The Cosmic Story for March 2022
March & Mars
Did you know that March is named for the Roman god Mars?
Mars didn’t become the Roman version of the god of war until Augustus became emperor. The Roman Mars was originally a god of nature and wild things, a god of fertility and abundance, of male sexuality and vegetation. He was a Green Man. Mars was concerned with family and community, like the wolves who raised the founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus. He was a great example of archetypal masculinity.
So for the ancient Romans, March was a time to plant seeds – not go to war. Mars’ generative nature and his ‘seeds’ brought forth new life each year. For us, planting these seeds can be literal, as all you gardeners are doing now, or creative seeds of thoughts, ideas, inspirations. With the Pisces New Moon in the beginning of March, we have an ideal time to plant and water the seeds for the coming year.
In March, we begin to come out of our wintry inner world and start to use all that energy we stored up, like seeds, in our winter rest. March is the transitional time between Winter and Spring, with Spring Equinox (in the northern hemisphere) occurring on March 20, 2022 this year.
March is a time when our passion and energy begin to focus on our new plans for the year. Many cultures (and astrology) see Spring Equinox as the beginning of the new year, as the Sun moves above the equator once again, bringing more light and warmth to the northern hemisphere. (While the southern hemisphere is preparing for autumn.)
Just as the sap is once again rising in trees, stimulating growth in nature, our Mars nature is rising up within us, now that we’ve purified and released the past. With this uprush of male energy, we begin to look outward for it to express itself. But instead of war (again!) which the old patriarchs use to control us, let this Mars energy be more playful and creative – make love, have fun, play and laugh. This is the way to shake off the dormant energies of the winter months. Light and new life are coming back!
America’s Birth Chart: the first Pluto return & Mars
U.S. 4th of July 1776 Chart
Mars in the sky now is also very prominent, aligning in the morning sky with Morning Star Venus and Pluto at 28* Capricorn, the degree of America’s Pluto. The U.S. has just had our first Pluto return on February 20-22, 2022 so perhaps this is why we feel like we’re living in revolutionary times. When a country has its Pluto return (many other countries have had a few – the U.S. is a young country), there is usually an evolution and transformation in society concerning whatever sign their Pluto occupies.
Just to recap: the outer planets, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto along with Eris, speak to our collective evolution, a collective realization of a higher perspective on life than we get from our subjective perceptions. These are the planetary energies that work on our collective transformation. Since 2020 and until 2025 and beyond, these outer planets will be re-shaping how we perceive life and our world. Knowing how they’ll affect us can help us navigate these shifting waters.
Besides this Pluto return, the U.S. is also having a 5th Chiron return as well as a third and final Neptune opposition to its natal Neptune this year.
In the U.S. July 4, 1776 chart, we declared our independence the last time Pluto was in Capricorn, the sign of corporations, government, finances as well as the ‘ignored’ Council of Grandmothers. Our founding fathers used the model of the Iroquois Nations – 6 tribes that banded together in peace – to base our constitution on. The only thing they didn’t include was the Council of Grandmothers (duh! White males), which was the real power in these tribes. The Grandmothers decided who could lead and if and when the tribes could go to war. The Wise Women of the tribes held the Sovereignty for the land. Perhaps we need to institute this Council in the U.S. in the coming years.
Pluto strips us to the bone. It gets us back to essentials. We are back in the evolutionary energies of the American Revolution. What are we willing to stand up for? Can we look at our past, at all the death and destruction America has created at home and in the world, and can we see the Truth and then go forward with the lesson learned? Can we be free if others are not free? Can we sit back and ignore the call to evolve?
With our Pluto return, America is being held accountable for its past as we come to understand just what a corporate state we live in. We were founded by a corporation – The East India Trading Company. The rich allowed immigration because they needed people to tame the land and work for them. From the very beginning, our government was designed for the rich, white landholders (and slave owners) who broke away from England.
