Mercury Stations Direct; Vernal Equinox

The Sun is nearing the end of its run through Pisces, and as this happens, Mercury is about to station direct in Pisces. Mercury stations direct Sunday, March 17 at 4:02:54 pm EDT. Said another way, we're now in the storm phase of Mercury retrograde, the days immediately surrounding when Mercury changes directions. This is not the time to be pushing major decisions or plans ahead -- it's the time to ease back for a little while, and see what thoughts, ideas and reflections manifest.

Events can seem to evolve (or reverse) their meaning over the next few days; concealed information can come to the surface. This is the time to be mindful of factors that you may not have considered.

Chart for Mercury stationing direct, using whole-sign houses. One of the key factors in this chart is the spread between Pisces and Aries. You can see that on the left side of the chart -- the planets immediately above the horizontal line are in Pisces, and the ones below are in Aries. The main emphasis on Pisces is Mercury going direct in a conjunction to Neptune. The main emphasis on Aries is Mars walking up to a conjunction with Uranus. If you find this intriguing, I recommend a good old article called How to Cross an Ocean; How to Light a Fire. The article comes with extended forecasts for 2011, in case you want to research that charming year.

In general, here's the scenario: planets are now placed in Pisces and Aries, which is providing some tension between leaping ahead and taking things slowly. Mercury is still retrograde in Pisces, and that's emphasizing the 'take it slow' thing for a few days more.

Let's take the moves in chronological order. Earlier this week, we had the Pisces New Moon. Some have described this as a deeply introspective New Moon -- that's the nature of Pisces, especially at the dark of the Moon. That was also the last day of the full-on Pisces cluster, as by Tuesday, the Moon and Mars had moved on to Aries. (Mars will be in Aries until April 20. It moves into Taurus in a conjunction with the Sun.)

As mentioned, on Sunday, Mercury stations direct in Pisces. This ends the three-week Mercury retrograde that began Feb. 23. Mercury changes directions while in a conjunction with Neptune in Pisces. This is an intuitive, very unusual Mercury station due to the conjunction to slow-moving Neptune.

Another highlight is that at the moment of the Mercury station (the change in directions), the Moon is in Gemini, conjunct Jupiter (the traditional ruler of Pisces). This offers additional emphasis on Pisces, though from another angle. The theme here is the relationship between mind and intuition; between reason and creative process. Note, the Mercury-Neptune conjunction is directly connected to the Moon-Jupiter conjunction. This is a potent chart, and what you do Monday can have plenty of leverage.

The Sun enters Aries at 7:02 am Wednesday, March 20. That's the vernal equinox, the long-awaited beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere, and the center of this week in the Sun's cycle when day and night are of equal length. This is a meaningful tipping point in the year, a time to gather momentum and move forward confidently with your plans.

One last aspect. Mars makes a conjunction to Uranus in Aries on Friday, March 22. This is an aspect to watch with some caution, as it has a militant quality to it. Mars-Uranus can be accident prone. Remember that as the week develops. This is not the week to do things like balance on top of a ladder, stroll around on the roof or wear slippers while standing on top of a wet pile of hay bails. This is the week to drive the speed limit and to use substances with respect and awareness.

After so much Pisces and Mercury retrograde, it may be tempting to spark up the solid rocket boosters, though in all sincerity, I do not recommend this. I will risk being accused of being too cautious and remind us that there really are moments when prudence is the greater part of valor.
I will cover this in next week's Planet Waves FM, and we'll keep an eye on it in Daily Astrology as well.

This is a 12-sign audio report about relationships and sex. Each of the signs gets half an hour of attention -- half the length of a long podcast. You can listen to your Sun, Moon or rising sign, and those of people you care about. Visit this link to pre-order.



The Pisces Papacy

In this week's edition, I sort out the rapidly changing Pisces sky, as well as look at the chart for the secrecy agreement taken by the College of Cardinals. The Roman Catholic Church elected its next benevolent dictator just before Mercury stations direct. And Mercury is prominent in the chart of the cardinals taking their vow of secrecy. This is quite a chart -- wait till you hear about it.

Here are two of the links mentioned in the podcast: the Golden Age of Gaia article; the Richard Sipe article on the book Just Love.




Your Monthly Horoscopes -- and our Publishing Schedule Notes

The March monthly extended horoscopes were published Friday, Feb. 22. Inner Space for March was published Tuesday, Feb. 26. Note that the longer monthly horoscope is being incorporated into the Friday issue after the Sun has entered a new sign; a new Inner Space is still emailed on the following Tuesday. We published the Moonshine Horoscope for the Pisces New Moon on Tuesday, March 5th. We're still sorting out what we'll be sending you Tuesday, March 19, but we will definitely have the April Monthly Horoscope to you on Friday, March 22, after the Sun enters Aries.



