New beginnings is the theme for this month. It is time to take stock of your evolutionary progress. Where have you noticed profound inner and outer shifts that set the stage for a new chapter in your life?
March 20 – The Sun Moves into Aries
3:45 PM PDT (15:45 GMT)
The Sun sprints into Aries March 20th and plays in the Aries sky through April 19th.
Full of spirit and simply excited to be alive, Aries greets us once again. We are reborn, wiser and more mature, ready to continue our journey with more self-confidence and inner wisdom. Certainly we have learned and changed a lot in the last year!
March 20 – Pisces New Moon Solar Eclipse, Spring Equinox
2:36 AM PDT (9:36 AM GMT) at 29 degrees 27 minutes
The Pisces New Moon Solar Eclipse takes place in the last sign of the zodiac and the last degree of Pisces, just hours before the Moon and Sun move into Aries. Aries announces the Spring Equinox (in the northern hemisphere) — the official beginning of spring and the first month of a new astrological year. This year the New Moon Solar Eclipse adds a dramatic touch.
At the equinoxes, the Sun’s alignment with the Earth’s equator reduces the magnetic field of the Earth. As a result of the diminished energy, we can feel tired, even drained, on the days before, after, and on the day of the seasonal shifts. Be aware of your energy level and don’t stress, over-exert, or push yourself during these days. Equinoxes and solstices are optimal times to meditate and rest in silence. The energetic gateways make it easier to be receptive to nonphysical dimensions of reality.
Years ago I planned to attend a lecture by Ram Das on the day of the spring equinox. About 5 in the afternoon, I did my daily healing meditation and then laid down to rest on my yoga mat for a few minutes before getting ready to leave. I fell into a very deep sleep and much to my surprise didn’t wake up until after 2 am. My experience confirmed for me that the shifts of the Earth’s energy at the equinox are real and if we don’t consciously accommodate, we may be obliged to do so.
The energy of a new moon is soft and subtle. We can’t even see the Moon. When a Solar Eclipse is added to the mix, the emotional intensity is heightened. As the Sun is eclipsed, our ego facade (Sun) disappears. We feel naked as we are forced to face the mirror of our emotional conditioning (Moon). The good news is that we are able to identify emotional programming and let it go.
Eclipses alter the electromagnetic field of both Planet Earth and its inhabitants. “As the Moon moves across the disc of the Sun, we experience a release as well as a recalibration — the deletion of old codes and the downloading of new programming.” *(1) We can release stuck emotional energy, let go of conditioning and imprints that do not serve us, and feel an expanded coziness with our soul self.
In addition to the Moon and Sun, Neptune, Mercury, and Chiron are also in Pisces. This New Moon thus creates the space for you to take quiet time to be with yourself. Listen and feel deeply. Allow your soul to speak to you. Invite this total solar eclipse to help you clarify and affirm your highest priorities and values.
April 4 – Libra Full Moon Lunar Eclipse
5:05 am PDT, 12:05 PM GMT at 14 degrees Libra. Sun is at 14 degrees Aries.
The Moon passes through the Earth’s shadow from 2:00 AM to 8:00 AM PDT (9:00 AM to 3:00 PM GMT.)
Eclipses come in pairs and happen every 6 months. Where the eclipses fall in our natal chart (14 degrees Libra and Aries) defines the areas in our life and the issues that we will be working on for the next 6 months. The extent to which we are personally affected depends on the proximity of the eclipse to our natal planets. Monitor where you are ‘being eclipsed’ from your routine way of thinking and being.
Lunar eclipses happen on a Full Moon. As the Moon moves through the shadow of the Earth, the encoding of the electromagnetic field of the Earth shifts, which affects our energetic structure and catalyzes both inner and outer changes in our lives.
This is the third of four total lunar eclipses in a row, which happens only 8 times in this century. The first power-packed change-inducing series of four total lunar eclipses was in 2003-4 (What was up for you then?) and the next will be in 2032-33. Eclipses in the same signs occur in 19 year cycles. The last one at 14 degrees Libra-Aries was on April 3, 1996. What was going on in your life at that time and how has your experience of those life challenges transformed?
At the lunar eclipse, the Sun, Mercury, Uranus and the South Node are all in Aries. The Aries archetype represents (1) the need and desire for new experiences, (2) the evolutionary development of our identity from ego to soul consciousness, and (3) building an internal sense of self that gives us independence, self-esteem, and the courage to face life from our own truth. To achieve these soul goals, Aries must overcome self-righteousness, inner anger, and impulsive recklessness.
Aries’ polarity Libra helps Aries achieve its goals. The Libra archetype represents the neutral mind, where we achieve the ability to be objective and acquire an attitude of fairness and compassion in all relationships, including our relationship with our own ego.
Uranus and Pluto Are Still Influencing Us
Although Uranus and Pluto completed their seventh and final exact square on March 16 at 15 degrees Aries-Capricorn, these two transformational planets will continue their collaborative influence as they remain within 5 degrees of a square formation through May 2016. In other words, we will continue to be subject to their demand for structural change both personally and collectively. The difference now is that we should have already (1) let go of some major impediments and illusions, (2) connected with a new level of self-empowerment, (3) know the direction in which we are going, and (4) be moving forward in a new life adventure. There is still time to catch this train, but it is slowing moving out of the station.
Both planets and their transformative impulses will continue to be activated when they align with other planets either through a conjunction, square, or opposition. Such is the case on
April 5 – Sun squares Pluto in Capricorn – I offer my unique contribution to the world.
April 6 – Sun conjuncts Uranus in Aries – I am awake and enjoy being me.
