February was a busy month. Its two biggest aspects were the Solar Eclipse at 28°56’ Aquarius on February 17 at 4:13 a.m. and the Saturn-Neptune conjunction at  00°45’ Aries on February 20 at 8:52 a.m. (All times PST because that’s where most of the Green Man audience is, even if I’m writing about events around the world.) Andrew Windsor-Mountbatten’s arrest on February 19 caught my attention because the fact that it was his birthday means that the eclipse occurred within 2 degrees of his natal sun. Eclipses are often associated with surprising rises and falls of people in power, and though the former prince has been falling for some time, his arrest was something of a surprise. If you think about the imagery of a Solar eclipse, the sun disappears from view. The proximity of this eclipse to his natal sun (the self) makes this personal as the former prince was taken into custody. 

The Saturn-Neptune conjunction is a long term transit, so I wasn’t really expecting to be able to tie it to a specific event on February 20, but the Supreme Court ruling Trump’s tariffs are illegal is a really interesting example. Saturn sets boundaries, Neptune erodes them. Saturn is authority, Neptune is confusion. The Supreme Court stepped up for once to set a boundary on the president’s authority. Sounds very Saturnian, right? But this ruling leaves a lot of potential for confusion in its aftermath as folks file new lawsuits stating that if the tariffs were illegal, they deserve to be paid back. The Supreme Court ruling doesn’t say anything about this, and there’s no existing mechanism by which it can happen, so this very Saturnian act of a court ruling may leave us in deep waters of Neptunian confusion and a lack of guidelines or procedure before too long. Look for these energies to continue this month as both Venus and the Sun will both be moving into Aries and activating that Saturn-Neptune conjunction on March 7-8 and March 22-25.

I’m writing this on February 23, before Mars squares Uranus on February 27 at 27°42’ Aquarius (note how close that is to the Solar eclipse degree.) I would not be surprised if a decision or secret action that was hidden from view around the time of the eclipse exploded into action on February 27. This could have something to do with the current standoff with Iran, more violence at home, or some other surprising or revolutionary act. It’s not uncommon for Eclipse events to not make the news until later, so make note of major news stories related to February 17 or February 27 by the time you’re reading this. The Leo-Aquarius Eclipse cycle and Mars’s dance with Uranus are two of the biggest stories of this year, and they’re both just getting started. 

The main story of March is Mercury Retrograde February 25 10:48 p.m. to March 20 12:33 p.m.,(Pisces 22°33’-Pisces 08°29’). Mercury retrograde is probably the most well known Astrological transit. It happens often (three times a year) and has a mundane experience that is easy to identify (technology and communications get weird). Thus it gets a lot of attention, particularly on the tech and communication nexus of the Internet. I never really noticed Mercury Retrograde until I worked in publishing and frequently had to transfer files for a living. My assistant actually started yelling “MERCURY!” every time something went wrong, and sometimes he was right. I’m not saying Mercury Retrograde isn’t real, but it can be overhyped, even if it happens often enough that we can’t avoid it. 

So what are practical approaches we as witches can take to working with Mercury Retrograde? My first piece of advice is to acknowledge it and be aware of it without giving it power. I, personally am terrible at the “be aware of it” part of that advice. You’d think as an astrologer I’d know when Mercury Retrograde is going to be but unless I’m writing articles or monitoring a specific pattern of transits I really don’t keep track of it. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve looked at the schedule for my theatre company (which I make!) and joked that we should really fire our astrologer (also me!). But I’m also not going to avoid doing shows for three weeks, three months of the year. There’s really nothing to be gained by giving a transit that much power over my daily life. (Those who are interested in a deeper dive into my views on working with astrology as weather from a witch’s perspective should check out my December article: https://thegreenmanstore.com/astrology-isnt-fate-a-witchs-approach-to-astrology-and-timing/)

So if we’re not going to give away power over our schedules to Mercury Retrograde, how can we work with it? One way to do that is by matching its energy once you become aware of it. We can do that by slowing down and reviewing things. Mercury is the fastest moving planet in the sky and when it appears to be moving backwards (what we call “Retrograde”) what it’s actually doing is slowing down so much from our vantage point that it appears to be moving backwards. 

