March 2011: Changes Are Coming

March is going to be an active month in many ways: The Moon’s North Node enters Sagittarius; Uranus re-enters Aries; the Spring Equinox begins; Jupiter forms its final opposition to Saturn; and Mercury turns retrograde at the end of the month. What this means is that you’ll be feeling new changes coming into your life and realizing that you need to revisit the past before you can make those changes successfully.

The beginning of the month, March 1st, sees the entry of Venus into the sign of Aquarius. Venus is not always comfortable in this fixed, air sign. While you care about the state of affairs throughout the world, you find that you need to remain emotionally detached so that you don’t get sucked up into all the tensions. Globally, people are still concerned about economic and political problems which just seem to continue.

When Mercury forms a quincunx to Saturn retrograde on March 2nd, you want to gain a better understanding of situations surrounding you. You may ask questions, but other people are not taking you seriously. At the same time, you may feel slighted when no insult is intended. People are having just as much difficulty as you are in communicating your thoughts. Rather than trying to talk things out, write them down in your journal. This will help you determine what is important.

On March 3rd, the Moon’s North Node enters the sign of Sagittarius and the Moon’s South Node enters the opposite sign of Gemini. This is the start of a new 19-year cycle that lasts about 1.5 years. Technically, both nodes are imaginary points created by the orbits of the Moon and Earth around the Sun. However, it’s still important both astrologically and astronomically. Personally, it’s associated with your karmic and psychological development. In the mundane world, it represents the psychological dynamics between leaders and their population as well as various economic aspects related to the signs.

Specifically, the Moon’s North Node represents what you strive for in life. With the Moon’s North Node now entering Sagittarius, it’s time for you to think about your long-term goals and how they relate to your spiritual needs. There’s a desire to see justice not only in your life but in the world around you. You have less tolerance for things that seem unfair. At times you may be willing to fight for another individual. At other times, however, you need to be careful. There’s a danger when the Moon’s North Node is in Sagittarius that you’ll become self-righteous and believe that the means justify the ends.

The Moon’s South Node represents how you can use your talents to develop them into skills. It also represents fears – some rational, some not – which can interfere with your ability to succeed in life. Some of these fears cropped up when you were just a young child and tried to survive; therefore, you may not even know that they are there. These types of fears are called self-defeating behaviors. When the Moon’s South Node is in Gemini, it’s important for you to research various matters so you can understand their basic concepts. You need to be careful with what you hear from others, especially people you don’t know, because they may not be giving you true details. There’s a tendency to exaggerate the truth in order to promote personal agendas.

Economically inflation is a concern when the Moon’s North Node is in Sagittarius. Oil shortages and currency devaluation are two other areas of concern. The cost of living will continue to rise as you need to find ways to do with less. Any devaluation of currency will occur in hopes of stimulating more job growth, especially in the manufacturing area.

Since the Moon’s North Node represents the psychological dynamics between leaders and their population, you’ll need to be very careful with what various individuals say. With the Moon’s North Node in Sagittarius, they will attempt to justify their behavior. They may try to play the role of “educator;” somehow trying to give you the impression that only they know the facts. But, with the Moon’s South Node in Gemini, it’s important for you to research their information to see if they are telling you the truth. Rely on your own judgment, not their words.

The new Moon, with Sun and Moon in Pisces, which occurs on March 4th, is one of heightened sensitivity. Not only is the new Moon in Pisces, but so are Chiron, Mars, Mercury, and Uranus. It’s almost as if a veiled has been parted. It’s easier to pick up feelings from people. It’s easier to sense the energies around you. In the positive, this sensitivity can help you resolve problems with other people, especially those you love. However, this sensitivity could also bring out your own fears and make you feel as if things are not quite in control. It’s important not to let your fears control you.

March 9th is a day of changing feelings. Mercury forms a conjunction to Uranus just before it moves into the new sign of Aries. As this conjunction is being formed during the morning, Eastern Standard Time, you’ll feel scattered. Too much information is coming at you. It’s not the easiest time to concentrate. Be very careful when you’re in public because you could have an accident if you’re not paying attention to where you’re going.

As Mercury enters Aries during the afternoon, Eastern Standard Time, you’ll start feeling more focused and less scattered. You won’t be so defensive. You’ll feel like you can speak your mind. Just be a little careful: Sometimes there’s a tendency to speak before thinking. You might give away too much information.

As Venus forms a sextile to Jupiter on March 10th, you’ll feel increased optimism. It is a good day for getting together with friends. If you’re job hunting, it’s a good time to network with various groups and individuals. People are willing to listen and help.

March 11th is a very important day because Uranus re-enters Aries. It will stay in the sign of Aries until May 15, 2018 and again from November 18, 2018 to March 6, 2019. Uranus initially entered the sign of Aries from May 28, 2010 to August 14, 2010.

