If you were expecting some kind of sun sign nonsense, forget it. This is real astrology. See the section above. Please note: this forecast is expressed in terms of Universal Time (UT).

March opens on a turbulent note, where weather and seismic action are concerned. For one thing, the February 27 SuperMoon remains in effect through the 2nd, as does the southerly lunar crossing of the celestial equator on the 1st. Both factors point to higher than normal storm activity (including heavy precipitation, strong winds and flooding) and seismic disturbances (Richter 5+ quakes and volcanic eruptions).

After a few days relative quiet, another increase in storms and seismic action runs from the 7th through the 9th, associated with the March 8 lunar declination maximum. A longer period of heavy weather and seismic turbulence appears to be on tap three days before to three days after the March 14 new moon at 23 Pisces. (The Moon's March 15 northerly equatorial crossing intensifies this trend.) March 21-23 brings a lesser reprise, as the Moon reaches its maximum northern declination.

Most of the major cosmic action for March happens late in the month. With this in mind, you can pretty well expect that some of the major trends from last month still have some mileage left before they sputter and run out of gas. For example, in last month's forecast I mentioned that, as far as financial markets are concerned, "the most likely scenario features some positive upward movement from the second half of February through about mid-March." Since the major factors associated with the March correction occur on the 20th (the Pluto station at 18 Sagittarius) and the 30th (the heliocentric Saturn-Pluto opposition), the closer we get to the end of the month, the greater the apparent likelihood of major equity markets taking a big hit. But it's far from safe to say there's nothing to fret about early in the month. After all, Pluto is within a fraction of a degree of its March 20 station point all month long. And the heliocentric Saturn-Pluto opposition is within a degree of exact from March 4 onwards. All of which combines to suggest that while the February blue chip boomlet is virtually certain to go bust by the end of March, it could happen well before that. Sell into the rallies . . . the best of which appear to fall between the 1st and 8th.

I don't mean to suggest that March lacks redeeming celestial features. A really fine one occurs on the 1st, for example; namely Jupiter's direct station at 6 Cancer. This is good for American consumer confidence on the one hand; and suggests that an American ally abroad will undertake an initiative that tickles the hell out of old Uncle Sam. Usually the only ally that can be counted on to fit that description is the UK. In this case, the focus is likely elsewhere: on an ally who hasn't been so supportive over the last several months, but comes through nicely in March. Jupiter has been within a degree of its March 1 station point since February 5, and remains so until March 26. So there's plenty of time to get a couple allies to step up, or a couple manifestations of support. As far as the consumer aspect of this is concerned, it will put an apparent glow on the country's economic prospects. But all that glitters is not gold. Sometimes it's just a flash in the pan, that looks good for a short time and then fizzles out . . . as this one will, by month's end. (Remember what I said about selling into rallies!)

The second SuperMoon of 2002 is another one of those late March celestial phenomena that will make this a month to remember. The SuperMoon - a new or full moon which occurs when the Moon is at or near its closest approach to Earth - takes place as the Moon waxes full at 8 Libra on the 28th. Simultaneously, Luna is making its southward crossing of the celestial equator, intensifying the geocosmic turbulence. Expect weather and seismic disturbances - heavy precipitation, high winds, flooding, Richter 5+ quakes and volcanic eruptions - to feature prominently in the news during this SuperMoon window, March 25-31. This phenomenon being planetary in scale, its imprint can be planet-wide in scope. While virtually no place can be guaranteed free of the seismic and meteorological SuperMoon signature, astro-locality may offer some hints to the zones of greatest risk: the Missouri River valley in the US, the Brazil-Uruguay border area, Great Britain, along a line running diagonally from the tip of South Africa through the Middle East; and on a line through west Australia up through the Korean peninsula.

  

SPECIAL FEATURE: This month's birthdays of the famous and infamous (with astrological birth charts)