The Astrology Company: March 2024 by Bob Mulligan

March 2024

By Bob Mulligan

(a personal note is at the end of the newsletter)

 

March Highlights

Neptune rules fog, confusion, but also a higher love.  Because Neptune has been in his own sign (Pisces) for so long, since 2012, and energy can seem so nebulous, it is easy to overlook his influence on our lives and the planet.  We become so accustomed to his pervasiveness that it is easy to turn numb.  He is the final dispositor of the planetary hierarchy all month, with the exception of the 17th to the 20th, when the Moon is in Cancer. Regardless of everything else going on, he has the final say.  Collectively, people have belief in something higher (Neptune) or just fall for a con of the most outrageous lies (Neptune).  The only way to stay truly sane is to focus on the love.  “Love is like the wind, you can’t see it but you can feel it.” ― Nicholas Sparks, “A Walk to Remember”

On the 3rd – Jupiter Semi-square Neptune is an echo of the April 2022 Conjunction in Pisces.  With Jupiter now in Taurus (material acquisition), the challenges to our ideals will be palpable.  Are we willing to sacrifice our long held beliefs for an immediate fix to short turn problems?  A better world awaits us when we learn to advocate for the good of all. 

On the 10th, Mercury goes into Aries just hours before the New Moon and will usher in a flood of interesting thoughts.  They will not come to anything productive unless we commit to them in the first few days. Otherwise, they just evaporate.

On the 11th, Venus goes into Pisces.  If we are on the right track we should feel it.  In order to be satisfied with our lives, we need to have passion for our daily pursuits.  Our emotional barometer provides useful information. 

The 22nd Mars enters Pisces and sets the tone for the rest of the month.  Creative imagination is strong, but success or failure is all about pacing.  As the saying goes, “our eyes can be bigger than our stomach.” Inspiration and fantasy can look like each other, and the next few months will require us to take time off to be effective. 

The New Moon 

The New Moon is on the 10th at 5:01 AM EDT on the 20th degree of Pisces.  With Neptune so close to the New Moon, which he rules, there will be a concerted effort by concerned parties to forge a new direction.  Mercury is at 0 Aries and Sextile Pluto at 1 Aquarius.  We will see a flood of new information, but the question is, will it affect anyone’s thinking or way of processing ideas? All planets fall between Pluto at 1 Aquarius and Uranus at 19 Taurus; this shows a narrow range of interests.  Collectively, even when people seem open to change, most are mentally risk adverse and don’t want anyone or anything to interfere with their particular prejudices. The wild card is Mars Square Uranus.  This encourages people to act impulsively and violently.  However, the New Moon in Sextile to Uranus promises that outside input actually makes a difference.  With Venus and Uranus in Mutual Reception, trial and error may create a path out of chaos.

The Sun enters Aries 

The Vernal Equinox is March 19th at 11:06 PM EDT.  The Sun is Trine the Moon and Sextile Pluto.  The Moon has just completed her Opposition to Pluto suggesting that the major disruptions have just happened. But now the world will be more stable.  With half the planets in Fixed Signs, we are reticent to change direction, attitude, or habits.  However, with the Moon (public) isolated and operating as the “handle of the bucket,” we are likely to be subject to strong public expressions without significant changes in circumstances.  With Venus and Saturn Conjunct, and Sextile Jupiter, there is likely to be a strong backlash in relationships, as we try to accommodate fears and hopes.  Internationally, this shows some fundamental shifts in alliances.  In our personal lives, we need to go the extra mile to reinforce positive values in our connections to close ones.  With Mercury Conjunct the North Node of the Moon in Aries, the talk is promising, but the actions don’t necessarily fulfill the promise.

 The Full Moon 

The Full Moon is a Lunar Eclipse on the 25th at 3:00 AM EDT on the 5th degree of Aries/Libra. Venus is Sextile Jupiter and the North Node is on the Midpoint and Semi-sextile each.  If our timing is such that we are bringing something to conclusion, luck is on our side.  Pluto is Trine the Moon and Sextile the Sun. This emphasizes the potency of the eclipse and forces some change in direction, but it won’t be unpleasant because we are remembering some habits from our past that worked and will work again.  As Venus and Mars (rulers of the Sun and Moon) are in Pisces, we may not understand exactly what we are doing or why. But for all of this, life goes well and according to plan, maybe not our conscious plan, but the Divine plan. 

