This week sees both the season and the lunar cycle shift, setting the stage for the next phase.  Yet things are still over-run with unfinished plots from the last act, asking us to straddle present, past and future for a bit.

We enter this week carried by the slow avalanche of March’s Grand Earth Trine.  This mudflow crosses a couple important markers this week, beginning with the Sun’s ingress into Aries on Monday night, the Equinox. The Equinox marks our entrance into a new season, though the stories from this one certainly have not reached their exciting conclusion.  On Wednesday a retrograde Mercury conjoins the Sun in Aries, temporarily amplifying our ability to sort through the sludge, while Thursday holds a potent New Moon in Aries, marking the beginning of an energetic lunar cycle.  Friday a retrograde Mercury dips back into Pisces, toning down the misplaced aggression of the past few weeks and finally, over the weekend the Sun conjoins Uranus in Aries, lending it a chaotic charge.

Solar Stories

The Sun moves into Aries late Monday night marking the Equinox, the time when day and night are of equal length.  This movement shifts us officially to the doorstep of the next quarter, whose challenges I’ve addressed at length in the seasonal section of “The Astrology of 2012.”

The Sun’s time in Aries (March 20th-April 20th) inflames the core of being, the seed of subjective awareness.  Emboldened, we rediscover ourselves in the world of actions, and seek to understand the subjective through its enactment in the objective.  Here we become aware of potential and the desire to act it out, to gather proof of who we think we are and what we might be capable of.

The first days of the Sun’s ingress into Aries are particularly dramatic this year, as old Sol spends from March 20th-24th closing in on a conjunction with electric, eccentric, revolutionary Uranus.  Their weekend conjunction highlights the necessity and price of making truly radical changes on both a personal and collective level.

Kazimi!

On Wednesday a retrograde Mercury lines up with the Sun in sky, bringing some clarity to the muddy cluster this retrograde has stuck us with.  Look not for precise answers on Wednesday, but for the direction those answers might lie in.

New Moon in Aries: Phoenix Egg

Thursday holds the New Moon in Aries.  This monthly conjunction of the Sun and Moon takes next to  Uranus and a retrograde Mercury, promising a confusing but empowering cycle.  Insight into the nature of the self and the proper cultivation and utilization of personal power emerges here, asking to be integrated into our plans for the next month.  The upcoming lunar cycle this New Moon begins contains the last month of Mars’ retrograde, and oversees the last steps in the process of reconfiguration it has entailed.  The image of the spirit’s rebirth, the Phoenix, appears here, ready to guide us through the final stage of the bardo.

Mercury’s Moves:  Back Into The Ocean

Mercury retrogrades back into mind-sea of Pisces on Friday, changing the tone of his ongoing retrograde.  The question becomes less about actionable items, shifting back, instead, to bigger and more encompassing concerns.  As a result, the next couple weeks entail less false certainty and more honest confusion.  This move also takes Mercury out of mutual reception with Mars, toning down the random hostility which has been creeping its way into discourse for the last several weeks.

Horoscopes

Horoscopes are not a real chart reading by an experienced astrologer. However, they are fun and can be reasonably accurate. In addition to referring to your Sun sign, read your from Ascendant and Moon if you know them. If you don’t, find out. I’m a long time fan of the free chart generation software at astro.com.

Oh, and if you’re still concerned that your sign has changed, get a little clarity here.

Aries: The Ram

The Sun’s movement into Aries on Monday night brings the ball of daylight into your corner, illuminating and energizing you for the next month.  A little later in the week, Mercury’s conjunction with the Sun on Wednesday helps clarify some of the questions of identity you’ve been wrestling with.  The next day, the New Moon in Aries  plants the seed of the radical changes you’re in the process of instituting, brining your attention back to the ongoing mutations.  On Friday, retrograde Mercury withdraws to Pisces, dragging questions of identity back into the still waters of your deeper mind.  There are answers from within you’ll just have to wait for.

Taurus: The Bull

The Sun’s entry into Aries on Monday night rouses the neglected parts of your psyche, bringing you alternating insight and confusion for the next month. On Tuesday, the Sun in Aries conjoins a retrograde Mercury, bringing with it a blip of clarity.  Wednesday holds a New Moon in Aries conjoined with both Uranus and a retrograde Mercury, sowing seeds of deep personal transformation. Collect and nurture them, but delay full scale implementation until mid-April.  Finally, a retrograde Mercury withdraws to Pisces on Friday, shifting the subject of considerations to the shape of your ideal life.

