"Your forecast is the best, in my opinion, because it's so readable, absorbable, & 'user friendly.' There are a number of planetary updates that I receive, but sometimes they are overwhelming and hard to absorb. Yours is just right." -- Kristine

March - 2008

Whatever your sun sign, this forecast will help you choose how to best use each month’s astrological energies! Events are most powerful on the dates listed. However, their influence will be active for at least several days before and after. All dates and times are in the U.S. eastern time zone.

While everyone is affected by these global transits, you will be most powerfully impacted when moving planets activate natal planets and other sensitive points in your birth chart. 

3/2. With Venus conjunct Chiron, this is a great tweak day for creativity and relationships. Giving or receiving mentoring is also supported. Creativity gets an additional boost from the Piscean Sun’s quintile to Pluto. 

3/4. Mars executes his post-retrograde entry into Cancer today through May 9 (he was also in Cancer 9/29 thru 12/31), giving drive and energy to the maternal energies of nurturing and healing. One way to use it: pick up the phone and call your mother! 

3/5. Virgos rejoice! The two planets associated with your sign, Mercury and Chiron, conjoin today. This is a great energy for editing and refining, made even better by the intuitive flashes you can receive because of their placement in Aquarius.  

3/6. If someone challenges your self-esteem today, it may have been triggered by today's Venus-Ceres square. However, with the Sun-Jupiter sextile’s sunny vibe, it probably won't bother you too much. In fact, you might be so enraptured by the bliss of divine union or the ecstasy of creative inspiration (VENUS CONJUNCT NEPTUNE) that any intended sleights might not even register! 

3/7. MARS-PLUTO OPPPOSITION. Mars and Pluto both rule Scorpio, which makes for a very intense vibe as they oppose each other today. This is one of astrology's most dangerous pairings, and when not managed well has been associated with volcanic outbursts of rage or violence. But you can do better, by using Pluto's power of transformation and Mars’ initiation ability to start or revitalize something with a major kick-off punch!

Synchronistically, this Mars-Pluto opposition comes on the same day as March's NEW MOON. (New Moons are, by their nature, good times to start something new.) At 18° Pisces, this New Moon’s Sabian Symbol* is, "In a gigantic tent, villagers witness a spectacular performance.” This certainly resonates with the power of Mars-Pluto, and makes this a wonderful energy under which to thrust yourself into the spotlight if you’re so inclined! 

3/8. One of my favorite quotes from my astrology mentor, Kelly Lee Phipps, goes something like this: “God would rather see you fail at doing what you really came here to do than see you succeed at someone else's vision." Another great astrologer, Steven Forrest, said that part of Aquarius’ job is to follow their unique path, even if it means disappointing those who love them. Think on that today as the Sun (core of self, vitality and sanity) conjuncts Uranus, the planet of marching to your own drummer. How have you compromised your core needs to please others, and how can you use the powerful energies currently in the air to step more fully onto your own true path? 

3/9. Mercury conjunct Neptune -- mind joins with Source. This is a great day to have your own "Conversations with God," particularly with relational Venus also so near. Divine inspiration should also be close at hand for your creative outpourings. Like all planets, Neptune also has a dark side -- delusion, fogginess, deception, and over-idealization -- so be especially careful that no one pulls the wool over your eyes! 

3/12. Venus enters Pisces today through 4/5, making it easier to enter into relationship with spirit, be a more open creative channel, and dissolve the boundaries between you and others. This boundary-dissolving effect can make you unusually sensitive, so check out the naturally protective effects of my Divine Saturation Snap Meditation if this becomes a problem.        

Venus’ sign change also ends the recent dominance of Aquarian energy in the sky, with three planets each now in Aquarius and Pisces. 

3/13. Wouldn't you know it -- Venus gets herself all sensitized by entering Pisces, then has to go and sextile Pluto! Actually, this is a wonderful energy for creating positive transformation in your relationships and creativity, and is also great for deep counseling work. 

3/14. Need to get some work done today? You'll get some help from today's "Energizer Bunny" configuration of Mars sextile Saturn.

Mercury also enters Pisces today through 4/2. Not only does this recreate the effects of the recent Mercury-Neptune conjunction (see 3/9), it puts four planets in Pisces -- Mercury, Venus, Uranus and the Sun. This PISCES STELLIUM (three or more planets in the same sign) makes the Sign of the Fishes the strongest astrological energy in the sky through 4/2. 

3/15. A MYSTIC RECTANGLE, March’s most powerful aspect pattern, peaks today. This one includes five planets: Virgoan Saturn, Cancerian Mars and Capricornian Pluto each holding down a corner, while Piscean Mercury and Venus huddle up in theirs. Mystic Rectangles are known for ease and flow, since they contain two sextiles and two trines. But the two oppositions give you enough energy to get up and do something with it!

As the name suggests, magical things often occur during this configuration, which lasts from the 10th thru the 18th. Given the planets and signs involved, creativity, relationships and communication are among the easiest areas for this special energy to bless. If you mindfully harnessed the powerful energies of initiation on 3/7, then this Mystic Rectangle could move those projects forward in wonderful ways. But remember that planetary alignments represent opportunities, not guarantees: the more you consciously partner with these archetypal forces, the better your results will be!

Two aspects within the Mystic Rectangle also come exact today. The first is a Mercury-Pluto sextile, which supports powerful, no-nonsense communication that can lead to cathartic healing and transformation.

