As late winter turns to spring, the celestial activity picks up on both the personal and collective levels. Venus, the planet of love and relationship, is quite busy through March and then gets very active at the end of April. During these two months, we have two eclipses and four planetary stations, plus a host of hot aspects.

 March

   As the saying goes, March comes in like a lamb and goes out like a lion. Well, maybe not a lamb and a lion, but a Piscean fish and an Aries ram. An easy aspect between Venus and Uranus on the 2nd starts the month with good cheer – use this energy to break out (or simply ease out) of entrenched patterns in your relationships. You may try a new mode of entertainment, too, perhaps taking in a show or some music that’s not in your usual comfort zone. Softer changes made now might help as the cosmic weather gets blustery later on.

   We’re likely to be focused on collective issues around the environment and our food supply on the 3rd, as the sun meets up with Ceres in Pisces. It may be that we come to recognize how dire the situation is – try to contribute to making things better rather than feeling it’s all hopeless.

   Words fly fast and furious on the 5th, as Mercury squares Mars at the last degrees of Aquarius and Scorpio. What’s true for everyone and what’s true for you may not be on the same page. With Mars leaving Scorpio for Sagittarius later that day, political polemics could get polarized. It’s a hot time, when belief systems could get us to move towards extremes. A solar square to Saturn the next day helps us to keep things toned down, if not entirely realistic.

   A very different energy prevails on the 8th, when the sun opposes Jupiter just before a solar eclipse. As I’ve been saying since the summer of 2015, the tide is turning towards the Virgo/Pisces axis. Personal dramas and melodramas are beginning to be placed behind our collective concerns. That should be very apparent at this solar eclipse. We may need to think in larger terms than our personal lives, although of course we also need to care for ourselves. Think of where and how you can place your efforts to make things better. Even a small gesture at this powerful new moon can go a long way. The Pisces new moon is always a very spiritual time, a pause before the beginning of spring, the still of the night in the cycle of the year. The eclipse (which is not visible in the Wisdom area) will intensify this new moon.

   Don’t even trust yourself on the 11th, as Mercury meets up with Neptune in Pisces. This is a great vibe for connecting with alternative realities, whether in meditation or at the movies, but it would be better to wait on practical matters. We can all get in touch with our inner con artist when Mercury meets Neptune, and we just may con ourselves as much as anyone else. 

   We search for the bottom line on the 14th, as Mercury squares Saturn. It’s not the best day to ask for a raise or otherwise get favors from those in authority. While this energy could be somewhat challenging, it’s also true that it can help to bring us down to earth after some of our high-flying speculations on the 11th.

   The sun enters Aries at the spring equinox on March 20th at 12:31 a.m. EDT. The light has grown since the Capricorn solstice in December, and the days and nights are now of equal length. It’s the return of energy, the beginning of our outward movement after the period of rest during the winter. 

   We get busy right away, with Venus meeting Neptune the next day. Venus/Neptune aspects can be tricky in terms of our personal relationships. These aspects can feel good, and they put partnerships – and their issues – into soft focus. Yet we can also see too much or too little in someone, placing false hope or unwarranted despair on our relationships. In Pisces, Venus reminds us of a greater love – agapé rather than eros – love that goes beyond what our egos need to feel safe. Give love around this time: there are plenty of beings that could use a simple smile.

   Jupiter squares Saturn at the lunar eclipse on March 23rd (you can see this eclipse as the moon sets in the early morning). Jupiter/Saturn squares challenge our beliefs, and at the full moon we’re likely to feel that matters are quite polarized. Jupiter in Virgo wants to help, it is a progressive energy that can serve those in need. Saturn in Sagittarius can stick to dogma and decide who’s really worthy of our efforts, perhaps somewhat coldly. There are decisions to be made, in both our personal and collective lives, and they may not be easy to make.

   Saturn stations to retrograde two days later, on the 25th. It may be time to reconsider our position, and look at the data we used to come to our conclusions. With Venus getting in the mix and aspecting both Jupiter and Saturn, relationship issues could get hot, as we vacillate between accepting others as they are and recognizing our own wants and needs. 

   As the month ends, Mercury squares Pluto and meets Uranus on the 30th and 31st. For those who thought the Uranus/Pluto square was over, these aspects will remind us that deep, transformative change is still very much with us.

   April’s astrological weather is no less charged than March’s. Pluto squares the new moon in Aries on the 7th, and the new moon is very close to erratic Uranus. This new moon, in the first sign of the zodiac, is another New Year’s Day, the beginning of the lunar cycle at the beginning of the solar cycle. It is from this point that we’re really moving forward in the year, and Uranus and Pluto are giving us a very energetic sendoff.

   Midmonth has an amazing charge of energy, as Mars and Pluto station to retrograde on the 17th and 18th. These two cosmic powerhouses intensify their effects when they station. Issues of control and power are likely to be prominent, and patience will probably be at a low point for the days surrounding the stations. With Venus squaring Pluto on the 19th, things could get especially tense in the area of relationships. 

   That’s especially true with Venus going on to meet with Uranus on April 22nd, a day after the full moon in Scorpio. Tensions that mounted over the past week could reach a breaking point, although it’s also possible that this aspect will help us to break away from limitations and hesitations rather than breaking away from our partners. Still, a relationship that’s been under strain could give way around this time.

   Speaking of that Scorpio full moon, it’s typically a difficult lunation. The moon doesn’t particularly like being exposed at the full – and lunacy sometimes ensues. The cutting edge of Scorpio is inimical to the moon’s softer side, and digging for truth challenges the urge for safety and security. We’re likely to be ‘throwing up’ our emotional gunk, and perhaps aiming it at our partners. Try to keep in mind that while issues may be real, you can at least try to limit them to what’s really relevant to the present relationship.

   The charged energy of the middle of April eases a bit as the month comes to a conclusion. It’s unlikely that things will simply ‘go back to normal’ but we can take some time to repair and heal. As the sun opposes Juno, an asteroid associated with partnership, on the 26th, we can at least engage in dialogue. Venus leaves Aries for her home in Taurus on the 29th, and goes on to make an easy aspect to Pallas Athene, the warrior goddess of wisdom. We should have the ability to speak openly and honestly about things. With Mercury stationing to retrograde on the 28th, we will have the opportunity to review and revise some of what’s happened recently.