The March Full Moon arrives on the first day of March at 17:51, coinciding with the Vedic fertility festival of Holi, enlivening vitality, life force energy and creativity. This Full Moon is in sidereal Leo and Purvaphalguni nakshatra- which powerfully correlates to sexuality, sensuality, relationships and creative life force energy. This portion of the sky expresses the essence of spring- fragrant flowers blossoming, bees buzzing and the sap beginning to flow. 

Purvaphalguni nakshatra is ruled by Bhaga, the deity of enjoyment and pleasure. He supports sensuality and feeling through relating. His role is to spark relationships, connection and co-creation. He especially supports sensuality and sexuality. However, he is not what sustains or supports long term relationship success. He represents the fun, exciting beginning, not the hard work and time it takes to make a relationship last. What new seeds are sprouting right now? What relationships do you need for greater support and nourishment?

This Full Moon also marks the Holi celebration in the Vedic calendar, which often roughly coincides with the vernal equinox and the arrival of spring (for the Northern Hemisphere). The equinox arrives on March 20th this year. Holi is a Vedic fertility celebration, sparking immense life force energy, potential and creative power to enliven. Step into your Divine Feminine power!

No matter the hemisphere you are in, both spring and fall are considered "sandhi" times of year- or in between seasons. These are sacred times, when the veil is thin, sensitivity is heightened, and in Ayurveda we attend to necessary physical rituals that help the body cleanse and purify. Holi comes at this sacred junction and is a time to "plant seeds" so to speak. It is a celebration of fertility, abundance and the awakening of Shakti within Nature. This full enlivening of Ma, the Divine Mother, is celebrated during Vasant Navaratri- the nine days of Mother Divine beginning March 17th this year. We can consider this her "kick off" celebration as we plant our desires and create our fruits. Let this Full Moon bring you a sense of spring and possibility, hope and awakening.

In the coming cycle, expand your emotional body container. Your ability to feel all your feelings- hard or soft- allows you to create room for your deepest desires and nourishment. Without honoring the shadow, the light cannot arrive. Relationships take your focus and attention. A flood of new connections is arriving. Who are you inviting into your sacred space? Who and what needs to be released, cleared and let go of?

Clear undigested grief from your gut, your solar plexus and your power center. Eat clean, simple foods and avoid excess- sweets, intoxicants, alcohol, sex and spending. Release overindulgence and seek balance, integration and stability. This will make room for increased energy, strength and vitality. Put focused attention on restoration and rejuvenation, as well as healing practices. Release shadow, darkness and limiting beliefs to clear the path for your dharmic clarity and unfolding. Strengthen your health, vitality and endurance. What action steps, choices and behaviors need an upgrade in order for you to have more power, strength and clarity in your body mind?

An opening is taking place. Take conscious steps towards new doors of nourishment.

Full Moon is at 08:53 am MST while Moon transits Leo and Uttaraphalguni, the constellation of the ancestors and powerful creative life force energy. Aryaman rules this portion of the sky, offering resources like love, marriage, family, children, and that which perpetuates the ancestral line. Life force energy is enlivened here, which brings to life desires and helps them arrive into manifest form. What seeds are you planting right now?

With three planets in gandantas (powerful gaps of uprooting and change) there is much to be released before your seeds can truly take root. Saturn is transiting Mula, Rahu is transiting Magha and Mars is in Ashwini until March 19th. These gandantas notoriously cause knots in the mental and emotional bodies to be removed through transformation, upheaval and change. Often uncomfortable, these are portions of the sky that open new doors, slamming old doors shut. As we linger here in the in-between, physically and within our shadowed self, there is an opportunity to also stand in much greater possibility and potential. 

Deep transformation and turmoil is taking place with this full Moon and in the cycle to come. A new clarity is emerging, but not until you pull up all the weeds and uproot the parts of yourself that are holding you back from greater empowerment. There may be confusion about your power and purpose, but now is the time to create a clear path and let go of the parts of yourself that hinder you from stepping into your power more fully.

Dream big! Allow yourself to expand what you think is possible for yourself. Where are you limiting yourself? What stories have you been telling yourself that keep you stuck and playing small? What is holding you back from full manifestation of your goals, dreams and desires? These mental body stories stuck on repeat in your unconscious mind, must be brought to the light, released and transformed in order for you to step into a more powerful future. These stories are keeping you from powerful action steps.

