“My mother always taught us that if people don’t agree with you, the important thing is to listen to them. But if you’ve listened to them carefully and you still think that you’re right, then you must have the courage of your convictions. .”
~ Jane Goodall

The Spring Equinox and the Aries New Moon occur within a day of each other. The Spring Equinox chart is influential for the next three months, the New Moon chart for the month until the next New Moon. I’ll be looking at them both here.

The ongoing war of words and ideas echos through the next three months, though it may calm down some towards the end of March. Be conscious of what you say and how you say it — don’t let your words become weapons unless you are ready for the possibly serious consequences of a fight.

Also watch what words you allow to affect you. Minimize the doomscrolling of news and social media, and pay careful attention to the positive words that come your way.

This is a good time for spiritual exploration and rule-breaking. Don’t just go along with what your church/temple/coven/grove or current pastor/priestess/guru/ or other spiritual authority tells you is right or wrong, what you should or shouldn’t do or think. Carefully examine what you’ve been told to believe, and do some inner work to determine how well what you’ve been told aligns with your deepest personal beliefs and ethics.

I’ll take a few paragraphs for the astrologers among you (skip past the italics if you don’t speak the language) then dive deeper into how the next 3 months are likely to play out, and how we can steer the outcomes. (If you want to know how the current sky will be influencing you personally, contact me and we’ll set up a consultation.)

(Astrologers: Cast the Aries Ingress (equinox) chart for March 20, 5:25 PM EDT, and the New Moon for March 21, 1:23 PM EDT. I’ve cast both charts for Washington, DC. which makes it predictive for the USA. You can cast it for the capital of your country/state/province to focus the chart’s angles and houses on more local issues.

This is Aries season, and Mars is here for it. In the New Moon chart, there are 4 planets in Aries plus asteroids Vesta and Chiron, and dwarf planet Eris. Mercury is in mutual reception with Mars, and the New Moon itself is at the powerful, public-facing Aries Point [AP] — zero degrees of any Cardinal sign.

The Aries Ingress chart has the Sun in the sign of its exaltation and at the AP by definition, but the Moon is in Pisces in that chart. Otherwise, the two charts are very similar, aside from the angles and houses, since they are only hours apart. The biggest difference, of course, is that the New Moon has moved into Aries.

Mars and Pluto enclose all the other planets within the 150° range of their inconjuct aspect in both charts. Mars itself will reach the AP at 0° Cancer on the 25th of March, and will perfect its inconjunct to Pluto (now in Aquarius) an hour later.

Saturn is in a close but still out-of-sign trine to Mars which will perfect on March 30th. And while the square of Mars to Neptune is separating, it’s still close (< 3°).

Jupiter disposits and is in a tight semi-square to Saturn, newly in Pisces, a sign it finds challenging to work in. Uranus is semi-square Sun in both charts.

Mars would be the final dispositor of these charts (using traditional rulerships) if it weren’t for Venus having moved from Aries into her domicile of Taurus, taking over the reins for Uranus, the North Node, and asteroid Juno. She’s holding a separate conversation — probably about money, art, agriculture, values, and women’s issues — from Mars, which is doing some serious saber rattling while bringing up issues of leadership, courage, conflict, and pioneering actions.

Pay close attention to Venus, happily ensconced in Taurus, conjunct the enlivening North Node. There’s a slower, sensual, electric/magnetic vibe here that can both modulate and inspire Mars’ current intense focus on getting it done.

Moon’s aspects — in an approaching square to Mars and conjunction to Neptune, sextile Uranus, and semi-square the Venus-North Node conjunction — will spotlight spiritual topics and open some philosophical floodgates, particularly around the practical application of spiritual values.

Also note the empowered (by dispositorship) Mars inconjunct Pluto at the anaretic degree, and the fact that these two planets enclose all the others. Pressure to break free and power struggles.

If you work with the dwarf planet Ceres, note its tight opposition to the Sun)

“Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.” ~ Winston Churchill

There’s a lot of conflict in the air over these next few months, but with deliberate empathy, active compassion, and a focus on values, we can hopefully guide the conflict to more constructive outcomes, at least in our personal lives. The key is to be alert to the beginnings of conflict, because it’s easier to steer in its early stages. That may look like taking a lot of deep breaths and counting to 10 before responding in an escalating situation. It may also look like an offer to listen.

