AstroLink March 2014
March is both front-loaded and end-loaded. It is the precursor month to the action high-peak of the year. Change is afoot. April and May can prove to be radically life-altering for many of us. Be ready for anything goes, make each moment count, stay courageous, and when faced with dilemma, aim for a liberating new choice.
January delivered Venus retrograde, February delivered Mercury retrograde, and March opens with Mars and Saturn starting retrograde cycles: Mars in Libra begins retrograde on March 1, and Saturn in Scorpio begins retrograde on March 2.
Since December, Mars in Libra has firing it up in the relationship department – this at the personal, social, and political levels. Finances and economics have also been a major target. Mars is considered to be in its detriment in the sign of Libra, a weakened position. Mars in retrograde can be an inhibiting influence. One would expect that Libra and retrograde would debilitate Mars further, but quite the opposite is true. There’s more than the usual incentive building now – much more.
Mars in Libra points you at relationship, Mars retrograde points you back to yourself. All retrogrades serve to advance the individuation process. This retrograde cycle is designed to help you to create a greater degree of separation from the immediacy of your circumstances. It’s about gaining a better perspective on yourself, about processing the experience and the feedback you’ve gathered so far. As this retrograde cycle unfolds it will provide the opportunity to bring yourself up to speed, to pass go and to collect.
Saturn in Scorpio retrograde can knock down a wall, barrier, rationale, mind-set, structure or reality. It can uncover a hidden powerbase or a compelling inner dialogue that you may not have fully recognized or tapped. Once uncovered, what previously seemed dead or deadened can prove to be teaming with life. Saturn in Scorpio retrograde can also be a reclaiming, refortifying, or re-empowering influence. Saturn in Scorpio retrograde asks you to build it – not the same, but better.
Just after both Mars and Saturn begin retrograde, Venus in Capricorn puts the moves on Mars. Want it? Feel you deserve it? The time is ripe and it is up to you to claim it for yourself. Don’t waste the moment. Put desire and ambition to work.
After four months of Venus reconciling with Capricorn’s reality, she’s ready to fire up something fresh. Venus advances into Aquarius on March 5. On March 6, Jupiter in Cancer ends its four month retrograde. With so much stellar activity packed into the first week of the month, expect to a lot of action and/or a significant turning of the tides. Venus in Aquarius can spark social trends, movements, politics, protests, and extremists. It can also stimulate economic matters.
Mercury and Saturn square off on March 10, completing a cycle begun at the end of January. With one last negotiation or hurdle out of the way, the rest of the week is productive. It’s a good week to pitch, create, or complete. March 16 delivers a full moon in Virgo. Among the possibilities, there can be accidents, mistakes, miscommunications or leaks; important details, health, or safety features overlooked. We may hear of matters to do with manufacturing, food production, medical, etc. To the positive, much can be repaired, corrected, healed, or fixed. It is a time to put extra safeguards in place, to find what’s missing, to reduce the waste, look at what’s workable and/or to get to work. Also, make sure to put extra attention toward health and healthy choices. The full moon also puts the welfare of others, also our pets and livestock to the forefront.
March 30 delivers a new moon in Aries. This new moon triggers Uranus, Pluto and Jupiter, three of four cardinal cross planets that will be so active in April. Expect even more to fire up.
March 16: Full Moon: 10:06 am (26 Virgo 02)
March 30: New Moon: 11:45 am ( 9 Aries 59)
March 1: Mars stations retrograde: 8:24 am
March 2: Saturn stations retrograde: 8:19 am
March 2: Vesta stations retrograde: 8:29 pm
March 3: Juno into Aries: 2:38 am
March 5: Venus enters Aquarius: 1:03 pm
March 5: Pallas Athene retrograde into Leo:
March 6: Jupiter stations direct: 2:42 am
March 17: Mercury enters Pisces: 3:24 pm
March 20: Vernal Equinox Sun enters Aries: 9:57 am
March 22: Ceres retrograde into Libra: 7:53 am 3:04 pm
*Please note, daylight savings begins on March 9. All times listed are PST or PDT – please check your local listing.
