This Spring can have us tripping the light fantastic, feeling in love with life and looking to put an impressive imprint on our own personal world.
Yes, Spring has sprung with the Vernal Equinox on March 19th – 20th. The Sun exits Pisces to enter Aries, the beginning of the Spring season and the start of the astrological new year. This time of year offers us the promise of renewal, rebirth, renaissance.
With a Grand Trine in the Fire element to begin the Spring season, we may feel as if we have a fire in our belly. Our creativity can be highlighted as we seek out projects and activities that allow us to excel, express our capabilities and speak to us on a very deep level.
There could be an interesting blend of old and new during this Spring season. No ‘throwing the baby out with the bath water’! We have come too far, gone through various twists and turns, met too many challenges and at times have even been overwhelmed by our situations to turn back now. We have machete in hand, experience and expertise to draw upon, and perhaps even a sense of being divinely guided in our personal journey.
Although there can be hiccups along the way, past matters tripping us up, unexpected situations getting in our way, we have possibly learned the importance of flexibility and adaptability in order to effectively deal with anything that comes our way.
Shortly after the Vernal Equinox, Venus conjuncts Neptune on the 20th of March. We may feel as though our personal relationships are close to idyllic. The sense of soulmate connections can increase the appreciation and value of the people in our lives. There can be an ethereal aura around people, a magnetism that draws us in, just as others are drawn to us. Coming at the time of the Vernal Equinox, our entire springtime can be a time of get-togethers with friends we hold dear, whether those friends are ever-present in our life or are people whom we seldom see but with whom we have a deep and profound connection.
This Spring can be a season of love, of infatuation and our love of life. This love of life may be reminiscent of the old saying that “the best things in life are free.”
Following the Sun’s exit of Pisces into Aries, Mercury does the same on the 21st, ending the Stellium in Pisces and creating a Stellium in Aries as Mercury joins the Sun and Uranus in the Cardinal Fire Sign.
Increasingly, we may be considering and putting into effect new projects and new involvements. We are far more interested in initiations than maintenance, although we could bump up against some obstacles to our plans. Not only could we be too impetuous with moving forward without considering the parameters; our responsibilities could intrude upon our new ventures and demand attention. Nonetheless, we may feel as though we have gained a second wind, primarily interested in our own personal projects and especially those involvements that allow us greater autonomy and a greater expression of ourselves.
We have a fire in our belly and fully ready to engage the rebirth of ourselves as reflected in the renaissance of Spring.
The Libra Full Moon on the 23rd is a Lunar Eclipse happening with the influence of a Jupiter Saturn square. The Sun also conjuncts Mercury on the 23rd. There can be a great deal of push-pull going on with self-interests putting strains on personal relationships.
The accordion nature of the Jupiter Saturn square can have some people wanting to expand while other people warn of going too far out on a limb to the point of it breaking. A sense of balance, like walking a balance beam, is needed to draw upon experience all the while that we are expanding our activities. We know what we know, and we are prepared to take one step at a time neither negating our past nor limiting our future.
Mercury trines Mars on the 24th, followed by the Sun trine Mars on the 26th. If we have weighed our responsibilities with our possibilities and found an even mean, this period would be a good time for us to spread our wings and broaden our realm. We can feel inspired, confident and adventurous for new tomorrows.
Between these two days, on the 25th, Venus triggers the Jupiter Saturn square with a Mutable Sign T-Square as Venus opposes Jupiter and Venus squares Saturn.
The 25th is also the day that Saturn turns retrograde, the Saturn retrograde motion continuing until mid-August. Our pace might slow or we could find that things are taking longer than we would like. We may also have to go back over issues and matters that we once thought resolved. While we might feel as though the wind is full in our sails on the 24th and 26th, the 25th allows for a tempering, a honing process, and slight restraints that could keep us from launching forcefully ahead without a well-devised strategy or itinerary in hand. And, thus, the braking process could in actual fact be a blessing rather than a curse.
We end March with much Mercurial energy as Mercury trines Saturn on the 29th, Mercury squares Pluto on the 30th, and Mercury conjuncts Uranus on the 31st. Our mind is astute and we may get some fascinating revelations but we also need to be wary of falling prey to becoming legends in our own mind. A sense of infallibility and reckless abandon might have us banging up against brick walls of standards or capabilities. Why go there when we can weave our journey through the obstacles and find ourselves ever more autonomous in our daily lives? And isn’t that what our individual journey is all about? — the path less traveled.
