Astrological Forecast Overview
There’s something for everyone in March, but the ones who take center stage will have either Earth signs (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn) or mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces) prominent. In the midst of the challenges we face with the 2012 phenomena and the crisis in human consciousness, there has been for several months a beautiful platform appearing and dissolving before us, seemingly floating among the clouds and drawing us forward.
Although it seems inaccessible at times, it is very available to us in March—in fact, it reaches its culmination as a kite forms across the heavens pinned to the high-tension wire stretching across space, the Sun’s opposition to Mars. This contact will be most powerful March 3 through 14, after building since last June. It will continue to be a solid footing for us to build on until the end of June.
By now you have some idea of what you’re building. For some it’s inner structures that will lead to an unfolding externalization of new forms further down the road. For others there are real plans, projects, jobs, relationships, homes, and other structures taking shape, perhaps in slow motion. Look for the signs of what’s developing, especially in the first half of the month.
Mercury entered its retrograde shadow on February 26 when it reached the earliest point it will back up to on when it goes direct on April 4, 23°51′ Pisces. It commences retrograde travel on March 12 at 6°49′ Aries. During its three weeks of backward travel, it carries messages from Saturn and Uranus. These planets occupy the borderland between the visible and invisible worlds, Saturn with its rules and structures, and Uranus with its constant invigoration that creates newness that creates harmony with the unseen.
Nearly all our cycles are launched for 2012, except for Uranus’s. This is remedied on March 24, when Sun reaches the Great Awakener at 4°31′ Aries. This is part of a new round of challenges as the Sun marches through another Cardinal sign to highlight the Uranus–Pluto square, especially March 19–20. Expect a plot twist or two as the Sun makes this passage. What occurs now will be played out over the coming year.
Mars and Saturn continue their retrogrades, slowing us down then speeding us up as we get what we have the potential to accomplish during their period of backward travel. Mars resumes forward motion on April 23, Saturn on June 25. Mars tends to focus us on clearing whatever obstacles keep us from moving forward, while Saturn leads us to correct the social structures that we need to go on. The issues of wounding and healing going back as far as February a year ago are brought to the surface as Mars opposes Chiron for the second of three times on March 22.
March will see our plans moved forward according to their stage of development. Some will finally precipitate into form into our experience, while others will remain in the ethers to be shaped by our faith and perseverance. Don’t give up!
(Except as otherwise noted, all interpretations here are based on a natural chart, using the beginning of Aries as the ascendant, and times listed are Pacific Daylight Time (UTC–7) after March 10.
A “Void Moon” or “Void of Course Moon” (or “VOC moon” for short) makes no significant aspects until it enters the next sign. Its void period is thought to be a poor time for starting new projects or making concerted effort toward existing plans.
According to William Lilly, the Moon in Cancer (Moon’s rulership), Taurus (Moon’s exaltation), Sagittarius and Pisces (signs ruled by Jupiter, the Great Benefic) “performeth somewhat.” Lee Lehmann reports that she has tested this, and “you can take it to the bank.” Another way of putting how this works in an astrological forecast is that, when an action is taken during the void period in one of these signs, you get “unanswered success.” That is, the lack of planetary action prevents your action from being denied.
Daily Astrological Forecast, March 2012
Mercury quincunxes Saturn to open us to the story that will play out while Mercury is retrograde starting March 12. Now we realize that our current relationship imbalances won’t go away without ‘fessing up. Moon moves through mid-Gemini, a square to Mars inflaming our mood. Watch your speech for irritability; if you can trace it back to what causes it inside you, you’ll have struck gold.
Mercury enters daring Aries at 3:41 am PT to jazz up our communicative style and bring forth our confidence. Moon finishes its stay in Gemini early, entering its void period at 5:14 am on a note of bliss. It gives us a break until 7:08 am, when it dives into Cancer’s waters. With both Mercury and Moon early in a Cardinal sign, we’ll become aware of where our head and heart disagree about how to solve our biggest problems—another chance to clear misconceptions and bring them into harmony. Over the day, contacts to Neptune, Uranus, and Jupiter deepen our experiences.