Dates to watch: March 1 – 6, 10, 13 – 18, 20, 22, 23, 26, 30, 31
ARIES (March 21- April 19)
Relationships and life’s imbalances will continue to be your main focus, but now that Mars has turned retrograde, you’ll gain a fresh perspective, on yourself as well as the circumstance. Mars retrograde forces you to pull further back from the immediacy of the experience. Along the way you’ll discover a new angle or option – and a new you too. This is also a critical time for personal regrouping. Make it your top priority to gain a better personal equilibrium despite what’s going on around you. Take extra time for yourself. Once you are centred again, your dynamo self will reclaim itself. After that, there’s no telling where you can take it. Let a creative project or personal priority overtake you.
Mars retrograde is a stoke-the-fire influence. Just after it turns retrograde, Venus and Mars square off. Noting that Saturn also starts retrograde on March 2, expect the breaks to come off regarding a particular relationship or financial matter.
Venus in Aquarius, starting March 5 and the end of Jupiter retrograde on March 6, also help you to get a move on.
The full moon on March 16 can reveal a blind-spot, a saving grace, and/or see things heal, correct, or fix on their own. This full moon could also produce a work potential. Keep your eyes open. Even if there is an initial disappointment, there is something to gain.
Your birthday month will be quite a kicker. Do everything you can right now to clear away the debris and to bring yourself up to speed.
TAURUS (April 20 -May 20)
Don’t expect more of the same. One way or another, watch for Mars retrograde to put you back to work. This transit also puts an added focus on health and on working it out with someone or something in particular.
There are many layers and levels operating at the same time. Although you can get a move-on in some areas of your life, Mars and Saturn in retrograde could extend a wait, send you back to the drawing table, or necessitate that you start from scratch all over again. Then again, Saturn retrograde can remove a block or a stalemate. Your relationship with an authority figure, partner, advisor, supporter, or competitor can change dramatically.
What you want, what you value, what you need, how you live with yourself, Venus in Aquarius, starting March 5, brings a whole new reality into focus.
Despite the planets in retrogrades, this is not a time to dawdle, it’s a time to hit it, to show up for yourself more and to gain presence in your world in some striking way. March 10 could see you make it past another hurdle.
The days leading up to the Virgo full moon on March 16 are especially opportune. Stay ambitious. Things could come together for you quite well around this time. Watch for the last few days of the month to get it cooking too.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21)
What’s spring-boarding for you next? Everything. Life, love, creativity, and opportunity now head in a new direction. Saturn’s turn to retrograde will change the way you process your experience and how you approach problem solving. Mars turn to retrograde helps you to see yourself and the roles you play in a whole new light. In turn, you’ll discover new options for yourself, new ways to play it, and new goals to reach for. Venus in Aquarius, March 5 to April 5 keeps it fresh for you. You aren’t likely to feel a lack in the stimulation department. Look for new trends to peak your interest now too.
March 10, Mercury and Saturn complete a cycle begun at the end of January. By the end of the week, you should feel that you have it well sorted out. If you need to talk it out or pitch it further, use March 14 when Mercury and Mars are well aligned.
The days leading up to the full moon on March 16 are stage setting. Things could have a surprising way of working out. Even if a concession, modification, or repair is necessary, in the end it spells improvement. To the plus, it can be a good weekend for a garage sale, gardening, painting, a repair, or renovation project. Then again, you could use a spruce too. It is also a good time to ditch out of the work and to let the world run without you for a little while. Stay alert, March 17 can dish up something unexpected that will require your immediate attention.
The new moon on March 30 is highly charged. The end of the month keeps you – and it – going strong. You are just at the start of so much more to come.
CANCER (June 22-July 22)
One of the most important of relationships is undergoing a major change – that of your relationship to yourself. It’s time to listen more closely to that inner voice and to take action on the message.
