We begin March feeling divinely guided with a sense that our life has true purpose with determination to put our spirit into action.
The 1st begins March with the Virgo Full Moon, Venus trine Jupiter and the Stellium of four planets in Pisces — the Sun, Mercury, Venus and Neptune. We might be seeking a greater balance between our emotional needs and our practical needs. This is a time for us to fully engage the concept of ‘render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s and unto god that which is god’s.’ Our society often seems to have lost its moral compass placing sole emphasis upon the material aspects of living with little regards to the means except for the belief in ‘getting while the getting is good’.
The karmic saying of ‘what goes around comes around’ could be played out at the time of this Virgo Full Moon.
During this paradigm shift, let’s keep in mind that the seeds we plant are likely to bear fruit, but not always the fruit we assumed would develop.
If we are living our path, no matter the twists and turns in our journey, we are likely to find benefits accruing to us. If we are just going along oblivious to the signs along the way, we could experience some head bangers to offer us wake-up calls.
The first week of March can provide us with karmic reapings, contemplations of where we have been and where we might choose to go, with a strong emotional overtone. People may be doing a great deal of sighing during this period, even if they don’t know what they are sighing about. We are coming towards the end of the astrological year, a time when it is wise to reflect on our past, tie up loose ends, and consider what we want to leave behind and what we want to bring forth as we come into the new astrological year with the Vernal Equinox.
With our emotions heightened in early March, we can be in a ‘feel good’ mood, especially if we accept the premise that things always work out for the best. Not necessarily what we want but rather what we truly need. [Remember The Rolling Stones]
Venus trines Jupiter on the 1st of March, followed on the 2nd by Mercury trine Jupiter. Mercury conjuncts Venus on the 4th, the same day that the Sun conjuncts Neptune.
With a sense of optimism and confidence in our future, we can take the time to deeply engage our relationships. Not the sham conversations about the weather, the March Madnesss of college basketball, or other shallow discussion topics. Instead, this time can be a time when people share deeply with each other, express their heartfelt sentiments and give thought to what the real purpose of this life journey is all about. Even if just an undercurrent, there can be a strong spiritual atmosphere through the first week of March.
The second week of March turns the tables dramatically. Both Mercury and Venus exit Pisces to enter Aries on the 6th, bringing closure to the Pisces Stellium and triggering an Aries Stellium as Mercury and Venus join Uranus in the Cardinal Fire Sign.
Sensing the impending advent of Spring, people are likely to feel more energized and focused on starting new projects. No matter the weather, ‘Spring fever’ can be contagious now. Consideration may be lacking as people concentrate on self-gratification. The emphasis will be on beginnings rather than maintenance or follow through.
On the 8th, Jupiter turns retrograde. Our intensity can turn inward, and we might feel as though we have an irritating, inexplicable itch that we want to scratch but have difficulty reaching. We might question whether we have overextended ourselves. We may want more alone time as our inner world seems far more vibrant. We do have to be wary of envy and jealousy. It would be wise to keep in mind that each of us has our own personal cross to bear. What appears to be may only be a perfected presentation, an illusion, for each of us hits the bumps along our life’s journey.
The 11th of March has significantly different energies — Mercury squares Saturn, and Mars trines Uranus, and the Sun sextiles Pluto. Although we could feel limited in our options, such an attitude may only be a negative state of mind. If we don’t fall prey to our anxieties, concerns and self-esteem issues, we can prioritize our interests, focus on the truly meaningful and engage streamlined methodology in order to move our greatest ambitions forward. Let’s remember the age-old saying: ‘where there’s a will, there’s a way.’ The truth to that statement can never be more evidenced than around this time of mid-March.
The 13th of March has Venus square Saturn and the Sun trine Jupiter. No parade rainers for us. Even those friends and colleagues of our past might warn us about stepping too far out of line, moving beyond the usual parameters. Fortunately, we may have the confidence in our abilities, optimism regarding our possibilities, and enthusiasm for our endeavors not to listen to the naysayers but to move ahead with those involvements that truly speak to us. We might feel divinely guided even if the empirical doesn’t provide further proof of the viability of our direction.
The Pisces New Moon on the 17th falls on St. Patrick’s Day. This New Moon is in orb of a trine to Jupiter and a square to Mars, which exits Sagittarius on this day to enter Capricorn. Putting a signature on the next two weeks up to the Full Moon on the 31st, we may seek the comfort and nurture in our home and in our family. We could have a tendency to strip away the non-essentials and get rid of the extraneous in our lives.
We are all likely feeling the approach of Spring and may have various ideas as to our inventory taking and what we choose to be rid of in order to enter the Spring and the beginning of the astrological new year in celebration of our personal growth and self-determination.
The winter season comes to closure on the 20th with Mercury conjunct Venus right before the Vernal Equinox when the Sun enters Aries to herald an astrological new year with the advent of rebirth promised in the Spring.
