Important astrological energies for the month of March 2016:

• Month begins with stellium in Pisces created by Neptune, Ceres, the Sun, Chiron, and Moon’s South Node and continues through the month as Mercury and Venus enter Pisces.
• Mutable T-squares are created throughout the month as the Jupiter retrograde/Moon’s North Node conjunct oppose this stellium and Saturn forms a square.
• Jupiter retrograde in Virgo forms a quincunx to Uranus in Aries on March 6, 2016. The first time this aspect occurred was on November 5, 2015. The second time that this aspect occurs will be on August 13, 2016.
• Total solar eclipse (NM) with Sun and Moon in Pisces occurs on March 8, 2016.
• Jupiter retrograde in Virgo forms a trine to Pluto on March 16, 2016. The first time it formed this trine was on October 11, 2015. The third time it will form this trine is on June 26, 2016.
• Sun enters Aries and Spring Equinox occurs in the Northern Hemisphere on March 20, 2016.
• Jupiter retrograde in Virgo forms a square to Saturn on March 23, 2016. The first time that this square occurred was on August 3, 2015. The third time is will occur is on May 26, 2016 when Jupiter is direct and Saturn is retrograde.
• Appulse (Penumbral) lunar eclipse (FM) with Sun in Libra and Moon in Aries occurs on March 23, 2016.

Time to Release Fears

By Misty Kuceris ©2016

Prepare for a month when a lot of the energy is found in Pisces and you feel as if you’re living in different realms of existence. At times you may feel sluggish, as if you can’t get anything done. At other times you feel as if too much information is coming in your direction because the usual barriers that protect you from bombardment are being dissolved. On top of all that energy, the first two eclipses of the year occur and the Sun enters the equinox which for the northern hemisphere indicates the start of the astrological year.

Initially you won’t feel all of this Piscean energy because on March 2^nd, Venus in Aquarius forms a sextile to Uranus in Aries. This masks the lethargy which will come later. Today you’re open to new ideas and you feel as if you can do anything. You welcome unusual situations and people into your life. You want to find excitement in relationships that seem to have grown stale.

Often this excitement in relationships increases if you meet a new romantic interest. You may feel as if you’ve met the love of your life. But be cautious. The person you met may be so different from other individuals from your past that you may be falling in love with the difference and not the individual. If you feel as if you’re met that special person, move slowly during this month in developing the relationship. It’s possible, with all the upcoming Piscean energy that you’re really attracted an individual who is abusive and only cares about using you.

Normally Venus forming a quincunx to Jupiter retrograde is not such a good thing. But today, March 3^rd, it might actually work in your favor. If you met someone yesterday, you’ll start thinking about the potential relationship and whether it really could work for the future. Or, you may have spent too much money yesterday on exciting but unnecessary things and you decide that you have to return them.

This is a day for introspection about your value system and your future goals. While this isn’t a day for decisions about your future, it is a great day to write down some of those plans. As the month continues with strong Piscean energy, you’ll be able to meditate on those plans and determine if you still value them in April.

Mercury enters Pisces and Mars enters Sagittarius on March 5^th. Because Mercury moves a bit faster than Mars, they don’t really form a square at this time. But, you’ll feel a bit of tension between these two planets today. This means that you may feel on edge and ready to argue. Hopefully, you’ll know to keep silent and not get into any arguments because no one is going to win.

Mercury is not comfortable in the sign of Pisces. Mercury likes to communicate various facts and pieces of information to other people. Pisces likes to reflect on the world and keep information hidden from others. Mercury in Pisces doesn’t like to reveal information because there’s a fear that this information will be used against the holder of the information. So, when Mercury is in Pisces, you find that you’d rather not say as much. You find that you would rather keep things to yourself.

But there also is a negative aspect to Mercury in Pisces. Sometimes you like to gossip too much, hoping that by giving information about other people you’ll make it seem as if you’re more important. Sometimes you let your insecure moments make up tales that aren’t true. This can cause resentment from other people. Or, sometimes you’ll distort the truth because you think that it makes you look better than others.

Usually when Mars is in the sign of Sagittarius you want to be social and outgoing. You want to participate in the world and have fun. But today this desire to be social is causing more tension. With Mercury in Pisces you don’t want to say too much. You really don’t want to participate in social events. With Mars in Sagittarius you feel left out if you think that you missed something. So you may not know quite what to do today: Stay home or go out and play. You’ll probably opt for staying home since there is a stellium in Pisces at this time. Besides Mercury the following planetary points are in Pisces: Neptune, Ceres, the Sun, Chiron, and the Moon’s South Node. To increase this intensity, Jupiter retrograde forms an opposition to the Piscean energy. If you rush into situations too quickly, you’ll find that your life feels out of control. So, whatever you do, take your time and don’t rush into things. This is the day when all you really start to feel all that Piscean energy.

