Mars and the Stress Hormone Called Cortisol
Remediating Mars by working with the stress hormone called cortisol
Preface
First thing’s first: I am not a doctor, health mentor, or licensed professional. Make sure you always try to do your own research, and seek medical support from a licensed professional. Moreover, Astrology is for entertainment purposes only. Do not use any blog you read about astrology and spirituality as means to heal your body and mind. Although it can act as a reprieve for some people, Astrology isn’t meant to replace therapy or medicine.
Lastly, I want to take this time to make it clear that not all stressors are easily dealt with. It’s not effective to ask everyone dealing with their own struggles to view their situations analytically, or from the perspective that pain can “take you on a divine journey”. Even though alchemizing pain and sorrow into power as a superpower has become an act of survival for me, in some cases, you could say that my way of healing is from a privileged perspective. Chronic stress could be due to discrimination, oppression, inequality, chronic illness [paired with lack of proper health care or access to it], and lack of help/understanding from the community or society. It is of my opinion that these situations should be looked at on a global and societal level, and not placed on the individual going through it.
For more Mars + Cortisol related content, catch up here:
Mars in Sagittarius in the 8th House
Click on the image to be taken to the blog post.
The Stress Hormone Called Cortisol
Click on the image to be taken to the blog post.
Chronic stress and chronic inflammation go hand-in hand, and both of those keywords belong to Mars and Cortisol.
What Is Cortisol?
Our stress response involves the organs in the The Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis, or The HPA Axis. This axis consists of pathways in which our body sends signals between the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and adrenal gland. The HPA Axis’ job is to regulate stress hormones, endocrine hormones, digestion, the immune system, our mood, our libido, and how we use energy within our body. Of the stress hormones that work within this HPA Axis, cortisol is one of them. Along with cortisol, there is adrenaline and noradrenaline, and all of these stress hormones work together to have a stimulating effect on the body. This stimulation gives us the literal strength in our fight or flight response.
Cortisol is a steroid hormone that is synthesized by the adrenal gland. It is a stress hormone that we naturally produce in stressful situations. Stress can be anything from spiritual, mental, physical, and chemical. It can affect anyone in difficult situations involving family, society, career, relationships, and financial matters. We need this hormone to survive intense and dangerous events. It helps us to think quickly, and harness our innate fighter or survivor archetypes. With the help of this hormone, we can become like the mighty dragon, defending our lot by scorching intruders with our fire-breathing. Alternatively, we can become like the rabbit retreating from danger into our rabbit holes with our hearts beating fast, but soft. Even though this hormone can cause adverse reactions, it is simultaneously needed within our body’s system to function properly.
Cortisol plays a number of roles in the body, including:
Regulating sleep cycles
Reducing inflammation
Increasing blood sugar
Managing how the body uses carbohydrates, fats, and proteins
Controlling blood pressure
Supporting the immune system / anti-inflammatory systems
Cortisol helps us spring into action, and our ancestors relied on this hormone to escape danger, retrieve food from the wild, and for survival. Today, we rely on this hormone to endure traumatic events like car crashes, near-death experiences, abusive relationships, jarring emails from bosses, juggling family life and work life, etc. However, it is my opinion that we are negatively thriving off of this hormone, by navigating our modern world. For us, I believe that this is a hormone we passively lean on to exist, not just survive. With being overworked from capitalism and society, and leaning into toxic lifestyles like “grind culture”, suffering from cortisol-overload is extremely common. Cortisol overload leads to chronic stress and chronic inflammation. Furthermore, if you are a person of color, Black, or someone who is part of a minority group, you no doubt deal with how society treats you on a daily basis. For more information, please visit this blog page where I went more in depth about cortisol’s cyclical nature.
This contributes to chronic stress as a result of having to be in survival mode regularly.
