Astrology Forecast Mar 16th to 22nd
- Kat Shaw
- Mar 16
- 10 min read
The planets have been circling March 20th since December. Everything that's happened this year - Saturn and Neptune asking you to build dreams into reality, the eclipses forcing releases, Mercury dragging you backwards through Pisces - has been leading here.
Friday is the turning point. Spring Equinox arrives at 10:46am EDT. The Sun enters Aries at 0°, beginning the astrological new year. Five hours later at 3:40pm, Mercury finally stations direct and stops reviewing your past. Same day. Ostara and Mercury direct together.
The spirits have mentioned this is not a coincidence.
The week builds toward it. Wednesday brings the last New Moon in Pisces at 28° - your final chance to plant intentions around compassion, dreams, and letting go before Aries season begins and everything shifts to "start things, be brave, don't overthink." Venus squares Jupiter the same day, which historically means someone's going to overdo something but at least enjoy it. Saturday brings Mars and Jupiter flowing together in water signs while the Sun meets Neptune in brand-new Aries territory.
This is the reset the whole year has been building toward. The retrograde ends. The light returns. The planets aren't being subtle about it.
New Moon in Pisces (Mar 18, 28°)
Here we are at the edge of the last lunar cycle before the astrological year resets. One final New Moon in Pisces at 28° - practically 29°, practically over - before everything shifts to Aries and fire on Friday.
New Moons want you to plant seeds. This one's insistent about it. The Moon has been watching you release things at the last Full Moon, watching you review during Mercury retrograde, and now it's sitting at the end of Pisces asking: what are you actually going to do with all that letting go? What dream are you planting in the space you cleared? What intention gets buried now so it can grow during Aries season?
This is Pisces territory - dreams, spirituality, compassion, the stuff that dissolves boundaries and makes everything feel connected and overwhelming. But it's the last Pisces New Moon before we enter "start things, be brave, don't overthink" season. The curator notes that 28° is very close to 29°, which astrologers call the anaretic degree - crisis, completion, urgency. The Moon knows what it's doing here.
Everything above our heads is screaming that now is the moment. The equinox is two days away. Mercury goes direct two days away. The astrological new year is two days away. This New Moon is your last chance to set Pisces intentions before the energy changes entirely.
So. What are you going to do about it?
Venus Square Jupiter (Mar 16 - Mar 20; Exact Mar 18)
We're seeing quite the argument here between father and daughter. Jupiter is sitting in Cancer and insists that everyone be taken care of, look after the group as a whole. You are, after all, in some leadership of the family unit. Even if he is expanding the definition of 'family' a bit. On the other side of this we see Venus in Aries. She agrees with the expression of love, but wants to turn it inward. Look after yourself, make sure you are leaning into the things you want. It's creating quite the conflict.
The curator notes that this is not the time to be agreeing to everything people ask of you. You can go ahead and think of the group and what would be best for everyone, but don't forget about yourself. If there is something you really don't want to be doing, don't just up and agree with it to be nice.
Don't be surprised if you have the desire to overdo it on the indulgences during this time. More importantly, don't guilt yourself into oblivion over it. Venus sitting in Aries wants to lay back and enjoy the good things in life. Maybe you should too.
Sun Sextile Uranus (Mar 15 - Mar 21; Exact Mar 18)
Ever have a moment where your ears are ringing and you just swear someone is talking about you? Well, the Sun and Uranus are doing exactly that. And this isn't something you're just going to be handed. You need to reach, to participate. Just like we talked about with the New Moon, this is another place where you need to do.
The Sun likes to sit up there as ruler of the sky and right now it's sitting in Pisces, even if for only a little while longer. The Sun enjoys leaning into dreams, thinking about what can be, what might be. After all, Pisces is known to indulge in daydreaming. (The Curator notes that she knows this aspect all too well.) Combine this with Uranus sitting in Taurus who enjoys just shaking everything up, especially in the physical realm of things. This is giving us a moment where our dreams can leak out into the world. Where we can find sudden understanding or breakthroughs.
Those goals you set, seeds you planted earlier this week? Well, this is where we start actually working for them. Pay attention to the world around you, never know when a sign might pop up.
Spring Equinox + Mercury Stations Direct (Mar 20)
Friday is the day everything's been building toward. Two events, same day, approximately five hours apart. The spirits have mentioned this is not an accident.