The three-month Mars retrograde period reaches its peak when it is opposed by the Sun at 12:10 pm/13°39′ Virgo-Pisces. Since January 23, we’ve been bathed in Mars’s energy, perhaps feeling more rushed, anxious, frustrated, or energized about something. Wherever this applies in your life, the situations reach critical mass today, and we will know more about what direction this is headed in very soon. The Moon swims through mid-Cancer, taking us deep into the unconscious overnight, then helping us find opportunity to overcome the obstacles that Sun-Mars bring to the fore.
Harking back to mid-February (the 7th-15th), we emerge from the depths of examining our ways of relating to others, recovering gems of insights from the fertile soils in the Underworld. All things seem possible now, including returning to the past to recover what belongs in the future. The parts that you want to carry forward are available now, as Venus opposes Saturn retrograde. The Moon in late Cancer augments the process by making us more aware of our emotional states surrounding these situations. We tap the inner realms and communicate with others during its void period, which starts at 2:17 pm, lasting until it enters optimistic Leo at 3:18 pm PT. Insights flood us for the rest of the day if we’re paying attention.
Our insight period peaks in the wee hours, when Mercury conjoins Uranus in Aries. We feel much better about our relationships as our love receptors light up when Venus enters Taurus at 2:25 am PT. Now it heads toward a highly auspicious conjunction with Jupiter, timed to coincide with the Earth Grand Trine of March 13–14. It offers a rare opportunity for flow, but it tends toward happiness with what we have rather than action, so draw upon the activating elements of your own nature if you want to create something new with this energy, which is with us through March 31. Moon in Leo motivates us to expand and reveals the benefits of doing so as it squares Jupiter.
Venus moves into the healing zone as it glues itself to Neptune, heading toward Chiron. Moon in Leo makes life simple with a single harmonious contact to Saturn, giving us the opportunity to make headway toward the long-term restructuring processes we’re engaged in. It’s a good day to connect with others to heal past wounds. Moon gives us a short break starting at 5:27 pm when it enters its void period. This lasts until its entry into logical Virgo at 7:27 pm, bringing a feel-good contact to Venus for the evening.
The Virgo Moon gives us an advance taste of next week’s exact Earth Grand Trine as it trines Jupiter and Pluto before conjoining Mars retrograde. Mars’s retrograde ups the stakes, and what happens now matters more to us than usual. At the same time, we feel more confident; the universe has given us a sign of what direction to go, and the way forward is open now, feeding tomorrow’s Full Moon and priming us to take action.
On the wave of harmonies from the Earth Grand Trine, the Full Moon peaks at 18°13′ Virgo/1:39 am PT. This also starts the Moon’s void period, which lasts until 8:50 pm with its entry into Libra. This suggests that actions are best taken in advance of the Full Moon, or after the Moon goes into Libra, but in actual fact most of the actions we would be inclined to take on the Full Moon will be based on initiatives begun beforehand, so there can be fruitful completions based on the illumination of this period.
Just as possible are actions taken after the Libra Moon (which will be challenging as it connects with Uranus, Pluto, and Saturn), when the Earth Grand Trine is in play. Carried on the Full Moon are the seeds of Mercury’s retrograde, which begins on March 12 (next Monday), and multiple interactions with Uranus, which is highlighted in Mercury’s retrograde. With the Sun and Mars past their peak, this Full Moon is more about what has already happened than about new events, but there will be a few plot twists as Mercury’s retrograde unfolds. Be prepared to be surprised!
The chart cast for the US set in Washington DC shows challenge in the world of finance, affecting the economy’s long-range outlook, but we won’t hear the truth about these inner dealings right away. There is a homegrown rosy side to the picture that will develop throughout the spring. The answer to corporate collapse is grassroots enterprise.
The Full Moon occurs at 19 Virgo, carrying the Sabian symbol of “There is a colorful gallery on the warm summer day; in the clear blue water a swimming race nears its decision.” (ME Jones version) The domain of sports, which is filled with tournaments now, highlights our human need to find diversion that lifts and gives hope. Out of these moments comes inspiration, and however we can generate it in ourselves, laughter, joy, and love further our path.
The Moon continues in Libra, bringing out the challenges embedded in our chosen path as it hooks up with Uranus, near-stationary Mercury, and Pluto. It is good on such a day to remember that we chose this path and so agreed to the obstacles we encounter, and can surmount them.
