We may be singing ‘Let the good times roll’ as we come into this Spring season on March 20th at the time of the Vernal Equinox as the Sun moves into the Cardinal Sign of Aries.
In Astrology, the Vernal Equinox represents the beginning of the new year with all the promise of renaissance, rebirth and renewal that the Spring season offers after a winter of discontent.
While Spring speaks to new beginnings, it also recognizes certain endings, one of which this year is the end to the Uranus Pluto square that has challenged us, thwarted us, revolutionized us for the past almost three years. Not that we won’t carom from times of hitting the wall only to be followed with us experiencing serendipitous new doors opening. More so than ever before, we might encounter the truth to the saying ‘out with the old, in with the new’.
Not that we are looking to re-create the past. On the contrary, we are more likely to bury the past in order to engage new options and alternatives that we had not even considered before. As opposed to our early conditioning whereby we were taught to make things happen, to ‘make it work’, increasingly the new paradigm of being in the right place at the right time, being open to the magic and mini-miracles of the universe unfolding is making itself known. No longer do we have to Sisyphus-like roll boulders up the mountains. No longer can we accept a belief that we are the sole masters of our domain, as though the circumstances and conditions of these times are but a backdrop to our willful actions.
No, similar to what John Lennon spoke about towards the end of his life, these times are likely to enforce ‘instant karma’. Either we heed the indications of the energies operating and the energies unfolding and work with the energies, or we could find ourselves stuck in a pachinko-like game board with us banging our heads against this situation, then caroming to hit our head against some other situation. I often say that the universe likes to tap us on the shoulder. If we don’t notice the tapping or the suggestion from life’s unfolding, the universe taps a little harder. If we still do not heed the indications, then we are likely to be subject to a lateral lobotomy, one of those whacks on the side of the head that forces us to acknowledge what is going on, how we are addressing the matter and forcing us to reconsider what and how we are doing things.
This Spring begins with an incredible burst of energy, like skyrockets in the night, flaming bursts of light against the darkness. We start the Spring season with a Stellium in Aries and the Grand Trine in the Fire Element. There are four planets in Aries — the Sun, Moon, Mars and Uranus — Jupiter in Leo and Saturn in Sagittarius.
While we are intended to seek balance in our lives, the Spring begins with anything but balance. We may be on a tear, looking to free ourselves from outmoded conditions that like an ill-fitting suit seem to put a squeeze on us. We may be impetuous but sincere and determined in our decisions and in our actions. Unfortunately, we might also be guided by a sense of things that is more akin to our emotions and feelings rather than due diligence. We might feel that we do not have the time for lengthy deliberations but must seize the moment. And seize the moment we are likely to do.
Just prior to the Vernal Equinox, some thirteen hours beforehand but still on the 20th, the Pisces New Moon triggers a Solar Eclipse. While on the cusp of Aries, this Pisces New Moon in the decanate of Scorpio speaks ever more to the idea of looking through our ‘stuff’ and seeing what baggage we want to leave behind and what baggage we intend to carry with us as we step into this new season, this astrological new year.
The English writer GK Chesterton wrote that ‘angels can fly because they take themselves lightly’. And so it is for us as we come to the threshold of this Spring season. The more we can rid ourselves of the extraneous and the superfluous, all those matters that weigh us down, the more we can engage the new and the unique.
During the early Spring season, we shall continue to bump up against audits of our involvements, thanks to the personal planets squaring Pluto, then conjuncting Uranus. But let’s keep in mind that in letting go of elements of the past, it is a process somewhat akin to a snowball going down a mountain, gaining momentum and then becoming the avalanche. Even minor or trivial eliminations can set the stage for even greater releases and riddances as we move forward.
The universe abhors a vacuum and as we let go of situations, it opens the door to new, exciting opportunities, albeit sometimes seen as challenges.
The early Spring period is quite pleasant. We are feeling good about ourselves, infatuated by life and looking to make our engagement meaningful with true purpose.
We can be quite astute regarding what works for us in contrast to areas that don’t work for us. Mercury sextiles Pluto on the 22nd of March, and we could find ourselves planning our projects from both an intuitive foresight and an ability to laser-like cut to the core.
