Insights for the Month of Aries

March / April 2020

March 19
Sun enters Aries:  11:50 PM EDT: Equinox
Sun sextile Saturn
As always, Aries is a sign to be reckoned with. We are generally born head first into this world. There is a little Aries in each and every one of us. This year Aries brings more than the usual impulse to get on with it. Whatever ‘it’ is we are called to break new ground and dive fully into the new season (be it spring in the north or fall in the south) as well as a new world that is laboring to give birth to itself. Birth is scary at the best of times. This one is no exception.
As it leave Pisces today, the last aspect the Sun will make is a sextile to Saturn as if to remind us that there are opportunities in a world undergoing rapid, accelerated change: opportunities to nourish the soul as it prepares for birth rather than to line pockets. We can all benefit from the time out which has imposed itself on us. Eventually we will heed the call of self actualization which Aries suggest.
As the Sun travels through Aries it will square Pluto and Jupiter before it’s done. This suggests that breaking through will require great effort. Later in the second half of 2020 Mars will spend a long time in Aries, making the same aspects. We are getting s sneak preview of the issues that will be activated then.
During the time that the Sun is in this sign it will play host to Saturn as she takes her first step in the sign of Aquarius, as well as Mars shortly after. Change may be good, may be bad but there is no stopping it. Never was.

March 20 
Mars conjunct Jupiter
War is the fundamental myth of dominator culture: The war against this or the war to save that, the war against the ego, the war to secure our future. War fills us with enthusiasm which is to say we become possessed as if by (a) god. We rally round the flag. We suddenly realize the nobility of the ‘ultimate sacrifice’. Really? Is there no other way to combine the raw, fierce energy of Mars with the visionary passion of Jupiter? Now is the time. Capricorn (where they meet) shows us the perspective of their meeting. This suggests that our enthusiasm is best aimed at the task at hand however mundane it is. What is required is the better management of whatever situation we stumble upon (at the moment it seems to be the virus).  Could there be another way to see things besides as a battle? Possibly war is the one great trick of homo sapiens. If this is so we might as well become extinct.
If you weren’t at war with yourself, for example how would you engage the energy of the task of being human at this moment?

March 21
Saturn enters Aquarius
EXTRA! EXTRA! Saturn on the Move!
Saturn, the wise elder, who reminds us that we learn best what we learn through experience, who expects us to toe the line, is putting her own toe into Aquarian country. Saturn is as strong in Aquarius as she is in Capricorn. These two signs are her home places. In Capricorn for the last two years we have become aware of the enormity of the mess we humans have made and the corresponding enormous effort required to address it. It is the nature of Aquarius to see possibilities, to make blueprints. Saturn will only be here until early July at which time it retrogrades back to Capricorn. But it will step in and stay for two years in December, leaving Capricorn behind for another 28 years. Saturn suggests we need a better plan, and that we should get down to work figuring out what that is, despite the clowns and the disrupters. 

March 22
Mercury sextile Uranus
Venus sextile Neptune
Reach into the emptiness, the gaps, the forces that take you beyond your individual self. Reach for poetry, for simple raw truths that affirm that this is life, not a product to be bought and sold, not even a  mountain to climb or conquer. Simply, powerfully, undoubtedly expressing and fulfilling its mission through you but not simply to satisfy you alone. 

March 23
Mars conjunct Pluto
Conjunctions are the most powerful aspects. They are a fusion of energies. The will is a mighty force for ‘yes’ and for ‘no’. Intention matters. Delve into whatever it is that powers your intentions and be at the ready tomorrow when the Moon is new.

March 24
New Moon: 4 degrees of Aries: 05:28 AM EDT
The first New Moon of the new season encourages us to aim at the breakthrough point. To take a bold step over the next two weeks as the moon becomes round . Knowing the difference between arrogance and intention, many of us have figured out that human beings are not necessarily the crown of creation. What then? 

March 28
Venus trine Jupiter and Pluto
There cannot be a better day than this one to lean into what matters and make it so.

