StarTalk

Greetings Fellow Stargazers and welcome to the March 2008 edition of Star*Talk. For this lunar cycle (March 7 - April 4) we'll focus primarily on two charts, those of the New Moon (March 7) and the Aries Point or Spring Equinox chart (March 20), which sits one day off Full Moon (March 21).

Pisces is the end of the zodiac, the conclusion of the sun's annual trek thru the constellations. This sign encompasses All That Is. The ocean, in which our fishes swim, is symbolic of the deep unconscious mind. As the last zodiac sign and the only mutable water sign, Pisces like water itself, permeates everything. It always finds it's kind. It seeps into the cracks. Like a fog, it wraps itself around everything it touches and blurs the edges, creating illusion.

As well as being fish, Pisces are chameleons. Because at some root level they know we are all one, they have a quality of being that allows them to meet anyone where that person is. This creates another skill most fish shine at and that is, they are the ultimate empaths.

Compassion is another Piscean characteristic. Between the two (empathy and compassion) we have a group of people who are the world's ministers, healers, and hospice workers. And of course, you'll find an overabundance of fish at the water whether they're sailing, working on boats or … fishing. Water is the operative word when dealing with a fish.

The shadow side of Pisces is the extreme of what I've just written. If you take compassion and empathy over the top, you can become martyrs. They develop savior complexes, and stunt the growth of others by enabling bad behaviors.

I've also known a number of Pisces who were terminally depressed. This is a result of their being so psychically sensitive and emotionally unprotected that they quite literally can't get out of bed in the morning because they pick up the illnesses of those around us.

Another characteristic of the Pisces energy is that of the giver. They tend to just go with the flow, allowing others to take what is needed, often times, wanting peace at any price. Eventually there's a backlash and those around the fish are stunned because s/he actually temporarily found some feet and stood her/his ground.

Speaking of feet, this is the weak spot for the fish. Why? Well the answer is obvious, isn't it? Because they don't have any. When the feet become a problem, the fish needs to examine the life. There's something out of balance when fish have foot problems.

A complete opposite of these qualities is the Pisces who is tough as nails, has no sensitivity and even appears to have no heart. Dick Cheney is the quintessential bad Pisces. It's hard to believe that someone so evil is a Pisces, but indeed, it's true.
 

One of the things I love about this month is: I always have the best dreams. So, I look forward to it each year. My thought is that there's just a stronger spiritual vibration this month.

However, this month will be a little different because the New Moon March 7, 12:14 p.m., includes the third and final opposition of Mars and Pluto in this cycle. The first one was September 21 last year.

Can you remember what your issues were around Fall Equinox?

Mars was at the tail end of Gemini as was Pluto in Sagittarius. Because of the Mars retrograde period, we experienced another opposition, this time in Cancer and Capricorn Jan. 2. Now that Mars is direct again, we're getting this last one on New Moon, March 7. This vibrational wave will continue throughout the month.

The opposition is at 00 degrees of the two signs. If you have planets near the end of Gemini or Sagittarius or at the beginning of Cancer and Capricorn. You'll be pressed to handle this energy in a positive, constructive way. The Cancer/Capricorn axis is the mommy/daddy polarity, or home vs. profession or nurturing vs. discipline.

The squares to this opposition will also be affected. Those signs are the early degrees of Aries and Libra and the final degrees of Virgo and Pisces.

The Mars/Pluto signature is one of eruption, like a volcano or an earthquake. It abruptly and radically changes the course. You may feel uncontrollably angry as this transit unfolds. If that's the case, then do something athletic to safely release the energy. Also, pay close attention to where you are, who else is there and what's going on around you.

Please understand this is not doom and gloom. This is understanding and working with cosmic energies. An example of this is - I would NEVER go to a rock concert or NASCAR race during this transit. The energy is too unpredictable. It's hard enough to keep things together in my own little piece of the world, much less exposing myself to the myriad energies of crazy/drunk/drugged crowds.

Drive defensively. Practice random acts of kindness. Help neutralize this transit a bit by not over reacting to the crazy circumstances that present themselves to you.

Now here's a completely very different take on the transit and maybe geared more towards the young'uns.

Let's say you've been in a bad situation for too long - a marriage, a job where you're being abused. If you really want to burn some bridges, this is the transit to make it so.

