Twice this past week, I worked so late in the editing room that I missed the last bus home. That meant walking a mile up a steep hill at midnight, in the rain, dragging a pack full of books.

As I struggled to put one foot in front of the other and keep going, it occurred to me that this was a good image for the astrological period we’re moving through, which won’t end until Mars returns direct on April 13. Saturn will still be retrograde, which will have its own set of issues, but at least we won’t feel so dragged down, demoralized, and obstructed.

That said, it does appear that some good is coming out of the combined retrogrades of Mars and Saturn, with the latter in the relationship-oriented sign of Libra. Saturn turned retrograde two weeks ago and has been sitting at 29 degrees Libra, where he’ll remain until March 4. By the time an outer planet has reached the last degree of a sign, we’re ready to move on to the next lesson. But there’s still something we have to learn about commitment in relationships and maintaining inner balance while interacting closely with others.

Conflict is a natural part of any relationship, but Libra seeks to avoid it in an attempt to “keep the peace.” Under retrograde Mars, with the help of Venus in Mars-ruled Aries, conflicts are being provoked that ultimately will help restore the balance in circumstances that have been out of equilibrium for too long, often due to those attempts at keeping the peace. If you’ve been embroiled in conflict for the past week or two, take heart. Events are unfolding to help you move past it and find higher ground. But you will have to do a lot of heavy lifting. You can’t expect that the other person will make all the concessions. At the same time, you can’t be the one who caves and gives up everything just to avoid more conflict. In fact, you’ll just be deferring it.

The other conflict-averse sign of the zodiac is Pisces, but for different reasons. Whereas Libra strives for harmony and balance, Pisces seeks oneness through dissolution of boundaries. However, confusion can be the result, as Pisces is a psychic sponge for everyone else’s thoughts and feelings. As a result, she may not have a strong sense of self, and she needs time to figure out what she really thinks and how she feels. That makes it hard to stand up for herself in a conflict, so she tends to avoid it. (Please remember than when I talk about the signs, I’m referring not only to the Sun sign, but anyone with that particular energy dominant in their chart. It may be your Moon or Rising sign, or a stellium of planets in a particular house or sign. The only way to know for sure which energies are dominant in your chart is to consult with a professional astrologer.)

So, that’s the heavy news for this week. The good news is that we have a lovely Pisces Moon on Tuesday conjunct Neptune and Chiron and sextile Jupiter. Neptune is the modern ruler of Pisces, traditionally ruled by Jupiter. So it’s significant that this New Moon aspects both planets. This is the first time in hundreds of years, by the way, that we’ve had a New Moon in Pisces conjunct Neptune. The last time it happened, Neptune hadn’t even been discovered.

Neptune rules sleep, dreams, the deep psyche, the collective unconscious, past-life memories. There is magic here, and yet there are pitfalls. We’re in an area where lines are blurred, and we can be tricked into thinking we see something that’s not there. Dreams become illusions or delusions. This is where Truth is a moving target.

Pisces also is the sign of empathy and compassion. With the New Moon conjunct Chiron, the wounded healer, we can have greater compassion for our own wounds and, thus, for those of others. Only when we accept our own flaws and weaknesses can we accept them in others and make a heart-centered connection.

Before leaving Pisces on Thursday, the Moon conjoins Mercury as the latter is about to oppose Mars. This is likely to be a difficult day, but there may be room for the kind of dialogue I described above. Just be advised that it could be painful. Getting through it may require struggling to put one foot in front of the other, in the dark, until you get to the top of the hill.

Saturday’s Sun-Jupiter sextile is much happier. Blow off steam from a tough week by going out to a special breakfast with friends and family. Or, you may just want to sleep in and have coffee in bed.

Speaking of bed, I’ll repeat last week’s recommendation to keep a dream journal with you. I’m hearing many reports of vivid, weird, and otherwise unusual dreams. Write them down now so that you can decode them later.

Wishing you all much love and courage,
Pat