The mud comes to a nice spa simmer over the next few days as Mercury moves in quincunx to Mars (drive, ambition), still retrograde at 0 ° Leo 46', then in quincunx with Saturn (limits, work) retrograde at 2 ° Libra 44', essentially generating a whirlpool effect as it goes. Expect a tendency to mull and stew overly much on the generally ridiculous state of the union, the price of gasoline, a dysfunctional relationship, etc. Over the years I have developed tremendous respect for the extremely difficult flow of power, losses and endings that are signified by the quincunx aspect; so many of these patterns involving Mars, Saturn, Neptune and Pluto happening over March indicates more souls than usual under stress; this month may bear witness to more deaths than usual by various causes. Now is the time to put serious effort into releasing whatever breeds lack of self-love and self-acceptance within.

Meanwhile, Uranus (sudden change) is in square to Ceres, the dwarf planet that rules all things having to do with nurturance and food. Various aspects involving Ceres this month do not bode particularly well for some folks in terms of new turnips for the root cellar or catering to gourmet inclinations, be warned.

On March 3 Venus the goddess of beauty, luxury and pleasure will meet up with changeable Uranus at 25 ° Pisces 50', a harbinger for water-soaked energies to be triggered once again at the New Moon coming up. The area around 25 Pisces is occupied by the star constellation Pegasus, said to bestow ambition, vanity, intuition, enthusiasm, caprice and bad judgment. This signature can correspond to sudden unhappy reversals in the value of stocks and commodities. It also can portend events concerning ships and the ocean and also changes in the weather. Venus and Uranus together here do signal a great time for finding fun in unusual places or a conducting a brief fling with somebody from another planet, who needs to know?

Soak the dreamy vibes up while you can, as on March 7 Venus enters Aries, where she is in detriment and much less inclined to suffer fools gladly. Social and romantic expression can turn aggressive, ties may be formed impulsively. After so many weeks of Mars retrograde putting a damper on forward impetus, great initiative for money-making activity will be re-awakened. Watch out for an urge to spend it as fast as it is made. Besides, two days later our militant Venus will perfect an opposition to Saturn (lack of loyalty and cramping of style) and two days after that she will perfect a square to Pluto in Capricorn (sex, money and control tangles), fixing any wagon that dares move out of the starting gate too quickly.

Mars finally stations direct on March 10, at 0 ° Leo 18'. Life can paint in more dramatic tones around the days when Mars appears to change direction. We might be tempted to suddenly blow off steam, blurt out what was successfully kept under wraps before, give in to impulsive anger and ill thought out action. Try to take the week to get your sea legs up before climbing in the ring. Think back too, to what was on the game-board around December 26 of last year; whatever was put on hold at that time will now be able to progress or be changed with much less resistance.

Asteroid Athena Pallas stations retrograde at 23 ° Scorpio on March 14; this represents about the only energy around running contrary to a general compulsion to move ahead damn the torpedoes, that increases as the month progresses. Please, consider directing a timely dollup of more careful research, planning and perfection of product in the basement before spilling self out the door.

The Pisces stellium is opposed by a strong Saturn retrograde in Libra, standing in the second house of our money and our assets; looks like some people at large might still willing to grasp at any straw offered to them, as the pockets are largely empty. Due to desperation, some may be moved to gamble on the wrong horse; in general, consider not taking what is being said by anyone at face value, especially if it concerns your money. It's a good time to make contact with the spirit world or do some artistic exploration; the power of your visions will be amplified by making the effort to express them in concrete form. Businesses connected to healing, artistry, fantasy, metaphysics and the more mundane Piscean concerns should be up and coming too, but no flush, quick return on the investment is guaranteed with the Saturn-Pluto square still putting the brakes on. The Pisces stellium-Mars-Saturn combination could also precipitate a sudden catastrophe connected with flooding, oil spills or chemical pollution of some sort.

A distinct tweak in affairs connected to communication and transportation will occur once Mercury enters Aries on March 17, in trine to energetic Mars soon after. The messenger moving into the premiere sign of initiative urges the immediate and direct expression of ideas (and gripes), finally. However the urge towards competitive thinking, debate, argumentativeness, impatience, impulsive decisions and ill-considered plans will crank up the general commotion level out there also.

