Saturn and Mars are both naturally kroor graha, ie they will always give their results in their characteristic harsh, unfeeling, cruel, turbulent etc fashion. However their results are not always as horrible as it is made out. Saturn is auspicious for the ascendant signs, Taurus, Libra, Capricorn and Aquarius. Mars is auspicious for the ascendant signs Aries, Cancer, Leo and Scorpio. Also if you have your birth Moon is any of these signs even then Saturn/Mars will support on the emotional levels. So for a small percentage of the population Saturn and Mars individually are generally auspicious. It is when they are functional malefics for your ascendant sign that they can really cause problems. And when they get together in some way then the results that they give are turbulent as they spoil the significations of the house sign involved. 

Saturn is restriction, constriction, stress, fear, deprivation etc. Practical, systematic, patient, solid, realistic. He does not take any action unless he has thoroughly thought it over and come to a conclusion that this is the right way. Hierarchy, structure, organisation, discipline, long term planning, rules, schedules, hard work, slow movement etc are his keywords. He is mature, pragmatic, a dull personality, burdened by the karmic load he has to work through. He is linked to the lowest, most grounded Muladhar chakra. He is aware of the implications, especially the karmic repercussions, of every action taken. Saturn is the material frame of your body, the skeleton. The solidest part of your body, the bones are linked to Saturn. He hits you with his precisely timed karmic bombs until you learn his lessons. And then he gives you his gains, all profits from the hard work that you have done till then are given to you in full. He is a more spread out sort of energy which maintains structures and resists change.

Mars is a warrior on the war path. He wants to challenge, compete, attack, invade, rage, fight and conquer. He is anger, sexual desire, passion, the urge to live, the drive within you. He is the vital structure of your body, Nadi and also the vital energy, Pran powering it. Mars is the fastest and lightest part of your astral self. He is located at the fiery Manipur chakra. He is also the muscle and the blood, the fast moving and reactive elements of your physical body. He wants to take advantage of every weakness, every opportunity, every chance without much thought to the consequences. Mars is the Will, the impulsive blast of focussed power. He is the the energy of birth and death, catastrophic transformation of the entire identity. He does not allow something to sustain for long as he desires and initiates change. 

So it is obvious that both have diametrically opposite natures with no evident common ground, which is the cause of conflict. If two planets are together they enhance their common qualities and generate tension where they are of dissimilar views. 

For eg, Jupiter and Venus together or aspecting, (post here). Both are uncomfortable together, give dissatisfying results, but ultimately both are Gurus. This is the common ground where they can cooperate. If you can understand this then you can make better use of their synergy. Eg if you can take up some activity related to philosophy or spiritual practice etc the Gurus will be satisfied and help, albeit in their diametrically opposite ways. But help they will as the final goal is acceptable to both. 

So if you have Mars and Saturn together in your chart, you have to find a common acceptable goal that satisfies both their energies.

Saturn and Mars can influence each other basically in two ways. 

Scenario 1 – If both are together in the same house, ie conjunct or both are opposite each other, ie they mutually aspect via the 7^th aspect. Its an uncomfortable situation, sort of a mutually assured destruction if they do not cooperate. If they cooperate then it can give good results.

Scenario 2 – If Saturn aspects Mars via his extra 3^rd 10^th aspect or if Mars aspects Saturn via his extra 4^th 8^th aspects. These extra aspects are more intense than the regular 7th aspect. Here only one of them has an effect on the other, it is not a mutual influence.  The recipient has no option to bear and endure under this aspect. This, in my opinion, is more disturbing in life than the scenario 1 above. The recipient planet will be irritated, frustrated and unable to perform. If you have charts with this combination do analyse carefully.

• If Saturn is aspecting Mars like this then all that your Mars signifies will initially seem very promising but not work out as Saturn will not allow Mars to work freely. The keywords of the house that Mars is in, the houses that he owns and aspects. The overall functioning of Mars in your life will be affected, ie taking the right decision will be difficult, you will not have the right confidence, will feel insecure if you are to show off your passion, feel scared if you have to take an initiative. You will just keep on planning and planning waiting for the right time which will never come. You might get scared to be intimate with your spouse. Relationships with the siblings will be affected.
• And the other way round, if Mars aspects Saturn, you will not be allowed to systematically go through the activities of that house as Mars will force his impatience on Saturn. Houses owned and aspected by Saturn will also suffer to some extent. You will never be able to plan things well, you might make schedules but Mars will force you to put them into action before you are ready. Premature actions and unwonted aggression will damage the things that Saturn stands for in your life.

Scenario 1 – In this case, they mutually influence each other. The extent of influence will depend on their individual power, Shadbala, Vimshopak bala, Ashtakvarga scores, etc techniques of astrology. The stronger one will naturally exert more influence over the other. 

Mars will try to push ahead regardless of everything and Saturn will caution, demand that you plan first. Its just like you press the accelerator full on and then immediately stamp on the brakes. Or the other way round, you have the brake on and still you push the accelerator to the floor. This is going to damage the car and cause an accident. Similarly the keywords of the connected sign/ house suffer from indecisiveness, confusion, internally divided mindset, delayed or denied results etc. This inability to use the energy properly will spill over to the overall personality causing several issues, from behaviour to health. But here they both are mutually aspecting, thus there is still some scope of working with them and coming to an mutually acceptable understanding. The common ground is the signs and houses they are in and mutually aspecting.

eg. Suppose they are together in the 10^th house.

If only one of them was here then it would have been an excellent placement. But you are now required to live your professional life with these opposing energies together. Mars will want you to jump into every opportunity with full force, commit your 100% energy immediately. Saturn will want you to plan, schedule, take permissions, think on the long term. You are required to blend these energies in a sensible manner. If you have a strong ascendant sign/ lord and birth Moon then this will be easier. You can use the following pointers to find out the best way to use them together.

