Transit Pluto Quincunx Natal Mars

Intense power struggles.

Here’s what to do and not do when you have a Pluto Quincunx Mars transit. Below that are some interesting things about this transit.

Avoid During This Transit

• Don’t pick fights or get into power struggles- people might be extra stubborn or intense right now.
• Avoid pushing yourself too hard physically. Overexerting can lead to accidents or injuries.
• Try not to act impulsively, especially when you’re angry or frustrated. Your reactions might be stronger than usual.
• Don’t hold in your feelings or let resentment build up. Bottling things up could make them explode later.
• Stay clear of risky or dangerous situations, especially anything involving sharp objects, machinery, or heavy lifting.
• Avoid making major life decisions out of a need for control or revenge. It’s easy to regret those choices later.
• Don’t let jealousy or suspicion control your actions- these feelings can get blown out of proportion during this time.
• Try not to micromanage people or projects. Letting go just a little can save you a lot of stress.
• Steer clear of manipulative tactics- trying to force outcomes usually backfires under this transit.
• Resist the urge to confront every little problem. Pick your battles, and let some things slide.

Do During This Transit

• Re-examine your goals: Pluto’s energy can stir up deep motivations. Use this time to really ask yourself if you’re working toward what you truly want, or if something needs to change.
• Channel your energy into transformation: If old habits or ways of doing things aren’t working, this is a solid time to work on breaking those patterns. Try new approaches, especially if you’ve been feeling stuck.
• Work on anger and patience: Mars is about energy and aggression, and Pluto adds intensity. If you feel frustrated, try exercises like deep breathing, meditation, or physical activity that helps you work through it calmly.
• Focus on self-control: Power struggles might pop up. Practice stepping back before reacting, so you don’t say or do something you’ll regret later.
• Engage in deep personal work: This is an excellent time for therapy, shadow work, or journaling about things that challenge you. Facing your inner struggles can lead to big growth later on.
• Let go of what isn’t working: If something feels forced or like you’re banging your head against a wall, don’t be afraid to pivot. Sometimes, releasing control is actually a big victory.
• Be careful with risky activities: Mars’ assertive vibe plus Pluto’s intensity can make you braver (or bolder) than usual. Take extra care when driving, handling machinery, or dealing with confrontational situations.
• Explore new outlets for strength: Try weightlifting, martial arts, or anything that lets you build physical or mental power in healthy ways.
• Study your triggers: Notice who or what gets under your skin and ask yourself why. Understanding your reactions can give you a lot more control over them in the future.

What’s Interesting About This Transit

• Secret Rivalries Surface: According to Marc Edmund Jones in Astrology: How and Why It Works (1945), Pluto quincunx Mars can “bring forth hidden animosities in one’s circle, often creating an air of private rivalry or silent contest one neither expected nor intended.” You might find that someone you thought was a friend suddenly sees you as competition, even for something you didn’t know you were aiming for.
• Urge for Unconventional Action: Isabel Hickey in her vintage classic Astrology: A Cosmic Science (1970) mentions the “bizarre and covert ways” a person might channel frustration when Mars and Pluto interact oddly. You could feel compelled to break rules, but in ways that others can’t easily see or call you out on.
• Weird Fixations on Mechanical Devices: Charles E.O. Carter, in The Astrological Aspects (1960), writes that Mars-Pluto cross-aspects can make people “unusually preoccupied with tools, machinery, or weapons- sometimes in ways that puzzle everyone but themselves.” The quincunx, he notes, “can result in ineffective yet nagging obsessions,” like continuously tweaking your bike or computer for no clear reason.
• Bodily Tensions and Subtle Health Oddities: Ivy Goldstein-Jacobson in Astro-Analysis (1968) points out Mars-Pluto quincunx as “heralding odd aches or stubborn, unexplained muscle tics,” especially when someone’s ignoring underlying stress or anger. It’s the cosmos’ weird way of asking you to deal with bottled-up energy.
• Repressed Desires Leak Out in Jokes: Llewellyn George’s A to Z Horoscope Maker and Delineator (mid-1960s edition) mentions that under this aspect, “desires or bits of anger emerge inadvertently, often disguised as sarcasm or unusually sharp humor.” You might find yourself saying things in jest but actually meaning them, even if it surprises you.
• Sudden, Unexplainable Jealousies: Joan Quigley in Astrology for Adults (1969) talks about how this transit “stirs shadows of envy or competition,” especially in environments where such feelings were never an issue. “One may find oneself suspicious or strangely protective in new or out-of-the-blue ways.”
• Experimental Approaches to Conflict: From Grant Lewi’s Astrology for the Millions (1940), he mentions that awkward Mars-Pluto links can push people to “strange experiments in defending or asserting themselves- sometimes using completely new tactics that nobody saw coming.”
• Compulsion to Fix or Destroy: Dane Rudhyar, writing about Pluto-Mars dynamics in The Astrology of Transformation (1978), suggests the quincunx could stir a “drive to redo, repair, or flatten out problems but always feeling slightly out of sync or unable to finish.” That means you might start intense clean-out projects or repairs, only to abandon them halfway.