The Moon completes its stay in Libra, going void on its beneficial connection to Saturn at 7:09 pm PT, lending productive industry to our efforts today. We’ll get something important done. Take a break until 9:24 pm, when the Moon takes on the mystery of Scorpio. A healing energy is available to us and at least works on background, as Venus sextiles Chiron today. Relationship conflicts can be melted away now.
Moon in Scorpio opposing Venus-Jupiter gives us maximum perspective on what’s going right, but don’t go chasing after what’s wrong in the process. We have the opportunity to count our blessings today as she forms a Minor Grand Trine with Pluto and Mars, a segue into this golden week of the Earth Grand Trine involving Venus-Jupiter, Mars, and Pluto—making today’s connecting points into a productive kite formation. The wild card in the mix is Mercury, whose retrograde starts tomorrow and gives us a bumpier ride than we might like.
At 0:49 am PT/6°49′ Aries, Mercury commences its retrograde to introduce the wild card influence of the week. We can use it to blast out the old energies—or perhaps it is better to say that our previous decisions and actions have prepared the scenarios through which that will happen automatically. Key tie-in dates are the March 5 and March 18, and April 22. We get lots of support for constructive change, as the peak productivity of the Earth Grand Trine opens today with the trine of Jupiter to Pluto (the third of three). The Moon trines the Sun, giving us access to a watery, emotional calm that leads us into a half-day void period. We get some time to reconnoiter and get a view of the grand scheme until 11:53 pm, when our lunar satellite enters sparky Sagittarius.
The Moon in Sagittarius brings out the fire in us, leading us to reject vague ideals for what’s right under our nose. Controlling our impulses will serve us in the long run, but if something develops quickly that is based on past efforts, let it flow into your life. That’s the Earth Grand Trine speaking. Venus brings the joy of social harmony and love as she makes exact connections in that beneficial pattern, trining Pluto and conjoining Jupiter today. Enjoy!
The remaining Earth Grand Trine connections all occur today in advance of the Last Quarter Moon, which comes at 6:25 pm/24°32′ Sagittarius. Venus trines Mars, which, even though the latter is retrograde, allows us to find harmony in connections from the past that belong with us in the future but may need mending. Mars simultaneously connects by trine with Jupiter and Pluto, to create a rare four-planet simultaneous Grand Trine pattern. This is not a one-day phenomenon; we have been working with this pattern-in-the-making since last June, so the fruits of our efforts that come to bear through mid-May will be based on what we’ve been doing all along, not just our current actions.
The Last Quarter Moon imprints this blessing in our lives more firmly, with the potential to open doorways we hadn’t seen before. The results of these connections may wait to reveal themselves until after Mercury’s retrograde, but since Mercury corrects imbalances, overdue blessings can be realized at this time.
In the chart cast for the US, the benefits of long-term planning and work will come to the American people. The citizenry is likely to see itself as standing up to hardship and winning against the odds, although it is a work in progress. The workforce is agitated by continued unemployment and unfair treatment, and this could erupt as strikes, #occupy activities, and general discontent. Many find a way out through individual enterprise. News comes out through alternative sources, which are gaining prominence in the public awareness.
At 25 Sagittarius, the Last Quarter Moon is described by the symbol, “A chubby little rich boy rides on a hobby horse of bright colors and wishes for hazards he may never know.” (Jones version) When we wish for experiences foreign to us, in a completely unfamiliar vibration, those dreams can be the release from our current hardships but we must trust the spirit that brought the vision to us and follow our heart, which can make them come true.
Today is a decision day, as Mars squares the Moon’s Nodes. What we consider has the element of fate involved, and mysterious events show us the way. The Moon’s void period in Sagittarius transpires overnight, commencing at 0:34 am and ending at 3:24 am upon her entry into wise Capricorn. With many planets in the early degrees now, a kaleidoscope of lunar contacts brings back the Grand Trine benefits, after a few unexpected turns due to the tensions in Cardinal signs. Think of it as an Easter egg hunt, where the eggs are treasures hidden in the cacophony of events.
We get a break from new energies as Moon travels the mid degrees of Capricorn, connecting with Venus overnight, then freeing us to direct our own path for the rest of the day.