Mercury is named for a messenger god, and carries a spirit of information, communication, and mastery. Even some of the stereotypical Mercury Retrograde things we think of as being associated with technology like dropped calls, missent emails, or getting machines to connect to each other are at their root about information and how it is communicated. So during Mercury Retrograde we slow down, we look back over things, check them twice (or more), and see if this reviewing or revisiting sparks new perspective or ideas we can then communicate. That reviewing and reflecting is the kind of work Mercury Retrograde rewards. It’s a great time for editing or revisiting old projects, even reminiscing with old friends. And sure, there may be missed appointments or technical difficulties, but I would challenge you to even in those moments of frustration wonder what slowing down and being forced to redo or review things might serve?

The flavor of every Mercury retrograde is different based on the surrounding planets and where it falls in the zodiac. This month, Mercury is retracing a path through Pisces from 22°33’-08°29’. I like to think of Retrogrades as a three act play. Act 1 is the beginning of the “Shadow Period” which in this case was from 08°29’-22°33’.  Act 2: Mercury Retrogrades back to 08°29’ where the Shadow started. Act 3: is the end of the Shadow Period where Mercury passes back over those same degrees one last time before finally moving on to 23° and beyond. This is why sometimes things that start during the Shadow get revisited multiple times or don’t really move forward until the retrograde is over. This isn’t always a bad thing, and sometimes Mercury returning to a particular degree might give you a hint about when Act 2 and 3 of a particular story might happen if it requires multiple stages or steps. The Pisces nature of this Retrograde means even if it’s still driven by thoughts and communication there will likely be an emotional or intuitive flavor to the journey. Mercury is pretty uncomfortable swimming in intuitive free flowing Pisces (the sign of its Fall) exactly opposite its favorite spot in detail oriented Virgo (the sign of its Exaltation) so it may not be a comfortable journey. In fact, witches in particular may find this is a time when it is particularly difficult to cross back over the hedge or mediate your Sight into information. But wading into those deep waters of gnosis can still be rewarding during this time, and the good news about retrogrades is that if you don’t get the message clearly the first time, there will be another chance. Looking at the house Pisces rules in your specific chart will also help give it more context as to what specific area of your life these energies will manifest in. . 

On March 7 at 3:01 a.m. Mercury will have its Cazimi, meaning that it conjoins the Sun (Pisces 16°52’). This is likely to be a peak moment of bungled communication with emotional consequences, that shines some light on what this whole Retrograde journey has been about for you. The Grand Trine with Jupiter in Cancer and the Moon in Scorpio looks like it would be supportive, but Jupiter is basically standing still waiting to Station Direct and the Moon is weak in Scorpio (the sign of its Fall). Support you were hoping for may not fully materialize, not because people don’t want to help but because they have their own struggles. Try to be patient and remember we’re all floating in the murky sea of this month together even if it doesn’t feel that way at the moment. 

March 15 at 1:07 a.m., Mercury will make a conjunction to Mars at 10°02’ Pisces. Folks (including you) may be especially quick to anger or lash out emotionally with cutting words. These two planets previously met up on January 17 (a day when tariffs were announced, as US media attention was split between Venezuela and Minneapolis) and they’ll meet again on April 20 which has a lot of Saturn (order) and Uranus (chaos) energy in play as well. So it could be that something from mid-January needs to be revisited or just that there is a similar tide of tension that carries through those series of dates. So pick your battles wisely. Think about what fighting will serve before you engage as a kneejerk reaction. If things get too intense at any point, or you feel too close to something to do your own Mercury Retrograde mitigation, The Green Man Store has a Mercury Retrograde house blend ready to go in oil, candle and incense form. 

