March Equinox on the 19th
Equinox is nearly upon us! The time of equal day/equal night across the planet occurs at 8:06 pm PDT on March 19, 2024. For people in Europe, Asia and Africa, this will occur on March 20th.
Astrologically, this is alternatively known as “Zero Aries” because this is when the Sun ingresses into the sign of Aries (zero degrees Aries). The Sun is moving from the south to the north and daylight is increasing significantly in the Northern Hemisphere, while the opposite is happening in the Southern Hemisphere.
At this equinox, we also enter the eclipse season with two eclipses taking place while the Sun is in Aries. The first one is a penumbral lunar eclipse on March 24/25 and then a total solar eclipse on April 8th across North America. The season of Aries is the season of eclipses and a time to pay great attention to the planetary movements as much happens astrologically during the time that the Sun is in Aries.
Mercury stations retrograde on April 1st in the sign of Aries as well and the planet of “healer-heal-thyself”, Chiron will be exactly conjunct the April 8th total solar eclipse. Chiron’s transit through Aries since 2018 has been helping to focus on humanity’s wounds around wars, unhealed/unfaced wounds around blind loyalty to missions, especially ones centered around perpetuating unchecked aggressions and fears.
At the equinox, we can set intentions for greater clarity in our ever-forward movement. It is a time to get into the essence of what we want and how can we achieve it? It is also a time of expression of vibrant activities and adventurous fun too!
Aries is a sign that typically is seen as the beginning of the zodiac due to the sign representing the Northern spring equinox. Over 2,000 years ago, the sign aligned with the constellation under the same name. However, for the purposes of differentiating the constellations and the signs, the constellation of Aries is also known as the “Ram” or the “Plow”. I tend to call it the Ram for general writing and teaching.
In the sky now, the March equinox point is still in the Fish Constellation (still known in astronomy as Pisces). This point doesn’t fully move into the constellation of the Water-Bearer (aka Aquarius constellation) for several centuries. The phenomena related to the equinox moving slowly through the zodiacal constellations is called “Precession of the Equinox.”
One of the many movements of the Earth relates to a very slow wobble as it spins that takes approximately 26,000 years to complete. Because the Fish Constellation is very large in the sky, it is taking extra time for the equinox point to precess through it.
This leads us to the concept and greater calendar measuring “ages” in humanity. We are indeed heading into a new age. But we haven’t truly reached the so-called “Age of Aquarius” as of yet. With that said, we are transitioning from well over 2,000 years of the equinox point in the Fish Constellation to what is beyond and between the Fish and Water-Bearer.
There are other indicators that show we are nearing a new age for humanity, like the Hindu yugas and the fact that the December Solstice point lined up with the Galactic Equator and Center, but that is beyond the scope of this article.
For the moment, we are still working through the sign of Aries against the backdrop of the Fish Constellation. This is a time we can collectively connect into that forward momentum during some chaos and distresses. We can look into ourselves as we react to the world around us to see not just what is front of us but develop an awareness around our periphery. What is really going on there? How can we be present with it all? This equinox is a reminder to envision ourselves in balance AND also growth as we seek the light.
I believe that humanity is here in general as conscious extensions of the cosmos and the Earth. In the spirit of Aries, can we be its protector and guardian? How we show up consciously to avoid the repeating the same cycle of war and greed that have done more harm than sustaining and nurturing humanity and the Earth? Those are questions we can ask as we celebrate the March equinox’s promise of new pathway ahead.