Skywatch for March

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MARCH 2006

March begins with Mercury retrograde on the heels of the New Moon. Mercury is square Pluto as well during the first week or so of March, and communication issues intensify. Saturn and Chiron are still dancing in opposition (please see the Saturn/Chiron article referenced above for more details) and the world is erupting in a healing crisis as Saturn forces confrontations into areas where wounds have been hidden. Expansive Jupiter facilitates the process as it continues its square (challenge) to misty Neptune, and secrets and other things that have been hidden begin to come to the surface. The second hit of this Jupiter/Neptune square is on March 26, although we feel the effects in early March: this is a powerful time where the tendency to hide behind a wall of rationalization for self-protection is challenged (Jupiter/Neptune) and Saturn forces us to face the realities of our situations, even where they are painful and we are tempted to flee. We can see this in the global arena with civil war erupting in Iraq and the Phillipines, further dissention in our American government, and violent protests over the perceived disrespect of the prophet Muhammed in a cartoon.

Saturn has been traveling retrograde for some time, and it is now slowing down before making a "station" before it turns direct and moves forward again. This "stationary direct" time is one of the most powerful Saturn expressions, as Saturn forces us to complete any work that has not been done during its retrograde pass. Anything that we have refused to face will hit us full force at this time. Saturn turns direct April 5.

Pluto's motion has slowed down as it prepares to turn retrograde at the end of March. Pluto is the tornado that whirls through our lives and turns everything upside down and leaves us only with what we need to survive. Anything that no longer serves us is taken away when Pluto passes through our lives, and as Pluto prepares for its retrograde turn it is beginning to affect us all on a deep transformative level. Pluto demands that we look deep within ourselves and be authentically true to who we really are. Pluto will be retrograde until September 4, 2006 and during this period will bring both fresh starts and fresh endings as it regenerates us on all levels - individually and as a global community.

On March 11, lovely Venus aspects disciplined Saturn, inspiring responsibility and a sense of duty (Saturn) in our relationships with others. Venus moves quickly, so this influence will be felt for only a few days. At the same time aggressive Mars conflicts with the restlessness of Uranus and tempers could flare beginning around March 8 and extending through the full Moon on the 14th. When Mars and Uranus combine, the fiery energy can be explosive with sudden changes of direction and motive. This aspect can lead to accidents, so try to exercise care and caution during this period.

The Full Moon is a lunar eclipse and takes place on March 14 at 6:35 pm EST. The Virgo full moon is in square (conflict) with Pluto, god of empowerment and transformation, and shows Mercury trine Jupiter, bringing positive and optimistic (Jupiter) ideas (Mercury) to the table. Venus conjuncts Chiron at this time as well, inspiring the healing (Chiron) of relationship issues (Venus) and expanding our creative wisdom. Full moons are times of culmination, of completion. During an eclipse of the moon, some of our emotional scaffolding that we have built for our protection will begin to collapse if it is no longer needed. We may feel somewhat lost at first, but later we will see that we no longer need this scaffolding after all. Emotions will be intensified with the Full Moon in square to Pluto, and this will be a powerful time for ritual and meditation.

The Sun leaves Pisces on March 20 for the fiery sign of Aries, bringing with it the impulsive impatience we think of as Spring Fever. Mercury turns direct on March 25th and we can all breathe a sigh of relief as the communication and equipment difficulties hopefully take a back seat. That same day, we see Venus conjunct Neptune and square Jupiter, making this a creative time with romantic potential, although with Venus in square to Jupiter we may see mixed messages and perhaps a conflict between the desire for freedom (Jupiter) and the need for closeness and connection (Venus/Neptune)

The New Moon in Aries on March 29 is a total solar eclipse, occurring just two hours before Pluto turns retrograde. Instincts and the subconscious are at play here, with the lunar principle of the moon blocking the solar principle of the sun, and the intensification of Pluto's influence with its turn of direction.

The month of March offers us the potential to transform our relationships and empower ourselves and our loved ones. We may find ourselves navigating some rough waters, but the guides are always there to help us through.

March 2006 {Month}