Interested in seeing how the astrology of March will be effecting you personally?
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Check out my Sun Sign horoscopes on Astrograph!
 Mercury in Pisces is moving into a square with Mars in Sagittarius, while the Sun is steadily applying to a conjunction with Neptune. The Moon is almost full.
Here's what to watch for: * Mercury in its fall and exile in Pisces moving into a square with Mars in Sagittarius points toward the possibility for conflicting points of view, muddled communication, passionate rhetoric that may become distorted or egotistical, and divisive and/or cathartic thinking. * It's easy to miss the forest for the trees when we come to places of disagreement with one another. When confronted with a vision or perspective that is challenging or different from our own, it's easy to quickly reduce, eliminate, or dismiss ideas that are different from our own as absurd, misguided, ignorant, or reflective of someone's "personal" shortcomings or unconscious complexes. It's difficult to really sit back and listen. We tend to hear and react, hear and react. And then our responses, however intellectually sound they may appear, bear the mark of our ego's defensiveness rather than our heart's openness. * Sometimes we think that we will be liked or loved if we can convince others that our ideas, personal experiences, expertise, or "authority" are correct, superior, or legitimate. Other times, we think that we will be liked or loved if we simply sacrifice our personal opinions, ideas, and experiences. Sometimes we give away some actual piece of authority that we might have in life simply because we don't want to risk someone not liking us. * The ego often plays tricks on us surrounding "good intentions," as well. Sometimes we "act like a good person" because we want to be loved or liked, by others, by God, etc. We can become brilliant method actors, and we can learn to look the part and speak the perfect spiritual sounding dialogue. But underneath, if it's all about our ego's need to be number one, then all we're doing is hiding, ashamed, and selfish...a miserable mess of self-focus and self-loathing at once. Ouch! On the other hand, sometimes we truly don't value ourselves enough, when all along our heart, our soul, our spirit, the spark of the divine that lives in our hearts, is calling out and saying, "Hey! I need and want you to be in service to me above everything else. I'm not asking you to treat me like someone who looks at you and scolds you or judges how well you act or look like a spiritual person. I'm asking you to think less about how you look and more about what I need from you, which is your full, radiant, spectacular love and attention." * Because it turns out that when we put our egos (our actions, thoughts, and life) in the service of the divine spark that lives in our hearts, we get back exactly what we give. The relationship is reciprocal. As the neuroscientists tell us, the place in our brain where we feel and experience love cannot tell the difference between giving it and getting it, even though they are separate activities. The result of learning to give love is learning to receive love. But it doesn't happen on an intellectual level. The more we intellectualize these things the more we end up method acting. * When Mercury squares Mars we will be put to the test. We may be exposed as method actors specifically because we are caught in the act. We try too hard to convince someone, to be right, to look the part, to say the right things, or we fail to have enough backbone, we fail to speak the truth out of fear, or we collapse under the weight of what people might think of us if we come from the heart. Forgiveness and patience of mind, speech, and action are therefore key right now. Listening is paramount. * We are capable of having loving and intelligent minds at the same time. It is actually possible. When we don't believe it's possible we often act and speak one way in front of some people and then collapse into jerk mode privately or fall into gossip behind our co-workers' backs, etc. * As the Sun and Neptune get together the full Moon in Virgo will be coming through. We have an opportunity to open our hearts and minds, to recall that unspeakable love that is so much bigger than us and yet living within us, always with us, always in need of our conscious attention. In the midst of this Neptunian Full Moon, there also comes the call to practical action, practical usefulness, skill development, and earthy service. Watch and listen for the call of the Virgin, the humble Harvest Maiden in the days ahead. She is standing now at the foot of a great ocean, calling us home, one step and one helping hand at a time. Prayer: Bring our hearts and our minds together. Make our lives an intelligent and authentic expression of real love.  Venus is moving right into a square with Mars.
