Vernal Equinox 2024: A Raging Inferno of Aries Initiative and Cardinal Firepower
Tuesday, March 19, 2024
Vernal Equinox-Sun enters Aries 11:06 PM EDT
Aspects to the Equinox
Sun at 0 Aries trine Moon at 3 Leo
Sun at 0 Aries sextile Pluto at 1 Aquarius
Other Aspects to Consider
Moon at 3 Leo opposite Pluto at 1 Aquarius
Mercury conjunct Chiron in Aries
Venus conjunct Saturn in Pisces
Jupiter applying to conjunction with Uranus in Taurus
Asteroid Aspects: Exclusively on Patreon
Neptune conjunct Hygeia at 27 Pisces
Equinox quincunx Haumea in Scorpio
Leo Moon and Pluto in Aquarius t-square Haumea in Scorpio
Chart calculation is EDT, I will not be analyzing chart angles because they will be different in different time zones
The Wheel turns, and once again the Sun stands at 0 Aries, the point of inception where the inertia of the Zodiac carries us forth into a profound cyclical beginning. 0 Aries does not just mean spring (or fall in the Southern Hemisphere) but new life in equal regard of day and night, where light and dark reach a fleeting but imperative point of balance, and equality. This is the beginning of a new astrological “year” that we can understand according to the chart of this Equinox moment. Sun turns to lessons of SELF in the sign of Aries. This is an independent, impulsive, and reckless sign that takes what it wants when it wants, and goes forth in relentless pursuit of that which we desire. This is raw, unapologetic tenacity that bestows upon us initiative supported by intense willpower, indomitable and unflinching…we have all the bold, impetuous drive and determination of youth at our disposal under Aries Sun. It’s time for new beginnings, new horizons, and to break free from the stagnation of Winter as Spring now turns us toward more day than night, and more light than darkness as rebirth is now upon us. The chart for the Equinox symbolizes the collective momentum that we are all operating within during this time, and it sets the stage for the entire year ahead. This is a raging inferno of initiative under which we are dared to take up the challenge and take charge! Pure Cardinal firepower is ours to wield, and the aspects that drive it are intense.
Aspects to the Equinox
The Cardinal Fire Aries Sun is born this year under a dramatic Leo Moon, which trines Sun in its sign of exaltation. This is a powerful ingress of Fire that strengthens our willpower immensely. Leo Moon is Fixed, and this influence brings both ferocity and creativity to the forefront. Leo Moon is heart centered, and whatever we begin now is passionate, and we may become determined to the point of obsession under this Fixed lunar influence. We are strongly reactionary on this Equinox, and the depth of feeling is only surpassed by the height of performance. This is an ingress that demands attention, whatever we undertake makes strong impressions and we aren’t exactly inclined to care whether they are favorable or not. This trine is a bold emotional context that can roar with ferocity and purr with delight at the same time, whatever it takes to heighten the enthusiasm and the drama. Leo Moon unintentionally garners scrutiny at times, so there is potential for others to look on with raised eyebrows or side-eye jealousy that we’re too busy to notice, or perhaps too confident to care…all that does is fuel the demand for attention driven by this aspect. This is not a quiet ingress under such a powerhouse Fire trine, it’s bold endeavors and even bolder pursuit. The Luminaries are in harmony with boundless enthusiasm and confident creativity, ready to take on the world.
