Angel as Mars vs. Spike as Pluto (and the evolution of relationship)
There is a reason that I have always been on team Spike. Or Spuffy - if you want to choose within the context of relationship. Many, even Buffy herself acknowledged Angel as the love of her life. But in the end, I believe her ideas of love had evolved alongside her.
Angel and Buffy were the perfect couple in the unconscious realm. He was infatuated with her. As a young girl with great power, he gave her what she thought she needed - even the pain that helped her to grow. He unconsciously broke her over and over again, adding to her strength. He lied to her in order to protect her, ignoring her ability to hold the truth. They had a battle or wills - always trying to teach each other rather than learn something new about themselves. Angel saw her through his projections and fears, rather than acknowledging who she really was. Even their sexual relationship reflected this. The movement of hormones, the taming of chemistry. It was an embodied, physical act. They fought, they fucked (once), and they lost steam.
Angel held the essence of Mars. The strong physical presence, the Ego. The inner and outer conflict that presented itself as war just as often as it manifested as protection. Mars is a personal planet, it is “skin in”, affecting our individual experience of the day to day. We think - but what about me? What do I have to do to be better, or simply to appear better? How do I get what I want? What do I need to do in order to survive? Angel was masculine because of his muscles, his strength, and his drive.
Angel's fuel was redemption. He moved in order to save himself from the violence of his past. From the monster that lived within him. His pesky Soul a reminder of all that he had done. The Soul he didn't ask for. The Soul he endured. But the fact is - he still had that monster living within him. And so did she. Yes, even our hero - the slayer of demons had her own darkness. So why did she stay? Because she hadn't even begun to understand the magnitude of her own abilities. When she felt weak - he showed up as the protector. The hero to the hero. When he felt defeated, she showed up in anger. Trying to force him back into his strength so that she can feel safe. All very necessary, but unsustainable. Eventually, even with their 200+ age difference, she outgrew him.