Here are the symptoms of chronic stress:
Difficulty sleeping and/or poor quality sleep
Anxiety
Depression
Difficulty concentrating
Lowered immunity
Sugar cravings
Chronic fatigue
Acne/rashes/skin complications
Headaches
Brain fog
[ And many more.. ]
When we endure long-term stress or trauma, we experience an overload of cortisol, and that both directly and indirectly affects the systems within our body and how they work with each other. Chronic stress eventually leads to chronic inflammation, and this is where our mighty warrior hormone spins his sword towards us internally, instead of the danger externally. If your body is constantly over-producing cortisol, along with adrenaline and other hormones, you remain in a state of agitation, depression, etc. If you aren’t given the space to allow your body to go from its natural state from fight or flight, you can never adjust back to your state of natural being [homeostasis]. This means that your body will remain in a state of unbalanced hormone levels. Your body can become addicted to this elevated way of being, as well as become stuck in cortisol’s cycle. You can learn how in my blog post about cortisol.
Here are the symptoms of chronic inflammation:
Poor gut health/unbalanced gut-biome
Inflammation
Autoimmune conditions
Fatigue
Body pain
Depression or anxiety
Gastrointestinal complications
Weight gain
Weight loss
Persistent infections/being sick often
Food sensitivities and allergies
Hormone imbalances
The Energies of Mars and Cortisol
Mars represents those who serve the king (the Sun) in Medieval Astrology. Mars is the soldier, the warrior, and the champion. It is the energy we experience to do or to act. Without Mars, we wouldn’t get out of bed, survive, or have willpower and desires. On the other hand, when we have too much Mars energy, it can manifest as fights, fires, inflammation, cutting, accidents, outbursts, etc. Cortisol works the same way. It can either serve us, or harm us. When we have an overabundance of cortisol, it can actually start to work against us. Too little, and it does the same.
Here are some of the main functions of cortisol:
Maintains our blood pressure, or increases it [Mars rules the blood]
Controls systems that generate nutrients to our brain in flight, fight, and freeze [Aries rules the head]
Along with adrenaline, it gives us the strength to survive dangerous situations, but it can deteriorate our muscles when in overload [Aries rules our muscles]
Can moderate our immune systems, or depress our immune systems [Mars rules the immune system, along with Pisces]
Below is a brief overview of the 12 signs, and what they rule in Medical Astrology. See my Introductory to the Holographic Herbal blog post for more information. Click here.
We need the right balance of cortisol to maintain healthy bodies. Balance is a keyword that belongs to Libra, and Aries is the opposing sign of Libra. Interesting, but not surprising.
Mars rules blood, the immune system, muscles, and pancreas. Of the 12 zodiac signs, Mars rules over Aries and Scorpio. While Scorpio rules over our waste system, bowels, and genitals, Aries rules the head and muscles. Coincidentally, your brain needs a constant supply of energy during stress to think quickly. When in cortisol overload, it can begin to eat your muscles when in overload. Cortisol is catabolic, which means it breaks down molecules. It can inhibit protein synthesis, therefore building muscle becomes a difficult task. It will also speed up the breakdown of proteins into amino acids and sugars. In doing so, in order for the brain to use nutrients to think, it will pull from the muscles within your body, and that will be its source of energy. It also increases blood pressure and blood glucose levels. An indirect activity of cortisol is that it will inhibit the immune system from producing different types of inflammatory cytokines [histamines and similar chemicals] . The inflammatory cytokines alert the immune system that there is something wrong within the body [pathogens and allergies]. Cortisol depresses the immune system, and this is why you may get sick when you are stressed or overwhelmed. If you’ve ever gotten sick before a show, test, important meeting, or deadline, cortisol overload is to blame.
Circling back to Scorpio ruling over our waste system, bowels, and genitals, cortisol can also affect our digestive system and libido. More and more, I meet people in my daily life that experience Irritable Bowel Syndrome symptoms when stress levels are abnormally higher than usual. You may experience diarrhea, constipation, sudden food allergies or sensitivities, and intense abdominal pain. This is because when the stress hormones are working, it is sending signals to your body that you are in danger. It doesn’t prioritize the other systems in your body, like the immune system and digestive system. Fighting and escaping danger is what your body prioritizes in the moment. Obviously, without the digestive system working properly, it will affect how your waste system and bowels function as well. Furthermore, depression, anxiety, and stress can alter our ways of engaging in sexual activity, whether it suddenly becomes obsessive or a rare occurrence.
