This Spring begins with a bang. We may be looking at moving forward with our grand plans for our great future, but we could find ourselves banging into walls and facing hard cold reality. Not everything may go as planned. We need to keep in mind that during this paradigm shift we are moving away from feeling in total control of our life’s situations and moving toward a co-creative framework, whereby we can work with the natural unfolding going on but cannot bend the unfolding to our will.
As we start the Spring season with its promise of renewal, rebirth and renaissance, we may feel that our greatest hopes and wishes are being blocked by circumstances beyond our control. Those blockages could be imposed upon us by those people closest and dearest to us or by the conditions in the world-at-large. Tempering our enthusiasm and fine tuning our sense of our manifest destiny are but steps along the way in our journey of self-discovery and self-development.
In the beginning of Spring, we are feeling the Cardinal Climax that was felt initially in the Summer of 2010. The Vernal Equinox on the 20th-21st of March has the Sun enter Aries, which launches the Spring season and the astrological new year, as the Sun ends its cyclic annual transit by exiting Pisces. With the Sun in Aries we also have a powerpack in the Cardinal Fire Sign, as the Sun joins Mercury, Jupiter and Uranus in Aries. By Sign, the planets in Aries square Pluto in Capricorn and oppose Saturn in Libra.
This Spring asks us whether we are crossing the threshold of the new year, and moving across the threshold of the paradigm shift, with our old baggage or whether we have done the necessary clean up and clear out of old matters that could only impede our progress forward. Now is a time for us to be clear and free of old matters that could only be holding us back.
We may be looking at starting things up, launching our projects, planting our seeds but we have to ask ourselves whether we have done the necessary preparatory work of making a suitable foundation on which to build. And the suitable foundation includes, and demands, that we get rid of the extraneous and the superfluous. We are not looking at re-creating the past and couldn’t, even if we chose to do so.
Now is now, and we might have to accept the fact that the playbook of our future is filled with blank pages on which we can write, devise and consider the possibilities for our involvement.
Change is in the air, and we are looking at being more self-determining, freer in our movements and in our expressions. In so doing, it is important that we recognize the need for testing the waters, trying things out, allowing ourselves to experiment without the need for long-term commitment or fully embracing any interest that grabs our fancy. Rather, it is time for us to sample and gauge new aspects of ourselves.
Although we might feel the ghosts of our past nipping at our heels, trying to convince us to fall back on the familiar, now is a time for us to broaden our scope, expand the realm of possibilities and look beyond the narrow parameters of our experiences.
The impetus for changes in our personality, in our expression, and in the backdrop of our life’s journey may be a strong trigger point for self-exploration.
Whenever we make changes, we ruffle feathers and are challenged both by those who know us and know us by definition based upon their past experiences with us and challenged as well by the complacency of our discontent. Change is scary and especially during these times, when the changes can be dramatic and even seem cataclysmic. We may be afraid to make ‘mistakes’.
Instead of fearing missteps and mistakes, let’s proceed with the realization that nothing is carved in stone, that we can alter our path at any point and that, in truth, we have entered an exciting time of the magical mystery tour where things can occur without our making them happen but rather that the conditions of these times warrant magic and miracles. Yes, we are moving into a phase of synchronicity and serendipity, of not having to make things happen but being open to receiving the wonders of the universe. We are entering times when things come out of the blue, the asequential reality that transcends linear progression of beginning, middle and end.
But with any dramatic changes, often we get those taps on the shoulder from the universe asking us to reflect on our past, even to do an exercise of recapitulation whereby we go back over past events, past experiences and see whether we are attached to them or can see them as incidents along the way that have no longer any pull for us or are likely to get in our way.
The beginning of the Spring Season may seem paradoxical. On the one hand, we are itching to try out new things, to explore new realms and to express ourselves in new ways. On the other hand, we may feel that the universe has served up a large heaping of our past, forcing us to reconsider where we have come from and delaying us from moving quickly forward.