April 7 – Mercury in Aries squares Pluto – I can be brutally honest with myself.
April 8 – Mercury in Aries conjuncts Uranus – I fearlessly speak my own revolutionary truth.
April 8 – Jupiter goes direct at 13 degrees Leo
Jupiter goes direct April 8. During Jupiter’s 4 months retrograde (since December 8, 2014) we have been urged to release limiting beliefs about ourselves so that we can express our unique creativity and enjoy sharing our personal light in the world. It is interesting to observe how many people have stepped forward during this time with their special contribution that they have been working on for years and even decades. The Pluto in Leo generation (1938-58), the Uranus in Leo group (1955-62), and those with Sun, Moon, and other planets in Leo have been and will continue to be highly motivated to manifest their dreams. With Jupiter direct, the ‘go for it’ spirit prevails.
April 18 – Aries New Moon
11:56 AM PDT, 18:56 GMT
Eager, willing, excited, and available, Aries is always ready to discover new frontiers. The Aries New Moon is an appropriate time to examine how we approach and evaluate our lives. We are being supported to (1) renew ourselves, (2) liberate ourselves from past pain and struggle, and (3) more thoroughly enjoy the adventure called ‘my life.’
To varying degrees, we are all trapped in a mindset that perpetuates a serious perceptual misunderstanding about the nature of the human experience. We suffer from debilitating programming including, (1) The perceived need to be perfect. (2) Thinking ‘Something is the matter with me.’ (3) Believing, ‘I should have known the unknown in advance.’ (4) I am a victim of — you name your story! (5) My life would be better if — fill in your fantasy about coping out of your life lessons.
Somehow, we fail to understand and accept that we are enrolled in Earth School and we are here to learn what can only be learned in physical reality. In Earth School, we learn from experience, i.e. ‘trail and results.’ We usually say ‘trail and error.’ But this phrase perpetuates our misunderstanding and leads us to interpret the less than optimal results of our learning experiences (the ones we don’t like) as ‘failures.’ In addition, we are confused and conflicted to the extent that we are directed by ‘shoulds’ defined by society and external authorities, instead of following our intuitive and instinctual soul guidance system.
The reality of growing up is that we can’t know all the answers in advance. We have to experience life to gain knowledge and wisdom. We can use the Aries New Moon to reboot our inner computer and start a new phase with some self- and life-affirming ways to evaluate and deal with our life challenges. Start by taking stock of how you have met the many challenges in your life. What have you gained from these experiences?
April 16 – Pluto goes retrograde at 15 degrees Capricorn
Pluto will be retrograde from April 16 until it turns direct on September 24 at 12 (almost 13) degrees Capricorn. Our dysfunctional and deceitful programming is brought to light while Pluto is retrograde. Pluto’s job is to make us aware of how we self-sabotage and to help us eliminate our victim programming. Pluto’s role is to create the ground for self-empowerment at the most basic subconscious level so that we can trust our own inner guidance, be our own authority, and act with authenticity and integrity.
April 16 – Neptune joins Asteroid Vesta in Pisces
Both Neptune and Vesta represent energies that connect us with our spiritual core. Neptune is our Divine connection with transpersonal reality. Vesta symbolizes our internal flame, our soul, and how we nurture it and keep our light burning. Vesta and Neptune join every four years, but this year they join in Pisces for the first time since 1852-59. Neptune and Vesta add their sacred space to the Aries New Moon, inviting us to live for our soul and trust that the Infinite is always our partner in life.
April 17 – Mars in Taurus (February 20 – May 11) squares Jupiter in Leo
Mars in Taurus squaring Jupiter in Leo gives a boost to our self-esteem and supports our creative projects.
Mars is the traditional planet (ruler) associated with Aries. Both Mars and Aries are associated with taking initiative, fiery passion, self-confidence, and readiness to take a leap of faith. Mars is in Taurus from February 20 through May 11. The Taurus influence helps Mars slow down and smell the roses, instead of rushing by without noticing the beautiful and generous gifts offered by Mother Nature. During this time we can tune into the sacred nature of physical reality and feel how Mother energy gives us and all living things life.
April 22 – Mars Joins Mercury in Taurus
On April 22, Mars joins Mercury in Taurus for the first of 3 rendezvous of these two planets. (They also meet May 27 at 11 degrees Gemini and July 15 at 14 degrees Cancer.) Mars’ alignments with Mercury in Taurus, Gemini, and Cancer help us be honest about what we value, align with our truth, and take action to follow our heart.
As you evaluate your progress, move into the future, and continue to interact with the shifting energies this month (and every other month), remember that the planetary influences are not just active on a single day, week, or month. They have a cumulative effect and offer us gifts that we can take with us on our journey of self-empowerment, awakening, and self-love.
References and Footnote
Austin, Stephanie, Pisces Solar Eclipse — March 20, The Mountain Astrologer, February/March 2015, p. 103.
Austin, Stephanie, Libra Lunar Eclipse – April 4, Aries New Moon – April 18, The Mountain Astrologer, April/May 2015, pp. 91 and 95.
1. Austin, p. 103.
Thank you Guru Rattana, your insights are helpful, truthful, inspiring and I hug you with gratitude! I am going back to my motherland, South Korea in a few days, a trip that’s been 38 years in the making. When I would doubt all the internal shifts and miracles I’ve been experiencing for the last decade, guides like you always helped me to keep the faith. Thank you for your many gifts you offer to us, I cannot express in words how it has impacted so deeply in my life. Love you!!
Every one wants to have a small insight of their life at the starting of a any new year or a new month. So it is nice that accurate information provided for new beginnings