All Times Pacific: Astrology Report Mar 13–20
Friends, belying the drastic events unfolding, we have another relatively quiet week of aspects, which began when Sun conjunct Neptune was exact early this morning. This can be an aspect of high inspiration and powerful imagination, a time for visions, dreams, intoxication, and epiphanies. But it can also be a time of lies, delusions, ideologies, exhaustion, and deep malaise. Meditation can be especially cleansing and enjoyable now. Don’t overdo escapism or you may miss the opportunity for a more enlightening experience.
Mon March 14, Tue March 15, and Wed March 16 only lunar aspects are exact. However, this week there are 14 lunar inconjunctions. Inconjunctions can indicate health issues, as well as predicaments where two situations demand attention, are incongruous, and the temptation is to pay attention to one but not the other, causing a backlash from the neglected. In our own lives we can pay attention to the small messages the body sends us. Problems nipped in the bud by adjusting our habits can help us avoid difficulties down the line.
Thu Mar 17 St. Patrick’s Day Mercury sextile Uranus exact at 5:13 AM is great for writing, editing, and all forms of communication, bringing broader horizons and liberating surprises. As Manly Hall wrote: “We are the gods of the atoms that make up ourselves but we are also the atoms of the gods that make up the universe.” With this aspect conversations can energize us. For many the desire to socialize, especially in unusual ways, or with unusual people, may lead to unnecessary risk taking. The pandemic is not over. Hopefully the worst is behind us but we don’t actually know. A little caution can prevent harm.
Fri, Mar 18, Manly Hall’s birthday, the moon is full in Virgo just about a quarter after midnight. Also Mar 18 Venus sextile Chiron is exact, and Sun sextile Pluto. The Venus aspect indicates that art, music and romance can have a healing effect more so than usual. The Pluto aspect that these stressful times can help us to sharpen our appreciation for what we have. We are seeing before our eyes a story unfold about the loss of everyday life. The stresses on our own lives increase daily. Will we be immobilized, frozen in suspense, addicted to information? Or can we put that nervous energy into creativity, love, and all that makes us passionate about life? As Ukrainian poet Lina Kostenko wrote: “We need to live through each day. Do not wait for the cherished date. Burn like fire today, because later may never come.”
Sat, Mar 19 the sun enters Aries and spring begins with Ostara, the Spring Equinox. Also Mar 19 about an hour before midnight Mercury conjunct Jupiter is exact. While this is often an aspect of happiness, opportunity and prosperity it can also indicate over-optimism, false enthusiasm, and misinformed confidence. Russia, America, NATO, Iran, and other countries are flirting with world war. Playing chicken. Are we able to relax away from the feed? Can we suspend speculation or hyper-vigilant catastrophizing? Can we be creative instead? These positive Mercury aspects could indicate good news in negotiations. Perhaps China uses its influence with Russia.
It’s a quiet week of aspects, but a worrisome Mars square Uranus is gaining strength, exact on March 22. Shocking accidents and abrupt escalation of aggression are possible. Mars conjunct Saturn will be exact April 4, this could indicate the severe fact of a wider conflict, or limits established, or at best an end to the war, however unlikely that seems from here. With Jupiter conjunct Neptune on the way in April we could see anything from a war driven pandemic surge to a peaceful resolution. As Kostenko wrote: “The wisdom of a human is to remain silent when environment is speaking.”
This suspense provides us with an opportunity to practice comfort with doubt, a willingness not to know, the ability to focus on the present, a commitment to tranquility despite chaos. Fear is the favorite food of the monkey mind. Filling our minds with frightening information, seeking some form of reassurance in knowing what is really going on, evades the truth that we do not really know what’s going on, especially in the worlds of politics and pandemics. But we can know our own lives. We can improve our corner of the world. We can cherish our friends and surroundings. Most people when they look back on life will probably not regret that they didn’t figure out who killed JFK or exactly why Russia invaded Ukraine. Won’t we long for more love, connection, the beauty of simple exchanges of kindness and affection, and the light of meaningful conversations, the joys of sharing time with those we care about, doing the things that matter most to us?
We have more than one astrological chart for Putin, as we’re not sure about his data. The chart with Pluto conjunct the midheaven conjunct south node works well for him. Fourth house north node obsessed with restoring the mother country. Pluto conjunct the midheaven: famous for wealth, power and violence. Possibly the richest man in the world. As we have seen in an earlier report, transiting Saturn opposing Pluto can indicate ruthlessness, long term ambitions and strategies, consolidation of power, extreme censorship, boycotts, poverty, stagnation, or regression. The more ruthless the action the bigger the backlash, and during this transit people who force issues tend to produce the results they are trying to avoid. It can also indicate falls from power, coups, and assassination. As Kostenko wrote: “They want to build a state. A state is to be built from a foundation, and everyone is to lay his own brick. You can’t build a state of your harbored thoughts of revenge.”
In honor of MPH’s birthday this week here is a quote from him that is appropriate for these days: “We can only escape from the world by outgrowing the world. Death may take man out of the world but only wisdom can take the world out of the man. As long as the human being is obsessed by worldliness, he will suffer from the Karmic consequences of false allegiances. When however, worldliness is transmuted into Spiritual Integrity he is free, even though he still dwells physically among worldly things.” What is this worldliness MPH is talking about? Merely ambition, greed, lust? Or is it also fear and anger? The contracted perspective of a being absorbed in the details of the startling events of the moment rarely leads to right action. Let your light shine during these dark times. A new world is forming before our eyes, the dice are rolling, can we find radical liberation in not knowing what will happen next, and accepting that? Let us resolve to be ready for whatever happens next, and in the meantime enjoy every moment and help out wherever we can.
