Iron Fortress: Mars in Scorpio III

iron: the metal of Mars, the pumping of blood, the weight lifted to grow stronger

fortress: protected temple, armored castle, battle headquarters, stronghold

Content Warning:

Mars is a malefic planet; they are not an inherently happy spirit. This report will not sugarcoat difficulty. Please heed care. There will be potentially triggering discussions of violence, war, blood, anger, harm, etc.

A Brief on Mars

Abu Ma’shar says of Mars’ nature:

“youth and strength and the sharpness of the mind, also heats and fires and burning up, and everything which happens abruptly; a king of power and cleverness, and the commands of leaders, and the army, and the companions of the king, and over injustice and subjugation, and war, and killing and fighting, and courage, and endurance.”

Vettius Valens says of Mars:

“Mars indicates force, wars, plundering, screams, violence, whoring, the loss of property, banishment, exile, alienation from parents, capture, the deaths of wives, abortions, love affairs, marriages, the loss of goods, lies, vain hopes, strong-armed robbery, banditry, looting, quarrels among friends, anger, fighting, verbal abuse, hatreds, lawsuits.

Mars brings violent murders, slashing and bloodshed, attacks of fever, ulceration, boils, burns, chains, torture, masculinity, false oaths, wandering, embassies under difficult circumstances, actions involving fire or iron, craftwork, masonry.”

Iron Fortress Core Values

Ancient texts never dilute the harsh maleficence of Mars; neither shall I.

It was very intentional that my shop first launched with two sweetly benefic Venus and Jupiter collections, and now the first individual release is Mars. I’ve dedicated so much of myself to this spirit that my podcast was born in 2023 from the urge to do a series on Mars through the signs, and while I am humble enough to recognize that Mars in all nativities has the capacity for activity, the approach for Iron Fortress emphasizes longevity and consistency.

I’ve devoted much of my life to athletic excellence. From bouncing between sports as a child looking for the best fit, then committing to the artistic movement of dance, to finding weight lifting in high school, and eventually pursuing a plethora of activities as an adult such as yoga, rock climbing, and running.

Before moving any further, let’s make it clear: Iron Fortress is for movement. Scorpio may be a fixed sign, but this is not a stagnant on-the-couch laze around kind of spirit, and you probably don’t want to engage with these offerings while trying to settle down or go to sleep. Which might be tempting since they’re delicious!

Picatrix states: “The inner body of the operator should belong to the nature that planet, that is, one should eat foods assigned to the chosen planet as much as one should for that operator’s body to sustain a complexion of humors suited to the chosen planet.”

Other than the Iron Fortress Circulation Salve and Wax Seal Talisman this collection is a suite of edible magical goods, always honoring my ethos of bringing planetary relationships into the body. The amount of spices I’ve consumed since creating Iron Fortress is quite tremendous, so may the seasoning now spread!

Movement can have many goals, besides the joy of movement for movement’s sake [joy really isn’t this vibe tho, see here for that] and one prominent goal is building strength.

When it comes to strength, either for aesthetics or for functionality, it’s impossible to hold onto without continued effort. Muscles cannot sustain themselves on nothing. Flexibility will not last if not used. You can do many things in life once and see a reward, but doing one single crunch never earned anyone a six pack.

There is no reward for one rep. A consistent routine, a focused drive, a thorough knowingness of what the body needs, a clear path of action to follow and sustain. Agility, mobility, speed, strength, endurance, balance, power.

Iron Fortress is a Martial castle with a Saturnian lock which opens the gate because the commitment generates the success. Malefic concepts like hardship and challenges are directly faced and confronted at the squat rack, the climbing project, the yoga mat.

Mars rules movement, activity, heat, blood, inflammation — all elements of physical activity. The Martial process of cutting and tearing can be seen in the micro tiny tears our muscles endure during exercise. The body’s inflammatory response begins to break down muscles to rebuild them stronger.

While there are many scenarios in which inflammation would like to be avoided, the satisfaction of a juicy pump fuels the zoomies to keep pushing.

And pushing indeed.