Active listening is a good skill to work on developing over the next few months. Give people the respect of your attention, don’t interrupt, make sure your body language conveys interest and acceptance.

If careful communication isn’t de-escalating the situation, then you may need to step up and take action that will put you in conflict. Of course, you might just walk away. But sometimes, trying to avoid conflict only means the same issue will come back to bite you later. If it’s clear something needs to be dealt with, then now is a good time to do that. Don’t procrastinate.

Which brings us to courage and values. Courage doesn’t mean you’re not afraid. It means that you believe defending your values in this situation is worth the risk you are taking by stepping up and into the conflict.

But be sure to also take some time to remember what you love about life here on Earth. After all, Spring is here! (Or Autumn, for the folks down under.) The change of seasons at the equinoxes are always a delight to the senses — a relief from the cold or heat, changing colors, a different quality of light.

If you can evade or resolve conflict, if you can walk this season’s energy in another direction, you can rediscover the joie de vivre that may have gone missing in your life.

If we don’t keep in our minds and hearts what we love about life, then what are we fighting for? There’s a lot more at stake in our struggles and conflicts than simple survival. We are not here just to survive, we are here to create, to love, to connect with each other and with the Earth that sustains us.

In your magical/spiritual practice, this is a good time to renew your connection with the Earth. Yes, through grounding (as always), but also through focusing on the land around you and working with the Elements as they express themselves in the changing landscape. Let them help you heal, balance, and/or empower their expression within your body and your life. Then spread those vibes around in the world. This is also a good time to charge and renew talismans and protection spells.

On the National Stage

Like many of you, I am deeply concerned about the state of our country, particularly the unfettered and deeply damaging misogyny, racism, and homo/transphobia that is well on its way to becoming normalized. I hope I am right about the Spring Equinox chart, because it looks to me like the end of ineffective hand-wringing and the beginning of some serious pushback against the forces of authoritarianism and theocracy. Here are a few highlights of the coming months.

(Astrologers: I use the Sibly chart with equal houses for the USA, and I’m looking at the Aries Ingress chart cast for WDC on its own and in a bi-wheel with the Sibly chart. As always, this ingress falls in the USA’s 4th house, but this year is is joined by ingress Moon, Neptune, and Mercury. The intense gathering of planets is focused between the 5th and 10th houses of the ingress chart, the 2nd and 7th houses of the natal chart. )

Finance — particularly the banks and the potentially disastrous debt ceiling crisis — will be a major focus over the next three months. Fortunately, I think crises will be mostly averted, but not without some high-wire acts. There is also some global financial instability that could trigger some surprises.

I expect guns and weaponry in general to be highlighted. This could mean anything from mass shootings, to changes in gun laws, to support for Ukraine, to revelations about new high-tech weapons.

Foreign relations are going to be tricky and unclear. But I think some progress may result, though Biden, et.al. may need to take some strong stands, and there will be pushback.

Concerns about and around children will be in the news. This includes their education, health, and a possible crackdown on and/or exposure of child exploitation. (Note what’s going on in the 5th house in the ingress chart. Ruled by Saturn — which is trine Mars, semi-square Jupiter, square the MC) — it holds Pluto in the anaretic degree of Capricorn. Ingress planets also emphasize the natal 5th in the biwheel. These placements can also be reflected in the worlds of entertainment, sports, and celebrities.)

Bodily autonomy for women and trans folks may well see some legal breakthroughs that can be sudden, surprising, and possibly (but not necessarily) beneficial. My guess is some wins, some losses, but we as a country won’t be safe from the forced birth/forced gender crowd until we have full federal protection of out constitutional right to make our own decisions about our bodies. And I don’t see that happening in the immediate future.

“Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage..” ~ Anais Nin

This is an intense time, and no doubt quite a few of us will be faced with unexpected challenges. But meeting those challenges with courage and compassion can bring events that expand your life in new and better directions.

Blessings of the changing seasons to you.