“Closing time, every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end. . . “
~~~Green Day

 

“Little Darling,
It’s been a long cold lonely winter
Little Darling,
It feels like years since it’s been here
Here comes the Sun
Here comes the Sun
and I say
It’s all right . . .”   

~~~ George Harrison

 

This month we celebrate the rites of spring, which actually began last month on March 20th the day of the vernal equinox. This day marks winter’s last breath before the planetary life force resurrects from its seasonal slumber and spring begins. This year I experienced this event more profoundly than ever, as on that very day, in the predawn hours, as dawn and spring were poised to break, my 97 year old father took his last breath and was freed from his aged body.

In retrospect it seems on that morning I was witnessing the end of winter for his body and the rebirth of spring for his soul. That this event was in utter Synchronicity with the planetary change of the seasons seemed to underscore the mysterious continuity of life even at the moment of its apparent disappearance.

Of all the seasonal changes, winter to spring is the most dramatic and miraculous. Once life appears in the spring, it is natural to watch it peak in the summer, then steadily decline in the fall, till it falls into the deep sleep of winter. The ability of the life-force to resurrect after winter’s dormancy, is truly miraculous. Life springing up from the frozen ground seems to defy both logic and gravity. The force that governs a growing body is utterly astonishing. Yet resurrection is always with us. With every breath we take we are governed by the cycle of life, in which life and death perform their perfect interdependent circular dance.

We experience this cycle everywhere in the world of form, where each new form appearing depends utterly on an old one dying. Each new breath we take depends utterly on our last exhalation. If we hold our breath we die. If we allow each breath to die, and trust the next breath to occur, we live. Each dawn depends utterly on the dying of the night. The Sun resurrects daily in full and luminous splendor. Nature knows this dance well. Our beautiful earth does her fearless belly dance knowing that each rotation brings perfectly alternating night and day to each of her lovely hemispheres.

It is only when it comes to our own death and that of our loved ones that we hold on and tend to distrust the process.  In witnessing my father’s death at the gates of spring and dawn, I saw how truly the moment of physical death is the moment of spiritual birth. This month Aries, the sign of dawn and spring reminds us that there will always be a new beginning both in spirit and in matter.

Aries, the sign of strongest day force reminds us that no matter how long and dark the night, one day dawn will break triumphantly and a new day will begin. Aries reminds us no matter how cold and bleak the winter, one day the cycle will miraculously reverse itself and spring will explode with beautiful new life forms. Aries reminds us that one day when we throw off our bodies a new dawn awaits our free unfettered souls that will fly to greet the new dawn.

Aries is the most daring of signs because life requires daring. Most of us fear death to some extent, but what is not so widely recognized is how much many of us fear life. When we break this fear down it is usually failure and humiliation that we truly fear, or the broken heart of our dreams perhaps not coming true. We also fear that death might be lurking somewhere out there for us. Aries comes along with characteristic bravado and says “to hell with all that, full speed ahead.” Aries is a sign known to leap before it looks. For Aries the only important thing is to act, to leap, to grow, to wade right in to the stream of life and plunge in.

This month allow the Aries energy to give you daring. Let the sign of the ram and the warrior bust through all your fears and resistance and get you to act fearlessly on your own behalf. This month dare to emerge along with the first buds of spring. Dare to express yourself. Dare to love, even if you get hurt. Aries the sign of the warrior reminds us that a few scars are signs that you’ve been in the fray. Dare to fight for what you desire. Dare to embody yourself. Dare to change. Whatever it is you’ve been afraid to do, dare to do it.  Dare to truly live.

Aries rules warriors, action, combat, adrenaline, muscle, iron, men, the military, testosterone, daring, steel, all things masculine, rams, the color red, all daring action. This month to use Aries energy take action – do some spring cleaning, get fit, feel the fear and do it anyway. Die to the old you. Greet the dawn. Begin. Start anew.

This month be a spiritual warrior. Dare to live with kindness and compassion for all. Dare to requite hate with love. Dare to meditate daily. Dare to align your will with the universal will. Dare to forgive yourself. Dare to forgive others. Dare to serve others. Dare to serve the greater good. Dare to have faith in a beneficent universe. Dare to trust The Great Spirit.

The Sun entered Aries on March 20th at 7:02 AM marking the vernal equinox. This moment is one of two days of perfect balance between the day force and night force that occur each year, the other being the autumnal equinox, which occurs in the fall as the Sun enters Libra, the opposite sign of Aries. The spring equinox is the moment of equality between the amounts of night and day, before the Aries day force gains ascendancy as our daily moments of daylight increase till the summer solstice, which marks the longest day and shortest night of the year. The Sun will remain in Aries till April 19 when it enters earthy, grounded Taurus.