Here's what to watch for: * In Hellenistic astrology, we say that Mars is in the superior position within this square. Mars is said to be "overcoming" Venus. * However, even as Mars overcomes Venus right now, Venus is exalted, and casts her rays backward in the order of signs to Mars, who is struck by these benefic rays. * When Mars overtakes Venus it is a bit like a man making an aggressive attempt to pick up a woman in a public place. Let's say the guy is a jerk and the woman is a class act. In the situation depicted by the planets right now, he might succeed at dominating, intimidating, bullying, or making the woman feel bad somehow, but in the process, he may also be improved as a person because he happened to have done all of this to a very lovely, compassionate, and genuine person who not only puts him in his place but does so in a way that truly elevates him or helps him grow up a little. * Let's look at it from another angle. There is a peaceful protest taking place (Venus exalted in Pisces square to Mars). A section of protestors (Mars) wants to make the demonstration about something aggressive, maybe even violent. Perhaps they succeed in destroying some property, but overall the encounter they have with the rest of the crowd is transformative. * Here's another one. Venus wants to do something good, something beautiful, something peaceful, something friendly...but let's say that Mars detects some aura of vanity, superficiality, or arrogance...Mars can't help but point it out right now...but maybe due to his diligence, something unexpectedly good, maybe even peaceful comes out of it. Shocked, Mars has won, but thanks in large part to the goodness and concessions of Venus...oh Mars and Venus, you're always locking legs under the evening table, even when it appears like you're in a slap fight in the public square. * More. Mars is grinding on and making a scene about his mission. He's maybe attacking something sacred, holy, and revered...but right as he's in the middle of making his attack, the very holy thing he's attacking starts spitting out gold coins, straight into his pockets. He's not sure if he should keep the attack up..."Will it stop raining gold coins if I stop attacking?" * So there is some sexual, creative, and diplomatic tension between these two. They are both in Jupiter's sign so they both "believe" what they're doing and why they're tangling right now. * Venus is also helped by Mercury, who is in its fall and detriment simultaneously right now. How can you be mad at, or continue fighting logically with someone who is literally making things up as they go? How can you argue someone out of a position, using reason, when they didn't use reason themselves to get into the position in the first place? For example, if I try to use "reason" to get my two-year-old to take her nap, she literally invents her own logic, stories, and reality that is almost impossible to respond to using logic or reason. It's brilliant and charming and impossible to fight against. :) Can we entertain the idea that so much of our adult fighting also boils down to irrational battles of will, and not a whole lot else? * So anyway, watch for Mars and Venus. Mars has the upper hand, but he's also getting smacked around by the beneficence of Venus, in the process! Prayer: Show us the unexpected good fortune in the midst of our fights. Then remind us that this....this is happening all the time.  Venus is just separating from Neptune and moving into a square with Mars over the weekend. Meanwhile, the Sun is moving into a sextile with Saturn.
Here is what to watch for: * As Venus is separating from Neptune we are exiting the fog, romance, and other-worldliness of Neptune but heading straight for the sexual and creative tension of Venus and Mars. * Venus and Mars in Jupiter's signs of Pisces and Sagittarius also highlight the role of belief, faith, and conviction within our relationships. * One of the most common things people ask astrologers about is love and relationships. One of the most common themes people suffer in relationships is the theme of shared beliefs. It might be political beliefs or spiritual/philosophical beliefs, but relationships where people do not share similar beliefs, values, and philosophies usually end up stagnating over time. When sex or physical attraction, or shared financial or material goals are all that two people share, then it's usually only a matter of time before one or both people become unhappy in the relationship. Once some of these material goals are obtained or maintained for a while, they don't satisfy us any longer. Without a common set of spiritual goals or without similar value placed on the cultivation of one's inner life, relationships dry up. This shouldn't be a big surprise to us because the same can be said for single people who do not have spiritual values or an "inner" life. Over time, material goals and activities cease to give us the same kind of pleasure because the novelty wears off. For many people, spiritual life is finally sought precisely because material life can't satisfy the thirst of the soul. How much more challenging is it to experience a spiritual awakening when you are in a long-standing relationship with someone who isn't ready or isn't interested in changing? How long should we wait for a partner? Should we try to awaken a partner, or should we let them be? These are questions that naturally arise when Mars and Venus are square to each other in Jupiter's masculine and feminine temples. * On the other hand, sometimes