This dichotomy between what can be and what has been could be excruciating at times. This Spring can have us soaring with the eagles, but like Icarus perhaps flying too close to the sun. This Spring can have us going through major transformations, feeling as though we are like the camel trying to squeeze through the eye of a needle. The main attitude for us to engage during this process of back and forth may be detachment, not getting overly involved in the evaluation or reasoning of the process, but rather letting the process be.
The 26th of March has Venus conjunct Neptune. We can feel that our interactions with those special people in our lives are idyllic. Love is in the air and with it a love of life and a love of the possibilities that the future holds for us. Of course, one of the key characteristics during this time when all of us are vulnerable, as innocents in a brand new world, is discernment. We must realize that the appearance needs to be matched by the substance. Otherwise, we could fall victim to the trickster, people or situations that seem one way but in reality are quite different from the image projected.
In the Native American tradition, the coyote is known as the trickster. For the coyote sings its haunting song in the quiet of the night, enticing and seducing its prey to come forward, only to pounce upon that prey when it has entered its circle. So too for us. This time asks us to be highly discerning, to take things with a grain of salt and not buy into the hype or spin presented to us. People talk of transparency but, in truth, more goes on than necessarily meets the eye. And so, awareness and mindfulness are key attributes for us to develop and engage.
Venus exits Aquarius and enters Pisces on the 27th of March. Our emotions could be a great deal stronger now, our compassion ratcheted up severalfold. We may feel the pain and suffering of those less fortunate than ourselves, those that have been confronted with severe adversarial conditions. We might even feel as though everywhere we look there is pain and suffering. Earthquakes, tsunamis, nuclear meltdowns, food crises, escalating costs, tornadoes, civil unrest — all these and more could give cause for concern and alarm. Our hearts may go out to those addressing catastrophic conditions, and we might choose to put our spirit into action. A proactive approach would be far more productive than a reactive mode, whereby we could feel that the world was going down the tubes and that we were but victims to a larger and more powerful force. While we could sense that we are no longer master of our world in control of circumstances and conditions around us, we need to avoid a sense of being victims and merely reactive to life’s changing parameters. What we can do is use such incidents and situations to reinforce the new way of being — being co-creators with the natural unfolding and letting go of our belief in our total control over life’s circumstances. We may not master our world but we can master our selves.
The battle of old and new during this transformational time may be played out especially around the 28th of March as the Sun squares Pluto and Jupiter opposes Saturn. This is a transformative time, a time of letting go, yet also a time of looking back before moving forward. We may feel the alchemical process during this time, a sense of being transformed through the cleansing fires, so that the dross drops away and the essential characteristics of our being are honed and tempered. This could also be a time, tied in with the impending Mercury retrograde that begins on the 30th of this month, when we realize that actions taken by authorities have only made matters worse. We might see the powers-that-be as merely new incarnations of ‘same old, same old’.
If military interventions begun prior to the Mercury retrograde are not completed before the 30th, then the three-week Mercury retrograde cycle can see a bogging down and raise greater questions regarding the wisdom of martial action.
For each of us, this Mercury retrograde from the 30th of March into the 23rd of April may have us reconsidering where we have expanded our scope and question whether certain new projects initiated were done so with blind faith but little forethought or if our egocentric tendencies have laid us a trap of reaching beyond our capabilities.
Early April is highlighted by the Aries New Moon on the 3rd. Prior to the New Moon, Venus sextiles Pluto on the 2nd, the same day that Mars exits Pisces to enter its own Sign of Aries. We may find ourselves putting spirit into action, seeking ways by which to heal the world and how we can best serve others.
There is a wise and true saying that states ‘the pathway to hell is paved with good intentions’.
Evidence of this statement might be witnessed during the fortnight influenced by the Aries New Moon on the 3rd. A powerful configuration, this New Moon has six planets in Aries, the Cardinal Climax T-Square with the Aries Planets opposed Saturn in Libra and square Pluto in Capricorn. Mars conjuncts Uranus.
The energy could prove too hot to handle. We may feel invincible, asserting ourselves and emphasizing our needs without due diligence or due regard to the needs of those people close to us.
