“The minute I heard my first love story
I started looking for you, not knowing
how blind that was.
Lovers don’t finally meet somewhere.
They’re in each other all along.”
– Rumi
Transcendent love is in the air with the Sun, Mercury and Neptune in Pisces. The concentration of planets in the sign of cosmic unity provides a supportive backdrop for the commencement of the Venus retrograde on March 4th. The Venus station occurs in the fiery sign of Aries, representing the pioneering, creative self. Over the course of the six week retrograde period, however, the planet of love ultimately backs up to 26° Pisces, representing a shift in perspective from the values that support self in relationship to other, to those which support self in relation to the cosmos. Venus rules our values as well as our manner of relating on all levels, meaning we have the opportunity to review that which has transpired in these arenas since this current Venus cycle began August 15, 2015 with retrograde Venus conjunct the Sun in Leo – the “Inferior Conjunction” marks the New Moon phase of the cycle. This Venus cycle wraps up at the next Inferior Conjunction on March 25th at which time the new one and a half year cycle begins. Those of us on a path to self-awareness may feel a sense of urgency to inquire into Venusian matters and resolve any issues that have been outright ignored or lingering in limbo until “time” magically is provided. That luxury window is now passed so contemplating how our experience of others has developed since the beginning of this cycle may be the first step in identifying areas that need attention. Has the quality of our relationships changed in any way, and if yes, why? Has our perspective about them changed? As the Rumi poem at the beginning of this article implies, the highest expression of love begins within and when it is finally and deeply felt, then it appears outside us, albeit usually with a little lag time.
Just days after the Sun’s conjunction with Neptune, Mercury merges with Neptune’s ethereal vibration on March 4th, generating even greater opportunity for psychic attunement. The Sun/Mercury/Neptune bundle deals most effectively in images so we may be thinking in pictures, or have an entire movie playing out in our mind’s eye that tells a story of pure potential or gently reveals the sacred in the most mundane. If we are lucky, we may be drawn away, temporarily, from our addiction to the noisy, superficial, dirty data laden media to momentarily experience the serenity and beauty of a mind at peace, at one with it all. “Wherever you are, and whatever you do, be in love.” (Rumi)
On March 5th, Mars segues from last week’s highly unstable and disruptive alignment with Jupiter and Uranus into a harmonious trine with Saturn in Sagittarius that fosters steady, disciplined action. Archetypally representing a commitment to higher education, Saturn in Sagittarius is boosted by a highly driven Mars in its home sign of Aries. The flowing trine opens pathways for constructive progress and just possibly makes the hard work of learning anything new seem effortless.
On March 6th Mercury catches up with the Sun in the Superior Conjunction. This is the Full Moon phase of the Sun/Mercury cycle, a culmination of that which began at the last Inferior Conjunction when Mercury was retrograde on December 28, 2016. Looking at the arc of whatever internal processes we’ve been going through since then should reveal some new perspective or shift in approach to a particular situation. The Mercury/Sun conjunction is sextile Pluto in Capricorn (exact on March 7th and March 9th respectively), which brings in a transformational quality to the climax of this period. The archetype of Pluto is somewhat relentless in revealing the core of the matter where authenticity can be experienced. In Capricorn, Pluto’s concerns are about structure, and in alignment with the Mercury/Sun planetary pair in Pisces, the very foundation of being. This alignment may bring forth a new clarity of thought, but on a level that is not so much focused on one thing in detail, or on many things in a “multi-tasking” frame of mind, but rather from one that encompasses a non-linear 360° perspective receiving infinitely more information than can possibly be digested by the mind. This takes the idea of presence to a whole new level that has the potential to increase the quality of our experiences exponentially.
Supporting a slowing down of the pace of life, Mars enters Taurus on March 9th. Mars’ shift from his home sign of hard charging Aries may feel like stepping from one of those fast conveyor belts at the airport and suddenly having to adjust to a leisurely stroll when you really need to grab your baggage and go. It may take some adjustment but once made, the fixed, earthy nature of Taurus brings out more of Mars’ lover side than the fighter. There is sweet synchronicity here as Mars and Venus are now in mutual reception, i.e. in the sign each other rules, until April 2nd when Venus returns to Pisces. This means that on a vibrational level they work harmoniously together to create the most valuable, deeply felt experiences that satisfy our desire to be in a state of true, unconditional love.
Here’s the data (using Pacific Time and planetary positions rounded to the nearest whole degree, unless otherwise noted):
March 4 – Venus station retrograde at 13° Aries at 1:08 a.m.
March 4 – Mercury conjunct Neptune at 12° Pisces at 3:10 a.m.
March 5 – Mars trine Saturn at 27° Aries/Sagittarius at 12:45 p.m.
March 6 – Sun conjunct Mercury at 17° Pisces at 4:29 p.m.
March 7 – Mercury sextile Pluto at 19° Pisces/Capricorn at 9:23 p.m.
March 9 – Sun sextile Pluto at 19° Pisces/Capricorn at 12:29 a.m.
March 9 – Mars at 0° Taurus at 4:34 p.m.
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