Astrology of March 2007 by Henry Seltzer (www.astrograph.com)

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The Astrology of March focuses once more on the Saturn – Neptune opposition, now waning, and the continuation of the Mercury retrograde period of time that began in February. Although direct after the 7th, Mercury does not leave its retrograde shadow until March 27th.

Most of the month we are caught between two eclipses, so that these days are more powerful than usual, and are also aligned with outer planet energies. Neptune is greatly emphasized in March, being the ruler of the month's lunations and by a stationing Jupiter in Sagittarius. Numinous Neptune, in contrast to stodgy old Saturn, always remains elusive as well as illusive, suggesting that things are not what they seem, and that we are all connected, as we know beyond knowing in our most secret heart. The test of Neptune is to maintain our stance within the world of manifestation while still keeping in mind that all is illusion and a cover for the deeper meaning. This can be confusing, and have the effect of stalling our steering here on starship Earth, but that's just the way it is. The good news is that once we make that shift, we will never again be subject to the ravages of Saturn, at least not in quite the same way.

The other major effect of Neptune in combination with Saturn is a cynical puncturing of any form of hypocrisy and political posturing, something that we are observing on a mass scale these days. There is the danger of losing the positive message in the process, but because Neptune is buoyed up by Jupiter right now, we have an opportunity to rise above cynicism while not losing any of the accompanying clarity. Our inner vision also benefits from a retrograding Mercury, which changes to direct motion early in the month, on the 7th, but remains in its retrograde shadow until late March. As the Lunar Eclipse and Full Moon on the 3rd conjuncts and opposes Uranus, we might expect further epiphanies and unexpected events as well as the usual communication and mechanical breakdowns. During the entire week leading up to the Last Quarter Moon of March 11th we will have plenty of opportunity to look inside rather than to the misleading consensus in order to better understand our unfolding future selves.

The country too is at the crossroads. In our political statements as a nation we express on a larger stage the same conflicts that we encounter individually between fear and faith in our possibilities. By voting with our dollars and our actions for a better world, for ourselves and for the generations to come, and by standing for the convictions that we share with many others, we pull together and move forward rather than continue to be pulled apart by the purveyors of doom.

The Solar Eclipse of Sunday, March 18th squares Pluto, so that transformative realignment underlies everything that we say and do over this entire monthly cycle. We are ourselves the change that we expect to see in the world, like it or not. And if we want something different, for the world and for ourselves, we have only to take the necessary step to the inside to remember who we really are. And that is, as Marianne Williamson has stated, "powerful beyond measure."

Transits to the U.S. Chart

This month's transits are particularly powerful, as befits the divisive situation in the nation's capitol these days. Transiting Pluto is slowing down getting ready to station at the end of the month and is aspecting U.S. Moon, representing the public's attitude. The Solar Eclipse of March 18th squares transiting Pluto exactly, and is semi-sextile to U.S. Moon, while also squaring U.S. Venus in the Seventh House of foreign relations. Recently announced talks in Baghdad during this timeframe will be closely watched and may have profound effects on this country as well as in that one. It is amazing that this administration has agreed to these talks to begin with, so there is already the sense of something extraordinary going on, with more revelations still to come. Since the Full Moon at the very beginning of the month triggers transiting Uranus in aspect to U.S. Ascendant and U.S. Sun, pretty much anything can happen over the course of this month's timeframe.

It is interesting to note that the Saturn-Neptune opposition, exact at the beginning of the month, aspects U.S. Chiron, by trine and sextile. In my article regarding the Valerie Plame case, see The Ides of June, I mentioned that U.S. Chiron seems to be involved with this important series of events, and sure enough, the Plame case is currently in the news. The ongoing trial of Scooter Libby has recently turned up evidence of a wider scandal, with calls for a House subcommittee investigation. It is logical that patterns of old wounds regarding the way that we see our chief executive (think Nixon and Watergate) would begin to emerge at this time.

Current Configurations

Lunar Eclipse Full Moon, Saturday, March 3rd (). This powerful lunation takes place in Virgo, along the nodal axis, and with the Sun conjunct Uranus in Pisces. The Sabian Symbol reads "A strong hand supplanting political hysteria," which Marc Edmond Jones calls "consistent effectiveness in dramatizing personal potentials." Uranus, bringer of new concepts and unexpected enlightenment, makes a productive pairing with this symbol. The Sun also resides at the Venus / Chiron midpoint at this time, with the Moon also aspecting these two energies, so that old wounds and relationship patterns from the long-dead past may come up at this time for transcending them.

Last Quarter Moon, Sunday, March 11th (). This is traditionally the "crisis in consciousness" spoken about by Rudhyar, when the rubber meets the road and we must see what portion of the impulse that began the cycle three weeks ago can concretely be accomplished, and survive in the real world of countervailing and supporting influences. This moment can therefore represent a time of tension in our process of growth. Since Saturn is also emphasized at this time, opposing the remainder of the planets, it is also a time of limitation in general. Saturn also forms a grand trine with Jupiter and Venus in Aries, making for an interesting mix of energies, all stop and go. We will want to move forward, especially since Mercury is also moving in direct motion at this time, having stationed on the 7th, but we may have to hold back against our wishes. The Saturn – Neptune opposition, now fading, is also powerfully constellated by the Quarter Moon at the 22nd degree of Sagittarius, conjunct Jupiter.

New Moon and Solar Eclipse, Sunday, March 18th (). This is of course the potent energy of the New Moon, coupled with the eclipse emphasis, and takes place in 28 plus degrees of Pisces, exactly square Pluto. The effects of eclipses last for many months, and this one may be triggered again by the passage of Mars opposite this degree eight weeks from now around the time of the mid-May New Moon. There is obviously transformation in the air at this time, representing a springboard for action, just preceding as it does the Vernal Equinox. The Sabian Symbol is quite beautiful, "A prism." Marc Edmond Jones calls it "a symbol of the world's stability." Maybe we will make it after all.

At the Vernal Equinox on the 20th (), two days later, as the Sun enters Aries to begin once again the cycle of the seasons, the Sun's ruler Mars resides at the Chiron/Neptune midpoint opposite Saturn. This brings once again the potential for change through effort of renouncing all that is buried away inside us, and toxic, and not really very good for us. May it be so!

The First Quarter Moon, Sunday, March 25th (). Now Mars conjuncts Neptune, bringing compassion to the arc of development that is unfolding over the course of this monthly cycle. This is the time when the new shoot begins to emerge figuratively in our psyches as a result of the courage we have shown at the time of the New Moon just past. It may be a difficult emerging into manifestation, but if the impulse is consistent with our inner vision it is likely to be a viable birth.