The Weeks 

From the 1st through the 3rd people are generally content.  It is a restful weekend and regardless of our duties, it is good to remember what the weekend is for.  Everything looks appealing, but we must keep in mind what our purpose is so we don’t get led astray.  Friendships are there, but beyond socializing we need to make sure we get sufficient rest. 

From the 4th through the 10th deep insights can give us quite a boost, but we must remember to operate within the box where we live and breathe.  Thinking outside the box is for another time.  Rapid progress can be made if we keep our train on the rails.  We don’t get very far in school if we change majors every semester.

From the 11th through the 17th we may have charted a course and stoked the boiler, but now we must do the work.  Short-term enthusiasm must feed into real commitment. Our capacity for adventure must match our endurance.  We don’t want to run out of energy halfway across the swimming pool.  Regardless of how competent we are in any given subject, there is no substitute for knowing ourselves. 

From the 18th through the 24th last minute luck can put hope in our heart and spring in our step.  We may be running faster without even knowing why.  Paying attention to other people’s needs is kind and loving. At the same time, we must be focused, really focused, on completing our given responsibilities before our time is eaten up by any distractions.

From the 25th through the 31st “Threading the needle” is easy when we trust our intuition and climb the staircase one step at a time.  Faith in life, and in our own inherent goodness, goes a long way toward attracting help from the cosmos.  Positive qualities and gifted people are magnetically attracted to each other.

The Days 

1st – Friday – Sun Sextile Jupiter, Mercury Semi-sextile Mars – Unpacking the trunk of memories that we have brought with us on this journey can be inspiring.  Blessings have been with us every step of the way.  Because the path in front seems uncertain, it is easy to succumb to fear. Faith and fear are an inverse ratio, as one goes up, the other goes down. 

2nd – Saturday –  Mercury Semi-square Pluto –  When we search out information, we may get answers that do not please us.   To finish what we are working on, in our personal or public life, requires us to keep seeking the truth. Our emotional response to information reveals an important fact about our mental life. 

3rd – Sunday –  Sun Parallel Mercury, Mars Contra-parallel Uranus, Jupiter Semi-square Neptune –  Complacency is uprooted by a shock to our system.  This can be an important “wake-up” call.  It is time to redouble our efforts and up our commitment.  We have all the facts, now we must act.  When our cause is just, help emerges along the way, and the light of Truth is a spotlight on the path.

4th – Monday –  Mercury Sextile Uranus –  Now is not the time to go on a scavenger hunt.  If we feel bored, or like we are missing something, we need to take time to inventory what we have, and combine our resources in a new way.  Rather than running out to the grocery store, look in the cupboard and make a stunning dinner with what is already there.  If your cupboard is not bare, you should be grateful and pray for those less fortunate.

5th – Tuesday –   We were all trained in some traditional form of worship, even if we were raised by atheists. Somewhere in each of us there is a ritualized standard of behavior acknowledging the transcendent aspect of creation.  Dipping back into our inner “fountain of youth” is not only rejuvenation, but a reminder of how far we have come.

6th – Wednesday – Venus Contra-parallel Jupiter, Mercury Semi-sextile Venus –  The genuine love for humanity can ignite a spark.  It’s not by a grandiose gesture, but by a simple act of kindness that we capture the magic of the day, and make it real.  Often, help for others is most powerful when it is anonymous. 

7th – Thursday – This is one of those days where it’s either hard to get started, or where we grab hold and then can’t let go of a problem, issue, or person.  The day runs smoothest when we are detached enough to allow help to come our way. The same old routines are seen with fresh eyes. 