March 30-31
Mars enters Aquarius and conjuncts Saturn
We all have a sense that the real terrorists, the dangerous ones, can be the policy makers. What do you think these days of the invisible hands that are guiding our social and political lives? Are they level headed and acting for the greatest good? The impulse is there. It’s quite possible that terrible things bring out the best in people, even in our leaders. Mars wants to kick Saturn into gear. Who’s in charge (of your life)? The algorithms which corral us into boxes, rendering us powerless to see or knowledge of the authentic self which is a reliable guide to our ideals?

April 3
Venus enters Gemini
Mercury conjunct Neptune
Venus will be powerful in Gemini as she will spend more time than usual in this sign (April 3 – August 8) due to retrograde motion. Gemini is about language, its uses and misuses. Among the many crises besieging our planet at the moment is the one about fake news, false facts and the takeover of our minds. Choose your news wisely.
Mercury is the ruler of Gemini. As it wends its way through Pisces and conjuncts Neptune we are reminded that some of the greatest truth is found in our dreams, the ones we dream alone at night as well as our collective dreams which often reveal themselves in poetry, fiction and the stories we tell through the arts.

April 4
Venus trine Saturn
Jupiter conjunct Pluto
The intellect is a powerful tool, especially in service to what matters. Cut through the manipulations and wrest the essential goodness from your circumstances. No panic. Venus is at her best as Saturn reminds her to stay real. Jupiter may be hampered in Capricorn but it’s still Jupiter. It still aims to make the most out of what and where it finds itself. Down here, in the ‘below’ we get to decide and enact what, exactly that is.

April 7
Full Moon: 18 degrees Libra: 10:35 PM EDT
Mars square Uranus
Mercury sextile Pluto and Jupiter.
If the earth buckles beneath you, all you can do is run for solid ground. You can’t waste time on blame. But once you’re grounded, justice and fairness matter for everyone. Engage the challenges surrounding you with a good ear for listening. The ultimate end of justice is to restore love to the heart.

April 8
Mars sextile Chiron
All manner of suffering, great and small, confer wisdom if we can allow it. What have you learned about taking or not taking action since the end of March when Mars was conjunct Saturn?  

April 10
Venus sextile Chiron
Part of healing is understanding, which allows us to step back and have some perspective. It helps us slip the surly bonds of thinking that we are the only one: the only one who ‘gets it’, the only one who truly understands. Our supreme allegiance to the cult of individuality has become quite lonely.  

April 11
Mercury enters Aries
Some are good at thinking on their feet, others feel anxious at having to do so. It’s a good idea to look sharp and give the mind something to do that makes it stronger, not weaker. We all need time to zone out. We also  need to think critically, to know what we think and to speak with as much clarity as possible. A sharp mind can actually make things easier.

April 14
Sun square Pluto
It’s true, just because we are paranoid doesn’t mean someone isn’t after us which makes sorting through our projections and fears even more challenging. It’s the opposite of tilting at windmills. More like staring down demons many of whom are figments of the mind. Some of whom are real.

April 15
Sun square Jupiter
Mercury conjunct Chiron
Understanding our fears makes us wiser. Understanding the fears of others does too. Ignoring fear goes against the survival instinct. Sometimes we need heroes, first responders. Sometimes we need people who can distinguish what is worth keeping and what needs to be let go. Life, here on Planet Earth seems to have as its goal the getting of wisdom although you wouldn’t always know it from the powers that be. Maybe that is the wisdom we need most.

April 18
Mercury sextile Venus and Mars
Everywhere there are people to talk with about your experience. Some will help, others will be helped by what you say. In an attempt not to throw any babies out with the bath waters we may need to entertain more conversations than we think necessary. Words are transmissions of energy. Like seeds they carry blueprints for what may grow into being. Imagine them as dandelion fluff or milkweed, food for butterflies and all sorts of beings. We are beings too.