10:46am EDT - The Spring Equinox arrives. Light and dark sit in perfect balance for roughly twelve minutes before tipping toward growth. The Sun enters Aries at 0°, which is the astrological new year regardless of what your wall calendar says. Ostara. The planting season begins in earnest. Seeds go in the ground, intentions get buried with them, and the light starts winning again.
3:40pm EDT - Mercury stations direct at 8° Pisces.
Mercury has been retreating since February 26th, asking you to review everything you thought you'd already dealt with. Communications stalled. Technology developed opinions. Plans dissolved or revised themselves without permission. The usual retrograde chaos, but in Pisces, which meant everything was also extremely emotional and unclear about why.
That ends at 3:40pm.
Mercury doesn't leap forward immediately - it takes a few days to pick up speed, and it won't clear the shadow period (the degrees it already covered) until early April. But the direction changes. Forward. Finally.
The curator notes that having Mercury go direct on the same day as the Spring Equinox is symbolically heavy-handed, even for the planets. The retrograde review ends exactly when the growing season begins. The communication planet starts moving forward exactly when the astrological year resets. You've been clearing ground, reviewing what needs to be released, reconsidering your path. Now you're being told: plant. Move. Begin.
If you've been waiting for permission or a sign or clarity about what comes next—this is it. The equinox is the turning point between death and growth. Mercury direct is the green light to actually communicate and move on what you've been reconsidering. The astrological new year is the reset button.
The spirits suggest you stop waiting after Friday. Whatever you've been reviewing is reviewed. Whatever needed to be released has had its chance to go. The light is returning, Mercury is cooperating, and Aries season doesn't have patience for hesitation.
Act accordingly.
Mars Trine Jupiter (Mar 18 - Mar 25; Exact Mar 21)
We've mentioned several times this week that this is a time for action, to move forward with plans you've been dreaming about. However, not all of those actions need to be direct and forceful. Mars and Jupiter are actually cooperating for once - and better yet, they're doing it while both sitting in water signs. Mars in Pisces, Jupiter in Cancer.
Water trines don't force. They flow.
This is a time to follow your intuition rather than your strategy. To listen to what feels right in your gut and your chest rather than what makes sense on paper. Mars in Pisces wants to act from a place of compassion and spiritual conviction. Jupiter in Cancer wants to expand what nurtures and protects. Together, they're suggesting you trust the emotional pull and move on it.
The curator notes that this is excellent energy for taking action on things that don't have a logical plan yet but feel right anyway. The kind of doing that comes from faith rather than certainty. Saturday is good for that. Follow the flow, trust yourself, and act accordingly.
Sun Conjunct Neptune in Aries (Mar 18 - Mar 24; Exact Mar 21)
We are closing out the week with a feeling the curator knows all too well. That of walking into a room, crossing the threshold of the doorway, and having not even a single clue why you're there at all.
Neptune is dreamy - he likes to sit around and think of what could be. In Aries he leans pretty heavily into themes of new beginnings and independence. That is fine normally, but right now we have the Sun coming right up next to him, and the Sun wants clear definitions of our identity and purpose in the grand scheme of things. Which leaves us both inspired and not totally certain what exactly we're inspired about. Just the feeling. Like waking up from a dream you can barely grasp onto before it's gone.
The curator notes that this is her natural state of being. As mentioned above with the trine between Mars and Jupiter, maybe this just isn't the best time to grasp tightly onto something. Perhaps while in this state of dreamy confusion it's best to just flow with it and see what comes.
What is a Void of Course Moon?
Think of the Moon as the cosmic "Project Manager" of our daily lives. As it travels through a zodiac sign, it "talks" to other planets (making aspects). The Void of Course period begins the moment the Moon finishes its last conversation in one sign and lasts until it enters the next sign.
It’s a time when the "weaver has dropped her thread." Because the Moon isn't making any new connections, the energy is "adrift."
What to do:
Rest and Routine: Perfect for chores, cleaning, or mindless admin.
Reflection: Excellent for journaling or meditating.
Finish what’s started: Wrap up old projects rather than launching new ones.
What to avoid (if possible):
Big Launches: If you start a business or launch a product now, it may "go nowhere."
Important Signatures: Contracts signed in the void often need to be revised later.
First Dates: The "vibe" might be hard to pin down.
Void of Course Times: Mar 16 – Mar 22, 2026 (EDT times)
Mar 16 - 3:56 pm until it enters Pisces at 7:15 pm
Mar 18 - 9:23 pm until it enters Aries on Mar 19 at 12:03 am
Mar 20 - 5:23 am until it enters Taurus on March 21 at 2:35 am
Tarot Card of the Week
The Hierophant
"I honor the wisdom that came before while trusting my own authority to choose what I believe."
