Rolling in the Deep.
Beginning in late February and throughout the month of March, there’s a heavy Pisces energy in the air, ushering in a cycle of deep introspection and reflection that represents an extremely emotional time for all. Piscean themes of solitude, confinement, quietness, endings, unconditional love and healing through forgiveness will be paramount during this time, particularly during the first week of March.
New Moon in Pisces, March 6, 2019, 11:04 AM (EST)
Neptune and Pisces both signify intense idealism on the one hand and overwhelming confusion on the other. Neptune and Pisces also signify all that is invisible, “lost,” or hidden from view. So don’t be surprised if secrets are revealed now, whether this be the (positive) discovery of an old love letter or diary entry, a message from someone you thought long gone, or the ending of a project you may’ve thought was just about to begin.
Pisces is a sign associated with glamour, so experimenting with styles of self-expression that reflect these elements may also bear, well, interesting results. All things dramatic fall under the sign of Pisces, Neptune and the 12th house, so dramatic conversations surrounding feelings are almost inevitable this month. So while we’ll all be “rolling in the deep” with our feelings dominating our words and thoughts, what starts out as painful may ultimately become something revelatory.
March 5: Mercury Stations Retrograde in Pisces
On March 5th through 28th, Mercury will move Retrograde through the sign of Pisces. Mercury is the planet that represents our thoughts and modes of communication, and while Mercury retrograde periods in general represent mental and communicative blocks, challenges or downright breakdowns, these periods are really cosmic cues to press Pause and process recent events, conversations or interactions. And with Mercury (communication) moving retrograde through the sign of Pisces (feelings), emotional processing will be critical if we’re to reap the benefits of this 3 week cycle.
Adding to the emotional intensity is the fact that Mercury will come to its first standstill of 2019 and begin its retrograde (backwards) motion at 29° of Pisces. 29° of any sign in the zodiac, or the “anaretic degree,” holds special significance in Astrology, as it symbolizes a sense of urgency as well as one of “atonement” (Predictive Astrology, Louis & Sacker). It will also move through 17° of Pisces during this transit—considered a “critical degree” in all Mutable Signs—right before it moves back into direct motion on March 28th.
What does this mean? Our deepest, unconscious emotions rise to the surface of our thoughts and conversations, accompanied by an urgent desire to atone for or smooth over harsh words or feelings expressed (or unexpressed) over the past few months.
As our gut—the intestines are known as the “second brain” of the physical body—takes the wheel, our emotions will be working on overdrive when it comes to thinking over recent events. Whether it’s a situation we need to take some personal time to think more deeply about, a conversation we feel the need to revisit, or the feeling that we must show or receive our love and forgiveness toward someone, or a loss we need to come to terms with, our thoughts and feelings will become one and the same. And with our feelings at the forefront, this cycle demands that we eschew linear, rational thought and heed the intuitive signals and thoughts that seem to pop when we tune inward (and into our bodies) as we move through March.
March 6: New Moon @ 15° Pisces Conjunct Neptune
The very next day there’s a New Moon, which happens to fall at 15° of PIsces, exactly conjunct Neptune at 16° of PIsces. The conjunction is arguably the most powerful aspect in Astrology, and with both the Sun and Moon both in the Neptune/Pisces mix, the emotional landscape brought on by Mercury’s standstill on the 5th will certainly be, umm, exaggerated, to say the least.
In general, New Moons are events that represent the planting of a new seed, a new idea, the start of a new project—they symbolize a time of initiation and action, usually accompanied by a flurry of activity. However, New Moons are also a time of blindness, when (self) awareness is at its lowest. The point here is that New Moon conjunct Neptune + Mercury Retrograde, both in the sign of Pisces equals a sense of emotional chaos that makes this New Moon contradictory at best and downright confusing at worst.
With Mercury just beginning it’s Retrograde the day prior, be aware that thoughts, communications, and actions taken now are happening under a cloudy fog: it’s a time of revisiting memories, re-purposing old projects, re-furbishing old relationships, and digging up buried treasure. Incidentally, we may be feeling the urge to purge ourselves of old, outdated things—just be careful of taking too zealous action in this vein, as you may get rid of something you later realize has unseen value.