Insights for the month of Pisces

February / March 2020

Capricorn, the sign which Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto (even Mars at the moment)  is an earth sign. It is about how we manage the earth, our home. It can be about the uses of resources for personal or corporate gain and it can be about the sustainability of life, for the Good of All. Here is a quote from an article that speaks most intelligently about the global crisis we are so painfully aware of. To my mind it speaks directly to the cusp of Capricorn and Aquarius (where all the above mentioned planets will come soon). It’s long, readable and worth your attention:

   A life initiation begins with a crisis that dissolves what you knew and what you were. From the rubble         of the ensuing collapse, a new self is born into a new world.
     Societies can also undergo initiation. That is what climate change poses to the present global           civilization. It is not a mere “problem” that we can solve from the currently dominant worldview and its solution set, but asks us to inhabit a new Story of the People and a new (and ancient) relationship to the rest of life. – Charles Eisenstein, Extinction and the revolution of Love.

February 18
Sun enters Pisces: 11:56 PM EST
We are one, we are many. So says Pisces in its obscure way. “I am you and you are me and we are all together. It’s complicated.  Sometimes this interconnectedness feels cosmic and mystical. When it comes to the spread of viruses, however, it seems frightening and overwhelming. Both are true. You can’t really have one without the other. That’s why ultimately, Pisces is about compassion. As the wheel of 2020 turns we are each and every one meant to hear the cries of the world. Then what?
As the Sun journeys through Pisces it will sextile Uranus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto. It will conjunct Mercury and then Neptune. (See below for specific dates.)  Sextiles encourage us to make the effort that is worth making. So many in one month say it loud and clear. Do what you do and think about the ripples that will spread out from your efforts, across the waters. Conjunctions are times of transition, endings and beginnings, in this case for the soul of nature that gives life to the universe.  It’s time for an infusion of soul` We sure could use that.

February 20
Jupiter sextile Neptune
Jupiter is the old ruler of Pisces, Neptune is the more modern one. Together they show us the two sides of faith – Jupiter the religious side, Neptune the mystical. Working together as they are today could be seen as an opportunity to lift our assumptions up by infusing them with the simple and profound realization that all sentient beings want to be happy. Avoid the temptation to treat your opinions as if they are commandments from God on High. Truth is a slippery fish. We trust the kind that comes from the heart or the gut. What’s true, may be true for all but the expression of it is always unique.

February 21
Mars trine Uranus, square Chiron
There’s an astrological ‘thing’ going on between innovation (Uranus) and wisdom (Chiron): change for the sake of change and change that acknowledges the rights of all living things. We see this everywhere. Maybe we applaud and support the ones on the front lines. Each of us is trying to navigate the connection between chaos and compassion. Makes your head spin. It scares us unless, until we understand that we, each and every one of us, has the mandate to innovate in these times of great change and that each of us is also deserving of compassion, not more or less than anyone else.

February 22
Sun sextile Uranus
Given that we are in fact the change we want to see, today is an excellent day to reach into your compassionate heart and do something for the earth, the planet, your body or someone else. Given the backdrop of a waning moon and Mercury retrograde it doesn’t have to be big but it just might feed the soul. Maybe, if we could really know, we would see that it isn’t my soul, or yours. There is just one soul and we each have a connection to it, both unique and collective.

February 23
New Moon: 4 degrees of Pisces: 10:32 AM EST
Venus square Jupiter
New Moons encourage us to make intentions. Intentions are not like wishes. They do not grow into realities on account of good luck or fairy godmothers. Intentions are more akin to commitments. We all know the futility of New Year’s resolutions. There is a sweet spot at the new Moon. A sense that we can plant the seed and it may grow. There are so many factors we can’t control. But the one factor we can is our intention. Two weeks hence, at the Full Moon we can see if it takes or not.
Whatever you’re up to it’s not a day to ‘shoot the moon’. Manic enthusiasm is about as misguided as it gets.  

February 24
Sun sextile Mars
Strength is something we all can muster even if it looks quite different in each of us. Some of us can lift 300 lb. Others manage 3 and it’s still about strength. It’s relative. Respect strengths in yourself as well as others, cultivate their uniqueness and use each and every one the best you can. We’re here in this life for a short time as individuals but our contributions live on through each other.

