Quite a lot going on this week! A reality-bending pile-up of planets at the end of Pisces may frustrate and befuddle, Venus enters one of her seats of power, Mercury steps into more assertive territory, and a new moon marks the beginning of Aries Season. Let’s delve deeper…

The Sun in Pisces has been edging closer to Neptune, while Mercury has been gaining on the Sun, and now they are all right on top of each other in a large conjunction. This is stellium has been building up for the past week or so, and its effects include communicative impairment, a permeation of the surreal, exaltation of the grandiose, porousness of identity, and the like. Neptune is the ocean of collective unconsciousness, where are the dream-stuff writhes under its dark currents, and the Sun’s sense of identity is being submerged in those depths, with an already greatly debilitated Mercury chained to his leg. We have one more player in the mix: Mars looks upon this scene with disdain, the acid trip of a conjunction interfering with his ability to get things done, especially since this soldier currently takes his orders from Mercury. However, the aspect Mars is making is called a square, a hostile and uncomfortable relationship to be sure, but also a highly-motivating one. Some may feel called to fight through the haze in order to be productive. One is reminded of the hallucinogen-fueled Berserker vikings, and indeed, partaking of the bizarre powers of the Sun-Mercury-Neptune conjunction may be a necessary element to any efforts to advance this week.

There is another square which has been building these past few days, and that is the tense connection between Venus in Aries and Pluto in Capricorn, which speaks to issues of power and control, and to unexamined impulses surrounding what we are drawn to. This contentious array will dialogue with the previously-discussed contentious array; Venus will be sextile Mars which Sun-Mercury-Neptune will be sextile Pluto. Efforts to persevere will be blessed with a modicum of grace, while surrender to the currents of interconnectedness may yield discoveries we did not know we were seeking, much like the deep revelations that can accompany therapeutic use of hallucinogens.

These aspects continue to build in tension today, but culminate and become exact on Thursday, 3/16. The Sun, Mercury and Neptune will be conjunct at 25 degrees Pisces, Mars will be an 25 degrees Gemini, Venus at 29 degrees Aries, Pluto at 29 degrees Capricorn. Something strange and incredible may happen here: Mercury is in the sign he performs most poorly in, is being blotted out by the Sun’s light, and is being further drowned out by Neptune. Yet, because he will be in a state known as cazimi – visible in the heart of the Sun – he may be the secret hero of the day. As I wrote in my Pisces Season piece, “Here, the least likely actor may make the most stirring speech: Mercury sits in a condition known as cazimi, speaking loudly and clearly from within the Sun’s heart. This feels like the beaten-down finding a voice.”

The following day, on Venus’ Day (Friday, 3/17,) Venus will enter Taurus, one of the places she performs optimally. While Venus in Aries had to treat poise like a weapon, one that required practice and maintenance to properly wield, Venus in Taurus luxuriates in effortless sensuality. Things are a little different this time though, as Venus will immediately make a conjunction to both Juno and the North Node upon entering her domicile. Juno is an asteroid associated with commitment, and it may be that some of the delights we wish to partake in require us to meet certain conditions. The North Node, meanwhile, is a point of manifestation, a horn of plenty, but some say that its gifts are poisoned by delusion and dependency when taken too far. A square to the Moon in Aquarius may signal discomfort, an unwelcome factor, but a more harmonious aspect to Saturn should assist with any necessary grounding or boundary setting.

Then on Saturday (3/18,) the powers of communication strike back. Mercury enters Aries late that night, and while it is not one of Mercury’s homes, he’s likely to be much more effective here at clearly and concisely disseminating facts than he has been in Pisces. Here, he’s more of a Hemingway or Hunter S. Thompson, a mighty editing machete ensuring an economy of language through short, punchy bursts. There is a danger here of being overly bellicose, as a warlike Mercury may spoil for a good debate, but it’s still a grand improvement, especially given the mutual reception. Basically, Mars in Gemini is in charge of Mercury in Aries, and Mercury in Aries is in charge of Mars in Gemini. The two watch each other’s backs in a strong and effective combination. The only thing putting a damper on things is that Mercury is still weakened by being under the beams of the Sun. More on that later.

Sunday (3/19) sees the moon pass over Saturn on his day, possibly conveying somber reminders of responsibility or otherwise putting a damper on good moods. Monday (3/20) sees the Sun at his anaretic degree, and may leave some feeling sluggish or brain-fogged. Here, however, the sextile to Pluto becomes exact, and it may open opportunities to deeper aspects of self, to veins of ore that represent personal power and agency, to greater control over our own narrative.

Lastly, Tuesday (3/21) is both the Sun’s ingress into Aries (his exultation) and the New Moon in Aries. These matters will be covered more extensively in my forthcoming write-up on Aries Season, but for now, some brief remarks and observations. The Sun’s overflowing corona is focused into a laser here in Aries, a battering ram which can breach any fortress with a toothy grin and a bright personality. This is a brief summation of why the Sun performs optimally in this Mars-ruled sign. The astrological community puts a lot of fanfare on the Sun’s entry into Aries, for it begins the zodiacal year, and predictions for the year ahead often accompany the Aries Ingress chart. That a new moon coincides with this Aries ingress seems particularly significant, especially with the new moon’s rep as a “chapter beginning.” We have here a unity of ego and id, of consciousness and emotional self, both in service of the hitlist of goals that lie before us. An odd thing about this lunation is that it doesn’t really make any aspects; the closest thing we have are conjunctions to Mercury and Neptune, an echo of the business that began this article. Mercury is still being overpowered by the Sun’s light. Since Mars rules the Sun in Aries, and Mercury rules Mars in Gemini, this may indicate that the upcoming year holds key knowledge that is hiding from us in plain sight. Neptune’s influence seems to cosign on this.

Well, my remarks were less brief than intended. This may just get copypasta’d into the next piece, we’ll see!

Until next Hump Day!