The irony is one of their rallying cries was Taxation without representation is tyranny! According to many reports, today our representatives do not listen to their constituent's concerns – rather they listen to their wealthy donors, ie lobbyists. Perhaps we need to re-examine where we’ve come from so we can change course and evolve our government into a true democracy. And perhaps have a tax revolt!
With the U.S.’s Chiron in Aries, Americans seem to have an identity crisis. (Aries’ Chironic wound is “who am I?”) Americans for the most part don’t have a deep, centered sense of self-worth because we’ve been sold on the idea that money is what gives us that worth. I believe we’re all orphans, uprooted from our ancestral homes and still not rooted in the true magic and power of the American landscape as our Native American relations are. Perhaps it’s time to grow up and take responsibility for our lives instead of waiting to be told what to do with them. There’s a lot of people, especially women, learning self-love these past two years, quitting jobs that don’t serve them, standing up for their rights. Covid seems to have helped with that.
The U.S. has Neptune in Virgo in its birth chart and we’ve been experiencing a Neptune in Pisces opposition to it all last year and this year. America’s Neptune in Virgo energizes the need to manage and care for Nature and her resources. It called for us to work to manage these resources well to make a good life for the people. In many ways we have a wonderful life compared to the rest of the world, but at what cost? Unfortunately, instead of being stewards of this beautiful and blessed land, we’ve allowed corporations and the wealthy, and our own conspicuous consumption, to vandalize our collective commons, poisoning our land, our water, our air, our food and our social interactions.
Oppositions bring things to a head, like a Full Moon. They force us to confront what we don’t want to see. Of course, a Neptune opposition and Neptune in Pisces also bring dis-orienting conditions and delusions to the masses, as well as pandemics! We see this negative manifestation in all the dis-information as well as censorship on our social media, our fear and anxiety over Covid, as well as our inability to listen to each other, as we are caught up in the illusions and delusions in our own heads. But Pisces is the sign of our shared life, and so we can be certain that there are ways to resolve our conflicting opinions in a peaceful way.
Neptune can also open our spiritual awareness, especially in its own sign of Pisces, symbolizing the great oceanic womb of life and the Collective Unconscious. As the English mystic Julian of Norwich said, ‘All manner of things will be well.” Hopefully, this Neptune transit will open our creative imaginations to help us see what needs to be done to fulfill this original vision of life in America. A vision that our native relations still hold to. Neptune generates that greater vision, the ability to see the whole of life and its possibilities, and perhaps we’re ready to learn from their earth wisdom.
On April 12, 2022 both the rulers of Pisces, Jupiter and Neptune, will meet up opposite the U.S. Neptune, hopefully engendering our spiritual imagination as a country. We have to remember, though, that there are many right-wing Christians who believe we are living in the End Times and they are pushing to get it started. Unfortunately, they hold a lot of political power in the United States. That’s why we have to take that story away from them and find the Wisdom to transform the mess patriarchy has made of our planet. It’s time to clean up our own home before we get to go out to explore other planets.
Astrology of March
So back to Mars. Mars connecting with Pluto is always a powerful and dangerous time, one that patriarchy usually uses to dominate others. It’s interesting that Putin has invaded Ukraine at America’s Pluto return, as if testing the U.S. during these disruptive times. But it is inadvertently showing us that the original American ideals of freedom and democracy have blossomed around the world. And that people are willing to stand up for their rights and life against dictators. We Americans can probably learn a lesson from the Ukrainians about standing up for our rights.
I wonder how most Americans feel about so many of our representatives praising Russia and Putin and picking on the President as he uses diplomacy to get our democratic partners to stand up to this useless war. Perhaps we need to see this as part of the American shadow – that so many of our wealthy business people and the ‘ruling elite’, do not want us to be a true democracy, because they would lose power.
Perhaps this is a moment when the world decides that war is never the answer. And that we the people of the world want PEACE, regardless of what our leaders want.