Increased retrograde motion occurs during the month of April. We start the month with both Jupiter and Saturn retrograde. During April, Mars turns retrograde on the 17th, Pluto retrogrades on the 18th and Mercury retrogrades on the 28th.
On the 5th of April, the Sun trines Saturn, Mercury exits Aries to enter Taurus, and Venus exits Pisces to enter Aries. Venus is in Detriment in Aries, a Sign in which it is uncomfortable with a liability towards narcissism. We can set down the structure and strategy of our new goals with a greater appreciation for a go-slow disposition. We might be a little more self-involved, willing to go it alone or emphasize our own particular interests with little consideration as to the effects on other people. Any sense of compassion can be lost to a greater focus on the rewards of our efforts, our return on investment. We may take a far more serious turn, but it would be wise for us to not only consider the consequences of our actions but also to give thought to its potential impact on other people. We can become slightly more stubborn, more wanting to have it our way and less considerate of other people’s interests.
A day before the Aries New Moon on the 7th, we are on the dark side of the Moon and have the Sun square Pluto on the 6th. Our intentions could run afoul of certain standards or regulations. We might feel limited by our responsibilities or restrained by authority and its figures. This is a good time for us to trim the sails, streamline operations and rid ourselves of things that may be holding us back.
‘Out with the old, in with the new’ could be our slogan on the 6th – 7th of April.
The 6th can have us eliminating the superfluous and outmoded from our lives. The 7th allows us new doors to open, often without our even having knocked on the door. The Aries New Moon on the 7th is within orb of a conjunction with Uranus and within orb of a trine to Saturn. Our creative abilities may be at a high pitch with us finding that things are neatly falling into place. Not only is magic in the air. We could experience various situations in which we can shine. Prospects might be cascading virtually out of nowhere. We just need to recognize that the paradigm shift of asequential reality is in operation and be receptive to the wondrous surprises that may come our way. And to add to the wonder of this day, this New Moon imprint influences the next two weeks up to the Full Moon on the 22nd.
Much of these two weeks from the April New Moon to the April Full Moon are a time for us to have our antennae up, work with peripheral vision and be open to the possibilities, even the seemingly impossible. We may feel as though we have stepped into a wonderland, a dimension where things flow freely and unexpectedly and allow us greater autonomy and freedom of movement.
The 9th of April has the Sun conjunct Uranus. We may be expressing a new side of ourselves, embracing a slight quirkiness to emphasize our individuality. We could be exploring new areas of interest, new facets of our being and looking to fully express our free spirit qualities.
The 12th of April has Mercury sextile Neptune and Venus trine Mars. We may have a sense about things, an inner knowing that we are then likely to put into action. This is a time when we can combine our passion with our intuition to devise the best strategy to achieve our aims and then have the energy and the style to pursue our goals. If we take the time to devise our strategy, then our presentation and implementation can be appealing and highly effective. Now is a time for us to take things step by step. We can plan our moves and then execute a best practices approach to realize our plans.
This mid-April period is a significant time to virtually move mountains.
The movement of the planets into Taurus, starting with Mercury on April 5th, also triggers an Earth Grand Trine that will be in effect, at least by Sign, through the third week of May. The Earth Element speaks to manifestation and matters dealing with the mundane, physical world.
On the 14th of April, Mercury trines Jupiter. We can be feeling upbeat and inspired but also willing to methodically plan out the steps necessary to secure our ambitions. We may take things step by step. But we are also focusing on the details and the ‘right’ manner of presentation. We might embrace the age-old sentiment that ‘if we watch the pennies, the dollars will take care of themselves’.
The 17th of April has Mercury trine Pluto and completes the Mercury Earth Grand Trine. First, the Taurus Mercury trines Jupiter on the 14th, and then Mercury trines Pluto on the 17th. While the initial contact of this Grand Trine focuses on the specifics and the particulars, this latter contact allows for solid foundation stones to be laid. We can evaluate and assess the structure of our engagement, for our laser-like vision will cut to the core and leave no stone unturned as we devise a best practices approach.
