Insights by Kerstin Hern of The Mirrored Lantern / Original art for J. Southern Studio by Spirited Animals
Welcome to March, friends! We are in the midst of collective forward movement and growth—from above in the cosmos with no Rx planets all the way down to earth, as our daylight will last longer as of the 13th with Daylight Savings, plus the cracklings of spring at the equinox later in the month. At the beginning of March, we have a powerful new moon in Pisces, whose natural watery, mystical, and ethereal realm is given some structure and framing by the Mercury/Saturn conjunction on the same day… Excellent balance above and below!
March’s full moon on the 18th is in the grounded, meticulous, healing sign of Virgo, who rules the 6th house. This lunation, centered around acknowledging abundance, gratitude, forgiveness, and releases, will be trining Pluto, giving us all an extra metaphorical shovel to dig DEEP and do the work (Virgo loves meaningful work) around mental and physical health, daily routines, how we show up in or receive service, and pet-related themes. Be sure to check what house each of the lunations will highlight specifically for you based on your sign!
At the end of the month, the pagan sabbat Ostara (spring equinox) celebrates the renewal of life as plants begin to emerge from the soil and start to awaken, symbolizing our personal regeneration, growth, and abundance. Fertility is the theme, honoring the neopagan Triple Goddess as the Maiden/Enchantress archetype—playful, curious, and frisky.
It’s a very packed month, but below are several of March’s most notable astrology transits, helping you prepare for and work with the cosmic flow. Then check out the new and full moons’ symbols, themes, each lunation’s tarot card partner, herbs for candle magick, crystals, mantras and more inspiration to personalize your own rituals around invocations and releases during those energetic portals.
Notable Transits:
SYNOPSIS: During this new moon, the Collective will feel extra-sensitive with intuitive pings in waking life or in dream states, which can be overwhelming (a shadow Pisces trait regarding boundaries). The goal is to lean into your insecurity (or any addictions—another Pisces theme) to get info around personal work still needed to be done. We have Saturn energy threaded into these mystical waters, so there is an anchor for stabilizing your intentions and grounded communication… This lunation also resonates with the collective drive toward connection with compassion and empathy, and all things faith-/belief-/spiritually-centric. As Richard says, “truth and newfound knowledge” are available to us, but “new beginnings require a sense of belief in something bigger than one's current situation or circumstance.” Claim the blessing of expecting the unexpected, like the Page of Cups!
Jupiter not only rules Pisces, but is also conjunct the Pisces moon. Jupiter expands and grows EVERYTHING, so the power of belief and visualization will fertilize your intentions, while also expanding the shadow parts… Don’t deny them! Be curious. The shadow side of Pisces during this dark moon also revolves around addictions and nebulous boundaries, so perhaps set intentions around strengthening personal boundaries, better honoring others’ boundaries, and getting any addictive/impulsive/compulsive behaviors in your line of sight. Naming them is a great start, and actually changes our neurochemistry in regard to psychotherapeutic healing, a la the incredible work of Dan Siegel.
There’s also a Venus, Mars and Pluto mash-up co-occuring, which can manifest as cranky, feisty energy in low vibrations, but in higher frequencies can be really potent and powerful in personal manifestation and practices like chaos magick. Chanting “I AM —“ whatever affirmations or wishes you have in mind aloud into this strong current will bring forth change and/or meaningful information.
THEMES & SYMBOLS: personal transformation, courage to change, spiritual seeds, growth around intuition, new dreams, depth in communication, mysticism, compassion, empathy, connection, new spiritual beginnings, manifestation through visualization, meditation, plant medicine, deep sea caves, the ocean, sea glass, blue, emerald green, aquamarine, cobalt, sea foam green, turquoise, all blues + greens, lavender, mugwort, fantasy, dreams, spirituality, intuition, pineal gland, pinecones, Neptune (planet and god)
YOUR NEW MOON LUNATION HOUSE:
Find your sun or rising sign below to see what area of your life will be most impacted by this new moon:
RITUAL + ALTAR INSPIRATIONS
NEW MOON PETITION
Write your intentions as specifically as possible on a small piece of paper, in the present tense, as if they are already happening or already happened. Fold it 3 times toward you, symbolizing bringing energy to you, and place on your altar under your crystals. You may also place your petition under your Water Element Candle or chime candle before you light it. This is a water moon, so you can submerge your petition in moon water, rainwater, ocean water, or fresh water with a piece of clear quartz (or any insoluble crystal) on top.
SUGGESTED MANTRA
“On this new moon, I surrender to the universal Divine. I am open to the communications of all mystical, spiritual, and high vibrational energies that serve my highest good. I allow my senses to heighten in the darkness of this lunation so I may see with my Spiritual eyes all the dark areas of my being needing attention. I bring curiosity and compassion to myself, and receive curiosity and compassion from others, with ease. I sow my seeds of intention in the beautiful and nourishing waters of Jupiter, so they may expand and grow into new opportunities, relationships, and healing in my life. I am an extension of Divine love. So mote it be!”
