‘Holandka’ By Ivana Kobilca 1886 {{PD}}

Today the formula for successful response is simple: turning away from those things we’ve ignored or denied, or those things that enrage us, is the smart thing to do. Surprising, right? We’d normally find wisdom in tackling all those neglected issues, but not today. I suspect this has to do with a couple of things: though Merc is direct, it’s moving toward conjoining Neptune, and rather than lessening our uncertainties, it may be making them worse; Saturn is quincunx Juno and square Zeus, suggesting that reality both requires adjustment from us to hold on to what little sense of power we have, and denies our ambitions, at least for the moment; and Pallas is square Pluto and the Nodal axis, suggesting that our frustrations could result in throwing up our hands and saying, ‘F*ck it! Burn them all’, and that would have unintended and ultimately negative consequences for our life direction–so just turn away, immerse the mind or your whole Self in something pleasant, and don’t worry at all about anything, just for today.

(Perfecting today: Pallas contra-parallel Black Moon Lilith)

By Շոթա Ոսկանյան – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=32785928

Today’s word image is two puppets, controlled by two people, through which the people are able to speak, saying things to each other that they can’t, won’t, or were unable to formulate previously. In what way is face-to-face communication not accomplishing what you hope it will? This is likely applicable in a relationship where you get a lot of face time but don’t seem to be hearing each other anymore. It calls for finding another medium through which to send your message, and it requires that you see the other party is just as frustrated as you are, because their message isn’t being heard, either.

Please note: the Sun reaches this point so late in the day (just before 6 PM Pacific time) that this will serve as the listing for the 1st of April, as well, resuming new degree posts on the 2nd. Check your natal chart for the correct Sun degree (you may want to read both the degree number and the one that follows–that offers a more complete picture). For those born with the Sun at 11 Aries: What you haven’t attended to, what you’ve ignored, denied, or rejected despite the reality of its presence in your life, will rise up and bite you this coming Solar year, now through to your next birthday. Your saving grace, though, could come in two forms: being open to spontaneity, and being open to Higher Mind. Be willing to renovate, innovate, and look for the original–a too-strenuous exclusion of these has gotten you to where you are now, and reincorporating a certain wildness or the unexpected could go a long way toward reviving your zest for life, and putting that life on a really rewarding track. If you’re currently already happy with your environment and accomplishment rate, adding spontaneity and Higher Mind will only make it better. Have a great year, Aries!

Yes, give–your attention to healing yourself. World War I Red Cross Poster, By Albert Herter via The US Library of Congress {{PD}}

Our attention today will be repeatedly drawn to areas that need healing in our lives; the difficulty will be in us registering what’s happening, and then recognizing what and even why something before us needs to change. Mars into Gemini helps us think before we act, helps us see what about the reality and ambition pictures needs modifying in order to payoff (and this leads to the evolution of what we consider wise)–and by evening we find ourselves much more empowered than we started our day, and possibly reaping some tangible benefits from it.

(Sun parallel Chiron, Juno trine and Venus sesq Zeus, Pluto sq Pallas, Mars enters Gemini, Venus semi-sq Saturn)

By Barancanbag – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=45006792

Today’s word image is a beautiful vine that appears to be smothering a lilac, until you get up close and see that the lilac is still blooming, and actually seems to like the presence of the vine. This seems to be a theme, lately, that things are not always as they appear, and that what seems detrimental from your point-of-view might be seen quite differently by someone else. Just keep in mind the illusory nature of observation over all, and when making a judgment, consider how many filters you might apply that are based on assumptions that don’t necessarily carry through.

Setting the table for your year ahead. Art by Peter Ilsted {{PD}}

For those born with the Sun at 10 Aries (check your natal chart for your Sun degree!) Emotional harmony is yours this Solar year, through to your next birthday, as long as you are willing to take the high road, to bring a dispassionate note to your emotional interactions, and to make understanding, rather than judgment, a goal in assessing both situations and individuals. The past may exert one of two influences: either a destructive one as you carry on past practices, believing they give you power, or a transformative one, as you see the toxic nature of old beliefs and habits and let them go. You have the chance this year to move beyond that Plutonian loop that has kept a good part of your essence tied up for so long. Clear it out, retrieve your spirit, and you can have your best year yet.

‘Girl with a Broom’ From the Workshop of Rembrandt c1647 {{PD}}

Our creative urges are aligned with our highest priorities, and our originality, along with serendipitous accidents (but there are no accidents, right?) serve our empowerment–so what could go wrong? Maybe it’s that we’ll want too much, or maybe that we’ll insist everyone ignore something better faced. No matter what, there’s a strong undercurrent to everything that easily sweeps the unwary into fantasy, delusion, deception, or just plain misunderstanding–so proceed with care, eyes on how best to express your unique point-of-view.

(Neptune parallel Vesta, Uranus parallel Juno, Jupiter qnx NN, Mars sq Black Moon Lilith, Venus contra-parallel Pallas, Merc conj Neptune)

Today’s word image is a mirror that’s lost its silver, and now doesn’t reflect anything. What have you been relying on to give you feedback or a clear picture of the world, that just isn’t working, anymore? Look around for the person or thing not functioning as advertised, and consider what, if anything, it’s good for now.

