The month begins with all planets travelling direct after Mars stationed to go forward in the last week of February, gradually enabling a shift in energy towards more action, initiative and assertive behaviour. This forward march will be short lived with Venus going retrograde on the 3rd of March encouraging a review of what we value. Expect cultural values, ethical dilemmas and wealth distribution to be even more under the spotlight during this period which extends to mid April. For much of this retrograde journey Venus will be in the Mars sign of Aries. Mercury also goes retrograde in Aries on the 16th of March and it will be important to guard against being impulsive and making hasty decisions which could lead to misunderstanding in our communications.

The Virgo Full Moon is a total Lunar Eclipse only partially visible in Melbourne, which opposes the Pisces Sun at 5:54 pm on the 14th of March. Full Moons,  and especially when they hold the intensity of a lunar eclipse, are a time to decide what, and how much of something, needs to be purged from our lives. Extraneous responsibilities and unrealistic fantasies will tend to be expunged in order to allow fresh growth into our lives. The Full Moon is at 24 degrees, symbolised as: Mary and her Little Lamb. It references the need to keep a vibrant and pure simplicity at the core of one’s being as one meets the many tests of existence. The Virgo Full Moon is a time when one’s safety is associated with order and clarity and there’s a need to deal with chaos. We are learning to trust life and being challenged to accept imperfections. With the Moon interacting closely with both Saturn and Uranus at this Lunar Eclipse stability and unpredictability are both at play at this time.

The Sun enters Aries, marking the beginning of the astrological New Year at the Autumn Equinox late on the 20th of  March, where  one identifies the self as an explorer, pioneer and the first to begin an adventure having quickly grasped the essentials. This astrological New Year is special with the Sun, Venus, Mercury and eventually Neptune all passing the Aries point of pure creative energy this month.

The Aries New Moon is a partial solar eclipse, occurring at 9:59 pm on the 29th of March at 9 degrees. This degree is symbolised as: A Crystal Gazer and references the development of an inner realisation of organic wholeness and the situation as a whole.  The technique required for the development of individualised consciousness is concentrated attention. With the Sun and Moon in the direct and assertive sign of Aries a confident and action-oriented sense of self is focused on new experience.  This is a new beginning and there’s a streak of unpredictability. It’s a good time to get  physical, but be careful around this time.

Neptune has been in its home sign of Pisces since 2011, where its influence on global themes and trends has been particularly powerful, reminding us that nothing is very permanent and helping us to find compassion,and to understand our connection to all things. For the first time in 164 years, it will move into Aries on the 30th of March, where there’s an evolutionary lesson to use our skills and strength with humility. The last time Neptune shifted into Aries it was within days of the first shots fired in the American Civil War! We can expect exploration, innovation and boundary pushing during this period and it is already evident that this is a time of tensions and societal shifts. Apart from brief sojourns back into Pisces at the beginning of its tenancy in Aries it will remain there until 2039.