If you were expecting some kind of sun sign nonsense, forget about it. This is real astrology for the real world, not some mystical mumbo-jumbo psycho-babble word salad. If it's real astrology for yourself that you want, you can get it by phone or in print. And if you need help deciphering the astrological glyphs in the graphics accompanying this article, see Astroglyphs: Astrological Symbols Guide. Please note: this forecast is expressed in terms of Universal Time (UT, aka GMT). Also please be aware that, while I never change a forecast once it's published, I do post errata to acknowledge typographical errors and the like.

PLEASE NOTE: This month’s forecast incorporates elements of (and refers to) my complete 2014 World Forecast Highlights (41 8-1/2 x 11” illustrated pages), focused, amplified and elaborated with details for the month as appropriate. The full version of my 2014 World Forecast Highlights is available in hard copy by mail ($75) or as a PDF document by email ($50). Orders may be phoned in (toll-free from anywhere in North America to 800-527-8761) and charged to any major credit card. PayPal orders may be placed direct from your own PayPal account page to rnolle@astropro.com – or by using the AstroPro PayPal order page.

Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent.
-- Carl Sandburg
 

There’s so much going on in the heavens around us this month that March promises to be extraordinary on many levels – from the individual to the collective, to the forces of nature and the machinations of economics and politics. Look to the skies, and you can see it coming – hopefully in time to step out of the way; maybe even take advantage of the shifting trends whirling around us. And this is just a prelude to April, with its Grand Cross and pair of eclipses. More about that later . . . for now, I’ll start with the forces of nature stuff, and then move on to the personal and collective stuff. (Or, you can skip to the latter now by clicking here.)

The extreme weather cycles that set in with January’s two stealth (new moon) SuperMoons will taper off a bit in March, but there will be plenty of Mother Nature on the rampage in the news this month. Still, when the eclipses of April roll around, we may wish for what, in retrospect, looks like the lull of March. April, after all, brings two eclipses (a lunar eclipse on the 15th and a solar on the 29th): extreme lunar factors that have an historic association with stormy weather, moderate to severe earthquakes, higher than usual tidal surges, and newsworthy volcanic eruptions.

We’ll see some of the same currents stirring up earth’s atmosphere, seas and crust this month – although not as extreme as April will bring. I’m looking for an uptick in damaging storms (with heavy precipitation and subsequent flooding); as well as higher than usual tides, a surge in volcanic eruptions and moderate-to-severe earthquakes (Magnitude 5 and up), during the geophysical shock windows of March: from February 26 through March 4, (associated with the new moon on the 1st), March 13 through the 19th (anchored by the full moon on the 16th, amplified by the moon’s southward crossing of the celestial equator that same day), and from the 27th into April 3 (bracketing the new moon on March 30, and accentuated by the moon’s northward equatorial crossing the day before). A short but sharp uptick is likely around the 23rd, also the day the moon reaches its maximum declination south of the celestial equator.

Remember: I’m not saying that no severe storms, strong earthquakes, volcanic eruptions or extreme tidal surges will happen outside the geophysical shock windows described in this forecast – I’ve never said or written any such thing. Planet earth is a very dynamic system after all. What I’m saying is that the system becomes extra dynamic under the auspices of specific lunar extremes.

These include alignments of sun, earth and moon (such as new and full moons, and their extreme cases, SuperMoons and eclipses; as well as earth-moon interactions such as lunar declination peaks and crossings. (The latter are the points where the moon reaches its maximum elevation north and south of earth’s equator in the former case, and crosses the equator in the latter case.)

What I’m saying is that there’s a notable increase in the aforementioned disturbances on earth, on or about the lunar extremes I have specified here. Skeptics who don’t even know the difference between signs and constellations are fond of straw dogging the issue, to obfuscate the reality of the cosmic connection. For example, with regard to the proposed connection between extreme lunar factors and notable seismic activity, there’s the frequently heard claim that Magnitude 5 and up earthquakes occur all the time on a global basis – as if that negates my forecasts. The fact is that they’re just plain wrong. In January, for example, there were three days without a single M5 or higher earthquake anywhere in the world: the 5th, 12th and 15th. (More specifically, there were only two M5+ quakes on the day before the SuperMoon shock window described in my January forecast opened on the 26th: on that date, there were nine.)

Believe what you want. But do watch the news. You’ll see - hopefully, from a safe distance – a surge in powerful storms with high winds and heavy precipitation (flood watch!); as well as extreme tidal surges, Magnitude 5+ quakes and volcanic eruptions during the following shock windows: February 26-March 4, March 13-19, March 23, and March 27-April 3. And then comes more of the real extremes, under the aegis of the April eclipses.

