aurora and lunar halo
Aurora and Lunar Halo over Esch Beach near Honor, Michigan, USA, taken by Ethan Hohnke on February 27, 2023.


Written and Narrated by Pam Younghans.

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  Current and previous weeks astrological overviews

Astrological Overview: March 6 - 12, 2023

Astrologer Pam Younghans writes this weekly astrological journal based on planetary influences, and offers perspectives and insights to assist you in making the best use of current energies. This column is not intended as prediction. Your own experience will be more specifically defined by transits to your personal chart.

Aspects of Note this Week:

All times listed are Pacific Daylight Time. For Eastern Time, add 3 hours; For Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), add 8 hours.

MON: Sun sextile Uranus
TUE: Full Moon 4:40 a.m. PST, Saturn enters Pisces
WED: No major aspects are exact today
THU: No major aspects are exact today
FRI: Mercury semisquare Pluto
SAT: Venus sextile Mars, Mercury sextile Uranus, Venus conjunct Eris, Jupiter conjunct Chiron 
SUN: Mars sextile Eris

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SATURN ENTERS PISCES: A major shift occurs on Tuesday, March 7, when Saturn enters Pisces. This is one of the most significant astrological events of 2023, second only to Pluto's ingress into Aquarius, which occurs on March 23.

As it moves through the twelve signs of the zodiac, Saturn’s goal is to help us become more objective, realistic, and disciplined about the qualities and activities related to each sign. While it is in visionary Pisces, Saturn will require that we invest in our spiritual practice or creative endeavors in concrete ways, rather than merely wishing for dreams to come true. 


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It will no longer be acceptable to simply espouse higher ideals; we must now implement them, to see whether they pass the test of practical application. We are called to be spiritually mature, and to demonstrate how the values of peace and love can literally change the world. Projects that rely on Piscean qualities of imagination and intuition may either manifest or be found unrealistic. 

For clues as to how Saturn's journey through Pisces may unfold, we can observe events that occurred when it last transited the sign. Saturn was in Pisces briefly from late May until late June 1993, and then for a longer trek from late January 1994 until early April 1996. As we explore history, we should see examples of how dreams were realized and ideals were achieved during those years. We are also likely to find evidence of shattered dreams and fallen idols, due to Saturn's requirement that we face reality and not live in a fantasy world.

One event that exemplified both the patience and discipline required by Saturn and Pisces’ watery themes was the opening of the underwater Channel Tunnel between Britain and France. The completion of this project brought a dream (Pisces) into reality (Saturn). Piscean visions were also realized when Nelson Mandela was sworn in as South Africa's first black President, when 170 countries agreed to indefinitely extend the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, and when a new drug to treat HIV/AIDS was approved.

We also see examples of females (Pisces) taking on typically male-dominated roles (Saturn): the first women were assigned to serve aboard a US Navy combatant ship and the first 33 female priests were ordained by the Church of England. Pisces' rulership over film and fantasy took form (Saturn) with two ground-breaking movies: Jurassic Park, the first computer-generated imagery (CGI) production, and Toy Story, the first full-length computer-animated feature film. With Pisces representing the desire to transcend limiting structures and to escape physical reality, the mid-1990s also saw an increase in the use of psychedelic substances and more and more people claiming to be to be “spiritual but not religious.”

Under the category of "shattered dreams, fallen idols," headlines during the Saturn-in-Pisces years included the horse-riding accident that left "Superman" Christopher Reeve paralyzed, Princess Diana's revelations during her BBC interview about what occurred behind the scenes of her "ideal" royal life, the attack on figure skater Nancy Kerrigan, the court case against OJ Simpson, and the death of British mountain climber Alison Hargreaves as she descended the summit of K2 in her attempt to climb the world's three highest mountains in one year.
It will be interesting to watch how these Saturn-in-Pisces themes play out over the next two years, both globally and in our individual lives. Saturn will be in Pisces from March 7, 2023 until it enters Aries on May 24, 2025. Due to going retrograde, it will then revisit Pisces from August 31, 2025 to February 13, 2026. 