The first New Moon of the Spring season, this intense energy configuration could find various spectacular incidents occurring in the natural world. Atmospheric storm systems could prove severe, with exceedingly high wind speeds. Tornadoes and cyclones can tear up areas and wreak a path of destruction. There can be increased geophysical activity, with earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. And people may be acting out, feeling like a law unto themselves, able to rationalize their actions in a narcissistic manner of ‘might makes right’.
With the Mercury retrograde during this fortnight from the 3rd through the 17th, it would be essential that we give considered thought before launching into action. And such a caution may go unheeded, for the energy directs us to act and act even impetuously before much time spent on considered reasoning.
The sense of confidence and enthusiasm can be strong during this April period to the point of being overly optimistic and drawing upon blind faith, all the while negating the facts and the evidence. We may feel held back by someone else or by other people’s input. And we could easily turn a blind eye to evidence that would question the wisdom of our intended actions.
The intensity of this April period seems especially pronounced around the 3rd, and again around the 8th through the 11th. Unexpected actings-out with violent outbursts could be encountered during these times. Whether natural catastrophes or man-made bad decisions, this April period could give witness to the idea of Spring busting out all over with blasts and explosions and a roiling of the energies. It would be wise for us at these times to temper our personal desires and watch for any hasty and ill-conceived actions.
A major Sign change occurs on the 4th as Neptune exits Aquarius to enter its own Sign of Pisces. Issues associated with chemicals, water, drugs, oil and religion can be highlighted over the new few years. On one hand, we may have a spiritual revival but on the flip side we may have a militant religious movement akin to the middle ages crusades, now today’s jihad or religious fundamentalists. Matters associated with oil and water can prove an irritant and even the lubricant for civil conflicts.
Towards the latter part of April, things can simmer down. Outstanding issues may still have to be dealt with and resolved but the energy takes on a less impetuous nature and adopts a more conciliatory manner.
The Sun moves into Taurus on the 20th, followed by Venus moving into Aries on the 21st and the end of the Mercury retrograde cycle on the 23rd.
Whatever intensity has gone on earlier in April, reason can now hold sway over impulse. We may still be doing our Spring cleaning, but we are also more conscious of taking things at a proper pace rather than the leaps and bounds that we might have taken earlier in the month and could have lead to some nasty pitfalls.
May seems a great deal less heated and impetuous than April. There is a greater maturity in our decisions and in our actions, no longer leaping ahead without considering the conditions or aware of possible circumstances. Some of our missteps in April, some of our over-reactions and some of our hasty decisions can now be reworked to our benefit.
If we were not ensnared by the rush to judgment in April, then this May period allows us to plant the seeds given impulse during the April time. If we did put our feet into some hotspots in April, we can now disengage and seek a more conciliatory and focused manner by which to move our interests ahead.
Yes, this May could well live up to the refrain of the 17th Century poet Thomas Dekker in his poem The Merry Month of May:
“O the month of May, the merry month of May,
So frolic, so gay, and so green, so green, so green.”
This May has a far more grounded and practical approach in all our affairs. We have a great deal of the Taurus energy as various planets join the Sun in Taurus — Mars on the 11th and both Venus and Mercury on the 15th.
Especially highlighted dates in May are the 11th when both Venus and Mercury conjunct Jupiter; the 16th when Mercury conjuncts Venus and both sextile Neptune; and the 20th – 21st with some favorable Pluto energies as Mercury conjuncts Mars and both trine Pluto on the 20th, followed by Venus trine Pluto on the 21st.
Love is in the air during this merry month of May. We may feel inspired, confident and optimistic and ready to rebuild our lives. But the rebuilding will not be a re-creation of our past, when some of our accomplishments may have been more ego-drive. On the contrary, the alchemical process each of us has been through, and is going through, is likely to focus on the truly essential, on building upon rock, rather than on sand.
We may feel ourselves far more together during May. As though the dark clouds have parted, we can see the way, our way. No matter the craziness of the world and bizarre world events that might be headlining the news, we are far less engaged in the chatter of things that do not directly impact us. We are looking to take our journey. We are looking to engage the true purpose of our being. And we are planting the seeds of our new directions.