Similarly, any new ideas or feelings that come up during this time are arising under Neptune’s magic spell, and with the Mutability/Changeability of Pisces/Neptune, our thought-feelings are likely change by the day, so be wary of any “set-in-stone” commitments, signing any contracts you can’t get out of, or making promises (even tacit ones) that you know you in your heart you likely can’t keep.
For those of us lacking Pisces/12th house energy in our birth charts, or those whose charts are made up predominantly of Earth and/or Air signs and houses, this March may feel especially difficult, as rational thought and concrete communications are not likely during this time. Expressing oneself creatively through writing, poetry or music is ideal now, as we’re more sensitive than ever and thus able to tap into a deep level of creativity.
March 6: Uranus Back in Taurus (For Good)
In addition, this New Moon finds the Sun-Moon happens to occur immediately after Uranus moves into the sign of Taurus for approximately the next 7 years (another post on this to come…). So although we’re in the middle of a fog, this is a period that’s ripe for connecting with others and discussing potentially yield ground-breaking ideas and strategies. The only challenge with this shift is that, once we conceptualize a new idea, it may be difficult to withhold our impulse to make sudden, drastic changes (Uranus).
As I’ve written about in my previous article about Uranus, its move into the sign of Taurus will bring a spark of excitement and an impulsive desire to make fundamental changes in our lives. With Uranus in Taurus, our impulse is to change the status quo related to “all things Taurus”—in particular, our relationship to our resources. Innovative investment strategies, creative “sparks” for a new business or new ways to make money may come up when the shift first occurs on March 6th—right in time for the New Moon.
But please, sit on those brilliant investment opportunities and wait until the fog clears before throwing out all your antiques and signing onto that potentially lucrative business opportunity. Because if it feels “too good to be true” right now, chances are it definitely is. This is especially important given the impulsiveness we may feel to act on new ideas we might have about our money this month. Money is funny in general, but money is especially funny right now. With Uranus moving into Taurus under the influence of Mercury Retrograde and the Neptunian New Moon, it may not be the penchant to revolutionize the way we use our resources or rake in the dough, but could find ourselves attempting to “fix” a tried-and-true financial strategy that just ain’t broke.
Uranus in Taurus, Neptunian New Moon & the “Manifestation” Hullabaloo
As I mentioned in my Virgo Full Moon post, this Mercury Retrograde + Neptunian New Moon in Pisces again broach the illusive topic of “manfestation.” To me, the recent (over)emphasis on the topic of “manifestation” in Astrololgy is, in many ways, a logical response to the powerful Solar Eclipse in Capricorn we experienced on January 5th. All Eclipses have an effect period of up to 6 months, and the Capricorn Eclipse was a powerful push to build (or re-build) ourselves in very concrete terms. The New Moon in Aquarius on February 4th was in some ways an echo of this Eclipse, pushing us to realize our biggest hopes and dreams—FAST.
But as I got to thinking about manifesting our supposed destiny, I realized that it’s not only about literal work or even time that goes into building something concrete—it’s a process that involves reflection, learning and cultivation of the awareness of not only what it is we want, but why we want it. Building anything is useless if we don’t have awareness of what it is we’re trying to build, let alone why we want to build it.
The paradox of recent months—and of 2019—involves the acknowledgment of the need to slow down in order to speed up. This has been a potent theme that the past two Full Moons (including the Super Moon Lunar Eclipse on Jan. 21st) have brought to our attention. Saturn and Neptune are planets that represent long-term successes; Uranus, while also an long-term thinker, is impulsive in its action. The bottom line here is that Fog + Impulse is not the most ideal of combinations for long-term success.
If you’re into Biblical metaphors, I’ll give you the obvious one: it allegedly took “God” 7 days to make the world, right? But what did God do on that 7th day? He RESTED. So whether you believe in God or the Bible or not, the point is simple. Nothing can be built (or, as some might say, “manifested”) without a time for rest; no one can move forward building anything—a house, a future, a relationship, a career…whatever the “it” is—without reflection on what’s been done. Without the courage of our conviction, the foundation will always be shaky and vulnerable to potential collapse.
Framed another way, you could say that if we deny (repress) the need to open the wound and examine what may be holding us back, there can be no opportunity. And for that matter, what is the use of trying to “manifest” whatever it is we want, if there’s no awareness of what exactly we want to build? Because with Mercury Retrograde coinciding with the New Moon in Pisces/Neptune, if we try too hard to “do” rather than “feel,” we may end up “manifesting” ourselves to death.