Gains come when you radically release your scarcity consciousness, your lack, the parts of yourself that don't yet feel deserving or capable of greater power. How long has this painful story been on repeat? How long will you keep playing it? Use the cycle ahead to get radical, clear, focused and determined to confront your goals head on. Use this cycle ahead to get radically clear about what is in your way of accomplishment and greater power. Uproot the old weeds in  your mind and plant new seeds of life and nourishment.

This Full Moon also marks the Holi celebration in the Vedic calendar which often roughly coincides with the vernal equinox and the arrival of spring (for the Northern Hemisphere). The equinox arrives on March 20th this year. Holi is a Vedic fertility celebration, sparking immense life force energy, potential and creative power to enliven. Step into your Divine Feminine power!

No matter the hemisphere you are in, both spring and fall are considered "sandhi" times of year- or in between seasons. These are sacred times, when the veil is thin, sensitivity is heightened, and in Ayurveda we attend to necessary physical rituals that help the body cleanse and purify. Holi comes at this sacred junction and is a time to "plant seeds" so to speak. It is a celebration of fertility, abundance and the awakening of Shakti within Nature. This full enlivening of Ma, the Divine Mother, is celebrated during Vasant Navaratri- the nine days of Mother Divine beginning March 28th this year. We can consider this her "kick off" celebration as we plant our desires and create our fruits. Let this Full Moon bring you a sense of spring and possibility.

The Moon is waxing this week, becoming full on Sunday- coinciding with the Vedic fertility festival, Holi. This is a seed planting time. At the same time there is great turbulence and tilling of your inner soil. Find your ground and get embodied so that deeper roots can grow. Mercury moves to its debilitation sign this week, coercing the mind to a more inward state for the coming weeks. Money, communications, relationships, creativity and commerce will require your attention and re-evaluation.

Monday, March 6th
Moon in 9th tithi
Navami

Monday begins with powerful momentum and change as Ardra nakshatra arrives. Moon moves through this constellation, sparking the powerful forces of Rudra, the storm god. Notorious for swift, powerful action, Rudra brings guaranteed changes. What type of changes? This will depend on your relationship with your inner power and purpose. Ketu and Saturn continue to give their gaze to the Moon, which can make for painful and uncomfortable emotions and experiences. Contraction and grief, coupled with sudden change and loss. Where are you feeling the pressure? What are you releasing and letting go? Step into your powerful inner currents and go with the flow.


Tuesday, March 7th
Moon in 10th and 11th tithi
Dashami Ekadashi

Moon shifts from Rudra’s powerful domain to Aditi’s mid morning. Resources and support come from the Mother of All Goodness. She also brings unification and connection to a universality. Align with the oneness. Where are you disconnected from the whole? Your whole body, breath and intention? Use the disconnection as the source for reconnect.

Are you disconnected from your First Chakra? Use this easy test to find out how embodied and connected you are to your First Chakra- and why it matters so much for your health and vitality. Watch My Short Video Now


Wednesday, March 8th
Moon in 11th and 12th tithi
Ekadashi and Dvadasi

Moon arrives in its own sign, Cancer just as Wednesday begins. Nourishment and equanimity arrives when Moon sits in its own still waters. However, Mars gives his gaze to the Moon and his debilitation sign, causing emotional body waves. Step into action, but move from your feeling level. Align with your emotional body wisdom and honor your needs. Find the soft landing within. Moon is in Pushya nakshatra today, bringing nourishment and abundance- through resources, guidance and support. Are you receiving the abundance of life? Where are you resisting, feeling the pinch?

Thursday, March 9th
Moon in 13th tithi
Trayodasi

Early morning, Moon shifts into Ashlesha nakshatra, the domain of the deceptive serpent, Sarpa, and Mercury, the mental body. There is a transformational quality in this portion of the sky, and often mistrust and misalignment as well. Snake energy shape shifts. What you see is not what you get. Where are you not feeling safe and supported? Who or what is keeping you feeling a lack of safety within? Where is this disconnection taking place in your body?

Friday, March 10th
Moon in 14th tithi
Chaturdasi

The changing quality of the Moon will be felt early morning as she leaps the gandanta (gap) between watery Cancer and fiery Leo, burning off excess emotion in the process. This is a delicate junction point that uproots and unties karmic knots- especially with the ancestors. As Moon arrives in Leo, it lands in the lap of Rahu. Both will dance in Magha nakshatra for the coming day, enlivening ancestral karmas, connections and insights. It’s time to let go. Time to step into your power and purpose. What is your emotional body telling you about this need?

