This Spring begins with the Vernal Equinox and the Sun’s entrance into the Cardinal Fire Sign of Aries on March 19th – 20th. At the time of the Vernal Equinox, there is one planet in a Fire Sign, four planets in Earth Signs, one planet in an Air Sign and four planets in Water Signs. There are four planets in Cardinal Signs, one planet in a Fixed Sign and five planets in Mutable Signs. There are two planets in Positive Signs and eight planets in Negative Signs.
A sense of start and stop, shifting and changing seem a large part of this Spring period. We may want to start things up but may not have the energy or the confidence of follow-through. The season begins with a Stellium of three or more planets in one Sign: Mercury, Venus and Uranus in Pisces. We might feel that we have to take a reactive approach to life rather than an assertive, proactive approach. Certainly the volatility that we have experienced recently, whereby things can turn sharply without a moment’s notice, is en vogue. It would be wise for us to keep in mind the nursery rhyme and be nimble and be quick. Everything we do may have to take on a tentative, probationary disposition. Let’s see ourselves testing the waters, evaluating and reviewing, before launching our boats fully into the waters.
A key configuration of this beginning of the Spring season is a Cardinal Sign T-Square as the Sun moving into Aries squares Pluto on the 21st at the time of the Good Friday Libra Full Moon, and then the Sun squares Mars on the 30th. The Mars Pluto opposition that was exact at the time of the Pisces New Moon back on March 7th and which has seen continued economic deterioration and significant political leaders stepping off the stage, continues to be felt and re-enforced both throughout March and especially on the 21st when the Libra Full Moon creates a Cardinal Sign Grand Cross with the Sun in Aries, the Moon in Libra, Mars in Cancer and Pluto in Capricorn.
A good Spring cleaning could be part of our early Spring as we do an inventory taking of our lives and see what works for us and what no longer serves us. Significant transformations can go on now with extreme tidal changes to circumstances and conditions.
During this Spring period, two people who may be impacted by the energies in a challenging manner would be US President George W. Bush [thanks to the transiting Uranus square his natal Uranus, ruler of both his 7th and 8th Houses] and US Senator Barack Obama [thanks to the Libra Full Moon impacting his natal Venus in the 8th and transiting Pluto opposing his natal Venus]. Both individuals could come under attack and their personal popularity under assault.
Unless we are totally oblivious to the changing circumstances in the world around us, it would be wise that in our inventory taking we consider those areas of our lives that need to be cleaned up with parts eliminated and figure out how we can best do more with less. The more we strip away, get lean and mean, and focus on the truly important; the better able we shall be to deal with these changing times.
Although the beginning of Spring could prove rather intense, both in our personal lives with people feeling at their wit’s end and in the world with economic volatilities and extreme storm systems; there are some pleasant energies as well. If we feel blocked or stymied by the way things have been or are going, then we have the opportunity to consider options and alternatives. By thinking outside the box, ridding ourselves of any sense of victimization and embracing the attitude of gratitude, and by considering options and alternatives we might not otherwise take into account; we can create better ways for brighter days.
In these times, I am often reminded of the sage saying: ‘we never get more than we can handle’.
Despite the fact that we are being asked to rid ourselves of the dross, the superfluous and extraneous in our lives, we can also focus on what is truly important to us, what aspects of our lives can enhance the quality of our living. We may discover it is not the amount of toys or distractions we are able to surround ourselves with. We might also come to realize that we don’t have to have all the answers, conquer the world or master the universe. On the contrary, we might recognize that by our intentions and by our integrity we can draw things to us — that the universe works and that we are co-creators of our destiny by means of our choices or by adeptly playing the cards dealt to us.
Like a rebuilding process, this Spring allows us to remediate the soil, plant new seeds and tend to new interests that are more in line with whom we are and whom we are becoming.
Even though we’ll be feeling the Mars Pluto opposition through March, this influence raises the question as to whether we have built upon rock or built upon sand. The last week of March also provides the opportunity of embracing Springtime fever with Mercury conjunct Venus on the 24th, Mercury sextile Jupiter and Mercury conjunct Uranus on the 27th, and on the 28th Venus sextile Jupiter, Venus conjunct Uranus and Jupiter sextile Uranus. It may seem as though the storm clouds are parting and a bright sunny day revealed. We are likely to feel upbeat, interested in exploring new contacts and new activities, and we may sense that the worst may well be behind us. Although wonderful surprises could be in store, it would be wise to remember that we are in times of great volatility and a period very much akin to Charles Dickens’ writings in A Tale of Two Cities: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…”
So too for ourselves. It is important that we neither be carried away by the euphoria of irrational exuberance nor become despondent over the apparent state of affairs. What we can do is to experiment, allow this time to be one for self-discovery and also be aware of the daily synchronicities, those mini-miracles that occur every day in our lives.