On March 19 Ceres moves into Capricorn, a placement that is not particularly warm and generous for the Great Lady. Reports of famine and other problems with the food supply tend to surface when Ceres is in this sign. Capricorn energy tends to ration supplies carefully; on the personal level one might want to consider putting up some extra food and water reserves. It is quite possible that regular supply lines will become disrupted off and on over the next two years, as we enter into prime time for the more dramatic manifestations of economic break down, globalization and self-realization.

The opposition is further energized by a square to Ceres and Pluto (transformation of the survival system) in the sixth house; these two are also caught in a quincunx from Mars (aggression, drive, desire) in the first house of the people. Looks like big resistance stirred up over work, health or the price and origin of food. Perhaps serious questions are being asked about those expensive wars-without-end that we have been brainwashed for generations to believe are always vital to our country's well-being. Tactically, the latest ones haven't been designed to secure a definative win for our side anyway. What does this mean, jellybean?

Further evidence for some kind of dramatic shift in the overall status quo over the coming months is furnished by the Equinox Nodes of the Moon having just passed across the horizontal angles of the chart and on into the sixth and twelfth houses of karma and authentic self-integrity, in square to Venus in Aries and the tenth house of ruling authority. Venus in her warrior guise is not known for being particularly merciful; here she rules the houses of legislature and home base, whose mutual interests still seem to be rooted in established privilege. The Moon of the people at large is in Taurus and the eleventh house of the legislature and relations with foreign communities; it is in a security-minded square to Neptune-Chiron in the mundane eighth house of other people's money including debt and taxes. Are people en masse expecting that enactment of a "conservative" agenda in Congress will magically save the day and their bank account? Or are we going to get some marching orders from the foreign and corporate interests to which our country and its resources, including the body of the average taxpayer, have been sold?

The Chiron-Neptune combination is supposed to stand for the truth finally coming out; nebulous Neptune here rules the mundane ninth house of government structures and the law. But Mercury, patron of all forms of communications stands highest in the lunation chart, where it can influence from the third house of the media in Virgo and the twelfth house of secret activities dedicated to Gemini, home of the dual arts of denial and duplicity. Jupiter in the mundane ninth house in sextile and trine to the Nodes of the Moon sure looks to be imposing "official" ideology and alterations in work and health issues from outside the old American keep business-separate-from-politics point of perspective. The truth may indeed become known, but there is collective confusion at all levels of society as to how justice, honor and fair play are valued. We are nearing that point where traditionally in history, there is a general degeneration into playing very dirty, very exploitive, very cruel and very violent. The stirring of conscience can be dismissed by intoning "it's only business" or "we must defend ourselves" or "they made me do it."

On the plus side, this lunation includes many positive indicators for people at large transforming where they live, with whom they partner up with and applying innovative creativity to what they do for work. A great experimental spirit gushes out at the local level from the well-populated houses ruling home affairs, pleasure, health and work, while larger organizational structures appear to remain mired in various machinations of self-interest. In the coming months the people may be quite primed to take matters into their own hands; however governments local and federal will consider imposing police action or resorting to seizure by the courts, in an effort to retain control over how income is made and the taxation of it. A prime example to follow is the tempest already brewing over the cultivation and distribution of marijuana in the state of Colorado.

On the personal level, it's going to be time to push ahead with new plans and projects despite the uncertainty. This energy can be well used to propel yourself into the future instead of dwelling on the past. Discard any people or agreements a.s.a.p. that are not directly supportive; get used to doing without the approving pat on the head from authority or peers. Start resolving differences with partners and implementing changes now because by mid-summer anything not resting on a sturdy but flexible foundation may well break under extreme stress.

The month ends with Venus entering her sign of rulership in Taurus on March 31, where she should get some relief from the relentless, burning pace of so much fiery cosmic energy at play. The goddess of desire will want to settle down and attract some serious romance; the arts, material comforts and good food are considered staples, the financial drive is robust. However first the fine lady must get past a quincunx to frustrating Saturn, 0 ° 30' Taurus to Libra; this combination does not inspire trust or assure an easy supply of bon-bons. It might feel sorta like being pushed out on the end of a spring board clad in a tidy little bathing suit and cap, knees locked against getting pushed off suddenly into the deep end. Take a deep breath...