I get this question often, and was just raised again in a DM:

"when Mars and Saturn are in their own signs, are they more malefic? or are they easier to deal with, mitigated in a sense?"

a thread. as this was predicated on Mars' ingress into Aries, a little Fire Nation for you:

planets in their own sign are said to be dignified. it's a bit of shorthand to refer to them in this way; it indicates instead that their output, or their expression, is more in line with their core virtue. dignified planets are better positioned to be true to their own natures.

when Mars is in Aries, he is like a sharp sword, swift and bright, poised to draw blood. when Venus is dignified, she shows her power in her ability to draw consensus from warring parties, to persuade, to bring focus on what unites. dignity helps the planet's core identity shine.

a planet's sign is like a throne which brings dignified expression: ability to marshal familiar resources, to find oneself well attuned to the environment. with little expended energy, planets in their own signs can produce great effect, like being on one's home turf.

conversely, when planets are in signs opposite their own, they are put in an environment where they are least effective. it doesn't have to spell disaster, but it does mean that that planet will need to learn some new adaptive skills (i.e., survival tactics).

Mars in Taurus or Libra is a frustrated planet, unable to instinctually connect to the environment and its resources in the same way Venus could. it's common to find planets in detriment 'acting out' in some way, struggling to adapt to their surroundings. self-awareness helps.

the secret is to encourage the planet in detriment to lean into the uncomfortable environment, to find a way to understand the self through new and unusual surroundings. Muhammad Ali (Mars in Taurus) is an example of this done well. Bill Clinton (Mars in Libra) is the inverse.

planets in detriment are insecure and unstable. as a result, they can trigger some unpleasant experiences. returning to the example of Mars, a debilitated Mars is like a dull blade. its imprecise nature can cause more damage of a messy kind. (forgive the GIF, best I could find.)

so what about when a planet is dignified? remember, this is a planet who is very much in touch with its core virtue: efficient and effective, content and competent, confident in its abilities. so do the malefics get more malefic when dignified, or more benefic?

the answer is simple: you're thinking about it wrong. malefic planets are so called because they're antithetical to life. a planet never abandons its essential nature. it's either in touch with it, or isn't. that's all we're measuring with essential dignity and debility.

so when Mars is dignified, he is significantly more dangerous if he chooses to get involved, or is brought into signification by angularity, transit, etc. but a dignified Mars is also content, and unlikely to attack or cause trouble unless provoked.

it's the debilitated Mars that you have to watch. it struggles in its own ineffectiveness. think about a time you felt ineffective, in work or in personal relationships. did it make you question your worth or value? did it hurt your self esteem? did it cause insecurity or shame?

the more insecure you are, the more likely you are to cause harm through blunders or dramatic reaction. the more confident and self-assured you are, the stronger you are, but also the less likely to cause harm without just cause. planetary psychology has a similar operation.

please also remember: you are not every planet in your chart. a planet in detriment may be more appropriate in describing your brother (3rd-ruler) or career path (10th-ruler) than it in describing you.