It is essential that we recognize life as we have known it is not the way it is or the way it is likely to be. While that could be scary, even terrifying, we could also look at the opportunity it presents — a whole new paradigm with means and ways that are totally different from those before and possibly with journeys and itineraries that we could not have earlier imagined for ourselves.
As we come into April, Pluto turns retrograde on the 2nd widening the separation of the opposition to Mars as Mars continues its transit of Cancer. Even the housing crisis and declining property values can seem less dire with various solutions being offered. Let’s always keep in mind the importance of thinking outside the box, being creative in considering our alternatives and recognizing that we are on the threshold of a major paradigm shift with conditions and circumstances and even the effective methods being far different than those to which we are familiar.
The 2nd of April also has Mercury entering Aries, followed by Venus entering Aries on the 6th, at which time there is now a Stellium in the Cardinal Fire Sign as Venus joins Mercury and the Sun in Aries. Although the entry into Aries will trigger squares to Pluto, Mercury square Pluto on the 3rd and Venus square Pluto on the 6th, we are now ready to initiate our new projects and new plans for the Springtime, all the while that we’re still clearing away the irrelevant and outmoded. Our thoughts can be perceptive and penetrating, focusing on the core fundamentals. Our communications can be to the point and without a great deal of window dressing or diplomatic consideration. Our interactions with other people must have purpose and be soul satisfying, otherwise we may close the door on some of our connections.
The Aries New Moon on the 5th of April could propel us forward with a sense of inevitability and invincible destiny. This New Moon squares Jupiter while we are still feeling the magic of pulling the rabbit out of the hat, thanks to the influence of the Jupiter sextile Uranus. During early April, we have to be careful of overconfidence and assuming that we can make things happen solely by our determination and our intention. The Sun squares Jupiter and Mercury squares Mars on the 10th. Checking the signposts and dropping back now and then to re-evaluate and take an objective check on our actions should be considered.
The middle of April allows us to engage with friends, blueprint our strategies and clarify our goals. There are various energy patterns that contribute to our confidence and our desire to realize our greatest dreams. And if we take the time to plan our methods, we can find the most effective and expeditious means of achieving our aims. On the 13th, the Sun sextiles Neptune and Mercury squares Jupiter. On the 14th, Mercury sextiles Neptune. Mercury conjuncts the Sun on the 16th. Mercury exits Aries and enters Taurus on the 17th and on the 18th Mercury trines Pluto and trines Saturn. The Sun enters Taurus on the 19th just prior to the Scorpio Full Moon at which time the Sun trines Pluto.
During this period, we can make rapid advances in regard to those projects and activities that have true meaning for us. We are energized and may feel as though the dark night of the soul that we have recently experienced may be behind us. Like the biblical admonishment: ‘get thee behind me, Satan’, we may either feel that solutions are at hand for even the gravest of situations or we are far less reactive and more willing to do our journey with vigor and determination no matter the backdrop of what might be occurring around us.
With Mercury on the 17th, the Sun on the 19th and then Venus on the 30th entering Taurus, we have a Stellium in the practical and focused Fixed Earth Sign. We also have a Grand Trine in the Earth Element as the entry into Taurus creates by Sign a trine to Saturn in Virgo and a trine to Pluto in Capricorn. We can truly be manifesters, putting down the foundation stones of a future that speaks to the quality of living and quality for our lives.
Although we may be feeling the wind to our back propelling us and easing our way, we do have to watch for the sense of extremes. This feeling could be exacerbated around the 23rd and 24th of April when Venus squares Mars and squares Jupiter on the 23rd, followed by Mars opposed Jupiter on the 24th.
On the one hand, we might assume that we have ended a recent nightmare and have
entered a time when nothing can go wrong. On the other hand, we could become catatonic after our recent turmoil times and unable to move forward or take advantage of new opportunities. Planting our seeds, all the while watching the conditions around us, can keep us focused and adaptable in case we need to make quick and nimble changes as shifting circumstances warrant.
Our mind is likely to be sharp and perceptive during the latter part of April as Mercury sextiles Uranus on the 27th, trines Jupiter on the 28th, and sextiles Mars on the 29th. We should watch that we don’t buy into appearances or our good feelings without some reality checks since the Mercury square Neptune on the 29th could have us buying into wish fulfillment or taking things at face value.