February 25
Mercury retrograde conjunct the Sun 20:44 (6*of Pisces)
At the midpoint of Mercury’s retrograde journey some of us have the capacity to be still and listen for the messenger’s message. We fear the spread of contagion to be sure, but there are other feelings, besides fear that are longing to spread among humans; gentler feelings but nonetheless powerful if we allow them voice. Let the still, small voice which Pisces offers, whisper in your year or your heart as Mercury shifts from the setting side of the Sun to the rising.

February 26 – 28
Mercury retrograde sextile Mars and Uranus
Mercury continues to reach out and touch other planets; today Mars, Friday Uranus. If you felt the messenger yesterday you might consider combining that with any intentions you made at the New Moon. As the Moon waxes she calls us to participate in the dance of life.

February 28
Venus square Pluto
Avoid jumping the queue. You might be better off at the back of the line till you’re sure what’s happening at the front.

February 29
Leap Year
There are many rituals and superstitions about this day. None of them are astrological. It’s a convention, mathematical in nature, that allows the calendar to work, year after year. Even so it may be a day to leap into something completely new and upside down from what you’re used to.

March 3
Venus square Saturn
Respect every obstacle, if only for today. There are limits to matter. And there is also some truth to the notion: ‘If it’s in the way, it is the way’.

March 4
Mercury Rx enters Aquarius
Venus sextile Mercury
Venus enters Taurus
There is a cuspy feeling today. We are on (the) edge as Mercury and Venus meet, bow to one another and go their different ways. Astrological cusps are thresholds. We stand in the doorway and decide if we will enter. What might you see from a different perspective? How might you evaluate things in a new way? Shift happens.

March 8
Sun conjunct Neptune
Venus conjunct Uranus
Transmissions or infusions of soul into the world happen on many fronts, within and without us. What new thing would make a difference? What ancient, familiar longing puts you in touch with all longing, increasing the capacity for compassion? Avoid the longing for perfection which tends to cloud rather than illuminate.

March 9
Full Moon: 19 degrees Virgo: 1:47 PM EDT
Mercury stationery direct
In business world they do a thing called a 360 review. I believe it’s some kind of evaluation of a person’s performance by others. Any circle has 360 degrees. A horoscope is, of course a circle, a mandala, a constant 360 but not of performance. That’s only one aspect of the circle. If you were to sit at the mysterious center of the wheel of your life what might you see spinning around the periphery? To see and witness your life as if from the center of the circle is to see it from the perspective of the unknowable magic that powers all life. Today’s full moon (a time to be aware and celebrate what is, not what could be) combined with Mercury stationery direct (time to get on with your projects) reminds us that we are alive, pure and profoundly alive and that what we see, know, feel about our lives is and isn’t real.

March 11  
Sun sextile Jupiter
The poet in her wisdom asks, ‘… what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?’  She’s not asking what we will accomplish ultimately. The question is just the way it sounds, what will we do, what are we doing, why do we bother? No matter what you are doing, this is your one precious life, the here and  now of it.

March 14
Mars sextile Neptune
Sun sextile Pluto
Life may be precious but it’s not meant to be kept in a jar. It’s meant to be used, to be lived. Where are the places you can make joyful effort no matter what your circumstances? Reach into the cauldron of possibility, like a grab bag at a birthday party. What will you do with your gift?

March 16
Mercury enters Pisces
When thinking meets feeling we really can know something but when thinking gets hijacked by our worst fears we should run for cover. Better yet we might remind ourselves to breathe in and breathe out, which we are doing anyway.

March 19
Sun sextile Saturn
Today is the first day of the new season but not until the last day of the old one is finished. As it leaves Pisces the Sun will sextile Saturn which is in the last degree of Capricorn. These are liminal degrees; threshold degrees. Magical places which exist after the end and before the beginning. Places akin to the gap between inhaling and exhaling. Sweet spots for any and all transitions.