Roadblocks
Let’s say you’ve had an inspiration for a big, bright project involving many people and lots of moving parts. So far, this sounds like a great undertaking for Mars’ current journey through Aquarius.
But this week, as Mars moves into a square aspect to Jupiter (Feb. 27, 12:30 am PST), you may find that while you don’t lack for big ideas (Mars is on the Sabian symbol 11 Aquarius, Man tête-à-tête with his inspiration), you don’t have all the resources in place – whether money or manpower (see the approaching square between Venus and Uranus, exact on March 3) – to make this project come to life.
It’s still possible to make things come together, but enthusiasm alone is not the solution. You’ve hit a practical, logistical roadblock, and it will take all that Mars in Aquarius ingenuity to find your way past it. Fortunately, Mercury and the Sun’s sextiles to Jupiter later in the week bring opportunities, connections, or insights that can get you over the hump.
Drips and Drabs
There’s a notebook next to my desk where I jot down bits and pieces, updates, and upgrades that need attention in my business. Leafing through it now, I see some updates that need to be done to a couple of e-books, testing a new plugin for my website, researching email providers, and setting up a video space in my office. They’re important tasks, but not urgent; and since they require not only time (a precious commodity) but the right mindset, it takes a while for them to make their way to the top of my priority list.
But Mercury’s conjunction with Saturn (Feb. 28, 2024, 7:07 am PST), is the perfect time to take them on. Mercury brings mental acuity and clever solutions, but not always the staying power for in-depth troubleshooting. When it comes together with patient, persistent Saturn, though, I find it easier to see a challenging task through to completion. And since the conjunction takes place in Pisces, inspiration and intuition add an extra dimension to the troubleshooting team.
Maybe you’ve got your own notebook filled with drips and drabs that need attention around the house, in your business, even as part of your life goals. This week is an opportunity to get serious about them.
Container for the Spirit
As many readers know, my late father, a textbook Capricorn, was a farmer. He was never happier than when he was riding a tractor, tilling the soil in neat rows. He loved the dirt, the heat, the humidity, the bugs, all of it, and when he came home for dinner he was exhausted and as tranquil as a Capricorn ever gets.
I don’t mean to romanticize hard labor. But one thing’s for sure – humans aren’t designed to sit still indoors for hours every day under artificial light. We may enjoy what we’re doing during those hours, and may not even consider ourselves very physical beings; but our bodies beg to differ. Just think of the glow of well-being and relaxation that follows a vigorous workout.
As the Sun makes its annual conjunction with Saturn this week (Feb. 28, 2024, 1:25 pm PST), we may feel confined, regimented, achy, tired, or disgruntled – especially in the day or two leading up to the exact aspect. The physical body can be an uncomfortable, Saturnine container for the bright spirit of the Sun, especially when it’s suffering from disuse. But the Sun’s union with Saturn reminds us that our bodies are spirit made visible, that it’s a privilege to be alive, and that we owe it to our bodies to give them as much use as we give our minds.
Yes, More, and Enough
Even when the schedule is already packed, we’re out of groceries, and we’ve been wearing the same clothes for days because there’s no time to do laundry, it can be surprisingly hard to turn down tempting opportunities to do even more. But the Sun and Mercury’s sextiles to Jupiter (Mar. 1, 2024, 4:15 am PST and Feb. 29, 2024, 1:53 am PST, respectively) are a reminder that we needn’t take every opportunity that comes our way.
The Sun loves making contact with Jupiter. Every creative idea, every opportunity for fun seems even more dazzling in combination with the god of Big Ideas. Jupiter is that terrific friend who says “Yes! – and more!” to everything you propose. A night out with Jupiter is such fun… until it becomes exhausting.
Don’t go too far, too fast. Think things through before you leap. Have fun with Jupiter, but know when it’s time to say “enough.”
Unexpected Developments
A square between Venus and Uranus (March 3, 2024, 5:17 am PST) is one of those diabolical connections that can symbolize unexpected expenses. Right on schedule, one of the computers I use for my business fell prey to some noxious malware, and the cost in money and (especially) time and money to build a new system has been considerable. I’m still waiting and hoping for the unexpected income that can also be symbolized by this aspect!
Relationships are also Venus’s terrain, and this week could bring a new and stimulating business or personal connection – or, maybe, surprising developments in existing ones. When Venus and Uranus connect by square, tension arises around the appropriate balance between togetherness and independence. But this aspect can also wake us up to someone close to us, as well as to others whom we might have previously overlooked.
Redemption
How did you arrive at this moment? Are you on track to reach your desired destination? And if not, is there time to shift course?
The Last Quarter Moon is a phase of redemption. It’s the pivotal third act in a narrative, when we undergo a crisis of confidence, come to terms with our circumstances, and take action to resolve something. This Last Quarter Moon in Sagittarius (March 3, 2024, 7:23 am PST), with its optimism and humor, is one of the more uplifting Last Quarter Moon signs. We are a tad more likely to believe that we can pull off a redemptive third act.
This Last Quarter concludes a lunar phase family that began with a New Moon at 12º22’ Sagittarius on Dec. 3, 2021. It’s now-or-never time for something we envisioned then, first acted upon at the Sep. 3, 2022 First Quarter Moon, and saw come to fruition at the June 3, 2023 Full Moon. Now, we decide how to conclude this chapter with perspective and grace – and how to tell the ending of the story.
Writing and images © 2017-24 by April Elliott Kent
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