March 2016 – Joan Porte

Saturn Stationed Retrograde…

in Sagittarius on March 25 and will remain there until August 13. Saturn is rather a taciturn planet – demanding order and structure while Sagittarius is about adventure and expansion. This is not a constellation in which Saturn “enjoys” hanging.

A Saturn retrograde is a time to analyze how you order your life. Do you miss appointments because you can’t keep your calendar straight? Do you waste time because you can’t get yourself motivated? Are you over structured, over organized – with no time to play? This is the time to go inside and work on these issues.

When Saturn goes direct in August you will have had the benefit of these months of introspection and will be able to harness the great Sagittarius energy to make the changes you need!

Saturn may grumble about all of that overwhelming Sagittarius energy but think how much change you can make the planet goes direct in August. Reorder, restructure, recharge!

The Moon Jupiter Dance At the Full Moon

The Moon is nearly full and will be so on March 23. Between now and then you can see the bright Moon making a very close conjunction to enormous Jupiter. The Moon is in airy Libra right now and the combination of her co-dependent tendencies and Jupiter’s size and this has the makings for a very emotional full Moon. Pull back and keep yourself in control during this transit or you may regret your actions.

This is the first full Moon of Spring and known as the ‘Worm Moon’ named for the worm trails that appear at this time of year when Nature begins to awaken. Robin and Crow Moons are other names. Think of this reawakening at this emotional time to learn how you would like to tame your responses when the worms of life get under your skin!

A Pisces Vernal Equinox

The Vernal Equinox is a time to put all of the resting, rejuvenating energy of winter into action and literally burst forth with a new you, much like a new crop of flowers we begin to see this time of year.

This year we have a stellium of planets in the spiritual sign of Pisces. Venus, Neptune, Ceres, Chiron, Mercury and even the South Node are all in Pisces this year. We should not deny that amount of spiritual energy. Pisces connects us to the larger mysteries of the universe. Use this time to reach your highest spiritual goals. How do you want to connect to source, how do you want to live a more spiritual life? You have thought about this – now is the time to do it.

You must also remember the shadow aspect of Pisces which is escapism and illusion. Do not continue to put off the changes that you want to make or to, as they say, act is if you are the person you want to be.
Go head first into a new spiritual existence just like the flowers burst their heads forth into a new world.

Happy Equinox.

First the Solar Eclipse…

Later we will have a lunar one but let’s focus on the Solar Eclipse – happening March 7/8 (depending on your time zone.) We in North America won’t be able to see it. You have to be in Australia to get the best view. However, the energy will be available for all.

An eclipse is a great time for profound change. Solar eclipses help us make profound changes to our persona and this one is, as they say, a dilly. The Sun and Moon will eclipse at 19 -20 degrees Pisces in direct opposition to retrograded Jupiter at 18 degrees Virgo. Jupiter is our key to spiritual and philosophical growth. On a basic level, using this time to examine how we can grow is wise.

However, what is the essence of the Virgo/Pisces axis? It is symbolic of the traditional victim-martyr duality. Do you give too much? Do you take too much? Do you use the demands of others to keep yourself from growing?
This axis gives us the balance between Earth (Virgo) and spirit (Pisces).

If you work to the detriment of all other aspects of life then you are tipping the scales too much into the Virgo pond. If you refuse to face reality, live in fantasy and believe it is better to escape than revel in life then you are leaning excessively far over the Pisces fence.

During this time of growth, try to seek balance in these areas and you will experience the best this eclipse has to offer.

Don’t Underestimate Trump or Pluto.

Last week I examined the chart of Donald Trump illustrating his North Node desire to make an intellectual (and I use that term advisedly) impact on society. (Gemini North Node in the 10th House.)

When I place his chart alongside that of the United States I see that his Uranus placement is identical to that of the USA. Both have Uranus in the 10th house. A sign of a desire to stoke revolution and change in the public arena. He is clearly striking a nerve with those who are “tea party revolutionaries” and want to start over.

Don’t overlook his very positive signs in the 11th house, where we come together with like-minded people. Pundits have been waiting for him to implode, for his outrageous behavior to turn people off. In fact, it has done just the opposite. His Mercury (communication skill) is on the conjunction American has of Sun, Jupiter and Venus and all of this land in the 11th. He has found his way to speak to a certain set of people that speaks to their heart and hopes. Like it or not, he has struck a chord.

It is vital to remember that Pluto is in Capricorn. Pluto demands change and Capricorn controls authority and governmental entities. The last time Pluto was in this constellation we had the American and French Revolutions. Anything can happen here. We saw the (in my opinion) positive effects of this placement, in the election of our first African American president, Barack Obama. Don’t think we can’t see the election of a fascist reality star as well.

Pluto demands change. The type of change is up to us.