I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Robert Frost
Astrologers are all abuzz these days about the upcoming “Cardinal Cross” in April, which involves the ongoing Uranus-Pluto square I have mentioned so frequently. Those two planets are now being joined by Jupiter in Cancer and Mars retrograde in Libra to form an equal-armed cross – the cross of manifestation. They all line up closest with each other — and with the Sun of the USA’s chart — right around April 22. In addition to this, there are two eclipses coming up in the month of April. Right now though, let’s take a look at the New Moon in Aries on March 30th, which is predictive for the month ahead. The chart I am working with is cast for Washington, DC, and so is predictive for the entire USA.
Why, yes — as you may have already heard if you keep up with astrology, it *is* a rather intense chart. Mars — retrograde, in its detriment, and tucked away in the 3rd house in the WDC chart — rules the New Moon. Passive-aggressive describes this placement pretty well, and given Mars’ rulership of the foreign policy, higher education, philosophy and religion 9th house, we are likely to see veiled hostility, avoidance of confrontation, underhanded actions, and knife-in-the-back behavior in any of those areas, because when Mars ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy. Ditto for 3rd house areas of media, communication networks, transportation, early education.And, yes — the Cardinal Cross kicks ass, and Mars is part of that. But you can avoid a lot of the pain and aggravation if you get off of the aforementioned fundament and put it in gear.
You can’t escape change, especially if you have key planetary placements in the Cardinal signs. In fact, many of you are right in the middle of a period of profound change. The Cardinal Cross can give you a lot of power to change your life for the better, but you’ll need to participate enthusiastically in releasing the old to make room for the new. The choices you make now are exceptionally important. You’ll want to have goals in mind, and a clear focus. I can’t emphasize enough how much this chart requires flexibility, focus, and a willingness to act with empathy and in line with your core values.
Now, there are a couple of interesting flowing aspects in this chart as well, and I want to look at them, and how we can approach them as funnels to help us direct events in a beneficial way, but first let me get some astrology out of the way, for those interested..
Astrologers can note that MC and 3rd house ruler Venus is prominent in Aquarius in the 7th, with both that sign’s rulers disposited by Mars, which is trine Venus (a separating aspect, but still close) and in her sign. Venus is also semi-square the New Moon, and tightly square Saturn, which co-rules the 7th house of other countries and open enemies. Some things that could manifest from this Venusian influence would be the notable actions of a woman or group of women, a focus on money and consumption, particularly in regards to the environment, and socially-conscious artistic/aesthetic expression. Sun-ruled Leo is rising, and given the fact that the Cardinal Cross falls exactly on the USA’s Sun, which rules its 9th house of international relations, it seems likely that the international position of the USA is going to undergo tremendous change. It would be nice to think that we will have a mass awakening to the suffering in the world, and step up to take imaginative, effective action for change. That would reflect the best outcome of this chart. Or, we could be in for a rude awakening, as we find that our global “superpower” status is in question. Or we could go in for a spot of power-grabbing and empire-building. If the latter happens, the odds are not good for success.
I also can’t ignore the indications of yet more environmental troubles, with transiting Saturn in the Pluto-and-Mars-ruled fourth house of the DC New Moon chart, and the transiting Sun-Moon-Uranus conjunction falling in the Mars-ruled 4th house of the USA chart. As with the Spring Equinox chart, explosions, eruptions, movements of the earth are all indicated, along with mining and underground assets. It’s pretty clear that the fracking debate isn’t going away anytime soon, and I have cautious hopes that we may come to our senses and begin the process of banning it nationally.
Neptune’s long sojourn in Pisces will keep the focus on the poisoning of our global and national water resources for many years, and its tight sesqui-quadrate with Mars in the New Moon chart is one of the aspects that suggests both floods and drought, along with clashes over pollution. I’ll be glad to see clashes and protests — corporate “persons” with their myopic and blindered focus on the bottom line, often in league with our own elected officials, are destroying entire ecosystems and natural resources that took millennia to form. That’s insane, and it’s past time we put a stop to it.
So, how do we each personally make the best use of this chart? Let’s keep in mind that whenever we have a square or opposition aspect, we are usually dealing with planets in the same modality — in this case, cardinal for the Cardinal Cross and fixed for the Venus-Saturn square — and a good way to work with this energy is to consciously incorporate the most positive attributes of the modality and planets in question into our lives. So dig deep into your soul and learn what really matters to you, then take those values out into your world and be the change. Start creating those things you know need to happen. Make the commitment to take the actions you’ve been putting off. Consider carefully your place in your tribe and your society, and how we are all connected within the Universe (Thank you, Dr. Tyson). Develop a spiritual practice which will help you learn to manage your emotional state, and train to develop emotional strength, empathy and compassion just as you would train for a sport.
If there was ever a great time to have a regular meditation practice, now is that time. Yoga or tai chi can be considered meditation if they are approached as such, so you don’t need to sit still to meditate. You can also meditate anywhere, any time, by simply bringing your awareness fully within the present moment. There are some great smartphone apps for meditation — I have one that rings a single, resonant bell at pre-set times of the day to remind me to take a moment to breathe, focus, monitor my mental and emotional state, and reset my intentions.
Pay attention to your guidance -- but keep it real. It’s quite possible that you’ll find yourself at an important crossroads at some point during this year – how will you decide which road to take? Think about where you want your life to go. Explore your core values, your deepest desires, and make sure your actions are in alignment with those values and desires. Determine what you can compromise on, and what you can’t. Be clear about what you want, step into your power, and welcome change. Then walk the road you have chosen with courage and commitment.