U.S. Ingresses Mar 6 - Apr 3, 2024

[Jim Eshelman]

USA Mundane Forecast
for the four weeks beginning MARCH 6, 2024
To interpret Sidereal solar and lunar ingresses, please see my free book Sidereal Mundane Astrology. (A link can be found near the top of the Publications sub-forum.) For standard interpretations, see Ch 8 of the current (17th) Edition.

• Outer Planet Sign Transits
• Pres. Biden's Lunar Returns

LONG-TERM (Solar Ingresses)
CAPSOLAR effective Jan 15, 2024 to Jan 14, 2025.
For the full interpretation of the 2024 "year chart," click here.


MEDIUM-TERM (The Bridge)
Overlapping Neptune and Sun zones continue to dominate the news. Much of this surely refers to the election with drama and uncertainty surrounding the government in general and the president in particularly. There is an excellent chance that two U.S. presidents will be at the heart of this - the former and the current - both of which are subject to doubts, passion, and uncertain turns in the road. Furthermore, Sun-Neptune blends are broadly chaotic and disorienting. Until 3/8, Jupiter is part of this, bringing more optimism and an increasing tendency to make decisions based on beliefs rather than facts. The most volatile times this month are the few days transiting Mars crosses a Cansolar angle.

• START-Mar 8: Neptune Jupiter Sun
• Mar 9-15: Neptune Sun
• Mar 16-21: Neptune Mars Sun
• Mar 22-26: Neptune Sun
• Mar 27-END: Sun

• Mar 9: Mars-Uranus square
• Mar 16: Mars enters Aquarius
• Mar 19: Mars co USA Moon
• Mar 21: Saturn sq USA Uranus

CAPLUNAR (Mar 6) Effective Mar 6-Apr 3
This month is primarily defined by Mercury-Neptune symbolism. In the Capsolar, Mercury and Neptune are conjoined on Zenith (Neptune closer), their midpoint 0°19' from the angle. Furthermore, Moon is in mundane square to both Mercury and Neptune (and not aspecting Pluto this time). ALL the symbolism is Mercury-Neptune. - The Liblunar in three weeks will reiterate and likely activate this for last week of the Sidereal month.

Mercury-Neptune periods are marked by confusion, disorientation, and bad (confused, misjudged) choices. Uncertainty often takes a specific form: People wonder, “What’s next?” or, “What happens now?” Secondarily, we can expect impairment of transportation and communication routes. Sometimes Mercury-Neptune events more dramatic (any events that cause confusion and disorientation).

ARILUNAR (Mar 12)
The Arilunar is dormant. The Caplunar continues in full control for Washington.

CANLUNAR (Mar 19) Effective Mar 19-26
Volatile emotions flare. Grief is involved, some deep sadness likely linked to cruelty. It isn't clear if the enraged emotions stir the grievous conditions or are the angry, vengeance-demanding response to it.

All of this is from Venus and Mars both closely angular. Both Venus and Mars aspect Saturn (Mars a 0°03' PVP square, Venus by a standard mundane conjunction). Moon opposes Pluto mundanely.

LIBLUNAR (Mar 26) Effective Mar 26-Apr 3
This week brings the main themes of the month to a head, repeating the strong Mercury-Neptune symbolism of the Caplunar.

What is most visible in the Liblunar at a glance is Sun exactly on Westpoint, a more widely angular Neptune, and Moon opposite Mercury. This angular Sun puts a strong, bright spotlight on Washington and the nation's key solar figures, especially the president and the other main aspirant to the presidency (but also Congress: the actions of the central American government as a whole). Actions will be more stronghanded, emphasizing central power over distributed or shared power. While we expect both Pres. Biden and Mr. Trump to be in the news all year, this chart cranks up the spotlight on them even more.

What you cannot see without redrawing the chart in two other frameworks, is that Moon, Sun, Mercury, and Neptune are all tightly clustered in azimuth near the prime vertical - aligned due east and west - and at right angles (square) to the Sun and Neptune positions on the horizon. This produces several "invisible" aspects (only invisible, of course, if you don't look at the chart in the correct framework.

• Moon-Mercury 0°02' [ecliptic]
• Mercury-Neptune sq 0°18' [meridian longitude]
• Moon-Neptune sq 0°23' [meridian longitude]
• Sun-Neptune sq 0°29' [meridian longitude]
• Sun-Mercury sq 2°19' [azimuth]

With Mercury and Neptune aspecting each other and both luminaries, the Mercury-Neptune themes of the Caplunar either reach their ripeness here or - if they came and went earlier in the month - are back in full force. As written above, Mercury-Neptune periods are marked by confusion, disorientation, and bad (confused, isjudged) choices. Uncertainty often takes a specific form: People wonder, “What’s next?” or, “What happens now?” Secondarily, we can expect impairment of transportation and communication routes. Sometimes Mercury-Neptune events more dramatic (any events that cause confusion and disorientation).

