MARCH 30-APRIL 1: CHALLENGING FULL LIBRA BLUE MOON

MOON IS VOID OF COURSE until 1:52pm EDT on Friday, March 30 when it ENTERS LIBRA. It remains in Libra until Sunday, April 1 at 2:29pm. LAST ASPECT OF MOON: Moon Opposite Uranus in Aries. FULL MOON EXACT on Saturday, March 31 at 8:37am EDT at 10º Libra. This is the second Full Moon this month and is affectionately known as a Blue Moon! Important practical actions initiated during the V/C day on Friday will tend not to work out as planned. It's best to use this time for inner creative work or imagining future action. This Libra Moon is building toward a FULL MOON on Saturday. Ruled by Venus its principles are Balance, Beauty, Equality and Love. The Opposition to Uranus, which reflects the principle of Separation, together with the climaxing Full Moon signifies tensions rising and a disruptive or upsetting result to actions along these themes. Relationships are especially vulnerable now. Uranus in Mars-ruled Aries increases the possibility of anger and conflict being present. Cardinal Air sign Libra wants to act, but be conscious about how your behavior and choices will be received by the Other. The Alchemical principle of conjunctio, the Sacred Marriage - or the Marriage of Opposites - is the key to optimum resolution. Draw on Libra's ability for compromise and negotiation in order to ameliorate any difficulties. Uranus is demanding a certain amount of Freedom and independence in the relationship and the more you can allow it, the less tension you're likely to feel. In general, actions initiated during this Moon period are likely to have CHALLENGING resolutions.

NOTE: Attention all Cardinal Signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn - planets around 7-13º)! As Mars approaches Saturn in Capricorn during the next few days - the conjunction exact on Monday, April 2 at 8º Cap - the two planets make a challenging Square to Mercury and the Sun in at 11/12º Aries. This configuration adds to the tension of this FULL MOON and is likely to trigger circumstances and communications that block actions you want to take. Mars/Saturn can also indicate low energy and lack of will. Keep breathing through any conflicts. The Aries Sun/Libra Moon Full Moon opposition may bring issues to a head and some impulsive action may feel overly aggressive. Again, find your way to compromise, negotiation and collaboration as best you can. The opportunity now is to marry the opposites by honoring both ends of the polarity. It's important to acknowledge both yourself and the Other.

Also, the US Sun is at 13º Cancer creating a Cardinal T-Square to the Mars/Saturn square Sun. This is a very unstable formation. With the transiting Mars/Saturn in Cap opposite the US Sun/Jupiter in Cancer, we may now see strong conflicts with others in the outer social/political arena. Hold the intention that the wisdom of this celestial message is received. That the Full Moon falls on the weekend is, perhaps, a very good thing!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pC9olGKn2ZY

LIBRA SCENE: Winter's Tale, 2014; Writer/Director: Akiva Goldsman. Adapted from the novel by Mark Helprin. Colin Farrell (In Bruges) and Jessica Brown Findlay (Downton Abbey) are fated lovers whose union feels nothing short of an otherworldly Sacred Marriage. Given so many archetypal oppositions within the narrative, particularly the themes of mythological Good and Evil, (Russell Crowe plays a great Demon/Mob Boss) the love story represents a magical conjunctio. While the screenplay is not considered a successful adaptation of the lauded novel, the relationships created by its starry A-list cast still captures one's heart. This romantic fantasy about old New York also features William Hurt, Jennifer Connelly, Will Smith and Eva Marie Saint. 

MARCH 28-30: EXCELLENT VIRGO MOON

MOON ENTERS VIRGO at 10:30am EDT on Wednesday, March 28 after a VOID OF COURSE morning. It remains in Virgo until Friday, March 30 at 0:59am. LAST ASPECT OF MOON: Moon Sextile Jupiter in Scorpio. Important practical actions initiated during the V/C period tend not to work out as planned. It's best to use this time for inner creative work or imagining future action. The Virgo Moon is ruled by Mercury. Given that Mercury is in Retrograde mode the most advantageous expression now would be a re-evaluation of past circumstances. Virgo's principle is concerned with creating Order and striving for a kind of Perfection. Its range of expression, from least to most optimum would be: from highly critical, judgmental and controlling to discerning, organizing, mentally/verbally skillful and attention to details. Your choice. The more conscious we are, the more useful Virgo will be. Her Archetype includes Health and Nutrition (keeping the body in order) and daily Work (being useful). She is the Vestal Virgin, Keeper of the Hearth, Harvest and Sacred Flame of the Temple. We might interpret this as having access now to healing medicine/foods and encouraging words. Re-consider your diet and day-to-day usefulness now. This may be an opportunity to find just the right word to transform a moment from confusion or anger to understanding and moving forward. The Sextile to Jupiter in Scorpio combined with the Retrograde Mercury also suggests great support for initiating action to attain a Regeneration of health. In general, actions initiated during this time are likely to have EXCELLENT resolutions. Remember to check and double check your information.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSE4pryQyYk

