Mars begins its retrograde motion on March first and during most of the month it will remain in Libra, in a conjunction with Rahu and Saturn. As I mentioned last month, this is a very volatile conjunction for world events and mundane affairs in general. For individual charts, it is well worth taking a look at the house in which the sign of Libra is placed. The significations of that house may become a little aggravated during this month.  

I know, it gets tiring hearing negatives over and over, so how about a different perspective. Think of this as a weather report, and think of the month of March as being prone to rainy weather. When a little rain falls, does it mean you can't enjoy your life? Heck no!   Just put on a rain coat, put on a happy face, and get out there and have a good time. But isn't it nicer to know in advance that it might rain? Of course. That way you don't get wet!

Besides, during the first half of the month, the Sun will be aspected by Jupiter, making it a good time for ambitious pursuits. During the second half of the month, Mercury will be transiting Shatabhisha, the nakshatra whose shakti is "the power of healing". This will be a great time to get involved in any kind of healing work, as well as the area of communication in general. It is also a first rate time for receiving insights and obtaining knowledge.

Get the drift? So if you throw out your back, due to that nasty old retrograde Mars, sometime during March, you might also find a great acupuncturist or chiropractor to fix it, courtesy of Jupiter. In any case, with the intensity of Mars, Saturn and Rahu, all in Libra, a little awareness, meditation, and perseverance can go a long way to promoting peace and positive experiences this month. Maybe it's time to unplug and just enjoy the ride.

What's going on in the Ukraine  

Mars retrograde and its conjunction with Rahu and Saturn 

If you have been paying attention to the news, you will have noticed that Russia recently has opened up the door to use troops in Ukraine. This has raised a bit of controversy on the world political stage, but astrologically, it is right on schedule.

 

In my World Predictions, 2014 presentation given last January, I mentioned that around this time, Mars , Saturn and Rahu would be in Libra. I said that Mars and Rahu would be very close to each other and also very close to the ascendant in the chart for Russia. As a result, I said that this could create more military activity for Russia. Since the Sochi Olympics were taking place around this time, I suggested that we might watch the Olympics as a possible place for this energy to express itself.

 

Even though there were no terrorist events at the Sochi Olympics, it is interesting to note that the hyper-vigilance of the Russian police and military did increase during that period as they went to extraordinary lengths to clamp down on security. There were actually terrorist events in Russia a few weeks before the Olympics, so the government took every possible precaution to make sure that the Olympics were safe. Even though the predisposition towards a terrorist event existed, they used their free will to offset it by being extra cautious and it worked. As I have said on many occasions, the point of knowing that a danger exists, is so that you can do something about it.

 

On the other hand, soon after the Olympics ended, on the exact day that Mars turned retrograde, the Russians announced that they intended to use military intervention in Ukraine. Mars is the planet of warfare. Its retrograde motion is often associated with military conflicts of different kinds. This time around, the retrograde motion of Mars in Libra is also agitated by the presence of Rahu and Saturn, both also transiting Libra.

 

Add to this that the chart of Ukraine is also ripe for conflict. They are passing through the Major period of Rahu and the sub period of the Sun. About this period, Kalidasa, and ancient poet-saint-astrologer said that "quarrels, fear and suspicion on account of the family" is likely to occur. Of course he was referring to an individual's chart, not that of a country. But one can't help but notice that, in a sense, the Ukraine and Russia seem to be like quarreling members of the same family.

 

In the Ukraine horoscope, the Sun is in the sixth house (the military) in Scorpio, and with an aggressive Mars. This is a recipe for conflict. In any case, in November, Saturn will pass over the Sun, Mars, and retrograde mercury, making the remainder of the Rahu dasa difficult. After that, Ukraine passes into the sixteen year period of Jupiter in March of 2017. Hopefully that will bring a more upbeat experience and ease tensions in the country.