On the 24th, Venus sextiles Neptune and on the 25th the Sun trines Saturn. Things can fit neatly into place. Our interactions with other people can be close to idyllic, and we might choose to use this time to sharpen our image, polish our appearance. A personal makeover, like a good Spring cleaning, could improve our stance with other people, especially those we might wish to impress. We are also willing to take things step by step, expanding our interests in a systematic manner.
This early Spring period can prove a good launching pad for some of our greatest ambitions. We do have to be wary of liabilities of being too self-confident, slightly narcissistic, for we could find that we are spending more than would be appropriate even to the point of finding ourselves in all the wrong places. The liability to excess could be strong around the 27th – 28th as Venus squares Jupiter. Let’s keep a handle on our expenses and our tendency to want more and more.
Even if we take on more than we can handle, the end of March allows us to cut away the dross. Venus trines Pluto on the 30th, the same day that Mercury exits Pisces to enter Aries. The Mercury transit of Pisces over the past two and a half weeks could have induced foggy thinking, emotional reasoning and our thoughts being swayed by our moods. We can get a better grip on our thinking process at the end of March, although with Mars exiting its own Sign of Aries to enter Taurus, a Sign of its Detriment where Mars is not comfortable, we may find that we are pushing up against so much resistance from behind.
April begins on a high note as Mercury trines Saturn and the Sun trines Jupiter on the 2nd. The Fire Grand Trine is ignited, and we are likely to feel confident and optimistic, yet utilizing a best practices approach to expand our goals. We may be more concerned about our personal interests, and that could cause some irritation with our relationships. A great self-focus and self-interest may seem like a self-centeredness, and we shall have to be wary that in concentrating on our own goals we aren’t stepping on someone else’s toes or alienating someone.
While we would prefer people to support, even advocate, our involvements, there could be a pushback around the early April period. The first week of April may ask us to be adept at threading the needle in our dealings with other people. Charm and diplomacy can go a long way to dampen the fires of irritation. Otherwise, we could feel like we are being stymied and blocked by people, events and circumstance.
The Libra Full Moon on the 4th of April is a Lunar Eclipse, followed on the 5th by Sun square Pluto. We have to avoid an either or situation whereby we accept the belief that either someone is for us or they are against us. The extremes can only wreak havoc, and this first week of April has various curveballs that will force us to stay on our toes, do the tai chi moves and recognize that we are truly not islands unto ourselves.
This is a time of caroming between the Pluto Uranus energy configurations. It starts with the Libra Full Moon Eclipse on the 4th with the Moon opposed both the Sun and Uranus in Aries and the Moon square Pluto. The Sun square Pluto follows on the 5th. The 6th has the Sun conjunct Uranus and Mercury trine Jupiter. The 7th has Mercury square Pluto, followed on the 8th with Mercury conjunct Uranus and Jupiter turning direct.
We may feel that we are caroming back and forth, bouncing into obstacles, dealing with restrictions, only to find ourselves snaking our way out. But the weave and wiggle with occasional whacks to the head can prove enervating and exhausting. We may find that we are being blocked and impeded in our movement, and the consequent action could be explosive. This is a high intensity time. While there are various eruptions going on, we could also find that the end result is freeing us from old restrictions and past limitations. There may be a crash and burn going on during this time and the general populace is likely to be sorely agitated. If we keep in mind that friction is a dynamic and that while certain things may fall apart or be disrupted, the end result can be a freeing up and morphing into something totally different and quite possibly something that allows us greater autonomy and offers the opportunity of exploration of new realms and new senses of ourselves.
Just like the tides of the oceans with the ebbs and flows, these high tides and rapid currents of the 4th through the 8th can ebb from the 10th through the 14th of April. We may find we have a brief respite after what could have seemed like a whirlwind of banging and crashing about.
The 10th of April has the Sun conjunct Mercury, followed on the 11th by Venus exiting Taurus to enter Gemini and on the 12th with Mars sextile Neptune. This weekend can be a pleasant time to get together with friends and new contacts. This can be a relaxing time and a time to catch our breath from the week’s antics.
