Life Finds a Way: Aries Season Forecast
Post-equinox living under the Hobbesian Leviathan
After what feels like one of the longest winters on record, the Sun returns. Aries is the beginning, the seeds from which the rest of the year sprout. It promises new growth, but only with dedication—the work you put in will ultimately equal the harvest you reap. Ultimately this season may not actually be about seeding the field: a good fieldsman knows you cannot plant in barren soil but this season brings us little soil at all. In fact, the only planets providing the earthen stability needed to nurture new life are the highly unstable Uranus and Pluto.
But life finds a way. Just as charred trees can regain their buds and roots may be propagated in water, you may be surprised by the survival mechanisms you've evolved over the past few years.
The Equinox kicks off the season on March 20th.
The following days require some sorting as you determine what's worth tending: Mercury in Pisces feels like mental quicksand but in alignment with expansive Jupiter your emotions may be the ultimate key to your success. This doesn't mean reactionary response—with Mars also factoring into the equasion over the next few days, it's important to distinguish knee-jerk reactions or learned responses from true heart-centered feeling. Follow your instincts and pay attention to signs of affirmation from the universe around you.
We like to think that individuation is a self-directed process but the truth is it's every bit as co-creative as anything else. We are products of our environment, our consumption, and the people and voices we surround ourselves with as much as we are any personal philosophy or mantra. This month's Mercury- and Venus-driven aspects provide a perfect opportunity to examine these factors and sift through what stays and what goes. The quality of your materials ultimately affects your outcome and this means keeping a careful inventory of the thoughts and feelings that arise and how they impact your reality. If you find yourself straying farther from who you want to be or living solely in reaction mode, it may be time to raze the fields. Mars square Uranus on the 22nd is a perfect opportunity to break free—both Mars and Uranus are major players this year and the earlier you can align yourselves with their energies, the more you'll be able to work with their influence rather than feeling steamrolled by it.
Mercury moves into Aries on the 27th and with it comes a bit more direction.
Officially out of its water-logged detriment, it's free to act in its own favour. Mercury in Aries is ideal for personal growth--both developmental and monetary--and brings tools to communicate new ideas and thoughts more clearly. But that's not to say everyone will be free to receive your newfound resolve. For those still living in reactionary patterns, unaware of the changes to come, it may be difficult to break free of myopic mindsets. If you've been unable to see eye-to-eye for some time and feel the tension building to a fever pitch, it might be time to let some connections go. Venus and Saturn have their annual rendezvous on the 28th,revealing where ideologies have separated and support structures divided. This doesn't mean all is lost--relationships based on true intimacy and shared value can be recalibrated but if the alignment has been too fractured it may be time to let go.
The New Moon on April 1st is the perfect time to examine what you're working with. New Moons are a meeting of the inner and outer world, a chance to see where your expression and your emotions are in alignment. But this Moon clusters up with Mercury and Chiron which allows us not only to see which thoughts and words are our own, guiding us closer to our own goals, but how our unhealed wounds prevent us from hearing clearly. Aries Season and its lunations always challenge us to check in on our development and make sure we're still on a forward trajectory. But it also asks us to make sure that development is for ourselves. Growth is always a personal journey, even when it's undertaken alongside others or in a group dynamic. Your development is never for someone else. And as such, it comes with the risk of growing apart.
This fear of separation is evident in the month's astrology.
Mars, Venus, and Mercury, all interpersonal planets, swarm busily, checking and rechecking whether we've alienated others or been rejected without our knowledge. Venus enters Pisces on the 5th, bringing an intense desire for intimacy and merger to our interactions. Venus finds her exaltation in Pisces, but she's given an extra boost due to the sign's supernatural strength as it houses its two ruling planets. In order for things to feel valuable right now, they need to carry the gravity of fate. Anything that doesn't feel tethered by the stars themselves will simply drain your energy as you search for what's right.
But life—and fate—is more than a series of personal interactions. Society has been a hostile environment for many as one crisis after another has tumbled down on our heads. And this doesn't end with the dawning of the Equinox. Many astrologers--myself included--attribute this to the archetypal energies at play right now, many of which are reaching their final days of rulership. 2025 kicks off a series of long-awaited ingresses during which the slow-moving outer planets change signs for the first time in years and usher in a whole new set of psychological shifts to contend with. As we get closer to this point many of these archetypes and egregores grow frenzied, closing their fists around those truly possessed by their drive for power. The only way to avoid archetypal possession—being swept up in the zeitgeist at the loss of your own autonomy—is to be aware of them, and of yourself. This quest for self-development is the true gift of Aries season, the opportunity to throw down the concerns of society and follow our own fire.
