Illustration by Ishita Dharap.
“It has been said, ‘time heals all wounds.’ I do not agree. The wounds remain. In time, the mind, protecting its sanity, covers them with scar tissue and the pain lessens. But they are never gone.”
― Rose Kennedy
We have a pivotal month ahead of us filled with large planetary shifts. After January’s slow cooking, we slid into an eccentric February, implementing the lessons of the first two Super Moons of 2019. And now we find ourselves in the luscious month of March, a celebratory month of the dreamer, the artist, the one who lives “beyond” the planes of mundane existence. If you’re not someone who enjoys being in touch with their emotions, this may be a challenging month for you. If you’re someone who likes quick fixes to problems, and many of us do, another Super Moon and 2019’s first retrograde (backward) cycle of Mercury may find yourself frustrated by events beyond your control. Breathe easy, because the only way out is through.
Consider starting the Pisces season off with a school-sponsored meditation event which may help build structured breaks within your busy week. There is also SAIC Yoga, a weekly space where you can meet other artists who prioritize self-care. When we know what we may be about to experience, we can plan for the worst, and protect our energies from scattering into chaos. This is the very essence of intuitive and evolutionary astrology. Inner work is as important as outer work and action.
The new moon bloomed on March 6. Wasn’t it Paul Tillich, the existential philosopher who said, “Loneliness expresses the pain of being alone and solitude expresses the glory of being alone”? This moon phase may bring to light some deep beliefs about belonging and community you may have not known existed. Simultaneously, the planet ruling thought and communication goes into hibernation. Instead of dreading this 20-day period as if it is going to be doomed (as many pop astrology sites suggest), I suggest slowing down. Not everything can be forced into action, not all walls break when you attack them.
March 6-28 will be a time where we will be called to assess our movements with greater details. If we didn’t face moments of pause and delay we would never step into a period of reflection. We would move swiftly and reinforce our escapist tendencies. This is a time of developing your inner flow. If you feel tired, especially with midterms on their way soon, skip the social action for a while. The fear of missing out is often just that — a fear. Consider waking up each morning ten minutes early to give yourself space and time to be slow, instead of rushing to Columbus 15 minutes behind schedule on an empty stomach.
We unintentionally sabotage our well-being in numerous ways. Retrogrades are periods where the repercussions from ignoring our own red flags are larger, because of the impact the planets’ motions have on human activity and life on Earth in general. During retrograde we tend to miscommunicate and lose track of time. One can fight it and remain stuck in battle-mode, or learn to accept small failures as important milestones towards growth. Remember, growth isn’t linear and you are exactly where you need to be, in this moment. During this retrograde it is very likely that our beliefs will get a revamp of some kind. What we thought we wanted, or what we always believed we wanted, may not be our truth anymore. We may have to adjust our beliefs and discover a deeper, more meaningful truth that resonates from within. If you feel so inclined, consider going to Cry Night in the dorms that week — a space for SAIC students to cry together and support each other in tears.
March 6 is also a day when the planet of eccentric change (Uranus) moves into Taurus to stay for a while. This is a big cosmic day that brings the start of a grand new cycle of radical change. Take some time to tune into what may be coming up for you. Join Resident Advisor Paige of SAIC Residence Life for a trip to the Winter Gardens where there will be space for some quiet study time in community.
Uranus in Taurus is a weird mix of energy. An astrology teacher of mine once taught that Uranus visits each zodiac sign every 84 years, electrifying the airwaves for about eight years and disrupting the status quo. But Uranus and Taurus are a weird match since Uranus (the planet) focuses on the future while Taurus (the sign) tends to cling to the past. In their best manifestation, they can bring great innovation to traditional structures. “With indie-spirited Uranus in hardworking Taurus, the gig economy will grow even bigger. More people will work remotely and in co-working spaces, and the full-time employment model will continue to go the way of the dinosaurs. Uranus in the sensible, profit-driven Taurus can help us monetize our creations in interesting new ways.”, say the AstroTwins. Perhaps for those of us graduating, this is an opportune time to think of ways we can sustain our artistic practice. We could also be receptive to this energy being key to our birth as entrepreneurs or radical self-ruled, business-minded art practitioners. So many revolutions are possible in this period.
On March 20 we will have the last of a string of three Super Moons. This Super Moon falls in the sign of Libra and will be giving us a hint of what needs to be completed and wrapped up so we can fully enter into the new year and concretize what the next nine months are going to give birth to.
Art-wise, Dawoud Bey’s Night Coming Tenderly, Black exhibit at the Art Institute of Chicago may be timed serendipitously in terms of its occurrence with Pisces season. Running until April 19, its theme of embracing darkness may pull at the heartstrings softly in their eerie melancholy. I suggest taking a friend to the show during spring break and immersing yourself in the ocean of emotion this wonderful artist calls its viewers to do. Next up is the more fiery season of Aries, where emotion may not be top priority at all. So lean inwards this month and let’s look forward to new insights that shape the year ahead.