The 14th of April has Mercury exiting Aries to enter Taurus. We now have a Mutual Reception between Venus and Mercury with Venus transiting a Sign ruled by Mercury [Gemini] and Mercury transiting a Sign ruled by Venus [Taurus]. Social decorum, parties and financial considerations can be the stage on which we play at this time.
With Venus in Gemini, a Mutable Sign T-Square is engaged as Venus opposes Saturn in Sagittarius on the 15th and Venus squares Neptune on the 19th. Between the two triggered points of the T-Square, Pluto turns retrograde on the 16th, Mars squares Jupiter on the 17th, there is the Aries New Moon on the 18th and Mercury sextiles Neptune on the 19th, the same day Venus squares Neptune.
This period can be anxiety-provoking. Although we are all familiar with Mercury retrograde and its energy being akin to Murphy’s Law whereby ‘whatever could go wrong can go wrong’, we might not be so familiar with Pluto changing direction, whether going from direct to retrograde or from retrograde to direct. On the 16th, Pluto is turning retrograde, and there could be an explosive release whether in the form of earthquake activity, bomb blasts, or people venting their frustrations, or any or all of these expressions.
During this 15th – 19th of April it would be wise for us to gauge our actions. We may want to push the envelope, move things along expeditiously but doing so without considering the conditions and circumstances with which we are dealing. This is a time when we might just push a little too hard with the liability of situations boomeranging back and hitting us squarely in the face. While our nervous energy and fiery temperament may be heightened, the more we can slow things down and think before acting, the less likely we shall experience things blowing up in our face.
Similar to life itself, astrology is all about timing, times when things move quickly and easily with no resistance, other times when, no matter what we do, we run into brick walls and encounter impediments of all sorts.
The Sun exits Aries on the 20th of April to enter Taurus, and the next two days, the 21st and 22nd, can be highly productive. Although Mercury squares Jupiter on the 21st with a liability to our thinking that we can do it all no matter the cost; if we prioritize our course of action, we might find that we are virtually moving mountains. The 21st has Mars trine Pluto and the 22nd has Mercury conjunct Mars, Mercury trine Pluto and Venus sextile Jupiter. Due diligence and preplanning deliberations can envision a best practices approach. We can focus on the most important aspects of a situation, encompass all the necessary details and with great force accomplish more on these two days than we could ever imagine. These days allow brain and brawn to be engaged and our determination, persistence, and laser-like vision can be invincible. Our efforts and accomplishments may gain compliments and adulations from various onlookers.
The 26th of April has Venus sextile Uranus, and this is a day when we might experience one of those serendipitous encounters of being in the right place at the right time. Communications with other people, even strangers, may illuminate a new understanding, an alternative to the way we have been doing things or new interests that appeal to us and which we choose to pursue.
The Sun sextile Neptune on the 29th might increase our sensitivity and have us more receptive to the impressions of things around us. We may choose to make purchases that add extra comfort to our lives, like feathering our nest or looking to enhance our appearance.
Mercury exits Taurus to enter its own Sign of Gemini on the 30th of April, 1st of May. Our thoughts may be energized with all options and considerations taken into account. The gift of gab might be evident with ourselves and with other people. This entry of Gemini will also trigger the Mutable Sign T-Square with Mercury opposed Saturn on the 3rd of May just prior to the Scorpio Full Moon and Mercury square Neptune on the 9th of May.
While the Jupiter transit of Leo for close to a year has indulged us with optimism, confidence and a sense of all things starting to go right, evidenced by equity markets’ recent highs, this Scorpio Full Moon on the 3rd of May could take the bloom off the rose. Although much of the euphoria and the hype of good times by the powers-that-be have been seductive, there could also have been a case of illusionary or downright delusionary influences. This Full Moon with Mercury opposed Saturn at the same time may force us to address the possible liabilities, problems and issues that have been covered over and barely addressed in recent times.
This is a time when we might view the half glass of water no longer as half full but more as half empty. It is important during any mood swings in the downward dog position that we keep in mind the acronym for FEAR [False Evidence Appearing Real].
We are living in a bombardment of stimuli, a kaleidoscope of sights, sounds, colors, images and appearances that spark various emotional reactions but may be merely presenting one facet of what is going on. The caroming from one crisis to another seems to be the game plan of living in today’s world. But the question as to how some of these crises impact us directly and personally is one we should often ask ourselves. Among the recent crisis points, in no particular order, have been: Ebola virus, Paris terrorist attacks, police shootings, Ukraine coup, Measles outbreak, and on and on.