Turning your attention inward, Mars retrograde calls for better reinforcements, but to begin with you may feel you are losing important support. Along with Saturn retrograde, you could suddenly find that the status quo is not as solid, locked in, as final word or edict driven as it appears to be. See it as an advantage and use it as a positive growth tool. This is your opportunity to make a major turnaround or to jump over a hurdle that has plagued you for far too long.
Mercury in Aquarius (to March 17) and Venus in Aquarius (March 5 to April 5) can stimulate new income streams, but of course, you have to put effort into exploring the alternatives. Both planets can also radically shift your relationship status. Independence, new choices, a new lifestyle- it’s where it’s at. Try a new you on for size.
Things can shape up quite well in the days leading up to the full moon of March 16. Watch for an opportunity correct something said or done, to save the day, fill in an important missing blank, or to switch from underdog to the one calling the shots.
Aries month, beginning on the Vernal Equinox March 20 can start you on a new professional or personal trajectory. The month ahead can move you along much faster than you may anticipate.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)
The start of March can see you punch through something major, this regarding a legal matter, a contract, work, or a work in progress, Saturn retrograde can take the brakes off something you have been resisting or struggling with. Mars retrograde redirects your attention and interest level. It also gets you thinking or negotiating along new lines. Past March 10 when Mercury/Saturn square off, you’ll surpass yet another hurdle.
The Virgo full moon on March 16 can find you face a loss or it can dish up an unexpected expense or necessary repair. Something overlooked could be the issue, but the days leading up to the full moon are productive. Stay detailed oriented, safety and health conscious and you could minimize or circumvent a potential problem. It can expose what’s wrong with the picture, but the benefit in this full moon is that provides an opportunity to correct, heal, fix, or improve matters.
The spring season is full of opportunity. A whole new world beckons. Watch for fresh prospects, new interests, trends, or people to sweep you up and away. Travel, relocation, study, a new vocational direction or marketing strategy can do plenty for you. More freedom and independence is on the roster too thanks to Uranus in Aries and next month’s eclipses. Expect things to get cooking in the last ten days of the month. The Aries new moon on March 30 kicks it up even more.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)
Venus/Mars in dynamic tension on March 2 thrusts you past a relationship or professional issue that has held a grip on you for sometime. Once Venus advances into Aquarius on March 5, you’ll find yourself more fully submerged in uncharted territory. Take it one step at a time. Each step/test/action/result will instruct you on how to play it next. As you move along, you’ll figure out a better way to communicate your needs. Venus (to April 5) and Mercury in Aquarius (to March 17) assist you to discover a better process, system, tool, or option. New interests and activities can pick up the slack quite nicely.
Through May 19, Mars in retrograde takes you through a reconciling with yourself chapter. The financial get-ahead requires more review too.
The past few months may have been a slow go, but look to the coming weeks to speed things right up. The full moon in Virgo can be a productive/lucrative springboard. Stay on the lookout for a work opportunity, or for a new process, program, or dialogue to get it moving in a positive new direction. A key someone could give you a leg up. The days prior to this full moon are staging. Use them to your advantage.
Off with the old, on with the new. March 20 through the end of the month stokes the fire. Expect for finances and relationship matters to hit a speed track.
LIBRA (SEPT 22-OCT 22)
While Mars retrograde can be an inhibiting or pull the plug influence, it does have its plus side too. Mars in Libra and retrograde gives you the opportunity to double up on your inner resolve, to get even clearer about what’s right for you. Whether forced by circumstance or prompted by empowered choice, it’s a time to take a step back, to create a greater degree of separation from the immediacy of the moment. Disengage from the everyday distractions, and watch for clarity, instincts, and creativity to sharpen up. Once you can create more breathing space for yourself, your answers will naturally appear; inspiration and passion will naturally overtake you. Don’t force what isn’t coming naturally and don’t look for it outside of yourself. You have to stoke it from within.
The first few days of March are action packed. Expect to be abruptly redirected onto a next page pronto quick.
