Hey folks!

Welcome to Aries season and Spring and the end of Eclipse season!!

(Quick note, scroll to the end of this newsletter and there is a wonderful opportunity for a writer with a game changing idea)

I’m not gonna lie, all of this has made me pretty tired - it has been an exhausting month, has it not? There were many changes going on in March, many that will affect us here on earth for awhile.

Aries season brings with it the end of the eclipses and the end of the Venus and Mercury retrogrades.

Aries is the beginning of the astrological year - the coming of spring. Get up and go energy. It’s the energy of seedlings and life coming forth. This sign, ruled by Aries, also has to do with war and warriors. As the first sign in the zodiac Aries folks are youthful and quick thinkers. Being a fire sign, they can be spontaneous and rush into things before really thinking. But hey, Aries gets things done! Overall though, Aries is that mysterious creative energy of life.

Astrology for creatives:

Eclipse season!! - March 29th solar eclipse in Aries has passed, and with it, the end of eclipse season, woo hoo! However, we’re still feeling the affects of this eclipse and we will for the next 6 months. Solar eclipses really ask us, what do we desire? What are we hungry for? Is there something having to do with Aries that we long for?

And then we had Neptune move into Aries - March 30th - changing of the guard here! This is a big deal in that it brings us into a new era, but also not that big of a deal because Neptune is not a personal planet, so Neptune’s movements exists more in the background of our lives. (Neptune is considered a transpersonal planet.)

Neptune is a dreamy planet and one I associate with compassion, so we’ll see what brings us in terms of compassion in war (Aries). Neptune can also make things hazy, surreal, dreamlike. For the masses I’m a little worried because this seems like the mark of authoritarianism in which life becomes surreal, where truth is wavy.

But . . . hopefully that won’t happen.

On the other hand, we can read this as a call to compassion, to do work as compassionate (Neptune) warriors (Aries). If you’re a fantasy or sci fi writer, this is probably going to be your era! Neptune also rules the movies, so perhaps there will be a swath of movies about war and warriors?

Mercury retrograde - We’re still in the thick of it until April 7th, then Mercury will be in Pisces, which is a dreamy sign and one that Mercury does not do well in (in fact, Mercury is in his detriment in Pisces).

Venus retrograde - ends April 12th, and Venus will be in Pisces, which is her sign of exaltation, which just means she works well in this sign (the opposite of Mercury!).

Libra Full Moon - April 12th, the same day as Venus’ retrograde ends.

Aside from Venus being a little sleepy from ending her retrograde, this might be a nice moon to reflect on your relationships and partnerships. Venus will be in her exaltation (in Pisces) and Libra is a Venus ruled sign. For writers, this might be a good moon to look at the relationships in your stories.

Saturn is moving into Aries (in May), so these might be the last few months to work on boundaries around your creativity! Saturn has been hanging out in Pisces for the past couple years. Pisces is about endings but also about fantasy and creativity. With Saturn there, I highly recommend using that energy to create whatever boundaries you can around your creative space and creative time. If you’re trying to finish a specific project, I highly recommend carving out specific times and days to dedicate to your creativity.

And wow, can you believe it’s already almost May? This part of the year always feels so fast to me.

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Aries season book recommendation:

The Iliad - (allegedly by a guy named Homer) I recommend the translation by Emily Wilson or Caroline Alexander

Did I already recommend this for Aries season in a past newsletter? I can’t remember. 😹 Alas! With all the movement in Aries this year and over the past month, I thought it would be good to look at one of the first “books” about war that is actually about how awful war is. A large part of The Iliad centers around the character of Achilles, his fight with Hector, and Hector’s relationship with his father. It’s kind of about how terrible war is and how war doesn’t benefit either side. If you’re a participant in Western culture you likely know the basic story of The Iliad. But just know, it has a beautiful ending, and it’s not the ending your expecting; that’s to say, the ending of The Iliad is different from the ending portrayed in the movies about the Trojan War.

I’m recommending the translation by Emily Wilson, although I haven’t read it yet. But her translation of The Odyssey was so good I figure her translation of The Iliad must be amazing too.
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Announcements:

• I’m now on Substack . . . and I love it? If you’re looking for social media that is more long than short, you should give it a look. (Also it is an alternative from the “metaverse.”) I just posted something about the Virgo Lunar Eclipse, releasing ideas of purity and perfection, and the Indigenous tradition of spirit beads, check it out here. And subscribe or follow me if you like! (I might move this newsletter over there eventually but on the fence about it.) ​
• Office Hours is still going on. If you want to talk, find me here most Thursdays 3-5pm PST: office hours
• Writing Coven: don’t forget the writing coven meets Fridays 3-5pm PST/ 6-8pm EST. We're off for Spring Break, but will be back writing on April 11th, 18th, and 25th. If you’re interested in joining just email me and I’ll add you to the email list. Open to all writers and creatives searching for community and accountability! We meet on zoom, talk about life and what we’re working on, then get to work for at least an hour or so.

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• !!!! BIG NEWS!!!! Make an Impact Award: My friend and fellow book coach/editor/writer Erin Michelle Gibes is offering a rare opportunity this year — one free developmental edit and six free sessions of book coaching — to one writer with a book they think has the potential to spark radical change in the United States. The application is now open and closes on April 30th, 2025!! ​You can read more in this blog post and on her website. Ready to apply? Start here.​

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And that's it for this month . . .

Best,

Demelza 🐈‍⬛