This is the first Aries Solar Ingress that we will experience with Pluto in Aquarius, the shift has been undeniable and we now get to begin this astrological year with the planet of transformation carving up its path in the sign of the collective, where it’s been forcing realizations about social structures and hierarchies as well as how we connect within them. This planet of the Underworld also brings to light the dark side of technology and advancement in this sign that looks toward the future while this planet forces confrontation with the reality under the surface of the present. Pluto brings the hidden to light so that we can’t deny nor avoid it any longer. Pluto will be in Aquarius for the next 20 years, but as it’s here at the beginning of the sign at 1 degree, this is the Vernal Equinox that it will have the strongest impact upon, as it sextiles Aries Sun at an orb of 1 degree, and the intensity of Pluto drives the daring and will of Aries Sun into hyperdrive. Pluto often triggers endings, and the Equinox is a period of initiative and inertia, a beginning…now that we’re beginning to confront the things that Pluto is bringing to light, we can begin to actively DO something about them. The sign of Aries is ruled by Mars, which is finishing up at the END of Aquarius and will be at 27 degrees upon this ingress. Sun made a conjunction to Pluto that was exact at 29 Capricorn just hours before they both ingressed to Aquarius back in January, but Mars made a conjunction to Pluto on February 13. Anything that has fallen apart or stagnated since that time, when Mars the Warrior met Pluto and things became volatile or insurmountable may now find resolution as Aries Sun has both the will and the way, and it’s coming to light now. Aries Sun will overcome, and will use headstrong determination even if just to spite obstacles that would loom before us. Pluto may inspire us to use parts of ourselves here that we would typically rather hide or leave unacknowledged, or may require us to get over our hesitation or uncertainty. This is a provocative sextile, Pluto can be obsessive and adds a layer of deep psychological drive toward what we truly desire to this Aries Sun that takes what it wants and doesn’t look back.
The emotional drive of Pluto in Aquarius is profound, given that Pluto is also opposed by Leo Moon in this chart. Sun and Moon trine, a glowing harmony of resonance, but Leo Moon is driven by an underlying, hidden pulse of darkness from Pluto in this opposition. Oppositions on the Leo/Aquarius axis revolve around issues of head (Aquarius) vs heart (Leo) and what’s best for the collective vs what’s best for the individual. We are caught between thinking and feeling here, and Pluto in Aquarius often destroys so that we can rebuild…and it often highlights power struggles and issues of control. In opposition to Leo Moon, which will not be controlled and will not submit to Pluto’s grasp for conquest, this becomes an exceedingly DEFIANT Equinox. We may feel like we’ve got something to PROVE under this ingress, with Aries Sun sextile Pluto and revealing the hidden drives and urges that lie beneath the surface, and with Leo Moon feeling volatile and explosive as a result, anything that may wound our pride becomes a reason to be that much more relentless, and that much more obsessive.
There is a profound intensity surrounding this Equinox, not only is it inherently reactive, but the Moon/Pluto opposition is demanding and powerfully compelling. Sudden reactions and strong feelings will not be denied, they must be brought to light with both luminaries involved and the Underworld of Pluto in Aquarius facing scrutiny. There are many celestial events this year that focus upon the never ending entanglement between beginnings and endings, the nature of cyclical flow becomes apparent here as Pluto reveals the hidden truths we would rather not confront, Moon cannot hide the emotional fallout and aftermath, and Aries Sun takes charge and bursts forth into ACTION. This is Cardinal and Fixed Fire fueled by a whirlwind of forced change we’ve tried to avoid, unsuccessfully, in Fixed Air and as we confront how we must adjust our thinking, we also have to confront the reality that no matter what we do, control is still an elusive illusion. Pluto opposite Leo Moon while Pluto sextiles Sun and trines Moon gives this Aries Ingress an intense burst of POWER that we can harness as long as we exert the necessary self-control over the volatility that can be provoked in Leo Moon by Pluto’s grasp. There is an almost primal demand for autonomy and individuality that is both rebellious and thrilling, and the adrenaline fed Aries Sun jumps at the chance to assert our initiative. This is a profound need to take control of our own path and own destiny, and with upcoming Eclipses on this axis, change is already imminent here, and what we feel called toward has immense drive and motivation.
Astrological Influences to Consider
Mercury, planet of thought and communication, is also in Aries, and has just crossed the North Node, the point of destiny that drives this Eclipse period toward a more independent and assertive way of being, and Mercury is now conjunct Chiron, the Wounded Healer, which plays a major role in the upcoming Solar Eclipse at 19 Aries. Mercury will also Station Retrograde on April 1, so this is the first of THREE conjunctions that Mercury will make to Chiron that emphasize the story of our deepest personal wounds, and that bring clarity to their battles and confrontations in the Mars ruled sign of Aries. Mercury conjunct Chiron does not make a conjunction to the moment of Equinox itself, but it certainly has a powerful and profound influence that will last all through April, and this will be the first glimpse of what these lessons entail. Chiron made its conjunction to the North Node in February, which began to call our attention to patterns of self-sabotage and imbalances between the needs of SELF and the demands of others, but now that Mercury is here, brash and impulsive in Aries, it’s time to have those difficult conversations and to actively begin to address the frustration and the obstacles. This will take time, and we can expect that changes made can result in having to revisit these issues once again during the Mercury Retrograde. Decisions made and ideas conceived under this time where Mercury is conjunct Chiron and in close proximity to the North Node can entail happenings of fate, and spins toward the type of healing that only comes with taking it on as an active process. Nothing about the sign of Aries is passive, not even Chiron. This may be a call to war on fronts we’ve ignored or avoided, or it may be time to admit our own failures or wrongdoings and come to terms with the role we’ve had in the wounds of others.