The other big event of March is the Lunar Eclipse (Full Moon) in Virgo (12°51’) on March 3 at 3:34 a.m. A full moon in Virgo means that the Sun is actually illuminating the moon from Pisces and so we will see Mercury cross through the degree that opposes this eclipse (12°51’ Pisces) three times: February 14, March 11, and March 20. Worth keeping an eye out for whether any of those three dates deliver more information (personally, or to the world) about a major conclusion happening around March 3. 

The New Moon will be March 18 at 28°26 Pisces. This is the first moon in a month that is not an eclipse and landing close to Ostara, it may carry some extra fresh start energy. As is also fitting for Ostara, that energy may be unpredictable as this moon will be in conversation with Rebellious Uranus. Meanwhile in Aries (15°10’), Venus the planet of Harmony and Beauty will be squaring off with Expansive Jupiter ( 15°10’ Cancer) who is post Retrograde and ready to run! This is a recipe for big sharp feelings, and potentially going overboard on trying to feel pretty or people pleasing in excessive, unhealthy ways. Or you could find yourself trying to bring harmony to a situation that keeps getting hijacked by someone’s BIG FEELINGS. Though the Moon and Jupiter aren’t in conversation by degree, they are in each other’s signs and thus can give each other a boost. Mercury won’t Station Direct (end the Retrograde) until two days later, but it’s moving so slowly at this point as to basically be standing still, which could manifest as a moment of clarity in a quiet mind (like the eye of the retrograde storm). So in terms of ritual, I’d use all this to birth radical new directions, while making sure you don’t overextend yourself or bite off more than you can chew. 

On the whole, March should feel slower and less focused than the intensity of February and unexpected volatility of January. April throws us fully back into history (already in progress!) so take what time you can during this Mercury Retrograde to rest, reflect, and ready for the surprising shifts of April showers. (It’s not ALL storms, May should bring some lovely flowers!)

Astrological Events in March

Moons

March 3 3:34 a.m., Lunar Eclipse (Full Moon)  in Virgo, Virgo 12°51’

March 18 6:23 p.m., New Moon in Pisces, Pisces 28°26’

Retrogrades

Mercury Retrograde February 25 10:48 p.m. to March 20 12:33 p.m. (Pisces 22°33’-Pisces 08°29’).

Jupiter Retrograde November 11, 2025, at 25º09’ Cancer to March 10 8:30 p.m. Cancer 15°05’

Ingresses

March 2, 6:16 a.m., Mars enters Pisces, Pisces 00°00’

March 6 2:46 a.m., Venus enters Aries, Aries 00°00’

March 20 7:46 a.m., Sun enters Aries, Aries 00°00’

March 30 9:01 a.m., Venus enters Taurus, Taurus 00°00’

Conjunctions

March 7 03:01 a.m., Sun conjunction Mercury, Pisces 16°52’

March 7 03:27a.m., Venus conjunction Neptune, Aries 01°16’

March 8 6:39 a.m., Venus conjunction Saturn, Aries 02°38’

March 15 1:07 a.m., Mercury conjunction Mars, Pisces 10°02’

March 22 4:18 a.m., Sun conjunction Neptune, Aries 01°50’

March 25 1:54 a.m., Sun conjunction Saturn, Aries 04°43’

March 26 3:44 p.m., Venus conjunction Chiron, Aries 25°24’

Positive aspects (Sextiles and Trines)

March 4 08:40 a.m., Venus sextile Uranus, Pisces 27°49’

March 5 09:13 a.m., Sun trine Jupiter, Pisces 15°08’

March 8 10:23 p.m., Mercury trine Jupiter, Pisces 15°05’

March 9 11:51 p.m., Venus sextile Pluto, Aries 04°46’

March 18 1:19 p.m., Sun sextile Uranus, Pisces 28°14’

March 21 5:00 p.m., Mars trine Jupiter, Pisces 15°16’

March 25 11:16 a.m., Sun sextile Pluto, Aries 05°06’

March 28 3:12 p.m., Saturn sextile Pluto, Aries 05°09’

Contentious aspects (Squares and Oppositions)

March 18 9:08 a.m., Venus square Jupiter, Aries 15°10’