Despite the Earth Grand Trine triggered by Mercury in the mid-April period, we also have two significant energy shifts as Mars turns retrograde on the 17th, followed by Pluto turning retrograde on the 18th. This can be an explosive time, and we have to be careful in how we work with our physical energy. There can be strains or falls, all by reason of our overdoing or trying to push too hard. Like a volcano percolating only to release in an explosive manner, this mid-April period cautions us not to overreact or be too forceful in expressing ourselves or carrying too much of a heavy load.
The 17th – 18th period in April could have us feeling like the earth is moving under our feet. Apart from people acting out with liability of bomb blasts and terrorist incidents, storm systems could be quite intense around this time and there might be earthquake and volcanic activity. A whole lot of shaking can be happening around this mid-April period.
From a desire for security, we may seek out those people with whom we have a past, those people we look to for affirmation that there is stability and regularity in our world, feelings that seem increasingly rare during these shapeshifting times.
The Sun exits Aries to enter Taurus on the 19th of April and reinforces by Sign the Earth Grand Trine. Our impetuousness may die down, but now is a time when we can take the seeds of our intentions, plant them, nourish them in order for them to grow into greater manifestation.
The third week of April also has a great deal of Venus energy, first with Venus trine Saturn on the 18th, followed by Venus square Pluto on the 19th and then Venus conjunct Uranus at the time of the Scorpio Full Moon on the 22nd. Our relationships can go through scrutiny. Although we might want to rely on old connections, we may also find ourselves questioning whether certain relationships are more of the past rather than the present, and much less of our future. We could go through a sifting of our connections, letting go of those that no longer appeal to us and then opening the door to new exciting relationships that seem more akin to whom we are in process of being.
The Scorpio Full Moon on the 22nd comes one week after Tax Day in the US. This Full Moon would be a time for us to consider our financial situation, see what are truly essential expenditures and areas where we can pare down our expenses. We may come to a realization that cutting away some of the high maintenance in our lives allows us more time-space to fill in with new exciting interests and new endeavors. While basic finance and financial budgeting are rarely taught in early education, all of us might use this time to engage due diligence regarding our financial situation with plans of solidifying our base.
Attention to our finances and our carrying costs can be part of the Mercury retrograde that begins on April 28th and runs until the 22nd of May. Murphy’s Law of ‘whatever can go wrong could go wrong’ is in effect. As Mercury is retrograding back through Taurus, we might be questioning our involvements in the world, our career, where we place our energies and how we deal with our resources.
On the 29th of April, Venus exits Aries to enter Taurus, a move from a Sign in which Venus is in Detriment and uncomfortable into a Sign that Venus rules and is highly comfortable. Our attention may turn to style and grace. We might concentrate on our image with personal makeovers of our own appearance and a fix-up of our home environment. We can have greater decorum, be more considerate and look to put our best foot forward.
With Venus coming into Taurus we now have a Stellium of three planets in Taurus as Venus joins the Sun and Mercury in the Fixed Earth Sign and even greater emphasis on the Earth Grand Trine with the Taurus-transiting planets trining Jupiter in Virgo and trining Pluto in Capricorn.
The first half of May concentrates on the plant seeding and the physical rebirthing that goes along with nature at this time of year.
Early May has the Sun sextile Neptune on the 1st and the Sun triggering the Earth Grand Trine as the Sun trines Jupiter on the 3rd and the Sun trines Pluto on the 7th. The Taurus New Moon on the 6th reinforces the Earth Grand Trine and imprints the next two weeks up to the Full Moon on the 21st.
We can plant our seeds, lay down our foundation stones and move forward with our physical manifestation of what we wish to accomplish and the plans we intend to achieve. Despite the backdrop of the Mutable Sign T-Square of Jupiter in Virgo, Saturn in Sagittarius and Neptune in Pisces, which has daunted us since last September and will continue to do so into this coming September, we may find that the Earth Grand Trine has the greater influence from mid-April through the third week of May.
The two weeks between the Taurus New Moon on the 6th of May and the Sagittarius Full Moon on the 21st of May can be a highly productive time, a time when putting our nose to the grindstone can reap bountiful harvests. This two-week period is a good time for us to focus and accomplish a great deal, all with slight hiccups that the Mercury retrograde and the Mutable Sign T-Square might present.