VIRGO SCENE: Seed: The Untold Story, 2016; Directors: Jon Betz and Taggart Siegel. Virgo, as Keeper of the Harvest, is honored by this award-winning documentary about endangered fruit, flower, grain and vegetable seeds. Maintaining the diversification of types of seeds has become a major global issue. Seed banks, where ancient and contemporary varieties are stored for the future, are considered invaluable and at risk. I saw this magnificent movie at our local Peterborough Community Theatre a few years ago and was immediately moved to begin saving seeds from my favorite veggies...the inestimable power of film. This is a 16 minute clip that will hopefully inspire you too!

 

MARCH 26-28: GOOD LEO MOON

MOON ENTERS LEO at 7:45am EDT on Monday, March 26 after a VOID OF COURSE early morning. MOON REMAINS IN LEO until Wednesday, March 28 at 5:54am. LAST ASPECT OF MOON: Moon Trine Uranus in Aries. Ruled by the Sun, this is an exciting time to go out and have a good time! Go to a movie, the theater or a musical performance. Find an innovative way to express yourself - be creative or be inspired by others' creativity.  Let your child-self take you by the hand and remind you how to play. Make sure you remember to share center-stage with others. Leo/Sun is also the heart of the zodiac, so this could be a surprising moment for a thrilling love affair to begin. Unexpected changes in your plans are likely to be for the best. If you trust your intuition and imagination you'll probably find that actions initiated during this Moon period tend to have GOOD  resolutions. Considering the Retrograde, renovating or revising old projects is also a perfect use of this time - and is the reason for the Good evaluation instead of Excellent.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXq19aI1DwE

LEO SCENE: Country Strong, 2010; Director: Shana Feste. There's no greater demonstration of Leo energy than a performer struttin' her stuff. Gwenyth Paltrow, as country singer Kelly Canter, does it with great panache in this film which also features Tim McGraw as her manager/husband, Garrett Hedlund as the upcoming heart throb and Leighton Meester, as the competition. The film has a great soundtrack which includes Paltrow singing several country songs. Kelly's Leo 
heart is broken and her self-confidence is shattered, but, as the title song declares, her Leo pride is strong. Here's a few more clips of songs I love:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcapsSWIEa0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJopLsgMR7c

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJopLsgMR7c

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dKDQbgcBGc

MARCH 24-26: CHALLENGING CANCER MOON

MOON ENTERS CANCER at 4:53am EDT on Saturday, March 24 and remains here until Monday, March 26 at 2:58am. LAST ASPECT OF MOON: Moon Square Uranus in Aries. We should be used to this Cancer Moon configuration by now! Ruled by the Moon (the Moon is in its own sign), the Feminine Archetype is highlighted. Home, Family, Nourishment and Protective Containers are the likely themes with which we'll be engaging. The Mother Archetype is center stage. Cancer also rules the past, so Uranus may reflect family traditions being shaken up. Personal relationships may be upsetting and will often involve the Uranian theme of independence and new ways of behaving. Cancer tends to see circumstances subjectively. This is a Cardinal Water sign, so it wants to act and is motivated to do so through the emotions. Try to step back and get some objectivity before you act. Perhaps, instead of feeling alienated or separated from a relationship, you might frame your perspective more positively such as liberating yourself from a toxic situation. In general, though, actions initiated during this Moon period tend to have CHALLENGING resolutions.

