vernal equinox

AstroDoings March-April 2021

Margaret Lassiter Leave a comment

Hi Everyone

March and April are pretty quiet with no planets changing direction in March and only one in April. Phew!

March

The big doing in March, of course, is the Vernal Equinox when the Sun enters Aries, and we begin Spring and a new astrological year. This takes place on March 20 at 5:37 a.m. EDT. For the rest of the month, the planets continue their celestial dance. Jupiter and Saturn are in Aquarius, squaring (challenging relationship) Uranus in Taurus. Uranus and Pluto are the only two planets in earth. The Sun (until it moves into Aries) is in Pisces with Neptune, which may feel like a softening of the energies. Pisces tends to soften, create fog but also dissolve boundaries. Mercury joins them on the 15th. Mars enters Gemini on the 3rd and will square the planets in Pisces, especially at near the end of the month. He will have an easy flow of energy with Saturn, since they are both in air signs. With Mars in chatty Gemini, there will be four planets in air, which means there will be a lot of “communication,” or talking, some of which may be important. In any event there will be a lot of talking! Later in the month with the Sun and Moon in Pisces, people may be more thin-skinned.

The New Moon occurs on the 13th at 5:21 a.m. She’ll be at 230 Pisces. The Full Moon occurs on the 28th at 1:22 a.m. She’ll be at 80 Libra.

April

As we begin April, only the Sun and Venus will be in Aries. As the month progresses there will be four planets in Taurus, the slowest, most stubborn earth sign of the zodiac: Sun, Mercury, Venus and Uranus. Taurus is very interested in and protective of Mother Earth, which might bode well for new green energy initiatives. But it does mean that we can all get stuck in our thinking and ways of doing things. Fortunately, all this earth will be softened by Neptune’s continued transit through Pisces and Mars’ entry into Cancer on the 14th. Jupiter and Saturn continue their transit through Aquarius, the sign of the innovator and revolutionary. The good thing with all the earth signs is that the ideas will have practical implications and a realistic chance of being implemented!

Pluto stations retrograde (i.e., starts moving from west to east in the heavens as we perceive it) on the 27th at 4:04 p.m. EDT at 260 Capricorn. When a planet is retrograde, we tend to experience the energies more inwardly and is a time to reflect and repose. Since Pluto is (and has been) transiting the house of values and resources in the US (Sibley) chart, its retrograde period may provide an opportunity for us to re-assess our values and who we want to use our resources and talents. And since it’s Pluto, this review will be a deep one and may cause some deep-seated reassessments. A retrograde period of any planet is a good time for any activity with “re” in front of it – re-assess, re-vise, re-view, re-pair, and re-pose. It’s a balance for the action when planets are in direct motion.

The New Moon occurs on April 11th at 10:31 p.m. EDT. She’ll be at 220 Aries. The Full Moon occurs on the 26th at 11:32 p.m. She’ll be at 70 Scorpio.

Happy Spring – and enjoy the flowers!

Peace and abundant blessings,

Margaret

Astro Doings March 2019

Margaret Lassiter Leave a comment

Hi Everyone

Hope you enjoyed the February quiet. March is a little more active, but all the outer planets continue their direct motion, i.e. moving from east to west from our perspective, so still pretty quiet.

March does have one retrograde – everyone’s favorite! Mercury has his first of three retrograde periods in 2019 starting March 5th at 1:19 p.m. EST. (Daylight Savings Time starts on March 10th). Mercury will be at 290 Pisces when he begins his three-week retrograde. He’ll turn himself around on March 28th at 9:59 a.m. EDT. As you know, this is a time of introspection, reflection, retreat, repose, and repair. We tend not to like it when things get slowed down, but these periods of repose are vital to our well-being, so take advantage of it!

March, as you know, marks the astrological New Year with the Sun’s entry into Aries, which occurs on March 20 at 5:59 p.m. EDT (Vernal Equinox). What’s striking about this year’s New Year is that there is a Full Moon four hours later at 9:43 p.m. at 00 Libra, and this will be the last of the supermoons for 2019. All Full Moons occur on the opposite side of the zodiac from the sign the Sun is in. Both luminaries will be a 00 of their respective signs, indicating a new beginning or a new pattern in the relationship between Aries and Libra. What’s intriguing here is the need to balance charging forward on a personal level without much concern for others, (Aries), with the energy that is completely focused on “other” with a frequent inability to move forward without having agreement or consensus (Libra). Aries says: “It’s my parade and I’m leading it.” Libra says: “We are, therefore I am.” And then there’s the square (wide) from Saturn and Pluto in Capricorn. Aries is a fire sign and Libra is an air sign – so far, so good. Fire and air work well together. Capricorn is earth, a challenge to work with either fire or air. Could be an interesting start to a new year.

