The month of March can be known for erratic weather as winter ends and spring begins.  The planets, during this month, are as changeable as the March weather and do not promise a calm April.  The truth is that no one needs astrology to tell them that we are living in erratic times.  Astrology can, however, give a look at timing and how to make the best of the changes.

This month’s New Moon will take place in the sign of Aquarius on March 6th and will be accompanied by Mercury moving in apparent retrograde motion beginning on March 5th in the sign of Pisces. Mercury will be retrograde until March 27th but will leave the sign of Pisces on March 15th when he re-enters the sign of Aquarius.  The New Moon is known for a low energy level and as Mercury is retrograde and in his sign of debilitation (Pisces) I expect the energy levels to be lower than usual.

This is a week not to push too hard and to try and schedule some time for extra rest.  It is a good time for cleaning out closets and files with an eye towards releasing the past as preparation for the newness of spring along with the vital step of clearing out unnecessary material goods and emotional baggage.  The next Full Moon will take place on the 20th (Vernal Equinox) in the signs of Pisces/Virgo. As we all know, even though spring may officially take place on the twentieth, the time period is actually a time of transition as winter releases its grip.  Along with cleaning out our homes and minds during this month it is a powerful time to physically cleanse ourselves of the heavier winter diets and physical inactivity.  Virgo is the natural ruler of the 6th house of health and Pisces is the indicator of endings which makes this time period perfect for clearing and cleansing with the new beginnings of spring beginning to show itself.

This natural planetary process is always positive but this year it is important due to the big planetary change which takes place on March 23rd when Rahu and Ketu (eclipse points) change signs.  They are moving from Cancer/Capricorn into Gemini/Sagittarius. In Vedic astrology Rahu and Ketu are known to be primary indicators of unexpected events as well as karmic indicators. Rahu represents desires and Ketu often plays the role of the denier of those desires.  Ketu is more concerned with one’s spiritual awareness and human beings seem to have an unfortunate tendency to not think much of spirit until they run into pain and trouble which Ketu can provide.  If one already puts the spiritual above the material Ketu leads the way to the bliss of the truth of our divinity.

The past eighteen months the nodal points have not been well placed in the signs of Cancer/Capricorn. Cancer is the sign of digestion and one’s home life and is ruled by the Moon.  The Moon is an extremely important planet which rules the mind, emotions, the people of earth, food and stability.  Rahu and the Moon are not considered to be friends and when Rahu is in Cancer he can cause havoc on the entire population. Ketu has been in the sign of Capricorn which is ruled by Saturn.  Saturn is the planet which rules the “general” population while Capricorn has an influence on “rulers” as well as big financial institutions.  Ketu being an influence of “denials” has denied us reasonable leadership and we’ve all observed the chaos of the current administration.  While the upper financial classes have flourished the “general” population has suffered from the lack of leadership as well as a continuation of care for people in general.  The opposite sign of Capricorn is Cancer (families, mothers, food) and Rahu’s reaction to the Ketu restrictions has been chaotic, cruel and truly unnecessary.  The nodal points have not been good for humanity in general.  Here in America we’ve been a people who have chosen to not pay attention to politics and these positions of the nodal points have been a very tough wake-up call for everyone.

The nodal points will bring about a shift for everyone once they occupy the signs of Gemini/Sagittarius and should be more positive.  Gemini is ruled by the planet Mercury which is a friendly planet to Rahu. Gemini is a sign of intelligence, curiosity, flexibility and innovation all qualities that work with the basic nature of Rahu. Of course, the nodal points are more challenging than not and I expect us to see media heightening the levels of drama along with more sources of misinformation. It will be important for everyone to become familiar with fact-checking as the changes in our world continue at a fast pace.  What I noticed during the Rahu placement in the sign of Cancer was an uptick in people experiencing stomach problems along with an increasing awareness of mental health issues and addiction as more and more people began suffering from these issues. Under the Gemini influence I expect to see issues caused by stress on the nervous system to become more prominent.  Gemini/Mercury have a strong influence on education and it is possible that the people may start to push back against our educational system as they realize that education is not only for those who can afford private schools.  Policy is another feature of Gemini and we can expect some strong battles over the current failed policies coming from our leaders.

Ketu will move into Sagittarius, ruled by Jupiter, and Ketu is known to do very well in the sign of Sagittarius.  Ketu will move to restrict the sometimes overly optimistic nature of Sagittarius during the next eighteen months.  Sagittarius is one of the indictors of foreign peoples and countries as well as being the indicator of the Republican party.  During the first ten months of Ketu occupying Capricorn (out of the full eighteen months) he will be with the planet Saturn and that shows restriction on the policies, both domestic and international, of the current administration.  Saturn is the people and our government has not been responsive to the general population under this administration nor have our international relationships been favored.  Ketu and Saturn coming together will help restrict further damage.  Jupiter is known as the ruler the legal system, royalty and moral philosophy.  Ketu will work with the energy of this planet to try and restore the morals of our rulers. The legal issues which have engulfed our country will come to a head under the influence of Ketu. Sagittarius is known for being a positive sign and we may well witness times when optimism seems to be at low ebb. It may not be pleasant but more trouble can be caused by hubris than by taking off the rose colored glasses.  Ketu along with Saturn are showing truth which can sometimes feel awful.

We all have individual lives to live and the new positions of the eclipse points will often shift the focus of our day to day lives.  Each of us will have the affairs of the new house placements come into more importance in our lives.  For instance, if Rahu is now going to be in the Ascendant, one can expect a certain amount of restlessness as the Rahu energy seeks something new in one’s life and often during the eighteen month stay in the Ascendant one will change hair styles, health routines, jobs or will have changes brought into their lives.

The nodal points are meant to help us grow throughout our lives and some placements are more challenging than others.  The new sign placements will be easier but given the times in which we live the upheavals will continue for a while but we can always choose to look at life with balance, awareness and inner growth.  During this time period the nervous system will be challenged via the stress of life as well as the fear of change.  It is important to pay attention to the nervous system through proper activity, rest, food, supplements, meditation and the truth of self/spirit.  Ketu will help with spiritual/contemplation practices as he has a concern with spirituality and the truth of existence. The truth of existence has little to do with money, career success or status and it is important to not approach your spiritual practices as a magic bullet for mundane success as that is not truth.  The game is to be in peaceful truth no matter what the circumstances of physical life and at this point the chaos of the changing world makes the inward journey a better option.