Mercury Retrograde in Aries ~ The Backward Facing Ram

Mercury the messenger planet is about to turn retrograde in Aries the warrior sign… so what’s his message, what’s he trying to tell us?

Mercury in Aries…

…urges us to communicate directly, confidently and assertively, but in retrograde, perhaps we should hang back and think before we open our mouths…

…fires up our brainpower, but in retrograde, perhaps we should work to slow and calm down our minds a little…

…fills us with restless energy, but in retrograde, we may feel frustrated if we can’t find a suitable outlet for our energy…putting energy into reviewing ideas and projects is a good way to use Mercury retrograde…

…acts without thinking, but in retrograde you might end up re-doing or trying to un-do what you’ve done if you’re not careful…

...asks us to seek out new ideas, but in retrograde, perhaps it’s best to review, re-work and re-discuss tried and tested ideas…

…wants to have its own way, but in retrograde it needs to learn to compromise a bit…

…prefers to close a deal quickly and cleanly, but in retrograde its wise to take some time to double check all the details and renegotiate. Best to wait until the retrograde is over before signing on the dotted line…

…likes to drive fast and get from A to B as quickly as possible, but in retrograde you need to slow down and perhaps re-plan your route (don’t’ forget your map)!

…seeks out fresh experiences, but in retrograde perhaps the old things are the best things…

…is susceptible to mental burn out, so during this retrograde, take some time to rest and recover…

…likes the newest and the fastest technology, but in retrograde, don’t forget to back up your data…

Relax! It’s only Mercury Retrograde.

Data:
Mercury turns retrograde on 30 Mar 2011 at 24Ari21
Mercury turns direct on 24 Apr 2011 at 12Ari53
Retrograde period (including Station): 25 days

with love,
Mandi
www.mandilockley.com

Happy New Year

As the Sun moves into Aries, we celebrate the astrological New Year - the Spring Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere, the Autumn Equinox in the Southern. Day and night are of equal length, representing a perfect balance, the transition of the seasons. It also marks Ostara, one of eight festivals in the Pagan Wheel of the Year

Below is a Spring Equinox post from Jon Fortgang. Jon is a professional journalist, editor and copywriter. His personal blog is a miscellany of music, opinion and counter culture.

http://jonfortgang.weebly.com/blog.html

Today is the spring equinox. Super-perigee moon over Washington courtesy of NASA/Bill Ingalls. Below that, a Russian revolution courtesy of Stravinsky...

With love,
Mandi
www.mandilockley.com 

Some Suggestions for the Virgo Full Moon

The Virgo Super-Moon on the 19th March seems to have a lot of people worried. I'm not going to make any predictions, that's not my job, but instead offer a few suggestions that you might find helpful.

Helpful Suggestions for the Virgo Super-Moon

Try not to worry
How to Stop Worrying and Start Living by Dale Carnegie


Definitely don’t panic

How Not to Panic from EHow


If you feel angry (this lunation connects with Uranus in Aries), try to detach from the emotion and simply observe it. Let it go, let the anger pass

Apply yourself to practical service and helping others

Avoid criticising others and try not to let criticism that comes your way get to you, unless it’s offered in a constructive, kind way

Give thanks for what you’ve got

If you’re feeling particularly stressed, take Bach Rescue Remedy ~ a formula for comfort and reassurance

Practice meditation. Mindfulness, Compassion and Wisdom, Three Means To Peace meditation from Shambhala Sun seems appropriate for this lunation

Eat healthily, drink camomile tea, get some rest

Go to a party, it’s a Full Moon after all! (And help the host to clear up afterwards – LOL!)

With love

Mandi
www.mandilockley.com 

The Virgo SuperMoon ~ Changing Landscapes and a Million Small Stories

Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

The astrological community has been buzzing lately, as it always does when celestial alignments are reflected in dramatic events in the collective. (A brief explanation of the astrological picture is explained below, including the Virgo Full Moon of March 19^th, a SuperMoon; Uranus’ ingress into Aries and Neptune in the final degree of Aquarius.)

With recent events such as the mass uprisings in the Middle East and the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis in Japan, without a doubt the world’s political and physical landscape is changing. World developments of such magnitude change millions of people’s lives forever and therefore also alter the psychological and emotional landscape of everyone directly caught up in them. To a lesser extent these kinds of events also shift the perspective of those of us who watch events unfold from a distance.