when we experience a spiritual or creative, personal catharsis, we start to imagine that we need all sorts of new things to accompany the changes we've just experienced. In our enthusiasm, we start imagining that all we need is a newer, better, sexier, more spiritual partner. Or we need a new house, or a new car, or a new spiritual wardrobe or bookshelf, or we need an expensive vacation or whatever else. We feel we are owed something or that money and purchases will somehow solidify the newness we are experiencing. * But just imagine this...let's say you are trying to lose weight. So to lose weight you start a new workout routine. One day, after a really long workout, you get called into work on your day off, and you end up working an incredibly difficult shift. You're on your feet all day long, and you don't get a chance to eat. At the end of the day, you are feeling muscles and aches in your body you haven't felt for ages, and it feels great. You are beat. You are proud of yourself. You feel you've made some good progress. You get home, and you make yourself dinner. In fact, you give yourself a second, big helping, because, hey, it's been a long, good day. And in that second, big helping, you have just defeated what you did today. You didn't need extra. You just needed a simple, modest dinner. But you congratulated yourself too much for doing what you needed to do, and that extra congratulations is going to cost extra. * Similarly, when we try to mark the occasion of spiritual advancement with "extra" goodies, we tend to fall down and the progress we've made is lost. The real place to put spiritual progress is in the rearview mirror. Just let it go. Don't count it toward anything. Don't dwell on it. Just say thank you, and keep going. :) * So watch for creative tension, tension surrounding beliefs in relationships, sexual tension, and the dance of Mars and Venus in the next few days. We'll continue to examine this transit from different angles over the weekend. Just remember, when these two planets interact it's easy to "treat ourselves" to defeat right after victory. * Meanwhile, the Sun is moving into a sextile with Saturn. The themes of wisdom, maturity, leadership, and illumination are in the air right now. There is a great opportunity for us to find greater focus and commitment right now. Don't be surprised if you take a few steps forward, grow a little wiser, and develop a clearer sense of your own boundaries and limitations in the next few days! Prayer: Empty us of our hollow victories. Empty us of the language of "deserve" and "desire," so that we might be filled with more of who we actually are and what we actually need.  Venus is approaching a conjunction to Neptune, and meanwhile, Mercury is moving into a sextile with Saturn as the Moon is about to enter Taurus and make its opening sextile with the Sun.
What to watch for: * Whenever the Moon is making its opening/waxing sextile with the Sun you can think about an initial stage of compromise, harmonizing, and agreement within the overall process of the monthly Moon cycle. We are gathering resources as we push forward with our desires and plans, or the cosmos is conspiring to push our various dramas along as the opening light of the Moon harmonizes with the Sun. * The Sun in Pisces reflects the gestations of Spring and the last remnants of winter. We are churning inside, ready and longing for the emergence into the light half of the year. Meanwhile, today's Moon entering its exaltation in Taurus should provide us with a solid level of practical support and comfort along the way. * Meanwhile, Mercury in Pisces is traveling close to the Sun and moving into a sextile with Saturn in Capricorn. Sometimes the most difficult part of being confused about something is the simple process of articulating exactly what you're confused about. Thankfully, the sextile support of Saturn in Capricorn may help us through the weeds on this one. We may find that teachers, elders, or people more grounded than ourselves are showing up to offer us some practical advice or wisdom. Sometimes all we need is for someone to come along and say, "Hey, did you know that your shoe is stuck in the mud and you're soaking wet?" "Right!" we say. "Thank you. Can you help me with this?" "Sure!" * Mercury and Saturn in a sextile also suggest a synthesis of intelligence and experience, maturity and eloquence, or thoughtfulness and economy at once. * Don't forget that most of us need more than just our questions satisfied. Though we like to think there is a very clear distinction between the head and the heart, the truth of the matter is that the heart is intelligent, and its needs are intelligent, as well. The reason that so many world religions utilize song, mantra, poetry, and prayer together, as one, is for just this reason. The needs of the heart are intelligent, and the real ministers are always capable of speaking to both at once, never condemning one as though it is absolutely separate from the other. * Finally, Venus is coming into a conjunction with Neptune. So, that means it's time to throw caution to the wind, jump into a relationship and say I love you too quickly, beg all your friends and family to believe it's different this time, and then start counting down the moments to misery. :) Kidding. So be careful of getting lost, intoxicated, and deluded right now. * Venus and Neptune bring together the mystical and the beautiful, the sensual and the transcendental, friendship and imagination, love and spiritual bliss. Venus and