Mercury moves into Pisces today. As Mercury settles into its debilitation sign, Pisces, on March 10th, a mental body depression arrives. This impacts life path, purpose and a sense of progress. This depression with hopes, dreams and aspirations is impacted by the inner critic and past failures. Part of you doesn't trust your ability to succeed, so subconsciously there's a refusal to step forward. At the same time, this is powerful opportunity to look more closely at the mental thought patterns that are hindering your success, momentum and achievements. In order to unravel these unconscious parts of yourself, you will need extra support, guidance and resources.

Read more about Mercury in Pisces

Saturday, March 11th
Moon in 15th tithi
Purnima

Creativity and fertility enlivens as Moon steps into Purvaphalguni nakshatra early morning. This is a powerfully creative star, sparking immense potential and possibility through creative intelligence, creative powers. Bagha rules this portion of the sky, bringing gifts and resources that provide sensual pleasure, shakti, life force energy and sexuality. Welcome the abundance! Where are you resisting, refusing the nectar of life, her potency and power? Where are you refusing to awaken and align with your inner power and purpose? This is a reminder to not play small, but to step into your full potential.


Are you disconnected from your First Chakra? Use this easy test to find out how embodied and connected you are to your First Chakra- and why it matters so much for your health and vitality. Watch My Short Video Now

Sunday, March 12th
Moon in 15th tithi and first tithi
Purnima to Pratipad

Full Moon is at 08:54 am MST while Moon transits Leo and Uttaraphalguni, the constellation of the ancestors and powerful creative life force energy. Aryaman rules this portion of the sky, offering resources like love, marriage, family, children, and that which perpetuates the ancestral line. Life force energy is enlivened here, which brings to life desires and brings them into manifest form. What seeds are you planting right now?

This Full Moon also marks the Holi celebration in the Vedic calendar which often roughly coincides with the vernal equinox and the arrival of spring (for the Northern Hemisphere).

Read more about the full Moon and the cycle to come.

Just after noon, Moon shifts into Virgo, joining retrograde Jupiter here. Retrograde debilitated Venus and debilitated Mercury give their gaze. Turn inward and investigate your inner landscape. What creative pulses can be felt? What is stirring within your creative intelligence. Deepen your creative powers.

Monday, March 13th
Moon in 2nd tithi
Dvitiya

Late morning, Moon shifts into Hasta nakshatra, brining Savitr to the surface. There is an awakening taking place today. Your creative seeds are sprouting, taking root. Pay close attention to your inner wisdom, to desires bursting forth. What do you notice about your dreams and visions today? Write them down, paint them, draw them, sing and dance these visions to life. Let them awaken from your inner knowing.



*All timing is Mountain Standard Time Zone

Looking Ahead:

February 12th: Sun in Aquarius

February 18th: Saturn at 2 degrees in Sagittarius

February 22nd: Mercury in Aquarius

February 24th: Maha Shivaratri

February 26th: New Moon in Aquarius and Satabisha Nakshatra + Annual Solar Eclipse

March 1st: Mars in Aries (own sign)

March 4th: Venus Retrograde

March 10th: Mercury to Pisces

March 12th: Full Moon in Leo and Purvaphalguni nakshatra + Holi

March 14th: Sun in Pisces

March 20th: Spring Equinox

Are you disconnected from your First Chakra? Use this easy test to find out how embodied and connected you are to your First Chakra- and why it matters so much for your health and vitality. Watch My Short Video Now

Sun in Aquarius

Sun moves to Aquarius at 07:46 am MST today, joining the restructuring planet, Ketu here. This is a healing transit, if you choose to look closely at your challenges, setbacks and obstacles. Resistance to your darkness will provoke more challenges, so best to surrender and lean in. The soul and the ego are going through a transformation in the cycle to come, which lasts until March 14th.

Allow yourself to be stripped, shredded and release illusions that are keeping you in the dark. Your ability to awaken from your slumber will be determined by your courage to look at your shadows. Do you know how to transform your darkness into light? Do you have the necessary skills to take your challenges and turn them into resources? Can you harness your immense creative power and use this for your awakening? This journey requires skills, awareness, guidance and support. It's time to upgrade your skills and resources in order to start getting some very different results. Staying stuck is no longer an option, but your resistance to asking for guidance and support will prolong the pain.

