Astrology with Alice: Two retrogrades, two eclipses, what could go wrong?

Astrologically, the month of March is a lot. (Like, a lot, lot.)

Even though Mars retrograde ended (YAY!), Mercury and Venus will now go retrograde this month (boo). In addition, 2025’s first set of eclipses will also happen. All of these things warrant their own columns individually, but the cosmos has decided to jam it all in one month, so I’m going to do my best to give you a clear overview of what we’re working with.

This is what’s on our docket to discuss:

1. Venus goes retrograde from March 3-April 13
2. Mercury goes retrograde from March 16-April 7
3. There’s a lunar eclipse on March 14
4. Then there’s a solar eclipse on March 29

We haven’t had a month like this in recent history, but that makes sense considering what we previously discussed about this being an unprecedented year of astrological activity. So, in a way, this is all on-brand for 2025.

When I look at upcoming events during very astrologically busy periods, I try to find recurring themes—a logic in the chaos, so to speak. And what stands out to me is the focus around the sign of Aries. Mercury is going to retrograde in the sign of Aries. Venus will also retrograde in Aries. We’ve got an Aries eclipse. And even though we aren’t going to cover it this month, Neptune will also enter Aries on March 31—something it hasn’t done since 1871. (Neptune’s transit will be an ongoing thing, so it’s not too late to talk about it next month. Also, there’s just waaaaay too much already going on this month.)

Suffice to say, the cosmos wants us to develop the indomitable and pioneering spirit of Aries within ourselves. We’re coming out of a more sensitive time and we’re going to collectively feel the push to do as opposed to just feel. (And if you recall, we touched on this shift towards Aries’ fiery energy in our overview of 2025.)

We’re coming out of a more sensitive time and we’re going to collectively feel the push to do as opposed to just feel.

With such a strong emphasis on Aries energy this month, we could say that March is the month of Aries. Therefore, it’s important to understand what the spirit of Aries truly represents, because pop astrology has painted Aries in very broad and one-dimensional strokes.

Aries is often made out to be like an obnoxious toddler, and even though there’s a kernel of truth in that, it doesn’t come anywhere close to doing this sign justice. As the first sign of the zodiac, it marks the spring (or vernal) equinox. Along with the other cardinal signs Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn, these four signs mark the four cross-quarters of the year—Aries with the spring equinox, Cancer with the summer solstice, Libra with the autumn equinox, and Capricorn with the winter solstice. Together, they represent the phases of life, from birth to ending.

As the sign of birth and beginnings, Aries represents the will of spirit itself to be born and become life. While its symbol is the powerful ram, which can batter obstacles out of its way through sheer willpower, I also see Aries strength in the tender springtime sprouts that push past the earth's wintry frost. There is a certain poetic courage that’s necessary to be that small and vulnerable, but still dare to emerge and take one’s place under the sun’s light. This is why any pioneer must learn to tap into their Aries energy—and it’s there because we all have Aries somewhere in our chart, even if we aren’t an Aries.

And you don’t need to discover new lands to be a pioneer. Aries energy exists in the adult who decides to go back to school to finish their degree, in the entrepreneur who quits their soul-sucking job to start their own business, or the mending soul who asks someone out after a bad breakup. Aries energy understands that starting anything is always scary, and that’s why it’s the sign of courage. Aries optimism is essential for all new beginnings, because it’s the thing that asks us to dare and dream big, as if saying, “Yes, this could go sideways, but that’s why we need to go all in and leap as hard as we can to make it to the other side.”

With two retrogrades and an eclipse happening in Aries, it’s as if the universe wants us to come out of the dream of the previous, dreamy Pisces period and come into the spring sun of Aries—an energy that wants to be born and wants to get into the action.

Aries energy understands that starting anything is always scary, and that’s why it’s the sign of courage. Aries optimism is essential for all new beginnings, because it’s the thing that asks us to dare and dream big.

But before we deep dive into our double retrogrades, let’s go back to December’s Mars retrograde column and review what a retrograde is:

So when a planet retrogrades and goes widdershins, it looks like it’s going backwards from our vantage point here on Earth. It’s not actually going backwards in its orbit, but it seems like it because we’re all moving from different points and at different speeds around the sun. Astrologically, it heralds a period of reevaluation—especially with the issues represented by the planet going retrograde.

Okay. Now, let’s get into the retrogrades of this month.

Venus retrograde

Venus starts the month by going retrograde on March 3, but the retrograde-y vibes actually started back in February when Venus was already beginning to slow down. Like people, the planets ease into and out of their phases—so even though the retrograde technically begins on March 3, we’ve been feeling the pull to reevaluate our love lives, our relationship with our money, our aesthetics, and even the things we take pleasure in as early as the end of January. Tauruses and Libras tend to feel the effects of a Venus retrograde more because Venus is their sign ruler, but Aries folks will be affected, as well, because Venus is retrograding in Aries.

