A Giant leap forward and two small steps backwards
An eclipse, retrogrades, a cosmic pile-up, and what it means for you
The current astrological setup is undoubtedly unusual and somewhat confusing. Understanding these significant events can provide a sense of direction as we navigate the changes occurring personally and in the outer world. The new moon solar eclipse chart below clearly shows a lot is happening across the signs of Aries and Pisces. I'll break it down into digestible bites for you.
A Giant leap forward and two small steps backwards
The Aries New Moon solar eclipse on March 29th and Neptune's ingress into Aries the next day represent a giant leap into our future. Meanwhile, Venus and Mercury's retrogrades have demanded a release or recalibration of relationships and desires that no longer serve us and a general reorientation of our mental mind maps.
Pisces, the end of the zodiac, speaks of a lifetime of lessons - an accumulation point, while Aries speaks of the new. Given what we know now, what do we wish to take forward as we step into a brand-new future? This time of potential growth and change inspires us to consider what we want to carry forward into this new phase of our lives.
Saturn in Pisces assists in this life review and clean-out, providing structure and discipline to our process as we sort the wheat from the chaff and let go of what no longer nourishes us, before we move on. The presence of the North Node conjunct Saturn suggests we are being helped with our acts of discernment through the pull of our karmic destiny. This support is a reassuring reminder that we are not without resources in this process.
The Chandra symbol for the degree of the new moon solar eclipse is uncanny in its summary of where we find ourselves:
Roots of a tree entwined around the statue of a nude woman.
The impulse to make yourself over is strong, courageous, ready, and willing. The old stuff dies hard. You are engaged in a pitched battle between retrogressive and progressive ideals, impulses, and desires. Both sides are so impassioned and sharply intent that this becomes a knockdown battle of wills. The backward leaning will is immune to change. The visionary forward-thrusting will feels moved by evolutionary forces never to give up. Eventually the future prevails over the past.1
Neptune’s Ingress into Aries
The ingress of watery Neptune into fiery Aries on March 30th signals a powerful energy shift. He has not visited this part of the zodiac since 1862, so no one alive today has Neptune in Aries in their natal birth chart. Apart from a brief retrograde back into Pisces in October 2025 through January 2026, Neptune will remain in Aries until May 2038.
Aries is ruled by Mars, the god of war, traditionally associated with aggression. But he also symbolises our will, assertiveness and initiation. How his energy manifests for us personally depends on how healthy our relationship is to our inner psyche. We can use his energy to initiate actions for the highest good and to protect what we love. Or we can have it thrust us into conflict due to our lack of healthy boundaries or self-control. Mars is both a protector and protagonist, for good or for ill.
Without the energy of Aries, the new seedling could not penetrate through the soil to find the sun and grow - a fitting metaphor for how we can utilise this energy in a supportive manner.
Neptune is the beautiful dream, the oceanic field of oneness. It is also illusion and dissolution of those illusions. Hence, there is a need to stay grounded and firmly rooted in reality, even while it shape shifts around us. This tricky balancing act calls for awareness and connection to our intuition and gut instincts to help us navigate. Stay grounded and check in regularly with your somatic responses to ensure a steady and safe passage - with Neptune's watery energy within the fiery domain of Aries, we may encounter foggy conditions ahead.
Neptune in Aries represents using our motivated will to find meaning and develop our spirituality in relation to whichever house topic Aries occupies in the birth chart. There may be a call to a higher purpose, our sense of justice or increased inspired creativity. If you are on a spiritual path, expect a deepening relationship with the divine in whatever form that takes for you. On a collective level, we will see the birth of a new era, and what form that takes will depend on how we individually respond to these energies.
After the Full Moon in Libra on April 13th, when both Venus and Mercury will be moving direct, we should be able to find the motivation, clarity of desires and focus in order to proceed. A new era beckons, are you ready to respond to its call?
If you would like to know more about how this year's epoch-changing astrology will impact you personally, you can order a report or book a one-on-one consultation with me at this link
Inside Degrees, Elias Lonsdale
I have karma in Aries at 14 degrees, along with some asteroid goddess Eris, Sedna, Vesta and Pallis and nothing at all in Pieces. I hope that's a good thing???