After four long months in Capricorn, Venus is finally moving on. Venus in Aquarius, Mar 5 to April 5 is sure to springboard you into something new. Whether you cross a relationship threshold, or a new personal interest or career focus overtakes you, watch for a more obvious sense of déjà vu or destiny at play. Yes, you have arrived at a major turning point along your soul’s timeline. By the time you get through May, you’ll be amazed at how far you’ve come, how rapidly and radically your life has been changed. Watch what builds in the days prior to the full moon of March 16 and don’t underplay the moment or the opportunity. Grab it while it is parading right in front you.
March 2 and 10 are breakthrough days. Mar 29 to 31 moves you through the next gateway.
SCORPIO (Oct 23~Nov 22)
Is there something you haven’t wanted to admit to yourself, something that you have been feeling but downplaying, or something you’ve been keeping under wraps? Perhaps you have been waiting for the right time to make your move or announcement, or have been waiting to get started on a personal, home, or professional renovation? The first few days of March can feel like gate has given way. This is thanks to the bunch-up of planets in action, as I wrote about in the intro, most notably Saturn in Scorpio. There’s no more holding back now. You can be overtaken by circumstance, emotions, instincts, or need – and most likely it’s a combination of all four.
Venus in Aquarius, starting March 5 and the end of Jupiter retrograde on March 6 helps you to find a new watermark.
Mars in Libra will continue to keep things on brew from a background or uncover position through most of July. This is an ideal transit for working a creative project, for exploring a new relationship or financial stream. It can also be a good transit for immersing yourself in a spiritual practice, or for taking more time out to heal body, mind, and/or soul.
The full moon on March 16 could be surprisingly informative. You could witness or experience or stumble upon something that could fill in a missing key. It’s a good weekend to attend a tradeshow, workshop, etc., to mix business and pleasure, take extra time off, to go scavenging or garage sale hunting (or to do a sale or workshop yourself). Noting that it is a full moon in Virgo, please keep safety and health in mind. Added attention can come your way, make sure it’s what you want. The full moon could also provide a hidden or surprise advantage, or help you to correct, fix, or heal something important to you.
Aries month fires it up in the area of health and work. Expect to have a lot more than the usual to contend with. You are likely to find yourself on a sharp learning curve. You could feel hit with one thing after another. If something flares up, take care of it immediately. A new job, schedule, study, or project can present challenge, but what it teaches or offers can be exceptionally valuable.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22 ~ Dec 21)
Mars retrograde can see you pull the plug on your social life or on a particular involvement or project. Of course, the reverse can also be true. It may be circumstances that dictate the play. One avenue shuts down, another beckons. Look to Venus to stimulate something more lucrative or timely. Once it gets up and rolling you probably won’t find yourself dwelling on the past. The stars aren’t wasting time and you aren’t likely to either. Ending a four month tour of Capricorn, Venus enters Aquarius on March 5 while Jupiter your ruler, ends a four month retrograde cycle on March 6. Both are positive contributors to your emotional and material wellbeing.
The Virgo full moon on March 16 can produce important news and/or a significant professional opportunity. Too, it can help you to find something that’s been missing, lost, or absent for awhile. It can free you of a debt, a long standing legal issue or a guilty conscience. On another note, it could see you make an important save, come to another rescue or someone could show up for you. Call in a favour if you need to. Things can have an interesting way of working themselves out.
By the time you get the last week of the month you should find yourself on a roll. March 26 is a good day to travel, make contact, talk it up, or try your luck. Watch for the Aries new moon on March 30 to kick up the excitement and/or to strike an unexpected match.
CAPRICORN (Dec 22 ~ Jan 19)
Venus in Capricorn has kept you ambitious yet careful. Perhaps it has kept you biding your time while you have focused on setting a more solid platform for yourself.
Just before leaving Capricorn, Venus works through a critical checkpoint with Mars. This occurs just after both Saturn in Scorpio and Mars in Libra turn retrograde. March begins with a big push or shove. With so much going on all at once, know this it a definitive “it” moment for action taking – for a legal or contract matter, to become self employed, to retire, downsize, or to make a significant change regarding a committed relationship and/or your personal life.