Now imagine that you are in chronic stress. Most likely, you are in cortisol overload, which causes chronic inflammation, which then just feeds back into producing more cortisol. Cortisol both fights and creates inflammation. Your brain is asking for an energy source to defend the body from the dangers that are outside of the body, as well as within the body. Energy will be pulled from places in your body that, coincidentally, help you fight against danger. It will deteriorate your body by using the nutrients of your muscles as its main energy source. As it is doing that, blood pressure is rising, hormone levels are unbalancing, and suddenly you have issues with sleeping. You go back and forth between “I can’t eat”, and “why am I eating more than I need to? I’m not even hungry.” That sometimes leads to stomach ailments directly after eating. The reason for this is because the gut-biome becomes unbalanced. Finally, the immune system lets down its guard, and you become sick and depleted of life force entirely. Meanwhile, all we are doing as humans is just trying to get out of bed to go to a job that doesn’t value us, in a society that doesn’t value rest.
Like I’ve mentioned many times across this website in different blog posts, when the body doesn’t have time to return to its natural state of being [controlled by the HPA axis], we become reliant on cortisol’s cycle. Maybe this is why many of us have a hard time recognizing when something is positive, makes us happy, feels good, or even acknowledge when it is time to give ourselves the space to rest and regenerate our energy? It could be a big reason why a lot of us stay in unhealthy relationships and dynamics, because we are reliant on this hormone, and the feeling it gives us. Some of us feel guilty for carving out time to rest, taking breaks, or walking away from things that keep us agitated or sad. The universe isn’t innately out to destroy us, but systems have been built many, many years ago that ensures those not in power always serve those in power. We make ourselves sick in dangerous and abusive relationships, toxic work environments, and serving communities and networks that devalue us as human beings.
Some Remediation Techniques
Because this blog post is written during Aries Season, and because this blog post is dedicated to Mars energy, I wanted to find ways to remediate Mars by working with cortisol, but on Mars’ terms. I set out to look for and try anything fiery, red, bold, action-based, spicy, loud, etc. Unfortunately, there isn’t a whole lot, since combating cortisol requires a more gentler, softer, and quieter approach. For instance, exercise can spike cortisol within the body, and therefore will pump more cortisol within our systems. However, some exercises can help the body combat cortisol. Coffee, if ingested without food in the morning, can spike cortisol levels. On the other hand, a small moment of hot coffee can double as a quiet moment of reprieve for most of us, and is actually filled with nutrients. Certain spices can cause inflammation in the body, however specific spices can reduce inflammation. As you can see, the energy of Mars needs to be balanced. Not too much, or too little. We want Mars to fight with us and for us, not against us.
If you want to learn more about the nutritive qualities of coffee, check out my blog post! In this blog post, we talk about the astrological and esoteric message I got when meditating on the spirit of coffee.
Click on the image to take you to the post.
So what are some techniques to remediate Mars and cortisol, but on Mars’ terms?
Exercise
Exercising can help manage stress, but remember we need balance, so do not overdo it. We want to aim for about 20-30 minutes a day, engaging in low or moderate-intensity exercise routines. I find making a priority to step away from my desk, stretch, and breathe, has helped settle me. I do not want to be bothered when I am stretching and re-centering. If a text comes in, it can wait. If you need motivation, here is an inspirational Yoga Mentor, Jessica Richburg. She even has an app, which is pretty cool. Because of her, I look forward to finding the time to get on my yoga mat. Bonus points if you can put on some fireplace or flame-flickering ambiance in the background [real or fabricated] to invoke Mars energy.
Hiking and walking can remediate the conquering aspect of Mars by exploring forests, mountains, your own neighborhood, etc. Make sure you explore in an area that is safe, however. Once I get mountain air in my lungs, I feel vitality restored to me. If you’re interested, but don’t feel entirely motivated, don’t put pressure on yourself. Try going for a 10 minute walk around your neighborhood, and be aware of your surroundings. What do you notice? What can you hear? What colors are the most vibrant on your walk? Where do the flowers grow where you live? What kind of flowers? When you’re done, simply head back home! If this type of exercise seems stressful to you, don’t do it. You don’t want to put your body in a movement that it doesn’t want to do at that moment. The whole point is to reduce stress, not add more to it. What you want to try to achieve is making time for yourself without the noise and distraction of anything external.
