Consider doing something new and different today, engaging in an activity you’ve either never tried or haven’t done in a while. Doing something outside of your routine may provide some perspective on present-day challenges, allowing them to be seen through a wider and more objective lens. At the very least, focusing your attention on something new may provide an opportunity for some much needed emotional R&R.

Today, we’re enveloped in intensity as Venus, the goddess of love and beauty, forms a tension-filled relationship with Pluto, the god of the underworld.

During this celestial alignment, passions may escalate and relationships may feel more intense. The concept of control—maintaining it and/or releasing it—takes center stage, with a feeling of all-or-nothing enveloping romantic and/or creative pursuits. There’s a volcanic sense of desire that may circulate deep within, emitting torrents of buried feelings that bubble up from below. These may be ones that we’ve turned a blind eye to or which we just have not wanted to express to another. Consequently, we may notice that instead of feeling we “should” do something we feel compelled that we “must” do it—almost like we’re in a river of do-or-die urgency.

Tensions may be stirred both in romantic liaisons as well as friendships (notably those with women). If you can stay true to your deep needs and express them, it will help your relationships to transform and become more integrated and authentic. Or you will see that, in fact, certain ones have run their course and do not necessarily offer you the value that you truly seek.

Last year we experienced similar alignments between Venus and Pluto. They occurred February 5, April 3, and May 2. Looking back to these days may help to give clues and context to the events and feelings that are being currently triggered.

Champagne is the image that comes to mind when I think of today, as Mars turns direct after a 10+ week retrograde cycle.

Not only because we may experience a release of energy, like the champagne cork does when it is liberated from the bottle.

But also because, for those who have felt frustrated during the Mars retrograde by a sense of stifled will or having to put off plans to initiate a new project, Mars going direct may be a source for great celebration (and a reason for breaking out of a bottle of bubbly).

For more on Mars direct and how the energies of the day may evolve, see this post.

Looking for a way to productively channel the energies of today’s Venus-Saturn opposition? Try this “Venus Values Inventory” exercise.

To do so, make three columns on a piece of paper, giving each one of the following three headings: Enhancing Value, Detracting Value, Neutral Value.

In the Enhancing Value column, write down the activities, relationships, and/or prized possessions that truly grace your life, giving it luster and providing you with a sense of inner harmony.

In the Detracting Value column, list the activities, relationships, and/or prized possessions that you may feel attached to but which don’t—at the proverbial “end of the day”—provide you with an authentic sense of enjoyment and fulfillment. These may be ones that take up your time, energy, and emotions without giving much back in return. This isn’t to say that they were never valuable as potentially they were at one point; it just may be that their contribution to your life has run its course given your evolving needs.

In the Neutral Value column, write down the activities, relationships, and/or prized possessions that don’t may not add much to your life but don’t necessarily detract from it either.

Doing this exercise is a great way to take stock of what is fulfilling in your life—what serves as a foundation of your joy—and what really isn’t. The Enhancing Value list can serve as a great measure of where beauty and satisfaction resides in your life. Consequently, the Detracting Value list may provide fodder for identifying areas of life that you may want to pare down in order to help further transform your life into one filled with even more abundance and contentment. Additionally, the Neutral Value list can identify those things that can, with a little work, be either adjusted a bit to generate more fulfillment or released to generate more space for growth.

While this exercise may seem like hard work, it is what the energies of Saturn require of us. From a Saturnian perspective, when we do the work, face reality, and make constructive decisions that align with our true sense of values, we set a course for our life that allows us to more readily manifest more beauty, joy, and love.

We ring in the week with International Women’s Day, a worldwide holiday celebrated annually on March 8.

The timing of this year’s female-honoring commemoration seems incredibly fitting as over the course of the week we will be experiencing significant Venus transits. As Venus aligns with Saturn (Tuesday) and Pluto (Thursday), we can gain more clarity into the important role that women assume in society while also having the opportunity to herald aspects of the female power that resides within each of us.

Yet, it is not just the coming days that highlight the multidimensional spirit of the collective and individual female, but today as well. That’s because the Moon—the celestial body that reflects the feminine feeling side within us—makes numerous alignments, elevating it to center stage in our consciousness. It makes aspects with socially aware Uranus, relationship-oriented Venus, dream-the-dream Neptune, make-it-real Saturn, and recover-what’s-buried Pluto, ushering in a day where deeper layers of our feminine feeling nature can be discovered and honored.

So, today, in honor of International Women’s Day—and the numerous lunar alignments—take the time to celebrate the women in your life as well as the powerful multidimensional feeling-based spirit that resides within you.

If we’ve been holding onto something—words to share with another, pent-up tears, possessions that truly no longer hold any real value—today is a good day for their release. Making space in our minds and/or hearts will yield a greater opportunity to recognize others’ seemingly simple words as the true pearls of wisdom that they are.

What Twitter tag would I elect as one that well captures the energy of today? If I could only choose one, #Shedidwhat? would get my vote.

That’s because this run-on three-word questioning quip nicely expresses the influence of the day’s Venus/Uranus conjunction. When this planetary pair gets together, we get an influx of expect-the-unexpected when it comes to relationships, romance, and women (and the anima residing within men). Consequently, if you’ve been desiring to try something new on for size—whether it be a different lipstick, tie style, or seduction technique—today (as well as tomorrow) may be the day/s you’ve been waiting for.

