Ignition - and Alignment

Astro Notes for Aries Season (March 20-April 20, 2026)

Happy Vernal Equinox! Happy Astrological New Year! 

On Thursday evening, my wife and I were walking our dogs near the Pacific ocean. As we watched the sun disappear over the horizon, I realized that this was the last time it would set in Pisces — and was thus the final sunset of the entire astrological year. This means that Thursday night was the real ‘New Year’s Eve’! Maybe next year we’ll start a trend and organize a party. 

The Vernal Equinox, as the marker of the beginning of Spring in the northern hemisphere, is always associated with fresh starts and new beginnings. This year, the theme of birth carries even more significance than usual. 

On February 20, 2026, Saturn and Neptune met at 0° Aries — an alignment that had not occurred for over 6,000 years — symbolizing a profound reset moment for human civilization. With the Sun’s ingress into Aries, it is re-activating that same Zero Point, illuminating the new energies coming in not just for the next annual cycle but for an entirely new era. 

In my notes for Pisces season, I drew attention to the large stellium of planets migrating through Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces in the first months of 2026. Now this stellium is moving into Aries, bringing us an exceptionally concentrated burst of Aries ‘get up and go’ vitality — high octane rocket fuel for our lift-off. 

The ingress chart — which sets the tone not only for Aries season but for the whole astrological year — shows six planets in Aries, suggesting that the year ahead is likely to be characterized by bold new beginnings and trailblazing endeavors, as well as a headstrong spirit and a fair dose of volatility. The Chinese ‘Year of the Fire Horse’ seems aptly named. 

Aries Ingress Chart (shown without houses, as this reflects the global field rather than a specific location)

The sense of personal and collective ignition is amplified later in Aries season, when first Mars (April 10) and then Mercury (April 15) join the party, bringing assertive speech and actions to power our re-emergence. 

With the Sun, Moon, Venus, Mars, and Mercury all moving through Aries this season, they make a record number of conjunctions with the slower-moving planetary bodies — Saturn, Neptune, and Chiron — already there. These aspects include: 

• Sun conjunct Neptune (March 21)

• Sun conjunct Saturn (March 24)

• Venus conjunct Chiron (March 26)

• Mars conjunct Neptune (April 12)

• Mercury conjunct Neptune (April 16)

• Sun conjunct Chiron (April 16)

• Mars conjunct Saturn (April 19)

Conjunctions symbolize the end of one cycle of time and the beginning of another. They therefore have an ‘Aries’ kind of energy, bursting with new life. With so many conjunctions taking place in such a short space of time, it may feel like a cascade of initiations that propel us into a new reality. 

Furthermore, as of 12.33pm PT on March 20 (when Mercury stations direct), all planets will be moving direct until May 6. When all planets are moving forward, life tends to speed up, notable events happen, and we typically make more overt progress toward our goals. 

The Vernal Equinox, seven planets in Aries, seven conjunctions, all planets moving forward — all this would seem to scream “forward charge!” 

Yet there is an important nuance to this year’s Aries season. 

Just before the Equinox, there was a New Moon in Pisces (March 18), sending a subtle Piscean wave to wash over the monthly cycle. In the Aries ingress chart (see above), the ruler of all those planets in Aries is Mars, which is in Pisces. Also in the ingress chart, the Sun is conjunct Neptune, the ruler of Pisces. 

So there is a strong Piscean undercurrent shaping the expression of the Aries initiating fire. 

Pisces and Aries have a profound connection in that they are the signs closest to the mystery of Origin, or Source. One is surrendering into the Mystery, the other is rising out of it. They share a certain purity or innocence, akin to the relationship between a sage and an infant.

Mars in Pisces does not like to swim against the current. It follows the path of wu-wei: effortless action. It serves as a channel for the will of the Universe. This suggests that while the impulse to move forward will be strong, our actions are not meant to be purely will-driven. It won’t work to simply muscle our way through — over-exertion will likely deplete and exhaust us. Mars in Pisces reminds us that not all movement is aligned movement, and that real progress requires a sensitivity to right timing and a willingness to listen as much as to act. 

At the same time, a harmonious sextile between Saturn in Aries and Pluto in Aquarius is quietly at work in the background of this season. This is a powerful signature for building new, sustainable structures that embody the Aquarian forms of the future. As Aries ignites the spark of new beginnings, Saturn aligned with Pluto offers the capacity to anchor those beginnings in real foundations — allowing our visions to land. 

The invitation, then, is not simply to move forward, but to move forward in right relationship with the deeper intelligence that is guiding this new cycle into being. If we can align bold action with subtle attunement — courage with humility, initiative with listening — this Aries season has the potential to mark not just a surge of momentum, but the beginning of something truly enduring.

A Brief Exhale

Astro Notes for Pisces Season (February 18-March 20)

We are emerging from an electrifying Aquarius season that brought more than its fair share of sudden activations and revelations to jolt us awake. Now, in Pisces season, our nervous systems get a chance to (briefly) exhale — to integrate what has been cracked open and to prepare for the ignition and rebirth that will follow.

