Anticipation

Spring is just around the corner as the Sun moves its way through the last degrees of Pisces. The vernal equinox is Monday, March 20, at 6:29 a.m., when the Sun transitions into Aries, the first sign of the zodiac. The vitality of this cardinal fire sign helps us shake off the dormant feeling of winter, heating up our physical bodies with the impulse to get out and do something. There’s a catch in the start of this year’s spring season, however–one that may potentially trip us up if we’re trying to move too fast.

Aries embodies a powerful straightforwardness that seeks freedom to move ahead with decisive action.Words like ‘pushy’ and ‘hasty’ are often applicable, not because Aries is an inherently selfish sign, but because the expression of personal will is necessary. We’ve had Uranus, the big rebel of the planets, transiting Aries since 2011, charging the atmosphere with an electrifying and restless dissatisfaction of life as we know it. Venus, ahead of the Sun right now, has also been in Aries since early February. Venus is a symbol of our value and discernment– how we internally choose what we like and honor and what we are repelled or insulted by. The headstrong and impetuous climate of Aries can put a little bit of a warrior in Venus, getting straight to the point but perhaps forgetting patience and manners. And this touchiness in relationships is extended with the planet’s retrograde phase, lasting from March 4-April 15.

Mercury, messenger of the gods, joined Uranus and Venus in Aries yesterday. Because of its retrograde phase (April 9-May 3), Mercury will be in Aries through the end of March, and then will revisit it again April 20- May 16. With all of this retrograde activity going on in Aries, there’s a sense that we have to rectify some things before we can really spring forward into the freshness of a new season. It’s not that we have to stay stuck in reverse motion– Aries will not wait for any planet to catch up! The winter planning phase is coming to an end, and we are compelled to start breaking out of the cocoon and implementing our ideas. But within that energy is the need to be brave and clarify some things, perhaps on an internal level. Aries is brazenly honest, and we can utilize that to get to the core of our intentions. It’s time to stop lying to ourselves and to others.

Venus and Mercury are signalling that we need to reevaluate in order to live more freely, stripped of superficial pretenses and ideals that no longer feel authentic. The rejection of the status quo, represented by Uranus in Aries, is a background pressure that we’re all feeling. The Sun’s entry into Aries, coupled with Venus and Mercury, shines a light on our individual power and conviction. This is an ideal time to develop courage to make changes and to regain a sense of integrity on a collective level as well as a personal one.

impeachment : (noun) the action of calling into question the integrity or validity of something