Mars Sextile Pluto: Deep Reserves You Can Call on When Needed

Mars and Pluto sit at a compatible angle. You do not seem forceful day to day, but when something is worth it you can summon deeper focus and persistence than usual and do the job thoroughly. This page starts from what Mars governs (drive, desire, competition and conflict) and what Pluto governs (deep power, crisis and rebirth), then looks at how the sextile makes the two interact, how it tends to show up in everyday life, its strengths and blind spots, and some advice for it.

Mars Sextile Pluto at a glance

Percentages are our own calculation from 8,401 charts of people born in Taipei between 1960 and 2005 with random birth times, using the same orbs as our chart calculator.

The core meaning of Mars Sextile Pluto

Mars is action and going after things; Pluto is deep will and the capacity for total change. The sextile lets the two planets help each other without tying them together at every moment. Day to day you put about as much force into things as anyone else. Once you make up your mind, you can shift into another state: more focused, more enduring, less put off by trouble. This shift is yours to control. You switch it on when you need it and pull it back when the job is done.

That is the biggest difference from the conjunction. People with the conjunction find it hard not to push; people with the sextile have a choice. Compared with the trine, the power of the sextile needs more of a reason to switch on, such as a clear goal, a chance to change careers, or a problem that simply has to be solved. Without those it stays quiet, and you may not even know you have it. Many people only learn to use it on purpose after life once backed them into a corner and they found out they could hold on.

How it feels inside

You have an understated trust in your own strength. When difficulty comes, you may be shaken inside, and yet you have a faint sense that you will find a way to cope. You do not much need to beat others to prove anything, so there is no feeling of pressure in being around you. You can also face heavier emotions. When you are angry, you mostly know what you are angry about and can handle it in a fairly level way. The thing to watch is that when life is too smooth, this power goes to sleep, and you may wrongly conclude that you are just not a very ambitious person.

In love and relationships

In love and friendship you have depth without clinging. You are willing to talk honestly, and you can take in a partner’s darker side without wanting to control them because of it. When the two of you disagree, you hold your position and still leave the other person a way out. Friends who go through a major upheaval, like losing a job or a breakup, often come to you, because you do not panic or offer empty words. You can stay with them while they think the next step through.

At work and in getting things done

At work you suit tasks that call for sprints at certain stages. Most of the time you proceed step by step, and in a critical period you can clearly turn up the pressure and hold it. You are also good at overhauling things: you take over a process that is not running well, find the root of the problem, and repair it one step at a time. To get more from this aspect, go after demanding projects, or set yourself a goal that takes long accumulation, such as a professional certification or a skill that needs several years of practice.

Strengths

• Able to turn it on and off: You can bring strong focus and persistence when needed and put it down when the matter is over, so you do not wear yourself out by staying tense.
• Good at overhauling: Faced with something that works badly, you trace it to the root before you adjust anything. When you are done it is often a good deal better than before.
• Depth without pressure: You can go deep in conversation and stay with people through hard times with no hint of control, so they dare to tell you what they really think.

Blind spots

• Dormant when idle: Without a clear goal this power does not start by itself. Over time you tend to underestimate yourself and miss the moments when you could go further.
• Moving only when forced: You often wait for an emergency before giving it your all. Had you committed earlier, many things would not have needed to get so hard.
• So low-key you get overlooked: You are not used to showing your forceful side. When resources or positions are at stake, someone bolder about asking may get there first.

Advice for Mars Sextile Pluto

Do not wait for a crisis to use your power. Each year pick one thing that is “a little scary, but doable.” It could be a competition, a course of study, or a habit you have long wanted to straighten out. Write down a deadline and tell a friend who will keep asking you about it. After you have switched it on deliberately a few times, you will know better and better where that switch is, and you will be bolder about asking for what you want.

What to keep in mind when reading this aspect

1. The tighter the orb, the more it matters. In our calculations, only 13.6% of all major aspects are within 1° of exact, and 41.2% are within 3°. If your Mars sextile Pluto is tight, the traits on this page will be more noticeable; if it is close to the 5° limit, they will be much fainter.

2. Applying and separating. An aspect is applying when the two planets are moving toward the exact angle and separating once they have passed it. Tradition holds that an applying aspect is still taking shape and acts more strongly. Our chart calculator marks which one you have.

3. Watch for out-of-sign aspects. Two planets in sextile are usually two signs apart, in compatible elements (fire with air, earth with water), but an aspect is measured by actual distance. In our calculations, 9.5% of sextiles do not match the usual sign relationship (one planet late in a sign, the other early in another). The nature of the aspect is still there; it just shows up in a less typical way.

4. Most people born on the same day share this aspect. Mars and Pluto move only a little in a day. The difference lies in which houses they fall in on your chart, and that depends on your birth time; see Planets in the Houses.

5. Then look at each planet’s own placement. The signs Mars and Pluto are in decide how each one expresses itself; see Planets in the Signs. If either planet has other aspects, read them together. For a complete reading, use the In-Depth Chart Reading.

Other aspects between Mars and Pluto

Conjunction · Sextile · Square · Trine · Opposition

The sextile with other planets

Mars: Sun sextile Mars, Moon sextile Mars, Mercury sextile Mars, Venus sextile Mars, Mars sextile Jupiter, Mars sextile Saturn, Mars sextile Uranus, Mars sextile Neptune.

Pluto: Sun sextile Pluto, Moon sextile Pluto, Mercury sextile Pluto, Venus sextile Pluto, Jupiter sextile Pluto, Saturn sextile Pluto, Uranus sextile Pluto, Neptune sextile Pluto.

All Mars aspects · All Pluto aspects · Planet aspects overview