Relationships are a big part of this transformational process you are undergoing. Illusions about yourself are coming to the surface as you confront challenging parts of yourself. Lean in and look closely. What needs to be released in order for you to find a deeper, more sustainable inner strength and stability? What stories and illusions are keeping you resistant to self love and compassion? You are boundless, immense love. Why continue to withhold the abundance of Nature from yourself?! Why are you keeping the walls up, the resistance in place? It's now time to receive the nourishment of life more fully. What needs to change in order for more receptivity and empowerment?

***UPDATE ***

Sun shifts to Satabisha nakshatra late evening, February 18th. This is a game changer as Sun nears exact conjunction with Ketu. He'll be dropping through the tail of the serpent in the coming days/weeks, getting dismembered in the process.

In many ways, this is the finale after months of a Kala Sarpa yoga that has brought to light many masculine/father themes. As Rahu transits Leo (now in Magha, related to father's lineage and the ancestors), shadows connected to the masculine are surfacing.
Satabisha is a Rahu ruled nakshatra, which brings deception, illusion and uncertainty into awareness. Varuna rules this domain, and he is all-seeing, all-knowing- bringing with him a heightened critic and intense awareness. This can be turned outward or inward, or both. Remember compassion in the coming weeks- we will all need it. It will be easy to be overtly critical to ourselves and others, so try to be gentle and lean into your inner critic with loving-kindness as much as possible. What does your critic tell you about what you need? What is it asking of you in order to feel safe?

At the same time, this nakshatra can also provide very rich and powerful healing with it. All that intensive gaze and awareness can be put to good use. What are you noticing within that needs to change? Are you ready now to make some dramatic shifts in your life? Now is the time.

Not heeding to Varuna's scrutiny will only increase misery, pain and health challenges that can't be undone. Be very mindful of your health and body as Sun moves through Satabisha until March 4th. You may notice your health is more delicate and your body needs more TLC. Stay connected, grounded and embodied as much as possible.

As Sun gets cracked open, deconstructed and restructured (with Ketu's help) body and soul awaken to new possibilities. This will likely be uncomfortable, but trust the process. Your deepest truths and needs are coming to the surface. Honor the darkness that is coming to the light.


Mercury in Aquarius

February 22nd, mid morning, swift moving Mercury arrives in Aquarius- joining Sun and Ketu here. This marks the last planet that will conjunct Ketu after months of all planets being hemmed in between Rahu and Ketu during the Kala Sarpa Yoga. Though this malefic yoga technically ended once Mars shifted into Pisces weeks ago, the conjunction of Sun and now Mercury with Ketu, is significant. There is closure taking place and certain death to old mental behaviors and patterns. The mind will be disconnected, restructured and transformed. Think of this like an internal re-boot.

Confusion, uncertainty and challenges with mind, communications and all things Mercury may arrive in the coming weeks. Patience, slow steps and clear intention will be helpful, though the mind will be running faster than usual, and easily fried. Don't push or force yourself to perform. It's important to go slow in the coming days, though it will go against your tendencies. Slow down anyway.

Attend to grief and pain surfacing- don't cut and paste over it. There is an important shift taking place with your dharmic path, your life purpose. Pay close attention to your voice, speech and your inner wisdom. Speak your spiritual truth and stay close to your body. Retreats, meditation and alone time will be essential in order for you to land within your inner knowing. Retrace your steps, walk old ground and notice what wisdom is returning. What teachers, gurus and guides are re-turning? Return to old resources that you've forgotten. Ask for support and guidance in order to clarify and activate your dharmic path and purpose. Take meaningful action steps.

Maha Shivaratri

Shivaratri arrives just before the new Moon (Amavasya) on February 24th. This is a time of deep silence and strong potential. It is the marriage celebration of Shiva and Shakti, a symbolic union of wholeness- when the absolute unmanifest, conjoins with the pulse of life force energy. Masculine and feminine merge and create life- and the ability to manifest becomes amplified. From this place of union, we can ignite the power of being, the power of life.

Transformations abound right now- inner and outer. Are you paying attention to polarities in your life? What dualities are you aware of and what is needed for their integration?

This is a powerful time for meditation and reciting the Mrityunjaya Mantra:

oṁ tryambakaṁ yajāmahe sugandhiṁ puṣṭi-vardhanam ǀurvārukam-iva bandhanān mṛtyormukṣīya māmṛtāt ǁ


Shivaratri supports planting seeds of potential through the depth of silence. Shiva as destroyer, is at one with this awakened state of creativity. His role is to support your collapse into concentrated, focused alignment with the harmony of existence- that which is pure consciousness, deep, unaltered silence and awakening. This is where your creativity resides, your ability to manifest, create and transform- over and over again. Through the transcendence, you can easily touch this silence in its pure form.

