Current Transits for March 2010 Current Transits for March 2010Here's some of the important astrological news this month ...
Mars Direct Station at 0Le17, 3-10
Pallas Retrograde Station at 23Sc02, 3-14
Mercury Superior Conjunction at 23Pi50, 3-14
New Moon at 25Pi10, 3-15
Ceres enters Capricorn, 3-19
Mars Sextile Saturn, 3-22
Saturn Contraparallel Uranus, 3-23
Full Moon at 9Li17, 3-29
Hindsight...
An online ephemeris for the month is available.
March is a month of contradictions. The first two weeks are relatively low energy and disorganized with hardly any focus, while the last half of the month is pretty much one long storm, fortunately moderate in strength most of the time. Despite all this activity, there's hardly anything going on in a traditional astrological sense. In that sense, I have relatively little to talk about this issue, so with few big headlines to discuss, some lesser stories will have to suffice. The main story is one we should be familiar with by now, that challenging configuration of Mars, Saturn and Pluto. Most of the big planetary storm patterns since new years have involved the Pluto crew. It's hard to imagine a nastier combination than these three, as they all have a reputation of being difficult to handle and generally no fun, that run down, nose to the grindstone feeling. From time to time, one of the faster moving planets triggers the Pluto crew into action, although they don't seem to gang up all at once like we sometimes saw the last 2 months. This is why we have a lot of moderate storms instead of several short but mighty ones this month. About the only time the other outer planets (Chiron, Uranus, Neptune) are active is at the new moon on the 15th, a truly amazing chart. There's a huge pileup of 5 planets all in Pisces (what astrologers call a stellium), bringing that emotional and intuitive energy to the fore. In short, March is more a marathon than a sprint, so pace yourself accordingly. You may feel drained and run down frequently, but without being able to point to anything in particular as the reason. With Mars standing still this month and Pluto grinding to a halt in early April, the crew is quite a handful for us to manage. Take it all slowly...
March is one of your archetypal "slow news" months. The closest thing we have to a "big aspect" is a contraparallel between Saturn and Uranus, hardly an earth shaking event. Mars and Pallas are at stations this month, while Ceres changes signs. I've thrown in a few minor aspects that generally don't rise to the level of worth mentioning to round out the story.
Mars reaches his direct station of 0Le17 on the 10th. He's been backing up since 2009-12-20 when he went retrograde at 19Le41. When a planet is retrograde, it's a clue to take a closer look at how we handle those energies. Mars is the original action figure of the planets, the will power that makes us get off the couch and do something. Normally this is an ability that doesn't require much effort (unless you're a professional procrastinator), but for the last few months, it's been harder than usual to get anything done. Mars in reverse gear shows us how we sabotage our efforts or how we come to conflict with the world around us. This entire retrograde zone falls in the sign of Leo, so this is a time when ego clashes are more common than usual. Perhaps a more subtle problem is the need to "look good" to others, one of the immature ego's biggest preoccupations. As frequently happens, trying to look good gets in the way of actually doing anything. Whatever the issue, if you find your efforts are being stymied repeatedly, this cycle is a good time to examine why you keep stepping on your own toes. Rather than get frustrated, improve your efforts so you are more effective. It sounds simple and rather obvious, but it's amazing how difficult it is for Mars to examine his own ways. Introspection is not his forte. After the 10th, when Mars starts moving forward again, life gets easier. However, if you put in some time to express your will power more skillfully now, you'll be even better off down the road. It's worth it to understand why things go wrong.
Pallas goes retrograde at 23Sc02 on the 14th. She will be in reverse gear until Jun 24, when she stands still again at 4Sc08. Pallas is a mental, intuitive body, very good at looking at a situation and wordlessly seeing how to get from point A to point B, achieving her goals in the process. Of course, since she will be in a retrograde cycle in coming months, it wouldn't be surprising if this lovely intuition of hers appears to backfire frequently. The entire cycle is in the sign of Scorpio, so it's worthwhile to ask yourself what is getting in the way, what is clouding your vision. A big part of the picture is apt to be emotional in nature, as Scorpio is a window on the unconscious mind. Our preconceptions of how the world is "supposed to be" inevitably affect the way we actually view the world, not always for the better. Much of our internal dialogue consists of excuses for our shortcomings, real or imagined, making failure the natural conclusion. We have similar misgivings about the role other people play in our lives, giving us more excuses for not seeing clearly. Perhaps Pallas needs to turn her penetrating eye back on itself, learning to see how she isn't seeing clearly, so to speak. Since Pallas is a bit of an artist, maybe some creative work will help bring these insights to the surface. Needless to say, Pallas is more introverted than usual for her during this cycle, more concerned with the inner world than with issues out there. Use this time to listen to your muse and see what she whispers in your ear. The results are well worth the effort.