Gemini: The Twins

The Sun’s ingress into Aries on Monday night brings more energy to the changing state of your social life.  On Wednesday the Sun and Mercury conjoin, shining some light on your network of friends and contacts.  The charged New Moon in Aries on Thursday points towards a month of changes in your social network and with people within it.  Finally, a retrograde Mercury withdraws to Pisces on Friday, shifting your thought process back to the widening vistas of your professional life.

Cancer: The Crab

The Sun’s entry into Aries on Monday night brings more energy to your mutating professional situation.  On Wednesday, Mercury’s conjunction with the Sun shines a little clarifying light on the same professional issues while Thursday’s potent New Moon in Aries plants the seed for a month full of changes to your career sphere.   Finally, on Friday a retrograde Mercury withdraws to Pisces, pulling your thinking back to what your long term goals really are.

Leo: The Lion

The Sun’s ingress into Aries on Monday night shines a light on your changing long term goals for the next month.  On Wednesday, the Sun-Mercury conjunction helps clarify the same big goals and a potent New Moon in Aries plants the seed for a series of radical changes to your perspective and long term goals over the coming month.  Finally, a retrograde Mercury withdraws to Pisces on Friday, pulling your thinking and re-thinking back to what resources you actually have to pursue your far flung dreams.

Virgo: The Virgin

The Sun’s entrance to Aries on Monday night shifts the spotlight to your exchanges of time, money and energy with other people.  Wednesday’s conjunction of Mercury and the Sun helps bring clarity to these connections.  On Thursday the New Moon in Aries seeds a month focused on exploring the complicated process of empowerment through cooperation. On Friday a retrograde Mercury withdraws to Pisces, bringing questions about arrangements back to the interpersonal dynamics that they depend on.

Libra: The Scales

The Sun’s ingress into Aries on Monday night brings more energy to the already charged topic of your relationships.   Wednesday’s Mercury-Sun conjunction helps clarify these connections and Thursday’s electric New Moon in Aries  sets the tone for a lunar month full to the brim with relationship mutations.  Finally, on Friday a retrograde Mercury withdraws to Pisces, bringing your rethinking back to the matter of your fiscal and physical health.

Scorpio: The Scorpion

The Sun’s entry into Aries on Monday night shifts the solar spotlight onto the habits you’ve been reconsidering.  Wednesday’s Mercury-Sun conjunction lends clarity to these, while a charged New Moon in Aries on Thursday plants the seed for the unfolding of a variety of practical, empowering changes.  Finally, on Friday Mercury retrogrades back into Pisces, shifting your thinking back toward your lifestyle choices.

Sagittarius: The Archer

The Sun’s ingress into Aries on Monday night further amplifies your creativity, and the Mercury-Sun conjunction on Wednesday helps clarify what to do with that energy.  On Thursday the potent New Moon in Aries sets the stage for a lunar cycle of changes to what you’re devoting your energy to. Finally, on Friday a retrograde Mercury withdraws to Pisces bringing your thought process back to fundamental psychological concerns, and questions surrounding your living situation.

Capricorn: The Goat

The Sun’s entrance to Aries Monday night shifts the spotlight to the aspects of you living situation you’ve been considering for weeks.  Wednesday’s Sun-Mercury conjunction lends additional clarity to the matter while Thursday’s New Moon in Aries clarifies and reaffirms the advantages of making the necessary changes.  Finally, on Friday a retrograde Mercury withdraws to Pisces, shifting your thinking back toward a variety of short term tasks.

Aquarius: The Water Bearer

The Sun’s ingress into Aries on Monday night puts more things on your to-do list.  Wednesday’s Mercury-Sun conjunction brings some clarity to this chaotic mass of thoughts and tasks, while the charged New Moon in Aries on Thursday helps you consolidate exactly what you do and do not need to do over the coming month.  Finally, on Friday a retrograde Mercury withdraws to Pisces, bringing your thoughts back to changes you need to make to your financial situation.

Pisces: The Fish

The Sun’s entry into Aries on Monday night brings more energy to your mutating financial situation.  Wednesday’s Mercury-Sun conjunction helps clarify exactly what’s happening while Thursday’s potent New Moon in Aries allows you to consolidate your thoughts about your financial situation and plant the seed for a month of changes.  Finally, on Friday, a retrograde Mercury withdraws to Pisces, pulling thoughts away from cash reserves and back to the question of you, and what the hell you’re doing with yourself.

Private Consultations

If you find yourself a little confused by the strange waters of the season, or interested in a personalized map of those yet to come, consider a consultation. For details, click here. Send inquiries to ac@austincoppock.com.