Astrology for Tuesday, March 9 - Saturday, March 14

The energy is changing this week as a number of planetary changes take place. As usual, the energy will manifest in very beneficial ways; others, not so much. Every planet has a bright and a dark face, and depending on your own philosophy, you may identity them as I do or have your own point of view. One thing is for sure: the energy is not going to go away, so ride it to your (and society's) advantage.

There is a lot of Neptune activity this week. Like the girl with a curl in the middle of her forehead, Neptune can be very. very good, but when it is bad, it is awful! The bright side of Neptune is compassion and creativity. Neptune encourages self reflection, so meditation and soothing disciplines like yoga are helpful. Dreams can be vivid and laden with messages. The fouler side of Neptune is confusion, delusion and illusion.

The Sun (the Chief Executive) is only a degree away from Neptune - it will be exactly conjunct on 3/10. One way this has manifested is the passage of the wildly popular Corona Relief package which was promised by the President. It brings compassion to those who are in pain. Unfortunately, not one Republican voted for the measure. Many claim, as they did about a hike in the minimum wage, it was too expensive. (Where was that concern when a trillion dollar permanent tax cut went to the wealthy?) This is very much like the Republican stance at the beginning of the Great Depression. The GOP claimed the free market should be left alone to work its magic as the Depression deepened and people lost jobs and food. People need help now as they did then, and there is a good chance that government intervention to stimulate the economy will help the country open faster and prevent a major depression.

The relief package was passed as the Sun and Venus in Pisces squared the nodes of the Moon, which to my mind imbues it with an emotional "rightness". Right action at the right time. The Sun will conjunct Neptune exactly on 3/10 and Venus will follow suit on 3/13. And unemployment payments were set to sunset by 3/14. I would say the Sun and Venus are building compassionate relationships, finding a balance with Vesta in Virgo and still within reach of the Nodes of the Moon.

The population is being vaccinated, too. This is a huge relief for many. The administration has managed to convince Merck to produce Johnson and Johnson's vaccine. That is unheard of behavior for a competitor. And very Venus-Sun-Neptune in Pisces - forging a relationship in the midst of the pandemic to be kind to one another!

Of course, not everyone sees this the same way. They might feel that the President (Sun conjunct Venus) is indulging in a folly for popularity (Venus in Pisces). The road is open to those who want to use this energy in fantasies like QAnon that have no basis in reality. And some states are willing to destroy the progress that has been made in the pandemic by opening too soon and removing the mask mandate (thereby putting the burden on business).

On 3/13, Chiron (the Wounded Healer) meets the asteroid Ceres (caring Earth mother). Again, some of the needs that are causing pain are being met.

On 3/13, we will have a new Moon in Pisces, and begin a waxing, or growing cycle for the following 14 days. It is a great time for gardeners to plant on the new moon and again on March 17, 18, 22 and 23. I'll write more later about the New Moon!