Setting the table for your year ahead. Art by Peter Ilsted {{PD}}

For those born with the Sun at 04 Aries (check your natal chart for your Sun degree!) Recent days may have been rougher emotionally than expected, but that’s soon to smooth out, dear Aries. And here’s another thing you’ll wrestle with that you didn’t anticipate: the desire to change the past, out of the mistaken idea that you can’t go forward until you do. That just doesn’t compute–letting go of the past is what’s needed, not some kind of mass lobotomy in everyone around you in that time and place. Here’s a secret: they don’t really remember what’s causing you so much pain (shame?), and those who do don’t remember it as you do. So, past problem solved. Once you sort this, you’ll be ready to connect actions and choices with your instincts, which are on the money this year, once you get out of your own way, and once you realize there’s a big wide world out there, and most of it is indifferent to your past, and wants to support you.

‘Peasant Girl Before a Shrine’ By Antoni Kozakiewicz 1895 {{PD}}

We see evidence of our commitments, our duties, our priorities, and our fulfillment of these in real-world form; we see how we are empowered via our highest values, and the ways in which we’ve chosen to fill our lives with what matters to us. We should be proud of our innovations, our originality, our follow-through–so what is it that’s making us so squirrely? We may be just a tad misled in our actions, likely through some long-forgotten hurt that winkles our thoughts and messes with our usual wise and practical judgment–and this in turn leads us to scuttle some ambition or want, out of a sense it’s out of reach, or even pushes us into baiting our opposite number or acting out, for no reason other than pique. Take a step back, give the correct respect to the correct entity, including oneself, and know that it’s in your very uniqueness and adherence to a spiritual set of values that your strength lives, and your path ahead is clear.

(Saturn sxt Vesta and sq Hygeia, Mars semi-sq Chiron and sxt Neptune, Venus contra-parallel Mars and trine Juno, Mercury qnx Pallas, Sun nov Uranus and qnx Zeus)

C.I. Pigment Red 207, a mixed crystal phase of quinacridone and 4,11-Dichloroquinacridone, By Hardcoreraveman {{PD}}

Today’s word image is the color red. Of course, we equate the color with anger, astrologically with Mars, but let’s look a little deeper. This color has been shown to have a stimulating effect though we’re not consciously aware of it; that’s why so many restaurants feature red in their decor, to encourage appetite. Is there something that you’re not quite aware of, that may be stimulating some response in you? Something creating an ‘appetite’ that you don’t yet recognize? And in what way will that influence send you beyond conscious wants and parameters?

Setting the table for your year ahead. Art by Peter Ilsted {{PD}}

For those born with the Sun at 20 Pisces (check your natal chart for your Sun degree!): This year, through to your next birthday, you may need to concentrate on honing ambitions, desires, and the plans that support them, and may specifically need to solidify or even seek out supportive networks, frameworks, and partners who will also gain and so will be more than willing to help you succeed. Part of what may be slowing your progress is trying to make too many square pegs fit round holes, symbolically speaking; recognition of the true inclinations of those around you, as well as how effectively you’re actually addressing things is vital to making the whole life work better this year–that’s the overall goal.

‘In Danger’ By Hendrik Willem Mesdag c1895 {{PD}}

Have you ever been descending steps and hesitated, suddenly unsure of the step’s depth or placement, suddenly fearing you’re going to take a tumble? That’s today: the startle at a shadow that wasn’t there a moment ago, a breeze coming out of nowhere that chills, reaching into a dark closet or entering a darkened hallway and suddenly thinking better of it. Instincts are speaking in a primal voice, but are they an embedded form of intuition, or a reflexive leftover from a more threatening time? Here’s your answer: there’s wisdom in those instincts, even if what they prompt you to do seems impractical, or gets in the way of what you want. Follow them anyway, because the reality is, there’s danger, out there.

(Pallas parallel Sedna and contra-parallel Zeus, Saturn parallel Pluto)

Snowflake Waltz in the White Forest (The Nutcracker Act I, Scene III) performed by The New York City Ballet Photo By Fred Fehl, Dance Magazine April 1954

Today’s daily word image is snow, long after the thought of it has passed. What out of season thing is occurring in your life right now that may be hard to believe, but that you need to accept and then act appropriately on? This kind of event can catch us off guard, and make us slow to react–now is not the time for either. Whatever it is, it’s time isn’t over, yet.

Setting the table for your year ahead. Art by Peter Ilsted {{PD}}

For those born with the Sun at 19 Pisces (check your natal chart for your Sun degree!): You’re very sure of your values and those things and people worthy of your commitment to them–aren’t you? It’s Go Time, a time when ambitions can be served, the Fate shaped, and if you aren’t ready–do your best, anyway, because energies are moving headlong right now, and that happens whether you try to direct them or not. So, get yourself together however you can and go for it! Some parameters: you don’t have to act immediately–take time to plan and review; emotions may be very Self-centered right now–but that’s okay, it’s the way it should be, and those who love you will understand; and be aware that all this is in preparation for big, life-changing opportunities and events that come late in your Solar year (that is, between now and your next birthday), so take the long view. With that in mind, get out there and get your ducks in a row.