The need to take your time and not rush into situations is especially important on March 6^th when Jupiter retrograde forms a quincunx to Uranus. This is not the first time that this quincunx has occurred. The first time that it occurred was on November 5, 2015. At that time, Jupiter was direct and Uranus was retrograde. The last time that this quincunx will occur in this series is on August 13, 2016. At that time Jupiter will be direct and Uranus will once again be retrograde.

When Jupiter is retrograde take time to review your spiritual values and how you approach them on a daily basis. At the same time, when Uranus is direct, you want to move forward with your life. While both planets indicate a desire to take risks, this is not really the day to jump into situations you don’t understand. You don’t want to step on the toes of other people. You need to make certain that others aren’t just rushing forward and getting in your way. You also need to be very cautious with any legal matters because they may not work out the way you intended. If you can remember what happened in early November 2015, you may be able to use this energy to correct any mistakes that you made around that time period.

The first eclipse of the year is a total solar eclipse which occurs on March 8^th. Solar eclipses occur at the time of the new Moon. In this case, the Sun and Moon will be in the sign of Pisces.

This is a very important eclipse. The new Moon is just minutes from an exact opposition to Jupiter retrograde and separating from a square to Saturn. Therefore, a mutable T-square is created. In addition, the quincunx between Jupiter retrograde and Uranus is still felt in this eclipse. Finally, there is a stellium in Pisces at this time. The energy points of the stellium include: Mercury, Neptune, Ceres, Moon, Sun, Chiron, and Moon’s South Node.

When a mutable T-square occurs during a new Moon, and especially during an eclipse, you need to be prepared for many changes. What you expected is probably not going to occur. You have to be ready to take on new projects. You need to be prepared for circumstances to occur which have a direct impact on your life.

Mutable signs are also signs of transformation. You thought you knew what direction you wanted in life. But, perhaps responsibilities are preventing you from moving forward. Or, you want to retire from work and you can’t because you feel as if there is too much that you still need to do or take care of.

The stellium in Pisces indicates that you need to show compassion during this time period, especially for yourself. Because the Moon’s South Node is involved in this stellium, matters from the past will surface. You can’t run away. Anything that is not resolved now will prevent you from moving into the future. Even ghosts from your past can come back to haunt you. While you may want to retreat from the world, you can’t.

Financially this is not going to be a good time for the world. There will be economic stress as money gets tight, especially credit. Prepare for this by taking care of your financial and physical needs.

On March 9^th, Ceres forms a square to Saturn. Ceres deals with compromise while Saturn deals with creating a secure foundation in life. Basically, you may need to compromise on some of your plans if you want to make certain that your foundation is solid. It’s important that you don’t criticize yourself too much. You need to consider your options through the lens of compassion. What’s good about this square is that it can actually work to your benefit. You might be able to find a way to balance your life by meeting your needs in a practical way.

Both Ceres and Saturn also represent the importance of maintaining a healthy environment. Both of these planets deal with the agricultural industry and developing a safe system for your food sources. This could be a good day to go on a diet or make changes in your eating habits. It’s also a good day to look at your property and see if you need to make some landscaping changes to make the property more sustainable.

Don’t be surprised if you hear some more information in the news regarding the agricultural industry and the use of pesticides. You’ll start either seeing or hearing about an increased use of pesticides as more people become concerned with mosquitoes due to the Zika crisis in the world.

Be very careful with information that you receive today, March 11^th, as Mercury forms a conjunction to Neptune. There is a lot of untruth floating around the world. People aren’t seeing things clearly. They’re seeing only what they want.

You need to be very cautious with signing contracts as you won’t have all the information. Either people will be lying to you outright, or they will withhold important information to prevent you from making a wise decision.

On a positive note, this can also be a very creative day, especially if you’re an artist. It’s easy to connect with spirit and bring that energy to the conscious mind. Just be careful that you don’t let other people victimize you if you feel sympathetic to their concerns. Make certain that you’re not taking on other people’s problems.

When Venus enters the sign of Pisces on March 12^th, there are seven energy points in the sign of Pisces between 00º00’ and 22º16’. To add to this, Jupiter retrograde and the Moon’s North Node are opposing these energy points, and Mars and Saturn are squaring these energy points. The energy points are: Venus, Neptune, Mercury, Ceres, Chiron, Moon’s South Node, and the Sun. All of these planets and energy points are creating a mutable T-square. In addition to this mutable T-square, Uranus and Pluto are separating from a square. At least the Moon in Taurus is forming a sextile to the Piscean energy and a trine to the Virgo energy today. You may be able to maintain your sense of balance in this strange world if you can just hold on to your value systems.

