March was named for Mars, the great Roman warrior
god, son of
Juno and Jupiter. This was an appropriate
association, for in the
ancient world of the Mediterranean,
the third month was known for its
intense and tempestuous weather.
The inner theme of March deals with
developing wisdom and compassion,
and finding one's life path. The
search for self is associated with
Venus in a series sequence with
Mars. It is a solitary process
that initially precludes association
with others. Venus is esteemed
in Pisces, and is connected with our
inner values. This searching process
is a lonely path, and requires a
building of stamina and the development
of inner strength. Mars rules
the next sign, Aries which begins
in mid-month, and is associated
with courage and stamina, thus
filling those needs in the process.
March's gemstones. The Pisces gem of March is Aquamarine (a
type of beryl). The word, aquamarine comes from the Latin "aqua"
which means water and "mare" which means sea, because it looks like
sea water. Aquamarines were once thought to originate in the jewel
caskets of the sirens of the sea. They were sacred to the Roman sea
god, Neptune. Greek sailors of the 3rd century BC adopted these gems,
and used them as amulets dedicated to their equivalent god, Poseidon
that would bring them prosperity and safety against all ills
associated with sea voyages.
The Aries gem of March is the bloodstone, also known as the
heliotrope, which means the "turning of the Sun." This refers to the
equinoctial movement of the Sun into the northern hemisphere. In the
Christian tradition, concomitant with the season of the Crucifixion
and Resurrection, the bloodstone, a deep green jasper with crimson
spots, reminds the faithful of the blood of the Christ spilled at
Golgotha by a Roman soldier's spear. The stone is said to hold a
divine power to stop hemorrhaging, and was widely used in folk
medicine to stop nosebleeds and cure wasting diseases. The bloodstone
was employed in rituals at the time of eclipses to invoke
invisibility, and a polished bloodstone was used by Pliny, the Elder
as a mirror with which to safely view Solar eclipses. It is said to
also have been a part of the Breastplate of St. Patrick, as a part of
the ritual that he used to shape-shift himself and his monks into
deer when they were pursued and persecuted by King Loegaire's troops.
The stone was used as an amulet by the Gnostics to prolong life, and
in thumb rings (the Mars digit) by the Egyptians, to sustain courage.
March first is St. David's Day, patron of Glastonbury and Wales, an
ascetic monk and bishop of the 6th century, also known
as "Aquaticus", because he drank only water, and used water as a body
purifier. The early March Sun is in Pisces, a water sign associated
with spiritual interests.
March 1 is also the World Day of Prayer, which dates back to the 19th
century Christian women of the United States and Canada in support of
women's involvement in the missions. Over the years this idea has
grown and been accepted by many countries and many religions.
Bishop Diadochus, spiritual writer of the 5th century was the first
Christian to teach that repeated prayer led to inner stillness.
The "Jesus Prayer", as some call it was a very short prayer
acknowledging God, and offering a petition for mercy. The practice of
repeated prayer is used in many religions with the use of prayer
beads or prayer ropes, and becomes a powerful ritual. Repeatable
verbal patterns are a factor that joins many religions and spiritual
practices.
Albert Einstein was also born on March 1, 1879 at 11:30 AM LMT in
Ulm, Germany with his Sun in Pisces, his Moon out of bounds to the
south in Sagittarius, and his Venus in Aries. Einstein was born with
8 different quintile family aspects (seven of his planets and both
Lunar Nodes are involved), including Venus to the North Node, and the
Moon to Jupiter. Venus and the Sun at his death on April 18, 1955 had
switched signs with those in his natal, with Transit Venus conjoining
his Natal Sun. Venus, which is exalted in Pisces shows great
affinity with the number 5.
The number three is sacred to March, the third month. The triangle,
being the most stable of all figures, is used in many religions to
signify strength and to symbolize the unity of the three basic
attributes of their beliefs. The triple-goddess in pagan beliefs and
mythology is used to signify the three stages in the process of life:
fertility, nurturance and wisdom. In Jewish folklore, it symbolizes
closing of the circle of wisdom: in one story, the Jewish elder,
Mordecai recognized 3 principles of faith from out of the mouths of 3
young boys: "fear not, speak the truth, and God will protect", a
possible root connection to the symbolism of the three sacred
monkeys: "hear no evil, speak no evil, and see no evil". Christian
symbolism is woven into our culture in many ways. The Lenten cycle
has constant reminders of the Holy Trinity, such as cloverleaf rolls,
and the lowly `pretzel' (the German word for "little arms"), a tiny
three lobed loaf of bread, representing crossed arms. In the 4th
century, one was eaten each day of Lent, as a symbol of, and
accompanying prayer, fasting, and pious works. In other religions of
the past, the Sacred Trinity was composed of Father, Mother, and the
Fruit of their Union.