NOTE: MARCH FOR OUR LIVES: How appropriate it is that on March 24, this Cancer Moon hosts over 800 marches globally in support of creating a Protective Container for schools around the world. The cover of Time Magazine is yet another indication that the voices of Parkland School leaders are being heard. Will Enough appropriate results be produced? The last time students took to the streets with such dramatic global demands was during the Uranus/Pluto Conjunction of 1965-66. Almost 60 years later we're at the next major angle of this Uranus/Pluto cycle: the opening square of Uranus/Pluto (now Uranus is separating - moving ahead of Pluto) which has been going on since 2008 (exact seven times during 2012 and 2015). Any major angle between outer planets resonates back to the initial conjunction of that cycle - and is a test or evolution of the issues brought to consciousness at the conjunction. In this case we would consider that the cultural revolution that was the '60's has been triggered during this opening square.  

Uranus reflects revolution, innovative science and technologies, New Age principles, breaking down before breaking through. Pluto has a compulsion, a drive to power: moving towards crisis, destruction and eventual regeneration. It is a time of slowly tearing down structures and rebuilding them. Best case scenario: Trump's attempt at assuming power, and all the insanely surreal events that have followed in his wake, are Uranus Square Pluto's collective last gasps of the patriarchy challenging its own demise. The other case scenarios involve looking at the last series of Uranus/Pluto squares (closing squares - the final square before the next conjunction) which occurred between 1932 and 1933, when the Great Depression was at its height and Hitler was consolidating power as Chancellor of Germany. We can sense the fine line we tread. We can see that this current moment is a possible turning point which could decide our collective future. May our strong intentions, voices and actions be loud and clear and have optimum resolutions for all!

ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Jyjfi0XUag

CANCER SCENE: The Room, 2015; Director: Lenny Abrahamson. This independent film is a tale of mother and son, their imprisonment, their mutual sustenance and their eventual liberation (Uranus). Based on a novel by Irish author, Emma Donoghue (which is based on true events) we witness a story of a mother's remarkable endurance while kept inside a small shed with her young son Jack (Jacob Tremblay). While her primary goal is to protect her son, who is a result of her being repeatedly raped by her captor (Moon Square Uranus), she finally realizes in order to do that, she must risk finding a way for him to escape. In this scene Ma (Brie Larson) trains Jack to wiggle out of a rolled-up carpet that their kidnapper regularly takes out of the shed. It is with heartbreaking emotional strength that Ma relentlessly forces Jack to practice the get-away over and over, much to his resistance. The film garnered many awards including the Academy Award for Best Actress for Larson. The film was also nominated for Best Picture, Director and Screenplay and included in AFI's Top Ten Films of 2015.

MARCH 22-23: MERCURY RETROGRADE - TRICKY GEMINI MOON

MOON ENTERS GEMINI at 1:30am EDT on Thursday, March 22 and remains here until Friday, March 23 at 11:52pm when it goes VOID OF COURSE until Saturday morning. LAST ASPECT OF MOON: Moon Sextile Uranus in Aries. MERCURY GOES RETROGRADE at 8:19pm on Thursday, the 22nd at 16º Aries and remains here until April 15. Gemini is ruled by this retrograde Mercury so it's likely we'll sense that the Trickster Archetype is in town! Anything that can go wrong is likely to - especially in the realm of communication, media equipment and travel...and especially during the 3-days before and after the 22nd. This Mutable Air Moon has wings on his feet and can't sit still. While this is an extremely active mental period, especially for writers, speakers, teachers - make sure you check and double check your information! Uranus, the collective resonance of Mercury, rules electronic devices, so communicating via computers etc. is often the way to go. But the Retrograde Mercury reflects that we will tend to experience interrupted service or other technological issues. Be ready to get support or be patient until the heightened 3-day after-period passes. While travel is usually great for this combination, the Retrograde may indicate delays or breakdowns. Make sure you're grounded - check details, vehicles and schedules. Also remember, agreements and purchases often don't work out as planned during the Retrograde. This Gemini Moon may be better utilized by staying home and accessing your intellectual prowess for future projects! You may be better served with Uranus mental surprises and aha moments than unexpected changes that occur on the road!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuZDbbz_6xY

GEMINI MOON SCENE: Monty Python and the Holy Grail, 1975; Directors: Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones. This oldy-but-goody is a classic example of communication gone awry. This             Geminian pair of guards probably have Mercury Retrograde in their respective natal charts! No more to say about it - just enjoy! 

