Art by Maila Davenport, artist/activist

Today marks the Sun’s ingress into Aries, and the Vernal Equinox. Because the Sun has returned to the first degree of the first sign of the zodiac, it’s also the astrological new year! This is a powerful time to manifest what we want in the coming year, but because Mercury will station retrograde on Thursday (March 22), there’s an interesting spin on this year’s Equinox. We certainly will be feeling the need for a fresh start, but we might have to get creative. What can you repurpose, recycle, or reclaim to enhance your life?

It’s possible you have a lot of the tools and resources you need, but just have to reconfigure things a bit. Say you’d like to find a  new job. Now is the time to set your intentions in this area, and as you look forward, keep your eye in the rearview mirror. Your past experience and connections will be important during this time, even if you plan to go into a whole new field of work. The coming months will be a great time for classes, training, and research. We’re ready to plant new seeds, but this year, there’s a bit more soil preparation necessary than in other years. We’re entering an 8-month stretch of time that will be heavily influenced by various inner planet retrograde cycles. The bottom line: keep it slow and steady. In fact, if we try to rush ahead, we’ll be met with resistance that prevents us from our goal.

Don’t let these energies dampen your enthusiasm! There are exciting new things in store for us this year, but we’ll need to operate patiently, which is easier for some Sun signs than others. As a double Aries, I can be challenged by delays that block my charge forward. But, I also have found that slowing down and double checking things always improves the outcome of whatever I do.

Happy Equinox and happy astrological new year, everyone. Enjoy the first signs Spring (in the Northern Hemisphere) and inspiration for the year ahead.