The symbol «♂» is the standard astronomical and astrological glyph for the planet Mars, representing the shield and spear of the god of war. In Latin, the planet is Mars; in Greek, Ἄρης (Ares); in alchemical and esoteric contexts, the glyph also signifies iron, masculine energy, and the principle of force or sulphur.

Position on the Tree of Life

In the scheme of Liber 777, the present row corresponds to Path 24 of the Sephirothic system. Path 24 connects Netzach (Victory, sphere of Venus) and Tiphareth (Beauty, sphere of the Sun). The Mars correspondence here is not the sephirah itself but the planetary influence ruling the forces enumerated in the preceding column (Col. CXXXVII). Thus «♂» governs this particular ladder of correspondences, coloring the path with the energies of directed will, conflict, and vital assertion.

Astrological and planetary correspondence

Mars is the seventh classical planet in order from Earth (excluding the Sun and Moon). In astrology, it rules the signs Aries and Scorpio (traditional), and is exalted in Capricorn. Its nature is hot, dry, choleric, and masculine. The metal associated with Mars is iron, its day is Tuesday (French mardi), and its number is 5 (also 16 in some geomantic systems). The planetary intelligence of Mars is known as Graphiel, and its spirit as Bartzabel—names used in ceremonial invocation to channel Martian force.

Historical context

In Chaldean and Babylonian astronomy, Mars was identified with Nergal, a god of war, pestilence, and the underworld. The Hellenistic Greeks called it Pyroeis (the fiery one). Plato’s Timaeus refers to Mars as the third planet from Earth, though the order was later revised. In the Tetrabiblos of Claudius Ptolemy, Mars is described as chiefly producing heat and burning, and its influence is associated with armies, bloodshed, and sudden violence. Medieval Arabic astrologers (e.g., Albumasar, De Magnis Coniunctionibus) attributed to Mars rulership over iron, fire, and all cutting tools. In the Renaissance occult revival, Mars appears in the Three Books of Occult Philosophy by Cornelius Agrippa as the governing planet of soldiers, surgeons, barbers, and executioners—all who work with steel and blood. The 1904 reception of The Book of the Law (AL II:19) gives a distinctly Martian character to the Aeon of Horus: “But ye, o my people, rise up & awake! Let the rituals be rightly performed with joy & beauty!” The force of Mars, as formulated in Liber 777, is not mere destruction but the controlled release of power that clears the way for new manifestation.

In table 777, at Path 24, «♂» is the planetary ruler that organizes the column of magical weapons, perfumes, plants, and divine names found under Col. CXXXVII. Its appearance here signals that the current step—whatever the object of inquiry—is to be understood through the lens of Martian energy: initiative, purification through conflict, and the lightning-like assertion of will.