Welcome to our slightly tongue in cheek horoscope & astrology forecast which includes the odd shopping list and what may be happening in the rest of life too! Written (badly) by Lily’s mum who is a bit obsessed with astrology. If you see her coming, cross the road - she won’t mind, she’s an Aquarian.
ARIES SEASON - A time of Daffodils and dreaming of picnics - the promise of Spring is here… I say ‘promise’ because I HAVE looked out of the window as I write this, and I see nothing promising whatsoever other than more rain, but maybe we will see some rainbows which is a sign of hope and we all need some of that. We are now entering Aries season and our friendly neighbourhood shop keeper Lily will be dreaming of all those strong hot colours associated with Aries, the first sign of the zodiac and the first of the Fire Signs. Heliotique will soon be brimming with hot and hopeful colours for the new season.
Aries people are passionate, loyal, determined, full of child-like enthusiasm and strong-willed; often physically strong too. I always think of the Welsh flag when I think of Aries; that beautiful dragon in red which is the colour of Aries and of Mars, their ruling planet. Aries people can be as fearless as a Dragon though they can sometimes leave you feeling a little singed after a heated verbal exchange! The dragon stands on verdant green which reminds me of Aries season’s springtime
return to the ‘Green, Green Grass Of Home’… I can hear Tom Jones singing his heart out right now! Tom was born in the year of the Dragon and as this year is also the 'year of the dragon' based on Chinese zodiac, I think we will all be more fearless in taking control of our lives!
I think of Aries as a dual sign. In my experience Aries people come across as either The Ram type or The Lamb type. I suspect they are always both though, so don’t be surprised if your little lamb gives you a rather painful shove from time to time OR the slightly fierce Ram transforms instantly into a lamb when given some attention and gentle stroking. The main thing to remember with people born under the sign of Aries is they like to be No. 1…in their life and yours! So, what’s in store? Eye-opening times or bleary-eyed opening times? Possibly both.
Now for the Shopping Forecast!
MAJOR DATES - romantic and otherwise…can’t see so much romance this month but the sap will be rising somewhere in our lives.
March 20th - Spring Equinox - the Sun enters Aries, Sun conjunct Neptune, Mercury conjunct Chiron & the Moon’s nodes (and lots and lots of other planetary connections).
Every year as the Sun enters Aries it brings with it the feeling of something new coming to life. With the current world situation we are collectively fearing mankind’s ability to create monsters rather than the good things we want humanity to be about. The planetary aspects at the equinox give an indicator of how the next 3 months are going to go. 2024 is a very intense astrological year and things have been hotting up since the end of January. From this point on we may be feeling
that dragon breath from around the corner! We are also entering eclipse season which is about hidden things coming to light, doors closing / doors opening or maybe the revolving kind that just spits you out unexpectedly. There will be a need to think before you speak and no playing with matches please.
We will all be needing our diaries and calendars up to date to start the astrological new year in a tidy fashion as we won’t be able to rely on our over-crowded and over-heated minds. There will be plenty of activity going on - eclipse surprises and opportunities - so we don’t want to leave anything or anyone behind on the dockside when we set sail into this new season. Clear the decks and get
some dust busting done.
The planetary climate suggests there may be financial instability coming especially in the money and stock markets so it may be a good time to think about our finances and whether it is time to strategise.
We may be needing to understand and communicate to each other about some painful events or emotions and will be having to navigate round recent difficulties without the need for waterproofs or too many boxes of tissues. Our Neptunian instinct board may be giving us false readings for a while so be as discerning as possible about what is grabbing your attention - if making plans then
try to focus less on a self-centred approach and more on what the higher, more encompassing path could bring. There will be an overall sense of deep healing being required in some area of life and certainly in the world at large. Even though do-gooders have got a bad name it’s important to remember any act of kindness is powerful, big or small. This is definitely a time for less talking and more listening.
Shopping List - Notebooks, compass, tea-towels, daffodils, water-proof mascara, gob-stoppers.