Shiva reminds us to use this silence to release, simplify and transform. From a silent and awakened state, you can plant the seeds of life more intentionally and powerfully. Use your deep inner silence for stirring your creative desires. As the full Moon arrives on March 12th, the fertility festival, Holi, will activate your silent seeds, helping them become more fully awakened with the creative wisdom of Nature. What are you creating for your powerful life? What is your vision? Let your imagination move you into being. Create life!

New Moon in Aquarius

On February 26th, the new Moon takes place in Aquarius at 07:59 am MST with the annual solar eclipse and four planets transiting the medicine star, Satabisha. Amavasya is the empty Moon, or new Moon- ripe with potential, fertility and possibility. It is always connected to Pitr, the god of the ancestors, particularly the father's lineage.

There is an emptying out of the masculine taking place right now. A release is occurring in powerful ways. Lean into this process of letting go in order to maximize the healing potential arriving. Months of provocative themes have been emerging around the masculine, father, patriarchy and misogyny. Months of confrontation with power, strength, empowerment and the inner authority have emerged in brutal, challenging ways. Inner conflicts have intensified with the masculine and feminine. These themes have shown up in relationship dynamics, losses, pains and struggles, and with inner and outer needs. A new balance is arriving, but not without painful restructuring.

Read more about the new Moon

Are you disconnected from your First Chakra? Use this easy test to find out how embodied and connected you are to your First Chakra- and why it matters so much for your health and vitality. Watch My Short Video Now


Mars in Aries

On March 1st at 13:38 MST, Mars moves through the challenging gandanta (gap) of endings and leaps into a new beginning. He will be burning off the past two years of karma (action) as he steps through this portal. There are three of these poignant gandantas in the zodiac- all marked by the gap between water and fire signs. It takes approximately two years for Mars to cycle through the zodiac, roughly two months in each sign. This transit into Aries, marks a powerful beginning, an awakening into new possibility and potential. Aries is the first sign of the zodiac, and Ashwini is the first lunar constellation of the zodiac. As Mars enters this territory, it is a new beginning, a renewal, and also marks a clarity of action and purpose.

Mars is the warrior planet; when in balance, he takes decisive action steps and empowered choices. When weak, actions, decisions and momentum falter. Mars will be in Aries, his own sign as well as his office (mulitrikona), until April 13th, which is a powerful time for clarifying your actions, choices and goals for the year ahead. This can be a cycle of gains and momentum if you align with it properly. It's a time to uproot relationships and behaviors that don't serve you, honor or support you. What do you need for greater stability and support- within your body, relationships and environment? Rahu will be giving his shadowed gaze to Mars during this transit, which can bring increased strength, or excess confusion. Don't lose sight of your vision at this time. The risk of self doubt and the strangling impact of the critic is high. This is an important time to seek clarity and focus, with your passion and purpose. What support, resources and tools do you need for greater support? What is working? What needs an upgrade? You will need to radically let go of the old, in order to fully invite in, and embrace the new. If it's not working, get rid of it.

Venus Retrograde

At 07:21 am on January 27th, Venus arrives in its exaltation sign, Pisces, joining Mars here. This will be an extended stay for Venus in its most powerful sign. Normally Venus transits are about one months long, but Venus will be here until May 31st. Part of this transit, Venus will be retrograde (from March 4th to April 15th) rendering her effects debilitated. Expect highs (exalted) and lows (retrograde) with all things Venus during this transit. The impact of Venus will effect relationships, finances, creativity, health and the feminine. Jupiter gives his gaze to Venus and Mars seven houses away, creating a necessity for balance between spiritual and material desires. Jupiter rules over the gods (devas), while Venus rules over the demons (asuras). These are the inner dynamics of all human beings- light and dark.

A new sense of balance is taking place within you, within your polarities and opposing forces- particularly the masculine and feminine principles. This is why relationships will be particularly poignant in this transit, as relationships mirror the self. Dharma is a powerful part of the coming four months as Moon, Sun and Sravana nakshatra are all on the horizon at the time of Venus's arrival into Pisces. Your dharmic path will require immense courage and bravery, but in fact there's much support arriving for you if you are willing to receive it. It's the heaviness and burdens that are in your way of thriving. Release the burdens that are holding you back and step powerfully into your creative intelligence. Speak, express and articulate through creative outlets. Share your wisdom with others and align with your highest truth.