Traditionally speaking, the Hierophant is the card of tradition, telling us that following structure, conformity, and organization is the path forward. This time, that isn't what he's telling me. With everything that we have in this week ahead of us - the equinox, Mercury going direct, the astrological new year beginning - the Hierophant sits to remind us that there is solid ground under our feet. That with all the floatiness of the skies above, we do have a place we can return to. Structure is still there if you need it.The timing is pointed.
You're being asked to pioneer new territory (Aries season starting Friday), to trust intuition and flow (Mars trine Jupiter, Sun conjunct Neptune), to plant seeds and begin fresh (New Moon, Equinox). That's a lot of "make it up as you go" energy. The Hierophant shows up to say: you don't have to reinvent the wheel. There's wisdom in what's been done before. Rituals exist for a reason. The wheel of the year has turned for millennia - Ostara isn't new just because it's new to you.
Mercury going direct means the review period is over, but the Hierophant suggests you remember what you learned. Don't throw out the structure just because you're moving forward again. The new year doesn't mean burning down everything that came before. Sometimes the most radical thing you can do is honor tradition while choosing which parts actually serve you.
He also shows up to remind us that in the end, the authority of our beliefs lies with ourselves. That there are some rules out there that people follow, sure. There are common processes and practices that are documented and known, but in the end your belief is your own. In this time of self-exploration, of dreams, and looking inward, you need to stop asking yourself what is proper and ask yourself what do you believe.
(The curator is aware that she is quoting Indiana Jones. Run with it.)
Weekly Herbal Allies
Frankincense Sacred, traditional, spiritual authority - very Hierophant energy. Used in ritual for millennia, bridges divine and earthly. Perfect for Ostara ceremonies and honoring the equinox. Clarifies spiritual communication (Mercury direct).
Dandelion Spring herb, first greens after winter, resilient pioneer - pure Aries/equinox energy. Represents new growth breaking through old ground. Also used traditionally in divination and wish-making (the Hierophant meeting new beginnings).
Rosemary Memory, clarity, purification, ancient wisdom. As Mercury goes direct, rosemary helps clear mental fog and remember what you learned during retrograde. Traditional herb with established uses (Hierophant) that still works.
Weekly Crystal Allies
Clear Quartz Clarity and amplification - essential as Mercury goes direct. Programs intentions for the new astrological year. Traditional "master healer" stone (Hierophant), but adaptable to any purpose (Aries pioneering).
Moss Agate Spring growth, new beginnings, grounding new endeavors. Connects to earth and natural cycles (equinox). Helps ground spiritual inspiration (Sun-Neptune) into physical reality.
Lapis Lazuli Ancient stone of wisdom, spiritual authority, truth-speaking. THE Hierophant stone - used by priests and teachers for millennia. As Mercury goes direct, supports clear, truthful communication based on inner knowing.
Bloodstone Traditional Aries stone, courage and vitality. Also called "Christ stone" in some traditions (Hierophant connection). Grounds spiritual energy into physical action. Perfect for equinox transitions.
Closing Reflection
The planets have been preparing you for Friday since the year began. Every retrograde review, every eclipse release, every Saturn-Neptune demand to make dreams real through actual work - it's all been clearing ground for this moment. The equinox. Mercury direct. The astrological new year beginning.
Friday at 10:46am, light and dark balance before tipping toward growth. Five hours later at 3:40pm, Mercury stops retreating and starts moving forward. Same day. The spirits are not known for subtlety, but this is pointed even for them.
You've reviewed. You've released. You've planted seeds at the New Moon. You've followed your intuition with Mars and Jupiter flowing together in water. You've been both inspired and confused by the Sun meeting Neptune in brand-new Aries territory. The Hierophant showed up to remind you that structure and tradition aren't your enemies - they're the foundation you're building on, even when you're pioneering something new.
Now it's time to stop preparing and start moving.
The curator notes that "new year, fresh start" energy often makes people want to burn everything down and rebuild from scratch. That's dramatic but not usually helpful. The Hierophant suggests you take what worked, leave what didn't, and build forward from there. Mercury direct gives you clarity about what's worth keeping. The equinox gives you the seasonal momentum. Aries gives you the courage to act.
Whatever you've been waiting for permission to do - consider this it. The review is over. The growing season has begun. The astrological year has reset. The light is returning. Mercury is cooperating. The planets have done their part.
The rest is up to you.
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