Neptune highlight the importance of being around people who fill your cup versus being around those who drain you. Venus and Neptune are like a flash in the pan, and the whisper, "don't you wish you had THIS." Sometimes it helps to perform a simple exercise with Venus and Neptune. Imagine yourself fully satisfied with the object of your desire. Just imagine getting exactly what you want. Then, imagine it turning boring, or sour. Imagine it doing what most things do and wearing out over a long period of time...or perhaps a short period of time...just imagine the thing you want finally falling apart. Then take a deep breath and return to the present moment and contemplate the object of your desire again. Often enough this little exercise will help us to avoid the temptation of getting lost in something unhealthy. * Pay attention to what is attracting you right now. It's a good moment to reinforce our relationships to those things, people, places, and practices, that promote spiritual happiness. * Remember, most things worth loving require duty. Love and faith and affection for our spiritual practices require that we teach ourselves how to love what is healthy for us. We have to learn how to like and develop a certain kind of personal attachment to what is healthy for us. This kind of discipline requires patience, forgiveness, tenderness and affection, not just a stiff upper lip or a military level of commitment. We almost never learn how to love what is healthy for us without a consistent combination of both discipline and affection at once. Then, eventually, most traditions tell us that our practices naturally become more personal, creative, spontaneous, and without the same need for the mood of discipline. These are important things to remember right now as all of the four planets in Pisces are relating intimately with Saturn and Pluto in Capricorn! Prayer: Teach us to live as we pray and pray as we live. Provide us with friends, shelter, comfort, laughter, and sweetness along the way.  Mars and Neptune perfect their square today, and meanwhile, Mercury is cazimi to start the day but will then enter its fall in Pisces by late tonight/early tomorrow morning.
Here's what to watch for: * With Mars square to Neptune you might be feeling drained, tired, exhausted, or worn out. You might feel like raising the white flag and saying, "I surrender already." The effort, irritation, passion, and selfishness of Mars is being steadily dissolved by the transcendental waters of Neptune right now. * On the other hand, Mars and Neptune square to one another can represent the heroism of the martyr, the sacrificial lamb, or the savior. Some degree of personal self-sacrifice might be necessary right now. * What do we do if we don't have faith, or we feel like difficult experiences are testing our faith? It's easy to throw up our arms when we're feeling the sting of defeat and say, "what's the point?" It's easy to say, "What did I do to deserve this?" It's easy to say, "Why should anything be so miserable and difficult?" Faith isn't about having the perfect answers to these questions. Faith is a multi-faceted response to our experiences that is practiced and cultivated over and over again. In faith, we return to gratitude first. In faith, we make ourselves small and we try to recognize that it's only our big desires and expectations that make this moment insufficient. Really, we are okay. So, we take a deep breath, and we "trust" that this is so. The faithful response seeks out our own participation in the suffering we're experiencing...not so that we can blame anyone but so that we can learn and grow from the pain we're experiencing. We ask ourselves, "How did I participate in creating this situation?" The faithful response forgives. The faithful response dares to see beauty, joy, and mystery in sorrows. The faithful response takes failure as an opportunity to deepen spiritual life, and it is truly thankful and even joyful for the opportunity. Faith is an attitude that we cultivate, and it's just like anything else, we have to practice it for it to become real and effective. Mars and Neptune are all about the testing of faith. * Meanwhile, Mercury is cazimi with the Sun today, symbolizing a brief window of great empowerment for Mercury related things: books, reading, argumentation, debate, letters, communication, writing, information, media, messengers, translation, etc. It's not uncommon to receive or share an important piece of news or information during Mercury cazimi periods, so watch for that this morning! * By late tonight Mercury will then immediately enter Pisces where it is debilitated, in its "fall." Whereas Mercury is a planet of analysis, argumentation, rationality, reason, etc., Jupiter (ruler of Pisces) is a planet of faith, confirmation, belief, and wisdom. Mercury often struggles in the sign of Pisces due to being in an environment contrary to its own nature. For example, Mercury in Pisces can reflect a lack of critical thinking or discernment, or it can signify manipulation, trickery, and deceit cloaked as certainty, dogma, wisdom, and so forth. On the other hand, Mercury in Pisces can also signify a rare glimpse into the intelligence of distant or transcendental subjects. Watch for these dynamics, and remember that real faith is intelligent. Real faith doesn't require you to check your intelligence at the door. Prayer: Give us faith. Teach us how to pray for faith if we don't have it. Make us faithful even as we fail to be faithful.  Happy Solar Eclipse everyone!