A Scorpionic trait is the deep dive, and this flows into obsession very easily. Mars here will find that fixation, stick with it, and grow so obsessive that they never even consider stepping outside this. This is very beneficial if it’s a solid obsession but can be wildly harmful if done to the point of exhaustion or injury. Being victim to a viral workout trend is an athletic rite of passage, but why does almost every program across all sports recommend deadlifts? Because they work.

Consistency isn’t that glamorous. Doing repetitive movements, eating repetitive foods, keeping regular and repetitive habits.

This dedication is not without sacrifice.

Time is sacrificed on both ends: the hours spent exercising and the hours lost to soreness. The body needs time continuously doing the thing to get better at the thing, and the body also needs time to recover.

The nitty gritty truth is that physical activity often appears quite nasty. Red inflamed face, sweat dripping down your crevices, tingly limbs or dizzy peripherals. It can be really fucking difficult to get going and get motivated. Leaving your comfort zone and intentionally entering discomfort requires discipline.

To raise one’s heart rate, to get the blood pumping, to expand air through your lung, to feel the body’s range of ability and to continue pushing.

This is not your one rep maximum, your single big blow. Iron Fortress is your heavy consistent load, your working set.

As I said, there can be many goals for movement. One goal is to outlast one’s enemies.

To know peace means to know violence. To choose to be a peaceful person often means to be aware of one’s capacity to be violent. And the stronger one is? The higher their capacity for violence and the higher their chance for survival.

At the time of this collection release the United States is at war, despite it not being “officially” declared, and protecting a global sex trafficking network. Realistically this country is perpetuating and/or encouraging conflict of some kind with many countries at this time, and there is war happening all over world right now.

The war in Ukraine has been perpetuated by Russia since 2022, the genocide of Palestinians in Gaza began in 2023, and one month ago the United States and Israel started a war with Iran. Along with a military strike in Venezuela, then add the ongoing civil war in Sudan and the natural resource conflict in Congo and and and…

Iron Fortress is not who you call upon to seek peace. This is who you call upon when you need to be powerful enough to fight off someone who intends harm to you. There is a silent and deadly resilience here which refuses to be tainted. This deep watery well of energy will not be poisoned.

The word “fortress” has the same root as “fortitude” which is the Latin “fortis” meaning strength. Iron Fortress facilitates a strength that must last because the fight might be long and arduous.

If it acts like a fascist and talks like a fascist and makes laws like a fascist, then what is it?

Right.

Let’s have a very important debrief here about exercise and accessibility.

A reasonable goal is to be able to healthily move your body and perform daily tasks which can be attained without running marathons or holding peacock pose for a minute. The average American does not meet aerobic and muscle-strengthening exercise guidelines, so any kind of activity is better than none!

To be powerful enough to fight off an attacker is really fantastic, and so is being able to sit down and get back up again with ease.

Bill Bryson in The Body: A Guide for Occupants says “As well as strengthening bones, exercise boosts your immune system, nurtures hormones, lessens the risk of getting diabetes and a number of cancers (including breast and colorectal!), improves mood, and even staves off senility. As has been noted many times, there is probably not a single organ or system in the body that does not benefit from exercise. If someone invented a pill that could do for us all that a moderate amount of exercise achieves, it would instantly become the most successful dug in history.”

There’s a relevant aside here about weight loss drugs and fat removal injections which create the illusion of achieving a look that requires effort without ever lifting a finger. And this house is no judgment zone and pro-modification because your body, your choice [especially considering Mars rules needles and surgery!], but the Iron Fortress will not welcome anyone who is unwilling to work hard in addition to any help.

Those with a disability which hinders movement can absolutely still access the benefits, whether it’s through a very specific exercise or channeling that intensity and focus into the mind.

A major pillar of my practice is the acknowledgment that humans are bodies, planets are bodies, and bodies are homes. A fortress can be a home; both are desired to be protected. Framing the human body as our only true home layers the importance of taking care of that home as much as you possibly can.

The obsessive nature of this spirit has a very protective bend. There’s an innate appetite to take care of what you’ve worked so hard to cultivate. This is your strength, your power, your resilience; and this indicates a serious ability to endure anything that might attempt harm.

