Few regions of the palm carry as much quiet drama as the Mounts of Mars. In the Western chiromantic tradition, as codified by William Benham and Charles Cheiro, Mars does not occupy a single point on the hand — it divides itself into two distinct territories, each governing a different expression of the same martial spirit.
Two Mounts, Two Faces of Courage
The Lower Mount of Mars sits nestled between the base of the thumb and the beginning of the Life Line, on the thumb side of the palm. This is the seat of what the tradition calls active or physical courage — the readiness to meet opposition head-on, to stand firm rather than retreat. When this mount rises well, Benham describes a person who carries a natural, steady boldness: not recklessness, but calm, grounded resolve in the face of challenge. A flat or absent Lower Mars, by contrast, tends to reflect a gentler temperament, one that reaches for diplomacy before confrontation — a quieter form of courage, turned inward.
The Upper Mount of Mars occupies the opposite edge of the palm, along the percussion between the Heart Line and the mount of Mercury. Where Lower Mars initiates, Upper Mars endures. Benham calls this the seat of moral courage — the deep reservoir that allows a person to hold their ground under sustained pressure, to outlast opposition through composure rather than aggression. A well-developed Upper Mars suggests a formidable inner resilience that others often sense and lean upon. When both mounts are prominently raised together, the tradition sees a rare harmony: bold initiative and quiet endurance working as one, a nature that rarely surrenders.
What the Markings Reveal
Beyond elevation, the marks found on these mounts refine the picture considerably. A triangle on Lower Mars is considered especially auspicious in both Cheiro's and Benham's systems, pointing toward strategic intelligence under pressure — courage tempered by calculation. A square is read as a preserving influence, a steadying inner resource that shields rather than inflames. A star, by contrast, amplifies the mount's energy to an almost electric intensity, reflecting a fierce readiness to stand one's ground that demands careful direction.
More cautionary are the cross and the grille. A cross on either mount suggests that bold, martial energy may at times tip into combativeness or inner friction — an invitation to examine where determination shades into unnecessary conflict. A grille on Lower Mars speaks to a fighting spirit that risks scattering itself into restlessness or irritability unless consciously channelled into steadier purpose.
It is worth noting that the shape and texture of the hand itself provides essential context for reading these mounts — something explored in depth in our guide to the four hand shapes, where the tradition establishes the broader temperamental framework within which any single feature must be understood.
The Mounts of Mars, taken together, offer a nuanced portrait of how you tend to meet resistance — not whether you will face it, but the inner resources you naturally bring to bear when you do.
Curious how your own Mars mounts sit within the full landscape of your palm? A personal reading can bring these tendencies into much clearer focus.