The major astrological configuration of the decade, the square between Uranus and Pluto, makes its final appearance in March of 2015. This will be the seventh time since 2012 that the two powerful outer planets have come into exact alignment, catalyzing change at a deep level in our individual and collective lives.

Expectations for the Uranus/Pluto Square ran very high among astrologers, although specific prediction is difficult because the future never looks like the past – there is always something genuinely novel in the way things manifest, but we can only talk about what is to come in terms of what we already know. Yet it seems reasonable to say that the Uranus/Pluto Square has fallen a bit short of what was anticipated. Has a deep trans-formation of society really taken place?

In some respects, it seems as though momentum for change has been insufficient. The Occupy Movement fizzled without bringing about any substantial change. The Arab Spring replaced military dictatorships with Islamic dictatorships, arguably a loss for freedom. Protests against corporate control of the environment – GMOs, the Keystone pipeline, fracking – have had lukewarm results, at least in the United States. There have been a few notable exceptions, such as the liberalization of cannabis laws and the growing acceptance of gay marriage. Yet these appear as social changes within a society that is economically and politically much the same as it was ten years ago.

As many of us expected, Uranus in Aries has led to groups and individuals going off the rails. Organized terrorist groups are one manifestation of this, none so powerful and terrifying as the Islamic State, which combines Uranian idiosyncrasy with Plutonian rage. Shootings in schools, theaters, malls, and businesses by people that have had enough of their lives have become almost tiringly normal – but have failed to effect even a minor change in gun laws.

In our personal lives, too, the energy of change has had mixed results for many of us. That many things are no longer working in our work and relationships is apparent, yet we aren’t quite sure what to do. Since the economic downturn when Pluto entered Capricorn in 2008, the luster has come off of long workweeks in the corporate world, but shifting to a new economic model isn’t practical unless we all agree what that will be, something that seems quite unlikely. We continue to look for security in our relationships, although it is increasingly obvious that our models for that area of life are also not matching up with reality very well.

It seems that the past few years have given us a series of surface explosions (Uranus), while much deeper (Pluto) transformation grinds on at a slow pace. Like the tectonic shifts that eventually change the landscape of the planet, occasional earthquakes – however awesome or traumatic they may be – are only a small manifestation of the changes taking place. March and April of 2015 are bound to have a few of these earthquakes, but we will have to wait and see what profound changes they are actually signaling. 

March comes in like a lion and goes out rather like a lion, too. As Venus aspects the Uranus/Pluto square around the Full Moon on the 4th and 5th, expect that relationship issues will come into focus. Strong relationships may be energized, but those that are under stress could reach the breaking point.

On the 11th, it’s Mars’ turn to aspect Uranus and Pluto. This is likely to be a very charged time, when explosions of anger and other passions cannot be restrained. During last spring’s Uranus/Pluto aspect, the Cosmic Warrior was in rule-oriented Libra, but this year he is in his home sign of Aries, so we are likely to see much more overt manifestations of this tense energy. 

Saturn stations to retrograde on the 14th. Around Saturn stations, things look very serious, and we can be overly pessimistic. If things have gotten out of hand in the past few days, Saturn could encourage us to clamp down and go back to the tried-and-true. Yet with the Uranus/Pluto square exact just two days later, on the 16th, we can invoke a kind of marshal law in our lives, but cannot really undo the changes.

Interpreting what’s going on may be especially hard on the 18th, when Mercury and Neptune form a slippery conjunction in Pisces. While great for intuition and spiritual pursuits, this aspect may also indicate illusions and delusions coming from spin doctors at all levels.

The energy keeps on going, with a total eclipse on the 20th. This eclipse is at the very end of the sign of Pisces – in fact the disks of the Sun and Moon will be just minutes of arc away from Aries, the start of the zodiac, as this eclipse precedes the Spring Equinox by less than an hour. We are confronted with a profound sense of endings and beginnings at this eclipse. During the past two weeks the Cosmos has shaken the dice and thrown them on the table, and we pause for a moment before beginning to move forward. This eclipse is not visible in North America.

Although less intense than March, this year’s April showers may still resemble more of a hail storm than a gentle rain. A Lunar Eclipse on the 4th closely aspects the Uranus/Pluto square. While the Solar Eclipse of two weeks ago was an implosion of energy, this eclipse is far more obvious in its manifestations. Whatever was brewing in March becomes known around this eclipse, which is a powerful Full Moon. Reactions to events that took place in March are likely to be seen around this time, so expect the next chapter in an ongoing story. You may get a glimpse of this eclipse just around sunrise, although it is unlikely to be impressive in the Wisdom reading area.

A bit of optimism enters the picture around the 8th, when Jupiter stations to go direct in Leo. While egos may get a little pumped up as Jupiter stations, they also tend to infuse us with the faith and courage we need to face the future. Take a deep breath and begin your journey.

Pluto stations to retrograde on the 16th. Pluto stations feel very different from Jupiter’s, and irritability may be very high around this time. Pluto stations ask us to consider who has the power and how they are using it – and if the answer isn’t you, there could be issues. With the new moon only two days away, this Pluto station will draw the energy inward. Consider what is really important to you, what your soul is telling you to do, and ask if you can commit to it. After the new Moon in Aries on the 18th, it will be time to move forward.

As the month ends, relative harmony prevails, with easy aspects from the 22nd through the beginning of May. It isn’t likely that things will be especially quiet, but we can work constructively to fulfill the potentials that the past two months have brought us. Some recuperation may be necessary, so some downtime may be a good idea, but in general we’ll be feeling that it’s time to once again get going.