This has reflected in my own protection over this collection because it’s my baby. The time and labor and prayer that it’s taken to get here is mammoth, so naturally I’m committed to going the distance.

Iron Fortress is the gym, the studio, the road, the pool, the park, your living room. Iron Fortress is the sanctuary you build yourself to keep you safe and the temple where your blood, sweat, and tears has a home.

Hard things require hard work, yet it doesn’t have to be miserable.

This spirit of Mars in Scorpio will benefit those who seek to go the long haul because they’re committed to their inner ferocity and determined to persevere.

Operational Layers

This operation was one of nine that I did during the duration of Mars in Scorpio in fall 2025. It involved keeping a red candle burning 24/7 for the entirety of the six week transit. One consistent theme was hand pouring wax seals in red, burgundy, and black with a unique seal image for each. For all nine as well bloodstone, garnet, and red jasper were engraved with the Mars and Scorpio glyphs.

Considering the specific nature and intentions, I brought in my dumbbells and kettlebells for the altar and rooted the operation to a 5lb plate that I engraved with the Mars and Scorpio glyphs and 5x5 magic square of Mars.

The angel of Mars was invoked, referencing Ali A. Olomi: “In inscribing talismans of Mars, prayer is said to Samsha'il, the terror. In the appropriate hour recite 'God will judge between you on the Day of Resurrection concerning all the matters which you differ. Oh, Most Perfect Judge release Samsha'il' [5x]”

While there were nine in total, Iron Fortress is only one of two which be released to the public. The other one involved a technological sacrifice, which is a story for another day that includes a natural spring, but this one had an almost. On the eve of launch day, my laptop wouldn’t turn on and was just about to get a factory reset before coming alive. It was nonfunctioning for hours that had been demarcated for finishing touches…which resulted in things going less than perfectly smooth and requiring further divination to continue. Not a full sacrifice, but there almost was one.

All rituals require some sacrifice, spiritual or financial or otherwise.

To conjure a malefic planet is to be brought into true volatility. To emerge from such a summoning still in tact as a mortal being with ethics and piety is to crawl from a shallow grave. Or to sacrifice blood, which did happen on multiple accounts. When Mars demands payment, they must be satisfied.

Or to run from the cops, which also did happen.

By this point in the six week transit, Mars had traversed a significant amount of Scorpio already. I had a very pivotal dream of a nest of scorpions having a flashlight shined directly upon it. However, it was empty. The scorpions knew the ambush was coming and had already escaped. 

Waking from this gave me the sensations of being both the flashlight on the hunt and the scorpions being hunted. I felt the instinctual pull of the attack, how to dodge and weave to avoid being hit, or worse: captured. For someone who has never been to war or even in a violent fight, it was the true feeling of being a warrior.

I took offerings from previous operations to the beach at night with my Mars in Capricorn best friend shortly before this one. We had just finished pouring out our libations and saw incoming headlights from around a bend, so we rapidly grabbed everything and jumped over the sand dunes then ran at full speed back to our parking location. Multiple cops started driving around patrolling, so we took a few deeps breaths during a short wait before returning home safely.

Time from seeing the flash of light to reaching the car door was maybe 20 seconds — and it was NOT a short distance. The pure Mars in Scorpio instinct that took over was unreal. Immediate speed hit, peak level agility, absolute flow state. This experience has been reflected in the results of Iron Fortress.

Intensity while exercising that I’ve never felt before, which is a true feat in my long and complex history of physical activity. Tenacity which has me adding reps and sets to workouts and still having so much more gas in the tank.

I’ve also experienced an increase in my pain tolerance and my spice tolerance, being able to carry the load and handle the heat. Along with plain redness! More red in my regular clothing rotation, more red in my cheeks, more red in my surroundings and environment.

A broadly applicable result of Iron Fortress has been knowing exactly when to keep going and when to quit. This applies to exercise: continuing to push or recognizing that exhaustion or injury was incoming. This applies to conflict: continuing to argue and attempt resolution or recognizing that no progress would occur and cutting off the conversation. My petition included the phrase “eagle-eyed discernment” which has absolutely come to fruition.