Mars and Venus in Capricorn joined together at the Leo Full Moon on February 16th and they’ve been traveling together as they join Pluto and the Moon this weekend. While Mars is strong in Capricorn, Venus has just completed her retrograde in Capricorn, beginning her new Venus Star Point as a Morning Star. So she is also powerful. I see this as signaling a time when the feminine and masculine energies of humanity are re-balanced. Under patriarchy, the masculine energies have dominated and used the feminine energies. This new balance gives them equal sway, although the correct balance is that the feminine intuits what needs to be done and the masculine makes it so. Feminine, imaginal consciousness is the foundation of life, while masculine, logical consciousness helps us to focus our intentions. They are different but equal. The heart leads and the head helps shape what is needed.
The balancing of feminine and masculine energies is an important initiation for all of us this month. It’s time to match our doing with our being. At it’s highest spiritual expression, we need to embody the Christ and the Sophia/Wisdom. That doesn’t mean that we have to be ‘saints’. It means that we have to start living as ‘spiritual beings having a human experience.’ It’s a call to be innovative, creative, courageous, loving and just. It’s a call to help our communities – family, friends, neighbors, country, world – in whatever way our talents take us. It’s a call to discover our inner freedom from patriarchy and our outer courage to leave it behind.
Once Venus and Mars pass by Pluto, re-birthed with new energy and power, they will meet again on March 6th as they enter Aquarius, on the degree of the Winter Solstice 2020 alignment of Jupiter and Saturn. They want to speak to the collective consciousness of our planet. About a change in power dynamics.
This is another instance of Aquarian energy entering the mainstream. We are definitely in a deep cultural transformation from the old – patriarchy – to a new world of societal freedom and democracy. The old order is crumbling, and so the old patriarchs are fighting to stay in power. But the future is with us and they will ultimately die out. Now is a great time to undermine their power and purpose.
Pisces New Moon & Virgo Full Moon
We have an interesting tension of opposites this month. While March begins in the feminine, receptive, watery sign of Pisces, it ends in the wild fires of Aries, bursting with new life. As we release last year’s outworn energy back to Source (Pisces), we leave ourselves open to this next year’s energy growing within us (Aries).
Something new is coming.
On March 2nd’s Pisces New Moon, both the rulers of Pisces, Neptune and Jupiter, as well as the Sun and the Moon (and after March 10th, Mercury), are together in Pisces, creating a deeper connection to what’s going on in our collective unconsciousness – a longing for peace, a desire for balance, a need for love and caring, as well as a fear of death, a denial of responsibility, an anger at feeling powerless. Pisces encompasses all the multiple dimensions of Life itself, the mystery of life that we get born into. The lesson of Pisces is to surrender to Source. The initiation of Pisces is to see beyond suffering to the Truth of Life.
Meanwhile, the old patriarchal consciousness is still creating war, death, famine and plague in the world. It’s still all about the money. Instead of It’s all about life. None of our leaders are asking us to sacrifice some of our comforts to help create a better world. They worry about the cost of heating oil instead of asking us to turn down the heat and use less – less heat, less gas, less electricity, less water.
Why DON’T they ask? Because we’d do it and they’d be out of power. So we need to do it anyway. Why wait for them to ask?
If we dive deeply enough into the Piscean ocean, we can emerge with a new identity – one connected to the Self/Soul. A consciousness of our spiritual purpose, to know ourselves and to know that we are one world, interconnected and whole. What happens to Ukraine happens to us. So what are they carrying for us? A fierce desire for freedom from oppression perhaps?
When Neptune and Jupiter meet on April 14th, let the Aries Sun power our courage to open ourselves to these entwined energies of the water of life (Neptune) and the power of heaven (Jupiter). Let there be an end to our petty illusions and delusions so that we see the Truth of Life. If we do, we can embody our spiritual reality and we can become the cupbearers (like Aquarius) who pour out the visions of the possible future.
Pisces New Moon
The Pisces New Moon occurs on Wednesday, March 2, 2022 at 5:35 pm GMT/
12:35 pm EST/ 9:35 am PST/.
