A Sensitive and Feisty First Quarter Moon

Tuesday's First Quarter Moon is that phase in the lunar cycle when the rubber meets the road – the time when our concrete plans from the New Moon one week prior, and our cherished ideals as well, must measure up to the standards of practicality set for us by a world seemingly indifferent to our original level of enthusiasm. These very issues have become much more poignant lately, with Saturn, and Jupiter also, so prominent in the monthly configurations. In the current skies, restrictive Saturn and enthusiastic Jupiter remain within a degree of a quincunx aspect to each other, as Saturn trines Chiron, the Wounded Healer, while Jupiter squares it. There is plenty of attitude in these three planetary archetypes in collision, representing the pain of recognizing where indeed we cannot get what we want coupled with a strong sense of the ideal that we would like to believe is somehow still possible; and this is true on either a personal or a global level.

Then, too, the Spring Equinox of Wednesday, March 20th, is a dramatic one, with this same configuration of outer planet energies and several other strong aspects to take into consideration, as head-strong Mars conjuncts impulsive Uranus in Aries even more closely. We might need to be aware that everyone around us is more impetuous than usual, ourselves included, with accidents and outbursts a distinct possibility. At the time of Tuesday's Quarter Moon this intense aspect is offset by the Sun with Venus in sensitive and subtle Pisces. In yet another strong symbol of sensitivity, Mercury, fresh out of its retrograde motion, remains in conjunction with dreamy Neptune. It's a relief in some ways that Mercury has returned to a more outer-directed mode, although since it does not entirely escape its retrograde shadow until April 6th, the Mercury Retrograde period remains in transition for these next few weeks.

The sensitivity that Neptune and Pisces symbolize can be easily offended, while the impulsivity of Mars-Uranus tends to jump the tracks, so the likelihood is there for upset. The Mars-Uranus conjunction becomes more pronounced over these next few days, perfecting on Friday, March 22nd. We must therefore strive especially hard to find the high road in our dealings with others, going against the grain of cosmic influence by trying to be patient and countering the onslaught of impulsive energy. We do well to beware of untoward spontaneous actions during this week that could lead to accidents, or of letting our mouths get ahead of our hearts, remembering that the word that is once spoken cannot be taken back. The recommendation is that rather than reacting we all take a deep breath and count to ten – or at least five – before responding.

With these powerful planetary alignments, amidst the tension of the quarter moon, interpersonal relationship is very much on our minds and in our hearts. We also have the strong urge to be ourselves, at all costs, and this is vitally important as well. We win only by paying careful attention to these joint urges. As the Sun leaves the last degree of Pisces he seeks to remind us that two hearts are better than one; and it goes much better if the two are each whole.