We’ve got a schizophrenic week ahead, with Mars entering his own sign of Aries right after the New Moon in Pisces and Mercury still retrograde in the foggy sign of the Fishes.

As of the New Moon on Monday, the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Chiron, and Neptune are all in Pisces. Mars, however, is at the final degree of Pisces, which, as the final degree of the zodiac, is called the “weeping degree.” It is where all things must end to clear the way for a new beginning, and it represents the point at which we see that hanging onto the past is no longer possible. Among its many qualities, Pisces is the sign of escapism and delusion. It’s only human to try to imagine that everything will continue along as it is, even when we know inside that change is inevitable. And change, by definition, is destabilizing.

The New Moon typically represents new beginnings, but sometimes it can bring endings, too – again, in order to start with a clean slate. This is all the more possible with Mercury in “reverse,” but I have to remind you that we may not experience any significant movement until the following Monday, after Mercury is direct. Officially, he stations on March 17, but it can take a day or two for him to get moving again (what it looks like here on Earth). By then, Mars also will be approaching a conjunction with Uranus – an aspect that can be literally explosive, but that can translate to explosive change in our lives as well. Of course, if you’ve been looking for a change, the fast movement may be just what you’ve been waiting for, even though it could bring its own “upsets” in the sense that life can turn on its head. To get an idea of how this energy might manifest for you, look for where these planets are transiting your natal chart. If you need some help with that, I’m preparing the StarGuide Spring 2013 forecast (the start date is March 20, but you’ll get useful insight for Mars and Uranus in Aries). I still have some formatting to do, but you can pre-order anytime.

The Sun and Moon don’t make any close aspects with other planets, but there are some additional aspects in the New Moon chart to consider. The Uranus-Pluto square is ever-present, setting the overall tone for this turbulent period in human history, much as we experienced in the mid-1960s. Society as a whole is in a breakdown phase, and whether you’re benefiting from these sweeping changes or being swept along on an uncontrollable tide, your personal life is impacted in some way. Perhaps you’ve sold your car and are using public transportation to reduce your carbon footprint, or you may have decided to switch to a diet that is more sustainable for the planet or healthcare products that are free of harmful ingredients. One of my best moves so far was to close my account when my bank got taken over by Chase and to switch to our local credit union. These may seem like small moves, but when millions of people do it, they become major trends with huge implications for human history.

Which brings me to the second aspect, which is the sextile between Saturn and Pluto, which also are in mutual reception. I wrote about this last week and don’t have a lot more to say, except that this positive contact represents a window of opportunity to demolish what isn’t working and rebuild more sustainable structures, be they in our personal lives or in society as a whole. Mercury and Saturn are trine, as well, which bodes well for new ideas – some of which may be old ideas that were thrown out as impractical but that, due to changing circumstances, deserve another look. Mercury also has been in an ongoing square and mutual reception with Jupiter. On one hand, this can signify getting lost in details to the detriment of the big picture, but with awareness, it can be used to coordinate the details and the big picture in a compelling way.

Jupiter and Uranus, meanwhile, remain in a sextile, and when Mars conjoins Uranus on March 22, he’ll also be in a sextile with Jupiter. Although it’s true that Jupiter can be a magnifier, with obvious implications for the explosive combination of Mars and Uranus, he also confers some benefits and even good luck. The actual outcome remains to be seen, of course.

So, this week may be fast or it may be slow, and “fast” may be spinning wheels or it may be a fast ending. Hang in there, because Mercury returns direct on Sunday, and next week will look a whole lot different. If by chance you do have an opportunity this week to hang out on the beach or in front of the TV, do it now! Rest up, because we’ll soon be heading into a period of dramatic action.

Much love and courage to all,
Pat