Current Transits for March 1999 Current Transits for March 1999Here's some of the important astrological news this month ...
Jupiter trine Chiron, 3-1
Full Moon at 11Vi15, 3-2
Mercury Retrograde Station at 4Ar03, 3-10
Pluto Retrograde Station at 10Sa30, 3-13
Chiron Retrograde Station at 3Sa33, 3-16
New Moon at 26Pi44, 3-17
Mars Retrograde Station at 12Sa12, 3-18
Chiron sextile Neptune, 3-23
Vesta Direct Station at 7Le06, 3-23
Jupiter trine Pluto, 3-29
Chiron quintile Uranus, 3-30
Juno Retrograde Station at 11Sa49, 3-30
Full Moon at 10Li46, 3-31
An online ephemeris for the month is available.
If you only look at the traditional 10 planets (ignoring Chiron and the asteroids), you might think March is a quiet month. Appearances are deceiving, however. Frankly, there's so much happening that I can't really fit it all onto one page. Most of the activity is in the last two weeks, as well, so get ready for a whirlwind of activity at that time. Note that 6 planets are standing still in March, indicating an extreme tendency towards stagnation or crucial turning points in many areas of our lives simultaneously. If you aren't feeling "stuck" somewhere in your life, I'd get a bit worried! This is setting us up for challenging situations that will need to be worked out through the spring and summer. Be certain to get adequate rest this month -- our systems are under a lot of stress lately!
The first of the big aspects is the trine of Jupiter and Chiron on the 1st, the last of 3 such contacts. This aspect has challenged us to reach beyond ourselves, even when fear and pain would make us rather pull back. In fact, as the fears subside, we reach out even more, which makes further healing possible. It's a good time to come out of your shell and take your stand in the world.
One of the main focal points in this chart is a tight conjunction of Juno and Pluto, forming a T-square with the Sun and Moon. That spells some deep emotional currents emerging through relationships. Good relations tend to reach a deeper level of commitment and cohesion, while bad ones are under a great amount of stress to break up. It's as though partners are holding a mirror before us, to make us aware of the problem areas within ourselves that we can't face directly. It takes a lot of discrimination to sort out emotional entanglements like this, since the emotional energies of one person may actually be picked up and acted out by the partner instead. It requires the combined power of thought and feeling to keep your head above water these days. There's a powerful tendency to express yourself regardless of the impact on others, given all these fire sign planets, but it is best to recall that you can only express your genuine self in the presence of a partner that accepts you. It's a balancing act to be an individual within a relationship. This is part of the trend many of us are facing of needing to open the heart chakra (the energy of enlightened relationship). Work on perfecting your communication style with others -- clarity, honesty and openness are the best path.
Mercury hits the brakes on the 10th at 4Ar03, eventually backing up to 20Pi53 on Apr 2. As always, Mercury in reverse gear means the thinking and symbol-using part of the mind is out to lunch for 3 weeks. The world defies all "reasonable expectations" (a dead-give-away phrase for Mercury problems), communications go awry, plans fall through. The mind is simply ill-equipped to understand the world, so good intentions have unintended results. Watch how easily you fall into these mental traps, especially when you're not trusting your instincts or intuitions (which are much more reliable now). It's a good time to see how limiting it is to be "rational" all the time.
Pluto stands still on the 13th at 10Sa30. This reverse trip lasts until next Aug 18, when Pluto goes direct at 7Sa44. Pluto's retrograde station is always a heavy, ponderous time. This planet is a big "karma maker" for us. Essentially, there's some area of life that is out of sync with the rest of our destiny, and Pluto has decided to spend the next 5 or 6 months pounding on it. Situations are being set up this month that slowly and inexorably back us into a corner until we're forced to concede. It seems his agenda is to strip away all the parts of us that are inauthentic and unrelated to who we are at a deep core level. To the degree that you are emotionally attached to these "extraneous" parts, this coming retrograde period can be rather painful. Remain unattached to the externals; don't buy into the common myths our culture has about how life is supposed to be. If you're touched strongly by the Dark Lord, you become a person set apart, called for a purpose much larger than "mere human" concerns. Cooperate with this process (it's your own unconscious calling) and don't get a big head about what you're doing. Egos only complicate the process and can lead to power trips that boomerang on you.
Chiron's station is on the 16th, at 3Sa53. It goes direct again at 27Sc35, on July 28. Chiron is an initiator for us into the untapped potentials that lie dormant within us. Sometimes its the most mundane or down-trodden aspects of ourselves that actually constitute our greatest strengths and gifts. Part of the problem is that you yourself don't value this gift of yours and are trying to hide it away. An accomplished Chiron person stands out, because they live life so fully. They've come to terms with their inner wound, learning to make it the center of their existence. Great healing and release comes when Chiron is embraced, but it has to be done consciously and with gusto. Half-way measures only prolong the pain.
Our attention seems drawn outward into the world at large. We feel compelled to take action, to let our opinions be known. This is a good time to advance your social or career standing or to make your mark on the world somehow. Again, however, realize that some of the bigger trends are taking place below the surface, out of view. You may take off in one direction, only to find later the rest of the world is headed in another direction. It takes much quiet awareness to tune into all the subtle, behind the scenes activities affecting us. Don't box yourself into a corner, either through inflexible opinions or premature and misguided actions -- we're in the middle of the flood of stations and situations are getting more difficult by the day. You may not realize the consequences of your actions for many months yet. Nonetheless, the energies now are generally supportive, so don't waste this time by sitting on the sidelines. Get up and flex your muscles!