Remember: with Mercury Max still on until the 14th, power, transportation and communications infrastructure are stretched to the breaking point even on a good day. Throwing some storms and volcanic ash into the mix means that breakdowns and tie-ups are more than likely. So if you have travel plans during the shock windows just mentioned, it wouldn’t hurt to have back-up arrangements – alternative plans and routes, at the very least. And, speaking of back-ups, both the computer variety and the power variety can be especially handy at times like these – along with a well-stocked pantry, some extra cash, some batteries etc.

Lest we forget, storms happen not only here on earth, but also on the sun. As correctly predicted in the full version of my 2014 World Forecast Highlights (published last year) and reiterated in my free only February forecast, key points in the Mercury Max cycle tend to coincide with storms on our friendly neighborhood star: extreme solar flares, coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and the like – like those at the middle and end of February, exactly as predicted in my forecasts. Here on earth, these storms can stimulate unusual auroral activity (Kp-index 5 and higher), scramble circuits on earth and in orbit – and even in human beings, who are after all electrical organisms.

The remaining Mercury Max vulnerability windows this month are March 1-3 (in the wake of Mercury’s February 28 direct station) and March 11-17 (surrounding Mercury’s maximum westward elongation on the 14th). March 14 marks the end of the first Mercury Max cycle of 2014.

The current Mercury Max began back on January 31, when the little sun-grazer reached maximum elongation east of the sun – i.e., when Mercury as evening star sets as long as possible after the sun. Mercury’s current Max cycle ends on March 14, as I said. That’s when the little planet as morning star rises as far as possible ahead of the sun – Mercury’s maximum elongation west of the sun.

The Mercury Max as a whole – from back on January 31 through March 14 – includes some solar outburst windows, but it’s much more than that. During its Max phase, Mercury is closest, brightest and most visible from our perch here on earth. It’s a time that puts a special emphasis on the mercurial dimensions of human experience – thought, communication, planning, commerce, scheming, travel, networking etc.

Since these are things a lot of people don’t do well, it generally takes a lot of extra focus and attention to keep them on track during Mercury Max – which includes Mercury’s retrograde, a time when lots of people complain about everything going wrong. (Not to mention the Mercury retrograde "shadow" and "storm" nonsense, which is appropriately demolished in my detailed article on Mercury Max.) All this Mercury hysteria is mainly a problem for people who don’t keep their eye on the ball – but that’s some of us all the time, and a lot of us some of the time. Don’t take a chance: stay sharp, follow through, assume nothing in these waning weeks of Mercury Max.

Speaking of Max cycles, there are two others in effect this month. By far the more important of the two at the moment is the Mars Max, during which the Red Planet is in its close approach to earth – looming bigger and brighter in our skies, and larger in human experience. For a fuller explanation of what Mars Max is, and what it signifies in terms of human experience, see my free online article on the subject. And for specifics about what the current Mars Max means, see the full version of my 2014 World Forecast Highlights.

The current Mars Max began back on December 22 and extends into August 9, 2014. It reaches one of two critical moments in this cycle this month. First comes the Red Planet’s (apparent) retrograde station on March 1. This is the point at which earth, on its faster-moving inner orbit, begins catching up on its outer neighbor, preparatory to passing Mars on the inside on April 8. That latter date is the peak point of Mars Max, when sun, earth and Mars are all in a line with earth in the middle – and Mars nominally as close as it gets to earth. (Some of these Mars perigees are closer than others – like the extra close one in 2003, when the streets of Fallujah were running in blood.

Having already spent much time developing and illustrating by historical example what Mars Max means – see my article on the subject, or check the full version of my 2014 World Forecast Highlights – suffice it to say that the peak Mars Max that we’re in this month and next is a time when "fires, crashes, clashes and explosions" will dominate the headlines. Be ready, be cautious, be safe – all through March (and into April), but most especially around the 1st, the 16th-19th, and the 31st.

As I’ve written in my forecasts, Mars Max is intensified by the historic, ongoing Uranus-Pluto square that’s been lingering within a few degrees of exact ever since 2011, and on into 2016. In combination with precursor major alignments from 2006 onward (including the Jupiter-Saturn-Neptune T-Square of 2006 and the 2008-2010 Saturn-Uranus opposition), these are indications of economic, technological, social and political revolution. Add them all up, and they speak of displaced persons, regions and nations. These alone are enough to foment riots, revolution and civil war.

