Spring Forward- Equinox 2022
I hope you all found a few delicious moments to enjoy in the candy-colored atmosphere that mid-February offered. This levity, however, was tempered at the month’s end and replaced by an intensity that bubbled up both on the world stage, and also in our individual lives.
As I mentioned last month, the sky has been, and will be, particularly free of long-lasting difficult squares between planets that can create conflict-ridden situations. In the absence of squares, the other aspects in play can be much more productive, expressive, and intense.
On February 23rd, the day before Russia invaded Ukraine, the Mars-Venus duo began their conjunction with Pluto. I had high hopes for Venus’ potential to soften this effect, but Mars and Pluto ultimately had their way.
Each planet has a higher and lower octave of expression and the Russian invasion of Ukraine adequately represents the lower octave of both planets. Mars can be a planet of purposeful action, getting things done, and on the high side is very constructive. On the low side, Mars can be inflammatory, egotistical, and as the god of war he is known to pick a fight. I see this on the world stage in combination with Pluto’s low side, which hungers for dominance at any cost and uses manipulation at the subconscious level to further ulterior motives. Pluto is the planet that rules death and destruction, and in tandem with Mars is contributing to the ugliness we see playing out right now.
Pluto has a high side too, but it can be difficult to access. Pluto rules death and rebirth and the kind of transformation that leads to true personal power - one that requires walking through the fires of life to possess. There aren’t any shortcuts on this path and to get on the right side of this Plutonian influence requires acting with the utmost maturity and integrity. Anything less than pure will be burned away in the merciless crucible that symbolizes Pluto.
This is an important theme for our nation, as we are in the middle of our Pluto return. In July of 1776, when The United States was born, Pluto was in the 27th degree of Capricorn and it is has now returned to that same degree. Pluto’s cycle is 246 years long, so individuals never experience this aspect in their natal chart. Only great nations withstand this cycle intact, and not without significant transformation.
In addition, Pluto is engaging with another, more mysterious heavenly influence - the Lunar Nodes. For the entire month of March Pluto has been trining the North Node and sextiling the South Node. I have written about the Lunar Nodes before, as I find them very fascinating.
The Nodes are the points where the Moon’s orbit crosses the path of the Earth’s orbit around the Sun. They remain 180 degrees from each other at all times on the astrological wheel.
It can be difficult to describe the meaning that the Lunar Nodes hold. In the most basic sense, the North Node (descending lunar node) represents the future and the South Node (ascending lunar node) represents the past. The past and future are two strands of fodder feeding the present moment and in astrology one or the other can be more emphasized through aspect. When the South Node is more activated, life is familiar and comfortable, and the potential to experience people, places, and themes from past lives is high. When the North Node is activated, one is drawn into moments that may be uncomfortable, but ultimately lead us towards our progressed selves and our future path.
This March Pluto is moving us towards progress as it trines the North Node and quiets the South Node with a sextile. All of the dramatic changes which may be occurring are here to usher us into the future. The experience of this may not be very comforting, but will ultimately lead to progress on many scales.
Pluto’s dance with time is very poignant now, as he shoots this trine like an arrow towards tomorrow. Meanwhile, Neptune is idealistically clinging to yesterday, as it trines the South Node and sextiles the North. These aspects fittingly appear as an infinity symbol in the astrological wheel pictured below. To have this playing out for the Spring Equinox deepens the weight of this duality as we sit between winter and summer in the same way that we sit between the past and the future.
While Pluto and Neptune skate these lines with grace, several other planets will get tangled in the strings of time as they square the Lunar Nodes throughout March. Mercury, followed by slow-moving Saturn and eventually Venus and Mars will find this square, each planet’s energy making its contribution to an overall deepening of consciousness that will influence the entire Spring and Summer of 2022.
Saturn is to spend the most time in this square which brings with it a rich basket of topics to consider. Saturn rules structure and commitment. This includes governing bodies, schools, international agreements, and our physical reality. In addition, the agreements, loyalties, partnerships, and boundaries that we hold with ourselves, our families, our jobs, and the outside world may come into question and be changed in some meaningful way during this time. Whatever the spring and summer hold in store, there is an opportunity for our understanding of life to be deepened. Looking outside the lens of good and bad can be a beneficial approach for getting the most from this influence. With that, I want to wish everyone a beautiful, rich season full of grace, awareness, and many blessings.