Anxieties could distract us early in the day via a Moon-Saturn connection, or we can choose to set them aside for a brief respite as the Moon goes void of course at 6:00 am PT. This gives us a possible lazy lie-in, until we feel more social and industrious when Moon enters independent Aquarius at 9:11 am. Harmonies with Uranus and Mercury retrograde help us make sense of shifting circumstances.
Mercury retrograde conjoins Uranus, revealing Step Two in a three-step process that brings a necessary shift in our lives. Although in the short run it may appear difficult, in the long run it will reveal hidden doorways that we can use to create what we want and need. The Moon in Aquarius challenges us to let go of attachments as it squares Jupiter and Venus.
After a productive morning, Moon in Aquarius goes void of course on the heels of a harmony with Saturn, at 1:31 pm PT. This gives us an afternoon to relax or catch up on the filing, until the Moon enters dreamy Pisces at 5:05 pm, augmented by an immediate conjunction to Neptune. Use the evening to become aware of images of the future you want to build. At 10:15 pm, the Sun goes into Aries, the marker of spring’s arrival and an instant energizer that brings courage and optimism. Yes, there are hurdles to clear, but they add to the excitement of entering a new time for humanity, in which each of us plays a vital part.
Moon continues through Pisces, giving us a broader illumination of the changes we are preparing for in order to create the future. It reconnects us with the Earth Grand Trine today as the apex of a kite configuration. Allow yourself to lead.
The reconnection with the Earth Trine spreads to our dream world through Venus, where we remember that all is well. The Sun and Mercury retrograde make their inferior (close-side) conjunction, to start the energy of the new Mercury cycle and bring keen insights. Although we could be busy finishing up with old circumstances for up to another 13 days (the remainder of Mercury’s retrograde), we can feel the stirrings of renewal. At 1:39 am, the Moon enters its void period, although in Pisces it still “performs”. This is the Wishing (Balsamic) Moon, when we can create a vision of what we want to come into our lives in the next month.
At 2:57 am, the Moon enters pioneering Aries, feeding immediately into the New Moon, which occurs at 7:37 am PT/2°22′ Aries. This is a powerful lunar event that sets the tone for a month of potent developments.
Mercury is still retrograde and in the orb of the Sun, bringing out a fruitful hesitation on our path forward. The Earth Grand Trine is dissipating, although we still have access to it via periodic lunar contacts through March 31; in addition, anything we have been building through that pattern stays with us by our own efforts. Perhaps most powerful though is Mars’s opposition to Chiron. This ties to events last year, particularly November 12, but also in late February and late June. Together they bind a series of events into a story in your life where healing is possible over the course of the month ahead.
Energy is stored in this New Moon, about to be released as the Moon, then the Sun, conjoin Uranus and square Pluto, to bring the second salvo of the year related to the struggles between individuals and large entities (corporations, governments, etc.), and the same types of David-and-Goliath inequities in our own circumstances. We’ll feel all of this by the end of the day as Moon makes us aware of it from an instinctual level.
In the United States, this energy is most felt in Congressional posturing and disinformation from the media, but after recent revelations about what’s really going on, the emptiness of the dialogue is obvious and mostly ignored by a wiser and disgruntled public. The President and Senate are the strongest voices of sanity.
The Sabian symbol for 3 Aries, the New Moon degree, is “A cameo shows the profile of a man that suggests the outline of his country.” It may be easy to fall under the collective spell that what we do as small individuals doesn’t matter, but nothing could be further from the truth. When we rise to our own greatness, our actions ripple outward in beneficial ways. We will hear stories of courage and leadership like this as this month unfolds.
The Moon encounters an empty sky during its transit of mid-Aries today. Mercury retrogrades back into Pisces to revisit the subtler factors we need to consider in order to use its energies well in the next four months. Key among them is ways in which we can build a stronger foundation for the relationship ties we want to take with us into the future.
Moon goes void at 10:17 am PT, giving us a half-day of time out from the need for progress. At 2:43 pm, we regain our capacity to act productively when she enters steady Taurus. The big event of the day is the Sun’s conjunction with Uranus at 4°31′ Aries. This jump-starts on a new cycle of awakening that lasts a year. This year’s cycle is full of power and intensity, as Uranus and Pluto finally meet during this year for the first two of their seven squares (completed in March 2015). Despite the apparent newness of this process, we are already well acquainted with this energy, which is about the balancing of power and energy in groups and places where they are unequal. By equalizing things in our own sphere, and by living modestly in the spirit, we allow the potential fury of this interchange to pass us by and reap the rewards of the awakening.