Venus, planet of relationships and resources, is in Pisces where Venus is exalted, and lavishes in deep and abiding spiritual connection. The nature of commitment is shifting according to what Saturn expects in this sign where it’s redefining what we believe, and that to which we aspire. This conjunction upon the Equinox encourages us to test the depth of our connections, are they supportive? Are they compassionate, and understanding? Pisces is a Mutable Water sign, and the ebb and flow is something that we must adjust to, we move with the current rather than against it, even if Saturn here can make it a difficult or even painful current by which to be moved. Venus in Pisces flourishes with creative receptivity in this sign as long as she can take the cues that Saturn gives, and Saturn softens and becomes inspired by Venus who brings deep and abiding love here, this is a space of spiritually bonded commitments and dedication that we can grow within. Venus in Pisces benefits from Saturn’s dedication to become less wishy-washy and more wish driven, and Saturn heeds the profound intuition of Venus in her sign of exaltation and opens up to a deeper level of spiritual connection. This can also be a time, considering that Venus also rules resources, to wrap up old and unfinished business under the guidance and discipline of Saturn here, so that when Venus moves into Aries, we can truly begin a fresh cycle and there are no outstanding and lingering issues to resolve. Venus in Pisces may be avoidant of things that aren’t comfortable, and may procrastinate, but Saturn does not allow for that luxury and we learn that the things we’ve avoided really weren’t so dark and scary anyway when we address them here where Venus thrives when she has the right support.
On the proverbial rather than the literal horizon, we have Jupiter, the planet of growth and expansion, applying to a conjunction with Uranus, planet of revolution and the unexpected. I will discuss the chart of this conjunction in detail in April, giving Patrons on my Patreon first access, and any asteroid or Lilith points that I cover in the celestial event chart will remain exclusive to Patreon. This conjunction will not be exact until April 20 at 21 degrees Taurus, but is now beginning to come into orb, and as such, we will be feeling it as the time approaches. This is a stirring, a beginning of something that needs time to develop and to grow for now, but that will soon be a pervasive force with which to be reckoned. This celestial event happens every 12 years according to the Jupiter cycle, and this time we get just ONE conjunction…Retrograde will not bring this back around. This is one shot, one chance…so take it. This is a lightning strike of disruption and opportunity that can entail big ideas and even bigger shifts around us to make them into a new reality. Jupiter expands all that it touches, it magnifies, and the electricity of Uranus is a force of change that will not be resisted. This time of sudden realignment comes immediately following two Eclipses, so it may feel like one more force of chaos and overwhelming surge of change within a space that is already highly provocative and past due for a major shakeup. Uranus brings revelation and revolution, and Jupiter in this conjunction can be described as dropping blessings like bombs. As these two are now beginning to come together, it’s imperative to pay attention to where we feel stirrings of dissatisfaction, or where we’ve grown complacent. Taurus is the sign of security in regard to both the material world and the body, and this electric pulse of rebellion and revolution is set to shake us out of our comfort zone and will rock the foundation of anything that needs to be evaluated.
This Equinox is nothing if not intense, and it will feel as ground shaking as the rest of the astrological influences that we are currently under. This is a strong beginning, and there will be willpower to draw from thanks to the Jupiter/Uranus conjunction in Taurus that follows the Eclipses, wherever they spin us next. It’s not just one precipice of change that we stand upon during this time, it’s cliff after cliff. Aries Sun now poses the question that we must speak to in order to begin this process we’ve been waiting for as it shouts, adamantly and with more than just a hint of dare: Are you willing to finally jump?
