Leading the V-Formation
Dates and times are given for U.S. Pacific Time zone.
Better with boundaries
My vision of Venus conjoining Saturn (March 28, 2022, 12:27 pm PDT, at 21.44 Aquarius) is a couple at the altar – or more precisely, signing their marriage license. In contrast to passionate conjunctions of Venus with Mars and Pluto in recent weeks, this conjunction finds the lovers out of bed and at the county clerk’s office. This is love as the genesis of a dynasty, the building block for future accomplishments, the unshakeable bedrock that strengthens society. In Aquarius, Venus and Saturn in Aquarius commit to the shared values of individual primacy and the promotion of societal progress.
Venus and Saturn come together on the Sabian symbol 22 Aquarius: A rug placed on a floor for children to play. A floor rug is a sort of funny, imaginary playpen; the child can crawl outside its borders fairly easily. But a nearby caregiver keeps a close eye and lets the child explore its freedom without escaping the boundaries of safety.
Saturn imposes a similar invisible boundary on relationships. We’re free to leap over its walls and escape at any time. But Saturn embracing Venus shows us not only the boundaries, but the reason for them: within their parameters, we’re able to share more of ourselves, to love and be loved more thoroughly.
Where is 21.44 Aquarius in your birth chart? It marks where you’re called, now, to review and recommit to your values, your partners, your friends, and your community.


Bending toward security
Venus, the planet of pleasure and plenty, makes a square to the Lunar Nodes (March 30, 2022, 00:36 am PDT, at 23.18 Aquarius) this week. Planets square the nodal axis are said to be “at the bendings,” an important position that catalyzes movement from one node to the other – between the default setting of the South Node and the evolutionary path of the North Node.
The tension between the Scorpio South Node and the Taurus North Node is about the conscious choices we make between fear and confidence. But I also see the polarity in Venus’ Sabian symbol at this square, 24 Aquarius: A man turning his back on his passions and teaching from his experience .
I’m saying nothing against Scorpio whatsoever. But the South Node amplifies the darker qualities of any sign it passes through, and it’s our job to consciously transcend them. Venus at the North Bending point inclines toward the growth-oriented North Node in Taurus, and our communal hunger for practicality, common sense, and security.
At this square, in Venus-related matters such as relationships with others and financial security, we’d do well to turn our backs on feelings alone, which draw us toward the South Node and its fears of what might never come to pass – and instead, embrace and take confidence from what we’ve learned through practical experience.


The lead position
The Aries New Moon (March 31, 2022, 11:24 pm PDT, 11.30 Aries) is on the Sabian Symbol 12 Aries: A flock of white geese. If you’ve ever seen a flock of geese flying in a v-formation, you may have assumed the bird at the vertex was particularly dominant. But actually, there is no one “lead” goose. Flying in a v-formation allows the rest of the flock to fly farther, by protecting each other from wind resistance. But the bird in the lead position hasn’t any such protection. And because this position is such a taxing one, the flock shares the load by rotating, each taking its turn in the lead position.
Being the lead goose is not about prestige. It’s about survival.
When we think of Aries, we often think it’s a sign of leadership, simply because it moves so quickly, blazing new trails, that everyone else just tends to follow. But Aries, in my experience, doesn’t really love to lead; it just doesn’t want to follow. It just wants to do new things, and is perfectly happy to do them alone. Look for the house of your birth chart where 11.30 Aries falls. This is a house where you often finding yourself blazing new trails.
But as this Sabian symbol reminds us, being out in front by yourself is a taxing position. And at this New Moon, with Aries’ ruling planet Mars headed for a conjunction with Saturn, we should be mindful that our individual energy has limits – and that letting someone else in the flock take the lead for awhile can help us travel farther in the long run.


Writing and collages © 2019-2025 April Elliott Kent
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