From Aquarius to Pisces, we move from high-voltage air to oceanic water. It’s a softer, subtler, more soothing energy — healing rather than awakening, surrendering rather than accelerating. Aquarius season energized and stimulated us; Pisces season lets it all soak in.

The event chart for the Sun’s ingress into Pisces is unusually placid.

Sun enters Pisces - Feb 18, 2026

The main aspect is a trine from Jupiter in Cancer (healing, compassion, protection) to a stellium of planets in Pisces (trust, flow, sensitivity). The emphasis shifts toward emotional nourishment, spiritual receptivity, and restoration. This season is not about absorbing new shocks, but digesting and integrating the shocks we’ve already had.

One of the striking features of the first months of 2026 is how a large stellium of planets is moving together through four signs of the zodiac — Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces, and Aries. It is almost as if the sky is offering a living masterclass in these archetypes. As the stellium migrates from sign to sign, each season becomes an unusually concentrated expression of that sign’s energy, allowing us to experience these archetypes in their undiluted essence.

Capricorn season was very Capricornian: heavy, slow, dense, demanding — yet calling forth discipline, maturity, and a profound commitment to self-mastery.

Aquarius season was quintessentially Aquarian: lighter, faster, more stimulating and electric. Change accelerated, insights arrived. Our nervous systems were jolted awake — and perhaps became a little fried.

Now the stellium moves into Pisces. Pisces season promises to be unmistakably Piscean — dreamy, intuitive, mystical, and emotionally sensitive. This is a time of endings, integration, and trust in the divine unfolding.

And just over the horizon lies Aries season, where an exceptional concentration of planets will ignite the new astrological year, unleashing Aries at full volume — courage, vitality, impulsiveness, and raw instinct awakening all at once.

The Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, and Mars all make their way through the sign of the fishes this season. Currently, the North Node is in Pisces, meaning that the collective evolutionary compass leans toward Piscean qualities of surrender, compassion, and trust in the larger unfolding of reality. The North Node will remain in Pisces for only five more months, so as the personal planets cross this point during Pisces season, they represent some of the final strong activations of this karmic lesson. These crossings bring a final wave of learning around themes of surrender — an invitation to trust the current of life before the next chapter begins.

Mercury turns retrograde in Pisces on February 26. Mercury in Pisces already brings a more dreamy, imaginal, and intuitive quality to the mind. During its retrograde period, we may find ourselves even more reflective than usual, processing unfinished grief, revisiting dreams, and making space for emotions and stories that were never fully felt the first time around.

The brontosaurus in the room is the historic conjunction of Saturn and Neptune at 0° Aries, taking place at the beginning of Pisces season on February 20. Saturn-Neptune conjunctions occur only once every 36 years, so any meeting of these heavyweights is a very big deal. Saturn conjunct Neptune at o° Aries brings an entirely different order of significance, as the last time such an event occurred is thought to be about 6000 years ago. This is a symbol of a profound global reset — a threshold moment for a new era, the rapid dissolution of the old order, and the emergence of a new structure in the human imagination to guide the next civilizational phase.

Perhaps the most supportive and heart-opening moment of the season will arrive on March 8, when a beautiful Water Grand Trine between the Sun in Pisces, Jupiter in Cancer, and Moon in Scorpio brings a sublime wave of healing grace. This offers a beautiful opportunity for rest, reflection, and intentional rituals of healing and connection.

Water Grand Trine - March 8, 2026

Pisces season is a sacred bridge in this momentous year of change — a welcome pause between awakening and ignition. After the shocks and revelations of Aquarius season, we are invited to rest, soften, grieve, dream, allowing the waters of life to carry us where they will. Soon, the sky will erupt with Aries fire and a new astrological year will begin in earnest. For now, we have room to exhale. We trust the current — and allow ourselves to be inwardly prepared for the powerful rebirth that awaits.

Rocking & Rolling

Astro Notes for Aquarius Season (January 19-February 18, 2026)

Thanks for your patience during my absence for Capricorn season. I was recovering from illness while also working on a longer essay about larger global trends from an astrological perspective (coming soon). These Astro Notes had to be put on ice, but I’m very glad to be back in the saddle for this one.

DN

There’s a heightened urgency, electricity, and momentum to this year’s Aquarius season. Not only is it jam-packed with significant astrological events, it represents the final approach to the exact Saturn-Neptune conjunction on February 20 at 0° Aries — the zero point of the entire zodiac — an extraordinary symbol of both the dissolution of outdated structures and the opportunity for a global reset.

Although we’re at the beginning of the Gregorian calendar year, in nature’s time we are in the final quarter of the astrological year that began on March 21, 2025. In my annual overview, I described the four quarters of that year as follows:

* Q1 (March 21-June 21, 2025): Crowning

* Q2: (June 21-Sept 21): Birth

* Q3: (Sept 21-Dec 21): Mop Up

* Q4: (Dec 21-March 21, 2026): Arrival

With an unprecedented five major planets changing signs between November 2024 and July 2025, we were birthed into an entirely new archetypal landscape. Throughout the northern hemisphere summer of 2025, we were given a glimpse of the shape of the emerging era. In the 3rd quarter (Sept 21-Dec 21), Saturn, Neptune, and Uranus moved back into their old signs one last time, calling on us to complete unfinished business and let go of outdated forms to prepare for the arrival of the new energies in earnest.