These times call for us to inoculate ourselves from the fear-mongering of the media and the powers-that-be who seek to manipulate and control.
In this Spring period as first Venus, then Mercury, then Mars and later the Sun transit Gemini, we shall experience the Mutable Sign T-Square with the Gemini-transiting planets opposing Saturn and then squaring Neptune. Let’s keep in mind when our emotions swoon into the negative territory the acronym of fear — false evidence appearing real.
While this Spring period can be one of high nervous energy, our juggling any number of things, addressing past issues and wondering whether we are done with outstanding matters, we shall also have some healthy respites, somewhat like a welcome oasis in the midst of a barren desert.
The 4th of May has the Taurus Sun square Jupiter. Extravagance may know no bounds, whether that extravagance be our financial expenditures, our self-confidence or a tendency to forfeit outside advise and advance our interests ‘come hell or high water’.
Fortunately, the Taurus-transiting planets and their squares to Jupiter are followed by trines to Pluto, such as the Sun trine Pluto on the 6th of May. Whatever excess we engage can be whittled down to the essence, the substance of the situation. We can strip away the indulgences and focus on the truly meaningful. And this Sun Pluto trine on the 6th allows us to consider what the quality of life means to each one of us. What are our priorities? What is truly important to us? What are we doing with our lives?
The 7th of May has Venus exiting Gemini to enter Cancer. Our plans may begin to revolve around home and family. We might give thought to reunions, family gatherings and various springtime celebrations that occur on an annual basis — graduations, marriages, school reunions.
The 9th of May has Mercury finishing its Mutable Sign T-Square trigger point with Mercury square Neptune. We may be subject to a great deal of input, which could prove overwhelming and confusing. Whether we are making plans or considering decisions, it would be wise that we not rush to judgment. We might not have full information or we might misinterpret what is being presented to us. With so much commotion going on, we could easily be swayed by the person with the loudest voice or by the sparkly images being presented.
Mars exits Taurus on the 11th of May to enter Gemini and trigger the Mutable Sign T-Square, first with Mars opposed Saturn on the 15th and then Mars square Neptune on the 25th. The Mars opposed Saturn on the 15th can knock the wind out of our sails. Things can take longer than we would like, and we could get exhausted by all the things we need to do and want to do. It would be important that we not push ourselves, for the liability to back strain could be strong at this time.
Venus trines Neptune on the 16th and this weekend can be an especially pleasant time of social interactions. Family reconnections can be pleasant, and we might realize how important the people in our lives are. We may see people in a different light with greater compassion and empathy for the brambles others have encountered on the path of their journeying. There is a strong spiritual connection in our relationships on this weekend.
The Taurus New Moon on the 17th – 18th ushers in the three-week Mercury retrograde that begins on the 18th – 19th. This Mercury retrograde can be strengthened by the fact that Mercury will be retrograding through its own Sign of Gemini. Like any Mercury retrograde, but this one ever more so, communications can be off and we could experience miscues and misunderstandings. It will be important to engage brain before unleashing tongue, for the liability would be to say the wrong thing at the wrong time to the wrong person.
The Sun enters Gemini on the 21st of May and again we have the Mutable Sign T-Square triggered, first with the Sun opposed Saturn on the 22nd and later with the Sun square Neptune on the 31st of May.
The 21st has the Sun entering Gemini and Venus opposed Pluto, followed by the Sun opposed Saturn on the 22nd. A level of irritation can creep in, and we might not be operating on all eight cylinders. Not operating at our full potential, we might be hard pressed to maintain grace and charm. We may feel that we have so much on our plate or want to have more on our plate than we could possibly manage. And even if we look to other people to help us out, they may be too involved in their own situations to assist us.
The week of the 25th begins in the US with Memorial Day and the last day of the long holiday weekend that celebrates the unofficial start of Summer. The 25th has Venus square Uranus and Mars square Neptune. While there are various celebrations at this time and fun in the sun, some plans may go awry. Relationships could prove dicey as a result of people choosing to do what they want to do, and the liability to accidents and especially accidents in or on the water can add to the time being fraught with concern.
