SPRING EQUINOX AND MERCURY'S SHADOW

March 20 is measured, prudent advance

This disastrous (for the Ukraine, at least) Mercury retrograde series won't really end until March 20. True, Mercury went direct on Feb.28, but, like the story of the fox jumping the icy stream, if you jumped too soon, you get your tail wet. There's humiliation and disgrace for you, although at least you can work your way out of it—at great cost.

March 20, however, we do start afresh, at least mentally. The combination of Pisces Sun, Capricorn Venus, Mars in Virgo and the Moon in Libra, all the planets are in very cautious signs, this Spring awakening is long on emotions and less on action. The rusty knife of Jupiter opposition Pluto, squared Uranus may be a societal transit, but it will effect us all. This is the T-square of shaken beliefs. As the clock goes round, every part of our lives will be sliced open as if by a surgeon's scalpel, to reveal the darkest fears, secrets and longings in each part of our lives. Nothing will be spared; no family skeleton will be unearthed. Once seen, you can never unsee your real self and what you must let go; you have only right now to change your ways.

The flush of enlightenment may be too overwhelming to deal with; a haughty Venus is not accepting the judgements of the Moon. With Aquarius and Pisces, there's nothing to change; air and water always keep their natures. The buds are bursting and the birds are singing, but we are still smarting from our uncertainly about the future. Jupiter is connecting with Mercury for us to entertain big dreams; Aquarius here allows us to imagine peace—yet Saturn's good qualities of planning and practice are holding us back from foolish commitments. It is a good, solid foundation for good works.

With Mars in Virgo, many people will be ending relationships; Virgo tends to criticize their lovers, and after a long suffocating winter, many couples will irrevocable be ending the romance. Saturn in Libra has been forcing us to interrogate our own relationship like a guilty thief. The Libra Moon may not want to cut the ties, but life has a way of making choices for you. Uranus, Chiron and Mercury are all connected in some way with the T-square and the set of trines with Mars. The upsetting news may just keep coming and be enough to stifle the giddiness of Spring fever.

Although the regularity of Spring can excite people, and awaken the mating drive in all beings, this Spring equinox will have two sets of consequences for peo