Mars, being a very energetic planet, is responsible for our activity. Jupiter transit, for example, brings luck on its own, while Mars transit acts differently. The house through which Mars passes in transit indicates where you should direct your energy now, the direction to act in to achieve that very luck. On a lower level, Mars creates conflict situations in the house it transits. On a higher level, Mars provides a lot of energy, while on a lower level – a depletion of strength.
In Vedic astrology, Mars is called the "Commander-in-Chief." It regularly travels around the entire Zodiac to carefully assess how things are going, and how preparation for possible "military actions" is progressing. In some places, it stays for a long time (during its retrograde period) to study the situation in detail and influence it with its presence.
Mars moves quite quickly, spending about 1.5 to 2 months in each sign. However, during retrograde periods, it can remain in a sign for 3 to 4 months every two years. Mars completes the Zodiac in almost two years.
The aspects of Mars transit to the planets in the natal chart strongly influence a person’s activity and actions. Mars aspects the 7th house from itself directly (the strongest influence is on the house where Mars is located, especially if this is the 1st house, and on the 7th house from Mars). It also aspects the 4th and 8th houses from itself (the 4th house – creation, the 8th house – destruction). Mars (as a malefic) damages the living indicators of the houses it influences and improves the non-living indicators of these houses, though one must understand that this can vary depending on the planets that aspect it and are in conjunction with it.
One should pay attention to which planets are located next to the transiting Mars (this could be a natal planet or a planet that is passing in transit too). Transiting Mars also activates the houses ruled by Mars in the natal chart (the signs Aries and Scorpio). In any case, when making predictions, one should always consider the transits of other planets, especially Saturn, Jupiter, Rahu, and Ketu, which remain in each sign for a prolonged period (the positions of transits can always be found on the internet, but it’s important to be careful not to confuse Vedic astrology with Western astrology – there is a 23-degree difference between them). Transit predictions are viewed from both the Ascendant and the Moon (the house where the natal Moon is located is considered the first house). The Ascendant reflects the karma of the current incarnation, while the Moon reflects the karma of past and present incarnations.
Transiting Mars in conjunction with natal Jupiter leads to a large expenditure of energy when you need to complete a massive number of tasks within a short time frame.
Transiting Mars in conjunction with natal Saturn can bring apathy, laziness, and a feeling that it is difficult for you to start doing anything.
When transiting Mars is in conjunction with the natal Moon, it is hard for a person to relax; they experience intense internal tension.
In analyzing the transit and natal aspects of Mars, it’s necessary to consider that with a weak natal Mars, even a strong position of transiting Mars does not guarantee big victories or a massive surge of strength. However, a positive outcome is possible if the person applies effort in the right direction. A downside of a strong Mars is that it often pushes one to act head-on. Before examining Mars's transits, it’s essential to study its natal position.