The retrograde Mercury conjuncts Mars on the 27th of May, and people can be forceful in their discussions. Like the old saying of a ‘strong offense is a good defense’, people may be belligerent, emphasizing their being right no matter how wrong they might be and with little substantiated evidence to back up their claims. This is a day to be wary of discussions turning into heated arguments or arm-twisting by reason of persistent persuasiveness.
The weekend of the 29th to end the month of May can prove stormy. Neptune is engaged by the Sun Mercury conjunction on the 30th with Mercury square Neptune on the 29th and the Sun square Neptune on the 31st. No matter what our intentions for this weekend might be, it could be stormy either weather-wise or in our interactions with other people. The level of confusion can be extreme. The tendency towards tuning out and escaping the mundane could prove seductive. With the strong combination of air and water, emotions can be ratcheted up and misunderstandings rampant. No one seems on the same page with a preference to nurse grievances or to play the passive-aggressive game. Why go there when there are no winners and only results in a lose-lose scenario?
The beginning of June with the Sagittarius Full Moon on the 2nd crescendos the Mutable Sign T-Square with the three Gemini transiting planets of retrograde Mercury, Sun and Mars opposed to the Moon and Saturn in Sagittarius and all of them by Sign square to Neptune in Pisces. While we still have the Fire Grand Trine by Sign with Saturn in Sagittarius, Jupiter in Leo and Uranus in Aries, we are about to lose this Grand Trine on the 14th of June as Saturn retrogrades out of Sagittarius and back into Scorpio.
June can have us juggling any number of things. We are far more interested in trying this, doing that than any long-term committed involvement. We could be all over the place, both literally and figuratively. We just have to watch the push pull and not be seduced by bright shiny objects, or sparkly images. Clarity could be lost to our immediate responses looking for immediate gratification.
This early June period can be a great deal of fun, and we are certainly looking for good fun with good friends. We may be here, there and everywhere engaging in various occasions that are all upbeat celebrations. No matter what is going on in the so-called ‘real’ world. We are more interested in ‘putting on the Ritz’, showing ourselves off and engaging the mutual admiration society with those of our same upbeat temperament.
Mars sextiles Jupiter on the 5th of June, the same day that Venus exits Cancer to enter Leo. The 6th has Venus trine Saturn, so we can imagine that whether intentionally or not we could be connecting with people with whom we feel comfortable and with whom we have a past.
This June period and the latter part of the Spring season is replete with good times and feel-good opportunities.
The Sun sextiles Jupiter on the 8th, followed by Mars sextile Uranus on the 9th, and on the 10th Mercury sextile Venus and the Sun sextile Uranus. This second week of June can be a time of exploration and self-discoveries. We want to engage exciting new opportunities and more liable to take risks than we might have done when the blanket of anxiety was dampening our disposition.
Mercury turns direct on the 11th of June, and we can start to straighten out any miscommunications, miscues, misunderstandings and missteps we might have made over the preceding three weeks. Yes, we might have to attend to various “mis-s” but no worries. We are feeling good about life, enjoying our springtime activities and sensing that better days are ahead, if we will only search out our options and alternatives and seek new directions.
Neptune turns retrograde on the 12th of June followed by the retrograde Saturn exiting Sagittarius to go back into Scorpio for a Summer re-run through the Fixed Water Sign. We may have to revisit some of the past two and a half years over this Summer period. Recapitulations, as Carlos Castaneda discussed in his last book, The Active Side of Infinity, allow us to go back over past situations, revisit them, review them and revision them so that they no longer have us in a psychic hold that can be restrictive and limiting without our consciously realizing their hold.
This latter part of Spring, highlighted by the Gemini New Moon on the 16th of June, spreads wide the picnic blanket to a smorgasbord of delights. The Gemini New Moon with the conjunction on Sun, Moon and Mars in the Aquarian decanate of Gemini allows us to consider a wide variety of prospects, consider a diverse array of possibilities, and provides time with those significant people in our lives who can help us process the filtration of the myriad options and alternatives open to us in our own personal new world order.
Spring 2015… Renaissance, Renewal, Rebirth…
