Vernal Equinox today – the first day of Spring!

March 20, 2010 By

Spring EquinoxArt by Kathryn Rodenbach.

The Sun enters Aries today, marking the Vernal Equinox – the time at which the days and nights are of equal length.  The charts for the Equinoxes and Solstices are significant in predicting the energy that will be circulating over the next few months, and these charts are often used by weather forecasters as well as other prognosticators of various kinds.

The chart for the current Equinox shows an exact opposition of Saturn to the Sun, which suggests challenges and delays along with the necessity for practicality and diligence.  However, Mars in Leo is exactly trine to the Sun, a harmonious balance of active energy that helps to keep us motivated and inspired.

The Moon in this chart is in an exact square to Chiron and Neptune which suggests a certain amount of emotional intensity despite the fact that the Moon is in Taurus which tends to remain rather balanced through any kind of chaos.  But Chiron and Neptune bring about a push for emotional healing and this sometimes necessitates an eruption of feelings that have long been hidden.

The Moon is in an exact harmonious sextile to Uranus which helps to provide a level of rationality and air which will keep the emotional stuff from becoming too intense.  Overall this is not a bad chart and suggests that the period leading up to the Summer Solstice will be a time of reflection and preparation for the intensity to come at the Solstice point.

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The Vernal Equinox!

March 20, 2009 By

The Sun enters Aries today, making this the Vernal Equinox in the tropical zodiac, the time when the days and nights are of equal length.  This therefore is a time of balance and the moment that Spring begins.

The chart for the equinox, which occurs at 7:44 am this morning, features a square from Pluto to the Sun which signifies great power and the potential for transformation but also for conflict.  Pluto in Capricorn demands sacrifice and respect for the contracting cycle, and the new Aries Sun resists this and wants to burst forth impatiently  into Spring, unconscious of the greater contraction in the world around us.

Mercury is conjunct Uranus in Pisces, suggesting new ideas and experiences from which we can draw wisdom and greater understanding.  The opposition of Saturn to that conjunction adds a need for practical application and the creation of a structure within which to operate to create change.  The Moon trines Saturn and sextiles Mercury/Uranus, so the deeper instinctual wisdom is the key to maintaining balance.   Chiron and Neptune are in conjunction and the process of exposing old wounds so that we can connect to the divinity in our lives in a way that is more real and more true.

The Equinox is a resurrection festival that is found across a variety of cultural perspectives and religion.  Attis, Adonis, Osiris, Jesus, Dionysus – all are gods who die and are reborn in the spring.  This is a time to be reborn ourselves – to blossom and shed the old skins that are no longer working for us.

The Moon interacts in harmonious sextiles with Venus at around 10:15 am and with Uranus at around 4 pm EDT, so the planetary energies are generally positive today.  This is more of a time for thinking and interacting with others than for beginning new projects because we are in the last quarter Moon period.  That does not mean that projects cannot be started today – just know that more effort will be needed to kick them into gear.

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A Powerhouse of an Equinox

March 19, 2008 By

The Vernal Equinox occurs tomorrow, March 20, at 2 am EST as the Sun enters Aries, marking the re-entry of the fire element into our planetary cycles. The opposition of Mars in Cancer to Pluto in Capricorn has certainly been fiery, but the fire element has been notably missing.

The chart for the Vernal Equinox point features the Equinox Sun nearly exactly square to Pluto and still within orb of a square to Mars which is moving away from that pesky opposition point. Pluto, which is stationing (slowing down) in preparation for its retrograde turn, is amplified in intensity. We also find an opposition between Mercury (mental functions) and Saturn (disillusionment) that is likely to create some negative thinking and difficulty in communication processes.

One day later, the Libra Full Moon will move into position to square Mars and Pluto as it opposes the Sun, forming a Grand Cross. The next few days will be a powerful time, and the energy of this time will spill over into the next few weeks and possibly months. It’s very important now, in this time of great power, to be aware of the energy that we are sending into the world. Everything is amplified now, and each small event ripples into a greater event that has far-reaching consequences.

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Harbingers of Spring: Aries and the Vernal Equinox

March 20, 2006 By

March 20 marks the entry of the Sun into Aries and the Vernal Equinox: the cardinal point of initiation and the beginning of Spring. Aries marks the beginning of the zodiac and the first of the fire signs. Aries is idealistic, courageous and seeks to live in a way that is truly larger than life. Aries is not interested in ordinary mundane reality; give them a quest, a mission, and they are happy. Ruled by Mars, Aries individuals tend to have strong desires and an independent streak, they are not easily disciplined and seek to make their own way in life. They have a strong temper that flares easily but the fire is easily put out, after which they forget what made them angry in the first place. They tend to be innocent like a child, and can lack empathy, being unable to really understand what others are going through.

Liz Greene writes:

“Aries, the first sign, the sign of spring, is the symbol of new life after the cold and barren winter. All of nature heralds the spring with a burst of life and colour, sometimes precipitate, sometimes rash, sometimes premature, but a reminder that everything has a new birth, that no matter how dark or limiting or depressing the winter it always ends with the spring. The whole world responds to the new hope and new life of the spring. ”

Throughout history, the vernal equinox has been a time of celebrating the resurrection of nature from the death of winter. One of the earliest resurrections myths is that of Osiris in ancient Egypt. After Osiris was murdered and chopped into pieces by his brother Set, his wife/sister Isis took the pieces to Anubis, lord of the underworld, who brought Osiris back to life. His resurrection is celebrated at the time of the Vernal Equinox.

Ancient civilizations across the globe built temples and monuments to honor the Vernal Equinox. Biblical legend tells us that the Temple of Solomon was oriented to the Equinox sunrise. Standing stones from ancient Celtic Britain were also aligned to the Equinox. The Mayans built temples such as the one in Chichen Itza that were oriented towards the rising sun on the Vernal equinox as well.

As we head out of winter’s darkness and complete our pass through the zodiac that ends with Pisces, we can take advantage of the flush of energy that Aries offers. As we head towards the solar eclipse and the Aries New Moon that occurs on March 29, we can slough off the dead skin of winter and the past, moving into a future that is brighter and more aware.

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