The Sun enters Aries on the 20th at the Vernal Equinox heralding the advent of the Spring season. If we are not encumbered by past obligations and by old outstanding matters, we can begin to plant the seeds of new ambitions. We may be willing to push the envelope against ‘correctness’, choosing instead to accentuate our personal ambitions even to the point of taking the path less traveled.
We may feel adventurous as we start the Spring season, seeking to expand our horizons and move beyond the restrictions of our familiar patterns.
While our intentions may be grand and our confidence heightened, we could encounter various impediments as we step forward.
Mercury turns retrograde on the 22nd, the first of this year’s three Mercury retrograde cycles. This retrograde cycle has Mercury going back through the second decanate of Aries, the Leo decanate, and back into the first decanate of Aries before turning direct on April 15th and just prior to the Aries New Moon. Our creative juices may be flowing and we might wish to express our individual talents, but we could find the energy to be more effective internally than externally.
It would be wise to also keep in mind that the Spring season truly begins in earnest after the Aries New Moon, which this year will be on the 15th of April.
Before we get there, we might hit some bumps in the road, especially under the Mercury retrograde cycle when Murphy’s Law of ‘whatever can go wrong could go wrong’ is in effect.
Shortly after Mercury turns retrograde, we have the Aries transiting planets of Venus and the Sun bumping up against the Capricorn transiting planets of Pluto and Mars.
On the 23rd, Venus squares Pluto. Relationship issues could be dicey at this time. If we are stepping away from our familiar patterns, we might create anxiety in someone who would prefer that we fall back in line of their definition of us. Any plans to expand our reach could be met with blockages and impediments placed in our way. We may have to draw upon our own personal instincts to forge ahead, but let’s be aware that we could be stepping out of bounds regarding what is proper and correct and can even encounter blowback from someone willing to clip our wings.
A sense of being Sisyphus-like and trying to roll the boulder up the mountain can continue on the 24th with the Sun square Mars. Our intentions could be met with stiff resistance. These days of the 23rd – 24th may be frustrating but also provide a good lesson — the realization as the lyric in the Kenny Rogers’ song The Gambler warns us:
‘You got to know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em,
Know when to walk away and know when to run.’
The 23rd – 24th are days when it might be best not to push too hard, for we could easily find ourselves blocked, frustrated and exhausted by unsuccessful efforts.
Delays and frustrations are often to our benefit. They are like braking actions that make us reconsider, reevaluate and see whether what we are doing and how we are doing fit into the bigger picture of our future and not merely our immediate gain.
The 28th of March gives us Venus conjunct Uranus. Strange unexpected encounters may provide a blessing. We might choose a different trajectory and one that seems far more in line with where we want to go rather than proceeding on a straight line trajectory from where we have been. Let’s appreciate that these times call for us to do things differently, to free ourselves up from old expectations that no longer work for us. We are crossing the threshold of a paradigm shift, a time when we can become far more independent and autonomous in our actions and in our goals. A large measure of the Information Age with its technological advances provide us with the ability to streamline our operations all the while offering us tools by which we can be more creative and more productive in our efforts.
Responsibilities and old identities may get in our way, but it would be wise to see any delays or frustrations as solely a tempering process with the opportunity of our tweaking and refining both our movements and our intentions.
A further braking action can occur on the 29th as the Sun squares Saturn. While we might have had some ‘ah-ha’ moments over the past few weeks, we may be unable to cast off our past or our responsibilities. And there is no need to do so. If we would keep in mind the concept of developing a suspension bridge from where we have been to where we are going, then we can take things step by step. We can lay down the slats of our suspension bridge to the future, all the while going back to deal with our present responsibilities and outstanding matters that need to be completed before we arrive to the other side. The idea of the suspension bridge allows us to see that there is a process for us to get from where we have been to where we may go in the future. Until we complete situations that could hold us back, we would be unable to cut the ties that bind. No leaping without looking. No crossing the threshold into our future before the inventory taking with us deciding what baggage to leave behind. In moving forward we are not interested in being encumbered by past and outmoded involvements.
We never have to rush the river, for the river always finds its course to the oceans, often moving rapidly with the currents, other times slowly meandering and even times when the appearance seems so still. So too for us. There are times when events are fast moving and we seem to be on a bullet train. Other times when we might feel as if running in place. And even times when we seem stuck in neutral unable to move ahead. And yet, the process is always unfolding. We shall get to where we are going, and the timing itself is largely inconsequential.
We end the month of March with the Libra Full Moon at the time of the Sun Moon opposition, also the day that Venus exits Aries to enter Taurus. Venus is in Detriment in Aries, where Venus is not all that comfortable due to a liability of self-absorption to the extreme of narcissism. Venus entering Taurus has Venus coming into its own Sign with the potential of showing ourselves off with grace, charm and panache.
We end the Month of March raring to go and wanting to get on with things, but also with a tendency to consider other people’s interests and our own responsibilities. We may ratchet up our energies, choose to take care of any number of things but with due consideration as to our present obligations and the impact of our actions on other people.
March 2018… on the Threshold of a Brand New Cycle…