Late Pisces Birthdays

If you have a Pisces birthday in the neighborhood, this year is a turning point in how you make decisions. You are learning to trust your intuition. You are also learning that while your intellect cannot see around all corners, it's worth respecting and paying attention to it. This is a time when you may learn that "all is not what it seems," and have that be a positive message. The prevailing Pisces theme of the inner relationship is developed in this week's charts -- that is, how your relationship to yourself is the basis of all other relationships. I say this because Virgo is the sign that represents partners for you, and its ruler, Mercury, is in your own sign. This is another way of saying, be close to yourself and that will invite others close to you. People think they are craving relationships and on one level that is true. Many people are figuring out that what they want just as much, or more, is to not be alienated from themselves. You have the capacity to express this and set the example, and to weave an energy field around yourself where it's safe for others to be who they are. And that is likely to draw them closer to you, facilitating a space for authentic intimacy that's based on inner harmony. -- By Eric Francis.

Hello Pisces and Pisces rising -- your birthday reading is ready to go. It's two sessions of astrology covering all of the current wild astrology in your sign, a tarot reading and an extended sign description, plus charts and photos of the spread. All this is yours for just $19.95, money-back guarantee if you don't love it.

Weekly Horoscope for Friday, March 15, 2013 #942 | By Genevieve Hathaway

Note to Readers: This week, Genevieve is standing in for the weekly horoscope. I will be back in a week with your extended monthly forecast. -- Eric Francis.
Aries (March 20-April 19) -- Recently, your 12th house has been a very busy place with many planets moving through, including your ruler Mars. This may have come with the feeling of a piece of yourself being just out of reach, or you may not have felt like you were firing on all cylinders. Now, as both the Sun and Mars ingress your sign, you're coming into contact with this part of yourself that has been hard to access. Pushing up from within you is a renewed sense of your potential to accomplish your goals and take action on your vision. You are getting clear on something you've wanted that in the past seemed unattainable, yet will all of a sudden appear possible. In this moment of clarity move forward and take action with intention. The key to manifesting what you want is belief that it can be done. I suggest you not let anyone convince you otherwise. -- by Genevieve Hathaway.


Taurus (April 19-May 20) -- Much has been shifting behind the scenes regarding your network of colleagues and important relationships. Something involving who you allow into this circle of important people was previously in your blind spot or hard to see -- it is now visible to you. You are getting clear on your previous patterns of selecting your network: where those habits came from and whether that process of selection is serving you now. Your astrology at the moment indicates your network is more than just a collection of people who have been in your life for a long time. Rather, it's a support system of your choosing. When weighing who to keep in your network, who to let go of, and who to add, I propose considering the influence each person has on how you feel about who you are. Do they support your sense of self-esteem? Ultimately, it's not the number of people in your network that bring the greatest support; rather, it's the quality of those relationships. -- by Genevieve Hathaway.


Gemini (May 20-June 21) -- Over the past few weeks you've been through a reassessment of your career: a re-evaluation that was more about what you are most called to do and to give back to the world, rather than simply earning a paycheck. Often our society pushes the idea that what brings us passion and meaning and what we do to put food on the table and keep a roof over our heads are two different things. You are now formulating an idea of how to integrate the two, developing a concept of what you do for work as an extension of your deepest self. You may be feeling a lot of pressure to make some quick adjustments to your career. I suggest pausing to lay out a plan of the steps you wish to take; this will help you move with focused intention. A few strategic steps will move you further than large sweeping changes. -- by Genevieve Hathaway.


Cancer (June 21-July 22) -- You are navigating an internal breakthrough that at times has come with the sensation of something peeling apart inside you. I suggest not getting distracted by any feeling of discomfort during this process. Any guilt, shame or fear you experience is a big neon arrow pointing you to take that fork in the road and explore where the material came from. What you are working through is the influence religious ideas and philosophies have on you, particularly on your attitudes and emotional patterns. The astrology at the moment indicates information coming in from your mother's life and the influence religion had on her. Look at her life and then continue on up the maternal line. Even simple questions will get you quite far. A good starting point is asking what everyone in the family knew, but no one talked about. -- by Genevieve Hathaway.


Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) -- Your agreements lately have required some extra negotiating. At times this has felt frustrating, like the negotiations were stuck on the same unresolved issue. In fact, you and the other party were fine-tuning the details like a woodworker dedicatedly and repeatedly sanding and reworking the legs of a strong table. The repeated refinishing actually enhances the solid structure of the table, which can carry a heavy load for a long time. A strong foundation provides a lasting quality. As Mercury stations direct next week, new information will help you finalize the agreement you've been working on. Proceed with patience as you reassess where you've been with the contract and the moves necessary to complete the final steps. Ultimately, the work you are putting into the agreement is building commitment and understanding between both parties that will be of tremendous benefit to all involved. -- by Genevieve Hathaway.


Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) -- The area of your chart involving relationships is located in Pisces. This implies that satisfying relationships for you include flexibility, creativity and great emotional depth. At the moment, you are looking to receive more of these traits from a close partner. I suggest starting with an honest conversation with yourself about your most important relationship needs, and which needs truly must be met for you to be happy. As you get clear on the importance of these needs in a partnership it will be easier to communicate them to a partner and easier to draw the metaphorical line in the sand if they aren't met. In any conversations, I would recommend sticking to larger ideas rather than nitpicking the details. Hold space for a partner to do the same. What is on offer is a restructuring that helps you build partnerships in line with your most authentic desires. -- by Genevieve Hathaway.


Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) -- Your current astrology is highlighting the importance of nurturing and caring for your soul and spiritual side as essential to maintaining a healthy body, mind and emotional state. Think of this in terms of something you know very well -- balance. If one aspect is left undernourished then the other areas aren't as strong. Lately, Mercury has being doing the backstroke through the area of your chart that's focused on health, helping you discover connections between feeding and caring for your inner self and how you feel on a daily basis. The next question is what do you do with this new information? As Mercury changes direction and begins to move forward, continue to devote equal time to taking care of all aspects of you -- mind, body, emotions and soul. An abundance of physical energy and strong health is available to you. -- by Genevieve Hathaway.


Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) -- Pressure is building as you push against what seems like an internal impasse regarding your creativity and the joy you take in that inner spark. Something is shaking loose from within you, a realization about situations early in childhood that affected how you connect with your creativity. You have plenty of resources in your art and pleasure angle, but at the moment you are re-evaluating your basic approach to how you value and nourish your creative self. There is a sense in your chart of a no-going-back moment, like the facade gets stripped away and you can no longer pretend to be something that you are not. I suggest you take the plunge and show everyone the 'real' you. What for you may feel like a vulnerable position will actually be seen by those around you as strength. -- by Genevieve Hathaway.


Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) -- The area of your chart involving art, daring and sex is about to get a dose of energy and passion. Think of it as an active volcano pushing forth streams of hot, molten lava -- it's intense, fierce and beautiful. Over the next few weeks as Mars, the Sun and Venus all join Uranus and Eris in Aries, I suggest carving out extra time for the projects you feel most passionate about. Channel your renewed sense of daring and vision into what your inner compass points to as your strongest calling. You have enough stretch in one aspect of a project to take a few big leaps and risks. Focus and intent will help you remain grounded, channeling the large amount of energy that is at your disposal. You are coming into contact with your potential in a tangible and real form. -- by Genevieve Hathaway.


Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) -- Often our mental patterns are influenced at an early age by our family's dynamics and their mental habits. You've recently been revisiting how your family influenced how you think of and respond to your experiences. Connect the dots on how a key habit affected you, then take the step to acknowledge that you can change that pattern. As you make contact with this new understanding, it may come with the feeling that much of what you believed is unraveling. If it feels like you are losing control, I suggest you move with the flow. You are in fact letting go of a number of illusions that no longer serve you. You are in a potent moment of being able to harness the power of your mind to shape how you experience existence. Ultimately, how you think is one of the areas of life you do have complete control over. -- by Genevieve Hathaway.


Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -- Self-esteem has continued to be a theme in your life for some time now. If there is any aspect of yourself to spend the time on to get right, this is it. How you feel about being 'you' is your greatest resource and essential to shaping your outer world. At times this exploration of your concept of self-esteem has come with plenty of deeply personal and emotional energy as you tapped into a piece of yourself that is raw and real. Over the next week, a realization will shift your perspective on your self-worth even further. Think of it as an illusion dissolving to reveal a new way to access a stronger sense of self-esteem. It's like you find an unlocked door that you didn't know existed, which takes you directly to your inner core of being. I suggest you make this re-orientation on your feeling of self-esteem one of your top priorities. You are at the very end of what has been a long, yet ultimately rewarding process. The work you are doing is building an inner strength that will carry you for a very long time. -- by Genevieve Hathaway.


Hello Pisces! So many planets in Pisces means this is a brilliant moment for you, and your 2013 birthday reading looks at this astrology carefully. Chiron, the planet of healing, Neptune, planet of inspiration, and Mercury retrograde are all included. You now have the ability to develop a gift for business and financial success, if you focus your creative talents and work cooperatively with others -- and I explain how to do that effectively. This reading is two 40-minute sessions of astrology, a tarot reading and an extended written description of your astrological sign. I've also included access to last year's reading so you can review the past 12 months and check my accuracy. Here is a link to that affordably priced reading -- which is like an extended, personal meditation on your life. You will love it -- promise.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) -- With all the high-powered astrology in Pisces lately, your internal world at times may have felt like a major international airport during peak hours -- one busy, almost hectic place. So much was shifting and moving through, you didn't necessarily have time to take stock of all of the changes. What you are experiencing is making contact with your sense of being solid in the world. You are making contact with 'you'. Some old, deep barriers have been breaking down, putting you in touch with part of your emotional and psychic body that you haven't reached in a few lifetimes. To feel solid you first need to know what a solid 'you' looks like -- hold it in your hands and feel the edges, smooth surfaces, fine details and blemishes. As you come to know these new sides of yourself, it will pave the way for you to consistently feel like you've arrived in an existence with space held open for you. -- by Genevieve Hathaway.