March Retrograde--Returning to Old Haunts & Favorite Places

Mutable Sign Sun, Moon, and Rising Sign people pay attention. In March, two of your planets, Mercury and Jupiter go retrograde. And these are the first two planets to go retrograde in 2018. Now, before you start hemming and hawing, remember that retrograde planets offer us a respite when we can catch our breath, reassess situations that sped ahead since mid-January, and to get caught up with our communication.

Mercury RX March 22 - April 15
Jupiter RX March 8 - July 11








Jupiter is the first planet to retrograde and it does so on March 8. It will stay retrograde for several months in Scorpio and then, jolly Jupiter goes direct on July 11. So, this means it is moving backwards for roughly four months. Jupiter and Sagittarius (Jupiter's ruler) represent long-distance or overseas travel, foreigners, foreign relations, the law, book publishing, academia, and big religion. It is the planet of "good fortune".

With Jupiter going retrograde in Scorpio, we are going back and investigating. We are uncovering situations we would rather not know about. We are delving into our subconscious minds. And some folks are delving into and dwelling on the darker material in their minds. Watch out for the urge to rehash old stories that are coming up for release and letting go. Why do we hold on to garbage from the past? Why do we keep reliving the worst situations of our lives when our souls are ready to expand into a whole new experience? These are questions we ask during Jupiter's retrograde in Scorpio.

Trust issues come up as does issues around faith. Do we have too much faith in people who continually disappoint us or do we not have enough faith in ourselves? Have we lost our religious faith? Or can we muster the courage to pass spiritual tests. Remember, Jupiter also rules organized religion and the pope (who also happens to be Sagittarius). On the dark side, Jupiter represents dogma, opinionated people, philosophy, sarcasm, and pomposity. We could see arrogant posturing, but if we do, that posturing comes from old wounds and unclaimed shadows. It's best to see the humor in this.

When Jupiter is retrograde, it is not a time to launch a business, publish a book, do a lecture tour (unless it began prior to the retrograde and you are returning to venues you lectured at in the past), travel long-distance unless you are returning to a place and so on. We also have less enthusiasm and optimism when Jupiter is retrograde. Sagittarius people could come across as gloomy, especially with Saturn in Capricorn, which can cause anyone to look on the gloomy side of the street.

The good news is that we will see less scandals in the news (but they are still secretly under investigation). We will hear less about people's psychological hang ups and mental illness. We will hear less about exaggerated epidemics. And we'll actually have to search harder to find the real news. We could see natural disasters or manmade disasters swept under the carpet. People are trying too hard to stay afloat and they don't wish to get bogged down in darker topics.

From March 22 (Equinox), until April 15, we experience the first Mercury Retrograde of 2018 in Aries. This means that we won't launch into spring, even if life is filled with comical mishaps. It seems like we experience April Fool's Day for three weeks! Imagine having to slow down and reflect in the fiery get-up-and-go Aries. People want to rush into spring as in fools rushing into chaos. Everyone is saying, "Go, go, go!" But Mercury is saying no, "Stop, stop, stop and reflect".

I believe that Mercury retrogrades are at their worst when they land in a Fire Sign with the exception of Leo which leans towards mellowing out and reflecting. Aries acts on impulses as in jump before you think, but Mercury is telling us to think slowly and methodically. Look back to how things worked for us in the past and to reassess our circumstances so that we can draw up new plans which we launch at the end of April.

This Mercury retrograde also occurs during the end of tax season in the US so double check your numbers and have an expert look over your taxes. On the less mundane side of things, we find ourselves returning to our childhoods or perhaps, spending more time with children which remind us of events from our childhood (dark and light events). We might feel like blogging or writing about our past, but don't get caught up in the drama. It really is a time to release those old wounds, especially if they cause us to feel rage and anger.

Children remain in the media and we return to media stories regarding children from the distant and not so distant past. But something is wrong about the information. There are pieces missing and there might be exaggerated claims. Remember when Mercury is retrograde there is trickster energy at play. Our nervous systems aren't functioning correctly and that includes our brains. We experience cognitive problems not to mention problems with technology. Teachers (K -12) run into difficulties with children and we hear a lot about ADD and ADHD as well as, autism. But hopefully, we come up with solutions that are win-win. By mid-May we hear more about the solutions.

In the meantime, use the Aries energy to edit, proofread, return to old projects, to revitalize our bodies, heal childhood wounds, to listen to children, to travel to old haunts or favorite places, and so on. I feel that it is a great time to go on a retreat to deal with emotional stress or to learn better meditation skills to relax the mind.

If you would like a personal reading, sign up prior to the Mercury RX if you are a new client. If you are a returning client, I'll give you a 10 percent discount from March 22 to April 15. And if you are an Aries, I highly recommend signing up for your Solar Return for 2018. With Uranus leaving your sign in May, this is an interesting time for you. I prefer PayPal payments but we can work out other payment methods. And in-person readings are by cash or check.