Mars entered Sagittarius Saturday, where it will be until Oct. 26. This is the second sign change of Mars since the retrograde ended back in May. There is plenty happening in Sagittarius right now, and Mars is about to experience many meetings with many other planets, most of then discovered in recent years.

Objects in Sagittarius.

To the left is a list of objects in Sagittarius at the time of this writing. Mars is the fastest one of the lot, so over the next six weeks or so, it will make conjunctions to each and every one of these points. This does not even include other aspects Mars will make, such as a square to Neptune on Sept. 21 or a square to Chiron on Oct. 4.

Speaking of Mars square Neptune, that is the aspect to watch, while it’s developing and even after it’s passed. Mars in a fire sign can ignite Neptune like a volatile gas, or it can have its power sapped by Neptune. Mars in Sagittarius is moving with some determination, so the key will be to remain on course and put honesty with yourself above all else.

Mars square Neptune can be deceptive in a self-destructive way. People who possess this aspect in their natal charts need to keep an eye on that quality, and take both Mars and Neptune to the level of integrity, which begins and ends with sincerity.

In the mix is a hero complex emerging (Mars conjunct Heracles, obscured in the fog of Neptune, which could be alcohol) and the tease of fantasy (Mars conjunct Tantalus square Neptune — torture yourself with unattainable desire only if it’s truly pleasant, or of it helps motivate you in some way).

All of these meetings will come with a different flavor, and there are about to be many, as you can see. We don’t need to get too far ahead of ourselves, though Mars begins to encounter slower and more potent planets and points as it moves along — with a culmination when it reaches the Great Attractor, a deep space point, on Oct. 4 (at the same time Mars squares Chiron).

If Mars square Neptune would benefit from a little more integrity, Mars square Chiron would benefit from relaxing a little and not worrying so much about integrity. Mars square Chiron wants to be so perfect that neither Mars nor Chiron can function optimally, Mars as an agent of desire and Chiron as an agent of awareness.

So as you go through these adventures, remember that perfection is not a value. If you have any regrets, reach out and make amends. If someone is not interested, that is their choice. If you have been less than honest, reach out and be truthful. If you have transgressed boundaries, consider how that happened.

The deeper theme of this whole journey seems to be making contact with past injury so that you can heal it, so that you can be free from what has troubled you in the past. Particularly in late Sagittarius, Mars will encounter several of the more profound points in this alignment (Ixion, Pholus, Hylonome, Quaoar and also the Galactic Core) and this is a good time to remember that ‘spiritual’ translates to being aware, forgiving and in alignment with your purpose.