Current Transits for March 2001 Current Transits for March 2001Here's some of the important astrological news this month ...
Venus Retrograde Station at 17Ar44, 3-8
Full Moon at 19Vi12, 3-9
Vesta enters Aries, 3-12
Pluto Retrograde Station at 15Sa17, 3-17
Mars conjunct Pluto, 3-18
New Moon at 4Ar28, 3-24
An online ephemeris for the month is available.
Like last month, there's not much going on in March worth writing home about. About the only important events are the retrograde stations of Venus and Pluto (which should be quite spectacular!), setting in motion chains of events that will play out in coming months. There's a decent sized planetary storm the last week, as a number of easy-going planets combine their forces. It may be a powerful time, but I doubt it will have the brutal quality some storms have. Other than that, March is a really sluggish month. We seem to be between major influences for now, as though life is on hold until April or May. Work slowly and carefully, keeping your eye more on the future than on immediate results. Eventually, life gets easier.
This is really a slow news month. Venus goes retrograde on the 8th and Pluto does the same on the 17th. The Mars-Pluto conjunction on the 18th accentuates the Pluto station. Vesta goes into Aries on the 12th for 2 months. That's about it. No big aspects (just wait for April, May and especially June, however!), no eclipses, and only one planetary storm worth mentioning. It feels to me that February and March are simply marking time in our lives until the next big round of influences comes our way.
The lovely planet Venus, visible in the due west after sunset currently (but not for long) as the brightest star-like body in the sky, is coming to a rare retrograde period this month. She is standing still on the 8th at 17Ar44, backing up to 1Ar27 by Apr 19. Venus goes into reverse gear less frequently than any planet except Mars, which is probably a good thing. She rules things like feelings, instincts, gut-level likes and dislikes, attractions and repulsions. So when she goes into reverse, all these instinctive abilities of ours go on the blink. It's one thing to have your thinking mind (Mercury) go on you, but to have your most basic instincts malfunction seems much more of a handicap. This is probably the basis for the saying about avoiding purchases during this time, since items bought now on a whim or for aesthetic purposes often need to be returned later -- really! We seem to be attracted to things we'd otherwise normally avoid, rubbing people the wrong way in relationships, even looking for love in all the wrong places. But if you avoid committing yourself prematurely (and hopefully not permanently), this can be a most interesting time to get to know yourself. The Venus level of the psyche is often non-verbal, being laid down early in childhood -- quite a leap for the adult mind to make. We are many times subtly influenced by these preverbal whims and moods, making our decisions on instinct instead of weighing the situation carefully. There's nothing bad about relying on your instincts, if they are sound and help you make appropriate decisions. But if the instincts are off base and lead you astray more than they help, this can be a real problem. With Venus retrograde, they are more of a problem than usual. Watch carefully everytime you find yourself in a funny position the next two months. What led you to put yourself in this situation? Were you attracted to something that was, in fact, not good for you? Have you thrown away something that is normally a big support for you, out of momentary lack of interest or repulsion? Or is this simply a new side of yourself coming out that normally is buried? This is a good time to experiment and try out new things and ways of behaving that differ from your "same old way", just to see if maybe you're missing something vital in your life. As I said, though, don't back yourself into a corner you can't get out of. This can often be a stressful time for lovers, since the traits we find attractive in our partners may not seem so attractive anymore. You may want to experience someone new or at least break out of the typical ruts with your partner. This Venus cycle is tied closely to the Pluto retrograde cycle that also starts this month, making this particular one more of a challenge than most. Just remember to keep one foot on the ground for the next 6 weeks.
The hours leading up to the full moon should have a rather ominous mood. Venus goes retrograde the evening of the 8th. The Moon then squares Mars, Pallas and Pluto on its way to forming the full moon -- a rather potent T-square pattern! With Pluto grinding to a halt in about a week, there's a feeling of "something's going to happen" hanging in the air.
It's hard to be cheery and rosy about a T-square like this, pointing right at the conjunction of Mars and Pluto. The next two weeks could be rough. Be prepared to work hard and to face some unpleasant "facts of life" that you may have been ignoring. Good, honest, patient work is the ideal outlet for this energy, but the chances of something or someone knocking you off-balance are pretty big. Be extra patient and understanding when dealing with others. When you do find yourself creating friction with them, take a close look at your actions and motives to see how you create this discord. It's a time for skillful action, not behavior that is rooted in old, unthinking habit. An upbeat, cheerful, optimistic and friendly approach is a good antidote to what can go wrong now, so let your best side come forward. However, it's the nature of the shadow side of the psyche that we all have some "unacceptable" parts that can trip us up, no matter how good you are. Learn from these bumps in the road -- it'll make the next 5 months much easier.