The Sabian symbol for the New Moon at 13* Pisces is: An ancient sword, used in many battles, is displayed in a museum. The sword often symbolizes will power and focus, and this powerful symbol speaks to our need to use our will power to achieve our spiritual purpose. Now more than ever, it is time for each of us to pick up our ancient swords, not to kill or dominate, but to defend and protect. It’s time to develop our spiritual will.
Jupiter is closely conjunct this Pisces New Moon, expanding the possibilities that originate in our seeds. Uranus in Taurus supports these efforts, offers us opportunities to reform our behaviors and beliefs, opens us to Earth’s organic genius and opens our intuition and insight into our potentials. So please use the magic!
Just before this New Moon, Mercury and Saturn meet up in Aquarius. The Sabian symbol for 20* Aquarius is: A white dove circles and descends bearing a message. This is a symbol of peace and love, for doves are sacred to Aphrodite/Venus/Mary. So our collective Mind is focused on peace (and blessings and prayers to Ukrainians for bearing the burden of teaching us this!). May the Holy Spirit of Life protect and defend them and all people who are living in war. It’s time for this to stop!
Virgo Full Moon
The Pisces/Virgo Full Moon occurs on Friday, March 18 at 7:18 am GMT/ 3:18 am EDT / 12:18 am PDT.
The Sabian symbol for the Sun at 28* Pisces is: Populist leader electrifies a political meeting and brings them to their feet. This is definitely a rallying cry for people power. The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, is a perfect example of this. Instead of running away from his country where he is the prime target of Putin’s invasion, he is staying and fighting for his country.
The Sabian symbol for the Moon at 28* Virgo is: Bald-headed man dominates a meeting of national figures. Here’s the exact opposite of the Sun degree symbol. Perhaps this is a reminder not to allow leaders to get too powerful. To have no hair on the head seems to indicate someone with secrets – since hair represents involuntary thoughts. It also indicates that there’s no intuitive connection to the outer world. This guy is in it for his own power. Even though Putin isn’t bald, he comes across as bald sometimes. He is definitely an example of this thug.
This Full Moon has both Jupiter and Neptune conjunct the Sun and opposite the Moon, adding a spiritual, imaginal dimension to this. Perhaps we’ll be called to stop our inner bald headed man from taking power! And with Mercury in Pisces in a helpful relationship with Uranus in Taurus, once again our intuitive brain is open to receive new information that can quell his domination.
Saturn in Aquarius squares the lunar nodes in Taurus (north node) and Scorpio (south node). Our collective consciousness is getting squeezed by the traumas of war and betrayal as well as by the need to listen to Nature if we’re going to heal ourselves and our planet.
Venus and Mars, the rulers of the lunar nodes, are in Aquarius now, squaring Uranus in Taurus. It’s time to be wild and free. It’s time to band together and start creating a new society, connected with Mother Earth’s creative genius. It’s time to start living the future.
Spring Equinox 2022
Spring Equinox occurs on March 20, 2022 at 7:35am GMT/ 11:35 am EDT/ 8:35 am PDT.
This equinox chart’s most intense energy comes from two squares. There is a square between Pluto in Capricorn and the Libra Moon. This is a powerful call to stand up for equality, freedom and justice. With Venus and Mars in Aquarius squaring Uranus in Taurus, we find another call to take a stand on freedom and equality.
So this is the quest for us this Spring. Can we take a stand for our values? Can we stand up for peace over war, for equality over domination, for harmony over antagonism?
Cathy
Mysteries, Yes
Truly,
we live with mysteries too marvelous
to be understood.
How
grass can be nourishing in the
mouths of the lambs.
How
rivers and stones are forever
in allegiance with gravity
while
we ourselves dream of rising.
How two hands touch and the
bonds
will never be broken.
How people come, from delight
or the
scars of damage,
to the comfort of a poem.
Let
me keep my distance, always, from those
who think they have the
answers.
Let
me keep company always with those who say
"Look!" and
laugh in astonishment,
and bow their heads.
~ Mary Oliver ~
(Evidence)