Uranus is a cycle that occurs about every 84 years and lasts for a period of 7 years. Because it is an outer planet, it moves very slowly. As a planet that moves slowly, it is not unusual for Uranus to enter a sign in its early degrees for a few months, return to the previous sign, and finally enter the new sign for its entire length of stay. During the time period that Uranus initially entered the sign of Aries during the year 2010, you received clues as to what paradigm shifts are going to occur over the next seven years.

Many unsettling events occurred between May 28, 2010 and August 13, 2010:

  • Concern over the survival of the euro;
  • Anger over the slow economic recovery with The Tea Party movement gaining strength in the United States and turmoil, such as worker unrest in China, occurring in other countries around the world;
  • Erratic weather patterns leading to floods in Pakistan and fires in Russia;
  • Corporate hubris resulting in the explosion of Deepwater Horizon and the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico; and
  • Technology issues where governments, such as Saudi Arabia and later India, sought to ban the use of products such as the Blackberry because information could spread without the leaders abilities to access the information; and discussions over net neutrality in the United States where the public was concerned their access to information could be denied.

Shifts that you will see over the next seven years with Uranus in Aries will focus on people caring about their rights. They will be willing to fight for their beliefs. They won’t accept disparities in their lives which lead to economic problems. Social networks will continue to gain in importance as a communication tool that connects various parts of the world together. In those countries where these forms of communications are banned, people will still find a way to use them.

There will be increased concern over the environmental impact of various corporate operations and research projects. More scientists will report the interaction between one event, such as the fires in Russia, and their connection with another event, such as the floods in Pakistan.

There will also be increased research in the use of vitamins and hormones for life-extending possibilities. You’ll find more scientific documentation supporting the use of certain vitamins as an important part of your health regime.

The greatest spiritual and psychological impact with Uranus in Aries is the understanding that you are responsible for your life. And, you are willing to do what it takes to be responsible. You may want things to happen quickly, but there will be times when you need to wait for the changes to occur. Eventually you’ll find a balance between knowing when you need to make changes quickly and when you need to implement them slowly. But, for now, enjoy the knowledge that you can make a difference.

You’ll still feel intense on March 13th when Mercury forms a square to Pluto. You want to take action and you want to involve other people. Meanwhile, other people may not be willing to listen to you because their ideas of change are different from your concepts. They may even want to give you unsolicited advice. If this occurs, pull back a bit. Do a little soul-searching. Perhaps some parts of that advice have value. It’s a good time for self-analysis. Get in touch with your inner self and find out what drives you.

You may still feel frustrated at the start of March 14th when Mars forms a quincunx to Saturn retrograde. Again, you may feel that you can’t take any action. Perhaps the obstacles are there to slow you down so you don’t overreact. If so, slow down and analyze your situation.

Later that evening, Venus will form a trine to Saturn retrograde and you’ll actually see the value of those obstacles. You’ll understand that by slowing down, you actually made better decisions. The frustration that you were feeling is abating.

Your sense of optimism continues on March 15th as Mercury forms a conjunction to Jupiter. You’ll see the various opportunities that presented to you. You’ll be able to communicate with other people, perhaps even inspiring them to make some changes in their lives. Just don’t get so excited about possibilities that you over commit yourself.

This is also a good day to negotiate any important contracts as long as you remember to keep your mouth shut during the negotiations and listen to what the other person has to say.

With Mercury forming an opposition to Saturn retrograde on March 18th, you may start taking things more seriously because you feel that there are constrictions around you that prevent you from saying what you want to say. Other people may be more critical of you right now. Or, you may feel that your words aren’t as valuable. This is not a time to get into any arguments. You may feel that other people are very critical of you, but actually, you’re more critical of yourself.

What is good about this energy is that you look at things more clearly. You can see where certain ideas won’t work out. You’ll be able to decide where you need to make changes in your life, especially changes that involve your daily routine. This energy will actually carry you into the full Moon which occurs the following day.

The reason this energy will carry you through the full Moon that occurs on March 19th is because this is a void-of-course full Moon with both the Sun and Moon at 28 degrees and 48 minutes. Usually this is a time when you want to complete things. However, there is still some information missing. With the Sun in Pisces you’ll get a sense of things. But with the Moon in Virgo, you need to understand not only the details of what you’re sensing but also how those details fit into your life.

Ceres forms a conjunction to Neptune on March 20th, the day after the full Moon and the morning (Eastern Daylight time) before the Spring equinox occurs. This is very important because Ceres represents the need to compromise while Neptune indicates that facts are not as they seem. Decisions could lead to problems because not all the facts are known. And worse, the other person may try to victimize you by using guilt as a way of deceiving you.

The Spring equinox which occurs when the Sun enters Aries represents the start of the new astrological year. Because the Sun forms a conjunction to Uranus during this equinox, energy is going to move very quickly throughout this year. At times you’ll feel as if the world is changing too quickly and you can’t keep up. At other times, you’ll feel rushes of inspiration which lead to increased spiritual awareness.

