ATTENTION CLIENTS: Appointments are now being scheduled for July 2024
ATTENTION CLIENTS: Appointments are now being scheduled for July 2024
March 2024 Outlook:
Starting this March, challenging planetary associations begin to take place this year, marking critical points in the USA chart, which will be described in this newsletter. The struggle involving the Mars and Saturn conjunction in Aquarius begins in March and gets even closer by degree and more intense in April. There are several significant planetary shifts taking place this month, including a Penumbral Lunar eclipse taking place on 3/25 in the sign of Virgo, in Hasta nakshatra.
Mercury and Venus both change signs on March 7th, and both planets get entangled:
On 3/7, Mercury and Venus both change signs, close to the same time, with Mercury moving to its debilitated position of Pisces and Venus moving into Aquarius, respectively. Both planets become weaker as a result of this shift. Mercury will remain in Pisces until 3/25, when it then moves into Aries. During this Pisces transit Mercury will also conjunct Rahu. This can be good for intuitive processes, dream analysis and artistic/creative/music endeavors. However, it is problematic for most areas governed by Mercury, including communications, logic, calculations, analysis and organization. It is problematic for travel, appointments, and clarity in communications. Expect more than usual mix-ups with communications, unusual, odd or disorganized communications, as well as backward logic that gets presented to justify one’s actions. If you are trying to complete documents, applications, contracts, tax returns or similar proposals, be sure to check for the greater likelihood of errors, misspellings, oversights and otherwise sloppy documentation that has to be redone.
Also on 3/7, Venus will move into Aquarius, a normally friendly sign for Venus. However, this transit has Venus joining with Saturn and then with Mars after 3/15, and both are malefic influences on Venus while transiting in this position. This is harmful for all things governed by Venus, including relationships, finances, pleasures, purchases, real estate matters, healing advancement and the arts. There might be some type of short-term, intermediary financially-related blow-up, crisis or issue arise while Venus is quite afflicted, such as the U.S. Congress not coming to an agreement in March to fund the country for the rest of the year. Negotiations don’t appear to be smooth this month. The huge debt load in the U.S. becomes a more prominent issue as well, while Venus is conjunct Saturn.
On 3/21, transiting Venus and Saturn conjunct exactly at 18 degrees Aquarius, in Shatabhisha nakshatra. There may be greater scrutiny of drug and alcohol problems and the need becomes even more pronounced for cities and governments to deal with this crisis or face greater problems in the future, stemming from Fentanyl and drug overdoses overtaking many parts of the country.
When Shatabhisha is highlighted, as it is now, there is a need for the individual to make a clear sacrifice to get to a better place, to heal or resolve a problem or situation. Such is the case for at least part of this month. Venus remains in Aquarius through the entire month, until it moves to its exalted position of Pisces on 3/31. With Venus harmed during March in the sign of Aquarius, we are likely to witness an even stronger “mob” mentality or “groupthink” process activated this month.
True humanitarian interests, which fall in the domain of Aquarius, and normally could be promoted by Venus, are distorted and curtailed this month, especially with a debilitated Mercury in force simultaneously. This is a time to remain skeptical of information that comes across the airwaves, whether it is too good to be true, or on the opposite side of the spectrum, completely false, extreme, beyond logic, or skewed to promote someone’s chosen ideology or prejudiced belief system. With Venus in a weakened state during March, this reflects a more stressful time for relationships and it is not an easy time to negotiate or mediate between parties. It’s not a good time for weddings or celebrations, in general. It is more fruitful to work solo, independently, and to be more introspective this month.
On 3/15 Mars moves into Aquarius and joins with Saturn:
Once Mars moves into Aquarius on 3/15 and joins with Saturn, the level of frustration, arguments, terrorist activity, hostilities, war, fury, eruptions, explosions, fires, tornadoes, severe windstorms, accidents in the air, as well as the greater tendency for earthquakes and volcanic eruptions increases as March progresses. This harsh tendency becomes particularly pronounced and peaks in April when Mars and Saturn conjunct exactly at 20 degrees Aquarius, just having entered Purvabhadra (one of the primary death nakshatras) on 4/10 (that is 2 days after the upcoming solar eclipse).
While the world won’t come to an end, be prepared for a more tumultuous spring, from most angles, environmental, geopolitical, weather-wise, and the possibility of a new war breaking out or an expanded current war, with the U.S. becoming a major player, rather than staying in the backseat.
On the personal level, we should all take a deep breath this month, and if feeling particularly restricted, blocked or frustrated, understand that it might be a temporary situation that will pass. Let the transits of Mars/Saturn pass over you like Teflon and not get under your skin. With awareness, you don’t have to allow it to harm your inner peace. We can all take steps to mitigate emotional responses, reactions or behaviors that we don’t want to be involved in, especially arising out of frustration or impatience with others. This tendency is particularly pronounced for those individuals with Aquarius and Leo planets in the Sideral (Vedic) zodiac during this month.