Mercury quincunxes Saturn, the second of three (the others March 1 and April 12) to bring out the subtle but seemingly irreconcilable difficulties in our current relationships. This can be a humbling experience, where we see our own flawed contributions to a disagreement or separation, the first step to reconciliation. All this is softened by lunar bliss, as the Taurus Moon recreates the Earth Grand Trine for us over the course of the day.
Moon completes its sojourn through Taurus on notes of harmony and stability. There is life, love, hope, and support. At 9:35 pm PT, her void-of-course period begins, lasting until 3:43 am tomorrow, although all efforts bear fruit in this sign of her exaltation.
At 3:43 am, Moon enters Gemini, sign of the experimentalist. We are challenged today by its contacts to connect with our vision of the future in light of newly unfolding realities.
The celestial sphere is quiet today, with no contacts between the bodies that inhabit it. The Moon in Gemini lightens our mood, as we have carte blanche to create what we want—or just get caught up.
The Moon’s transit of late Gemini is populated by juicy connections with Mercury and Saturn to bring head and heart into closer agreement. Mercury sextiles Venus to facilitate communication—it’s a good day to gain insight into delicate matters. However, the big action is the Sun’s square to Pluto, so we probably won’t feel like reaching out to others just now. If we must, use caution and expect that hidden factors are stronger than those which are visible. Allow yourself to be led. The Moon is void of course from 11:05 am, until 4:07 pm when it enters protective Cancer.
The Moon in Cancer brings out the challenges that we have experienced over the past week, with a more emotional take. Now we know what really matters. Although there may be pain involved, we have the opportunity to do something about the situations that bring it to the surface, as the Moon reconnects with the Earth harmonies that have supported us this month. At 12:41 pm/10°30′ Cancer, the First Quarter Moon square to the Sun sharpens our awareness of what we can create during this lunar month. Although this carries the power of the Cardinal Cross energies, it also bears the softness of the Earth trines. We can’t ignore the abrasive elements in our lives, but we can minimize our reactions to them and focus on what supports us into the future.
In the chart cast for Washington DC/the US, the President and his leadership are looking especially solid and reassuring now. An emphasis on individual enterprise is gaining momentum, and the mainstream media are unusually subdued, even chagrined at their gaffes and falsehoods. As many wonder whether how much their livelihood and well-being will be affected by current global difficulties, there is also a sense of something rising out of the ashes that is an alternative to the old ways of doing things. What seemed too fantastic to be true only three years ago is now becoming a solid part of reality, in a good way.
The First Quarter Moon carries the symbol of 11 Cancer: “A clown is making merry, gently caricaturing all manners of human traits with his grimaces and pantomime.” (ME Jones) There are plenty of voices that are telling the truth about what is happening in the world, but many of them are doing so in the form of comedy and story as well as straight news. The subtler messages under the surface are important this week.
The Moon moves through late Cancer over the course of the day, with nurturing contacts to Mercury and Venus. Today is a better day to communicate our deepest feelings, but we may be insecure about doing that with a square to Saturn also in the air—sometimes that’s a good thing. At 9:20 pm, the Moon enters its void period, although in Cancer it can be used productively.
For more than 20 years, Terry Lamb (M.A. Linguistics, UC San Diego; C.A. NCGR, EEMCP) has been helping people to understand how cycles and energies work and interact in their lives. She augments her astrological acumen with energy medicine, Yijing (Chinese Book of Change), cosmology, psychology, and a broad range of health and spiritual studies.
Terry is among the nation’s most knowledgeable, insightful, and engaging astrologers. With pragmatic optimism and compassion, Terry’s approach has helped clients and students find their own way to “walk among the stars”. She is dedicated to using astrology as a way to create our future and free ourselves from “fate”. She goes along with Abraham Lincoln, who said, “The best way to predict the future is to create it.”
Her unique approach to astrology can be learned through her home study and apprenticeship programs (contact her directly).
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