Mars is standing still on the 18th, at 12Sc12. It continues in reverse gear until it turns around on June 4, at 24Li27. Mars retrograde is about will-power thwarted. Our ability to get things done (the more physical, the better) goes haywire for 3 months. Understanding the problems and restraints that crop up now can be an eye-opening lesson in how we sabotage ourselves and prevent ourselves from effective action. With Scorpio and Libra providing the backdrop, the emotions and the way we relate to others is due for some scrutiny. Unless you realize your own mastery of an area and are able to blend your actions smoothly with others, you'll tend to create resistance to the plans you have in the works. Scorpio also rules desire, so unless you truly want something, it's going to be hard to maintain enthusiasm when the going gets rough. Dealing effectively with your own anger is also important.
The second Chiron sextile Neptune falls on the 23rd. The first contact was Jan 31st (just after the lunar eclipse); the final one is Oct 9. This aspect is one of the "opening acts" of Neptune's entrance into Aquarius last Thanksgiving. The initiatory action of Chiron is brought to bear on Neptune's subtle awareness and ability to feel. Neptune frequently represents the creative power of the unconscious and the higher self to subtly mold and direct the details of our lives in conformance with the greater myth our soul is acting out. Unfortunately, this is usually a process without conscious awareness (that's what "unconscious" means, duh) and we all too often bring about the negative parts of the myth instead of the more uplifting sides. This sextile is slowly pushing us to more awareness in exercising our creativity, of making us more conscious of being souls embodied on the earth plane. There's a lot of light and energy in this influence as it opens us up to new aspects of living. It only requires leaving the fear behind.
Of the 6 stationary planets, only Vesta is going direct, at 7Le06 on the 23rd. She's been in reverse motion since Dec 19th, when she stood still at 22Le26. Vesta is two-thirds of the way through an extended visit in Leo, the sign of the individual that comes from the heart and soul. Vesta always requires a strong sense of integrity from a person, a faithfulness to the core values that admits no compromise. Very often, this kind of fidelity requires a withdrawal from the world and its demands so that the still small voice within can be heard over the din. An open heart is a potent force, but it can easily be crushed by an unaccepting world. This has been a time to go within and find out what lies in the heart, to take the courageous act of revealing the inner vision to the outer world. (Interestingly, Vesta went retrograde a few hours after the impeachment vote in the house; now we get to clean up the end results.)
Jupiter is trine to Pluto on the 29th, a quick single-pass aspect. This is a time when the processes of moving outward into greater involvement with the world and of moving inward to greater self-awareness can complement each other. As you open up to wider vistas of your own nature and gain increased awareness and acceptance of these inner nooks and crannies, it becomes easier to accept people and situations just the way they are, too. Certain close people, if you can open up to them, can certainly teach you a thing or two now. This is a time to drop dogmatic beliefs and the social masks we all wear to "get by" in the world. Intimacy can't be built on a foundation of withholding your true expression. Get to know that stranger within.
The quintile of Chiron and Uranus on the 30th is the second of 3 contacts. This aspect has a certain whacky, quirky quality to it. If you enjoy new and unusual perspectives and ideas, this contact is your paradise. The mind is liberated from the normal shackles of "ho-hum" thinking, the imagination takes flight. Anything you imagine can be brought about, if you put in the effort. Sometimes it requires overhauling old and useless patterns of thought (that's the hard part!), overcoming problems by totally changing your perspective. Sounds fun to me!
Last, but not least, the relationship body Juno stands still on the 30th at 11Sa49. It goes direct again on July 21, at 26Sc07. As I commented in January, Juno and Chiron are both crisscrossing the Scorpio-Sag border all year and their overlapping retrograde cycles should probably be considered one compound influence. This cycle really puts some stress on our partnerships, opening our eyes to new ways of living with the ones we're close to. Watch for the areas where your relationships show some wear and tear -- those are the places that most need a healing touch. Learn a whole new level of treating others respectfully as equals, valuing them as trusted travelling companions on life's journey. We can cooperate or we can constantly butt heads. Guess which path is more pleasurable.
The Sun-Jupiter conjunction in this chart establishes a very positive, optimistic mood for the next two rocky weeks. Opposite the Moon, connecting with Mars, Juno and Pluto, this is a very dynamic and forceful combination. As long as you don't run roughshod over others, this is a very good time to assert your own agenda. Your energy is flowing smoothly and with great influence on your surroundings; it's easy to create change. Beware of stubbornness or obstinancy, since it's easy to dig in your heels if you feel your postion is being threatened. Whether the issue is emotional or ideological, think twice about blowing away your "opponent" -- they may be right, as well as helpful if you mull it over a bit. If you can keep others in mind as you go about your business (a balancing act, I admit), the Moon and her friends will ease the way to some important breakthroughs in your relations. Check in with those you're not seeing eye to eye with -- it's a good time to (carefully) clear up communication snafus. This lively pattern continues into the next few weeks.