A Guide to Astrological Influences in March 2011

The simplified profile of planetary aspects reaching a peak in the month of March is:  4 conjunctions, 2 oppositions, 1 trine, 2 squares.  A superficial evaluation of the profile would indicate that the trines are being "drowned out" by the other three members of this profile.  But another factor that will soon become apparent for the month is that there are many more planetary parallel aspects than usual.  Since parallel aspects generally seem to be harmonious in nature, this just might tilt the balance in favor of a less stressful month than usual.  We shall see.

Peaking during the wee hours of the first day of the month, Sun parallel Mercury creates an influence that favors thinking and communication.  That influence is partially echoed on the 3rd, and picks up force, via Mercury 1/5 Pluto and Mars 1/6 Pluto, which peak within less than half an hour of each other in the early evening; forceful speeches may result.  Then, peaking in the afternoon/evening of the 4th, Venus parallel Pluto adds force to our feelings and reactions.

Reaching a peak in the wee hours of the 5th, Saturn 5/11 Uranus creates disharmony between traditional and contemporary considerations.  But in the afternoon, Mercury parallel Saturn focuses on the traditional.

Reaching a peak in the wee hours of the 6th, Jupiter 1/9 Neptune makes things feel fuzzy, but in the evening, Mercury parallel Jupiter focuses on "think big", such as planning long trips or big projects.

In a sense, the 9th and 10th "belong" to the pairing of Mercury-Uranus.  Mercury parallel Uranus peaks in the wee hours of the 9th.  Mercury CON Uranus in Pisces peaks in the morning.  Then Mercury crosses the equator in the evening.  And then, at about midday on the 10th, Mercury parallels Uranus again.  All of this Mercury-Uranus pairing makes things seem new and feel "immediate".  Futuristic thinking is in vogue at this time.  However, in the morning/afternoon of the 11th, Sun parallel Saturn will change the feeling to emphasize practicality and "solid reality".

Uranus leaves Pisces and crosses into Aries in the afternoon/evening of the 11th.  It will remain in Aries until May 15, 2018, when it will leave Aries and cross into Taurus.  However, it will be back in Aries again later for about four months, and then return to Taurus again.  During its presence in Aries, it will blend its influence with the influence of Aries and produce new energies, new actions, new sounds, new devices, new inventions of many different kinds.  Things will feel decidedly different during that phase of the motion of Uranus.

Sun parallel Jupiter peaks in the afternoon of the 12th, creating an expansive atmosphere.  Enjoy it, but don't let it make you buy everything in sight.

Sun parallel Mercury peaks in the wee hours of the 13th, boosting the compatibility for thinking and communicating.  Later in the morning, Mercury parallel Jupiter introduces a "think big" component.  (Note:  Taking an overview, we can see that the Sun, Mercury, and Jupiter are engaged in a triple parallel in declination on the 12th and 13th.)  Peaking at about midday on the 13th, Mercury 1/4 Pluto adds aggressiveness to the communication process.  But in the afternoon/evening, Mercury parallel Saturn tones things down a bit in the direction of practicality.

Reminder:  Daylight Saving Time begins on March 13.

Peaking in the early evening of the 14th, Venus 1/3 Saturn puts our feelings in tune with practicality and solid reality.  We might feel like relaxing and listening to a symphony.  But after that, building up to the early evening of the 15th, Mercury CON Jupiter in Aries replaces our "solid reality" leanings with something like watching sports on TV.

Jupiter parallel Saturn peaks in the morning of the 16th, blending solid reality with large and/or faraway things.  This could take the form of contemplating big stock market investments or thinking about mountains on distant planets.  (Astrological aspects don't care about the details of their manifestations as long as their basic nature is manifested.)  In the afternoon of the 16th, Mercury parallel Mars stimulates conversations -- or makes people want to play interactive games with their TV.

Peaking early in the morning of the 18th, Mercury 1/2 Saturn tends to impede connectivities of any kind.  This includes slowing them down or just plain stopping them in their tracks.  Road traffic can be affected.

Peaking on the 19th at about midday, Sun parallel Uranus tends to make things feel fresh and new; history is generally not in people's thoughts.

The Sun crosses the celestial equator and enters Aries on the 20th at 4:21 pm PDT (7:21 pm EDT), signifying the beginning of spring.

Early in the morning of the 21st, Sun CON Uranus in Aries drenches the atmosphere with a climate of newness and innovation; nothing else seems to matter at this time.  In the afternoon/evening, Sun parallel Uranus reinforces the same kind of atmosphere.  Hey, didn't we just have that aspect on the 19th?  Yes, but that was a parallel of conjunction whereas this one is a parallel of opposition.  Remember, the Sun crossed the celestial equator (0 degrees declination) on the 20th.  Since the declination of Uranus is currently less than half a degree, the Sun forms both kinds of parallel aspects with Uranus within roughly two days of each other.

Peaking in the afternoon of the 22nd, Mars parallel Jupiter spurs people into thinking about things like sports, loud music (or music from a large source, such as a big orchestra), or climbing a tall mountain, etc.

Peaking early in the afternoon of the 24th, Saturn 3/8 Neptune creates a climate of sadness and dashed hopes.  But cheer up; it's only temporary.

In the morning of the 25th, Mars parallel Saturn tends to slow movements down significantly, but the overall effect is not necessarily negative.

In the afternoon/evening of the 26th, Venus CON Neptune in Aquarius tends to cause our hopes and aspirations to dominate our innermost feelings.

In the wee hours of the 27th, Venus parallel Neptune echoes the Venus-Neptune conjunction of the previous day, but in a subdued way.  In the next few hours, Mercury parallel Venus and Mercury parallel Neptune add to that feeling.  Then, early the same morning, Sun parallel Mars tends to break that mold and introduce action instead of introspection.

(Note:  The precise timings of the aspects for March 27 can be seen on the sample aspect page which is posted during the month of February at www.newstandardaspectarian.com.)

Peaking early in the morning of the 28th, Sun 1/4 Pluto makes people feel irritated and irate.  Crowd action is more probable at this time.  Peaking in the afternoon (but in orb for at least a couple of weeks), Jupiter 1/2 Saturn pits big against small, expensive against cheap, light against darkness, expansion against compression, etc.  This is truly an aspect of major proportions, and can be expected to manifest in a great many important ways.  Health care and the national economy will tend to dominate the news even more than usual.  Under this influence, perhaps another corporate giant will tremble and tumble.  Peaking only an hour later, Sun parallel Saturn just adds to the seriousness of it.  (Although the Jupiter-Saturn parallel of the 16th has some similarities to this opposition, it doesn't have the super clout of this opposition.)

In the afternoon of the 30th, Mercury goes stationary-retrograde in the sign of Aries, stimulating thinking and lively conversation.  Peaking in the afternoon/evening, Jupiter 1/8 Neptune makes things hazy and unclear.  But in the wee hours of the 31st, Mercury goes stationary in declination, tending to restore some mental clarity.

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At the beginning of this article, it was stated that there are many more planetary parallel aspects than usual.  Indeed, if the count is correct, there are 22 such aspects in March.  A new record?  Maybe.  In any case, it certainly is unusual.

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