While contemplating or worrying about what the Virgo SuperMoon* means, if anything, let’s not forget that Virgo is all about the small details. It’s about the ‘little’ people, about service and about the minutiae of personal experience. While we may be buzzing about the big picture and the affect that recent events are having on politics, world economics and physical geography, try to remember that the parts that make up the whole are a million or more ‘small’ human stories. Humbling stories of love, dignity, heroism and hope in the face of loss, grief and personal tragedy.

As the Moon in Virgo opposes the Sun in Pisces, many of us feel inspired to send our prayers and healing thoughts out to those in need (Pisces). This is a beautiful thing to do, but perhaps we should also consider that Virgo is about offering practical, tangible help and balance our response accordingly. 

Donate:
The British Red Cross  
The American Red Cross 

Here’s a brief summary of the current astrological picture:


Uranus (shocks, sudden change, revolutionary energy, nuclear uranium) left watery Pisces on 11/12 March 2011 and moved into zero degrees of fiery Aries, the ‘urgent’ astrological degree where it is said that a great rush of energy projects outwards into the world, seeking manifestation.


Read more: Energy Rush ~ Uranus in Aries at the Aries Point by Astroair Astrology


Uranus (the great awakener) in Aries (fire, spirit, urgency, action) is square to Pluto (the great transformer/destroyer, plutonium, plutocrats) in Capricorn (structure, authority, control, physical and material processes, business). While this aspect does not become exact until June 2012, it is already close enough to be reflected in world events. Combined, these planets symbolise turmoil, social change, upheavals, rebellions, shake-ups and break-ups. 

Everything you need to know about Uranus-Pluto alignments from a big picture world perspective can be read in Cosmos and Psyche by Richard Tarnas and his follow up article here 

Also: Uranium and Plutonium = Uranus and Pluto by Lynn Hayes

Neptune (disillusion, dissolution, the dissolving of barriers and boundaries, meltdowns, collective emotional undercurrents) in the final degree of Aquarius (community, brotherhood, humanitarianism, detachment, rebellion) is about to move into Pisces (compassion, imagination, the spiritual, the victim-saviour-martyr complex) on April 4^th 2011.

Read More: Neptune in Pisces by Adrian Ross Duncan 

*The Virgo Full Moon on March 19 2011. This Full Moon is what is known as a SuperMoon or MegaMoon because the Moon will be closer to the Earth than it’s been for 18 years. Richard Nolle has associated SuperMoons with increased geophysical activity, including storms, high tides, seismic disturbances and volcanic eruptions.

Read More: The Super Moon by Richard Nolle and Mega Moon 2011 by Kathryn Cassidy 

On March 28, Jupiter makes the last of its current series of oppositions to Saturn, the peak of its current cycle. This cycle is associated with economic cycles, with the second half of the cycle, the phase we are just entering, associated with retraction, caution and withdrawal. Alignments of this cycle have also been associated with weather events.

Read More: The Jupiter-Saturn Cycle by Astroair Astrology

Finally, from Donna Cunningham Why I Don’t Believe Scary Predictions  

With love,

Mandi

www.mandilockley.com  

Pisces Quotes ~ Wondrous Words of Feeling

Here are a few beautiful, compassionate, insightful words from some well known fishes...the quotes also reflect their Moon signs...Enjoy! 

There are some people who have the quality of richness and joy in them and they communicate it to everything they touch. It is first of all a physical quality; then it is a quality of the spirit.
Tom Wolfe, Author, Sun Pisces-Moon Aries

To be good, you need to believe in what you're doing.
Billy Crystal, Comedian, Sun Pisces-Moon Taurus

I wanted to be in a band that shared ideas and were in it together.
Roger Daltrey, Musician (The Who), Sun Pisces-Moon Gemini

Dream on it. Let your mind take you to places you would like to go, and then think about it and plan it and celebrate the possibilities. And don't listen to anyone who doesn't know how to dream.
Liza Minnelli, Actress and Singer, Sun Pisces-Moon Cancer

A leader is one who, out of madness or goodness, volunteers to take upon himself the woe of the people. There are few men so foolish, hence the erratic quality of leadership in the world.
John Updike, Author, Sun Pisces-Moon Leo

