The first was an eclipse of the Sun in the last degree of Aries. This was the second Aries New Moon of the year, the first being on the Vernal Equinox, hence, in the first degree of Aries. The second occurs in the final degree of that sign. This can be tense, particularly given that the lunation makes an exact square to Nessus, a planet that helps some astrologers understand the psychological abuse that so many people have suffered.

Two weeks later, on May 4, an eclipse of the Moon takes place in mid-Scorpio. This is the corresponding Full Moon. Sun and Moon, opposite one another make a square or 90 degree aspect to three planets: Neptune, plus minor planets Amor, Psyche and Requiem. The deeper question is what influence have drugs and alcohol played, on love being acted out as psychological wounding, and the loss of faith?

Finally, the long-awaited Venus retrograde begins. This event peaks in June, and I will look at it much more closely next month. You can also find out more at the Planet Waves aquasphere web page.

Aries (March 20-April 19)

Set your limits before they set you. Or, break your limits before they break you. It's your choice, really, and the underlying theme involves the agreements you make with others which cast you into certain roles that are very much remnants of the past. Right now every cell in your body should be urging you to clear your personal space and your emotional space of objects and people that trap you in roles you are no longer meant to play. The world is larger than that, and so are you, and the further you travel from your ancestral home, the more you will see and discover.

Taurus (April 19-May 20)

You're about to embark on a process of exploring your family patterns. This will demonstrate to you where your real priorities reside as separate from those of the people who dictated their requirements to you, and put them onto you. I speak not of a therapy session or weekend workshop, but rather the inner journey of a lifetime. You may finally discover why it is that you've put so much value on material objects and so little value on yourself. There comes a moment when you may feel totally adrift. And that is the moment right before reality dawns.

Gemini (May 20-June 21)

If it seems like you've been living in bits and pieces, or like there's been sand in your bed, I think this is the month you'll sense a shift: if not physical, then emotional. It may not be the shift you expect, but I'll be very surprised if you can't count substantial progress. You are on schedule for a substantial improvement in your living arrangements this year. Yes, an expansion of your physical space, but this is part of a more all-encompassing idea of yourself. More than anything, your new space must accommodate your healing agenda, and make room for you to think.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

The world may seem to be stretching to overwhelming proportions, too great to reach. From the look of your charts, I can't imagine that you feel like you belong anyplace in particular, not even inside your own skin. But here you are, and in actual fact, home is anywhere. I offer both words of warning and encouragement: don't be fooled by the frustration you may be feeling. Ultimately, any feeling of confinement is within you, and the good news there is that the solution is inside you, too. But you need to persist, and stay awake.

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23)

A family situation may be the source of high drama in your home, but I don't suggest you take it too seriously. Certain people are susceptible to specific kinds of astrological events more than others, and we are now under the influence of eclipses. And these are likely to push people to their emotional limits. The message for you is about how you handle "old stuff." Fortunately, you're very likely feeling strong, stable and clear enough to withstand just about anything with a good attitude. Keep your focus; it will help everyone.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22)

You know your priorities. You knew them all along, of course, but now you know you know. Just how personal your personal space is has been a factor in recent seasons, and suddenly it's okay. Another factor bubbling to the surface of awareness is the extent to which the quality and condition of where you live can dictate your emotional condition. While you are clearly not the "hard as nails" type, you can do a good job of faking it. But who are you trying to impress? We already know you're brilliant. Sensitive just makes you that much more lovable.

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23)

The sequence of events about to unfold in your life is more than you could have ever expected. The portents of progress are everywhere, though the first thing on the list is your point of view. Where a certain domestic partnership is concerned, prepare yourself for a heightened sense of awareness of the extent to which things need to change, or rather, are changing. This is not a process you can stop, and it would be truly foolish to cling to excuses rather than let the winds and tides of liberation move through you, your home and your heart. If you think you have something to lose, perhaps it's just your sense of loss.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22)

The lunar eclipse in your birth sign this month may seem to present few choices, but I can assure you that's not true. The main gift of this eclipse is the sudden release of an old situation that's been bringing you a lot of grief. But eclipses can feel compulsory, as if you're being forced to act under pressure. And they can also put a lot of people around you on edge, which seems to raise the stakes rather than cut anyone some easy slack. If events surrounding the eclipse seem to be pushing you too hard, they are only pushing you to a place where you have new options you did not see before.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22 - Dec. 22)

You may be tempted to play politics in a relationship, yet to do so would be to resign yourself to a powerless position. As the keeper of the hearth and the one who tends the home fires, you're confusing devotion with subservience. If you want to give yourself emotionally 100%, that is your choice, and truly made, it is a choice made from a position of power and awareness. But you must be an equal partner within your own home, or risk wasting time playing old tapes and repeating ancient dramas.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20)

Someone you live with may be feeling like the situation just is not worth the effort or stress. But if so, you would do well to ask what situation they are referring to. Projections may be flying like wild geese come home, or more like goose feathers when the pillow breaks. The fact that you're becoming aware that the role into which you've been cast is not going to work for much longer should really encourage you to sort out fact from fancy all the more scrupulously. But forget about trying to keep control; communication is less effort and will get you far enough.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19)

You must take extra effort to balance your professional and home life, because the tendency to abandon one for the other is an obvious feature on the map of this month. Balancing, however, is not going to be an easy job, and it may involve drawing clear lines, be they in time, in space or in taking care of your emotional and health-oriented needs. You may end up in the uncomfortable spot of having to decide whether your home really is a safe place. Decide, and do something if necessary.