Art by Laura Elliott. The Vernal or Spring Equinox takes place at 7:41 pm tonight (EDT) and it looks like the intensity will continue to ramp up for the next few months.  The Equinoxes and Solstices occur when the Sun moves into the Cardinal signs: Aries for spring, Cancer for summer, Libra for fall, and Capricorn for winter.

Aries is the first sign in the zodiac and as such it is the sign of initiation and the point of beginning.  There is a burst of energy at the Aries point: an unbridled explosion of pure potential and action, and this is the energy that we are experiencing when we talk about “Spring Fever.”

The chart for the equinoxes and solstices are often used for weather forecasting, and judging by the chart for the Spring Equinox it looks like we are in for more intense weather.  That’s nothing new, the Winter Solstice chart last year included a Full Moon, and the Summer Solstice  and Fall Equinox charts were also complex.

This equinox chart shows the Sun, at zero degrees Aries, in a nearly exact conjunction to Uranus, the planet of shocking and sudden events.  Ceres is nearly exactly conjunct Neptune, combining the watery mysteries of Neptune with the delicate eco-balance of Ceres.  This suggests more flooding in some areas, although with both planets in dry Aquarius there may also be severe droughts in some areas.

Saturn and Jupiter are very close to their exact opposition, which culminates at the end of March and there is a tension between the contracting force of Saturn and the expansive drive of Jupiter. The Moon in Libra sides with Saturn, anxiously seeking form and structure in the midst of the chaos, but Aries Mercury opposes the Moon and the mind takes precedence over the heart.

It’s been clear to me that the planetary dynamics over the past couple of years were much more personal – this year’s alignments are dealing with bigger events over which we have little or no control.

The equinox points are balance points since neither day nor night has precedence over the other.  Many of us have accomplished huge transformational changes in our own lives to empower us and help us to become more aligned with the direction our soul is taking towards awakening and clarification.  Those gifts will remain with us if we remain conscious and aware, and focused on that which is real – the center of calm at the heart of the storm.

Oh yes, and happy Ostara and Purim, too.