Great discoveries and improvements invariably involve the cooperation of many minds. I may be given credit for having blazed the trail, but when I look at the subsequent developments I feel the credit is due to others rather than to myself.
Alexander Graham Bell, Inventor of the Telephone, Sun Pisces-Moon Virgo

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Poet, Sun Pisces-Moon Libra

There's high, and there's high, and to get really high - I mean so high that you can walk on the water, that high-that's where I'm going.
George Harrison, Musician (The Beatles), Sun Pisces-Moon Scorpio

I am a deeply religious nonbeliever - this is a somewhat new kind of religion. Albert Einstein, Physicist, Sun Pisces-Moon Sagittarius

Our life is composed greatly from dreams, from the unconscious, and they must be brought into connection with action. They must be woven together.
Anais Nin, Author, Sun Pisces-Moon Capricorn

It always amazes me to think that every house on every street is full of so many stories; so many triumphs and tragedies, and all we see are yards and driveways.
Glenn Close, Actress, Sun Pisces-Moon Aquarius

I have sacrificed everything in my life that I consider precious to advance the political career of my husband.
Pat Nixon, American First Lady, Sun Pisces-Moon Pisces

With love, Mandi
http://www.mandilockley.com/

Astro date from www.astro.com
Quotes from www.brainyquote.com

Energy Rush ~ Uranus in Aries at the Aries Point

Celebrations in Tahrir Square, Egypt

Welcome back to Uranus in Aries!

The Aries Point (AP) is zero degrees of the cardinal signs - Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn. When a transiting planet enters one of the cardinal signs and hits the AP there often a great rush of energy which projects outwards into the world, seeking manifestation. This is why the AP is known as the point where that which is private/personal becomes public/political. Simply put, the AP is the point of maximum exposure.

We have had a whole bunch of planets at the AP over the last couple of years… Pluto in Capricorn, Saturn in Libra, Jupiter in Aries and Uranus in Aries. These planets, forming a moving cardinal t-square, symbolize huge changes and shifts in consciousness which are clearly reflected in world events. The combined symbolism of all these planets around the AP reflects the fact that leaders and politicians, plutocrats, corporations, bankers and the super wealthy have been particularly vulnerable to exposure.

Just look at how many exposés there have been over the last 2-3 years – the reality of the sub-prime mortgage fiasco; the politician expenses scandal in the UK; the whole Wikileaks thing; the uncovering of Bernard Madoff’s massive fraud; undercover police named and exposed in the UK after they ‘went native’; public scrutiny of bankers’ salaries and bonuses following the government bail-outs; details made public of the huge wealth, assets and political influence of the Gaddafi family and other middle eastern ruling families and just this week the arrest for alleged fraud of billionaire property tycoons the Tchenguiz brothers. The list goes on and on….

The latest planet to hit the AP is Uranus. It hits zero degrees of Aries on March 11 2011, but has been at the AP all the time it was at 29 degrees Pisces (since February) if you use the standard one degree orb. Of course, Uranus has been down this road before, hitting the AP back in May 2010, forming an AP conjunction with Jupiter in Aries in June 2010. Look back to that time to see what Uranus at the AP might mean for you personally.

With Uranus at the AP, the stage is set for shocks, sudden change and revolutionary energy. Just look at what happened in Tunisia and Egypt in February when Uranus hit the AP! Look at what’s happening in Libya now and other countries. Developments with Uranus at the AP, particularly in Aries, tend to seem very rapid and urgent. Great courage and the rebellious warrior spirit is awakened in the collective and the old ‘comfort zones’ fall away. The urge to fight ‘for the people’ is stimulated.

Of course, while it may be satisfying to see tyrants tumble, we must remember that the planets are amoral. They don’t root for the good guy OR the bad guy, they really don’t care either way.

Devastation in Japan

This is evident in yesterday’s earthquake in Japan, one of the largest recorded. While much of Japan is built to withhold big earthquakes, unfortunately there was no defense against the tsunami which followed. Uranus is often a significator for earthquakes and it occurred with Uranus at the AP (great rush of energy outwards) in the very last degree of watery Pisces. A planet (particularly an outer planet) in the last degree of its sign (known as the Anaretic Degree) has a sense of urgency and extremism about it and it was as if this was Uranus in Pisces’ final goodbye, riding out on a literal wave of indiscriminate, life changing destruction. The scale of the devastation is still unfolding, but I was relieved to discover this morning that friends of mine in Japan are safe, although scared and shaken.