March 21st, March 22nd - Sun sextiles Pluto, Venus conjuncts Saturn
Those complex problems will still be niggling away at our sanity but with Venus helping us to find some pragmatic solutions and the willingness to co-operate, we may be feeling a little better and getting some sleep.
Shopping List - Anything which cheers us up or makes us feel cozy inside! Sweet smelling, sweet tasting treats, hot water bottles and eye masks.
March 23rd - Mars enters Pisces
The recent bull-like energy of Mars may have been chasing us right round the bend but this will now be tempered by entering dreamy Pisces. Time to attend to those social issues without putting our feet in our mouths or having to get our coats.
Shopping List - Olive branches, olive oil, slippers for treading softly.
March 25th - Full Moon (Lunar Eclipse)
Eclipse season starts now so hang on to your wits or someone else’s! Watch out for arguments - Mercury in Aries is apt to cause blunt speaking and we may regret it. If you do need to say important things which could cause upset, try to be tactful.
With the full moon in Libra shining its’ light onto things we may need to see or may not want to see, about ourselves or our relationships, it’s time for a serious look at how things have changed recently. Time to weigh up what we really value in situations, others and ourselves and try to consolidate those things to gain more stability…if it’s valuing our ankles or other peoples toes, I would advise not to wear those stilettos.
Get unfinished projects done now. If there is a clear need to be break away from something then be courageous and take heart as the Jupiter / Uranus conjunction coming at the end of April will give that decision some real backing. Just bear in mind that between now and the Solar Eclipse on April 8th there is a risk of ignoring reality because it’s too uncomfortable to deal with …whatever it is, we are may need others to help crew that ship to the future, so be very sure before you throw
someone overboard or think that plank looks like an inviting method of escape.
Shopping List - A Kite, distracting puzzles, massage oil, rubber ducks - and a dinghy (might as well make use of all this rain and it may be helpful if you did walk that plank).
March 28th - Venus sextile Uranus
These two planets are having a tete-a-tete and will hopefully show us how to get a stuck situation on the move again. This could come about in surprising ways, by searching online or by actually listening to what our loved ones think. Maybe beautifying ourselves or our world in some way will help a lot and inspire us to relax and think differently!
Shopping List - Anything beautiful, crystal balls or crystal glasses, cushions.
April 1st - Mercury Retrograde (until 25th April)
A lot will have been happening and especially if arguments have been continuing, now is the time to stop, step back, slow down, take stock and do the review.
Mercury retrogrades can cause all sorts of difficulties with transport, communication, tech issues so take your time, check everything and be careful what you say and how you say it. Be very careful with the wording of contracts if you have to sign anything this month.
This is however a great time to study, or think about how to change things or how to take things in a new direction, all of which you can move forward with from 25th April, when Mercury turns direct again.
Shopping List - Bath products for long meditative soaks, memory sticks.
April 8th - Solar Eclipse - Sun, Moon, Chiron conjunction at 19 degrees Aries
This is an eclipse on steroids, so expect some big changes to be coming and just be careful, especially with your head as Aries rules the head. Don’t push yourself too much physically on this eclipse as you could really hurt yourself.
New opportunities may be making an appearance with the eclipses so keep an eye out for any possibilities even if they are only the seeds of an idea.
Financial changes and shocks are a strong possibility with these eclipses and the Mercury Retrograde.
This eclipse is a powerful shout out from Chiron, the wounded healer, as he sits at the table with the Sun and Moon. He is the great teacher of the healing power of love and self-care and it is often through pain that we learn our hardest lessons. He is a bridge between the physical and spiritual and is asking us to focus on a healthier way to live and to treasure our bodies and each
other. We may find we have a role to play in the healing of family or ancestral wounds.
Our bodies will be giving the best guidance at this time so with all this fiery Aries energy around us it may be a good idea to take up something like T’ai Chi - a moving form of meditation which can help keep body and spirit in harmony in a gentle and balanced way. Chronic health conditions may improve with Chiron in Aries.
Shopping List - Kimonos and leggings, incense and soothing music, herbal teas.