Speaking of air, the only planet in air for most of the month is Venus in Aquarius. So once again, the realm of ideas, conversation and innovation is not well-represented in the elemental line up.

The New Moon occurs on March 6th at 11:04 a.m. EST when she’ll be at 150 Pisces.

Happy Spring! Happy New Year!

Peace and abundant blessings,

Margaret

Astro Doings March 2018

Margaret Lassiter 2 Comments

Hi Everyone

March begins and ends with a Full Moon, although neither has an eclipse attached. The next round of eclipses is in July and August.

The Full Moon occurs on March 1 at 7:51 p.m. ET at 110 Virgo and the second Full Moon (blue) occurs on the 31st at 8:37 a.m. at 100 Libra.

The astrological New Year and the first day of Spring (the Vernal Equinox) occurs on Tuesday, March 20 at 12:16 p.m. when the Sun enters Aries.

Two planets change direction in March in their heavenly dance.

Jupiter stations retrograde – that’s astro-speak for when a planet “stops” moving as it starts to move from west to east from the earth’s perspective. This direction change occurs on March 8 at 11:46 p.m. at 230 Scorpio. What this could mean in general is less of an expansive attitude about anything/everything – a pulling back. It can also mean a greater inner sense of self.  This is especially true for those with planets in Scorpio, Taurus, Leo and Aquarius. The closer these planets are to 230 the more likely this change of direction will be felt.  Jupiter is a planet of expansion – great if it’s not my waistline – excess, optimism, being bigger than life. He is, after all, the largest planet in our solar system.The second direction change is everyone’s favorite – yep, you guessed it: Mercury. The planet of communication, computers, travel begins his three-week trek “backwards” on March 22 at 8:19 p.m. at 160 Aries. (Mercury starts going “direct” (from east to west) on April 15.) This is the first of three Mercury retrogrades in 2018. Mercury retrogrades are wonderful times to re-pose, re-group, re-treat, re-think. It can be a repose period to integrate and review next steps.

I am struck by the fact that there are no planets in air signs (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius) for the entire month of March and most of April. Early in the month planets are primarily in water and earth. After the Equinox, we have four planets in fire signs (Sun, Mercury, Venus and Uranus); three in earth (Capricorn to be precise). They are Mars, Saturn and Pluto; and two in water signs (Jupiter and Neptune). The air element deals primarily in the realm of ideas, communication and relationship. Those will a lot of air in their charts may feel disconnected and/or unheard during March. Or it can go the other way with an over-abundance of talk without a lot of follow-through – just mental spinning. I mention it only because when an element is missing (and this is true for charts as well), there is an imbalance where we may tend to overcompensate. We may be so focused on feelings, material concerns and action, without thought. A lack of air can also manifest as intolerance of other ideas and/or people. Something to watch as March unfolds.

Happy Spring!

Peace and abundant blessings,

Margaret

Astro Doings March 2017

Margaret Lassiter Leave a comment

Hi Everyone

March promises to be quieter than either February or April, so enjoy the lull!

The only “event” is Venus, planet of love, harmony, and peace, goes retrograde on March 4th at 4:08 a.m. She’ll be at 130 Aries. Aries is ruled by Mars, and Venus is not particularly happy in his sign, as you can imagine. She can soften some of Aries war-like energies, but she has trouble expressing her true nature in this sign. Couple that with “going backwards” (retrograde motion) and peace, harmony and understanding may be hard to find. Another way this retrograde can be used is to turn Venusian energy inward to develop more compassion for ourselves and an inner sense of peace. The Dalai Lama has said: “We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves.” Frequently easier said than done. And I hope that you’ve seen Venus in the night sky recently. She has been truly breathtaking.