March 8th is International Women's Day, and March is Women's History
Month.
March 13 this year is the day of an annular Lunar eclipse at 24:15
Virgo, at 336 PM PST and 6:36 PM EST. Symbolism associated with a
Lunar eclipse deals with first finding the ability to gain
perspective, and second to use the eclipse's interruption of Solar
energy to support us in breaking habits and releasing patterns that
no longer serve our paths. The discernment of Moon in Virgo, symbol
of a pure state of evolving feminine energy shows us how to channel
the reflected spiritual energy of the Pisces Sun. One of the key uses
of the full Moon is to make informed choices, holding at arms length
the pressures that kept us bound in the close relationships at the
new Moon.
Jewish festival of Purim begins the evening of March 13 the eve of
the 14th day of Adar in their Lunar calendar. It is a joyous time,
celebrating Queen Esther's victorious intercession in an ancient plot
to kill Persian Jews. The theme of Purim is a clever use of the law,
aimed at the goal of the triumph of good over evil.
March 17. St Patrick's death is commemorated on March 17. St.
Patrick, who converted to Christianity in fifth century Ireland, used
the locally abundant shamrocks to teach the lessons of the Trinity.
He made use of an ancient Gaelic invocation called the Lorica, or the
Breastplate. The Lorica has been used by many over the centuries as a
magical invocation of Divine energy, and reflects the presumption of
astrology being accepted and used throughout early centuries. The
Lorica is filled with astrological symbolism:
St. Patrick's Lorica
"I arise to-day - Through the strength of heaven;
Light of Sun, - Radiance of Moon,
Splendour of fire, - Speed of Lightning,
Swiftness of wind, - Depth of sea,
Stability of earth, - Firmness of rock.
I arise today - In acceptance of the Three,
Supported by the One."
John Chapman, who was born on September 26, 1774 near Leominister,
MA
(with his Moon approaching
a quintile to his Venus) is associated
with the pentangle. He was
affectionately known as Johnny Appleseed,
and his life's work was to
journey through the wilderness between the
Ohio and the Mississippi Rivers,
south of the Great Lakes, planting
apple seeds. He died March
18, 1845 near Fort Wayne, IN (with the
transiting Moon and Venus in
an approaching biquintile, and the
transiting Venus exactly on
his natal South Node) after planting
millions of apple seeds. Both
charts contain many quintile family
aspects. March contains the
beginning of spring, and is known as the
month of hope. When an apple
is cut open horizontally, the apple
seeds form a five-pointed star.
Five is the number of hope, and is
evident in many forms to remind
us to be filled with hope, such as
the five fingers of the hand,
the 23rd psalm (2+3=5), the Salep Root,
an herb, the root of which
grows in the form of a hand, the magical
pentagram, and the perfect
harmony and proportion of Da Vinci's
Vitruvian Man.
The Vernal Equinox is on March
20 this year. Equinox means "equal
night", and is the moment when the Sun crosses the equator
in the
juncture between the dark and
light halves of the year, when the days
and nights are equal. It is
the midpoint between the Solstices (the
turning points of the Sun's
yearly motion). The Sun leaves the dark
water sign (Pisces), and enters
the bright fire sign (Aries). It is a
day of honor for Iduna, or
Idunn (A Scandinavian goddess), the
equivalent of the Greek Hebe.
This goddess is the spring symbol of
the triple goddess, and was
charged with supplying youth and strength
to the rest of the gods and
goddesses by providing them with the
ambrosia and nectar of immortality.
She is the maiden form of Hera,
whose name means "Our Lady", who was the primary goddess
before the
advent of patriarchal gods.
This is also the day that Sri Ushas,
(Hindu goddess of the Dawn)
is honored. Aries, associated with Mars
is linked with the metal, iron. "He who knows what iron is,
knows the
attributes of Mars. He who
knows Mars, knows the qualities of iron." ∑
Paracelsus. Nick Kollerstrom
in his book, "The Metal-Planet
Relationship" reminds us that iron is what gives Mars its
red color,
and also supplies that color
to the blood cells that transport oxygen
to our organs. It gives us
courage and strength and the tools of
civilization: combustion and
weapons and the tools that made possible
the industrial revolution,
and contributed to the extension of the
human life span.