8th – Friday – Mercury Parallel Neptune, Mercury Conjunct Neptune, Mercury Semi-square Jupiter – We are at a moment when we can be inwardly reflective or extremely creative.  We are participating in a pattern of collective consciousness. If we are going to compose a great symphony, or write a beautiful story with a strong moral punch line, today belongs to us.  But if you, like me, have more pedestrian talents, it is best to check our motivation before we open our mouth.  Directing this creative impulse correctly requires awareness.

9th – Saturday – Venus Semi-sextile Neptune, Mars Square Uranus, Sun Sextile Uranus, Sun Semi-sextile Mars –  Impulses need harnessing. The passive energy of the day is more productive than our immediate desire to seize the day.  Patience brings opportunity to the observant.  Impatience with the slow pace of change can have us “killing the goose that lays the golden egg”.  Signs of spring appear as a foreshowing of things to come.  Half a loaf doesn’t mean we won’t eventually get the whole enchilada.  

10th – Sunday – Mercury enters Aries, the New Moon at 5:01 AM EDT is on the 20th degree of Pisces, Mercury Sextile Pluto –   We have definite thoughts about what we are supposed to do now.  Intentions for the month will only have lasting value if we energize them early and often.  Good feelings evaporate quickly unless we are able to make them real.  Inertia stops us from moving, but also keeps us going if we put sustained effort into our direction now.  “Choose your ruts carefully; you will be in them for a long time.” 

11th – Monday – Venus enter Pisces – Cruising toward our chosen goal makes this a pleasant day.  There are people in our lives now that can distract us with disruptive energy.  We help everyone if we just bless them and move on.   “The whole world is a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death.” – Auntie Mame 

12th – Tuesday –  Mercury Semi-square Uranus, Mercury Contra-parallel Neptune, Venus Semi-sextile Pluto –  In order to gracefully complete the tasks in front of us, we need to surrender to our emotional impulses; they are plotting a truer course to our destination than our logic and reason.  Still we need gas in our gas tank; we don’t need to own the gas station.  At all cost, we have to keep moving without taking on new obligations. 

13th – Wednesday –  Mars Contra-parallel Jupiter, Sun Contra-parallel Mercury –  Expanding our outlook is important to help us clarify what it is that we are actually doing.  There is certain inevitability to our wanderings now.  Not every seed planted will grow, actually most won’t.  However, if we stay the course, eventually the harvest will be beyond what we could have hoped for. 

14th – Thursday –  Sun Parallel Neptune, Mercury Semi-sextile Mars –  The mirage out in front of us can actually be instructive, if we see it as an omen.  We have an opportunity to see our own longings.  Just because we want something doesn’t make it good or bad.  However, we actually do know what we must do, and it isn’t to change lanes in order to chase a fantasy.  Self-knowledge comes in measured steps. 

15th – Friday – Nervous energy can have us imagining opportunities when nothing productive is happening in the outer world.  Conversations with people from unlikely backgrounds, and only distant associations, can stimulate and fulfill our need for excitement, without us having to go anywhere, or put anything we have worked for at risk. 

16th – Saturday –  Mercury Semi-sextile Saturn –  Self-doubt and fear can slow us down.  However, it is important to pay attention to the road signs without judgment.  An over-active mind can get us in trouble.  We have responsibilities to handle first, then to turn our attention to physical exercise, or a good book, is better than falling into a negative subjectivity. 

17th – Sunday –  Sun Conjunct Neptune –  Can we embrace our core creativity?  There is a problem today – we can easily fall into a trap of thinking we are supposed to materialize everything we dream about.  There is productive escapism, neutral fantasy, and really destructive impulses.  We take a giant step forward, if we know the differences and choose wisely. 

18th – Monday –  Mercury Semi-sextile Jupiter –  Our most practical lens shows us how to manifest some small steps toward a distant goal.  Beyond “bringing home the bacon”, our lives have value intrinsically.  Mother, home, family, are all the groundings in domestic life that benefit from our attention.  Life is good, people in our life are great, and we need to share the love.   

19th – Tuesday – Mars Semi-sextile Neptune, Sun Semi-square Jupiter, Sun enters Aries – The search for inner peace can take many shapes and sizes.  When we recognize this quest for what it’s worth, we realize it can’t be hurried.  Although there are many people involved with the basic chores in our lives, we must act affirming and alone. 