Also, if you're exploring something new and need courage or energy to break through, you can use this transit to help.

The main thing I want you to keep in mind is that this is volatile and destructive energy.

In addition to the Mars/Pluto opposition which is plenty, this New Moon conjuncts Uranus, the Awakener, There will be plenty of surprises and opportunities for breakthroughs.

New Moon intentions should focus on the Pisces energy. Meditations regarding service in all its various aspects are a place to start. How do you serve? Willingly or begrudgingly? Do you over serve or under serve? Why? What shadow side of your ego gets off on being a martyr? If you can get to the heart of this matter, you can begin to change self-destructive behaviors.

Martyrdom is a Pisces Age characteristic. We are now living in the Aquarian Age. These old worn out models of behavior no longer work and can't be tolerated. You'll find yourself getting sick from your martyrdom. And whom does it serve if you're abusing yourself in order to please someone else? Is this what you want to teach your children and grandchildren?

What does healthy service look and feel like? If you're still into martyr behavior, attempt to grok what it would feel like to serve others without killing yourself in the process.

If you don't do much service in your life, take a few minutes and think about how good it might feel to do something completely selfless to help another person. You may find it feels so good you'll want to do a lot more of it.

In essence, what I'm talking about here is boundaries. Does a fish know when it's 30 yards or 30 miles at sea? Where are the boundaries of the ocean? Other than the shoreline, there are no boundaries. All the land on the planet is encompassed by this vast salt-water cavern.

The following day, March 8, Sun conjuncts Uranus giving us yet another opportunity to awaken and another window for out-of-the-blue surprises.. At best, this can bring big openings in lightening-quick moments. It can also create accidents. There's a strong tendency towards impulsiveness with this energy.

Saturday, March 15- Venus opposes Saturn. Venus just moved into romantic and idealistic Pisces. Saturn's hard and strict nature puts a damper on Venusian pleasure. These transits call us to prune our relationships. What's not working and why? Be honest; trim back what isn't and you'll find you've got a stronger base from which to operate.

Thursday, March 20 - Spring Equinox.. Sun moves into Aries, 1:49 a.m. This is what we astrologers call the Aries Point. Here we have a different, but still very intense chart. This day is the zodiacal New Year. When Sun rolls around to 00 Aries 00 a new solar cycle begins and will continue until the following spring equinox.

At this time and during the next week, Sun squares Pluto and Mars. Power issues continue to challenge us. Equipment i.e. cars, computers, plumbing, furnaces, etc. like to breakdown during a Sun/Pluto transit. Squares generally blindside us; we don't see them coming. If you have a breakdown experience, just know that it's in the stars. Either fix it or let go of whatever has been destroyed and don't take it personally. It's part of the cycle of death and rebirth.

Jupiter and Uranus are in an easy placement for communication during Equinox and Full Moon. They will assist in lightening up some of the heaviness indicated by the Sun/Mars/Pluto T-square.

Whenever we have this T-square aspect, which is three planets that are square each other, we look to the empty fourth corner for action to balance. In this case, it's Libra, the energy most concerned with The Other. If we can stay focused on walking in the moccasins of other people, in whom we are conflicted, we'll have a better chance of getting a grip on our emotions and not have a volcanic eruption.

The Full Moon chart, Friday, March 21 is so close to the Equinox chart, we'll leave it at that. Full Moon is exact at 2:39 p.m. in WNC.
 

Thursday-Friday, March 27-28 - Mercury and Venus conjunct Uranus. Again, we have opportunities for big Ah-Ha's with the Mercury/Uranus conjunction. This is intuition at its best. Make sure to listen and follow whatever messages you get during this time. They can be life changing.

Venus and Uranus are a "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" signature. Glamorous, light, airy and with no substance. Relationships started at this time can be fast and furious, but generally don't last very long. Enjoy the moment.


Last of all, in this lunar month we have Pluto going retrograde Wednesday, April 2. When he makes his semi-annual turn, whether it's direct or retrograde, there are a few days of chaos surrounding this event. He'll be underground for five months while he reviews his work during the last year. When he directs September 9, it'll take him a couple months to slowly crawl forward into Capricorn again, where he'll stay for 15 years.

This event occurs during the Balsamic Moon, April 2&3. Time to wrap things up and prepare for New Moon in Aries, April 5.