The first week of May has the transiting Sun triggering the Earth Grand Trine. Our personal commitment can be to focusing on the truly meaningful projects for our goals, all the while that we are addressing the details and being certain that all the pieces fit neatly into the large puzzle of our long-term goals. We are likely to feel inspired, confident of our abilities and ready to stretch beyond our usual routine to push forward our ambitions. Nothing is likely to be stopping us now.
The second week of May incorporates both Venus and Mercury as triggers for the Earth Grand Trine.
Venus sextiles Neptune on the 9th, the same day that the Sun conjuncts Mercury. Venus trines Jupiter on the 10th, Mercury trines Pluto on the 12th, followed on the 13th by Mercury conjunct Venus and Venus trine Pluto.
We may have built up our confidence and enthusiasm during the first week of May. The second week of May could have us drawing upon allies and advocates who can assist us in realizing our goals. Our mind is astute and our style is adept at presenting us in the very best light.
This first half of May can be the most productive period of our Spring season. We might feel as though we are gliding along on greased wheels, that everything is going our way no matter the slight bumps we might encounter along the way.
The second half of May can prove a little more dicey. The Sun enters Gemini on the 20th of May just prior to the Sagittarius Full Moon on the 21st. With Venus and later Mercury moving into Gemini during the latter part of the Spring season, the Mutable Sign T-Square is accentuated and turns into a Mutable Sign Grand Cross with all four Signs of the Mutable Sign Quadruplicity occupied.
We may seem to go from the sublime of the mid-April through the third week of May to the ridiculous during the latter part of May through the end of the Spring season.
A day after the Sun moves into Gemini on the 20th we have the Sagittarius Full Moon. We still have the Earth Grand Trine operational but certainly weakened as the Mutable Grand Cross comes into play. The question of balance will be key to navigating the swirling currents of these next four weeks. We may find ourselves all over the place, trying to cover too many bases, glossing over situations as we try to do so much. It would be wise before we leap out of the starting gate each morning to have our schedule planned, our itinerary in hand and our destination clear in mind. We might, however, find ourselves caught up in the frenzy and frantic activities and leave map and trajectory behind and out of mind.
The 22nd of May has Mercury ending its three-week retrograde cycle to turn direct. Although we are likely to welcome Mercury turning direct, let’s keep in mind that whenever Mercury is turning in direction, the craziness can ratchet up and impact our communications, our travel plans and our thought processes.
The 22nd also has the Sun opposed Mars and we could easily gallop off in whatever direction with the intention of tilting against windmills, for whatever purpose we might have no idea.
While Mercury turns direct on the 22nd, we shall still be in the ‘shadow’ of Mercury retrograde until the 7th of June when Mercury reaches the point at which it had turned retrograde. Our thoughts can still be a little hazy, a liability increased by the Mutable Sign Grand Cross.
Venus exits its own Sign of Taurus to enter Gemini on the 24th giving greater emphasis to the Mutable Sign Grand Cross. As Venus first moves into Gemini, Venus opposes Mars on the 24th. What we say and to whom we say it could create some problems. We could say something quickly without thinking it through only to think better of it on reflection. We might also find that our conversations become like the children’s telephone game where what is said initially goes through various iterations as it goes from one person to the next with the ultimate result being nothing close to what was first said.
Jupiter squares Saturn on the 26th of May. The ping-pong nature of expansion-contraction can be at play today. We might want to expand our activities only to find that we are either delayed or prevented from doing so. This period can be a time of great frustration, and we might feel Sisyphus-like trying to roll the boulder up the mountain.
The intensity can ratchet up severalfold as Mars retrogrades back into Scorpio on the 27th. Out of a sense of frustration or exhaustion or both, people can hold their cards close to their chest, feel slightly paranoid and willing to cut someone off at the knees if only slightly provoked.
While there can be a stronger secretive tendency with Mars moving back into Scorpio, the 30th of May provides us with remarkable insight as Mercury trines Pluto. Our due diligence and laser-like vision can cut to the core by stripping away the image and the hype for us to see what is really going on. Engaging diplomacy would be suggested, for otherwise we can be rather damning in our critiques and evaluations.
June starts off and continues through the Spring season in a most bonker-type style. The Mutable Grand Cross is activated, not merely by Sign but by aspect.