Our hearts and minds go out to everyone in Japan at this time.

With love,

Mandi

www.mandilockley.com

More on Uranus in Aries at Astroair:

How might Uranus in Aries affect you?

Uranus in Aries Transits 

Some key phrases for this exciting transit, plus tips on how to handle the fiery energy

A Uranus in Aries Brainstorm 

Uranus in Aries will wake up your Mars. Click on the link to find out more.

Uranus in Aries and Your Personal Mars Sign

A look back to the last time Uranus was in Pisces and Aries

Uranus, Fashion and the Roaring Twenties

Uranus, Fashion and the Roaring Twenties

I've noticed that in the fashion shows and fashion magazines the 1920’s flapper style is back into vogue, along with a renewed interest in 20’s music, dance and literature. A new film of Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is in the making, twenties set TV drama Boardwalk Empire is a huge hit and a new book about the decade, Anything Goes, has just been published. Even my local pub is offering Charleston lessons!

What prompts old trends to recycle themselves? I’m not a style expert, but I do know a bit about astrology and there is a striking similarity between the astrology of now and the astrology of the twenties. Therefore, it’s no surprise to me that what was considered stylish then is considered stylish again now.

In 1919-20 Uranus moved into Pisces, then it flirted between Pisces and Aries through 1927, before settling into Aries in 1928. In 2010, we had the same scenario when Uranus moved into Aries for around four months before going retrograde back into Pisces.

The Roaring Twenties are known as a decade of glamour and decadence. After the devastation of World War I, suddenly everyone wanted to party and Uranus in Pisces was there to offer glamour to the masses, along with more freedoms and exciting technical innovations. Women in particular were empowered. They gained the vote in the US and UK and had experienced a taste of independence and self sufficiency from going out to work when their men were away fighting. In response, fashionable, freshly emancipated young women shocked their elders by rebelling against the status quo in a glamorous way. They cut off their hair, discarded their mother’s restrictive corsets, daringly raised their hemlines and took to drinking and dancing the night away in the speakeasies. The flapper girl was born.

Uranus in Pisces is also about the collective ‘illusion’ of glamour and this was the age of the first great movie stars including Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, Greta Garbo, Rudolph Valentino and Charlie Chaplin. An interesting side note is that these were the silent movie stars and Pisces is one of the ‘mute’ signs in traditional astrology. Nevertheless these big stars made a big noise in the collective, with huge studio PR machines behind them feeding the public’s insatiable appetite for shocking tales of their glamorous romantic liaisons, lifestyle excesses and exciting scandals.

Doesn't that sound familiar, having just been through Uranus in Pisces ourselves? A huge multi-billion dollar industry has grown from our fascination with the glamorous, the rich and the famous. We are fed a daily diet of stories (most of which we shouldn't believe) about the latest shenanigans of the celebrated few, to make us feel an illusion of closeness to them and to encourage us to buy into the collective dream. Hell, we can even ‘tweet’ and ‘follow’ them online! Perhaps because of the Uranus in Pisces mutual reception with Neptune in Aquarius many of us felt that these elevated roles were within our reach, that we too could become idealized versions of ourselves and thanks to reality TV and the glossy gossip mags, ‘famous for being famous’ became a new, aspirational job title.

For the 1920’s the collective party was over by October 24, 1929, when the stock market crash plunged the world into deep economic depression. By this time, Uranus was settled into Aries and between 1930 and 1936 Uranus in Aries and Pluto in Cancer were in a cardinal square relationship, with the exact alignments occurring between 1932 and 1934. During this period, as the world struggled to lift itself out of the depression, the stage was being set for the struggle of World War II.

Compare, this with the current times. The age of boom and spend came to an abrupt end around 2008 while Uranus was still in Pisces (under Saturn-Uranus and Saturn-Pluto alignments), leading to a world recession. Now that Uranus is in Aries, just like in the twenties, Uranus-Pluto cardinal squares are upon us, their influence spanning from 2009 to 2018, with the exact alignments occurring between 2012 and 2015.

Flappers 2011 Style

We will have to wait and see what the fashion world brings our way during these coming times, but just like the planets, fashion runs in cycles, constantly back-referencing itself. In our current age of austerity, perhaps it’s too early for the fashion world to idealistically re-imagine our most recent age of glamour and illusion during the early Uranus in Pisces years, so instead is harking back to the glamour of a Uranus in Pisces transit from a bygone era.