• Analyse the strengths of Saturn and Mars in the birth horoscope. Of these whichever is stronger, reinforce his qualities. But also remain conscious of the other one. If Mars is stronger you will be inclined to immediately jump into new projects. So train your mind to wait for a day, so that you can think over before commit yourself. If Saturn is stronger then you will want to wait, but Mars will chafe if you keep delaying. So the strategy is the same, give yourself reasonable time frame, eg a day to think over but then do take a decision. 
• Check the current transits. If in transit one of the two is more powerful than the other, then use his energy as the predominant one in your work life. 
• Behavioural changes are always a good solution. Eg you can go to the gym with your office mates. Play some games with them, this can be as simple as cross and noughts. You have to find some activities where you can combine the keywords of the 10^th house, Mars and Saturn in a way which makes sense to you.
• Note the houses owned by them and try to use their energies from there. Suppose Mars rules your 8^th and is in the 10^th then try to involve yourself in your in laws’ social activities. Or if your Saturn owns 6^th and is the 10^th then always take the side of your subordinates and lower staff, or involve yourself in some welfare programmes for them. This will satisfy the planets, ie their energies are being given an outlet so they will interfere less in each other’s way of working. And you will also feel more adjusted.
• Further analyse their extra aspects, in our example Saturn will aspect the 12^th 7^th house and Mars will aspect the 1^st 5^th houses. Pay attention to these houses and their keywords, there is a higher possibility of causing real damage here, these parts of your life are aspected by a very uncomfortable planet.

Similarly you can work out the energy dynamics of the mutually opposing Saturn and Mars. The thing with the 7th house from anywhere is that it drains the energy of that house in a mysterious way.

eg Suppose you have Mars in the 4th and Saturn in the 10th.

• Here the Mars related things will cause a drain on the 10th house activities. And Saturn will drain the 4th house energies.
• If you act in a way which expresses the Mars in your 4th house, ie take up a cause for your mother this will cause a problem for your profession in some way by increasing your aggression in the office.
• Or the other way round, if you get very systematic in the office or get very focussed on your social image this will affect your initiative, passion, drive etc with regards to your home, landed property, vehicle, mother etc.
• Again the solution is to think and find a balance between these two opposing planets.

Saturn and Mars are both intense forces. Both are focussed, tenacious, won’t let go of their target once they are fixed on them. While using their combined energy, always keep your final purpose in mind. Think of them as your staff who are helping you attain a goal. Eg in our example, both in the 10th house, suppose you are trying for a promotion. Use the energy of Saturn to plan out your strategy, to write your proposal, systemically lay out your achievements, get your subordinates to create a positive undercurrent, etc. And then use the energy of Mars when you go to meet your boss, display your confidence, energy and passion. Use Mars to highlight the work that Saturn has done. Or use Mars to power the plans that Saturn has laid out. In short, keep your Mind very clear on your purpose. Remember that your Mind is the boss of both Mars and Saturn. Use them to fix problems in whichever house they are in, ie use Saturn to systematically analyse and find the problem. Later use Mars to decisively fix it with his direct action. 

With this combination you cannot be very impulsive and neither can you be very systematic. You cannot openly express your outgoing passion and neither can you express your need for structure. It always feels like being torn between two extremes. So here you have to find a balance between these two ways of expressing yourself. Else this churning frustration can cause problems on several fronts including health. A spilt personality type of behaviour is possible. Saturn and Mars will fight each other in the house/sign they are in and destroy it. Another thing is that you are prone to anger. The intense flash of volcanic rage that Mars signifies and also the slow burning one, the simmering resentment which turns inwards which is linked to Saturn. You must be careful about the way you allow your temper an outlet. Eg in our example, the 10^th house things can be irreversibly damaged if you lose your temper in office or you let the resentment related to the office enter your heart. You will also find yourself in legal problems in the house/sign they signify. eg if this 10^th house sign is Gemini then you will face legal issues in your workplace also get into legal wrangles with your siblings, the landed property or houses you own (4th house) will be stolen from you, avoid buying your own car, use public transport. The people signified by this house/sign in life should not be trusted unnecessarily. If there are any legal documents connected to these houses keep them safely. Physical injuries are possible, fractures, ligament tears, problems with the teeth, blood pressure, muscle tears etc. I have noticed that these people suffer from kidney stones. (For kidney stones to occur, Mars, Saturn and 8th house will be connected). 

Mars and Saturn together if used in the positive sense can grant you maturity, sense, seriousness, discipline, responsibility, endurance, energy, ability to work and persist till the gains are achieved etc. If you can do some pioneering work which will benefit the society it will help you attain inner balance. 

The effect will be reduced if you have benefics aspecting Saturn Mars. Of if you have a strong ascendant lord/sign and a strong birth Moon. The effects will be reduced in favourable Dasha periods and aggravated during the Dasha periods of Mars and Saturn. Be especially careful during Saturn Mahadasha – Mars antardasha. Also the Mars Mahadasha – Saturn antardasha, as these two sub-periods will be intense.

Even if you do not have this sort of Mars and Saturn interaction in your birth chart, you can also observe yourself and the people around you when Saturn and Mars interact during transits. eg 22nd Oct to 5th Dec 2021 Mars will be aspecting Saturn with his 4th extra aspect. So all of us will feel a strain as our individual the Mars/Libra things will try to aggressively influence the Saturn/Capricorn things in our lives as per our birth chart.

(Someone in my close family has Mars, Saturn and Rahu together, but aspected by Jupiter a major benefic for him. So if you seriously want to learn astrology you must collect the charts of your close family/friends and observe them. That is how you will really learn.)