20th – Wednesday –  Mercury Contra-parallel Saturn, Mercury Contra-parallel Venus – The desire to make sure we get it right, runs into the anxiety of feeling we must get what we are working on done quickly.  The end of the day seems like a good marker for completion.  However, most of us will be disappointed if we “hold our feet to the fire” on this timeline.  What is important is that we keep moving forward regardless of obstacles.   

21st – Thursday –  Venus Parallel Saturn, Sun Sextile Pluto, Venus Conjunct Saturn –  If we love what we must do, the path is easy.  If we have common courtesy for others, we experience the pleasure of being of service.  Contributions we make to others are immediately returned if we have eyes to see.  Every limitation is a gift, guiding our feet in the most productive direction. 

22nd – Friday – Mercury Semi-sextile Uranus, Mars enters Pisces – Imagination soars. Trying on possible futures can be fulfilling, especially if we extract the deeper meaning behind the facade.  Appearance only has meaning in terms of the lessons conveyed.  Still, there are practical solutions to real world problems.  They are small, but eventually lead to greater things.    

23rd – Saturday –  All life seems to take a pause.  Reflection, meditation, and rest all help us recharge. We need to look beyond other people’s apparent indifference. Collective moodiness colors events today.  Our part in this is to work to shine on the bright side of life.  If we can cheer up someone else, who knows what the domino effect might be? What sacrifice is necessary to help one person?

24th – Sunday – Venus Sextile Jupiter –  Saved memories brighten the day.  The blessings of the day need harvesting. Nervous tension can get everyone in a hurry, but the true pace of the day is slow and methodical.  If we adopt this motion, we are tuning into the cosmos.  Life should be joyous. 

25th – Monday –  Mars Semi-sextile Pluto, the Full Moon Eclipse is at 3:00 AM EDT on the 5th degree of Aries/Libra, Sun Contra-parallel Neptune, Sun Semi-square Uranus, Mercury Contra-parallel Mars –  Too much information can be as bad as not enough.  Our love of life and other people are a reliable guide to keep our feet on relatively solid ground.  We are confronted with some urgency, and are prompted to move.  At the same time, measured intentional steps are better than running at full tilt. Finding common ground may be confusing, but necessary to improve our key relationships.    

26th – Tuesday – We may be misunderstood.  Clarification of our intentions can bring others to our side.  We rise or fall on the strength of our pattern of relations.  Cake will not turn out to be eatable if we don’t have proper ingredients.  But, relationships do have the power to transform the people, who are the ingredients, if we really want them to.

27th – Wednesday –  Through emotional turmoil some truths comes to the surface.  We can come clean.  Secrets have their place, but honesty is cleansing.  There is a difference between secrecy and privacy. Billions of ‘facts’ blast our senses every second.  Some catch our attention; some we share.  Some Buddhists have a rule before they speak, ask yourself: “is it true, is it necessary, is it kind?”     

28th – Thursday –  Venus Sextile Uranus –  An extra nudge pushes us from behind.  External travel is not necessary to discover a new continent. The love of our life may be right under our nose, just waiting to be recognized, then acknowledged. True pleasure is embedded in the familiar. Now our perspective must change. 

29th – Friday –  We are all dressed up and nowhere to go.  Passion and runaway imagination can cause difficulties.  Physical exercise and tangible problem solving are better uses of our fantasy life.  If we are going out for a night on the town, we need to keep our fun within some safety protocols. 

30th – Saturday –  Sun Contra-parallel Venus –  Helping others is a great thing.  Reason is necessary to be effective today.  Too much starting and stopping can leave others confused.  There are times when we see what a friend needs, and they don’t recognize it.  Thinking before acting saves energy.  There are course corrections coming next week, and we would be better off not having to remove several rows of stitches. 

31st – Sunday –  Big ideas hit the front page of our life.  Most people won’t take the time to dig deep, but will just react from a pattern of pre-conditioned habits. Our values don’t need to change, but it’s a great time to understand their origin. We are facing a new world, and we need more appropriate tools for growth in this ever- changing environment. 