Mediumship Through Movement
Dancing or cardio is another wonderful and divine way I work with Mars. Because my Mars sits in Sagittarius, my hips need to move when I am overstimulated. Moreover, because it sits in my 8th house, I find that dancing or going for a 30 minute run helps me commune with the spirit world. I call it “Medium-ship Through Movement”. I believe having c-PTSD/PTSD makes meditation harder than it already is. It’s not impossible, but I tune in more when I am moving. I’m also not saying I’d prefer motion over stillness when meditating. There are times when my body tells me it wants to stop moving to sit in stillness and silence. However, when in motion, the nervous energy in my body has a place to focus, and move through my body. I listen to music while doing cardio, but it is better felt when listening to nature. I have had the best ideas come to me out of nowhere while doing cardio and communing with spirit. I’ve even done manifestation work this way, as well. A lot of real magic in my life has been fulfilled through allowing movement to heal me. When dancing, I just allow my body to move in the ways it wants to. I don’t overthink about how silly I look. The point and practice of this is exclusively to allow my body and spirit to exorcise the intense emotions out.
I am a third generation Mediterranean/Sicilian-American on both sides of my family, so I think “exorcising negativity” was maybe just a way my ancestors knew how to help alleviate chronic pain and depression. In the 16th and 17th centuries, there was a dance called the Tarantella that originated in Southern Italy. It is still performed today, but the reasoning and dynamics of it have changed drastically. From what I understand, since women were typically working in fields, they would get bitten by tarantulas [or a similar type of spider] often. The only way the people of that time believed they could cure themselves, was to sweat out the venom through intense, aggressive, and frenetic dance movements. I’ve read that it was also done as an exorcism ritual, as well. However, eventually, it shifted from this “exorcising spirits and ridding of toxins” dance, into a dance for courtship that is performed to this day. This is the most Scorpionic thing I’ve ever heard. 🦂 ♏
If you’ve ever seen the original Tarantella, it looks like an exorcism:
Fire For Divination
Meditating in the dark with a candle lit is super “Fire Wizard'' vibes. In my Mars in 8th House Sagittarius post, I mentioned how Sailor Mars [Rei Hino], from the 90’s anime Sailor Moon, used fire to scry, protect, and defend. Fire for divinity and protection has been deeply healing for me. If I am not able to go for a run, and nervous energy takes over my body, I instead invoke Mars with fire. Remember: Mars and cortisol have the power to fight against its own energy. Sitting with Spirit, Ancestors, God, or whatever you want to insert here for yourself, is the best type of release, in my opinion. I may even pull out a tarot deck, and ask it what my body is trying to tell me. Fire-scrying or fire-cleansing can also be done. If you have Mars in a fire sign, you may especially resonate with this. My late grandmother also had Mars in Sagittarius, and she would stare at fire and just talk about what prophetic images she saw in it. She loved fireplaces, candles, fire pits, etc. Sometimes, I don’t even look at the flame. I close my eyes, and just visualize casting my worries and stressors into the fire. If stress becomes overwhelmingly heavy, and movement becomes a burden for me, I will just silently sit by some fire. In a way, this is my take on fire-cleansing, but without getting too close to fire.
My friend and indirect Necromancing Wizard Mentor, Douglas Batchelor, of the What Magic is This? Podcast, has done a “How-To” video for fire-cleansing on his Patreon. If this is something you’ve been interested in, I suggest checking this out. It essentially is using fire to cleanse your aura or energy.
What Magic is This? Podcast
with Douglas Batchelor
Fire is purifying, but please be careful. Like I said in my last post, fire is wild. It does not care what you intend to do with it. It will spread and destroy if precaution is not practiced.
Oils, Herbs, and Food
I’ve mentioned this in the preface, but I will reiterate that I am not a doctor or licensed professional. Because I have a chronic illness, chronic pain, as well as c-PTSD, I always research ways to alleviate pain when I am not able to seek professional help. However, I seek medical care when possible, and I am also on medication for my conditions. Not everyone has access to safe medical care, and I want to acknowledge that. Furthermore, my grandparents used herbs and food to heal sickness, cure pain, and release negative moods.