If you want to find me on a Thursday evening from now on, I’ll be in the pub, flirting, sipping a cocktail and trying out my new Charleston moves!

With love,

Mandi

http://www.mandilockley.com/

Uranus in Aries Transits

As Uranus enters the adventurous warrior sign of Aries, those of us with natal planets or angles in the cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn), will experience a major Uranus transit by conjunction, square or opposition, at some point over the next seven years.

Transits of the outer planets – Uranus, Neptune, Pluto or Chiron – to your natal planets or angles tend to reflect big changes in your life. Due to the slow movement of the outer planets and the fact that they spends several months retrograde, these transits can last for a year or longer, and therefore symbolize lengthy processes of growth and development, periods of adjustment and transformation on an inner/psychological level and/or an outer, material level.

What are the themes of Uranus transits? What will happen? Well, it’s quite hard to predict very specifically, except to say that you can probably expect the unexpected... 

Eureka, it's Uranus in Aries!

Uranus transits symbolize events, feelings and life developments which are unpredictable, unexpected, unprecedented, unusual and/or unconventional. We may experience breakdowns, break ups, breakthroughs and Eureka moments during a Uranus transit. This transit can feel exciting and electric and we may have a lot of nervous energy that we just can’t switch off. For this reason, sleeplessness is not unusual under a Uranus transit.

The transit of Uranus in Aries is about fast forward movement, sudden change, spontaneous happenings and exciting breakthroughs. It’s about changes which seem to hit us suddenly and upset the status quo. Even though subconsciously the change might have been brewing in the background for some time, when the change comes it can come as a shock! 

All Change!

Often under a Uranus transit, our circumstances may suddenly seem over restrictive and inhibitive, prompting an overwhelming need for space and freedom. For this reason, many people find themselves detaching themselves from other people or situations, cutting themselves off, breaking away, moving on. Certainly, with Uranus in spontaneous, impatient Aries these sorts of developments can occur very quickly. These periods of rapid change are then followed by the longer process of picking up the pieces/starting again/dealing with the consequences.

Under a Uranus transit you may feel that you know exactly what you want, exactly where you’re going and what changes you need to make. The problem is that under this transit you may go overboard with the need for change and throw the ‘baby out with the bathwater’ so to speak. So, think very carefully before making any major life changes during this transit, because if you go too far there may be no going back! You may regret all or nothing decisions further down the line, so try if you can not to burn all your bridges, leave the door open as you leave, just a little! On the other hand, if you resist changes that you need to make the change may be forced upon you, so perhaps it’s better to initiate the changes yourself.

Seek Freedom!

A good way to deal with a Uranus transit is to find a way to give yourself more freedom and independence. Making the time to do this will really help. Taking up a new interest to indulge yourself in can also work wonders. Pick something that really excites you, perhaps something you’ve always enjoyed/wanted to do but never made time for. For example, many an astrological career was launched under a Uranus transit and this very blog started when transiting Uranus was Squaring my Jupiter in Gemini! With Uranus in Mars-ruled Aries, perhaps your new hobby could be a physical one? Dance, sport, martial arts, D.I.Y. etc. are just a few ideas, although make sure you keep safe – this is potentially an accident prone transit!

click to enlarge

For some people Uranus transits are welcome and exciting. Others who are naturally more resistant to change may find these transits very stressful. For most, they are both exciting and stressful all at the same time. As with all transits, they can manifest in a variety of different ways and on a number of different levels and will not usually be all good or all bad, but a combination.

Uranus in Aries transiting your chart will certainly shake you up, that’s for sure. Above are some Uranus in Aries phrases which offer more of a flavor of what this exciting transit is all about....

Resources:

You can download your chart at http://www.alabe.com/

An ephemeris showing the position of Uranus (and the other planets) for any given date can be found at http://www.astro.com/swisseph/swepha_e.htm

Data for Uranus in Aries:  

• 27 May 2010 (US time zones) / 28 May (European & Asian time zones): Uranus enters Aries
• 5 July 2010: Uranus stations Retrograde
• 13 August 2010 (US time zones) / 14 August (European & Asian time zones): Retrograde Uranus re-enters Pisces
• 6 December 2010: Uranus stations Direct in Pisces
• 11 March 2011 (US time zones) / 12 March (European & Asian time zones): Uranus re-enters Aries
• 15 May 2018: Uranus enters Taurus
• 6 November 2018: Uranus retrograde re-enters Aries
• 6 March 2019: Uranus re-enters Taurus

Books, Links, Articles

For further information on Uranus transits, try Planets in Transit by Robert Hand; The Gods of Change by Howard Sasportas; Alive and Well with Uranus by Bill Tierney.

