March will be a fiery, initiative-driven, action-packed month this year and could bring many new developments. Venus will start its long, supportive journey in Taurus at the end of the month and Mars will glide into Capricorn, its sign of exaltation, joining Saturn later in the month. Jupiter will give us a taste run of its transit in Capricorn for two months.
Venus Transits Aries from February 29 till March 28
As Venus transitions from watery Pisces to the fiery environment of Aries, the stage is set for some potent energy in March. Venus will be occupying Mars’ fire sign all month while hot and powerful Mars is sitting with Ketu and Jupiter in Sagittarius, Jupiter’s fire sign.
When we think of the fire element, we are focusing on the process of transformation of matter to energy, without which we cannot thrive. With fire, we can initiate, create, produce, and grow. Jupiter in Sagittarius is poised to support us as we launch, transform and take off after what may seem too long of a time in preparation. Jupiter will be in occupation of his own sign most of the month, until March 29, projecting his warmth and joy into all of the fire signs, including Aries by aspect, where Venus transits until March 28. This is a great time to cook up new, creative ventures that could grow quickly and produce lasting fruits.
On March 28, Venus enters Taurus. Planets transiting through the signs that they lord are considered empowered to act strongly and on their best behaviour. Venus, the ruler of our social interactions and our connection to earthly beauty and abundance, will be gracing the earth sign of Taurus from March 28 till August 1. Generally, this Venus in Taurus energy will be supportive of sustaining and building creative projects and relationships. More on this in the April forecast.
Full Moon in Leo in the nakshatra of Purva Phalguni on March 9
To further drive home the fiery energy, the Moon reaches fullness in a fire sign this month, Leo, on March 9th coming into exact opposition with the Sun at 26 degrees of Leo at approx. 6 pm UTC.
The full moon is getting an exact aspect from Jupiter, bringing in optimism and a feeling of abundance for areas that are signified by Leo in your chart. It will be in the nakshatra of Purva Phalguni, controlled by Venus and ruled by the deity, Bhaga, lord of wealth and pleasure. This moment shows the two watery planets, Moon and Venus, strongly placed in fire signs, with the final fire sign occupied by Mars, Ketu and Jupiter.
The predominant energies are fire and air at this time, with Mercury, Sun and Rahu in occupation of air signs. Saturn is anchoring us by his occupation of Capricorn, but overall, this is not the most grounded energy. There may be a flurry of plans, ideas and exchanges around this time, especially as Mercury is nearing the end of his retrograde cycle the following morning. This is a good moment for clarity and inspiration, so write down the ideas as they come.
Mercury goes direct on March 10
As March 10 dawns, Mercury comes to a halt at 5 degrees of Aquarius, ending the first retrograde cycle of 2020, in an air sign, which is the theme for the year: Mercury retrograde in air signs. Mercury loves air signs, so we can have some fun riding the currents during the next couple of Mercury retrograde cycles: Gemini in June and Libra in October.
Aquarius is a comfortable place for Mercury, as he is friendly with both lords: Saturn and Rahu. Additionally, Mercury and Rahu are in an exchange of signs, which makes them both super-enthusiastic and brilliant through April 7, when Mercury moves to Pisces.
Fire needs fuel and oxygen to thrive. This month the transformative, active and fiery energy has already been revealed. Feeding it with plenty of breeze are the airy planets in the windy signs. Rahu is currently exalted in Mercury’s air sign, Gemini, while Mercury is wind surfing across the cool expanse of Aquarius.
This could be a fertile month for communications, multi-media projects, networking, initiating new connections, content creation, and outreach. With air and fire dominating, our minds will want us to go on indefinitely. Make conscious efforts to rest, eat nourishing foods, and hydrate in order to balance the mind on hyperdrive.
Sun Transits Pisces March 14 till April 14
The Sun moves into Pisces on March 14. At this juncture, we will have planets in each consecutive sign starting with Jupiter, Mars and Ketu in Sagittarius and ending with Venus in Aries, forming a partial, wealth yoga, called Graha Mallika.
The Sun is in friendly waters in Pisces, ruled by Jupiter, a natural friend of the Sun. There is some challenge to Pisces coming from Saturn’s aspect, which is known for applying pressure and creating resistance. Additionally, Pisces will feel the force of Mars’ aspect until March 21, which combined with Saturn energy can create frustration and a push/pull feeling.
Even with the challenging aspects, the Sun in Pisces is in good dignity. Whichever house in the personal chart that Pisces occupies should benefit from the Sun’s transit here this year. With the lord of Pisces, Jupiter, also well situated in the other sign that it rules, Sagittarius, we should all benefit from this positive transit.