In general, exes may pop out of the woodwork under a Venus retrograde because Venus affects love and friendship. (Just remember, you don’t have to reconnect if you don’t want to.) It’s also a bad idea to get any beauty treatments when Venus is retrograding (since Venus also rules beauty and appeal), so plan your salon and spa visits accordingly. I don’t expect people to not get their hair done, but maybe don’t try out some wild new style until after the retrograde ends on April 13. But if you’re planning a major aesthetic treatment like elective surgery, you’ll definitely want to avoid scheduling anything permanent during Venus retrograde.

Now, when it comes to this particular Venus retrograde in Aries, it’s all about reevaluating our values regarding our independence and the things that are worth defending. Since it’s Venus that we’re talking about, this retrograde will have us reassessing and reviewing our financial health, our financial independence, the robustness of our joie de vivre, our enthusiasm towards our friends, and the level of passion in our partnerships.

Venus is the planet of harmony and beauty, and when it retrogrades in Aries, the sign of the warrior, we are called to remember that we sometimes need to fight for our peace.

Mercury retrograde

And, guess what? About two weeks after Venus retrogrades, Mercury will join the party and will also start spinning backwards in the sign of Aries. The power of a retrograde compels the energy of a planet to review and reassess its priorities, so while Venus focuses on relationships and money, when it comes to Mercury, it’s all about the mind. Mercury rules interaction with the outside world, learning, perception, and mindset—and that’s why there’s always some focus on communication blunders and travel snafus whenever it goes retrograde.

General things to watch out for during Mercury retrogrades:

1. Signing important contracts. However, I live in the real world where you can’t ask to delay things by weeks just because Mercury went retrograde. If you have to ink a deal, just make sure that you review it thoroughly. Dot those i’s and slash those t’s!
2. Travel issues. Make analog backups of itineraries and tickets, don’t schedule tight connections, and just know that the chances of delays and mix-ups are higher during Mercury retrograde, so be organized and confirm bookings.
3. Miscommunications. Don’t assume things during this retrograde! Also, double-check to make sure that you’re not replying to all and that you have the right recipient before sending those emails or text messages.
4. The tech gremlins are out. Back up your data and give yourself an extra couple of minutes to log onto those important meetings just in case you have to do some troubleshooting. Shenanigans tend to strike machinery, so if your appliances break, see if you can wait until the retrograde ends before replacing it. (Here’s my Mercury retrograde appliance story: My laundry dryer broke the first day of a retrograde back in 2020 and I replaced it immediately. The entire process was plagued by miscommunications, delivery delays, and then, within days of installation, it literally started screaming like a banshee whenever I turned it on. I asked to return it and they couldn’t pick it up for another two months because of Covid shortstaffing. But the day the retrograde ended, guess what? The dryer stopped screaming and it works fine now to this day. Everything worked out in the end, but it was two weeks of stress that I did not need.)

So with this particular Mercury retrograde in Aries, I feel like it’s working hand-in-hand with the other occurrences. Venus and Mercury are both trying to activate our Aries courage. Venus wants to turn on our warrior values, while Mercury is rebooting our warrior mindstate. Mercury’s retrograde in Aries is part of a block of retrogrades in fire signs, which tells us something about the tone of the year. It means that what we’re getting back in touch with is our vitality, optimism, and willingness to rise for what we want.

The 2025 spring eclipses

There’s a lunar eclipse in Virgo on March 14 and a solar eclipse in Aries on March 29. The lunar nodes determine the signs where the eclipses will happen and the nodes stay in the same pair of opposing signs for about 12-18 months, and we are in the middle of a shift out of Aries-Libra eclipses and into Virgo-Pisces eclipses. This is why we’re getting a little bit of both, which is something that happens when the axis is shifting.

This solar eclipse on March 29 will be the last of its kind in the sign of Aries for almost two decades. (The next Aries north node eclipse won’t happen again until 2043.) Solar eclipses turn on the energy of the sign and open us up to its potential. So, for the last year, the cosmos has been wanting us to explore our Aries-ness—to reacquaint ourselves with our inner fighter—in preparation for all the Aries-oriented transits in 2025 and 2026.

I’m not saying that the Virgo lunar eclipse isn’t important, but I’m going to focus on this final Aries solar eclipse because it’s more relevant to the overarching story of ‘25 and ‘26, and also of this month. (Don’t worry, we will deep dive into the new Virgo-Pisces eclipses soon—there’s just more urgency with the Aries solar eclipse.) So, as we move through the month, ask yourself where you feel disempowered or afraid and where in your life you need an injection of Aries courage and enthusiasm. Also, it’s the area of life where you might need to fight for what you want.

Find your sun sign and rising sign in the list below to see where you might want to light the (figurative) fire in your life. If you don’t know your rising sign, you can use this free resource to figure it out.