March 08 |
March 2008 Forecast |
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by Terry Lamb For a free subscription, contact me. Note: This publication is provided as a pro
bono service of Inner Edge Human
Technologies. If you enjoy the forecast, please
make a donation here.
New to astrology? Read on and ignore the technical bits. There's plenty here for you too! Why don’t I write horoscopes for each sign?
IT GOT ME. The power of the lunar eclipse combined with the Sun-Saturn opposition to bring a number of subplots in my life to a crescendo over the last two weeks, complete with plot twists and heroine’s dilemmas. The subplots were the student financial aid application for my son (the FAFSA, which relies on me having completed my tax return) due on March 2, while I had to prepare for my Saturday class, and still write the forecast! Now, my devotion to getting the forecast out on time is resolute; but this month it just couldn’t be done! The good news is that I got my taxes close enough to done that I could file the FAFSA last night on the website with nary a glitch, my class went very well yesterday, so now I can get to the delightful task of exploring the planets of March with you. The tension was increased with dramatic poignancy on Monday February 25 (the day after Sun-Saturn) when my printer ran out of toner — no problem, I have a new cartridge waiting for the eventuality, but the new cartridge fell apart when I opened it! Then my laptop computer’s CD burner quit working moments later. Without batting an eye and in utter calmness, I worked out a way to print on my son’s printer, ordered a replacement cartridge, and took the laptop into the shop where it is under warranty. No big deal, right? Well, I’ll spare you all the gory details, but the replacement toner cartridge was delayed two days in being sent, was defective when it finally arrived, and then I began to think there was something else going on. There was: On Thursday (February 28) the eclipse-Sun-Saturn pattern was re-triggered (a process called recurrence), and Mercury and Venus are fast approaching Chiron and Neptune, which are tied into the parts of my chart ruling mechanical and technological objects used at work. These contacts were “pre-triggered” (a process called precurrence) before they happen on March 2–8. The reason I mention this is to show you how these things can work rather than to lament my minor frustrations. It also shows the power that overlapping planetary contact patterns can have when they directly touch into your birth chart. Either way, we just need to go with the flow. I accepted the delays without hesitation, but it is inevitably felt this time as a delay in writing my forecast. It’s Time to Heal Our Misconceptions. Call it the February fog. Several planets have been dancing with Chiron and Neptune for the past month, with inconclusive and sometimes frustrating results. Work has to be done and redone. You anticipate a situation (like a toner cartridge running out soon) and prepare for it (like buying a replacement), and your efforts are mysteriously ineffective or undermined (like the new cartridge is defective). This energy clears by the 8th, when Venus and Mercury reach these planets. They bring the resolution of unresolved and foggy issues we’ve been dealing with throughout February. Clarity (and a good chuckle) can be the result. (Perhaps I need a new supplier of toner cartridges.) March’s Themes So what’s up in March? We get a jolt of energy when Mars connects with Pluto in Capricorn for the first time. But the rest of the month brings contacts of life and renewal. It will feel like spring, but it will be more than that. If you’ve been thinking that this winter feels more lifeless and deadening than usual, there’s a reason. We’re still dealing with the leftover effects of all the planetary endings we had last year. Even though we’re in the beginning of some of the cycles and processes now, they’ll be submerged in our awareness until they are contacted by the enlivening planets. We’ll see the first of those contacts on the 7th. And after that, March brings a shower of positive, renewing contacts where we’ll get the chance to renew and recharge our lives in light of the new energies. Mercury and Venus are traveling companions all month long, playful as they dance among the stars. They contact every major planet this month, connecting the dots for us and allowing us to integrate all the energies we’ve only had time to nod at before moving on to the next over these madcap last three months. Then, there are two fantastic opportunity periods, one at mid-month, and a gem of a multi-planet connection occurring at the end of the month. So if you want to launch your new plans, this is the time to do it! The Final Gasp of Mars Retrograde When Mars turned retrograde (backward) on November 15, it had already started creating a story in our lives that began in September. To give you something to compare your own experience to, look at the Hollywood writers’ strike. The discord between the writers and producers first hit the news around September 21, when Mars and Pluto made their first contact. Then the conflict reached Stage 2, you might say, when they made their second contact, in the week after Christmas and the writers settled with one production company. The strike was settled fully as Mars returned to forward motion at the end of January. Since Mars and Pluto were interacting when the strike first came up, this tells me that the story is not over. Similarly in our own lives, there may be something that we think is over, or something that we are still working on, that will come up again around March 7, when these two planets of volatility come together one last time. The wry twist (and the opportunity for us) is that there’s an opportunity in it for us, if we can see how to use the ashes of an old process to create a new one. This is what is happening in the entertainment industry, I suspect. While Pluto was in Sagittarius, from 1995-2007, we went through a worldwide media revolution. While many of the changes were not good, such as media consolidation and the watering down of the media in their watchdog role, some of the changes were more positive. These included the shift of emphasis from television to the internet. Are we about to see the