Aries Equinox: Don’t Look Back!

Benjamin West artist

On March 20th this year we come to 0 degrees Aries, the quintessential ‘New Beginning’ sign.  This is the sign compelling us to move forward without looking back.  Why?  I remember as a child being totally captivated by a very Old Testament Biblical story told with great drama during my indoctrination days in fundamentalism.  It was the story found in Genesis, the very first chapter in the Bible, about a family that was told to leave the wicked, wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.  Not only that, but they were told, “Don’t look back.”  And what happened to the wife of Lot who decided to just take a peep back as they were winding their way towards a future destination?  She turned into a pillar of salt!  That REALLY left an impression on me.  Nostalgia might just kill you.  And there is some truth to that for Aries.  Aries follows Pisces where everything is breaking up and sometimes turning into chaos.  Aries rules the head and can’t afford to get sucked into complex and messy emotional issues as a rule.  This head-strong push forward is necessary decisive action.

So where do you want to go next?  As you can see from this Ingress Chart there is quite a pile up of Aries energies urging all of us on even as Chiron in Pisces with Neptune try their best to pull us back.  Not only that, but Mercury has but two days before it turns Retrograde. This chart also shows square aspects from Mars and Saturn in Capricorn both demanding discipline and perseverance from impatient and impulsive Aries.  Strength my friends.  You’ll need the strength of your intentions and resolve to not look back and move forward.  Thankfully that combination of Aries and Capricorn is a good one to get organized and accomplish a great deal.  It’s a Cardinal energy push forward before the retrogrades of Saturn and Pluto take over in April.

Where is this grouping of Sun, Mercury, Venus, and Uranus falling in your chart?  Which house?  THAT is the area where you need to get things moving.  Where, also, do Mars, Saturn, and Pluto in Capricorn fall in your chart?  Which house or houses?  That is the area where you need the will power and discipline to persevere and stay organized for quite some time; long after the Sun leaves Aries. 

And what about this Mercury in Aries going Retrograde on the 22nd?  It will start at 16+Aries and move back into the early degrees of the sign before turning Stationary Direct on April 15th at 4+Aries.  Use it for your own inner processes.  Take more time for yourself to really go within and get clear about what you want to move forward with.  Do you know yourself well enough not to get sucked into everyone else’s agendas?  What direction is your inner compass showing you is the right direction for YOU.  Get focused and clear.  Mercury in Aries is a straight forward kind of thinking and mind which can be passionate.  That may be another clue in getting your sense of direction.  What are you passionate enough about?  Go ahead and move in that direction with your thinking and actions.  

Once Mercury goes Direct in mid-April, Saturn and Pluto will go Retrograde.  Saturn will stay Retrograde from April 17th until September 6th, and Pluto will stay Retrograde from April 22nd until September 30th.  These cycles will undoubtedly slow down the momentum of larger organizations and bodies, such as governments and institutions.  Personally, you’ll need to get clear and strong with your own convictions.  Reflection often shows us where we need to realign our actions with our higher soul’s directive.  Capricorn is an Earth sign that seeks to achieve tangible structures that last.

 I was struck by the recent headlines that show a bridge in Florida collapsing.  The symbolism in this latest tragedy speaks volumes about our world today where short-cuts are often taken in the name of expediency. Florida, a Pisces State with transit Neptune now going over it’s Sun, seems to be the epi-center for a great deal of turbulence; first was the devastating hurricane, then the horrific school massacre, and now this.  Here it is again, a school, a University this time.  A bridge. (Mars square Chiron).  What aren’t we humans willing to learn?  Why are we in such a hurry?  Soon we’ll have to slow down, and we’ll really have to ponder a great deal come April.  SAFETY seems to be a major theme here.  Is this a safe world.  Are our schools safe?  Notice the Moon in Taurus in this chart.  It’s a fairly New Moon looking for stability in this Ingress chart.  Security is another Taurus theme.  So ask yourself where you most need safety and security, and what can you do to achieve it?

The Sun in this Aries ingress chart is conjoining Chiron in Pisces.  Another way to look at this chart is to realize that souls are being born with this signature.  The definition of this particular conjunction according to Barbara Hand Clow, in her book on Chiron, is an innate sense of destiny so strong that normal patterns are rarely lived out.  The soul bearing this signature will burn with purpose and creativity and even have a different sense of timing going on.  Perhaps this is also a key to our times collectively as well.  I’m struck by all these thousands of students who just marched of their schools on March 14th  for 17 minutes to draw greater awareness to the violence of guns in a nation bloated with them.  Notice, also, that both Chiron/Sun are in square to Mars which Hand states is a challenge to develop new and unusual strategies for living.  We really need that now more than ever!  Finally, both Sun/Chiron are in trine to the one planet retrograde, Jupiter in Scorpio.  There is much occult (hidden) wisdom available now if we are willing to perceive it.  Note that Jupiter is also in sextile to Pluto.  We all need some silence and contemplative time with these energies at work.  This doesn’t mean wallowing in the past however.  Aries always points the way ahead, and it is our sure compass into a better future if we are willing to learn from our mistakes.

This chart is basically good for the next three months until we reach the Cancer Solstice.  Work with these energies yourself and see what you can kick-start right away.

