Astronomy | March is one of the best months to spot the constellation Cancer. As the dimmest of the 12 constellations of the zodiac, Cancer is outshined by its neighbors Leo, who boasts the royal star Regulus, and Gemini, with the twin stars Castor and Pollux. You can use these two constellations as reference to find the celestial crab, who crosses the southern sky from 9 to 10 p.m. in March. Begin by locating the sickle shaped head of Leo and track right to the twin stars of Gemini. Now settle your eyes on the space between. While its stars are less luminous than those that surround it, Cancer has a distinctive shape, like an upside-down “Y.” Its center star, Asellus Australus, lies directly on the ecliptic (the path of the sun through our sky). From there it extends upward in a relatively straight line to its northernmost star, Iota Cancri. Below Asellus Australus, the upside-down “Y” splits, with the star Altarf on the right and Acubens (meaning “the claw”) to the left.
Astrology | March begins immersed in the energy of Pisces. In addition to the sun, both the traditional and modern rulers of Pisces — Jupiter and Neptune, respectively — are currently in this oceanic sign. Mercury dives into the water on March 9. These four planets form a stellium, defined as four or more planets in one sign. Together, they sail the Piscean seas until the sun moves into Aries on March 20, the vernal equinox, breaking up the party. Pisces is a sign of compassion, mysticism, and imagination. This dreamy sign allows us to dissociate from the drearier aspects of daily life by providing passageway to the fantastical realms. It’s not all revelry and reverie this month, however. Venus and Mars remain close, though their conjunction is not as tight as it was through February. Passions previously ignited stay hot, though as they move through the cool sign of Aquarius, they are challenged by a hard square to Uranus on March 19 to 22, and an overbearing conjunction to pragmatic Saturn from March 28 to April 5. Castles made of sand will come crashing down. Only a solid action plan will bring your dreams to fruition.
~ Dawn Andreoni is a yoga teacher and astrologer living on the North Shore of Lake Tahoe. You can find more about her offerings at celestialdawnastrology.com or follow her at facebook.com/astronotions.
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