Happy Spring, everyone. April is almost upon us and I decided to get your monthly horoscopes up a bit early (it’s the Aries in me!). I’ve actually been in vacation mode the past week and indulging my Venus in Pisces (extra sleep, day dreaming, and even a trip to the beach). Restored by spending time next to the great, gorgeous Pacific in the company of the family I love, I’m on the eve of getting back into my regular work routines.

March had a lot going on! We experienced two eclipses and kicked off the Astrological New Year at the Spring Equinox. Just like the new plant growth and flowers many of us are seeing in the Northern Hemisphere, we may have felt new ideas and inspiration sprouting within ourselves. I hope you took advantage of the energizing astrology last month to get started on some of your goals because the astrological “brakes” are going to be on soon.

We’ve got the exciting and powerful Aries New Moon on Thursday, April 7th. This is an ideal New Moon to set goals not just for the next Moon cycle, but for the coming year. However, the Moon will be Void of Course (not a good time to make new commitments) most of the day April 7th. If you’re on the U.S. West Coast, and are awake between 4:32 and 7:56 AM, this will be the most powerful time to write down your goals (if you live in other locations, check what this translates to in your own time zone). If you hit snooze one too many times on the 7th, your next best opportunity will be all day or night on April 8th. Consider what areas of your life could use a fresh start. What have you wanted to do that you’ve been procrastinating out of fear or lack of belief in yourself?

I have a theory that most “laziness” actually stems from a subconscious part of ourselves that is afraid of success and secretly believes we don’t have what it takes to achieve our goals. I know I wrestle this “lazy” part of myself all the time – the me who tries to tempt myself into escapist TV watching to distract me from the activities that could move me closer to my dreams. Let the Aries energy of this New Moon serve as a petite (or grande) kick in the butt to help you believe in yourself enough to try.

Now that I have you all motivated, time to step back and calm down. As excited as we might be to start anew, by the time of the New Moon we’ll already be in the “shadow phase” of Mars Retrograde. Mars goes retro every two years and this year it turns retrograde April 17th and goes direct June 29th. But, we often feel the effects 10 days or so on either side in what’s known as the “shadow phase.” Mars is the planet of action. In retrograde, this means taking action on anything you’ve already started. When direct, Mars serves as an excellent instigator to help us jump start something new. But we will need to work with Mars retrograde energy most of April, May and June to make the most of what we already have.

Mars rules Aries and is the traditional ruler of Scorpio. These Sun Signs may feel more mellow and introspective than usual. The rest of the zodiac could feel unusually “fired up” as they may be exploring their anger (something Aries and Scorpio tend to be more used to). Best to approach others cautiously and do your best to avoid unnecessary confrontation. For the first part of the retrograde cycle Mars will be in Sagittarius, a sign associated with philosophy, higher education, travel and adventure. Think about what you need to re-learn or re-live. Perhaps it’s time to return to a favorite travel destination or re-read a book that changed your way of thinking. At the end of May, Mars retrogrades back into Scorpio. For the remainder of the Mars retrograde cycle we may find ourselves focused on emotional wounds from the past and releasing anger, resentment or grudges.

We also have Mercury retrograde April 28th – May 22nd. This will create additional “drag” and encourage us to resolve the past. Spoiler alert: May will be even more difficult than April to start new endeavors. Never fear. We all have plenty of unfinished projects. There will be more than enough to keep us busy between now and July when the retrograde energy finally clears. If you think you don’t have anything to finish, I’d suggest going back to check your work. Feel free to email me at cardinalfireastrology@gmail.com with any questions, comments or to schedule a personalized astrology reading.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Embrace unexpected circumstances and transform feelings of dissatisfaction into positive steps forward.

Hello, everyone. Your March Horoscopes are up! I am feeling grateful that February had one extra day this year to give us just a little more time before March hit. March is a mixed bag of energies that will in one way or another motivate us to change. I have to be honest, however, and let you know that it could get messy. You know that stage in a project where everything is pulled apart and to the casual observer it appears like chaos? Well, the Eclipses often turn situations and emotions inside out and then start shaking to get everything out for examination. It is the first step before progress. But to me, it’s the most important step. It gives us an opportunity to take a look at what we’re working with.

We start with a Solar Eclipse in Pisces on March 8th. Themes related to this eclipse include healing, faith, universal love, creativity, addiction, letting go and intuition. Endings and beginnings are often instigated around the Eclipses. If you think back to the last pair of Eclipses in September of 2015, you may find some common threads. Only you will know if it’s time to cut your losses or get out your needle and start mending. This powerful Solar Eclipse can help you to make peace with yourself and  others. Where would you like to make a new start? What do you need to let go of to make room for more of what you want? This will be a highly potent New Moon to set your intentions.

March 19th is the Spring Equinox and Astrological New Year! We can enjoy an infusion of fresh energy to help us set goals for the coming year. This is a fabulous time for resolutions and initiating new habits. New businesses, relationships and ideas will be primed for growth. What you focus on now can set the tone for the next 12 months so be careful what you wish for.

On March 23rd we’ll experience a Lunar Eclipse in Libra. Lunar Eclipses have the power to illuminate situations in our lives that require our attention.  In the sign of Libra, this Eclipse can help us to recognize where there may be imbalances in our relationships with a spouse, lover, friend or business partner. Our sense of fairness may be challenged in some way around this time. What might seem like a personal injustice could be a mirror to show us how to be more fair and compassionate to others.

Anyone with a birthday on or within a few days of the Eclipse dates is in for a big year! Transformation and change are headed your way and the more you can embrace it, the better.

Speaking of birthdays, cardinalfireastrology.com is two years old! On March 1, 2014, I sent my first blog post out into cyberspace. Since then, I’ve had the honor of learning and growing as an astrologer while sharing my insights with you. Thanks to everyone who reads this blog. The readership is growing and I’ve been fortunate enough to meet some of you through personal astrology readings this year.

I wanted to mention that I’ve created archives for the 2014 and 2015 monthly horoscopes. You can access them from the home page. I am not sure how much they will be used, but I thought they might be helpful to some people. Let me know if you find yourself looking back over an era in your life and revisiting that month’s astrology. I’d be curious how the astrology and your life events synched up.

For now, let’s all take a nice big breath and move into March 2016 together. There is much to be done, but we can only live in one moment at a time.