Mars enters Capricorn at 9:37 pm EST tomorrow, possibly perplexing us in the bargain. One reason this particular Martian ingress to its exaltation may correspond with confusion is an immediate sextile to Neptune in Pisces, where Neptune rules. Another reason is the fact that retrograde Mercury re-entered Scorpio yesterday, where Mars is the original ruler. Finally, there is the question of how Mars came to Capricorn exaltation in the first place.
With the exception of Mercury’s relation to Virgo, exaltation and rulership are two different things. Every sign has a ruling planet which, like human rulers, are the boss and representative of the realm. Exalted planets are more like honored guests.
The dignity of exaltation, like some human guests, has been around so long nobody can remember who extended the invitation. There is no unambiguous written record. Ancient astrologer Porphyry of Tyros tried to explain it as a sextile from Mars’ rulership in Scorpio. What Porphyry conveniently left out is how that sextile should not be from Aries (where Mars also rules) or why the sextile is in one direction from the sign Scorpio and not the other. The most exalted of modern astrologers, Robert Hand, examined the problem afresh in his book Horoscope Symbols only to conclude that there is no systematic consistency to exaltations, especially regarding steamy, hot Mars in stony, cold Capricorn.
Yet, there it is. After centuries of observation and correlation, we must conclude that the energy and desire emblematic of Mars expresses very strongly when the red planet travels through Capricorn. What has not happened for more than a century is tomorrow’s sextile from Mars to Neptune.