Year of the Fire Horse
Chinese Astrology is fascinating to me. I am by no means an expert, or even as well-versed in it as I am in Western Astrology. In terms of pattern recognition, through, it’s exciting, because it is a base-6o system – there are 5 variants or any given sign or critter; it encompasses an entire year and isn’t just about the personality of the person born under that sign, even more so than in Western Astrology.
Horse in this system represents movement, vitality, fire, circulation, charisma,and rising Yang energy. And this year, that’s flavored with more fire! The energy this year will be fast moving and expansive. It also requires more self-care than usual. Dr Felice Chan, a TCM practitioner, recommends strengthening your heart energy, lots of grounding, protecting your blood and hormones, supporting your spleen, and align your inner world with your outer ambition.
This is a big year of change, taking care of your nervous system is even more important than it was last year. Ground every morning. If you wake up in the middle of the night, reach for a meditation rather than a screen. If you’re looking for one to have so you don’t have to go searching, I created a specialized one for purchase. Whenever you feel overwhelmed, breathe in and out through your nose.
Vernal Equinox
The Spring Equinox is March 20th this year. Equinoxes have an equal amount of daylight and darkness, so they are a balance point. Some self-examination is in order. Does a balance exist between our poles of Yin and Yang (especially in a Fire year), between our energies of push and pull? Or are we prisoners of illusion or of how we think we “should” behave? As we move toward our outer nature, do we still honor our inner nature? Did we ever?
The influence of Spring Equinox upon the human experience is generous, dramatic, and profound. The subtle change from dark to light sends the exquisite message to all here on Earth that Springtime is the season of rebirth. It is a time of new fire, a fire that is not yet full-blown. The light and dark are in perfect balance, but the light is growing and the Sun is about to burst forth with new energy. The last days of March begin a new season of fertility and growth.
Equinox the time of the Divine Feminine, She of Ten Thousand Names. Her many manifestations embody all of the aspects or facets of being a woman. Her energy is alive in the Universe, and in each of us, regardless of gender or chromosomes. The power of the Divine Feminine lays in being that which all life force flows through. In Gnostic tradition, it is the Divine Feminine who breathe life or spirit into all things. In Jewish mysticism, it is the Divine Feminine who brings ideas into physical manifestation. In Christianity, she is the blessed maiden, the mother of God.
In a number of traditions, this is the New Year.
The Energies for March
This is absolutely a turning point month. I feel like most days ending in Y are a turning point at this part of the Shift, but there you go.
We start off the month in the midst of a Mercury Retrograde in Pisces. Mars joins Mercury, the Sun, and Venus in Pisces on the 2nd. Pisces is like Malkuth, the bottom pip on the Tree of Life in Kabbalah. All of the energy from the Tree or the Zodiac flows into the endpoint, where we try to synthesize all of those bits into a cohesive whole. Pisces embraces change and remembers that it is inevitable. And Pisces is the last sign in the Zodiac, so we’re wrapping things up.
We have a Total Lunar Eclipse in Virgo on the 3rd. Luna invites us to release the mask we’ve been wearing, the attachment we have to what other people think of us or how they see us. It’s an opportunity to pick up the wheels of the bus and shift our trajectory pretty dramatically, if we so choose. Virgo encourages purification, so there will be energetic support for releasing everything that no longer serves you.
Jupiter stations direct on the 10th. I’ve been seeing a dramatic shift in the housing market around this time. If you’re looking to buy or sell property, or to refinance, wait until the dust settles, somewhere around May if you can. If your deadline is sooner than that, hit me up for an appointment and we can look at your numerology.
From the 21st through the end of the month, there will be NO planets in retrograde motion. This will translate into a LOT of forward motion and very little stuckness. I feel like that’s when the Fire Horse takes off, and we’ll want to be seated firmly on the house, as well as need to be into our self-care routines at that point.
I had a dream a while back, on Valentine’s Day according to my notes, that emphasized 38 days, which would be March 24th. I don’t have any more information at this time, but my calendar is marked with “something happens”. In looking at my notes for the month, there’s nothing important happening astrologically; the number is “1” or new beginnings; there’s a minor Opportunity Period for taking the initiative; and the card is Blue Jay, which is about proper use of power and not taking short cuts. We’ll still be in the Wake of Mercury Retrograde, so short cuts are contraindicated anyway. The teal deer is that I have NO idea what is going to happen, but Spirit thought it was important enough to call it out.
We have another Friday the 13th, which is a Goddess Day. 13 is the number of the Goddess, and her days of the week are Monday and Friday. The Feminine Divine can also be seem as the Indwelling Divine or as the principle of Pull or receptivity. Language is imprecise, our thoughts will often lie to us, but our bodies tell us the truth. Naturally, the Patriarchy makes this day out to be bad luck.
Other themes this month:
Conceal what you’re working on until it’s ready
Sacred Play
Protecting oneself
Don’t trust what you see
Taking action
Psychic Protection in Uncertain Times
Sundays March 15 – April 12 1:30-2:30pm Pacific
This practical, hands-on course will teach you
– how to clear yourself and your space, and how to keep it clear
– how to protect yourself from attack
– how to work in harmony with the energies around you so you don’t have to live in fear
On a more concrete level, you will learn about
– determining and holding your boundaries
– personal shielding
– grids, amulets, & wards
– prayers & mantras
– clearing techniques
– how to correct stagnant feng shui
If you are attending the Labyrinth Retreat in April (see below), this workshop is included, since you’ll be onsite for the last class of the series.
Investment: $189
20% early registration discount if paid in full by March 1st
Patreon discount also available
Labyrinth Workshop
In April, I’ll be offering an in-person Labyrinth Retreat. We will spend time learning about labyrinths as well as building a 5-circuit modified Chartres labyrinth on my property in Southern California. As mentioned above, the last day of the retreat coincides with the last class of the Protection series, so that workshop is included in the price of the retreat.
Arrive and get settled the evening of April 1st. Depending on when people arrive, we may go walk a labyrinth at a Catholic Church across town.
April 2nd you will spend the day learning about labyrinths with a break for lunch and a stroll out in nature. After dinner, I will be channeling for everyone.
April 3rd through 5th we will be building the labyrinth, with breaks for siesta, story telling, food, and the last class of the Protection workshop. The weekend will end with a ceremony to open the labyrinth.