Expect a lot of lying and grandstanding as well, given the solar emphasis.

[Jim Eshelman]

SIDEREAL LUNAR RETURN (Mar 12)
Effective Mar 11-Apr 9.
President Biden has an upbeat, positive, strong lunar return, one of his last unequivocally good charts for 2024. He should enjoy (and reap practical benefits from) its happy auguries for these four weeks.

The dominant feature is Venus 0°21' off IC, Uranus 1°02' off Descendant, and the two planets in close mundane square. This innately happy aspect signifies emotional renewal, giving free play to varied, irregular social engagements and other pleasures. It means popularity, excitement, and even emotional thrills. Both planets aspect natal Mercury on Ascendant so his mind is refreshed, his words flow quickly and pleasingly (hopefully not too quickly), and he is insightful and inventive. They also aspect his natal Venus-Uranus, multiplying many of these indications.

On the world scene, one meaning of Venus-Uranus, though, is shifting relationships, especially shifting alliances. This brings us to the other important aspect, a close Mars-Jupiter square, more widely foreground. This is an aspect of heroism, competitive excellence, and achievement. Buoyant enthusiasm has, as its worst trait, doing too much and going too far - but perhaps now is the time for that. In geopolitical terms, it is the aspect of successful military leadership so - with Venus-Uranus - I think it means he has to take a hard stand in these two weeks on America's military alliances and decisively somehow act to alter circumstances in Israel and Ukraine. Natal Mars is even stronger than transiting Mars: He is coming from strength and has moral high ground. Transiting Jupiter is exactly opposite natal Mars (0°12') in the foreground, so he seems to be on a valiant victory march.

There are side issues - things in the background of all of these more obvious life events. Transiting Pluto squares natal Moon while transiting Saturn squares natal Saturn. These do not mark the primary flavor of these two weeks, but they do show that he's at an important inner turning point. Whether we see it or not, he is reassessing his priorities, is about to let go of something that has been holding him back, perhaps from a growing awareness that he has limited time ahead of him. Something significant is ripening and will erupt from him in the next few weeks... but that's not the main message for right now; it will have to wait for the second half of the month.

SIDEREAL DEMI-LUNAR RETURN (Mar 27)
Effective Mar 26-Apr 9.
The positive trend continues with energy, enthusiasm, ingenuity, and enhanced dignity in the second half of Pres. Biden's personal month. Furthermore, these are the two weeks in which strong, decisive action will mature and break out into the open.

The mundoscope makes this chart easiest to read: Transiting Jupiter and Uranus are closely conjoined on Ascendant in mundane square to Pluto at Midheaven. In simple terms, these means fundamentally good, successful things combined with significant change. The magnitude of the change suggested by this Uranus-Pluto square tells us it is bold - perhaps a climax of former incremental steps or perhaps "out of the blue" or outside the ring in which opposing parties have been trying to punch each other out. Jupiter-Uranus means progress, success, and achievement (often through atypical pathways) - in short, surprising wins. Jupiter-Pluto (0°13') shows significant shifts in his dignity, rank, and power which could go either way, but usually (especially with a strong Jupiter) means enhancement. Uranus-Pluto, of course, means disruptive events, reality-altering, often overflowing the bounds of conventional thinking and expectations.

This month - especially this two-week period - gives Pres. Biden his best shot all year to make political gains and enhance a legacy. Next month is filled with bad surprises and terrible, threatening conditions - among the worst charts seen in a long time. Every bit of good karma he can generate this month will be needed next month.

Natal Sun, Venus, Mercury, and Uranus are closely angular (Descendant), further tilting things to happiness and dignity. Jupiter-Uranus opposes his Mercury: His mind is sharp, his strategy sound, and he gets points for his ideas. Jupiter-Uranus-Pluto aspects his Mars mundanely: He is bold and his actions succeed: There is a clear mark of competitive excellence and success. Pluto squares his Moon, now foreground: What has been gestating within him breaks loose.

If there is ever a time to give everything you have to a matter, for President Biden that time is the four weeks of this current SLR and especially the two weeks of this Demi-SLR.

[Jim Eshelman]

This is now fully ready (except for adding the illustrations, which I can do later).