Vesta moves from Pisces into Aries on the 12th. Vesta in Aries can be fiercely independent, which can come across as aggressive aloofness. She retreats into her own world and plans, oblivious to the demands of others. She does this simply because her power resides within herself and doesn't require others to back it up. She's fixed on her dreams (if only for the moment) and doesn't particularly care whether others agree with her or not. This is all fine if you can manage to work alone, but it can get difficult if you need to cooperate with someone. Relationships can suffer, since the mere presence of your partner can feel like you're being smothered. Or you can be so intent on having your needs met that you fail to take your partner seriously. In projected form, you may be on the receiving end of such aloofness. Independence is fine, especially if you're normally less assertive, but keep it in balance. It's OK to be a warrior, but there's much more to a satisfying life than just war. Vesta enters Taurus on May 16.
The stations of Pluto are some of the most fascinating and dramatic of all astrological events. This month's station is more spectacular than most. Pluto is officially standing still on the 17th, at 15Sa17, but since it's such a slow moving planet, this influence will be felt for about a week before and after the 17th. It's also magnified by the presence of several other planets clustered at 15-16 degrees near the station date (the infamous "16 degree mob" that will pop up often in March). Pluto in reverse gear is a time for clearing out the garbage in life, leaving more room for your authentic self to shine through. Easier said than done. Pluto is deep soul energy, that insistent force within you that turns you into who you must be, whether you want to or not. And since most people don't want to change all that much (the ego and the deep psyche rarely agree), this sets up a cosmic tug-of-war game. Pluto picks on something that is inessential to who you are and is holding you back, and eliminates it from your life. If you are emotionally attached to this part of your life, unwilling to let go of it voluntarily, Pluto slowly makes this area so unworkable you eventually give in. At the retrograde station (now), the stage for this game is just being set, the coming struggles only dimly perceived. Watch what areas of your life become more difficult the next 5 months -- if you make the changes quickly and willingly, you can save yourself a lot of trouble. Usually, the direct station (Aug 23 at 12Sa32) brings all this turmoil to a head. If you're still resisting change, something permanently snaps (emotionally, but often physical as well). At this point, you have no options left but to change or else hide from who you truly are. If you make the transition, you grow into a "leaner and meaner" version of your soul nature, free of some of the artificialities we all have. If you deny yourself, you die a little death inside and your world becomes a little smaller. That's the basic game -- and Pluto never loses. The cosmic joke is there is no "opponent" or "enemy" in this game. The only person you are struggling against is yourself -- if the ego "wins", you lose. It's all a big mirror, to let you see what kind of soul you really are.
The Pluto station this month should really kick in by the 15th. Mars is approaching Pluto in the sky and the Moon (a "trigger" for planetary energies) passes over both of them on the 15th. This kicks off the conjunction of Mars and Pluto a few days early (this contact is exact on the 18th). This conjunction can be one of the most difficult planetary contacts we know of. It pits the ego and our willfulness squarely against the deeper self, releasing some intense emotional forces. In extreme situations, this is an indicator of anger and physical violence, though that is an unusual outcome (stay out of dark alleys anyway). Another outcome is finding out over time that your dreams and goals are inappropriate for you, that you're pushing for the wrong things in life. It means you must change your priorities and clean up your act. And if you find you can't win in life, this is a good time to find out how you sabotage yourself unknowingly. You can be more successful if you just get out of your way. Later on the 18th and 19th, Lady Venus backs up (she's retrograde too) and trines Mars and Pluto, linking these two retrograde cycles together. This pattern practically screams that close love relationships can be a big issue in coming months. Disagreements about love, sex and power can push partners to the edge. Just remember there's a lot of disruptive ego energy present now, so try to step back and curb your assertiveness. That's the person you love, not a phaser target. Stand up for yourself, but no more; allow your partner the same right. This drama starts to settle down by the 20th.
The energies are about to pick up, not only in the overall mood, but in intensity as well. With 9 out of 15 planetary bodies in fire signs, therešs a lot of "get up and go" in this chart. In fact, it may be difficult to discipline or channel all this exuburance, since you're literally bursting at the seams. Further, we're gearing up for a week-long planetary storm in the next few days.
This is a great time for bursting out and getting things done, unless you need to cooperate with others to do it. This much fire makes one "full of yourself" in both the best and worst sense. On the one hand, you have great plans and ambition, and are full of energy to carry out your desires. It's an excellent time to initiate new projects -- just be sure you have the staying power to see them through. An open and optimistic outlook is an asset. On the other hand, you can be very short-sighted since you are so focussed on your own world. It's easy to miss the other person's point of view entirely, or to run roughshod over their needs and demands. It'll only take a few incidents of bumping egos to get that message. It can be a good month coming up to rekindle and enliven an old relation, or to start a fresh new one, but only if you're willing to get past your own limited ego viewpoint. Curiously, Pallas went over Pluto on the 22nd. This should help focus the mind at a very deep level, making you aware of the hidden and subtle connections going on. This type of insight is very useful when you're trying to get beyond yourself. The emphasis is on skill, not brute force, when trying to pull something off. So get up and move!