Mars Transits Capricorn from March 22 till May 4
Mars moves out of Jupiter’s fire sign, Sagittarius, and into his sign of exaltation, Capricorn, on March 22. Mars’ transit here will last until May 4, where there will be an exact conjunction with the lord of Capricorn himself, Saturn, from March 30 till April 1st.
Mars and Saturn have one of the most interesting relationships amongst the planets. They do not have a friendly relationship: Mars rules a fire and water sign, Saturn rules an earth and air sign; their agenda is starkly different. However, Mars gains exaltation in Saturn’s earth sign, Capricorn, but Saturn becomes debilitated in Mars’ fire sign, Aries. So, whilst these two planets have different agendas, with the right focus, drive, resources, and strategy, Mars and Saturn together can move mountains.
After the conjunction, Mars will move ahead of Saturn and toward his degree of exaltation at 28 degrees of Capricorn, which he reaches on May 1. April 2020 could be a great month for digging in and getting much progress on work.
For reference, the last conjunction of Mars and Saturn in Capricorn occurred from February 10 till March 20, 1992, when interestingly, the Rahu/Ketu axis occupied the same space as now, but reversed (in 1992, Rahu in Sagittarius and Ketu in Gemini).
New Moon in Pisces in the nakshatra of Uttara Bhadrapada on March 24
In the early hours of March 24, at approx. 9 am UTC, the Moon joins the Sun at 11 degrees of Pisces for the quiet and still moment of the new Moon. This meeting occurs in the 26th nakshatra, Uttara Bhadrapada, whose controlling planet is Saturn.
The Sun represents the collective soul that enlightens the Moon, representing the collective mind. From the Earth’s perspective, the Moon dances through a different phase and relationship with the Sun’s ever-bright light each day, giving us the collective experience of fluctuating light and shadow, which translates in daily life through activity like ocean tides and human moods.
The new Moon occurs when the Moon aligns with the Sun and they occupy the same degree of the zodiac. At these times, we on Earth are unable to view the Moon due to its proximity to the blasting light of the Sun. During this ‘dark Moon’ (also known as Amavasya), we are close to the source. This induces feelings of vulnerability that can translate as mental or physical fatigue. The day leading up to the new Moon, Monday, March 23, would be a good day to keep a lighter schedule and plan for some self-care.
The fiery, creative energy from early March will be propelling us toward new projects, chapters and avenues. The nakshatra Uttara Bhadrapada grants us the wisdom of balance as we spiral upward toward lofty goals. The deity associated with this nakshatra is Ahirbudhnya, the two-headed serpent from the depths, and embodies a spiritual warrior energy. The grounded, practical experience of Saturn comes through here and combines with the expansive, lofty aspirations of Jupiter, the ruler of the sign of oceanic Pisces which is the container for Uttara Bhadrapada nakshatra.
With Mars and Venus shifting into signs of good dignity within a week either side of this new Moon, we will be riding a strong tide. Take this new Moon time to pause and examine the foundations of what you may be building. Be willing to see the cracks with open eyes and repair them before they cause future issues. The detachment of Saturn paired with the hope of Jupiter can make a keen tool when the balance is just right.
Jupiter dips into Capricorn from March 29 till June 29
The buoyant Jupiter spends about one year in each sign, taking about twelve years to make his circuit around the Sun. March begins with Jupiter occupying the late degrees of his own sign of Sagittarius, and then, Jupiter follows Mars into Capricorn on March 29 for a three-month preview of when Jupiter will transit Capricorn starting on November 20, 2020.
There are pros and cons to this upcoming Capricorn preview for Jupiter. Jupiter finds himself debilitated in Capricorn, a cold, earthy sign, and does not have a friendly relationship with Saturn. However, with Saturn’s presence, Jupiter’s quality will change, and can make it good for material pursuits that require planning and strategy. With Jupiter’s friend, Mars, present in Capricorn, this can be very good for pragmatic goals. Also, Jupiter’s separation from Ketu could act to remove some of the obstacles that have appeared during the past six months, pertaining to what Sagittarius represents in your chart.
Another twist in the story is that planets in debilitation can give opposite outcomes whilst transiting in retrograde motion, no longer operating as a debilitated planet. This will happen for Jupiter in May. In fact, May could bring a slew of reversals, editing, backtracking, and do-overs as Saturn and Venus will also be retrograde at that time.
March comes in like a lion, bringing fire and initiative. As the Sun moves to watery Pisces mid-month, the energy may cool down as planets shift from fire signs to earth signs. Get ready for inspiration that can be translated into practical and tangible progress.
