of movement. Social movement/ Physical movement. Just like with Capricorn, you need to learn to put one foot in front of another with your march. What do you learn? Persistence can lead to radical/necessary change. Draw strength from people who share your passions, and you'll go far in life!

Mars in Pisces/Twelfth House

Swim laps. Reach the end of the pool, change directions, swim back. Complete 12 laps in each direction to honor your position as the 12th sign/house of the zodiac. Notice how your movement affects the current of the water. Notice how the water both supports you and hinders your movement. Don't get too logical/intellectual about what it all means. Your passions are most supported when you trust that there is a higher calling that is guiding you to act and react.