May has Saturn turning direct on the 2nd and Jupiter turning retrograde on the 9th. Delays we might have experienced since the Autumn may drop away and we are likely to see new structures taking shape to deal with the new demands of these times. The latter part of April through mid-May provides the opportunity of laying down solid foundations. We can work smarter rather than harder as long as we are willing to embrace new technologies that allow us to streamline operations and be more productive with less expenditure of energy. There may be times when we want to fall back into familiar patterns but in so doing we could discover the so-called ‘tried and true’ have been tried but no longer true.
Mercury moves into its own Sign of Gemini on May 2nd and by Sign we have a T-Square in the Mutable Signs with Mercury now in Gemini, Saturn in Virgo and Uranus in Pisces. We might start scurrying around, going from one thing to another, taking on more but spending little time with any one activity as we seek to be constantly on the go.
Mars moves out of Cancer and enters Leo on the 9th of May. The Mars Pluto opposition that has dogged us since the Fall is gone and we may feel more energized, more on top of things, and seeking to express our creative side.
The third week of May ends the Grand Trine in the Earth Element as the Sun leaves Taurus to enter Gemini on the 20th, followed by Venus doing the same on the 24th. With Venus entering Gemini, we now have a Stellium of three or more planets in the Mutable Air Sign. Juggling is the name of the game, and we could have many things in the air.
On the 26th of May, Mercury turns retrograde, the second of three Mercury retrograde cycles this year. This Mercury retrograde continues on into the last day of Spring on June 19th when Mercury turns direct. The more we can accomplish prior to Mercury retrograde, and we can certainly achieve a lot between mid-April and the latter part of May, the better it would be. With Mercury retrograde it is far better to go back over things, review and re-check instead of moving forcefully, and possibly blindly, ahead. Any important contracts or significant decisions are better made prior to a Mercury retrograde or after a Mercury retrograde.
Much of June can offer family gatherings and fun get-togethers with friends. Travel is likely to be in the air. The Gemini New Moon on June 3rd has both the Stellium in Gemini and the Lunation sextile to Mars in Leo. We want fun, enjoyment and means of re-creation and recreation. Our relationships can be exhilarating, and we are likely to be infatuated with the new, the different, the quirky and those people who are marching to their own drummer and real characters. We don’t want anything heavy or serious, but would prefer to allow our thoughts and our actions to meander into possibilities and brief interludes of thrills and excitements. The desire for good times and pleasurable activities can be strong in June, but as we come towards the
end of the season, the intensity is likely to ratchet up again.
The end of Spring has Pluto retrograding back into Sagittarius on the 13th and the Sagittarius Full Moon on the 18th has the Moon Pluto conjunction opposed the Sun Venus conjunction. Either – or situations can grab hold once again and we may feel shaken from our Springtime reveries by the intrusion of reality and potentially explosive events. Also on the 18th, Venus moves into Cancer. We may spend more time with home and family, especially as we move into the early Summer season. Spring ends with Mercury turning direct on June 19th.
This Spring seems to be a season of two extremes. The beginning and the ending are times of intensity that demand patience and avoidance of jumping to conclusions or knee-jerk reactions. Yet they also allow a sorting through, throwing out and focusing on what are truly essential elements to our lives.
The mid-April through mid-May period is a time of reveries, accomplishments and successful actions. During the mid-part of this Spring season is a time to achieve, to manifest, to give shape and form to those situations that truly call to us but to also consider all possibilities, including the seemingly impossible. Increasingly, we shall become aware that life has far more aspects and far greater characteristics than those we have become accustomed to.
Like life itself, this Spring shows the process of completions, eliminations and endings. After dying to the old, we are born to the new as we seek to express new aspects of ourselves, explore new opportunities for ourselves, and discover new formats for our talents. From this thrust of energy and manifestation, we can hone, refine and re-formulate. This Spring allows us endings, beginnings and clarifications. It would be wise for us to look to the horizon while being mindful of the steps that we are taking. This Spring allows us to see the interactions and interchanges between the micro world of our personal selves and the macro world of society at large. While we are in a global community of humankind, we do not have to be solely dependent or controlled by what is occurring in the macro. We may come to a better appreciation that the more we change ourselves, the more likely the world at large is likely to transform… like a pebble in a pond with its ripple effects.
Yes, this Spring may be like Dickens’ writings in A Tale of Two Cities: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…”
Spring 2008… be nimble, be quick…