With all this energy in Pisces, you’ll need to find ways to maintain your grasp of the real world. You may want to escape from situations in your life, but that won’t work. You may find yourself pulled into other people’s problems. If you have a choice, don’t get involved with their problems. If you have no option and get involved with their problems, do the best you can not to let them take advantage of you.

With Jupiter retrograde in Virgo opposing the Pisces planets, you may just want to run away and hide. Or, you may feel that other people have all the answers to your problems. That won’t be the case. Take everything that you hear with a grain of salt because not all that is said is true.

With Saturn forming the square to the Pisces/Virgo energy, you may feel as if you have to take care of everyone else. Or, you may start criticizing other people too much. You may even feel as if your life is out of control.

On a spiritual level, mutable T-squares represent your soul trying to find a way to take all the knowledge it’s learned and accumulated and move to the next plane of existence. So, when you have so much energy in Pisces, you want to learn how to let go of fears so you can feel joy in your life again. With the energy in Virgo, you want to learn how to simplify matters in your life so you can pay more attention to those important relationships. Meanwhile, with the energy in Sagittarius, you want to learn how to look beyond the limitations you feel so you can move forward and achieve success in your life. Take this time period to write your thoughts, especially those dealing with your needs, in a journal so you can feel in control again. Accept that things have to change in your life so you can regain your joy and passion.

There is also another form of help which is extended on this day. Ceres forms a sextile to Pluto after Venus enters the sign of Pisces. There is a symbiotic relationship between Ceres and Pluto. Ceres represent Demeter, the earth goddess, while Pluto represents Hades, the underground god. When these two planets form a sextile, you are able to connect with your subconscious mind in a way that lets practical matters surface. You understand your inner motivation for doing things. You can really find a way to move forward with your life. You can also let go of past fears or anger which stand in your way.

March 13^th is a more difficult day as Ceres forms an opposition to Jupiter retrograde. Ceres represents Demeter, the goddess of the earth, who threw the world into a difficult and cold situation when her daughter was torn from her and forced into the underworld. Jupiter represents the god Jove who controlled all the other gods. He was the god who could help her retrieve her daughter from a place that no one is allowed to leave.

By standing up for her needs, Ceres forced Jupiter into a compromise. She knew, in her own way, what was important to Jupiter. At the same time, she knew that Jupiter still had limits which prevented him from totally giving in to her.

When Ceres forms this opposition to Jupiter retrograde today, you need to know your limits and the limits of the other person. You need to know where you can push a point and where you need to back off. If you push too hard, you’ll lose today. If you walk away and don’t stand up for your rights, you’ll lose today. Knowing when to push and when to pull back in a situation will enable you to succeed.

March 15^th is going to be a busy day with Mercury forming a sextile to Pluto, an opposition to Jupiter retrograde, and a conjunction to Ceres. On the 12^th of March, Ceres formed a sextile to Pluto. On the 13^th of March, Ceres formed an opposition to Jupiter retrograde. You’ll find yourself thinking back to those two days and making some decisions based on what actions occurred during that time period.

As Mercury forms the sextile to Pluto, you have the opportunity to increase your personal power and let people know what you think. You’ll be able to use your charisma if you remember your limitations and accept the limitations of others. You don’t want to push your point of view so strongly that other people are feeling as if you’re attacking them.

This feeling that you’re attacking other people could grow stronger as Mercury forms the opposition to Jupiter retrograde. You get excited about situations. You see possibilities that other people may not see. You feel as if you have justice on your side. Well, guess what. The other person feels the same way. This could become a jousting match of words with nothing being settled.

It will help that Mercury forms a conjunction to Ceres by the end of the day on March 15. You will finally understand where there are limitations that need to be acknowledged and addressed. You’ll realize the importance of compromise and finding a solution.

Jupiter retrograde forms a trine to Pluto on March 16^th. This is the second time that this trine occurs in this sequence. The first time this trine occurred was on October 11, 2015. The third time this trine will occur is on June 26, 2016.

With Jupiter now retrograde, any agreements that were made in October will be scrutinized and perhaps even changed. You may have made some agreements with other people, especially as they relate to business. But now you need to re-evaluate those agreements. They may not have been as good as you thought.