For a fantastic online resource, see Uranus in Aries: Claiming a Self-Reliant Future over at Auntie Moon which has links to over two dozen exciting articles, including Steven Forrest’s Transiting Uranus through the 12 Houses. 

More on Uranus at Astroair

Uranus in Aries will wake up your natal Mars...click to find out more...
A Uranus in Aries Brainstorm
Uranus, Fashion and the Roaring Twenties
An Interview with Uranus in Pisces

With love,

Mandi

http://www.mandilockley.com/  

New Moon in Pisces

Pisces by Josephine Wall 

March 4: New Moon in Pisces ~ New Ideals

The dark of the Moon is a good time to pause, rest and plan for the month ahead. This New Moon is sandwiched between Chiron and Mars on one side and Mercury and Uranus on the other, all of them in impressionable, idealistic Pisces. This is a lunation for feeling at one with the world, but it could be an emotionally overwhelming one.

Here are some suggestions for this New Moon:

Sleep!

Listen to your dreams and intuitions.

Practice random acts of kindness.

Go with the flow.

Send out healing thoughts.

Use meditation to slow down your mind.

Stay flexible and open minded.

Use gentle persuasion to get your way rather than being forceful and direct.

Don’t believe everything you’re told!

Sing and dance

Write Poetry

Have a great Pisces New Moon

With love,

Mandi 

www.mandilockley.com 

Astrology For March

As March dawns, the Sun is in the sensitive sign of Pisces, Jupiter is settled into Aries and Saturn is still Retrograde.

This month sees Uranus join Jupiter in the impulsive first sign of the zodiac. We also have a sensitive New Moon in Pisces, a discriminating Full Moon in Virgo and the last of the ongoing Jupiter-Saturn oppositions.

Here’s the full low-down on March's main action

March 2 (March 1 for American time zones):

Venus into Aquarius ~ Friends and Lovers

Venus prefers its romance unconventional when it’s in Aquarius. This is a good Venus transit for experimenting with new ways of expressing your affection.  It’s also good for socialising, making friends and connecting intellectually with others. If others become a bit aloof and distant during this transit, just give them a bit of space and freedom and they will be back to their sociable selves in no time.  Venus will be in Aquarius until 27^th March.

March 3:

Nodes into Sagittarius-Gemini ~ A New Perspective

The Mean Nodes moved signs on February 13, but if you use the True Nodes they change on March 4 (March 3 for American time zones).  Whether you use the True Node or Mean Node is your choice. I won’t go into the technicalities of how the Nodes are calculated, but see the article at Molly’s Astrology if you want to learn more 

Click on this link to read Astroair’s commentary and suggestions for the Sagittarius-Gemini Nodes

March 4:
New Moon in Pisces ~ New Ideals
The dark of the Moon is a good time to pause, rest and plan for the month ahead. This New Moon is sandwiched between Chiron and Mars on one side and Mercury and Uranus on the other, all of them in impressionable, idealistic Pisces. This is a lunation for feeling at one with the world, but it could be an emotionally overwhelming one.

March 9:

Mercury enters Aries ~ Telling it Like it is

Mercury was the messenger of the Gods, so it’s no surprise to see him entering Aries just a couple of days before Uranus moves into Aries, like a herald for a new age.  He sticks around in Aries for a while, due to a retrograde at the end of the month, so won’t leave the warrior sign until mid-May.

Mercury in Aries urges us to communicate directly, confidently and assertively. This is a placement which fires up the brainpower and fills us with restless energy and a good transit for seeking out new ideas and fresh experiences. It can also be an aggressive, confrontational energy that can be difficult for sensitive types who prefer the subtle, sensitive approach to communicating. Great energies for getting straight to the point and knowing just where you stand, there’s no ‘going around the bushes’ with Mercury in Aries!