* Today the Sun and Moon conjoin alongside Mercury in Aquarius. * Solar eclipses around the south node bring the start of something new, along with the general theme of diminishment, decrease, and sometimes loss. * The south node is auspicious insofar as it takes away what might be keeping us from the spiritual path. * Today's solar eclipse is only partially visible from portions of South America and Antartica. The degree/visibility of an eclipse does matter, though the significations of an eclipse are not lost simply because it is not visible. * Look at the whole-sign house of Aquarius in your birth chart, or the Aquarius ruled house if you use quadrant houses, or specifically the 27th degree of Aquarius, to locate the topics that are being activated at this time. * Remember that the Sun in Aquarius is classically said to be in its "exile." This is due to the fact that the Sun, a luminary, is in the sign of Saturn, who represents darkness. The Aquarian themes of outsiders and outcasts, strangers, travelers, aliens and the alienated, the marginal and marginalized, all stem from the image of the Sun traveling through the dark, outlier place of Saturn. * Really, we are all strangers in a strange land. So what should the attitude of a stranger, or a wanderer be? First, we should remember modesty. We shouldn't act like the dictators of a land that we come to from....we don't know where...and from which we will depart to....we don't know where. * The second line of the 56th hexagram of the I Ching says that those wandering who act with modesty will find shelter, and will gain a loyal or faithful friend or servant. * This solar eclipse, closely conjunct Mercury, offers us shelter and the faithful hand of new friend, close associate, or servant...something that is here to help us....if we only remember to remain modest and aware of our own position. * The 56th hexagram of the I Ching also says that as wanderers or strangers in a distant land we should not lightly bring charges against others and we should be extremely careful not to do things that would bring charges down against us. * These are simple instructions that are meant to bring us back to our true sense of identity, even in the midst of the very "real" but transient feelings we have that we belong here, that we've always been here, or that all of our life dramas in this world are of the utmost significance, etc. * A solar eclipse in Aquarius may provide us with unlikely help...watch for the angels disguised as things our egos would readily dismiss, or not take seriously. Angels come as outsiders under this eclipse. * Seeking shelter is something we are all constantly doing. We all want and need love. However, we can't find love, real love, abiding love, unless we recognize the need we actually have for it. This is what is meant by taking up the position of the wanderer, the outcast, or the stranger. * This eclipse offers a powerful opportunity to find spiritual shelter, support, and even friendship, by assuming the humble role of the outsider. The outsider does not make demands. It does not act entitled. It does not demand that everyone recognize this or that. Because it's first need is for temporary shelter, and love, as it passes from this land to the next... Doing this while being in the world, with lives to live, isn't easy, but Aquarius reminds us again and again, that we are all beautiful, transient outsiders. Prayer: Keep us in your loving heart. Give us shelter. Provide us with true friends and good company along the way. |
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AuthorAdam Elenbaas is a professional astrologer and the founder of the Nightlight Astrology School. Adam holds an MA and MFA in English and Creative Writing and is one of the founding writers at RealitySandwich. To learn more about Adam, click here. 
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