Saturn will stay retrograde until Mars is almost completely done its tour of Libra. Both retrogrades serve to tear down the walls that have been in place for too long, the ones that prevented you from moving yourself forward, from taking better control over your life. This year and next set the cornerstones of your new reality into place. You are laying important groundwork now. What you accomplish now, in the coming months and through 2015 sets you up for the long haul. Nothing is small or insignificant about who, what, where, when, and how. Destiny will deliver – how you handle it is up to you.
Your stars are in great shape from March 13 to the full moon of March 16. Take charge and make it happen. Aries month, starting March 22, is an ideal time to set yourself free, to make a break for it, to get a new address, to launch a new project or a new life. The new moon on March 30 kicks it up an extra notch.
AQUARIUS (Jan 20 ~ Feb 18)
Since December, a particular relationship or circumstance is likely to have overtaken you. At the same time Mars in Libra has been making it easier for you to cope, to stay hopeful and entertain possibilities, to look beyond, to take on more, and to make the most of it. While all that has been going on for you, Venus in Capricorn has been keeping a lid on things, so you probably feel like you have been waiting to arrive, or that you’ve been on a long wait or holding pattern.
Saturn and Mars turn retrograde at the month’s start. Just past March 2 when Venus rounds the corner with Mars, you should feel you are gaining major ground, that you have been unchained and/or that the time is now ripe to thrust full tilt into your next chapter. Venus in revitalizing Aquarius, starting on March 5 and well supported by the end of Jupiter retrograde on March 6, helps you to do just that. It’s a new day and a new you.
Freshly out of retrograde at month’s start, Mercury continues in Aquarius to March 17. Just past March 10 Mercury/Saturn takes you past yet another checkpoint. March 11 to the full moon in Virgo on March 16 can be productive, informing, solidifying and smooth running. Get down to business, tackle the important stuff, make contact, seek recognition. The full moon on March 16 can reveal an opportunity you didn’t notice before. Do not under-estimate the moment, the person, or the potential. On another note, the full moon can see you make less add up to more. To the positive, you could negotiate a lesser price or scoop up something that was under priced or overlooked. To the negative, you could miss seeing something you should. Read the fine print, don’t bank on the promise unless you have something solid in your hand.
March 20 begins an exceptional race-along season. The new moon on March 30 can give you a preview of what’s to come.
PISCES (Feb 19 ~ March 20)
Life is laden with potential now and it is up to you to make good on it. March begins on the heels of a Pisces new moon receiving blessings from Jupiter. It’s an ideal time to travel, dream, create, envision, and aspire; to soak up on the spiritual or romantic side of life.
Many planets switch track over this first week and you are sure to feel it. First there’s Mars in Libra to report on. Turning retrograde on March 1, Mars draws attention to your net worth and self worth averages. What do you expect? Does it line up with what you desire or feel you deserve? Perhaps it’s time to crunch the numbers again and to see if the addition is correct. Even if the answer is yes, it’s a time to add something fresh. Mars retrograde can also draw attention to relationship or financial imbalances, to the one-sidedness of give and take, to an enmeshed or co-dependant relationship. If so, it is time to pull back from this over involvement, to let another sort it out on their own and to occupy yourself elsewhere. Saturn retrograde narrows it down to the specifics. There’s no need to continue the search when you already have the bird in hand. The next two months can keep you immersed right where you are. Put your all into the money chase or the create-it process. It’s an ideal time to reinvent yourself or to try something new on for size. Venus and Mercury keep plenty on brew.
The future is taking shape. The days leading up to the full moon on March 16 can confirm, secure or solidify it for you. Watch for important news, a professional opportunity or event, or for a contract, legal, or financial matter to move along. Perhaps there’s a bargain to be had.
The full moon on March 16 can also deliver an unexpected extra. You are in a strong position; the shot is yours to call. Another’s loss could be your gain. On another note, you may have to step up to the plate when another can’t. If there is necessity to make a concession or to give up to get, know it is to your advantage to do so. Expect to hit the ground running by month’s end.