the phoenix rises again

the march 2003 forecast

contact me at terry@terrylamb.net if you would like to have my latest forecasts sent to you automatically via email as they are published, free of charge.

go to past forecasts.

jupiter is retrograde.

new moon	12°06' pisces	march 2
mercury conjoins uranus	29°39' aquarius	march 4
mars enters capricorn	0°00' capricorn	march 4
venus opposes jupiter	9°03' aquarius/leo	march 9
uranus enters pisces	0°00' pisces	march 10
sun squares pluto	19°55' pisces/sagittarius	march 11
venus conjoins neptune	12°07' aquarius	march 12
sun squares saturn	22°29' pisces/gemini	march 13
mercury squares pluto	19°56' pisces/sagittarius	march 15
mercury squares saturn	22°38' pisces/gemini	march 17
full moon	27°25' pisces/virgo	march 18
sun enters aries/eostar/ vernal equinox	0°00' aries	march 20
pluto turns stationary retrograde	19°57' sagittarius	march 22
venus conjoins uranus	0°55' pisces	march 22
sun trines jupiter	8°07' aries/leo	march 28

all dates are based on pacific time.

our activity levels will increase in march, reflecting the interactions of the planets. there is an extraordinarily high level of a type of interaction called “translation of light” this month, which means that we will be able to make connections.

what is translation of light?

translation of light is a traditional astrological term that refers to the transference of energy from one planet to another by a third body. the two bodies that are being contacted must move more slowly that the translating body, but that is the only requirement. they extend the life of a transit in either direction, both before and after exactitude. this is because not only does the exact aspect between the two slower moving planets occur, but the faster movers regularly light them up in the meantime. in the case of the moon, this could occur as often as weekly, giving its one-two punch with the regularity of a clock striking the hour: the hits will occur on roughly the same day each week. the moon’s translations coincide with the weekly rhythm with which some situations develop. translating planets usually represent “helpers” or mediators that have a direct impact on the situation, although the contact sometimes represents interference.

march’s translations

translations are most potent when the slow-moving bodies are close to each other in the same sign for a long time, say, a year or more. this is the case with two sets of planets right now, jupiter-neptune and saturn-pluto. jupiter and neptune have been interacting since last september. theirs is a nine-month interaction, roughly speaking. we will each experience it in our own way, and i have addressed possible issues in last fall’s forecasts. briefly, it has to do with idealism and imagination, as well as delusion and blind expansion. the first contact between them coincided almost to the day with the bush administration’s announcement of the “regime change” initiative against iraq. although these two planets do not contact each other exactly this month, there are ample contacts translating light between them. last month, the sun and mercury added their spotlights to the focus being placed on jupiter and neptune by the moon, intensifying the activation each of us has been experiencing. during march, venus adds its touch to the process as it unfolds during the week of the 9^th – 15^th. as always, the moon increases the focus and provides the timing on supporting events or decision points.

because venus will be conjoining neptune, it may bring to light illusions, falsehoods, and creative inspiration, all of which can lead to clarity. spiritual insights can also arise. the way it is affecting george w. bush’s chart, he may learn through an intermediary about how he has the wrong impression of some of the foreign powers he has to deal with in the world, as well as the people whom he calls his peers. however, given the strength of the jupiter, currently on his ascendant, which can lead to arrogant presupposition, he may not be receptive to the intermediary’s input. this is something we may never know about, since could, at least in part, be hidden. just as with all the contacts of jupiter and neptune, the threat of warlike action is possible during that week. every week at the end of the week (friday-saturday, then thursday-friday) is the time of the moon’s translation of light.

the other translation is much more potent, if such a thing could be said. saturn and pluto were in direct and exact contact when the 9/11 attacks occurred, opening the door to the horrors of terrorism in the united states in the most terrible way. although no further similar direct contacts will occur between these planets for another eight or so years, other planets can still translate the energy between them. each time, we return to the old fears — and the energy “shortage” crisis that has been in large part manufactured by political and business leaders.

this is the most active contact pattern in march, since the sun, mercury, and the moon are all involved in the translations. these translations kick in on the 2^nd, with the first two days of each week, then the weekend days, being moon-trigger days. the sun’s force field starts to have its direct affect on the 10^th and is complete on the 13^th, with mercury following on the 15^th – 17^th. what makes this even more dramatic is that pluto is essentially at its once-yearly station (to retrograde — backward motion) at this time, and it actually turns on its heels on the 22^nd. this greatly focuses and concentrates its energy, like a laser beam, with powerful co-occurring events. the raid on the waco compound of david koresh was ill-timed to occur on the pluto station of that year, with the well-known disastrous effects. (this is how we know that the clinton administration did not use astrologers — at least janet reno didn’t!)

so what can it mean this year? we can hope that it will bring more breakthroughs in the “war on terrorism”. i sincerely hope it will not bring passage of the patriot ii act, but it will certainly be under hot debate on capitol hill.

and another light will shine with a different cast. . .

the other big event this month (that may go completely unnoticed) is the change of uranus to pisces, its first change of sign in seven years. although it will be-bop back into aquarius in the fall, we will get a substantial glimpse of what it stands to bring us over the coming seven years in the spring and summer.

the last time it was in pisces was in 1919-1927 — the years that neatly bracket the prohibition era. the 18^th amendment prohibiting the consumption of alcohol was passed as uranus entered pisces, and the movement to repeal it began as it left. as you can see, a certain sanctimoniousness held sway during this time. the war to end all wars (wwi) was over, and people held a dreamy idealism about what was possible in the new era of peace. on the plus side, women were liberated from the victorian ideals of motherhood, bustles, and corsets. they cut their hair and their skirts, and wore clothes that gave them more freedom of movement, symbolic of their new independence.

what will we get this time around? — certainly the explosion of dearly cherished illusions, probably by exploring their effects through direct experience. but much that is good will come of it as well. uranus represents things we awaken to. we may awaken to the role of unseen forces in science; we may find the foundations of acupuncture, and subtle remedies may gain their seat alongside the current mainstream therapies.

when uranus was in pisces last time, it was supported by a trine from pluto. this, however, will not be the case over this seven-year sojourn. while uranus will be harmoniously aspected by saturn for the first two years of its travel, it will eventually reach an explosive square to pluto, the first since their conjunction in the mid-sixties (yes, that’s what that era was all about). there will be needed changes, long-overdue and potentially explosive ones. there will probably be suffering between now and then, a necessary step to consciousness-raising, unfortunately.

i will write more about uranus in pisces in future months. we’ve got a long time to go with this experience, and i’ll be interpreting it as it unfolds.

the end of march is rosier, as jupiter harmonizes with the sun and gets us ready for its return to sanity (that’s direct motion, that is) on april 3^rd. we can look forward to milder weather and gentler days, unless the hearts of men (and women, to be fair) harden against the joys that can be had. we cannot succumb to fear, and we cannot give in to the feeling that standing up for what we believe is either fruitless or dangerous. the rewards of doing so are immeasurable in terms of the clarity and self-respect you will gain if you do. may we all find peace mirrored in our lives!