March’s Most Significant Astrology
March 16: Mars exits post-retrograde phase
March 20: Spring equinox in the northern hemisphere; Autumn equinox in the southern hemisphere; Astrological New Year
March is filled with back-to-back uncommon or rare astrology, making this month one for the books. The first big shift occurred on March 7 when Saturn moved into Pisces for the first time in 29 years. If you are interested in knowing more about what this 2.5 year transit entails, you can check out my Saturn newsletter here.
The next big shift of the month involves Mars. Mars has been on quite a transformative journey that began last year. The God of War’s evolution from then to now greatly influences the Aries season, which begins today. Let’s get into it.
Mars Retrograde: The God of War and his Underworld Journey
The word retrograde means directed or moving backward. When a planet is retrograde, it means that planet appears to be going backward in its orbit. Retrograde planets can signal a time for us to review, revisit, and revise things in our lives. On a deeper level, when a planet goes retrograde, it is said to have entered the underworld, or the shadow world, which indicates that we are being encouraged to shift our energy inward to self-reflect, face our own shadows, and tend to our inner worlds. Retrograde planets invite us to evolve.
In August 2022, Mars shifted into Gemini. Mars has a fast orbit, typically taking only 2 months to transit an entire sign. However, when Mars goes retrograde, he can take over half a year to fully get through one sign. This is considered a prolonged Mars transit which can trigger or light up areas of our lives that have become stagnant and need to change. Mars went retrograde on October 30, 2022 and then went direct (or began moving forward in his orbit) on January 12, 2023. Mars’s entire retrograde phase was in the Gemini sign. In fact, Mars is still in Gemini until March 25. Gemini rules communication and information. Mars is the God of War and rules personal will, courage, and anger. In other words, the God of War has been guiding our communication space since August 2022. That’s 7 months of evolving how we speak and listen to one another!
The lessons Mars has been teaching us have been a mixed bag. This is because several times throughout his retrograde, Mars made tense aspects to Neptune, the planet of the unconscious, and Mercury, the planet of communication, which could have brought forth misunderstandings, surprising or shocking information, and/or vague or confusing communications with others. On the other hand, Mars made several harmonious aspects to Eris, the Goddess of Discord and Chaos, and Chiron, the Wounded Healer, which could have led to open and honest conversations and speaking up for yourself and/or others. Mars’s lessons through Gemini have been intense, but absolutely necessary, because he has been helping us remember the innate power of our voices and how simply listening to what others have to say can drastically change a situation.
On March 16, Mars officially wrapped up his retrograde phase, marking his re-emergence from the underworld. In mythology, when a character exits the underworld, they are often seen as cleansed, restored, or birthed anew. This means that Mars is inviting us to rise like a phoenix reborn from the ashes of his retrograde phase and courageously step into new territory.
Aries Season & the Evolution of the God of War
Aries, which is the sign Mars rules, is taking center stage today, March 20. This is because at 2:24pm Pacific Time the Sun will shift into 0 degrees Aries. This is an important transition because when the Sun meets this degree, it marks the spring equinox in the northern hemisphere, and the autumn equinox in the southern hemisphere. It is also the start of the Astrological New Year. This equinox is a potent time for fresh starts and new beginnings. With that said, the astrology throughout Aries season (March 20—April 20) is remarkable, making the next 30 days standout.
The dates and astrological events to keep in mind throughout Aries season are:
March 20: The Sun shifts into Aries and ushers in the equinoxes and the Astrological New Year.
March 21: Only one day after the equinox, we will have a new moon in Aries. This will be the first in a pair of consecutive new moons in Aries, a rare occurrence. What makes this occurrence even rarer still, is that the second Aries new moon on April 19/20 will also be the first solar eclipse of the year.
Tip: The Aries new moon on March 21 acts like a preview for the Aries new moon solar eclipse on April 19/20. Paying attention to what is coming up for you on or around March 21, can help to highlight themes you will be working with during the first eclipse season.
March 23: Three days after the equinox, Pluto will dip into Aquarius. This is the biggest astrological event of the year! The fact that this shift occurs at this time puts an exclamation point on Aries season. This event will have its own newsletter set to be released soon, which will dive into the meaning of this noteworthy shift.
April 19/20: First new moon solar eclipse of the year.
Special Note: We are in a small window of time during the year when all planets are direct. With all planets moving forward throughout the entirety of Aries season, fast movement ahead on our paths is indicated.
This is a supercharged Aries season. The equinox on March 20 and the Aries new moon on March 21 are primed for us to set intentions and get clear on the trajectory we’re on. If we don’t like the path we’re walking, Mars and Aries encourage us to be fearless and make necessary adjustments. Mars has just been reborn from his underworld journey and asks us to release the fears that have kept us bound to the past, so we can live our lives to the fullest in the present.
Taking It Further
If you’re familiar with your birth chart, look to where Aries and Gemini are in your chart. Pay close attention to the houses and any planets or angles you have in these signs as this will let you know how the Mars retrograde impacted you and how the upcoming Aries season will influence you.
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Very helpful information! I love how you share your knowledge and insights of the cosmos with such wisdom.
It is also a joy when astrology validates my own psychic experiences and visions. Last week on the 16th I got the green light from Spirit to stop holding back and step up my healing work. To hear you say that is the same time when Mars started moving forward adds even more meaning to it. Thanks.