As the month begins, Mercury the planet of thought and communication joins transcendental Neptune in the spiritual and watery sign Pisces, filling our minds with deep compassion and the possibility of spiritual awakening. Use this energy to fuel your devotional practice. The first half of the month is also a great time to work on your vision by making a vision board or taking a day of retreat to pray for your life’s vision. Mercury will leave Pisces on April 13th at 10:37 PM when it enters Aries giving us the jet fuel to take action on what we have envisioned. Neptune remains in Pisces for years to come awakening our consciousness and compassion.

While spring officially began on the 20th, the new spring energy doesn’t really kick in till the New Moon in Aries on the 10th at 5:35 AM. Till then we are still in the dying phase of the last lunation that began with the Pisces new moon.

We will be celebrating the Aries new moon at 7 PM on Wednesday, April 10th. Check the spiritual living web site for more information on how to join us.

April begins with Venus and Mars, the lover planets conjunct in Aries along with Uranus the planet of change, and rebellion. This aspect can bring relationships closer by aligning them with higher consciousness, or could break them apart by bringing conflict to the surface with sudden eruptions. To make best use of this energy observe your thoughts towards your partner rather than acting on them. Meditate together. Adopt a loving kindness meditation aimed specifically towards your partner. Pray for your partner’s happiness and fulfillment. If you are not currently in a relationship, you may suddenly bump into someone who becomes your partner. Venus remains in Aries till the 15th when it enters Taurus, and Mars follows on the 20th helping us get grounded after all we have begun earlier in the month. Uranus remains in Aries for years to come empowering individual independence for one and all.

Jupiter remains in Gemini expanding our collective mind and encouraging philosophical exploration. Saturn continues retrograde in Scorpio helping us review and redo issues of intimacy, joint finances and transformation.

Pluto in Capricorn goes retrograde on the 12th helping us to reflect, review and re-do government, fiscal and corporate matters.

To the many people who have shown me and my family such kindness and support at the passing of our father our deepest gratitude to you.

ARIES: Happy Birthday Aries!
The month begins with The Sun, Venus, Mars and Uranus all in your sign, making this a month when new love could very well find you. For the lover planets to be aligned with the planet of spiritual awakening certainly makes this a time when you are going through an awakening of your romantic nature and the desire to partner with someone. It is also a time when you can act upon your most cherished creative and artistic desires. At the same time Mercury and Neptune are working on you from behind the scenes dissolving old fears, and resentments and helping align your actions and desires with your most cherished vision and with spiritual values. Taken together this month set your intention to create conscious relationship, conscious creativity, and conscious desire. After the 14th settle into a nice grounded routine that can materialize all that you began in the first half of the month. Jupiter continues to expand your life through all forms of communication.

TAURUS: This month there is a major planetary alignment in your house of spirituality which includes the Sun, Venus, Mars and Uranus. What this means is, though you have been going through a major strain in your relationships due to Saturn in your house of partnerships, this month you get to feel the new energy of spiritually-conscious unions that the universe has been preparing you for. The new paradigm starts to find you as you network, meet and connect with spiritually like-minded people who are walking the walk. Jupiter, in your fiscal sector, continues to bring major opportunity through communication and publishing.  Spiritual Neptune and Mercury, the planet of communication, are both in your house of networking encouraging you to attend any vision-oriented or spiritual events. Continue letting go of relationships that do not serve your evolution, and commit to those that do.

GEMINI: Mighty Jupiter in your sign continues to expand your life and identity showing you just how abundant, expansive and benevolent the world can be. This month there is a wonderful new energy in your house of networking and social connection, bringing a lovely new flow into your social life and friendship sector. At the same time visionary Neptune and Mercury are in your career house helping you focus on the big picture of your career. Be on the lookout for new contacts that are movers and shakers and can help you actualize your career vision. After the 15th take yourself out into nature for spiritual renewal and grounding. Saturn in your work sector continues to make the serious focus fall on work. Keep at it and the rewards will be worth it.

CANCER: This month there is a major planetary line up in your career sector giving you plenty of forward moving fuel to take action on behalf of your professional ambitions. Venus and Mars in this sector make the workplace a potentially loving and harmonious environment where like-minded mavericks help you achieve business goals. The Sun and Uranus in this sector help you shine in the workplace this month while coming up with innovative progressive ideas. Spiritual Neptune and Mercury the planet of thought and communication are aligning your mind with spiritual and compassionate philosophies. This month your goal is how to conduct business along spiritual lines. You have angelic support from behind the scenes, with Jupiter in your spiritual sector. In order to tap into it this month have daily conversations with your guardian angels. Ask for guidance and direction in all things and watch the miracles unfold.