Election Details

Mars is in domicile in Scorpio in the 1st House, underneath the horizon at sunrise during Mars hour on Mars day. Very classic and straightforward target planet in the 1st on their day and hour. Mars is more malefic by day as the Sun exacerbates heat, so the ritual was completed when the Ascendant reached 14º, a full 10 degrees above Mars to temper.

The Moon is in Capricorn, beautifully benefically enclosed thanks to a separating square to Venus in Libra and an applying opposition to Jupiter in Cancer. Leaving the night ruling benefic and approaching the day ruling benefic as the Sun rose and Mars was stirring below the horizon. Later this day after the Moon completes their aspect to Jupiter they apply to Mars in Scorpio by sextile, eventually finding the red hot warrior.

I recognize that this Moon is traditionally debilitated, in their antithesis of Capricorn and opposite their domicile of Cancer, moving slowly and ruled by a retrograde Saturn in Pisces. As has been discussed much already, the goals to be achieved by working with this spirit will not be met quickly. The cardinal push of this Moon sandwiched between dignified cardinal benefics is exactly the right oomph.

Mars is in the third decan of Scorpio, a decan of Venus, which plays into a wee bit of vanity and ego. For all the functionality of strength, there is still a form which can be refined. It might not end up looking how originally intended, but likely will be better because it will be real.

When envisioning Iron Fortress, the third decan of Scorpio stood out with the themes of desire being reborn again after severing. The connections to exercise were bouncing in my brain. Muscles breaking down and being reborn stronger. Previous goals being smashed and now not even hard enough for the warmup.

Austin Coppock describes Scorpio III in 36 Faces: “Though rife with heartbreaking and violent images, this face is ultimately one of liberation and great satisfaction. If one chases the ghosts which flit about it, there will be naught but debauchery. If, however, one releases what one no longer possesses, what returns is a satisfaction superior to anything previously dreamt. Those pictured in this face are challenged to wholly possess their own desire-nature, and find complete sovereignty over its continual death and rebirth.”

One last juicy bit: this moment occurred during the water trine between Mars in Scorpio, Jupiter in Cancer, and Saturn in Pisces which certainly emphasizes how much this will make you sweat!

Leaving you a trail of spicy syncs…

Very classically Martial omens have been loud throughout this launch such as bright red things, dogs, and spices.

On the very first day I tested Iron Fortress Beet Root Powder at my lifting gym, I saw the gym owner and his pregnant fiancee. They told me that they were planning to name their son Ares, and he was then born under Mars in Capricorn with the Moon in Scorpio — the swap of the Moon and Mars configuration in Iron Fortress…

A bright red flower bloomed both on the Mars day of the Iron Fortress operation and on the Mars day of the collection photo shoot…

Also on the Mars day of the Iron Fortress photo shoot, my mom found a jar of salsa that she had been meaning to give me but had lost…

While prepping for the Iron Fortress launch, my Mars in Capricorn best friend told me about a ghost face pepper plushie toy they got for their dog [a canine who has Mars in Aries] and the seller told them that the plushie had been “a really hot seller lately” …

The weekend before the Iron Fortress launch, a friend stayed over and brought their dog! Then the Mars day after they left I subbed at the dance studio, and one of my students brought her dog in for the first time…

Before working with Iron Fortress, I’d never noticed this poster in my lifting gym of Muhammad Ali, Olympic gold medalist and world champion boxer who funnily enough is a fellow Mars in Taurus. His famous quote “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee” has always stuck with me. Iron Fortress is my sting, as evidenced in the first line of my personal invocation for this spirit:

hiss, sting, roar, growl, scream

A LITERAL HOUR BEFORE LAUNCH: one of my book club hotties [no seriously, my book club is titled “hotties who read”] asked about beet preparation. I was in the middle of finishing product listing pages when she sent this message!!!!! Mars wanted to launch SO BADLY!!!!! Very relevant that this is someone who actually tested the Iron Fortress Hottie Spice Blend and reported extremely high levels of motivation when consuming it during the work day. 

And my post-ceremony selfies, feeling the Iron Fortress experience, covered in magical talismanic spices…