Vernal Equinox 2024: A Raging Inferno for the Divine Flame Asteroid Tier
Tuesday, March 19, 2024
Vernal Equinox-Sun enters Aries 11:06 PM EDT
Aspects to the Equinox
Sun at 0 Aries trine Moon at 3 Leo
Sun at 0 Aries sextile Pluto at 1 Aquarius
Other Aspects to Consider
Moon at 3 Leo opposite Pluto at 1 Aquarius
Mercury conjunct Chiron in Aries
Venus conjunct Saturn in Pisces
Jupiter applying to conjunction with Uranus in Taurus
Asteroid Aspects: Exclusively on Patreon
Neptune conjunct Hygeia at 27 Pisces
Equinox quincunx Haumea in Scorpio
Leo Moon and Pluto in Aquarius t-square Haumea in Scorpio
Chart calculation is EDT, I will not be analyzing chart angles because they will be different in different time zones
Asteroid Aspects previously Patreon exclusive
Equinox quincunx Haumea in Scorpio
Leo Moon and Pluto in Aquarius t-square Haumea in Scorpio
Neptune conjunct Hygeia at 27 Pisces
The firepower of the Aries Solar Ingress this year is INTENSE as I covered for ALL Tiers, but there is a raw and profoundly authentic giving of no proverbial f’s when we consider that Aries Sun will be quincunx Haumea in the beginning of Scorpio, the other Mars ruled sign. There is a battle between and misgivings about how we embody change deep within and how we behave surrounding these changes on the outside. Aries is aggressive physically, and Scorpio is aggressive psychologically. This quincunx is one that may embody hidden motivations that Aries Sun is unaware of, but that nonetheless serve our instinctual drive toward survival. The Moon/Pluto opposition in particular has a specific breaking point to discuss, in the form of a T-square to Haumea, the dwarf planet of the birth and gestation of all creation, the primal creatrix in Scorpio, the sign of transformation. Haumea in Scorpio is in a long-term process of transformation that encounters a cycle of devouring and disseminating, dissolving into the hidden and the unknown, and it is in this Underworld sign that we have to acknowledge our own darkness. This t-square from Moon/Pluto to Haumea is a process of death and rebirth, one of profoundly heightened awareness. It’s psychological and smoldering, a process that is likely to entail hidden pain and lessons we have buried, but now must bring forth consciously in order to become that which they have guided us to be. This is a deep instinctual awareness working within, and it is there to warn us of red flags that need to be heeded, and guides us from a place of soul-level need and experience. This t-square brings the breaking point that we need in order to harness growth, and it’s a deeply internal process that may not manifest so readily and be so easily read on the outside. This is a lingering internal change that we may not choose to reveal, that lies in wait and uses stealth to our advantage. This t-square is far quieter than the Equinox itself, and will continue to burn throughout the year as Pluto will be square Haumea for the duration.
Neptune, planet of dreams and intuition, will be exactly conjunct Hygeia, asteroid of health and holistic wellness during the Equinox moment, encouraging us to harness the power of SPIRIT in the mind/body/spirit connection in the sign of Pisces. Neptune is at home in this ethereal and spiritual sign, and Hygeia calls us toward all things intuitive and divinatory here while Neptune strongly emphasizes the power of DREAMS. Pay attention to your dreams, especially if they revolve around issues that connect in some way to your health…this conjunction in the sign of the subconscious is trying to tell you something. It’s time to nourish all aspects of being with nourishing the spirit, and Piscean themes do well here. Water and water based forms of exercise, meditation, yoga, gentle flow movement, dancing, and also exercising our artistic and creative muscles help to nurture and soothe the soul, and the soul is where we experience the most profound impacts of the healing that can be engaged during this time. I will caution, as I always do when we’re talking about Piscean influences, that addiction is a topic that is called to the forefront here, and it’s both an excellent time to begin programs that emphasize recovery from any addictive substance or behavior, as well as to take precautionary matters to prevent relapse under this conjunction where Neptune’s slippery grasp on reality may see us slipping where we didn’t intend to end up.