Palm Sunday is March 19 this
year. Palm Sunday commemorates the
triumphal entry of Jesus into
Jerusalem. Current ceremonies include
the blessing of the palms,
the ashes of which are used on next year's
Good Friday to symbolize the
passion and sacrifice of the
Crucifixion. This also brings
to mind the story of the Phoenix rising
and being recreated from its
own ashes. The palm tree stands for hope
in the future (The date palm
was the tree of life in the Babylonian
Garden of Eden story). The
Hebrew word for the palm tree is Tamar,
their name for the goddess,
Ashtaroth. Lent has its parallel in the
40 days of abstinence, thanksgiving,
and petition for healing and
mercy that precedes the pagan
festival of Astarte (aka Ashtoreth,
Ishtar, Innana, Venus), a dual
goddess. Astarte/Innana was a healer,
famous for saving and regenerating
a palm tree torn from the Garden
of Eden by a great flood. Statues
of Venus are often shown holding
dates. Venus Hesperus (Venus
of the vespers), the goddess of the
evening star of love, desire,
and fecundity was different from the
fire-goddess of the morning
star of war and battle (Herald of the
sunrise) The Venus position
attending Easter 2006 rising before the
Sun is Venus Lucifer, engaged
in the process of building new values
and instilling them where they
can be most visible and most
effective. Venus' stations
form 5-pointed stars in the heavens in her
8-year cycle (5+3=8). The quintile
family (the zodiac divided by 5)
is associated with genius and
facility.
The number 5 is special also
to March 23 (2+3=5), Buddhist Magha Puja
Day, when Buddhists gather
together to affirm their 5 Precepts:
Respect for Life; Respect for
personal property; Respect for personal
relationships; Respect for
truth; and Respect for mental and physical
well-being - cornerstone of
Buddhism.
In the Christian religion,
The Annunciation, March 25th celebrates
the unconcealing of the mission
of Our Lady, the Blessed Virgin Mary,
when the angel Gabriel announced
that she would give birth to the
Savior. In the British Church,
it is called Lady Day, and
commemorates the philanthropic
works of twelfth century Lady Mabella
Tichborne, who overcame great
physical odds just before her death, to
make sure that the poor were
annually provided for. Known as
the "Tichborne Dole," her wishes are carried out to this
day. In some
of the nature religions, Invocations
are made on March 25th to many
of the major goddesses: e.g.,
Isis, Venus, Tara, and Persephone, to
bring enlightenment to women
in support of their paths and purpose'
in life.
March 28 is the date of the
Buddhist celebrations of Quan Yin,
goddess of mercy, wisdom, healing
and compassion. She was a holy
woman, an ascended master who
gave up her earned Buddhic state to
help bring enlightenment to
all of humanity.
March 29 this year marks a
total Solar eclipse at 8:35 Aries, at 2:16
AM PST and 5:16 AM EST. Eclipses
unite/align the longitudinal cycles
with the declinational cycles.
The Sun and Moon at Solar eclipses
match the same degrees longitudinally,
and are parallel in
declination. Lunar eclipses
align opposing degrees of longitude and
are contra-parallel in declination.
This unity in the sign of new
beginnings gives us a vision
of hope. The symbolism of the 9th degree
of Aries states:
"A Crystal Gazer: keynote the development of an inner
realization of organic wholeness. The crystal sphere symbolizes
wholeness. Within this sphere images take form. These images may
reveal future events, but more significantly they picture "the
situation as a whole" ˆ the situation which the clairvoyant is meant
to interpret. The nascent mental faculties operating through still-
dominant emotions (or collective incentives) act as a centralizing
and whole-making power. What the intelligence perceives in its
concentration is the function of every inner impulse and outer event
in the open field of a "personality" still unclouded by egoism.
At the fourth stage of the 5-fold sequence the new technique
required for the development of individualized consciousness is
revealed: concentrated attention."
An Astrological Mandala, by Dane Rudhyar, Vintage Books, NY,
1974, page 56
Rudhyar, was born Daniel Chenneviere, March 23, 1895, Paris, France,
12:32:40 AM UT, rectified to 12:42 AM. His Sun and Venus were both in
Aries, ruled by his Mars, which joined Jupiter on either side of the
Sun's north declinational boundary, symbolizing his multi-talented
accomplishments in astrology and the arts (music and painting). His
Aquarian Moon gave him insights into the future, and his Mercury was
in mutual reception with either Jupiter or Neptune (his Mercurial
mind synchronized with both planets dealing with philosophy in both
rulership systems). He would have been 111 years young this month.