Bob Mulligan is available for personal appointments, astrology classes, and astrological material.  Call him at 239-261-2840 or e-mail bobmulliga@aol.com.  Visit our website,  www.theastrologycompany.com.

 

My Personal Note 

When in college, my Indian history professor, Kathleen Burt, and I use to sit on the floor in the dark in her apartment, listen to spiritual music, and meditate.  We did this every weekend, sometimes more often.   I was thinking of her, and wanted to share something that you might find uplifting.

Deva Premal & Miten with Manose: Gayatri Mantra 2009, In Concert (youtube.com) 

On March 8th at 7 PM, I’m giving a talk for the Astrological Society of Kentucky. – “The Heart of Astrology: Unlocking your Spiritual Potential.” The talk is free, but you do have to email them to send you a link.  Their e-mail is astrologicalsocietyofkentucky@gmail.com.  They have great lectures every month and are a worthwhile organization to join.  Their dues are only $40 a year and they make the lectures each month free.  Thanks to Scott Silverman; he arranged this talk, based on the second chapter of my book.

During Covid I lost contact with my long time friend, Monica Dimino.  My friend, Arlan Wise, hunted Monica down.  She lives with her daughter who is taking care of her now, as her memory is failing.  She is in Brazil.  Arlan asked me to write something about Monica.  I did, in the form of an open letter to her.  If you know Monica and have memories, share them with me so I can gather them in one place.  She turns 90 on the 3rd of June.   I have some of her lectures and workshops which I will compile and make public.  She has always been such an exceptional astrologer and human being.

Open letter to Monica Dimino

(To anyone else reading this- Monica and I have always talked openly and publicly about our charts.) 

Dear Monica,

Do you remember when we first met?  I do.  It was June 1st 1977, at the bookstore at the NASO Conference at Virginia Beach.  You walked up to me, asked me what year I was born.  I said 1948.  You slapped my arm and said, “I knew you were a rat.”  I had no idea what you were talking about.  I stopped you and asked.  You described that I was born in the year of the rat.  Many years later at a conference in Kansas City, I took a three day workshop from you on Chinese astrology. 

Sometime after the NASO conference I played some small role in helping you and your husband make the move back to the USA where you settled in Boston.  I hooked your husband up with a friend who owned a company, “International Investigator” so he could purchase some very specialized electronic equipment. 

As the years rolled along we stayed in contact.  After all, your Sun is Conjunct my Moon, exact within 17 minutes.  We met with a Venus/Mars Conjunction right on top of your Natal Venus. 

You and I are the only people still alive that were at the first Prosig Meeting.  It was at the UAC conference in New Orleans, July 14, 1989.  You were more than a friend; you were my confidant, and at times my astrologer.  You served for a time as the president of the organization, only because I asked you to, and did a great job with absolutely no attachment. 

When I wanted to have a retreat instead of a conference, you were the first board member to support the idea, and helped bring others along.  At every retreat from 2002 until 2013 you always volunteered to take on the most challenging groups.  Your skills as a human being, as well as an astrologer/therapist, were always a huge asset, but you were never attached to your role.  At one retreat, you and I gave up our groups because there were too many leaders.  We spent that time together, and what fun we had.  We have been through many professional events. We danced and told jokes that maybe no one else really understood. 

I just wanted to tell you how much I love you. How glad I am that you are in my life.  Now that I’m in my final chapter, it seemed important to say these things.  We have fond memories together. 

Your Astrological pal,

Bob Mulligan

1053 Futrell Dr. Apt. 328

Myrtle Beach, SC. 29577

USA

Ps. there is so much to say.  May we meet again. 

My daughter, Katie, sent this to me. It is an inspiring example of the power of love:

https://youtu.be/sdQ8DX9u7PM?si=iYc6N6udmmfJMpQh

 “Art is how we decorate space; Music is how we decorate time.”

       ― Jean Michel Basquiat

 

Bob Mulligan is available for personal appointments, astrology classes, and astrological material.  Call him at 239-261-2840 or e-mail bobmulliga@aol.com.  Visit our website,  www.theastrologycompany.com.