For a low mood, anger, anxiety, irritability, or intense mood swings, try citrus essential oils. Sweet orange, bergamot, and neroli are all good. Citrus oils are used in magic to invoke Solar energy more than Martian energy, but I find using citrus oil to call upon Mars is gentler, but still invigorating enough. Regardless, Mars and the Sun are both represented by the element of fire. Mars is the Warrior, and The Sun is The King. These oils are uplifting, and may promote optimistic feelings. This will support the nervous system. Shifting your mindset into healthy optimism can help divert nervous energy from releasing into toxic behaviors.
Garlic, onions, and ginger are also ruled by Mars, according to some Herb Witches and Occultists. Garlic and onions are prebiotics, which encourages beneficial bacteria growth in the gut. Ginger is a natural probiotic, and it is rich in lactobacilli. This promotes the growth of healthy flora in the intestine, which will aid digestion. The connection to your gut and brain is not something you should overlook. An unbalanced gut and unbalanced cortisol levels is sort of “chicken or egg”. One can shift the equilibrium of the other, and the feedback will circle again. Working on gut-to-brain connection is a difficult task to navigate without the help of a professional, but it is so important to master.
Turmeric can be used in ritual magic to invoke Mars, and in small amounts, actually has the ability to fight inflammation. I drink turmeric lattes after my run to balance out cortisol that may have spiked from my cardio session. This spice is known to keep you centered and calm when you take on stress, or when you are under pressure. It decreases large amounts of cortisol within the body. It will also increase serotonin, which is the “happy hormone”. Other Mars-related benefits of the herb is that it is a pain reliever. Inflammation in the body is one of the root causes of a lot of conditions and syndromes, so anything to reduce inflammatory symptoms is my go-to quite regularly. I will even sprinkle some turmeric powder in recipes, smoothies, hot cocoa (along with cinnamon), or on top of popcorn.
When I think of cinnamon, I think of Halloween and Christmas. For the entire fall and winter season of 2021, I made multiple sweet potato pies for my British in-laws who have never even heard of sweet potato pie! I have this amazing YouTube user, Tam Bam, to thank as well. This is her famous southern sweet potato pie recipe, and - WOW, it is so delicious. It is so easy to follow, too! Sometimes I will implement my own little add-ins and substitutes, but this recipe on its own is the most delicious thing I’ve ever tasted. The only spices included are nutmeg and cinnamon. Cinnamon reduces inflammation, upset stomach, stimulates digestion, and balances blood pressure. I put cinnamon in almost anything: coffee, tea, “nice cream” recipes, desserts, etc. Using cinnamon in rituals can help speed up the desired outcome of the spell you’re casting it for. It also helps protect, heal, and draw money to you. If you’re going to use cinnamon essential oil to bless or anoint an object, make sure you use a carrier oil (almond oil, castor oil, etc). While everyone is different with how they react to essential oils, cinnamon has a greater chance of irritating your skin.
I mentioned putting cinnamon in my hot cocoa, but I also sprinkle some cayenne pepper in it, too. Cayenne, also ruled by Mars, has anti-inflammatory properties, and it supports a healthy digestive tract. When you are sick, sprinkling some cayenne pepper in hot cocoa, hot water with lemon, or tea, can stimulate blood flow. This will increase the speed of your immune cells so that they can move towards the infection and fight it. If you are sensitive to spicy food, you will only need a pinch.
Shaking
Have you ever seen an animal shake after fleeing from an attack, or maybe after becoming frightened of a loud noise? After stress hormones are pumped into the system from being in the face of danger, animals shake their bodies vigorously to end a cycle of stress. I assume our ancestors must have done something similar, but we don’t have any type of action that we practice to end a stress cycle in today’s world. This means, we can end up staying with the stressors held within our bodies. When we are in a cycle of stress, all other systems in our body are compromised. The brain is the first to get nutrients to think quickly, so the digestive system and immune system are depressed in order to withstand intense situations. However, just like our animal friends, we too can “shake stress out” by shaking our bodies.
I first heard about this concept from A Year of Magical Living with Imogen Roy.
