Tarot Clarity – Mars in Virgo – Nine of Cups

August 17th 2019: After being tested by the aggressive final degrees of Leo, Mars graduates to the sign of Virgo. Mars in Virgo is the ancient masculine monk/priest archetype, that is embodied best in the modern era by the archetype of a professor in a book-filled office, a world leading expert in his chosen field of study, never making time for a relationship or family, his passion directing him to use all of his life to research, collect a body of knowledge, and teach earnest students.

The Nine of Cups represents what Alejandro Jodorowsky calls “the autumn of the heart,” time to harvest the emotions in such a way that we are ready to move on. He also mentions sacrifice and detachment- core concepts of mutable earth sign Virgo.

Mars in Virgo as the Nine of Cups is a symbol of the teacher/student dynamic, and the radical detachment strategy utilized by the most effective professors, in order to give all that they can give without micro-managing their students’ struggles in learning, their efforts in class, and their level of understanding of the material. His focus should not be up close on the student’s emotional experience, but from a higher perspective, on teaching the syllabus term after term and continually developing a deeper and more relevant curriculum- and most importantly, doing what it takes to be able to show up consistently. Mars in Virgo is the energy of the magnetic classroom connection that happens when students can rely on great professors to be predictable yet challenging, caring and yet totally impartial.