Once again, March comes in like a lion, right on the tail of February’s Full Moon. The cosmic energy is running high as we begin the month, and it stays pretty intense throughout most of the month. April has many constructive aspects to help us consolidate and develop the potentials stirred up in March, while having a few highlights of its own.
Goddess of Love Venus is very active in early March. She meets up with revolutionary Uranus on March 3rd, a great time to begin a new relationship, or try something different within an existing union. The key to Uranus/Venus is to remember that it is an experiment. Some things will work while others may not, but staying in the same old patterns is unlikely to feel satisfying.
On the 7th, Venus moves into Aries, where she becomes more outgoing and overtly sexual. She’ll make a nice aspect to Mars on the same day, opening the doors for some real passion. Two days later, however, she opposes Saturn, who is running a much more traditional view of relationships over in Libra. This meeting begins a series of aspects which may have us questioning our (or our partners’) actions. Venus squares Pluto on the 11th, suggesting power struggles within relationships. Use this time to consider what you really want in your partnerships, and to separate your true heart’s desire from expectations of others.
In the midst of all this, Mars stations to go direct on the 10th. The God of War has been retrograde, appearing to move backwards in the sky, since late December. Projects which have been stalled since around that time (actually all the way back to late October) can begin to get moving again. It’s a better time to begin things and to assert yourself. It will take a while for Mars to get up to speed, but things ought to be moving well by around the 23rd.
The 15th through the 17th has a very Uranian feel. Ideas will be coming fast and furious, and it is a great time to think "outside of the box." On the other hand, to the extent that we try to stay within the box - or others try to keep us there - impatience is likely to lead to a whole other kind of fury. Remember that these are caffeinated days, and clear yourself the space you need. The New Moon falls on the 15th, and in Pisces. The pull of the New Moon is inward, so our deepest creative and revolutionary ideas may come through dreams or meditation.
On the 20th, the Sun moves into Aries and we begin the astrological new year. The first day of spring in the yearly cycle corresponds to sunrise in rhythm of the day. It is a natural time to begin moving forward, and with Mars now direct and up to speed, the energy is really flowing. A bit of a bump may be in the road as the Sun opposes Saturn the next day, but generally speaking the wind is in our sails.
As the Sun squares Pluto on the 25th, that wind could gust pretty strongly. On both the personal and collective levels we could experience power struggles. Most probably, this will come as the next installment in a continuing battle with some Monster, reflecting the ongoing Saturn-Pluto square in the skies. Many people are finding that this configuration is playing out in both their professional and personal lives. The underlying meaning of the time has a lot to do with deep changes that need to be made - not only in what we do, but in our assumptions about what the "goal" is, so try to do some serious questioning before leaping into action.
The Full Moon on March 29th will extend the high-energy time at least through the end of the month. This Moon is in Libra, and so it throws light onto our relationships. Just at the time of year when we are feeling our most "selfish," we "see" our partnerships in the light of the Full Moon. Libra calls for balance, and we need to learn to cultivate what I call creative selfishness, the determination to fulfill our personal path without riding roughshod over others.
Saturn has been in Libra since late last October, bringing our collective focus to relationships. Gay marriage has become the flagship issue in the United States, but on the personal level, many of us are questioning what it is we want and expect from our relationships. If Pluto in Capricorn is wreaking havoc with our assumptions about our professional lives, the other corner of the square is causing us to dig deeper in our personal lives. In both cases, we have been living for a long time on autopilot, seemingly so sure about what we are seeking and only focusing on how to get there. But what happens if we realize the goal is an illusion? We have to do the difficult work of reorienting ourselves and finding a new direction.
Our relationship energy turns another corner on the 31st, as Venus moves into her home sign of Taurus. Here, Venus is pleasure-loving, sensual, and very much focused on earthly delights. Whatever deep changes are taking place in the form of our partnerships, we are reminded that relationships take place between and among incarnate beings, and all the various pleasures of the body have their place. Venus goes on to make aspects to Mars and Pluto on April 3rd and 4th, stoking up the passion. Relationships which aren’t going well may find that Mars irritates and Pluto offers an opportunity to let go.
On April 6th, Pluto stations (appears to stop) to go retrograde. Once again, the Saturn-Pluto square is activated, with consequences for us individually and collectively. Some clue as to how things will play out is given by Saturn’s retrograde out of Libra and into Virgo on the 7th. While Libra catches our attention in the area of relationships, Virgo has us more concerned with service. One of the major issues of Saturn in Virgo was health care reform, and we will likely see this reemerge in April.
Backing up our view just a bit, we can see that the onset of the Saturn-Uranus opposition in 2008 and early 2009 brought a revolutionary energy to politics, while the Saturn-Pluto square of late 2009 and into 2010 has shown us that change doesn’t come easily and resistance is mighty. But resistance to change is a necessary part of the process, because it deepens the level of transformation. Uranian change can be like taking a different road to your destination - Plutonian change is more like steamrolling a whole new road. These energies will continue to play out until 2015, so there is plenty of time to observe the process in action. Still, we are in the midst of the intensity now, as all three planets aspect each other.
On April 17th, the action becomes more local, as Mercury stations to go retrograde until May 11th. As usual, this time isn’t great for anything having to do with words, especially contacts and other formal document (so make sure your taxes are filed early this year). It also isn’t a great time to buy electronics or a car. Mercury retrograde snafus usually involve relatively minor headaches and inconveniences, but in our Information Age culture we tend to see them as major disasters, so try to keep a little perspective.
Keeping a perspective on our relationships might be a bit of a challenge on the 23rd and 24th, as Venus aspects Neptune, Uranus, and Saturn. Basically, the energy is easy and flowing, and Neptune’s dreamy influence should help us to let go into the moment, but we are likely to be very focused on partnership at this time. The next day, the 25th, Venus slips into Gemini, where she has an easy, sociable flirtatiousness which favors fun over serious commitments.
On April 26th, just two days before the full moon, Saturn and Uranus make the fourth in a series of five oppositions. Once again, we are confronted with the need to change, but questioning the direction and showing some resistance to the process. And remember: the other person’s limitations can be obvious and frustrating, but you have your resistance to change, too.
The month winds down as the skies gear up, with the full moon in Scorpio on April 28th. While full moons tend to stir up energy, the yearly full moon in the sign of the Scorpion can be a bit difficult, like a Springtime Halloween. This sign’s waters run deep and still, and the light may shine on some things we don’t want to see. Werewolves and vampires are all the rage in movies and books this year, and this full moon resonates with their deeper messages.
Armand M. Diaz, M.A., C.A., is certified as a Consulting Astrologer by the National Council for Geocosmic Research (NCGR). He is available for private consultations, in which he creates a supportive context for self-exploration, to help clients make decisions which are in harmony with their greatest potential, offering a truly integral approach to astrology. Armand has practiced divination for more than twenty years, working with the I Ching and Tarot in addition to astrology. He has published in various astrological journals, including The Mountain Astrologer. He can be reached at 917-216-1541 or armand@integralastrology.net, or though his website at www.integralastrology.net.