One the same day that Venus moves into Pisces, Mars aligns with Saturn which reignites this particular flame. Both Mars and Saturn are considered malefic, literal fire and brimstone, and their influence always imparts a distinct sense of gravity. Mars inflames tempers, abrades the skin, swells the blood—it causes soreness in every sense of the word. Saturn, the opposite side of the coin, chills. Its traditional reputation brings pestilence and brittleness, fracturing bones and causing cold sweats in the night. It's also the celestial architect, building and collapsing structures of all kinds. During its time in Aquarius we've seen a push to revisit the concept of structures especially in the context of social reform. Those who were not previously politically-minded are already facing activism burnout. It's important to remember that Saturn ruled Aquarius. Though we now think of the sign as a Uranian promise of humanitarian Utopia, it still carries Saturn's somber colours. There's still a degree of Saturnian chill in its conceptual air. And when that chill meets the stifling Martial heat, one can only expect a storm.
But life finds a way. The same storm that floods a city can revitalize a forest. On April 11th Mercury moves into Taurus, bringing us a much-needed burst of stable earth to absorb some of the elemental overload. Remind yourself of the monumental power of nature by surrounding yourself with it. Watch in wonder as the trees bloom and the soil swells with life hidden so long beneath the surface. Feel the promise of Spring: we have no evolved past its renewal. We are still cyclical creatures with seasons of their own. If joy buds in your heart, do not shear it off because society has told you to mourn. Dig your heels stubbornly into the soft, rich soil and live your seasons fully.
Your response to these demands determine how you experience the Neptune Jupiter conjunction on the 12th.
This is a relatively rare aspect—we last saw its influence in 2009 and won't experience it again until 2035, but it holds even more weight as both planets are in their own dominion. In so many ways this aspect feels like spring renewal in its truest form: a spiritual rebirth, a rush of optimism and purpose, and the desire to believe in the universe's unerring ability to set things right. But that also presents the transit's downside. Both Jupiter and Neptune and highly spiritual planets. They drive us to seek encouragement and solace in the intangible, driving beautiful acts of faith to bloom in the lives of many. But this can also lead to abuse. Without careful examination, these energies drive us to zealotry. We invest this faith in false messiahs and follow them into wasted crusades. This transit could reveal some of these prophets for who they are or see us follow them further into their own imagined hellfire. Warlord Mars joins them in Pisces on the 15th, still well within the orb of influence. Take care to stay grounded and march to your own drummer.
The first Full Moon of the year draws us back to the awareness of these others at odds with our sense of self and development. Libra encompasses others on all levels, not simply lovers and intimate friends as its Venusian nature often leads us to believe. It also handles business relations, legal agreements, and very likely the Social Contract itself. The Hobbesian Leviathan has been very much present in the current consciousness but it may be time to examine just how deep into its shadow we've withdrawn. And while it's impossible to completely remove one's self from its influence, awareness truly is key. Each beast, however destructive, serves a purpose--we only need to know how to avoid obliteration. The faithful feast on Leviathan's flesh at the end of times, housed in tents of its armored skin. While it may feel as if we're living through the apocalypse, I promise, we've got a ways to go—and there's a balance of benefit to be struck in the meantime. True injustices have been suffered, but the Leviathan will not offer up its pound of flesh unprovoked. We will need to make demands.
On the last day of the season, this may be exactly what we do: with the Sun squaring Pluto and Mercury on top of Uranus, we're ready for a revolution. Ask for what you want and do not allow your voice to be drowned out. If you are ignored, simply say it again. The season ahead brings us into the Eyes of the Dragon, setting us up for serious karmic growth and cleansing if we can stay focused. Turn your attention inwards and let Leviathan consume itself.
Thank you for being a subscriber and welcoming my thoughts into your inbox! If you appreciate my work, please consider becoming a member through email for additional exclusive content and forwarding this article to others who may enjoy it. You can also gift memberships here through Substack! I rely entirely on recommendations and reader support to continue making content. Tips are not expected, but Ko-Fi donations are deeply appreciated. You can book one-on-one appointments for personalized astrological consultations and tarot through my website, ThatAstrologer.com, and hear more candid thoughts on my podcast, Love and a Little Magic as well as Instagram and Youtube.
Wow. This is powerful, really well-written, and offers clarity on what these times ask of us. Thank you.