At the end of last month, Neptune, planet of intuition, mystery, and spiritual revolution, left nebulous Pisces after 14 years. Neptune’s entrance into fierce and impulsive Aries last occurred at the beginning of the American Civil War in 1861, and we have only to observe the world around us to see that it rests on a similar precipice. Though the accelerated authoritarianism seems to be right out of an absurdist dystopian fascist playbook, it can also feel massively unpredictable and difficult to effectively organize against. This season we will likely witness escalating social and political conflict locally and globally, and the preparations we made last month for our health and stability will be put to the test. Last month’s eclipses and retrogrades showed us what we needed to release in order to align with our purpose, and Aries season will demand action. Mercury will invigorate our intellect and communication when it turns direct on the 7th, followed by Venus turning direct on the 12th, the same day as the full moon in Libra. The influence of Venus, Libra’s ruling planet, on this full moon will offer us a reprieve through beauty and/or rest. These experiences have the potential to veer toward escapism, but they can also be vital building blocks for our liberation. Libra is a sign of partnership, relationship, and balance, and this moon wants us to take an honest look at the power dynamics in our lives and decide who and what we can truly trust. Mars will enter stable but spicy Leo on the 17th, strengthening our convictions in these matters. Mercury will enter Aries on the 16th, followed by Venus on the 30th, and our multifaceted interactions with the god of war will continue to stoke fires in our personal and political lives.
ARIES
Happy You season, Aries! It might be difficult to find time to celebrate amidst the terrors, but the revolution is for lovers, and you are not easily defeated. Yes, there are many battles to fight, and this season will bring the wisdom to know which ones are worthwhile. Mercury and Venus will enter your sign on the 16th and 30th, respectively, indicating new romantic and intellectual cycles. You will need to love yourself through the highs and lows of the season to reach a fresh perspective for the upcoming year.
TAURUS
As your year-round cycle comes to a close, you might find yourself reflecting on the last 12 months and trying to parse out whether or not you are satisfied. As an earth sign, your concerns might be primarily material, but the sun’s transit through your 12th house until the 19th will ask you to dig deeper. When have you betrayed yourself, or others? How can you become a better person in the seasons to come? The sun’s entry into your sign on the 19th represents an opportunity to put this into practice, and the new moon on the 27th will be a good time to release fear and embrace new ways you wish to bloom.
GEMINI
Air signs are often scolded for being detached. Though to you it might be a necessary survival tool, it can be read as uncaring. The sun’s transit through your 11th house will pull your focus towards the needs of your community, and you will need to be intentional about your beliefs and energy. Use this month to explore the upper limits of your philosophical side, and let Aries’ powerful influence guide you back to your heart when the time comes to act.
CANCER
Your romantic side is likely one of your most valued traits, and your capacity for love and care is well known in your community. The sun’s transit through your Aries-ruled 10th house of public image and legacy could force you to exert some uncharacteristically tough love this month. You and Aries’ shared cardinal nature can bring out the best and the worst in each other. Be wise: Protect your reputation and catch yourself before your big feelings topple what you’ve already worked to achieve, professionally and emotionally.
LEO
When you think about freedom, what do you envision? Is it wealth? Love? Perhaps having actual civil liberties? This month, the sun’s transit through your 9th house of exploration and philosophical inquiry will invite you to consider this theme, and Aries’ demanding, rooted presence will force you to practice what you preach. Values systems are only effective if they are consistently applied in real life, and this month you might be challenged to sacrifice what you want in order to preserve your integrity.
VIRGO
It can be hard for Virgos to understand Aries energy, and the sun’s transit through your Aries-ruled 8th house could turn the emergence of spring into an existential crisis. Where Virgo is cautious, Aries is bold and impulsive, and the 8th house is not a forgiving place. This house concerns itself with death, shared resources, and commitment, all of which come with difficult feelings. You will need to stand your ground and perhaps even focus on self-preservation if you want to make it through this season relatively unscathed.
LIBRA
Relationships are going to be front and center for you this month, and necessary shifts you need to make in this realm will become most apparent on and around the full moon in your sign on the 12th. The sun’s transit through Aries and your 7th house will highlight themes around independence, interdependence, and codependence. Your cardinal nature is passionate, but sometimes passion can lead you astray. Pursuits that feel shallow or fleeting will bring karmic lessons and delays, so stay true to what you know is important.
SCORPIO
Your ruling planet Mars will be entering your fellow fixed sign Leo on the 17th, and though your watery nature might not love the initial sensation of feeling more heated or reactive during this transit, in the long-term you will learn valuable lessons about anger and self-protection. In addition, the sun will be transiting your 6th house, and this could be a good time to do some life and health admin. The sun will enter your sister sign Taurus on the 19th, and if you have honored your nervous system’s demands, it will mark a shift toward calmer waters.
SAGITTARIUS
Your fiery nature will be coming back full swing this season. Spring’s arrival will bring new creative opportunities, stability, and play in your relationships, and perhaps even a new romance with real promise. The end of Mercury and Venus’ retrogrades and subsequent movement back into Aries will be warm wind beneath your wings. The weekend of the full moon on the 12th will ask you to give back to your community in meaningful ways that reflect the happiness you have been building for and around yourself.
CAPRICORN
Capricorn is often depicted as a sea goat, an apt symbol for a sign that is exceptionally determined and also exceptionally emotional. As the wise patriarch of the zodiac, Capricorn is tasked with processing generational lessons while keeping the ship afloat, and this can put a lot of pressure on you. The sun’s transit through your 4th house this month will ask you to ground down in your home and your family (whatever that means for you). You deserve to be taken care of just as much as the next person, and this month will offer you chances to ask for help instead of being Daddy to everyone around you.
AQUARIUS
As an air sign, you are naturally prone to exploration and play. Your inner child might be freaking out right now because of the state of the world, but you are one of the signs best equipped to face adversity, and now is no exception. The sun’s transit through your 3rd house and the full moon in Libra (on the 12th) will both carry sharp yet comforting air energy, like the simultaneous hot and cold winds that blew on Mardi Gras day. Your multifaceted nature can simultaneously hold the serious and the absurd—put that into practice this season.
PISCES
Stability often evades water signs, and as the mutable water sign, you are perhaps most likely to see this elusive goal as impractical amidst the growing chaos of a beleaguered planet. However, striving for solid foundations is necessary no matter how impossible the task may seem. And since the sun’s transit through your 2nd house this month will put some pressure on your financial or material circumstances, there’s no time like the present to start. Channel your inner fire to solve the problems that arise, so that when Taurus season starts on the 19th you can play and rest in the full bloom of spring.
illustrations by Anneliese DePano