This is also the time period to consider how religion plays a part in your life. You want to understand your own personal sense of power within the spiritual context of your life. You don’t want religious leaders to control you. Rather, you want to live your life by your spiritual values.

March 17^th is a day for where you need to express compassion, especially in trying to resolve past events. Mercury will form a conjunction to Chiron in the morning hours, around 9:25 am EDT, and a conjunction to the Moon’s South Node in the afternoon hours, around 2:05 pm EDT.

With Mercury in Pisces, some new information may surface which helps you communicate and solve old problems. Or, you may feel as if you need to discuss the matter in greater detail in order to understand what the other person is trying to express.

If you are harboring resentment towards another individual, now is the day to let go of that anger. If you don’t, you may find it more difficult to move on with your life. It’s even possible that if you try to discuss the matter with the other individual, they have a totally different perception. The most important thing to remember is that this can be a day of tremendous healing if you just let go of past resentment and move on with your life.

On March 20^th, the Sun enters Aries and the astrological year begins. This is going to be a very important and intense equinox. The Pisces stellium still exists and is even closer in orb. The planets involved are: Venus, Neptune, Ceres, Chiron, Moon’s South Node, and Mercury. Jupiter retrograde is still forming an opposition to the Pisces stellium while Saturn and Mars are still forming a square. And, Uranus and Pluto are still in the separating square.

The chart set up for Washington, DC indicates that it’s going to be a difficult year for the United States. Mars, in the first house, forms a conjunction to the Sagittarius rising. Mars indicates that a lot of people are frustrated and angry with the direction of the country. Jupiter retrograde, which actually rules this chart, is conjunct the Midheaven in the ninth house. This indicates that you really need to pay attention to the legal and religious systems in the country.

This could also indicate a very wet spring for the United States since the Pisces stellium is in the third and fourth house. Or, it could indicate some difficulties with infrastructure in the country, such as its roadways or harbors.

You may feel frustrated that things aren’t changing in the world in the way you’d like them to change. But, you need to look closely at your environment. You need to feel that you can create a safe harbor. You also need to be cautious with various agreements you make. You don’t want to overcommit yourself.

Later in the day on March 20^th, Venus forms a conjunction to Neptune. While this conjunction occurs after the equinox, you will still feel it in the equinox chart. What that means is that you’ll feel the energy of this conjunction for at least several months, not just today.

When Venus forms a conjunction to Neptune be very careful with your finances and also any software which you have saved in the cloud. You don’t want other people to take advantage of you. Do the best you can not to give out any personal information to people you don’t know. The number of hacking incidents is going to increase over the next several months.

What you can do to tune into the positive aspect of this energy is to find ways to approach life in a creative manner. Be willing to try new things. You may even meet your soulmate. Even if you don’t meet your soulmate, you could find that you attract more people of a spiritual nature into your life that resonant with your inner soul. If you’re an artistic individual, this could be a very good time period for you.

Mercury enters the sign of Aries on March 21^st and the Pisces stellium starts abating. Finally you feel open to hearing various opinions. You feel as if you can see the truth. You also feel that other people really can’t hide as much information from you.

Jupiter retrograde forms a square to Saturn on March 23^rd about 1.45 hours before the appulse (Penumbral) lunar eclipse occurs. While this is the second time that Jupiter is forming a square to Saturn in this sequence, it is a bit different. The first time that Jupiter formed a square to Saturn on August 3, 2015, Jupiter was in the sign of Leo and Saturn was in the sign of Scorpio. Now Jupiter is in the sign of Virgo and Saturn is in the sign of Sagittarius.

When Jupiter in Leo formed the square to Saturn in Scorpio, you felt tension between wanting to be generous without other people taking advantage of you. You wanted to feel that you could do something to make the world a better place but you felt that the demands from other people were too great. You needed to start thinking about the boundaries so you didn’t deplete your own energy.

Now with Jupiter in Virgo forming the square to Saturn in Sagittarius, you need to consider how the routine things that you do in life can help you achieve greater goals. You need to continue building a firm foundation that can make certain your future needs are met without spending all your resources. This is especially true when it comes to your health and your economic growth. Both Jupiter and Saturn will form a third square on May 26, 2016. If you don’t take the time to build your foundation now, you may experience difficulties in May 2016 when it comes to your health or your financial well-being. On the other hand, if you take the right steps now, you’ll see life improve and your energy level rise.

When the lunar eclipse occurs on March 23^rd, you’ll still feel the energy of the Jupiter/Saturn square that occurred earlier in the day. You’ll also feel the energy of the Chiron/Moon’s South Node conjunction that occurs after the eclipse on this day and the energies of the Ceres/Moon’s South Node conjunction and the Ceres/Chiron conjunction that occurs on March 24^th.