Now we’re in the final quarter, with Saturn, Neptune, and (soon) Uranus moving forward again, shortly to re-enter the new signs — this time for good — ushering us into a new era.

This is the broader context for understanding the significance of this year’s Aquarius season, which is always associated with futuristic visions, original ideas, and exciting breakthroughs that liberate us from conventional structures and assumptions.

It’s hard to overstate the power of the Saturn-Neptune conjunction at 0° 45' Aries, taking place on February 20, just as Pisces season begins. That the cycles of two slow-moving planets like Saturn and Neptune would coincide at the very first degree of the zodiac is highly improbable —indeed, some astrologers suggest this last occurred roughly 9,000 years ago. By any measure, it’s clear that we are at the very tail end of an extraordinarily long cycle of time, which helps explain the power of the disintegrating force we are currently experiencing in relation to forms, structures, and identities that will no longer serve us in the coming age.

Capricorn season was already highly eventful. From January 1-3, Mars, Venus, Mercury, and the Moon were all out of bounds— outside of the normal declination of the Sun — meaning that these planets could act according to their own logic rather than follow the usual rules. (It’s extremely rare for so many planets to be out of bounds at the same time.)

The Full Moon in Cancer on January 3rd was lively to say the least — opposite Mars and Venus. Remarkably, it was also exactly conjunct the Sun in the charts of both the USA and Venuzuela on the very day of Maduro’s capture. On January 9 there was a rare triple conjunction of Sun, Mars, and Venus in Capricorn, activating our drive to clarify what we want and how to manifest it in the world. And throughout January, an impressive lineup of personal planets moved through Capricorn, culminating in a potent New Moon in Capricorn on January 18.

Stellium in Capricorn January 16

With so many planets in Capricorn, the first weeks of January were a hard slog for many of us. The energies were heavy, dense, serious — like having the weight of the world on our shoulders. At the New Moon in Capricorn on January 18, this journey may have culminated in a renewed sense of commitment to your path — a new resolve to stay aligned with what matters most to you.

As we move into Aquarius season, this stellium of personal planets shifts from Capricorn to Aquarius — from Earth to Air — offering liberation from the heaviness and moroseness we may have been felt trapped in over recent weeks. Aquarian energies are lighter, faster, and more future-oriented, associated with visionary insights, breakthrough solutions, and never-before-imagined possibilities.

From January 17 to around January 28, this dynamic is intensified by the fact that each of these personal planets forms a conjunction to Pluto at 3° Aquarius. Pluto’s presence adds pressure to the liberating drive of this Aquarian stellium, compelling us to become conscious of where we may be trapped in outdated patterns and applying immense force to push us toward a new paradigm or vision— even if we come kicking and screaming.

At the collective level, we could see intensified expressions of social unrest and political protest as the personal planets activate Pluto’s mandate in Aquarius to bring revolutionary social change. January 25-28 is likely to be particularly volatile when Mars conjoins Pluto.

Meanwhile, on January 26, Neptune re-enters Aries, where it will remain for the next fourteen years. This transit marks the completion of one 165-year Neptune cycle around the zodiac and the beginning of another. The effects of this shift may be subtle at first yet they are profound — Neptune’s rebirth in Aries symbolizes the emergence of a new dream, myth, or guiding vision for human culture. That this epochal event is merely mentioned in passing in these Notes speaks to just how much is going on astrologically this season.

On February 3, Uranus stations direct, beginning the final few months of its seven-year passage through Taurus before it re-enters Gemini for good on April 25. When a planet stations, its archetypal themes intensify for a few days either side of the transit. In the case of Uranus, we may experience more sudden shifts, disruptions, or breakthroughs in areas linked to Taurus: banking and finance, food systems, the Earth’s environment, and our relationship to material resources.

On February 13, Saturn re-enters Aries — another profound birth moment — inaugurating a new thirty-year Saturn cycle of building structures aligned with the emerging archetypal energies. With Saturn in Aries, we’re supported to make bold new beginnings — applying courage and discipline to the long work of giving form to what is now being dreamed.

Then, on February 17, a New Moon solar eclipse in Aquarius, square Uranus in late Taurus, adds yet another jolt of intensity, unpredictability, and revolutionary potential.

Just three days later, on February 20, Saturn and Neptune meet in their historic conjunction at 0° Aries — a world-axis moment that signals the birth of a new imaginal architecture for human civilization.

We’re really rocking and rolling now folks. We’re not preparing for the shift anymore. Aquarius season 2026 is when we start to live it.

Amid the growing chaos and instability in our world, it’s important to recognize that 2026 does not carry the configuration of collapse, but of the first light of a new dawn. While many familiar forms and identities are dissolving — and there is real grief to be honored for what is passing — there is a coherence in the new patterns arising to take their place.

We can each play our part by honoring the grief for what is falling away — and trusting the new dreams now emerging from within.