Listen to my podcast about Exalted Venus to understand the impact on you personally

Full Moon in Leo

The March full Moon is on the 12th at 08:54 am MST, while Moon is at the edge of Leo. Moon will be conjunct shadow node Rahu at this time and moving through Aryaman's domain in Uttaraphalguni. Aryaman is one of the 12 Adityas, meaning he brings resources, support and abundance on the material plane of existence. He is also known as the chief of the ancestors and that which pleases them- particularly through marriage, children and anything that continues the lineage. The Phalguni stars relate to love, sexuality and relationship. Perfectly timed, as the Vedic fertility festival Holi is taking place simultaneously.

More details coming soon!

Mercury in Pisces

As Mercury settles into its debilitation sign, Pisces, on March 10th, a mental body depression arrives. This impacts life path, purpose and a sense of progress. This depression with hopes, dreams and aspirations is impacted by the inner critic and past failures. Part of you doesn't trust your ability to succeed, so subconsciously there's a refusal to step forward. At the same time, this is powerful opportunity to look more closely at the mental thought patterns that are hindering your success, momentum and achievements. In order to unravel these unconscious parts of yourself, you will need extra support, guidance and resources.

There are ample resources arriving. Are you able to receive this nourishment? Or are you stuck in lack, refusal and resistance? Imagine all the support in the world lining up to insure you succeed, are fully nourished and supported. It's here, waiting for you! What is standing in your way of receiving all this abundance? Your old stories, mental programming and past failures will make it impossible to fully accept and align with the abundance of the universe. Use this cycle to clean up, release, attend to and purify the mental programming that has you locked in behaviors, choices and experiences of lack and malnourishment. It's time to upgrade your mind.


Sun in Pisces

On March 14th, Sun moves to the final sign of the zodiac, Pisces, at 05:40am MST. He joins Mercury and Venus here. Retrograde Jupiter gives his gaze, bringing expansion and integrity. This is a cycle of increasing courage, strength and empowerment by activating creativity and inner power. It's vital that you step into your creative intelligence with gusto and tenacity! Where are you slacking, playing small and refusing to increase the vibrancy of your life? What does it look like to upgrade your relationships, purpose and inner power? How does it feel to create a new, empowered life for yourself?

This cycle supports the release and letting go that will prepare you for an even more powerful awakening. Next step is Sun, exalted in Aries! Do everything you can to prepare now. What is standing in the way of your full power? What relationships keep you stuck in lack and disempowerment? Clean, clear, release. It is especially important to attend to this purging on mental and physical body levels. An increase in vitality is possible, as you clarify and purify old stagnation, toxicity and impurities. Lighten your load! Get grounded and clarify your next steps.

Late March, Sun and Venus collide, causing a combustion. Fire and water don't blend well and can end up scorching the vitality within. Your inner resiliency, life force, is extra delicate at this time as Venus retrogrades and debilitates at the same time as the combustion. This is an ideal time to attend to health, vitality, wellness and the physical body very diligently. A deep purification process is taking place- preparing you for a new Sun cycle. Radically release and purify.

Aries:
Here we go again
You're dancing with the fire
You're dancing with the Beast
You're still hungry-
I'll take you to the feast.

Here we go again
The rage is a craving
The thunder is your song
The power is misfortune
The misery is strong

Here we go again
The spirals and the chaos
The torment and the chains
No steps to the mirror
Oh! The Beast lives on.

Here we go again
I'm waiting with my palms
I watch you burn and writhe
I sing your laments
Still waiting for your dawn.

-Swati J. Miller

Taurus:
THE HOUSE OF BELONGING

I awoke
this morning
in the gold light
turning this way
and that

thinking for
a moment
it was one
day
like any other.

But
the veil had gone
from my
darkened heart
and
I thought

it must have been the quiet
candlelight
that filled my room,

it must have been
the first
easy rhythm
with which I breathed
myself to sleep,

it must have been
the prayer I said
speaking to the otherness
of the night.

And
I thought
this is the good day
you could
meet your love,

this is the grey day
someone close
to you could die.

This is the day
you realize
how easily the thread
is broken
between this world
and the next…

-David Whyte

Gemini:
It doesn't interest me if there is one God
or many gods.
I want to know if you belong or feel
abandoned.
If you know despair or can see it in others.
I want to know
if you are prepared to live in the world
with its harsh need
to change you. If you can look back
with firm eyes
saying this is where I stand. I want to know
if you know
how to melt into that fierce heat of living
falling toward
the center of your longing. I want to know
if you are willing
to live, day by day, with the consequence of love
and the bitter
unwanted passion of your sure defeat.