I now wish to celebrate some powerful and far-reaching Aries women that I know and admire.  These women are real, not ‘celebrities’ according to main stream media.  I also feel they are great examples of the pioneering spirit of the sign that doesn’t look back.  I have selected six women, three of whom are involved with food no less!  Two are dancers, and the final woman is an accomplished writer and professor.  Be sure to click on any of these women’s great web sites to learn more about their active lives contributing to positive change.

ANDREA LUCICH is a Professional Food Stylist for over 22 years working with some of the top photographers and commercial directors in both the USA and abroad.  Can this woman ever cook!!  Furthermore, in private life she is devoted to good nutrition and a healthy lifestyle for her family.  Her web site is full of gorgeous images of food.  

Beautiful Food

Andrea has Mercury, Sun, and Venus all in Aries with a lot of Pisces energy, including Mars (ruler of Aries).  Working with images often comes from the Pisces realm, but cooks need a lot of FIRE.  She combines both beautifully and she is also a gifted intuitive.

CHERYL SINDELL states on her rainbow hued web site:  “Food has mapped my life.  Food has been my portal to self-understanding, self-love and healing.  Food has taught me to listen, speak, and write from the heart.  Food was the vehicle that unleashed my emergent voice.”  She has had quite a voice already on both television and through her books.  She continues to pioneer nutrition as good medicine utilizing Ayurvedic tools and Eastern/Western blends.  

Cheryl has Venus in Pisces, rising ahead of her Aries Sun, and Mercury in Taurus following.  This shows her ability to image herself as her best example of health and well-being, and communicate it eloquently and sensually.  She also has Mars in Cancer indicating her passion for good, nurturing food!

KAREN MCELROY lives and works in Australia, but often travels and lectures on good health.  She is a Naturopath and Medical Herbalist who specializes i women’s and children’s health.  I encourage you to sign up for her blog newsletter where you’ll get a wealth of information.  Her latest newsletter has Tips for Breast Feeding Moms, What is the Best Protein Powder (and do I need one?); Real Food Meal Plans, and Natural Sunscreen, the holy grail search.  She also offers a free report “Top Tips for a Healthy Body, Mind, and Spirit.”

Karen, like Cheryl, has Venus rising ahead of her Aries Sun, in Pisces, and Mercury in Taurus following.  Her Sun is conjoining Chiron which shows her marked healing abilities.  Her Mars is in Capricorn showing her amazing stamina for a very busy and organized way of life which includes raising a family of her own.

JULIA ADAM is a dancer/choreographer who was a Principal dancer with the San Francisco Ballet from 1988 until 2002. Since then she has choreographed over 40 works for many different dance companies including Houston Ballet, SF Ballet, and The Joffrey Ballet.

SOLIS

 Take a look at her web site featuring her collaboration with her husband, Aaron Lucich, in ‘Sparking the Wisdom of What Ties Us Together………Through Community, Art, Food, and the Natural World.”  I attended last years performance in Bolinas, CA, a most memorable event which engaged ALL of our senses to the max.

Julia is a good example of Mercury Retrograde in Aries, rising ahead of her Sun and Venus in Aries.  Her mind does work in wondrous and intricate ways through also the use of her stellium in Virgo, including Mars Retrograde.   She is proof that action and movement arise out of deeper, more introverted wells of creativity, and that no detail escapes her perceptive eye and heart.

ROSE VIERLING is not only our beloved daughter, but a dancer, teacher, and choreographer as well.  I see some similarities in her triumph over illness as a child that are similar to Cheryl Sindell’s.  Both have gone on to become highly motivated and active in their fields of endeavor.  Rose has taught and performed dance in the Bay Area, but is increasingly drawn to the world of Argentine Tango.

 She is now  a member of Tango Con*Fusion, an all-woman dance troupe pioneering beyond Tango’s traditional boundaries.  They all know how to lead as well as follow and blend intricate choreography with verve and beauty.  Both Rose and Mia, another member, danced well into their 8th month of pregnancy on stage no less! 

Rose was born at 0 degrees of Aries, barely free of Pisces’ waters, though not surprisingly, her Mars is in Pisces, ahead of her Sun, allowing her to be as fluid as she wants in the dance world.  Her Venus leads far ahead in Aquarius showing her value of teamwork, while her Retrograde Mercury in Aries trails, just proving that she, like Julia, thinks for herself.  

ELIZABETH EOWYN NELSON PHD has been a professional writer and editor for over 30 years.  She has also been a professor at The Pacifica Graduate Institute.  I have two of her books:  The Art of Inquiry:  A Depth Psychological Perspective, and Psyche’s Knife: Archetypal Explorations of Love and Power.

Now THIS is an Aries book!!  It is my understanding that she is now researching and working on another book with an equally powerful Aries/Eris theme, but I’m not sure she wants it ‘out of the bag’ just yet.  

Elizabeth has Mars in Capricorn which lends form and structure to her Mercury/Sun in Aries.  Her Venus follows far behind in Taurus bringing solid values to her work.  Eris is combust her Sun giving her motive to pursue this new archetypal spirit of the female activist/warrior, yet Elizabeth is both feminine and a true woman.  

Aren’t these incredibly beautiful Aries women to celebrate?  They all show that pioneering spirit and enthusiasm for their crafts as they lead the way in their chosen fields.