Hi All,

     Happy Re-Birthday to all, and especially Aries folks! For many people (past the age of 25), birthdays come with a mixture of hope for the new and stress over the old, what's done (or not done) by now. We all experience some degree of "review" during birthday time. So - good news first - those who are craving a clean slate / fresh start - THIS is your chance!! Bad news is - it will not be an 'easy' new start, except maybe for those of you who love a challenge and thrive on overcoming obstacles. 

     Mars, ruler of Aries, spends about 6wks in each sign and retrogrades only every two years when we all undergo a review on how we spend our energy, Mars' domain, and that review every two years is 6+ months long and usually intense, thanks to Mars. The last one was in 2005 in Taurus when our values, resources and concept of 'comfort' underwent a major shift. This time, 7 months of Cancer energy is forcing you (in not-so subtle ways) to face/deal with old traumas and dramas ~ old and deep wounds (perceived or real) from the past, as in childhood issues never fully faced or dealt with properly. And some of this intense, emotional energy is being stirred as you face an accumulation of results of the decisions you've made since you turned 18.

     At any rate, Mars in Cancer's object lesson is that repression/suppression of any kind, but especially your emotional needs, will ALWAYS prevent you from actually getting those needs met! This is like the top on a pressure cooker with no valve, a physical (Mars) and emotional (Cancer) "valve" (outlet) is ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY for this part of you to function properly. Cancer is all about your basic needs, food & shelter, and Mars is all about "doing" ~ so what are you "doing" to get your basic needs met?

     This month of Aries, as I do every year, I give you PERMISSION TO BE SELFISH!! One month is no time to assess and plan for one year (and beyond). This month you should be focused on YOU! Your needs, your desires and what you deserve in exchange for the energy you share in your personal and professional life. Exchange, flow, reciprocity are all mandatory but the only way to ensure that energy flows freely is to remove all the blockages. Mars and Pluto are working diligently, over a very long period of time, to ensure a permanent shift in your perception of need vs. desire. 

  

~ FAITH ~ that you ARE in the right place, at the right time, with the right people for the lesson and the blessing. Faith in your Self, your Truth, your abilities, and your contribution as worthy and necessary. Faith that God is the Infinite Source of your supply and you already possess all that you need to run your life.

   

~ RISK ~ a willingness to risk for your own gain ~ for your own forward movement ~ to make progress in your own life. It seems that we are all willing to take incredible risks on behalf of people or entities which, in my humble opinion, are hardly worth it (in this context), not to mention the fact that these very same people and entities would NEVER risk for YOU! Remember, never allow someone else to be your PRIORITY ... if you are only their OPTION!

  

~ COURAGE ~ to face your fears and do it anyway, which is TOTALLY supported, even encouraged by Mars/Aries energy by the way. Courage of your convictions - to stand up for what you believe in even if no one close by agrees with you. Right or wrong in the end, when you are courageous enough to go after what you want, stand up for what you believe in, do what others are afraid to even try and/or take a step in the direction of your goals, you earn self-respect as well as the respect of others. (They may not 'like' it but they will have to 'respect' it.)

  

     So this month, there are a couple of things to keep in mind while you go about organizing your life for spring renewal / re-birthday / and all these initiation energies (among others). The week of April 6 - 12 in particular, the transformation (Pluto) of your values & relationships (Venus), the expansion (Jupiter) of who you are and your core drives (Sun), and expressing your thoughts (Mercury), your deepest desires (Mars) and emotions (Cancer) are all giving you an opportunity for a breakthrough! Squares in astrology are usually described as "hard angles" that the planets make to each other, so while it will likely be stressful in the moment, please keep somewhere in the back of your mind, as you move through this month and interact with others, that the whole point of any challenge(s) or blockage(s) which do pop up, are only to help you facilitate some very necessary (and long overdue) change(s). They are also giving you a palpable opportunity for ULTIMATE MASTERY of Self, for finally 'getting' the lesson so you can move on to other things. It is advisable to be 'courageous' and 'faithful' and take a risk in choosing a new response, which will in fact elicit a new result. Stability and healing are the ultimate goal of the current energies and change is good!