Throwing Mars Max into this mix raises the violence level: people whose support structures are unraveling tend to go to extremes, individually and collectively. The last Uranus-Pluto square (in 1930s, just like this one, saw a Great Depression, a rise in crime (including suicides, murder-suicides and mass murder); outbreaks of revolution and fascism; and of course, wars both civil and international. Anyone who doesn’t recognize that history is repeating itself now either doesn’t know history, or just isn’t paying attention.

On the other hand, anyone not living in a cave is aware of the surge in violence since the latest Mars Max began on December 22. Sadly, we’re coming into more and worse in the way of “fires, crashes, clashes and explosions,” not to mention “an upsurge in violent criminal behavior: mass murder, school and workplace shootings murder-suicides that take out whole families, suicide by cop and the like.” Look within you and without you, seek peace and steer clear of conflict as best you can – or, failing that, end it as quickly and favorably as you can.

Riots, revolution, terrorism, genocide and civil war are par for the course with this kind of configuration, as detailed in the full version of my 2014 World Forecast Highlights – and the stuff of world geopolitical headlines since the alignment began: the Arab Spring, the widespread social protest moments, the civil war in Syria, etc. It’s almost easier to name the countries that haven’t seen some of this, but here’s a partial list of those that have – and will continue to have: Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Spain, Greece, France, England, the US, China, Ukraine, Iraq and Iran, Syria, Brazil, Mexico, Venezuela, etc. The 99% are restless, and not getting much calmer until 2016. Plan on it.

Lots of this is out of our hands as individuals, But to the extent we can – and his is especially important now – we need to cultivate calm and a spirit of peace. Failing that, we need to stay vigilant, watch out for “the other guy” and take care of ourselves, our loved ones and our neighbors as best we can. Be especially vigilant if you were born with significant celestial placements in the late degrees of Libra (where Mars Max is this month) or Aries (the opposite degrees). Check your chart!

While Mars Max, being astronomical in scale, is planet-wide in scope, there are hints as to some of the focal points for its expression. If you look at the astro-locality map published last year in the full version of my 2014 World Forecast Highlights and reproduced here, showing the April 8 Sun-Mars opposition (which I have described as the central point of the 2013-2014 Mars Max), it’s clear that – so far at least – Mars Max has been not only right on topic, but on target as well. See the longitudinal (vertical) lines through the Middle East (touching Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon) as well as Turkey, Ukraine and Russia? Clearly, these are among the hottest of the hot spots for social and political upheaval since the current Mars Max began on December 22 last year. There are and will be plenty more – this is a world-wide phenomenon after all – but I’ll let you peruse the map for yourself. Just remember: it’s early days yet, and the greatest intensity is yet to come.

Last but not least this month, be aware that the Venus Max cycle which began on November 1 last year is coming to an end when Venus reaches maximum elongation west of the sun this month, on the 22nd. This marks the end point of a cycle that – all else being equal – tends to favor positive economic developments. We’re in the tail end of a Depression at this point, so you have to take this with a grain of salt. Still, it’s way better than the proverbial “poke in the eye with a sharp stick.” For details and historical examples of Venus Max, see my article on the subject.

It’s not as if the economy suddenly grinds to a halt on the 23rd. But it will start to lose some of the momentum it’s had lately. Take profits, hedge your bets, replenish your savings as best you can coming into the tail end of Venus Max. You’ll probably see why in April. When the next exact Uranus-Pluto square takes part in a Grand Cross in the sky. I’m not seeing disaster, mind you. But more instability tends toward panic, and that’s getting closer.

Just remember: I said instability – not collapse, apocalypse or Armageddon. We’re going to stumble through this, until such time as the 2020 Grand Chronocrator mutation changes the rules and gives us all a new game to play – a more prosperous and productive one, you may be certain. But that’s a topic for another time.

Acknowledgments

All astrological charts as well as eclipse and astro-locality maps are calculated and produced using Esoteric Technologies’ Solar Fire Gold Version 7.0.8 Sky map images are screen captures from the Pocket Universe app for iPhone, or produced by Starry Night for Windows. Storm tracks are screen captures from The Weather Channel app for iPhone. Solar activity images are screen captures from the 3D SUN app for iPhone. And earthquake maps are screen captures from Quakes Pro Earthquake Alerts app for iPhone.

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

Richard Nolle, Certified Professional Astrologer consultations/orders (AmEx/Discover/MasterCard/Visa) 800-527-8761 data/fax 480-753-6261 - email rnolle@astropro.com Box 26599 - Tempe, AZ 85285-6599 - USA www.astropro.com