Lunar eclipses occur at the time of the full Moon. Although the Sun will be in Aries and the Moon in Libra, there is still a lot of Piscean energy with Neptune, Venus, Ceres, Chiron, and the Moon’s South Node all in the sign of Pisces. There is also the energy of a mutable T-square created by Jupiter retrograde forming an opposition to the planets in Pisces and Saturn forming a square to both the planets in Pisces and the Jupiter retrograde/Moon’s North Node conjunction. This is a very energized lunar eclipse which can pull up emotions you didn’t know you had. It can also bring up past fears which you thought were no longer in your life.

Since the Sun in the eclipse is separating from a conjunction to Mercury while the Moon is separating from an opposition to Mercury, it’s very important to keep your lines of communication open. Listen to what people have to say. At the same time, don’t react to their words. They may be distorting the truth in order to increase your fears. When you listen to people, try to understand what they’re really saying. Try to find their motives behind their words. Listen to your intuition.

You may also feel alienated during this eclipse. You may feel as if situations are out of your control. That’s another reason it’s important to communicate with others. You don’t want to let any frustrations get out of hand. Instead, you want to find ways to bring people you love into your life so you don’t need to do everything on your own.

When Chiron does form the conjunction to the Moon’s South Node later in the day, you’ll understand just why it’s so important for you to work with other people. By understanding that you’re not alone, you’ll be able to let go of those fears which may be a hindrance. You’ll also be able to let go of past pain so you can move on with your future happiness.

As Ceres forms the conjunction to the Moon’s South Node and Chiron on March 24^th, you’ll feel as if you can finally create a safe environment through compromising on matters which prevented you from moving forward with your life. You don’t need to issue ultimatums to succeed. You’ll also realize that personal limitations can be very positive right now because those limitations will prevent you from overspending your resources.

When Saturn in Sagittarius turns stationary retrograde on March 25^th, you may feel you don’t want to do as much. You’re not as open to new ideas or concepts. Yet this energy can be positive. You may find that it’s easier to review some of these new ideas to see if they have any value in your life. You may also decide to slow down a bit and take your time so that you can make certain you’re building a firm foundation in your life.

Venus forms a mutable T-square on March 25^th when it forms an opposition to Jupiter retrograde and Saturn. Throughout the month of March you’ve experienced mutable T-square at various times. Since mutable T-square represents the need to make changes in your life, this is another day to review the direction you want to take. You may feel as if other people are standing in your way and preventing your success. Or, you may feel that you can’t move forward due to financial complications. Take time to review your perceived barriers and determine whether there may be some truth behind them. If you find truth behind some of those barriers, take time to make corrections in your life so you can proceed. If you find there is no truth to those barriers, perhaps you’re letting fears get in your way. With Venus forming the opposition to Jupiter retrograde, the best way to use this energy is to make changes so you can move forward. With Venus forming the square to Saturn retrograde, the best way to use this energy is to look at how things are in your life instead of how they “should be” in your life.

When Venus forms the conjunction to the Moon’s South Node on March 29^th, you’ll find it easier to release the past and move on. You’ll understand what you value from the past and need to keep. At the same time, you’ll see that some of the old values really don’t apply in this changing world.

As the day moves on, Mercury forms a quincunx to Jupiter retrograde and a trine to Saturn retrograde. Normally a quincunx between Mercury and Jupiter retrograde can be a difficult aspect, but not today. This energy will make it easier for you to implement changes in your life and move on. Add the Mercury/Saturn retrograde trine to this energy and you’ll find it very easy to consider your future goals and decide which fit and which don’t.

When Mercury forms a square to Pluto on March 30^th, you may find old fears surfacing as you try to make changes in your life. You might doubt your desires and ambitions. You may begin to wonder if you’re really on the right track. But all these doubts are actually part of the normal process of change. They surface because the old habits resist change. But they also surface so you can release the negative energy from your life.

As the month of March ends, Mercury forms a conjunction to Uranus on March 31^st. Finally you feel as if you can let go of old fears which get in your way. You’re willing to see situations from a different perspective. You’re willing to take risks. You feel confident about your decisions. You also feel as if you’re finally moving away from a cloud of confusion or doubt. The month of March started with a strong energy of Pisces. While there are still planets in Pisces, you are now moving beyond the feeling that you’ve been living in different realms of existence and can’t get anything done. If you released old fears during the month of March, you’ll find a new sense of excitement enter your life. You’ll feel a freedom that increases your sense of well-being and happiness.