I have heard, in that fierce embrace, even
the gods speak of God.

—David Whyte

Cancer:
How do trees deal with injustice?
They grow a branch wherever they were cut.
And how do sparrows deal with grief?
They open their tiny wings and swoop at anything that glistens.
So why am I all cut & hungry?
Because I do not know the tree that is my soul and refuse the sparrow in my heart.

- from Finding Inner Courage by Mark Nepo

Leo:
Everyone who terrifies you is sixty-five percent water.
And everyone you love is made of stardust, and I know sometimes
you cannot even breathe deeply, and
the night sky is no home, and
you have cried yourself to sleep enough times
that you are down to your last two percent, but

nothing is infinite,
not even loss.

You are made of the sea and the stars, and one day
you are going to find yourself again. 

- F. Butler

Virgo:
"Once upon a time, when women were birds, there was the simple understanding that to sing at dawn and to sing at dusk was to heal the world through joy. The birds still remember what we have forgotten, that the world is meant to be celebrated."

-Terry Tempest Williams

Libra:
SWEET DARKNESS

You must learn one thing.
The world was made to be free in.

Give up all the other worlds
except the one to which you belong.

Sometimes it takes darkness and the sweet
confinement of your aloneness
to learn

anything or anyone
that does not bring you alive
is too small for you.

-David Whyte

Scorpio:
The Thing Is

The thing is..
to love life, to love it even
when you have no stomach for it
and everything you've held dear
crumbles like burnt paper in your hand,
your throat filled with the silt of it.
When grief sits with you, its tropical heat
thickening the air, heavy as water
more fit for gills than lungs;
when grief weights you like your own flesh
only more of it, an obesity of grief,
you think, How can a body withstand this?
Then you hold life like a face
between your palms, a plain face,
no charming smile, no violet eyes,
and you say, yes, I will take you
I will love you again.

-Ellen Bass

Sagittarius:
Be taught now, among the trees and rocks,
how the discarded is woven into shelter,
learn the way things hidden and unspoken
slowly proclaim their voice in the world....
Find that far inward symmetry
to all outward appearances, apprentice
yourself to yourself, begin to welcome back
all you sent away, be a new annunciation,
make yourself a door through which
to be hospitable, even to the stranger in you.

- David Whyte

Capricorn:
You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting-
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.

- Mary Oliver

Aquarius:
Praying

It doesn't have to be
the blue iris, it could be
weeds in a vacant lot, or a few
small stones; just
pay attention, then patch
a few words together and don’t try
to make them elaborate, this isn't
a contest but the doorway
into thanks, and a silence in which
another voice may speak.

- Mary Oliver

Pisces:
What To Do In Darkness

Go slowly
Consent to it
But don't wallow in it
Know it as a place of germination
And growth
Remember the light
Take an outstretched hand if you find one
Exercise unused senses
Find the path by walking it
Practice trust
Watch for dawn

- Marilyn McEntyre

The Thing Is

The thing is..
to love life, to love it even
when you have no stomach for it
and everything you've held dear
crumbles like burnt paper in your hand,
your throat filled with the silt of it.
When grief sits with you, its tropical heat
thickening the air, heavy as water
more fit for gills than lungs;
when grief weights you like your own flesh
only more of it, an obesity of grief,
you think, How can a body withstand this?
Then you hold life like a face
between your palms, a plain face,
no charming smile, no violet eyes,
and you say, yes, I will take you
I will love you again.

~ Ellen Bass

Renewal, awakenings and beginnings arrive with the Vernal equinox on March 19th at 21:00 PDT. The length of light and darkness is almost equal on this day, which marks a turning point. For the northern hemisphere, days will be getting lighter (longer) as we move into spring and summer. This is the beginning of more light, more life. Shakti is stirring, inviting in more creativity in the coming days and months. This sense of opening moves us towards completion as the eclipse portal closes.

Fertility and creativity are enlivened with this full Moon, as it coincides with the Vedic Holi festival, also known as "the festival of colors". Holika Dahan (the night before Holi when the fires are lit) is on the 22nd this year, followed by the Holi on the 23rd. This celebration in the Vedic calendar which roughly coincides with the vernal equinox and the arrival of spring in the Northern Hemisphere, sparks creative potential, increased love, beauty and creativity. It takes place with the Phalguni Purnima as the Phalguni stars are ripe with sensuality, love, beauty and abundant resources. 