March 11:

Uranus enters Aries ~ A Leap into the Unknown

This month’s big news is Uranus’ leap into initiating, impulsive, courageous Aries.

Uranus is THE planet of unpredictable change and impulsive action, especially in Aries, so expect some big surprises soon, especially if you have planets or angles in early degrees of the cardinal signs of Aries, Cancer, Libra, or Capricorn. Uranus transits to your natal planets or angles can be incredibly exciting or incredibly stressful and are usually both at the same time! Under a Uranus transit, be careful not to throw ‘baby out with the bathwater’ in your urgency to make changes in your life. For those who are resistant to change, you may find change forced upon you. The only thing you can reliably expect under a Uranus transit is the unexpected and with Uranus in Aries things are bound to happen quickly. Whatever happens, Uranus in Aries is an exciting transit of fast forward movement, sudden change, spontaneous happenings and exciting breakthroughs. 

Uranus in Aries - particularly at the ultra sensitive personal/private becomes public Aries Point - represents a public/collective break for independence and freedom. Just look at what is happening in the Middle East to see how those energies are already playing out. Limits are being forcefully lifted and anything seems possible – liberation, rebellion, revolution, mass change. These energies are of course connected to Pluto in Capricorn’s upcoming series of Squares to Uranus in Aries from 2012 to 2015. However, from a world transit perspective the energies of this alignment span all the way from 2007 through 2020.

Uranus will be in Aries until May 2018 and then it will move into Taurus for a while and then retrograde back to Aries and will finally leave Aries in March 2019.

For more on the themes of this ingress see A Uranus in Aries Brainstorm

Because Aries rules Mars, this ingress will activate your own personal Mars. To find out how, see Uranus in Aries and your personal Mars sign

See also Uranus in Aries Transits and Uranus, Fashion and the Roaring Twenties

Also highly recommended are the IAD Blog-A-Thon articles on Uranus in Aries over at Auntie Moon.

March 19:

Full Moon in Virgo ~ How Can I Help?

A Full Moon draws our attention to the opposing signs the Sun and Moon fall across. Both Virgo and Pisces are concerned with service, but while Virgo’s idea of service is directed, practical and analytical, Pisces’ serves in a more all-embracing, empathetic way. Either way, both signs want to help and helping others is a great way to use the energy of this Full Moon. But with Uranus connecting to this Full Moon, expect this lunation to be an unpredictable emotional rollercoaster ride!

March 20: 

Sun enters Aries

Vital, forceful, confident, direct, competitive, individualistic, forcefully expressive, antagonistic, spirited, pioneering, adventurous.....Yes, it’s the Sun in Aries! Come back in early April for more on Sun in Aries and its hero’s journey.  For now, here are some well known Aries folk having their say: Aries Speaks 

March 27: 

Venus enters Pisces

Venus in Pisces expresses affection sensitively, kindly and compassionately. Love for Venus in Pisces is nothing less than a merging of souls, a union made in heaven, pure poetry. It can also be escapist, indiscriminate, over idealistic and martyr-like, so don’t say you haven’t been warned! This is a good transit for feeling close to others and empathizing with their feelings gently, sympathetically and considerately.

March 28: 

Jupiter opposite Saturn

Jupiter and Saturn have been making a series of oppositions since May 2010 and this is the final one, marking the halfway point of the current Jupiter-Saturn cycle which began in 2000. Click on this link to read about this cycle and the current oppositions 

If you have planets or angles at 12-15 degrees of the cardinal signs this opposition will be an important transit for you. A lot can be achieved under this transit but it’s a case of finding the right balance between enthusiastically going over the top and cautiously holding yourself back!

March 30: 

Mercury in Aries Retrograde

And finally, the month ends with a Mercury in Aries retrograde.....a post on making the best of this Mercury retrograde coming soon.....

With love,

Mandi
http://www.mandilockley.com/

Note: the above lunations and ingresses will be most pertinent to you if they touch one of your natal planets or angles. For example, the Uranus ingress will connect with your chart if you have planets or angles in the first couple of degrees of the cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn). This represents an important transit and will be worth following to see how it is reflected in your life. The sign changes for the fast moving planets – e.g. Sun, Mercury and Venus - do not represent major transits if they hit something important in your birth chart, but are still interesting passing influences worth paying attention to.

Photo credit: Kalyanvarma via Wikimedia Commons http://kalyanvarma.net