Mercury is at its superior conjunction (23Pi50) with the Sun on the 14th, on the far side of the Sun from us. I spend a lot of time writing about Mercury retrograde, but I rarely spend much time discussing the other half of its cycle. If the inferior conjunction, when Mercury is backing up between us and the Sun, is like a new moon, the superior conjunction is more like the full moon part of the cycle. Mercury, of course, is the thinking mind, the part of the psyche that uses symbols to capture the world and make sense of it, weaving stories of our important roles in the world. When Mercury is retrograde, these stories are often at odds with reality, leading to all the deluded problems typical of these cycles. The superior conjunction is a very different matter. Mercury is zipping along rapidly (faster than any body in the sky except the Moon), indicating the thinking mind is operating smoothly and quickly. The main drawback is that it's very close to the Sun now, so the thinking mind is lost in the glow of the ego's self-image. Try to see clearly through the haze, setting self-importance to the side, a task both helped and hindered by the placement of this conjunction in the selfless sign of Pisces. In other words, with a few cautions, this is an excellent time for mental work of any kind. Be careful not to jump to conclusions or otherwise get ahead of yourself. If anything, you need to slow down your mental processes to make them more reliable. At any rate, this is much nicer news than when I typically talk about Mercury.
The obvious focal point of the new moon chart is the sign of Pisces with 5 planets. The Sun, Moon, Mercury and Uranus are all about a degree apart, quite a knot! Jupiter is off to the the side of that same sign, though he's fairly isolated these days. Also part of this knot, even though in different signs, would be Juno, Mars, , (opposite from the new moon), Pallas (at her station yesterday), Ceres, Neptune and Chiron. Venus and Pluto are on the sidelines. Keep in mind that the largest Koz Alert of the month is peaking in about 2 hours -- there's a lot of power in this chart!
The Pisces knot contains some very mental planets in a very watery, emotional sign. Mercury is the lower mind that works with words and symbols, while Uranus is a lightning bolt of pure intuition and insight. In such a close conjunction with the new moon, this mental outlook is apparently a major part of "the message" for the coming lunar month. However, the thinking-intuitive mind is being tempered by feelings and a soft-focus approach that only Pisces can deliver. This is a message that can best be grasped by feeling or sensing it, not by thinking or putting it in words. In effect, those connections you make to the world at large (such as we discussed under Ceres in Capricorn) are part of your immediate experience, if you're paying attention. After the Pisces planets, things get really complicated with such a long list of bodies to consider. Saturn is counterbalancing all those Pisces planets, trying to keep your feet on the ground in the midst of all that cosmic influence. Saturn is not a big fan of mysticism, preferring the here and now to the vague whatever. Mars is also demanding a little action instead of navel gazing. Oh, he wouldn't mind doing something for the greater good, but the passivity typical of Pisces is just not his style. Neptune and Chiron, just past their conjunction on Feb 17, are also a mix of idealism and dealing with real world issues. As for the silent planets, the two benefics Venus and Jupiter, "the good guys", have little influence these days. That means the more difficult planets have more of a say these days -- there are more black clouds than silver linings. At least Pluto is relatively quiet, although as he approaches his station in a few weeks, he's never far below the surface. Overall, this is a confusing influence on us, particularly for people that don't comprehend the higher consciousness typical of outer planet energies. It's strange and chaotic, not at all warm and fuzzy. People want to be comforted when they are freaking out, but that's not in the cards. This lunation is subtly pushing us to greater heights, not returning us to our good ol' ways. It takes a higher mind looking at the bigger picture to feel good about this chart.
Ceres enters Capricorn on the 19th. Due to an upcoming retrograde cycle for Ceres, we have a complicated picture here. Since 2009-12-20, Ceres has been in Sagittarius. After entering Capricorn this month, she only gets about 5 degrees into this new placement before going retrograde on Apr 28, backing up into Sag once more on Jun 7. She enters Capricorn for good on Oct 8. The first impression is that this is an odd placement, with the Great Mother Ceres hanging out in what is widely considered to be the most patriarchal of all the zodiac signs. Like most baffling symbolism, it's an invitation to examine the symbols more closely. I've often described Ceres as the realization of the Great Web of Life, that multitude of connections that ties us together with all other living things, as well as to the earth as a whole. This actually fits in with Capricorn rather well, a sign that teaches us our place in the grand scheme of things and encourages us to make this world a better place for all. Given that Ceres is dancing back and forth across the Sag-Cap borderline during this retrograde cycle, we are needing to look at this relationship on a number of levels. The Sag side of the equation tends more to a philosophical or intellectual understanding of how all life is interdependent, while Capricorn is more concerned with the nuts and bolts of how to make this connection work as smoothly as possible. Cap is also interested more in the broader social implications, on the level of large institutions instead of one-to-one relationships. Think of something like aid to Haiti after their earthquake rather than your interactions with coworkers. This is family love transferred to the level of society at large. Look at your place in the world, the impact you have on others, whether your life style promotes Life instead of being a slow drain on the world and its resources. We've all got some cleanup work to do on our lives, once we look at the big picture.