death of television? Not likely. But we are seeing the birth of a new way to view the world and communicate with each other. It is more interactive, more populist (unless the opponents of internet freedom have their way), and inherently less authoritarian because it puts everyone on a level playing field (for the moment). One of the things that the Hollywood writers were fighting for is the right to get royalties (= a decent paycheck) from anything broadcast on the internet, which previously was not included in their contract. They won. As more and more entertainment concepts are introduced through “webisodes”, you can rest assured that there will be a distribution of the wealth that, while perhaps not as equal as it could be, is more equal than it was. Follow Your Heart. This is how the entertainment industry is coping with the microcosm of the changes that will occur as Pluto makes its way through Capricorn. We can do the same thing. Now is the time to ask yourself, “What is my place in the transformation that is coming our way? What can I do to shift in response to the sea change that is taking place in the world around me?” To do this, we have to assess the trends in the world around us, look at our current situation, and feel where our heart wants us to go. Chances are we can’t really know what the future holds in specific terms, but in broad terms we can see the future if we are willing to. This is where the heart comes in: While we can’t know the specifics of what’s ahead, our heart tells us where our place is, because it can tap and then communicate to us the intangible and inaccessible energies without reference to time. So then we ask the question, “What does my heart tell me?” An Extra Dose of Spring Fever On March 8, a new yearly cycle starts that governs the energies of renewal and revival in our lives. Who doesn’t need it! It will be possible to jumpstart your life now, so pay attention to what draws your attention as this date approaches and transpires. These energies will take the shape that presents itself then and develop over the coming year. Key dates associated with this cycle are June 13 and 26, September 12, November 27, and December 10. Delight in the unexpected with this cycle! Tag — You’re It! Mercury and Venus interact in a playful pas de deux throughout March, teasing the titans as they go. They connect with every major planet during the month nearly simultaneously. Mercury brings awareness, carrying the messages that the greater gods have for us. Venus negotiates agreements with them, symbolically currying favor with the greater forces so that they will grace us with their compassion. This means that we will be able to understand what each planet contributes to our reality at present and then determine how we can work with the planet’s energies to fulfill our purposes. Greater harmony is the promise of these interplanetary communions. Until the 24th, Venus negotiates with the gods, preparing the way for Mercury to carry their messages to you. This means that a healing experience may precede your understanding of what’s going on. It means that you’ll have to trust your instincts more. After the 24th, you’ll understand it, and then the healing will come. Here’s how it will work: Mercury and Venus:
These events could result in a burst of activity at the end of the month as the Sun activates us with a contact to energizer-bunny Mars. More on Elections I continue to be amazed by the way that Obama is riding the wave energy this spring and participating in a systematic transformation of the electoral process in this country. This is part of the promise that his chart suggests when comparing it to the US chart. I promise to write a comprehensive article on this soon! It deserves to be covered in more depth than I can do here. What is interesting is that even after Mercury has returned to forward motion, Obama’s ability to dazzle seems to only get better. He appears more confident, centered, and easily able to field the barbs thrown at him by his opponents. This is in alignment with the way that Mercury has been contacting his chart over the past 5 weeks, the period of his most substantial rise in popularity. With its position in Aquarius, it has given him a megaphone in broadcasting his message of hope. Mercury’s contact with Neptune during that time suggests that substance has not been a high priority to voters. But what about after March 8, when the contacts with Neptune are over and the fog is clearing? It seems likely that the Democratic nomination will be a known factor by the time Mercury makes its final contact with Neptune on the 8th. By then, the population may have made its decision, and the fog of hope will have contributed to the outcome. Time will tell if he has enough substance behind the fog to carry the day both electorally and as president. If by some chance the Democratic contest is not decided by March 12, Hillary Clinton is likely to see an upsurge in popularity as the planets show her more favor. Venus transiting her moon sign (Pisces) will cast her in a new glow. Those Mid- to Late-Month Planetary Treats Starting the 12th, we enter a relatively rare period when there are several times each day that the planets are in alignment for making agreements and launching successful projects, initiatives and businesses. Three of the four golden planetary pairs can be used in selecting the right time for your enterprise. This also bodes well for personal relationships and events. This period lasts through March 30 by adding the Moon to the mix. But Wait! There’s More! As if that weren’t enough, there is a
benefic combination of planets reaching its
peak on March 28. (See Chart B.) This
involves Jupiter in a sextile to a cluster of
three planets: Venus, Uranus, and
Mercury. I pointed out these contacts as
separate events in the table above, but
when viewed in their context, they are
even more remarkable in their promise of
future good fortune. Out Like a Lion No matter what these final days of the month hold, we’ll have had the bulk of March to build our resources and restore our energy reserves. Don’t try to take it all on at once. Let the wind carry you, and it will always back up you.
Significant Planetary Events Saturn is retrograde. Jupiter is in fall.
All dates are based on Pacific Time. © Terry Lamb |