Add to this that the Libra Moon trines idealistic Neptune and squares masculine Mars, and it further bolsters the elevation of relationships, beauty, and sexuality to the forefront of our minds (and/or our Twitter tweets and tags).

Keeping the peace may seem as if it has moved itself to the top of the “to-do” list today. We’re pulled towards trying to avoid the generation or continuation of discord, as conflict today—of all days—seems quite unseemly. Yet, while our ideals may be stellar, it’s worthwhile to double-check our (or others’) motivations to ensure that there’s no hidden agenda present. Even if the deeper reasons seem well-intentioned, it’s really important to be clear and know the place from which we, or others, are acting. If we’re motivated to weave the day with “make/play nice” energy because we believe it will help others avoid discomfort, it’s worth remembering that a lack of conflict doesn’t always equal the alleviation of suffering.

Monday, March 1

With four planets—Venus, Jupiter, and Uranus along with the Sun—in aqueous Pisces for the last week-plus, it’s as if we’ve been swimming in the ineffable. As we’ve been floating in an ocean of emotion, it’s likely that it’s been difficult to pinpoint, name, and understand just what we have been feeling and connecting to since—at times—it may feel so vast and boundless. It’s as if we know something, we sense something—yet accessing it to be able to share (whether with others, or even just with our conscious mind) may be a whole other story.

Yet, that may change a bit today as the planet of communication, Mercury, joins these other planets in Pisces. This can create an experience-understanding resonance; we are able to tune into what we are perceiving in a way that allows us greater access to understanding and expressing our experiences.

That being said, with all this Piscean energy it’s important that while we feel connected to a heartfelt still of compassion that we stay grounded in our bodies and minds, lest we feel pulled in by an undertow of emotions that upends a semblance of sure footing. A gentle walk, going barefoot on the Earth, or massaging our feet for a few minutes are helpful Rx’s for our soles that can help us more consciously stay in body and soul.

Tuesday, March 2

Keeping the peace may seem as if it has moved itself to the top of the “to-do” list today. We’re pulled towards trying to avoid the generation or continuation of discord, as conflict today—of all days—seems quite unseemly. Yet, while our ideals may be stellar, it’s worthwhile to double-check our (or others’) motivations to ensure that there’s no hidden agenda present. Even if the deeper reasons seem well-intentioned, it’s really important to be clear and know the place from which we, or others, are acting. If we’re motivated to weave the day with “make/play nice” energy because we believe it will help others avoid discomfort, it’s worth remembering that a lack of conflict doesn’t always equal the alleviation of suffering.

Wednesday, March 3

What Twitter tag would I elect as one that well captures the energy of today? If I could only choose one, #Shedidwhat? would get my vote.

That’s because this run-on three-word questioning quip nicely expresses the influence of the day’s Venus/Uranus conjunction. When this planetary pair gets together, we get an influx of expect-the-unexpected when it comes to relationships, romance, and women (and the anima residing within men). Consequently, if you’ve been desiring to try something new on for size—whether it be a different lipstick, tie style, or seduction technique—today (as well as tomorrow) may be the day/s you’ve been waiting for.

Add to this that the Libra Moon trines idealistic Neptune and squares masculine Mars, and it further bolsters the elevation of relationships, beauty, and sexuality to the forefront of our minds (and/or our Twitter tweets and tags).

Thursday, March 4

If we’ve been holding onto something—words to share with another, pent-up tears, possessions that truly no longer hold any real value—today is a good day for their release. Making space in our minds and/or hearts will yield a greater opportunity to recognize others’ seemingly simple words as the true pearls of wisdom that they are.

Friday, March 5

Diving deep within our hearts today will allow us to see a situation a little bit differently than we had previously perceived.  An intense desire to bask in a feeling of love may leave us disillusioned; yet, if we adopt a perspective that marries a realistic approach with a “you never know how this may work out” open-mindedness, we may set the course for a journey that will yield more self-insight and understanding.

Saturday, March 6

Today, we should consider saying “Yes” a few more times than usual. That’s not to say that a blanket affirmative should be on tap; after all, discernment still needs to be maintained lest we find ourselves committed to things that pull us too far off course. Yet, a few more “Yes”s judiciously scattered throughout the day may award us with valuable opportunities and enriching experiences.

Sunday, March 7

With all the Piscean energy we’ve been floating in, things may seem a bit dreamy, with a sense of sprite, let alone gumption, potentially challenging to access. But today with Venus moving into the fiery, self-assertive sign of Aries, that may change a bit.

As we find a sense of initiative easier to access, we can use this Venusian energy to express our pinings and proclivities, spicing things up a bit. In addition to spicy, things may also get a little steamy as Venus—the planet of love—is aligning harmoniously with Mars—the planet of desires. And, with expands-all-it-touches Jupiter conjunct communicative Mercury, understanding and expressing our thoughts on what may satisfy our wistful longings may be more readily accessible.

Today’s Pisces/Virgo Full Moon illuminates:

• The bridging of the physical and soulful
• The compassion that can flow from our hearts as we engage in our day-to-day activities
• The ideal of selfless service

For more Virgoan details on this Piscean-inspired Full Moon, see this post.