A New Job
Dates and times are given for U.S. Pacific Time zone.
Exciting Obstructions
For weeks, a pair of goldfish have spent their days swimming happily in an oversized aquarium decorated only with a bed of colorful gravel. It’s a pleasant, uncomplicated existence of graceful frolicking. But in time, they begin to feel a bit…bored.
One day, their human housemate places in the aquarium a miniature figure wearing a diving costume, a tiny, colorful chest spilling over with jewels, and a tall arch.
At first, the fish are annoyed. The flow of their familiar pathways has been interrupted and valuable space impinged upon. The fish pledge to ignore the interloper.
But eventually, one of them “accidentally” swims under the arch. The other glides in for a closer look at the diver. Together, they investigate the treasure chest. Soon, their swimming seems friskier and their attitudes brighter, perkier, and more engaged.
The Sun (March 6, 2023, 5:42 am PST) and Mercury (March 11, 2023, 1:04 pm PST) sextile Uranus on either end of this week. The sextile is an offer extended which, if accepted, can bring a happy result – like fish in their state of flow, energized by some novel additions to their environment. Pay attention to any “obstructions” that Uranus places in your aquarium this week. Will you take a closer look and see what novelty and excitement they might bring your way?
Untangling
Each year as the winter solstice approaches, I think, “Hey – let’s wrap some twinkly lights around the front porch posts!” I pull open the drawer that contains a giant, rat-king tangle of strand lights, so jumbled and hopelessly knotted that my heart sinks at the sight of them. And I close the drawer for another year.
At each Full Moon, we’re revealed to ourselves. And this Virgo Full Moon (March 7, 2023, 4:40 am PST), opposed the Sun and Neptune in Pisces and square Mars in Gemini, what’s revealed is the ways in which we can become overwhelmed by the disarray of our lives. Look to the Pisces house of your chart to find the tangled lights – and then, across the wheel to Virgo’s house, where you’ll find the key to untangling them. Taking a big old amorphous, Pisces/Neptune blob of overwhelm and patiently picking away at it and soothing it into order is one of Virgo’s superpowers.
Of course, the world itself seems to be hopelessly tangled and overwhelming some days, and on some days we erupt in free-floating anger. The Full Moon is on the Sabian symbol A volcanic eruption, a good reminder that Virgo is, after all, an earth sign and can have quite a temper, especially in a square with Mars! When faced with a t-square like this one, find the sign of the modality that isn’t occupied by a planet – in this case, mutable Sagittarius – and use its wisdom to avoid eruptions. Take a long walk, read an uplifting book, do some yoga, or gaze at a globe.
And sometimes, the key to breaking your mental deadlock around overwhelm is to just take one small, easily measurable action – and that drawer of holiday lights is waiting for you.
A New Job
This week, Saturn enters Pisces (March 7, 2023, 5:35 am PST). Saturn only moves into a new sign every 2.5 years, and we haven’t seen it in Pisces since the early 90s, so it’s a pretty big deal.
Saturn entering a new sign is like starting a new job. It feels so hard that first day, that first week, even the first month, when you’re trying to figure out where everything is, who the players are, and the secrets of your predecessor’s filing system. Each evening, you come home bone-tired after straining every nerve all day long.
What’s this new job that Saturn in Pisces is hiring you to do? Saturn wants us to become a stronger, more self-reliant, and better version of ourselves, and his sign gives the specific job description. Let’s imagine he’s put you to work in a non-profit agency, perhaps, or in social work; in a field related to spiritual work, or a healing profession. They all suit our understanding of Pisces. But Saturn’s ingress into the sign doesn’t require that we enter one of those professions for the next two and a half years. It just means that whatever we do in our professional and personal lives, it’s important that we bring a spirit of care, helpfulness, altruism. Our progress in these qualities is how Saturn will evaluate us on our performance review.
Saturn’s work is never easy. Just as Saturn’s time in Aquarius made us fight to maintain a sense of community and hope for the future during a pandemic, we can expect its time in Pisces to bring tests of our capacity for kindness, faith, and willingness to sacrifice for the greater good. But just like any new job, it will get easier over time, and if we work diligently, we’ll get better at it.
Saturn will be in Pisces until May 24, 2025; then between Sep. 1, 2025 and Feb. 13, 2026.
First Draft
There’s something to be said for acting with speed. Not always, of course. But let’s say you want to build something that’s really important, something that will live on after you. It can feel overwhelming to tackle such a task all at once; we can be daunted by our own vision. But Venus in Aries brings confidence and Mars in Gemini is a good multi-tasker, and as they meet in a bright sextile aspect this week (March 11, 2023, 7:05 am PST), we can frame a house, draft a book, sketch a garden design, or make a dent in anything else we’ve been wanting to do – and in record time.
This is a sexy combination, too, but it might be a little better for flirtation than for serious connections. With Venus and Mars both connecting with Jupiter in Aries, beware of taking a light flirtation too far, too fast. But if you’re already in a committed relationship, Venus and Mars may bring a little romance into a staid routine – and it’s a good time to plan a romantic getaway.
Writing and images © 2017-23 by April Elliott Kent
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