The first week of June has both the Sun and Venus triggering the Mutable Sign Grand Cross and crescendoing with the Gemini New Moon on the 4th.
The 1st of June has the Sun square Neptune. The 3rd has Venus square Neptune and both the Sun and Venus opposed Saturn. The 4th has the Gemini New Moon with the Sun and Venus both square Jupiter. The Gemini New Moon ratchets up the Mutable Grand Cross and influences the next two weeks to the Sagittarius Full Moon on the 20th at the end of the Spring season and just prior to the Summer Solstice also on the 20th.
June might have us in something of a haze or dazed by all the whipsaws of ups and downs, running around, all the while wondering what we are doing and why we are doing, just knowing that we are in constant motion.
This early June period can be a period of heavy overload. We may have so much scheduled and going on that it might prove hard to draw a deep breath, much less relax and reinvigorate ourselves. The most intense time in June may be the first week. We might feel pushed and pulled in different directions and primarily by our commitments to other people. Whether we have graduations, school reunions, family gatherings, weddings and any other social occasion, we might have so much going on that we are in constant motion going from one thing to another until they all seem to meld into one big mash of exhausting engagements.
It will be important for us to discipline ourselves to take a ‘time out’ now and then. Otherwise, we might overextend ourselves, overwhelm ourselves and wind up in a world of confusion, not knowing what’s up and what purpose all are involvements are serving.
Although the first week of June could be the most intense of the month, and probably of the entire Spring season, it would be important for us to keep in mind that the Gemini New Moon impacts the following two weeks up to the end of the Spring season. Things may not be as frenetic or frantic as this first week of June, but such an influence will permeate much of the rest of the season.
The 6th has the Sun conjunct Venus. If we can break away from our routine or our June schedule, it would be nice to take some time with that special someone, or special people, in our lives. We might have a kaleidoscope of activities going on, but we might find that we enjoy them more by sharing them with someone than just going through the motions solo by ourselves.
Mercury opposes Mars on the 9th of June, and we need to watch our tongue. From the cumulative burnout we could be a little short with someone, ready to read the riot act and a little harsh in our critique. Diplomacy is called for but we are more likely to shoot from the lip.
Despite the high nervous energy backdrop of this June, the mid-June period opens some interesting and unexpected doors for us.
On the 12th, Venus sextiles Uranus followed by the Sun sextile Uranus on the 14th. Not only can there be serendipitous encounters where we bump into fascinating people. We could also be exploring new avenues that intrigue us. We do not have to make long-term commitments but rather sample the possibilities. Things can arise in a most unexpected manner. This mid-June period can be a time of awe and wonder, no longer the shock and awe that the beginning of June might have presented us.
Mercury exits Taurus on the 12th of June to enter its own Sign of Gemini. Neptune turns retrograde on the 13th. Venus exits Gemini to enter Cancer on the 17th, the same day that Saturn squares Neptune.
The Saturn square Neptune can add a dose of reality to any illusions or delusions or desires to trip through a fantasy world. While the aspects to Uranus can make us aware of the paradigm shift where the asequential reality offers magic and mini-miracles, we also have to contend with old realities.
We may feel as though we are on a suspension bridge between two dimensions — one dimension being the sequential, linear reality into which we were conditioned, the other dimension being the asequential, serendipitous reality where things happen in a rather random manner and a dimension that we are being increasingly exposed to.
We might have to walk the balance beam between the two dimensions, engaging one and then the other, but it will be essential that we gather our sea legs and not be thrown for a loop.
Venus moving into Cancer is a prelude to the Summer season beginning on the 20th of June with the Summer Solstice. Home and family matters may become ever more significant and a focus for our early summer plans.
Mercury moving into its own Sign of Gemini accentuates the Mutable Sign Grand Cross, the energy of which is ratcheted up once again with the Sagittarius Full Moon on the 20th just prior to the Sun exiting Gemini to enter Cancer at the Summer Solstice and the start of the Summer season.
The Sagittarius Full Moon highlights the Mutable Sign Grand Cross, a Full Moon that is also energized by Mercury opposing Saturn and Mercury squaring Neptune.
We may end the Spring season in a swirl wondering what has gone on, what our involvement in any of it has been, and feeling exhausted by the intense energies that have gone for much of this month.
Spring 2016… On a wing and a prayer…