Mercury Retrograde Note: Having just returned last night from an amazing trip to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico visiting dear friends, so many technological breakdowns and misinformation have resulted in getting this post out late. Many apologies! 
My return trip yesterday included a six hour layover in the Cancun airport where I sleepwalked around the international terminal purchasing all the wrong things! 'Milk chocolate' in Mexico is evidently what we call White chocolate in the states! But Mercury/Uranus did open the door for an unexpected conversation with a wonderful young Mexican artist while security was looking through both our bags for illegal water and creams. We sat and talked while waiting for our respective flights, following the Trickster to magical synchronistic meetings of the mind. That's the kind of experience that's available during this unusual time! 

MARCH 19-21: FAIR TAURUS MOON

MOON REMAINS IN ARIES until 3:29pm EDT on Monday, March 19. See March 17 for Aries info. At 3:29pm the MOON GOES VOID OF COURSE and remains there until 9:07pm when it ENTERS TAURUS. Not much is likely to be accomplished on Monday afternoon/evening during the V/C period. It's best to use this time for inner creative work or imagining future actions. The MOON REMAINS IN TAURUS until Wednesday, March 21 when it goes VOID OF COURSE at 1:21pm for the rest of the day. LAST ASPECT OF MOON: Moon Opposite Jupiter in Scorpio. Ruled by Venus, the Taurus Moon is likely to be focused on Money and Passion - both Taurus and Scorpio reflect this arena. In general, this Fixed Earth sign symbolizes What we Value and our values may be in opposition to those of others. There may also be a conflict between one's own and other people's resources. Taurus enjoys the sensuous cushy life and is willing to spend money - though conservatively - on material possessions in order to attain it. Jupiter in Scorpio may indicate overspending and even borrowing money to attain what one desires. Sexuality may be heightened and temptation may be hard to control now for even the usually loyal Taurus. Stay grounded and draw on your earthy common sense. The opportunity is to marry the Moon/Jupiter opposition, acknowledging what both you and The Other consider most valuable.

NOTE: Today we enter the vulnerable 3-day before Mercury turns Retrograde on March 22. In general, important practical actions initiated during the Retrograde period tend not to work out as planned. Similar to Void of Course Moon. More to come.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XP71dJlnLJQ

TAURUS SCENE: You Can Count on Me, 2000; Director: Kenneth Lonergan. This Sundance classic is Lonergan's directorial debut as well as a breakout film for both Mark Ruffalo (Terry) and Laura Linney (Sammy). As older sister, Sammy assumes the parental role for her ne'er-do-well little brother, creating a polarity which exists between them in more ways than one. Terry re-appears, after having being out of communicato for years, at their family home where Sammy lives with her young son, Rudy (Rory Culkin). Old patterns are resumed and in this clip, more of Terry's story is revealed which sends Sammy into an uncontrolled public outburst. Terry asks to borrow money for a girlfriend who's in a bad way. It's clear that lifestyles and values oppose each other for these siblings but they ultimately find their way to express their compassion and even love for each other. This was the first Sundance film I attended that endeared me to the festival and remains memorable to this day. It's been a treat to see both actors' careers blossom and Lonergan go on to write and direct Margaret and Manchester by the Sea. He also wrote Gangs of New York. He won the Sundance Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award for You Can Count on Me.

MARCH 17-19: CHALLENGING ARIES MOON

MOON REMAINS IN PISCES until 9:12am EDT on Saturday, March 17 when the LAST ASPECT gives us the NEW MOON (Sun Conjunct Moon) at 26º Pisces. MOON GOES VOID OF COURSE from 9:12am until 2:57pm when the MOON ENTERS ARIES. It remains in Aries until Monday, March 19 at 3:29pm. LAST ASPECT OF ARIES MOON: Moon Conjunct Uranus in Aries. Given that most of Saturday is VOID OF COURSE, we won't expect much important practical work to be accomplished until the Moon enters Aries. The V/C period is best used for inner creative work or imagining future actions. The Aries Moon brings our journey around the zodiac back to the beginning of the astrological wheel. After the Pisces New Moon spirited us into a new chapter, we have Aries, the number-one Fire sign, adding fuel to whatever was begun. The diffusion of identity that often comes with the Pisces Moon is now injected with an overly confident sense of who we are. The Warrior Archetype is in even higher-than-usual gear with the Last Aspect of impulsive and potentially unstable Uranus in Aries. With all this Fire, not only may it difficult to complete all the things you begin, but differences of opinion and strong wills are likely to confront each other and incite conflicts. If this is the case, refer to level-headed and compromising Libra, Aries' opposite sign, for Balance. If you are unable to go there yourself, bring in a trusted mediator skilled in conflict-resolution. Otherwise, actions initiated now will tend to have Challenging resolutions. Also remember that during this current Moon period, Mercury enters its shadow 3-days-before-it-Stations-Retrograde on March 22. This, of course, will tend to add to the discombobulation of the otherwise forthright Aries Moon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYCnmw3N-ow