LEO: The month begins with spiritual Neptune and Mercury, the planet of the mind, in your house of intimacy, transformation and death, placing your mind in the spiritual depths. There is a major planetary alignment in Aries, the sign of new beginnings, helping you to process the depths and move into action toward your new beginnings. You probably will feel the new energy most acutely after the new moon on the tenth. Till then continue to bless and release the past while imagining what your new life might look and feel like. Saturn in Scorpio in your family sector makes home, family and joint finances the serious focus right now. Get your home and finances in order and see to family obligations. With Jupiter in your friendship sector, friends could seriously expand your life and possibilities these days.

VIRGO: This month there is a major planetary line up in your house of intimacy, transformation and shared resources making this an excellent month to take action on all these fronts. Let this action arise from the spiritual deepening that has been taking place in your partnership sector. Approach all partnerships, both professional and personal, with the compassionate, awakened consciousness that has been emerging there for quite some time. This month find transformational healers and guides to help you deepen your capacity for intimacy, sharing and empowerment. Jupiter in your career sector makes this a time of great opportunity for your professional advancement. Saturn in your communication sector makes this expansion dependent upon developing new boundaries and skills with regard to your capacity to communicate.

LIBRA: This month there is a major planetary party in your partnership sector. The Sun, Venus (your ruling planet), Mars the planet of desire and Uranus the planet of awakening are all moving through your partnership sector infusing it with energy, desire and the potential for trying new and evolved approaches to connecting in love or in conflict resolution. This is also a great month to be active with your beloved. Work out together, go hiking or take yoga together. The month begins with Mercury and Neptune in your house of work, making this the house where the big transcendental vision is trying to be born. Find partners who can support you in this vision. Jupiter at your midheaven makes writing, teaching and publishing highly lucrative at the moment. Seize the day.

SCORPIO: Saturn in your sign continues to encourage you to define yourself and set healthy boundaries. This month the place to begin is with health and organization. First pay attention to your body’s needs. This is a great time to clean up your diet. Do some green juicing, get a massage or get to yoga. Next see to your environment. Clean up. Get organized. Set things in order. Next create a daily work schedule that optimizes both structure and efficiency. When you need a break from all this health and order, focus on recreation and creativity. Have fun. Go to the movies. Do some drawing. Jupiter in your house of inheritance and transformation makes this a great month to do some deep inner work. By diving to the depths you reach the peaks and summits this month.

SAGITTARIUS: This month there is a major planetary line up in your house of recreation and romance. With Venus and Mars as part of this equation, it looks like desire and romance could be a wonderful part of the fun and games this month. The caveat is to bring your higher consciousness along in order to avoid conflict. All these planets are in Aries, the sign of both action and the warrior. To make good use of this energy, work out and be active with your beloved this month and avoid conflict and fighting. Jupiter in your house of partnership makes this a time when expansive partnerships can widen your horizons. Your relationship to family of origin is changing. Maintain compassion and forgiveness and all will be well.

CAPRICORN: This month there is a major planetary line up in your house of home, family and ancestry. The Sun is shining in this house along with Venus and Mars so loving, harmonious action on the home front becomes possible. If you maintain a higher consciousness there could be major evolutionary changes to either your home and or family life. Be present and kind to all family members. Try doing things differently. With spiritual Neptune and Mercury in your communication sector you are more inclined than ever to think and speak with loving kindness toward all. Jupiter, in your work sector, makes this a month when there is plenty of work that could lead to bigger things. Saturn, your ruling planet in your networking sector makes networking your most important career strategy. See that you do enough of it.

AQUARIUS: This month there is a major planetary aspect in your house of communication. You’re not known for being a shrinking violet when it comes to speaking your mind. This month however, with the Sun, Venus, Mars and Uranus in the sign of combat transiting your house of communication, you may even surprise yourself with what you think or say. The good news is that Venus, the Goddess of beauty a great month to express your love and desire, to think and act outside the box. Saturn at your career sector continues to encourage your disciplined action on that front, while Jupiter in your creativity sector encourages fun, romance and experimentation.

PISCES: The month begins with Mercury, the planet of thought, joined with Neptune, the spiritual and visionary planet, in your sign. Use this dreamy energy to dream up a new vision for yourself. Make a vision map. Spend a few moments before bed imagining what you would most like to be creating. The massive amount of Aries energy in your house of money and values will provide the jet fuel to help you take action to create what you value most. This is a stellar month to take action on your fiscal behalf. Partnerships look sweet, and potentially lucrative. Home and family life continue to be expansive and jovial. Saturn, the executive planet, is in your house of teaching, publishing and event planning asking you to put some serious focus on these areas. Your friendship network is changing, connecting you with powerful allies who can help you manifest your professional desires.

 

Namaste,

Demitra