Vernal Equinox

On March 20, 2005 at 7:34 AM EST in the Northern Hemisphere, the Sun enters the sign of Aries. This is the Vernal Equinox; the annual solar cycle begins again and it is time for renewal. Spring cleaning is on our minds both literally and figuratively. The Equinoxes are balance points: the days and nights are of equal length. But other planetary considerations suggest that maintaining balance at this particular moment would be quite an accomplishment! To determine what the next several months will be like, astrologers cast what is called an ‘Ingress’ chart for the exact moment of the Equinox. Naturally, this chart and its meaning would vary from location to location, but in the United States, we use Washington D.C. because as the nation’s capital, it represents the country itself. Aries is ‘cardinal fire’. Fire is associated with enthusiasm, vitality, and passion, and the ‘cardinal’ modality is known for its ability to get things going like a motivating force of nature.