Comments on the Transits of Mars, Saturn and Venus in the U.S. Chart & the Penumbral Lunar Eclipse on 3/25:
It is worth noting that in the USA chart, the U.S. has the Moon in the 3rdhouse in the sign of Aquarius at 7 degrees. Therefore, these simultaneous transits involving Venus, Mars and Saturn will influence the U.S. Moon directly this month. Taking the U.S. as a country, or entity, this indicates that frustration, stressors, challenges, restrictive influences and problems are likely to hit at once while these planets move across the house where the U.S. Moon resides. The 3rd house governs transportation, movement, and communication systems, including the Internet. I’d anticipate some major problem arising while this Mars/Saturn transit crosses the U.S. 3rd house. There could be a cyber-attack on important transportation or Internet infrastructure, unfortunately, during this period.
The Moon rules the U.S. 8th house, of turmoil, challenge, transformation, upheavals and chronic problems that are hard to resolve. Moreover, the U.S. is experiencing the Rahu/Mercury mahadasha/bhukti period at this time, and Rahu and Mercury are together in the chart’s 8th house. That in and of itself is enough to explain the volatility, uncertainty, extremism and challenges facing the country. Then if you transpose the challenging transits of this month on top of the U.S. Moon, which rules the 8th house, it is a stimulus for an event, or series of events to transpire. These events may have the potential to transform the country and take it to a better place in the long run. On the other hand, in the short-term, there is first likely to be significant destruction before the healing and transformation can proceed.
The Rahu Dasha started for the U.S.A. on 10-01-2015. We can all look back over the past 9 years and review all of the historical major events that have transpired during this Rahu mahadasha. There are a little over 9 more years to go of Rahu’s 18 year dasha sequence in the U.S., until it ends on 9-30-2033. Rahu does not have to viewed as only a demonic, malefic force, since Rahu has its higher octave, just as the actual planets do. But, given half a chance, and if you take away intelligence, discipline, awareness and control, then Rahu can run rampant, and behave in a highly disorganized, self-aggrandized, lawless, compulsive, unconventional, blind and psychotic manner. We witness great discoveries, breaking boundaries and advancements, especially with technologies under Rahu, but at the same time, we witness the mob mentality of Rahu, the ignorance, blindness, extremism, lawlessness and craziness that a society can fall into without keeping it in check. The U.S. has Rahu in the 8th house, which keeps the dasha full of rises and falls, upheavals, uncertainties, and challenges. It brings out more of the unconventional side of Rahu, and the Scorpionic tendencies, for better or worse.
The Lunar Eclipse on 3/25 and the impact on the U.S.:
On 3/25, there will be a penumbral lunar eclipse (full Moon) at 21 degrees Virgo, in Hasta nakshatra. This takes place in the 10th house of the U.S. chart, which rules the government structure and the executive branch of government, including the president. In the U.S. chart, Saturn is in the 10th house at 24 degrees Virgo, only 3 degrees away from the eclipse point. The Ketu/Moon (eclipse) conjunction over the U.S. natal Saturn, is darkening, or eclipsing Saturn. This condition indicates a disconnect involving productivity, responsibility, staying committed and being willing to persevere. There is dissatisfaction with work in general. Saturn’s rulership of the 2nd and 3rd houses also points to issues with the food supply, finance, inflation, and with transportation and communications.
Hasta nakshatra has a bit to do with fertility and procreation, as its deity is Savitar, the giver of life and source of creative energy. These issues are now front and center in the U.S. and this eclipse reflects the division in the country around the availability of these measures, as well as legal decisions affecting IVF and abortion availability. Hasta also has to do with achieving goals, as well as the ability to compete and conquer one’s enemies. With the lunar eclipse in Hasta, there is darkening of the luminaries, a lack of vision, or the ability to see clearly. Therefore, it becomes harder to achieve goals, compete and conquer one’s enemies inside and outside of the country.
It is challenging on a material level and can indicate dissatisfaction with work or unwillingness to continue to work diligently or consistently, as a whole to achieve goals. In this case, the government’s work or the executive cabinet’s ability to be productive, stay committed, work hard, and have an impact on the country at large is curtailed and harmed as reflected by this eclipse, especially over the next 5 months.
A specific event is not necessarily expected to take place on the day of the eclipse. But, as other planets aspect this eclipse point during the months that follow the eclipse, it is like a bee sting, and an uncomfortable event is likely to take place on those future dates. For example, on or near May 19th, Mars will be at 20 degrees Pisces and the Moon will transit back to the eclipse point at 20 degrees Virgo on the same day. We should monitor the week before and a few days beyond May 19th for a significant event (like a bee sting) related to the government’s function, to take place at that time. Moreover, this lunar eclipse on 3/25 will last roughly 4 hours 40 minutes from start to finish. There is a dictum that for every hour of an eclipse, the impact will last 1 month. Therefore, we can anticipate the impact of this eclipse to last over the next 4 months and 3 weeks in 2024, as other planets aspect or conjunct at 20 degrees Virgo.
This particular 3/25 penumbral eclipse is more subtle, in that it is not a total lunar eclipse or even a partial one. Nonetheless, it is still an “eclipse” taking place very close to a planet in the U.S. chart. This eclipse is happening along the 4/10 axis, which involves real estate, matters, vehicles, educational institutions, security, as well as jobs, government, authority figures and the presidency. These areas may become transformed and improved, even if they first suffer from a setback or challenging series of events during the short-term.
In sum, March is a busy month astrologically, once again challenging all of us to rise above ignorance, stand your ground, maintain perspective, try to be more patient and not bite at the bait or fall prey to lower impulses.