No matter the hemisphere you are in, both spring and fall are considered "sandhi" times of year- or in between seasons. These are sacred times, when the veil is thin, sensitivity is heightened. In Ayurveda, we attend to necessary physical rituals that help the body cleanse and purify. Holi comes at this sacred junction and is a time to "plant seeds" so to speak. It is a celebration of fertility, abundance and the awakening of Shakti within Nature. It is the marking of the gap, which is ripe with potential and possibility.

The full enlivening of Ma is celebrated during Vasant Navaratri- the nine days of Mother Divine, beginning on the 7th of April this year. Consider Holi the "kick off" celebration in many ways- a time to plant your desires and create your fruits for the coming year. Let this Full Moon enliven a sense of spring and possibility. Use this week's Creative Engagement activity (below) for your cultivation process.

The full Moon is March 23rd at 05:00 PDT while Moon is in Virgo and Uttaraphalguni. This full Moon coincides with a penumbral lunar eclipse, closing the two week eclipse portal that has been invoking challenging shadow work for many. The eclipse begins at 02:39 PDT, with the maximum eclipse being at 04:47 PDT, and ending at 06:54 PDT.

This eclipse will be visible through much of Asia, Australia, North America, Much of South America, Pacific, Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Arctic, Antarctica. Traditionally, it is not advised to look at an eclipse directly, or to be outside during the eclipse. Stay indoors, meditate, eat lightly or fast, set intentions and say prayers. Use this time as the sacred, inward time that it is. Being outside during the eclipse leaves you vulnerable to absorbing extra "shadow" which is not ideal. Since eclipses represent and intensify the inner shadow, taking precautionary measures to avoid gathering more shadow, is important. This full Moon marks the closing of the eclipse portal (the two week period between solar and lunar eclipses). It is now a better time to begin new projects, make decisions or start anything important.

Full Moon in Uttaraphalguni supports increased creativity and nourishment in the cycle to come, but not without necessary change and transformation. The full Moon chart indicates nourishment through wisdom, the support of the ancestors and spirit for this process. Deepen your connection to your lineage and find ways to invite them into your life. Perhaps it's time to create an ancestor altar? Feed them good meals? Notice their constant messages? Pay attention to how they show up in your life.

You must dig deeply, sifting through the rubble of your past, the shadow and illusion, in order to clarify your connection to Source, spirit and your ancestral team of support. There is a strong release process happening right now, intensified by the eclipse portal coming to a close. Your ability to release and create space for the new, the fertile, the life force, will determine how much living you do in the coming months.

Right now, darkness and death, are dancing furiously with the light and creating your awakening. This tangled relationship calls for integration, harmonizing and more balance. The illusion of your separateness, your inner pain (and any addiction to this pain), is a result of not allowing your light and dark forces to co-create more consciously. This waning cycle calls for greater balance between your opposing forces.

Previously, in the waxing cycle, you began to identify your separate parts. Binaries and polarities came to the surface for you to look at with more clarity. This caused discomfort, pain, struggle and most importantly, conflict. In fact, this is a necessary part of the change and transformation process. Now it's time to use what you've identified, as a resource for creating more integration within. As you continue to identify the challenges and what is not working, I encourage you to contemplate "what do I need moving forward in order for more comfort, support and nourishment?" What is the underlying need with this challenge or conflict? How can you ease the critic and forgive yourself for past choices and decisions as you move forward?

As doors continue to close- both consciously and unconsciously- notice your response. Are you moving towards greater nourishment? Allowing in more wholeness? Or resisting the closure, the release and the necessary endings? Potential for increased growth and abundance arriving in this waning cycle, is solely determined by your ability to release. Gather the support you need for this process- on all four levels of your being- physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. The more help and support you in invite in, the deeper the nourishment you can absorb. Heal the separateness, the illusion of disconnection. Gather resources for deepening your inner connection. Let creativity be your ultimate resource for awakening. Awaken your imaginal as this can spark possibility. Allow desire to move you into action.

In the waning cycle to come, Saturn will go retrograde until August, increasing stability and structure as well as grief and sadness. Mercury will move to Aries, starting a new cycle for the mind. Venus will enter its exaltation sign, increasing the flow of love and resources. The new Moon will arrive in Pisces with the beginning of Navaratri. Make space within your being for more connection to the Divine Mothers.