FULL MOON: Another pivotal event this week is the Full Moon, which perfects at 4:40 a.m. PST on Tuesday, March 7, almost exactly one hour before Saturn enters Pisces. At the time of the lunation, the Moon will be at 16°40´ Virgo, opposite the Sun at the same degree of Pisces. This Virgo-Pisces polarity asks us to find a healthy life balance between the practical and the sacred, the logical and the intuitive, cautious skepticism and living by faith. It requires that we see both the forest AND the individual trees.

The Moon is in close trine aspect to Uranus (at 15°44´ Taurus) for the Full Moon, increasing our ability to be flexible and adapt to changes. We are more open to trying alternative solutions with this trine, especially new healing modalities and techniques (Virgo).

However, the chart for the Full Moon also shows a mutable T-square configuration, with the Sun and Moon both square the planet Mars. A T-square represents great pressure that is looking for a release point. This is a mentally challenging influence, which can be taxing to the nervous system. With Mars in Gemini at the critical "apex" point of the T-square, energy is scattered, people can be impulsive, and irrational behaviors are possible. 

To successfully navigate this T-square, we must be mindful, strengthen our mental discipline, and focus on the outcomes we most wish to see and to support. Before taking action, we will benefit by more clearly defining our desires and purposes, understanding our true motivations, and considering possible results. Stopping to breathe consciously is one great way to begin this review process.

DAILY ASPECTS: Here are this week's most important planetary aspects, with my brief interpretations of each. 

Monday
Sun sextile Uranus: This aspect increases our sensitivity to the subtle, unseen realms.

Tuesday
Full Moon: The Full Moon perfects at 4:40 a.m. PST.
Saturn enters Pisces: While Saturn is in the sign of the Fishes, our faith may be tested, but we also have an opportunity to strengthen our spiritual foundation. 

Wednesday & Thursday
No major aspects are exact on these two days. 

Friday
Mercury semisquare Pluto: Communications are problematic, as each party may be more concerned with what they are going to say next, rather than listening consciously to what the other is saying. 

Saturday
Venus sextile Mars, Venus conjunct Eris: With an emphasis on fulfilling our individual needs, we feel strongly about our values and are eager to take action to attain them. 
Mercury sextile Uranus: This aspect increases intuition, opens our minds to new ideas and solutions, and makes it easier to think "outside the box."
Jupiter conjunct Chiron: Jupiter may either inspire optimistic thinking or exaggerate insecurities when it conjoins Chiron in Aries. This alignment provides an opportunity to heal wounds that have undermined our faith and self-confidence. 

Sunday
Mars sextile Eris: Personal needs take precedence today. We are enthusiastic about our ideas and feel inspired to take action on them.

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IF YOUR BIRTHDAY IS THIS WEEK: Your intuition is especially strong this year, but you may not always be clear on what you want or what steps you need to take. The ego is learning how to work with the soul, which may cause some resistance or confusion at times. Be aware of a tendency to wishful thinking or to chasing a dream that is not realistic. Creative projects, writing in a journal, and your spiritual practice are helpful, since they focus the mind and enable you to listen more intentionally to the calm, quiet voice of inner guidance. (Solar Return Sun conjunct Mercury, square Mars, conjunct Neptune)

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TRANSLATION and AUDIO/VIDEO VERSION: This weekly Journal is now recorded (in English) AND the text is transcribed into 30 languages! You'll see a row of flags under "Available Languages" in the upper right. And, there are options to listen to the audio (in English)  or watch a video directly beneath the photo (see top of page).

The Journal entry is usually updated by Sunday evening, with the recordings appearing late Sunday or by Monday depending on your time zone. Please share this information with those who might benefit.

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For previous weeks of the Astrological Journal, click here.

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About the Author

Pam YounghansPam Younghans is a professional astrologer, editor, and writer. She lives in a log home northeast of Seattle, Washington with her beloved animal companions. She has been interpreting charts professionally for over 25 years. If you are interested in an astrology reading, e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or leave a message at 425.445.3775.

For more information about NorthPoint Astrology offerings, please visit northpointastrology.com or visit her Facebook page.