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 MARCH THEME: THE JOURNEY HOMEWARD
by Simone Butler
Addiction
is a hot topic these days. Songstress Amy Winehouse nabbed a Grammy
for her new release, "Rehab." Tabloids detail the exploits of Britney
Spears and Lindsay Lohan as they stumble in and out of treatment
programs, while second-rate celebrities battle their demons on reality
TV shows.
One way
or another, we all struggle to fill our aching voids. A grande
margarita or pint of dulce de leche ice cream helps blot out the
emptiness of your job. A wild weekend with a stranger gets you past
loneliness--for a while. For some, addiction may be as simple as
filling the emptiness by watching TV or talking on the phone.
All addictions
stem from the same root: feeling separate from Source. The Alcoholics
Anonymous 12-step program succeeds because it teaches participants
to give their problems over to a higher power. Making the connection
to Source through prayer, meditation or spending time in nature
reminds us that we are one with all that is.
During most
of March, with the Sun in Pisces, a sign that rules both addiction
and spiritual surrender, we're asked to awaken from our illusion
of separation and jettison crippling habits that have held us back.
February's solar eclipse on the 7th opened up our wounds for healing,
and the lunar eclipse on the 21st shone a bright light on the need
to fix what's broken.
Now, on
March 7, Uranus the Awakener conjoins the New Moon in Pisces--a
wake-up call for sure. In Pisces, the last sign of the zodiac,
we merge with Source on our journey back home. The sign of the Fishes
reminds us we're all swimming in the same cosmic sea. Uranus triggering
the Sun and Moon in Pisces gives access to higher states of consciousness--and
a chance to remember our true divine nature.
March 7 is
a super power day: In addition to the New Moon, Mars opposes Pluto
on the parental axis of Cancer and Capricorn, bringing up intense
childhood feelings. Mars and Pluto express desire and power; their
opposition is an opportunity to break through old, entrenched patterns
of control. Blessedly, Neptune (Pisces' ruling planet) conjoins
Venus (love, beauty and self-esteem) on the same day, helping to
awaken our heart centers so that we act in compassionate ways.
The magical
Piscean energies continue through mid-month as Mercury dances with
Neptune before it slides into Pisces to join lovely Venus just before
the Spring Equinox initiates the astrological New Year on March
19th/20th. As the Sun charges into Aries at this sacred turning
point, we feel ready to make a fresh start.
Trust is
a key word for Pisces. I'm reminded of the Hopi legend about our
current "end" times, as we speed toward our evolutionary culmination
as a species. The Hopi say we're in a rushing river, that we should
stop clinging to the shore and allow the current to bring us to
the river's calm center. There, we'll connect with others who've
also had the courage to let go. Pisces demands surrender to "what
is," rather than railing against what isn't. Surrender leads
to the calm center within. Otherwise, you end up lost in your fears--and
the endless cycle of addiction.
If you're
feeling unusually vulnerable or empty these days, remember that
the aching void within is also your access point to Source--in the
same way that the "flaw" in a beautiful, handmade ceramic vase is
where Spirit enters. In other words, your holiness emanates from
the "hole" within. As you relax into the flow of this New Moon,
let the remembrance of your holiness flood your being--and carry
you back to your true home.
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