Writing this in the aftermath of a potent New Moon in Pisces on March 8th, which was also a total solar eclipse. How was it different from other New Moons? I’ll tell you.

A Solar Eclipse can act like a bottleneck of energy. Light flowing from the Sun is temporarily interrupted by the Moon, focusing attention on that interrupted point. Wherever that point falls in your horoscope, something new — and possibly fragile — may enter the picture and grow over the next several months. And here I would be thinking of Michael, the kindhearted policeman in the storybook Make Way for Ducklings, who stopped the flow of traffic on Beacon Street so Mr. and Mrs. Mallard and their brood of eight could safely make their way to the Boston Public Garden.

Of course while traffic is stopped, it’s also backing up…and when it flows again, it’s possible that some drivers may hit the gas a little too hard — and wham! — there’s a sudden release of the bottlenecked energy. If your horoscope has a planet or point at the degree of an exceptionally potent eclipse, you may feel the effects of the release of the bottleneck for months afterward — sometimes even years.

How do you know if your horoscope is affected by an eclipse? That’s a question for your local astrologer. She will also be able to tell you when you are most likely to experience a release of bottlenecked energy. Here’s an example: on September 13th, the area of my horoscope referring to health and communication was hit by an eclipse. I knew I’d see a release in November, when the eclipse would be activated by another planet. Sure enough, exactly when I would have expected an event to happen, I lost my voice for four days! Talk about a necessary focus on communication, huh? I was only able to restore my voice when I could see my brilliant acupuncturist, who brought it back in just one session.

Now let’s talk about this month’s New Moon in Pisces. Keywords for Pisces include empathy, ideals, endings, spirits of all kinds, suffering, at-one-ment, victimization, refugees and other displaced persons our society tends to hide under the nearest rug (or hospital or prison or religious institution or subconscious). There is a strong emphasis on the element of Water in this New Moon (Pisces is a Water Sign), suggesting a flood — literally and figuratively, e.g., a flood of emotion and/or intuition. So watch for those themes in the news in the next few weeks.

In your own personal world, this New Moon/Solar Eclipse invites you to conjure up a vision that more accurately reflects your authentic self. More than any other sign, Pisces needs a dream. Are you living your dream or the dream of someone else? What is your dream? What must be released in order for that dream to manifest? When will you be ready to give up what you do not want?

So go ahead, light a candle, make a list and set your intentions for the next 30 days. In crafting your vision, be willing to release what no longer serves. Around March 15th, on the First Quarter Moon, we can expect a challenge to those goals. At the time of the Full Moon on the 23rd, we can expect illumination on the success or failure of our goals for the cycle. If we succeeded, we can consciously release our success into our reality; if we failed, we let go of whatever did not work. After the Third Quarter Moon on March 31st, we can review our achievements, tie up loose ends and get ready to begin another New Moon on April 7th.

Here’s what’s happening for the rest of March:

March 12th: Venus, planet of social graces and things we love, enters Pisces until April 6th. This highlights compassion and empathy in our social expression. It boosts the appeal of those born with the Sun in Pisces – enjoy!

March 20th: At 12:31AM ET, the Sun enters Aries, heralding the start of the astrological New Year. Happy first day of Spring! Happy Vernal Equinox! Happy birthday to your favorite Ram or Sheep, whose need to inspire and initiate sometimes causes them to fall down stairs because it’s faster than walking.

March 21st: Mercury, which refers to mindset and communication, enters Aries until April 6th. See if you notice a quicker, sharper pace in speech and thought. Mercury in Aries needs to move fast – sometimes so fast that it’s out of synch with the rest of the crowd. You might feel that way if you were born with Mercury in Aries.

March 23rd: Emotions are likely to be particularly righteous, idealized and high. The day begins with the Full Moon in Libra at 8:01AM ET and it’s also a Lunar Eclipse. Libra’s need to facilitate relationship is at odds with the Aries Sun’s need to just get it done already – enough with the debate! Also at odds: Jupiter and Saturn, which square off at 6:15AM ET. Jupiter refers to expansion. Saturn refers to contraction. Both refer to business and law. The tension refers to a need for change. Watch the headlines for significant action in those areas. Something’s gotta give!

March 25th: Saturn, which also refers to ambition and structure, turns retrograde (appears to move backwards in the sky) until August 13th. This can delay a major advance, and now that you’ve been informed, you can relax about roadblocks that may crop up in your plans for world domination. See how helpful astrology can be? You’ll feel the need to streamline your ambition more personally if you were born halfway through Sagittarius, Gemini, Pisces or Virgo.

March 30th & March 31st: An impatient Mercury in Aries is supercharged by rebel Uranus and ruthless Pluto. Check out what was happening during the last week of January, when we experienced this pattern twice. What was that like for you? On the plus side: there is potential for persuasive and pioneering communication and ideas. Technological breakthroughs and dirt brought to light. On the down side: choose your verbal battles carefully.

There will be no eclipses in April. The biggest planetary shift will be Mars, planet of action, turning retrograde on April 17th, not to turn direct until May 30th. Understanding this important development will help you stay serene all summer long.

To be continued…

About Elisabeth
Grace Astrology Elisabeth discovered her love of astrology when she was nine. Armed at 20 with a BA in Philosophy from Wellesley College, she soon headed to Hollywood. She enjoyed an illustrious career as a movie marketeer. eventually moving to New York to scatter her pixie-dust over television news. Along the way she did a tour of duty in the music publishing industry, and as an actress/stand-up comedienne.

Now Elisabeth is a certified professional astrologer, consulting with clients all over the world. She has presented talks in New York and Tokyo, and would be delighted to talk to you. Astrology is an amazing tool for understanding why you are the way you are, and why things happen when they do.

Because of her work in news, Elisabeth noticed an uncanny synchronicity between planetary patterns and what we see in the headlines. She shares her insights in a daily astrological forecast posted on Grace Astrology.