We still shall have our weeding to do, ridding ourselves of those areas in our lives that no longer fulfill us or serve any real purpose. The Scorpio Full Moon on the 17th of May could prove a little perplexing, as we are asked to release some of our dreams that may have been dreamt before but could turn into nightmares if realized now or in the future. While we may be looking at this time as one of eliminating some of our plans and intentions, let’s keep in mind that in this paradigm shift we do not have to do it all. The universe provides and as long as we work with peripheral vision and be open to receive, wonderful surprises and exciting opportunities can come our way. The universe does not like a vacuum, and as we do our Spring cleaning, we may discover that we have created greater space for the new and more intriguing scenarios to enter our lives.
The 20th-21st of May allows for a restructuring, a rebuilding and developing a solid base from which to operate. Similar to climbing a mountainous summit, we may need to establish a base camp from which to climb the summit and explore the greater heights.
June continues with the planting seeds for our future but now with a greater tendency to try various things out. We are not content to focus solely on one or two areas. We would prefer a smorgasbord of tasty delights to sample and taste. If in May we have established our base camp, the fundamental values we wish to engage in our journey ahead, then June allows us a greater opportunity to explore, investigate and try different paths by which to reach our summit.
On the 1st of June, we have a Solar Eclipse in Gemini. The Sun trines Saturn and we may find ourselves over the next fortnight connecting with people in social occasions. Some of our connections may be reconnections with people from our past. Some of our connections may be new contacts with people who hold clues or possibilities for our future journey. Like a scavenger hunt, this June could have us going from one clue to another, all the while not fully knowing the final destination or if there is a final destination.
On the 2nd of June, Mercury exits Taurus to enter its own Sign of Gemini and Neptune turns retrograde. The 3rd has Mercury square Neptune followed on the 4th by Mercury sextile Uranus. We may feel a little confused at this time but I always say that ‘confusion is the starting point of wisdom’.
Confusion forces us to drop our faith in our beliefs and asks us to be open to a wider breadth of understanding. Once again, like the innocents in a brand new world, the more we can let go, the more we can be open to the insights and understandings that can come from all the various sources around us.
On the 4th of June, Jupiter exits Aries to enter Taurus. A sense of greater security, of serenity and trust can help us feel that the worst may be behind us as we seek to build for a new day, in a new way. We may also see a late Spring into Summer rally in the equity markets as mergers and acquisitions gain greater momentum and companies release their worried grip on their liquid capital assets.
Saturn ends its retrograde cycle that has gone on since the end of January on the 12th. Many of the delays, some of the frustrations we might have felt during this Winter and early Spring could start to drop away.
It might almost seem as though the starting gate is opening up for us. Having grown internally and given deep thought regarding our individual journey, we can move forward confidently, aware that we have the resources and the stamina to deal with whatever comes our way.
There seem to be some wonderful gatherings and social get-togethers during this latter part of the Spring. Venus going into Gemini and Mercury entering Cancer would seem to encourage both family reunions and a flurry of social activity.
We do have to be aware of the Lunar Eclipse on the 15th with the Sagittarius Full Moon indicating that we might have taken on too much or tried too many things without dropping some of them along the way.
The 18th and 19th of June could prove difficult. On the 18th Venus trines Saturn but Mercury squares Uranus, one of my least favorite travel day configurations. Communications can be off, misunderstandings rampant and the ability to get from here to there disrupted. The 19th has Mercury opposed Pluto, and this day is Father’s Day. Discussions could get heated, especially if long-held grievances are aired. It would be wise for us to keep in mind that each one of us sees our reality based upon our own personal perspective.
The Spring season closes with Mars moving into Gemini on the 20th. We have much juggling and running around to do. Spring ends with the Sun exiting Gemini and moving into Cancer at the Summer Solstice on the 21st.
This Spring Season is a season of two quite different temperaments — the extreme impetuousness of March and April followed by the due diligence of May and June.
Spring 2011… a time to be born again…