The astrological new year, the first day of spring, and the Vernal Equinox all occur on Monday, March 20th at 6:29 a.m. when the Sun enters Aries. At that point we will have four planets in this sign (Sun, Mercury, Venus, and Uranus). Aries can be impulsive, adventuresome, reckless, and straightforward (read blunt). It’s a fire sign so add enthusiastic, inspired and volatile to the list of attributes. The challenge is that Aries doesn’t like to finish what s/he starts, so we may have a lot of “ideas” but not much completion.

The Full Moon occurs on March 12th at 220 Virgo and the New Moon occurs on the 27th at 70 Aries.

Have a wonderful month! Happy Spring and Happy New Year!

Peace and abundant blessings,

Margaret

Astro Doings March 2016

Margaret Lassiter Leave a comment

Hi Everyone

Hope you enjoyed the relative quiet of February. They say that March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb. As far as the stars go this March, the first part is certainly true but not so much for the last part.

Solar Eclipse

We begin the month with a powerful total Solar Eclipse at 180 Pisces on March 8 at 8:54 p.m. A solar eclipse occurs at a new moon, and this is the first of a series of “super moons.” Super moon is when the moon is closest to the earth at either a new or a full moon. This closeness impacts tides, the tectonic plates and electromagnetic fields. This powerful eclipse is also joined by Neptune, and Chiron, squared by Saturn and opposed by Jupiter. This is a lot of energy all at once. So, what to do with it?

First, look to see where 180 Pisces lands in your chart and if there are any planets at that degree in your chart plus or minus 10 degrees. This is the area that will be most impacted by the eclipse. Pisces is a water sign that dissolves harsh barriers and attitudes. It is the sign of faith that seeks the numinous, the divine and what is beyond our five senses. Generally it has a hard time relating to the harshness of the world. This is an extraordinary time for healing, meditation, and retreat from old thought patterns about ourselves. A time to move into the recognition that in truth we are light and that light and love are all that is. An eclipse is like an energy vortex that remains open one month for every hour of the eclipse, in this case five, and as planets pass over that “spot” they “dump” energy into it. Mercury and Venus will pass over the eclipse point on the 15th and 27th respectively.

In September 2015 there was another solar eclipse at 200 Virgo, exactly opposite this one. What was important to you six months ago? Are there unresolved issues that need to be resolved around becoming and expressing who you are in truth? And Jupiter, planet of expansion, faith, optimism, and the ancient rule of Pisces, is sitting on top of that eclipse degree. This provides positive, expansive energy as we work to integrate all parts of ourselves and our experiences (Virgo) as we move toward a greater understanding that all these supposed “differences” were simply experiments in consciousness, exploring the difference facets of the light that we are (Pisces).

Vernal Equinox

Yep, it’s spring and happy astrological New Year! New beginnings, new expressions of self, new quests for a closer relationship with high self – the Sun enters Aries on March 20 right after midnight. Yahoo! And Mercury enters Aries the next day. It’s a time to put into action the reflections and insights of this winter. You may feel like you’re waking up from a long sleep.

Lunar Eclipse

Eclipses come in pairs and a lunar eclipse occurs when the Sun and Moon are on opposite sides of the zodiac. In this case the lunar eclipse occurs on March 23rd at 8:01 a.m. at 30 Libra. Libra is an air sign and is focused on relationship – with each other, with ourselves and with our beloved planet. The Sun in Aries provides impetus to speak out, to be assertive to lead the way. Moon in Libra reminds us to keep the heart in focus as we move forward, to be considerate and thoughtful of others and where we need to hone our compromise skills.

Saturn Retrograde

Saturn, the great teacher of our solar system because he presents himself as delay, fear, the ego, but also discipline, patience and wisdom, changes direction on March 25th. He goes retrograde (backwards) at 6:01 a.m. at 160 Sagittarius and is squared (growth opportunity) by Jupiter in Virgo. He will remain in retrograde motion until August. Sagittarius is a fire sign on a quest for truth; Virgo (where Jupiter is) is an earth sign focused on integration. These energies can be used to go inward for our truth and integrate all what we perceive to be the different parts of ourselves into one whole expression of the divine in form – once of course, fire isn’t afraid that earth will put it out!

Have a wonderful month and happy spring and other great new beginnings1

Peace and abundant blessings!

Margaret