NEW MOON MEDICINE
Pisces rules the feet, melatonin (sleep hormone and connected to our circadian rhythm), and endocrine system, including the pineal gland (our consciousness gland and our third eye!). The pineal gland was dubbed “The Seat of the Soul” by French philosopher Descartes, and connects us to creativity, spirituality, and lucid dreaming. If you work with plant medicine, this is an auspicious lunation to activate your pineal gland (where we naturally produce the hallucinogenic compound, DMT) and visualizing what you want to bring into your life. Also, wading in natural water (the ocean, a stream, lake) can be both grounding and opening a spiritual flow. Dream journal around this new moon—drink mugwort tea before bed then record your dreams in your dream journal the next morning.
SYNOPSIS: This full Virgo moon is harmonizing with Pluto in Capricorn, so continuing this month’s theme of little deaths, rebirths, and personal transformation is highlighted. Reclaiming your power and capacity for healing by releasing baggage and cutting parasitic energy cords will move you into a space of liberation. Exercises around releasing grief, old or recent, even transgenerational, is very auspicious at this time, as well. There is a stellium in Pisces, including the sun in Pisces as the light shining on the Virgo moon exposing its fullness, so there’s a lot of healing energy coming though by way of intuition, dreams/astral work, and extending compassion and empathy to yourself and those around you.
From Richard Contreras: Moon opposite Neptune (4 degree orb), trines Pluto and sextiles the sun + moon, trines Saturn, Mercury sextile Uranus… “Specifically for mutable rising people, this moon can actually be a bit confusing with an overload of details, over-imagination and an excess of options. In general this full moon is supportive of a change in pace and supportive of materializing what one might struggle to take out of the imaginative/creative realm and move into something more physical. Addressing areas of life that are overly rooted in the past, dissolving past disappointments, this is a lunation which is also very healing and nurturing on the emotional front. Personal skills may become more apparent, discerning, cutting away emotional baggage, growth through simplification and simplifying cluttered areas of life. Communication might be affected right now to either cause miscommunications or struggle to find the right words, but also, it supports more of a quiet time and a time of self-reflection.”
Explore, name, and release what no longer serves. Cord cutting rituals are highly recommended!
THEMES & SYMBOLS: physical and mental health transformation, releasing outdated routines, well-being, curiosity, intellect, service, forgiveness, thoughtful communication, releasing unhelpful criticism, releasing old personal narratives, Earth, Gaia, wheat, corn, plants, pentacles, caduceus, moss green, terracotta, taupe, sienna, dusty blue, silver, fox, bear, feminine energy, The Maiden
YOUR FULL MOON LUNATION HOUSE
Find your sun or rising sign below to see what area of your life will be most impacted by this full moon:
RITUAL + ALTAR INSPIRATIONS
FULL MOON PETITION
For this earth moon, write out your full moon releases, speak them aloud facing north (earth element direction), then light it on fire and place in your cauldron or a fire-safe dish to burn to completion. Sprinkle salt into the cauldron/dish and mix in with your petition’s ashes to purify.
SUGGESTED MANTRA
“On this full moon, I invoke the highest vibrations of the healing Virgo Maiden and communicative Mercury to assist me in mental clarity, spiritual communication, and emotional understanding and healing. I hereby sever all parasitic energy cords, and cords I did not consent to, and all energy attachments that I have outgrown or that do not serve my highest good. I chop the chains of past baggage while keeping the lessons learned and wisdom gained. I compost back into the earth what I do not need, and heal what is left and vulnerable in me. I am clear. I am focused. I claim ALL my power to heal my past and protect my future. So mote it be!”
FULL MOON MEDICINE
Virgo rules the eyes, ears, pancreas, and digestive system. Take some time off from screens to let your eyes rest, listen to beautiful music, and eat herbs and root veggies that ground you and move all “rubbish” through your system, cleaning out debris. The South Node aka Ketu can be thought of as where/how we expel waste, so eating mindfully is key for this sign that rules health. In relation to releases, you can visualize the food and nutrients give your body digesting and grabbing all of the old energy you wish to release, carrying it out of your body. Also doing body twists, the Rock and Sphinx yoga poses, sitting on the earth, and walking barefoot on earth can get your body feeling good! Also highly recommended for this Mercury-ruled sign’s lunation ritual: Communication & Connection Crystal Kit.
Wishing you all a nourishing + mystical New Moon and a healing + liberating Full Moon in March!
Kerstin from The Mirrored Lantern has practiced right hand path magick and tarot for over 29 years and has been a lover and learner of astrology for just as long… She is currently in graduate school for Clinical Psychology with a specialization in Spiritual & Depth Psychology. Follow her on instagram @themirroredlantern for witch tips, weekly tarot, occulture, and depth psych tidbits!
Happy Full Moon in Capricorn! 🌝♑️It’s a special one as it is our second full moon in Capricorn in a row! So I did a quick tarot pull asking thee questions. In the earthen spirit of Capricorn of course I got pentacles, clarity, and straightforwardness with this reading lol. Took me less than 5 minutes to understand. Read for for the spread!
Ahhh- the enchanting realm of May Day! A time when flowers bloom in riotous colors, the air vibrates with flickers of summer, ancient traditions stir beneath the surface of the earth, and the promise of new beginnings pulsates around us. From April 28 through May 5, we stand on the threshold between spring's awakening and summer's embrace, Beltane, the spirited celebration also known as May Day. Let us embark on a journey through time to uncover the ancient origins and cultural tapestry of Beltane, from the blazing bonfires of the Celts to the floral splendor of English Flora Day, this magical time of year has a beautifully rich history and diverse multitude of ancient traditions.