It’s important not to let global changes feel like they are coming so quickly that you can’t keep up. The reason is that you don’t want to let stress be the underlying theme for this new astrological year. The way to avoid this stress is to make certain that you take time to meditate and enjoy what you have in life. Another way to avoid this stress is to spend time with people you love. Appreciate the value they bring into your life.

When Ceres enters Pisces on March 21st, you’ll feel a little better. You’ll gain some insight into the upcoming changes. People will reach out to help you if you need it. Or, you may find yourself reaching out to help another individual.

This sense of wanting to help others will continue as Venus forms a conjunction to Neptune on March 27th and Venus later enters Pisces forming a tight conjunction to Ceres and Chiron. But, make certain that the people you’re helping really need your help and are not just using you. You need to be very careful with negotiations, especially where it involves finances. This is not a good time to make any financial commitments, especially long-term legal commitments.

This is a good time to do things which are special to you: Take a spa day. Relax with friends. Meditate about the beauty that surrounds you. If you do that, you’ll be able to refresh yourself and feel healthier.

On March 28th, Jupiter forms its final opposition to Saturn. This is a cycle that occurs about every 18 to 21 years. When the cycle occurs, Jupiter usually forms this opposition about three times. The first time that it occurred was on May 23, 2010. The second time it occurred was on August 16, 2010.

Jupiter represents the need to expand beyond the boundaries which are usually established by society (Saturn). Yet Saturn represents the need to understand the past in order to develop a good foundation so forward progress (Jupiter) can be achieved. When these planets are in opposition to each other, they can often bring about distress between opposing forces. Those which want to move forward and those which want to stay the same. Oppositions are times when balance is meant to occur. In some ways you can see this by what occurred in the past.

It helps if you can remember what occurred around the first time, May 23, 2010, in order to understand the impact of this cycle in your life. At that time, you were presented with either a problem to solve or an opportunity. Usually the first time this happens people don’t act on it. So, to jog your memory, it may help to remember that the following events occurred:

  • Italy and England talked about budget cuts due to the economy while investors worried about Spain’s economic situation;
  • Officials at the White House believed that they found a compromise to the “don’t ask, don’t tell” military policy;
  • Facebook suffered a backlash from the public because of users’ personal information being available. Facebook said it would simplify privacy controls on its website and allow users to turn off all third-party services; and
  • The oil slick from the Deepwater Horizon spill in April 2010 started washing ashore from the Gulf Coast.

When this aspect occurred the second time, it was time for you either to start planning or start implementing. It was important to look at your past and determine what was important to emphasize and use as a springboard and what was important to release from your life. Goals either needed to be set or plans to achieve those goals needed to be implemented. Perhaps remembering events from that time period might job your memory. Some events were:

  • Arguments about the mosque planned to be built near Ground Zero in New York;
  • The US Justice Department threatening to sue the popular sheriff of Maricopa County in Arizona if he did not comply with the ongoing investigation into discrimination against Hispanics;
  • Floods in Pakistan covering more than a fifth of the country and not expected to recede until the end of August 2010;
  • Officials in India planning on shutting down Blackberry by August 31st unless RIM let it decrypt the contents of messages sent by the devices because government officials were concerned that the devices may be used for terrorist attacks.
  • Officials in France starting to expel Romas.
  • BHP Billiton launching a hostile bid for the Canadian company Potash Corp, the world’s largest fertilizer producer citing the increased demand for the product as Chinese people are eating more meat and cows eat a lot of grain; and
  • General Motors filing for an initial IPO.

Now that the opposition is here for the third and last time in this cycle, you need to take action to move forward with your plans if you didn’t do so. It is important to more slowly with those plans because people in your life who don’t understand them may feel that you’re being unrealistic. They may want you to keep things the same in your life. Yet, it’s also important not to get angry when you feel you are running into obstacles. Analyze those obstacles and see if they can be used as a way of increasing your success.

One thing, not discussed, is that this opposition brings about very erratic weather patterns. That means anything from rain or snow storms or even drought, depending on where you live.

March 29th and March 30th are good days to resolve problems with other people, especially loved ones. Venus forms a conjunction to Ceres and Chiron on March 29th while Ceres and Chiron form a conjunction to each other on March 30th. There’s a desire to understand why problems occurred between you and other people. Both sides in a conflict are willing to listen to each other and compromise where necessary.

As the month ends, Mercury in Aries turns retrograde on March 30th. Mercury will actually be retrograde until April 23, 2011. Since Mercury is in the sign of Aries during this retrograde period, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to resolve problems in your life. Usually when Mercury is in Aries, there’s a desire to push your viewpoints on other people. But, with the planet retrograde, you’ll find listening becomes easier. As you sense the new changes coming, you’ll also be able slowly incorporate them into your life.