The other, a VENUS-SATURN OPPOSITION, can challenge relationships to test their staying power, and can also temporarily restrict financial flow. However, since Saturn respects hard work, facing up to whatever weaknesses Saturn exposes in these areas can give you a more solid foundation for the future. 

3/16. One of the trines in the Mystic Rectangle, between Venus and Mars, comes exact today. When the classic male and female planets connect so easily, it bodes well for relationships, sexuality and creative expression. (And will be particularly refreshing after yesterday's Venus-Saturn opposition!).

3/17. Today's Mercury-Saturn opposition, yet another Mystic Rectangle component, is especially well set up for Mercury's preferred activities of writing, speaking and teaching. Mercury is especially receptive to divine inspiration in Pisces, and Saturn radiates discipline, structure and attention to detail due to its placement in Virgo. As long as you let the complete creative download come through before you go into tweak mode, this can be an excellent aspect for getting out the work! 

3/18. Mars, which trines Mercury today (the next-to-last Mystic Rectangle component we'll be discussing), adds energy to yesterday's Mercury-Saturn opposition. Mercury-Mars aspects have also been known to promote "foot in mouth syndrome," so be sure to think before you speak! 

3/20. Welcome back, Spring! Yes, today marks the SPRING EQUINOX as the sun enters Aries -- a great time for us humans to make new beginnings along with nature. Join some fellow revelers in a reawakening ceremony, and seriously consider a physical de-tox to flush out those accumulated winter toxins!

The day is made even brighter by the magical and inspiring quintile between the Sun and Jupiter, the solar system’s most expansive and inspiring planet. 

3/21. What exquisite timing: the day after we enter the year's most powerful time for new beginnings, the Sun squares Pluto, the bringer of transformation! The square, which represents challenge for growth, can feel like an itch that needs to be scratched. So embrace whatever changes need to happen in your life now, especially since resisting them will only bring suffering!         

The timing gets even better when you factor in today's FULL MOON at 2° Libra. This is a great time to reevaluate relationships, creative expression, and the presence (or absence) of beauty, harmony and balance in your life. In addition, this Full Moon’s Sabian Symbol is, "The transmutation of the fruits of past experiences into the seed-realizations of the forever creative spirit.” Today's Sun-Pluto square definitely radiates "transmutation," reflecting on "past experiences" is an ideal Full Moon activity, and making adjustments to your ongoing goals definitely plants new seeds of realization. And "forever creative spirit" definitely betokens high-vibration energy! 

3/22. A T-SQUARE peaks today, with the Sun’s square to the Mars-Pluto opposition rekindling some of its waning energy. See the 3/7 entry for a refresher on this opposition, and use it on the high side while this T-square is active the 17th thru 25th. 

3/23. High enthusiasm (Aries Sun) may hit some kind of roadblock today (quincunx to Saturn). Today's two other aspects (Pluto quintiling both Venus and Mercury) may give a clue on how to get around the obstruction: communicating harmoniously and fairly, but with great underlying power. 

3/24. Mercury and Venus -- the final components of the Mystic Rectangle in this month's forecast -- are conjunct today in Pisces. You can use them for harmonious communication, creative writing, dialogue with Spirit, and/or visualizing business success. 

3/25-26. Mercury and Venus quintile Ceres on these days. This is a great time to observe how your dominant thoughts affect both your relationships and your self-esteem. 

3/27. MERCURY-URANUS CONJUNCTION. Mercury and Uranus have a special relationship: Mercury represents rational thinking, while Uranus throws the lightning bolts of sudden insight. They’re conjunct in the spiritual sign of Pisces today, making it a great time to catch those intuitive flashes and see for yourself why they’re so much more accurate than limited, labored left-brain logic!

Jupiter expands and supports this merging with a sextile to Mercury, which is also good for sales and business activities. 

3/28. Venus is right on Mercury’s heels, establishing her own Uranus conjunction and Jupiter sextile today. This makes the time ripe for positive paradigm shifts in relationships and creativity.

Today also marks the peak of a long JUPITER-URANUS SEXTILE, strongest 2/26 thru 6/22 (and returning for an encore throughout November). This aspect energizes the forces behind the Law of Attraction: Uranus is in Pisces (imagination, visualization), while Jupiter is in Capricorn (manifestation, making it real). Thus, this is a powerful time to be holding the vision of that which you desire while doing the physical work to make it happen. (And a good time to remember that worry is a sincere prayer for what you do not want!)

Uranus' involvement is a reminder to not just program from your personality, but to actively listen for the intuitive flashes that will tell you what Spirit would like you to accomplish. Any Jupiter-Uranus aspect can help energize a revolution in your philosophy or spiritual path, and all the energies involved here can help you create a life a little bit more like heaven on earth. 

3/29. Ceres enters Gemini today thru 6/10, combining the archetypes of value and information. Good ways to use this include learning more about finance and observing how a thing’s perceived value can shift so much with a simple change of thought. 

QUICK GLOSSARY OF ASTROLOGICAL ASPECTS

Conjunction.  Two planets in the same place (0° apart). Union; merging.
Opposition.  Two planets opposite each other (180º apart). Opposition; relationship.
Square.  90° angle.  Conflict; challenge for growth.
Trine.  120° angle. Easy, flowing connection.
Sextile.  60° angle. Flowing, high-energy connection.
Quincunx.  150° angle. Difficulty making connection; adjustment required.
Quintile.  72° angle. Inspiring, creative connection.
Biquintile.  144° angle. Like a quintile, but more subtle.