ARIES SCENE: Red Sparrow, 2017; Director: Francis Lawrence. Prima ballerina turned Russian spy, Dominika Egorova (Jennifer Lawrence) is our Aries ambassador this month. Her identity is quickly transformed from applauded female artist at the pinnacle of her cultured career, to being controlled by powerful political men who condemn her to sexual slavery as a Red Sparrow. Her will to survive, however, drives her to tap her Uranian inventiveness and beat them at their own game. It's fun to watch Lawrence in a different milieu, but besides the shocking sexual education she receives as a Sparrow, the Matron's formidable training (a riveting Charlotte Rampling), and the slippery twist at the end, the film fell into the discombobulation category and failed to compel. Check out the trailer and see what you think.

MARCH 15-17: EXCELLENT PISCES NEW MOON

MOON ENTERS PISCES at 6:12am EDT on Thursday, March 15 and remains here until Saturday, March 17 at 9:12am. LAST ASPECT OF MOON: Moon Conjunct Sun in Pisces. NEW MOON EXACT at 9:12am on Saturday at 26º Pisces. With this New Moon in Pisces, we arrive at the end of the zodiacal cycle - an interesting paradox since the New Moon is the time for New Beginnings. The paradox maintains the integrity of polarity and asserts the validity of both ends of the axis. It is the essence of astrology, our goal being to manifest the alchemical phenomenon of conjunctio, or the Sacred Marriage of Opposites. Ruled by Neptune, The Pisces/Neptune archetype carries what I like to call 'the urge to merge.' Neptune is the Great Dissolver, eliminating boundaries to create what we imagine to be the Cosmic Sea of Consciousness or total Unity. 'All is One and One is All' is his motto. This sense of unification would be considered the most optimum expression of this principle. As the Higher Resonance of Venus, it symbolizes a Higher Divine Love; Art, Music, Poetry, Film, Photography. The least optimum expression of this archetype would be Boundary Issues - no sense of them; Illusion, Deception. The line between Reality and Illusion for Pisces/Neptune is very thin. It represents the stuff of dreamscape: night visions and movies. This current Pisces New Moon offers the opportunity for an experience of the Divine. It reflects the creative Visionary. All art forms can offer us transcendent moments in which the shift of perception might endure. Be cautious of the idealism and romantic rose-colored glasses effect Neptune can reflect.

We can also experience Confusion. Where little delineation exists we might feel an amorphous sense of self - which can range from Bliss to Identity Crisis. If we get reality checks before embarking on new projects or relationships and make our boundaries and definitions as clear as possible, it's likely that actions initiated during this Moon period - especially of the artistic and spiritual variety - will have EXCELLENT resolutions.

ps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbZJ487oJlY

PISCES SCENE: Mulholland Drive, 2001; Director: David Lynch. Lynch, of Blue Velvet, Twin Peaks and The Elephant Man fame, is the master of the narrative bizarre; illusion and reality merge then seem to trade places. Naomi Watts (Betty) and Laura Harring (Rita) lead the cast as two beautiful young women walking through a dreamscape in LA. Betty is a starstruck new arrival to the city of angels and mysterious Rita has just escaped murder through car-accident on her way to Mulholland Drive. As a result of her trauma Rita develops amnesia. She encounters Betty by wandering onto the property where she's house-sitting and becomes dependent on her new friend to Nancy Drew her way to find her lost identity. The pair of sleuths begin as archetypally dark and light opposites but by the end of the second act, when Rita dons a blonde wig, the two seem to merge and begin to trade places. This is a Piscean piece of cinema beyond compare, and while we're not so sure how the story ends for the lead characters, the film itself has an excellent resolution! Indeed, the BBC has recently voted it the Best Film of the 21st Century.