Experiencing This Transit

So, if you’re feeling Pluto quincunx Mars right now, it can be kind of uncomfortable and confusing. There’s this restless, edgy energy that doesn’t always make sense, and it can simmer under the surface for weeks or even months. It’s not an explosive, obvious kind of Pluto-Mars vibe, but rather things get tense, weirdly obsessive, or even feel like there’s this invisible pressure that’s pushing you in directions you didn’t expect. Old buried stuff- anger, frustration, secret goals, losing battles- tends to come up in odd ways.

Challenges during this transit

• Random flare-ups: You might suddenly get annoyed or angry about something small- maybe you snap at someone at work for cracking their knuckles, or get irrationally frustrated at traffic. It’s like your patience just disappears out of nowhere.
• Hidden competition: You could notice weird power struggles, either at work or home, but you can’t quite put your finger on what’s behind them. Maybe it feels like someone’s always one-upping you, or people challenge your ideas in sneaky ways.
• Uneasy drive: It’s common to feel very motivated but then also super blocked, like you’re pushing hard on the gas and the brakes at the same time. Goals feel urgent yet seem just out of reach.
• Old wounds reopened: Sometimes old frustrations or failures suddenly sting again. Maybe you find yourself brooding over a fight from two years ago, or running into an ex and all that old anger bubbles up.

Opportunities during this transit

• Reclaim your power: If something or someone has been making you feel powerless, this transit is a chance to slowly (and maybe awkwardly) take back some control. For example, you might finally stand up to that friend who’s always taking advantage of you.
• Transform motivation: If you’ve had goals that you’ve ignored or buried, this is the universe’s weird nudge to dig them up. Maybe you dust off an old project you forgot about, or decide it’s time to start running again after a long break.
• Release suppressed anger: If you’re willing to sit with uncomfortable feelings, you might spot patterns of resentment or aggression that have been hiding out in your daily life. It’s a great time for therapy, journaling, or just talking honestly about what’s been bugging you.
• Creative solutions: Even though things won’t go as planned, you’ll likely find strange, roundabout ways to make progress. For instance, if your gym is closed, maybe you discover you love hiking instead- it’s not what you expected, but it actually works better for you.

How the Sign of Transiting Pluto Modifies This Transit Quincunx to Natal Mars

Read the one for the current sign of transiting Pluto.

• Transiting Pluto in Aries: The tension shows up as impatience and sudden urges. You might want to force your agenda, but everything feels blocked by unpredictable events or others’ resistance.
• Transiting Pluto in Taurus: There’s frustration about things not changing fast enough. You get extra stubborn, and power struggles may center around money, possessions, or your sense of security.
• Transiting Pluto in Gemini: Challenges focus on communication. Arguments can spiral quickly, and misunderstandings feel personal. You could obsess over information or what people are saying.
• Transiting Pluto in Cancer: Old family wounds and emotional triggers are front and center. Conflicts may arise at home, or you might feel powerless about protecting yourself or loved ones.
• Transiting Pluto in Leo: Egos clash! You might crave recognition or creative control but feel others are holding you back. This can bring jealousy, dramatic disputes, or issues of pride.
• Transiting Pluto in Virgo: You could obsess over details or daily routines. Frustration builds when things aren’t “perfect,” and power struggles show up at work, especially around tasks or methods.
• Transiting Pluto in Libra: Relationship dramas heat up. Balancing your needs versus others gets messy, and there’s that urge to dominate or resist compromise in close partnerships.
• Transiting Pluto in Scorpio: Emotions turn deep and intense. You might fixate on control or the sense you’re being manipulated. Sexual energy and hidden resentments could bubble up in weird ways.
• Transiting Pluto in Sagittarius: Restlessness strikes and disagreements about beliefs or plans are likely. You may push your opinions or rebel against restrictions, especially in travel or education.
• Transiting Pluto in Capricorn: The tension zeroes in on career, authority, and long-term goals. You might lock horns with bosses or deal with frustration over blocked ambitions or heavy responsibilities.
• Transiting Pluto in Aquarius: Power struggles show up in groups, friendships, or social causes. There’s tension about freedom, rebellion, and fitting in. You may feel pushed to change your role in a collective.
• Transiting Pluto in Pisces: The friction is more subtle and confusing. Old fears or dreams surface, and you might struggle with letting go or obsess over things you can’t control. Watch out for escapism or victim-thinking.