Mars is sextile Saturn on the 22nd. This is actually the last contact of this aspect, with previous contacts on 2009-10-12 and 2010-2-15. Now normally I wouldn't be all that concerned with an aspect like this, but I have a couple of reasons for looking at it (other than the slow news business). For starters, both planets are part of the Pluto crew and this is the only aspect between crew members that is going off in March. All other connections to the crew have been from the Sun, Mercury and Venus -- outsiders -- but this one represents some movement inside the main group of planets. Because of this, it energizes the Pluto group, already the big powerhouse of nearly every storm. Also, as I mentioned earlier, Mars, Saturn and Pluto are all so-called "malefic" planets, a fancy Latin word meaning "the bad guys" of the planet world. Therefore, you'd expect this aspect to have some difficult side-effects. However, this is a constructive sextile, an angle that promises good outcomes if you show up and put in the effort. The message seems to be to settle down, be more disciplined and focused with your efforts, put in the elbow grease and get some tasks done finally. Things that have been hanging over your head for a long time are especially good to wrap up finally. Don't expect any favors or breaks, however. Saturn doesn't hand out freebies -- you have to earn your rewards. Oh well, it's better than wailing about all your bad luck due to these malefics. They really aren't all that bad if you play by their rules. Anyway, this sextile adds some extra "kick" to the storms later in the month. Try to make the most of this contact...
Saturn is contraparallel Uranus on the 23rd, meaning Saturn is as far north of the equator as Uranus is south, like images in a mirror. This is not exactly the kind of event that I mean by the phrase "big aspect", but it is the only connection between outer planets that goes off this month. Contraparallels act somewhat like oppositions, a tension of opposites that is pulling us in competing directions. Given that Saturn and Uranus are also in a long term opposition, the message is merely emphasized here. That opposition began on Election Day of Nov 2008 and we've already experienced 3 of its 5 contacts, with another one coming up Apr 26. It's interesting how that election, so full of hope for many people at the time, seems to have led to a time of stagnation and frustration since then. The struggle between the status quo tried and no-longer-true (Saturn) and the "radical" urge for change and overhaul (Uranus) has led to dissatisfaction from both ends of the political spectrum and the battle lines are only becoming more entrenched with time. Slow and steady progress towards practical goals (Saturn) has become the enemy of all-or-nothing political views that see compromise as defeat. This is no way to run a country and people know it, even if the politicians don't grasp such simple truths. I'd hope that cooler heads might prevail, but fat chance of that in an election year. We're just going to have to play out this opposition and contraparallel to its final conclusion, which I suspect will simply be a stalemate. I guess that's what the next election will be about...
In comparison to the new moon, the full moon chart is a bit of a letdown. Overall, the energies are weaker and more scattered. No group of planets is clearly dominant. In fact, it's hard to even divide up the planets into groups, as the boundaries between them are too loose and flexible -- one group easily bleeds into the next one.
Whenever the Sun falls in Aries and the full moon in Libra, there's a question of standing up for yourself while balancing your connections with other people. Typically the "me first" attitude wins out with these particular placements. The Lights are widely square Pluto, hinting that many of the influences in this self-other tension lie below the surface, hidden and unacknowledged in our everyday behavior. With Neptune and Chiron sextile Mercury and Venus, a mixture of caution and fear tempered by idealism and hope show up in our everyday conduct. Treat others in as high a manner as you can, while being wary of being taken advantage of -- moral behavior is (unfortunately) rarely returned or rewarded in our world. It's definitely a conflict or contradiction in your behavior, because you can't be both open and guarded at the same time, but how else are you supposed to handle this dilemma? The Pluto crew is slowly falling apart, as Saturn retrogrades out of range of the other planets, but their demanding influence is still in the background. (Saturn will soon be more in league with Neptune than with Pluto -- that'll be quite a switch!) In essence, the full moon chart has more questions than answers. Since the strongest planets appear to be Venus and Neptune, perhaps simply following your intuition and gut level feelings is more important than really knowing what you're doing now. Sometimes we don't figure these things out until long after the fact. You don't need clarity to be on the path...
There's late breaking news this weekend of the massive 8.8 earthquake in Chile and the scores of aftershocks that accompanied it. Fortunately, preliminary casualty reports are fairly light (at least in comparison with the Haiti quake). This is on top of other seismic activity all around the Pacific, including shocks in Japan recently. Mother Earth is quite active lately.
According to the USGS web site, the main quake was on Feb 27 at 6:34:15 GMT, with an epicenter of 35.846 South and 72.719 West (just off the Chilean coast). That puts Saturn just past the midheaven, with the Moon aspecting both the MH and Asc (these are probably the "timing aspects" for the quake). You'd expect some additional outer planet activity for a quake this big, but it's not obvious what that might be yet.