A Year of Magical Living Podcast
with Imogen Roy
On Episode 09 - Shaking it Off, she talks about shaking to end the cycle of stress, but as a ritual. I invite you to listen to this episode, and learn some ways to shake your body to end a stress cycle. She mentions a couple of different ways to achieve this, so that you have options to choose from that feel right for you.
Our bodies are always in cycles of something, whether it is sleeping, eating, time, seasons, menstruating, working, etc. I believe the language of cycles is the innate language of mammals. There is always a trigger of some variation that tells your body when it is time to end a cycle, and start a new one. For stress, it’s also true. Even if the stressors are emotional or mental, the stress response still responds as if a lion is attacking us, and we either need to “fight or flee”. Holding stress in never has a benefit, and we honor our bodies when we end the stress cycle by shaking it out.
Stim-Dancing
The word “stimming” is short for stimulation. Stimming involves repeated movements, sounds, or constantly touching certain textiles and fabrics as a way to stimulate the senses in order to self-regulate the nervous system. It usually coincides with the criteria for autism and neurodivergency, but it's not always exclusive to it. It occurs when someone is hyper-stimulated or triggered.
Stim-dancing is a form of stimming, and helps release tension in the body. It is essentially repetitive moments that are solely guided by the body’s instincts to self-regulate. I found this article titled Dancing is Existing, and if you are autistic or have PTSD/c-PTSD, I eagerly recommend this article to you. The article is published by Florence Neville who interviewed Riah Person, an aspiring Dance Movement Therapist. You can find a video of them stim-dancing at the bottom of the article. I couldn’t agree more with this article. Stimming, dancing, and stim-dancing are all cathartic ways to release Mars energy from the body when it builds up. I find myself stim-dancing when trauma resurfaces for me, when I am overstimulated, or when restless. The body holds memory, and just like shaking, it can help moderate the nervous system by releasing hyper-stimulated feelings and triggers. Don’t think about how to move your body, just let it move and regulate itself by balancing its nervous system. It’s not supposed to look graceful or “normal” by our standards of a modern society, however, as someone who has always identified with being neurodivergent, I believe it should be normalized. I’ve seen people on the autistic spectrum regulate themselves by dipping their hands in drinks and food because it makes them feel calm. They can tune out whatever it is that is over-stimulating them, and focus on the stimulation that feels safe and good for them. Stim-dancing is the same. Sometimes when the static in my head gets too loud, I just have to dance it out of my body.
Final Thoughts
Consider that maybe your body doesn’t want or require more Mars-type energy. Maybe adding spices to your diet or engaging in activity that is too aggressive might make you feel worse. Instead, maybe your body needs something softer and subdued. Listen to what your body needs, and respond accordingly. You can check out some of my blog posts where I address more softer ways to ease into peace and feelings of serenity. I will link them below. In the meantime, I hope you walk away from both posts with more ways to work with Mars and cortisol.
Always remember to only engage in healing activity and mindsets that feel safe and right for you.
Melatonin, Neptune, and The Moon
What is Melatonin, what does the literature say, and how can we use it in our daily healing and sleep rituals?
The Wisdom of Sleep
Why is sleep important for our body’s detoxification process, and how can we craft a Sleep Ritual?
Please consider subscribing to my newsletter, by entering in your email below. By subscribing, you are directly supporting my work. I only send out emails when I publish a new blog post, or I make significant changes to the website.
Alternatively, you can subscribe to my Substack, if you have one. Click here.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, I lost all of my jobs, and had to completely restart my life. Things are so much better than three years ago, because I decided to go to school to pursue a very old dream and passion of mine: becoming a Holistic Practitioner and merging Science with Spirituality. I am still in school, and have two years left until I reach my certification. There are diploma courses afterwards that I would like to take to ensure I get the most out of my education. I am still, however, unemployed. I’d like to ask, if you got something out of this post, and you are financially in a place to donate, please do. Every bit counts. It takes a lot of energy, time, and resources to research this much into the blog posts I create, and sometimes I have to take independent courses or purchase books to go beyond my studies. With your help, I can optimize my education by obtaining a diploma, and in turn, can continue to share everything I learn on this website. Click the button below to donate to my Ko-Fi.
