MARCH 2005
The tone of the first week of the month is set by the Last Quarter Moon of March 3rd at 13 deg Sagittarius. In my last month’s forecast I was speaking about several planetary aspects setting stage for truths unveiled and calculated risks taken in love and monetary matters alike. Mars sextile the Sun and square Jupiter provides the energy and ambition to pursue our goals, but for the time being we have to deal with complications and roadblocks. Hopefully things will start moving by mid month when Mars stops being obstructed by Saturn , getting full speed ahead after March 22nd ,when Saturn turns direct. Last Quarter Moons are the moments when we see the final result of the actions initiated at the time of the New Moon. Therefore, whatever it is that you started around February 9th , it will take concrete form now – but one that I’m afraid is not particularly pleasant, considering the frustrations, restrictions, obstacles and delays generated by the ongoing Mars-Saturn opposition.
This is also the time when you can draw the bottom line and see exactly how you stand in a situation, relationship or state of things which began around the Solar Eclipse of December 4th 2002, and reached the culminating point early June last year, when it involved emotional frustrations, blockages and heartache over love or money matters, or even both. There seems to be something involving relational or financial problems related to higher studies, legal issues, travels abroad, long-distance communication, relationships with foreigners or persons living abroad.
The New Moon of March 10th takes place at 20 deg Pisces, in conjunction with Venus and square Pluto. The main theme seems to be “things are not what they seem”. We are now more sentimental, more impressionable and implicitly more liable to fall prey to illusions, to be deceived and to make mistakes. The square with Pluto might bring to light some hidden aspects of a situation, pushing us to take action, but with Mercury in impulsive Aries, beware of jumping to conclusions, deciding on a course of action or making promises – as Mercury reverses direction on March 19th, what you think, decide and promise now will be reconsidered during the retrograde period. Romantically, this New Moon can plant the seeds of a love relationship which has an almost ethereal quality (or is it that it must be kept secret?), but all action is blocked for the moment for various reasons, which certainly implies a high amount of frustration. The period is difficult and frustrating from the financial point of view too, with Saturn squaring Jupiter and opposing Mars. All deals and financial projects will have to wait a little bit longer to become effective. On all levels, patience is the keyword for this period.
With the First Quarter Moon of March 17th the pace is increased, things start happening , a general sigh of relief can almost be heard. The opposition Mercury – Jupiter fills us with hope and enthusiasm, but can also make us feel overconfident and overoptimistic, ready to forge ahead in both romantic and financial endeavours – hopefully Mars in Capricorn will ensure some restraint and a realistic, practical approach to everything we put in motion now. Lovewise powerful vibes are at work,with Venus conjunct the Sun and favourably aspected by both Mars and Saturn, and spontaneous declarations of love can take us by surprise. The chemistry between sexes is strong, we must deal with powerful emotions, and relationships started now have all the chances to endure in time. A note of caution,however – with Pluto in the picture squaring the lovely Venus-Sun conjunction, beware of envy, jealousy and manipulation. This aspect also suggests passionate clandestine affairs and warns against the danger of being exposed. Whatever the situation, the aspect suggests heavy karmic debts being paid now – an intense, sometimes painful and (in certain cases) even violent process. On the financial level, think twice before making investments and keep away of dishonest people and dishonest deals. Also, avoid getting into debt.
In terms of long-range developments, we can now take an important step forward and change the course taken by a certain action, situation or relationship which started around mid June last year, involving communication problems, upsetting news or relationship breakups that resulted in emotional pain and / or financial problems. Now would be the right time to start mending things in love and money matters, with Venus so beautifully and efficiently supported by both Mars and Saturn, as by mid December the situation risks to become more and more difficult – and if you allow this to happen, the whole matter will later end up in even greater financial or relationship troubles, sometime around mid September next year.
The days following the First Quarter Moon of March 17th mark the beginning of a rather intense period : On March 19th Mercury goes retrograde at 14 deg Aries. The next day the Sun enters the sign of Aries, marking the beginning of the new astrological year, while Mars enters Aquarius.Venus follows the Sun, entering the sign of Aries on March 21st , and the next day Saturn finally resumes direct motion after four long months of blockages and frustrations. On March 23rd Saturn stops squaring Jupiter after over 2 months, which means good times are back for the financial and business world. Personal and professional relationships too will benefit from this, as all obstacles and restrictions start fading away. However, with Mercury in retrograde motion, this is not a good time to start a new business, sign a contract or change your job. This period is suited for reestablishing old contacts, reanalysing the past course of action, and preparing the strategy to be used for future endeavours. As usual with Mercury retrograde, we can expect transport and communication problems, home appliances seem to develop a personality of their own, computer breakdowns happen quite frequently, and new viruses on the internet are more likely to appear now than at any other time. It would also be better to avoid buying electrical or electronic devices now, as they are likely to present malfunctions and require constant repairing afterwards. More important purchases, such as cars or computers are better left waiting for a few more weeks, until after April 12th when Mercury turns direct. The series of astrological events of the month ends with Pluto turning retrograde on March 26th , opening a period of introspection and inner transformation.
The powerful forces at work during this period could bring about an increased risk of violent events and accidents, the more so as they happen against the already dangerous background set by Saturn squaring the Nodes of the Moon.(The aspect becomes exact on April 14th and lasts until May 17th ). The level of intensity can be expected to mount up
starting with March 20th ,with the Sun at 0 deg Aries squaring Pluto and Mars at 0 deg Aquarius, when the risk of violent actions, murders, accidents and explosions is extremely high.
By the time of the Full Moon of March 25th at 5 deg Libra, with Mars in Aquarius favourably aspecting Venus conjunct the Sun in Aries, all Capricornian restraint is left behind. As Libra is ruled by Venus, which governs love and money, this Full Moon will affect us on the relational and/or the finacial level. Romantic relationships which found their beginning around the New Moon have all the chances to come to fruition now, they have a fresh and impetuous quality, strong attractions and intense feelings are expressed boldly, with a sense of urgency (Venus in Aries knows what she wants, and she wants it NOW!), and there’s hapiness in the air as wishes tend to come true. For some an old love can come back in their lives after a long separation and the meeting could prove to be a memorable one. Moneywise too the period is favourable, as the financial projects initiated around the New Moon of March 10th have now a chance to finally be put in motion and start bringing the desired results - just beware of overspending, as with 3 planets in the impulsive sign of Aries,throwing caution to the wind seems to be the order of the day.
This moment marks the culminating point in a situation which started around the Libra New Moon of September 26th 2003, involving personal or professional partnerships, and/or financial matters. End June last year brought about a turning point in the respective situation – not a very pleasant one I must say, the main theme being miscommunication, betrayal and deception on either the romantic or the financial plane, or possibly both. The Full Moon of March 25th provides an excellent opportunity to set things right, as reconciliation is highly favoured now. If you let this opportunity slip, chances are the situation will further deteriorate by Christmas, possibly ending up in separation and loss. |
