Shirley Maclaine's Mercury Aries & March's Retrograde

Magnificent March begins with Mercury into Aries on the 2nd (Friday). And it's in this daring sign that Mercury makes its first retrograde in 2012. Though Mercury's station doesn't begin until the 12th, we're now in retrograde shadow, in degrees that Mercury will cycle back over. All the Mercury retrogrades in 2012 begin in fire signs, firing up the instinctual mind, for gut-level knowing that demands expression.

Shirley Maclaine, writes Alan Oken, is the Voice of a New Age Woman and a fiercely independent Mercury in Aries thinker. Mercury is also her chart's (traditional) ruler, since Virgo is on the Ascendant. Her provocative Mercury, is opposite Jupiter in Libra. In Oken's classic, Complete Astrology, he writes, "Mercury in aspect to Jupiter is very outspoken. Shirley would definitely tend to say what is on her mind even though she may be speaking against a more dominant social philosophy."

Her big three (Sun, Moon, Rising) are in earth signs, and Mars in Taurus steadies her Sun in a conjunction. With that Mercury Aries, she's gone out on a limb -- I recently enjoyed her books Sage-ing While Aging and The Camino. In the first, she shares everything from health tips and her in-depth research into different conspiracies. In the latter, she takes the reader on a walking journey through Spain, which is as much about physical stamina as it is about a spiritual pilgrimage. She breaks metaphysical ground again, when she shares breakthrough dreams from her past lives, including the lost civilization of Lemuria. Yet for all her pioneering on the fringes, her persona is decidedly no-nonsense and she's definitely worldly, having known great material and artistic success.

Her example is timely, since while March brings this bold retrograde in Aries, it's comes in with an earth grand trine (around March 11 to 14th) -- a matrix of grounding energy to support what you're manifesting. The grand trine involves Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Pluto, for earthing these emerging ideas and tuning in to your authentic voice.

March then is an exciting month for getting out from under OP's (other peoples) influence, and assert yourself. The first instinctual flash has its say, though it may disrupt the way things are. At the same time, there are big rewards when you get your hands dirty, and dig in daily, to create from a sense of your new beginning. Yes, things are weird -- how stubborn can you be about holding to your own emerging creative plans?

This can be the launch month, when things dawn on you, under the influence of Mercury, in Spring's own sign. When you combine that with actual effort, there can be surprise growth spurts that help you keep the faith.