On its face, this week’s astrology looks relatively quiet. And yet, personally, I can’t seem to shake this feeling of being rather overwhelmed, or on edge; maybe it’s just because I have not been sleeping enough and am juggling a couple projects, but I suspect some of the background energy I’m running is related to Uranus hanging out in that last degree of Aries for what seems like an eternity. Hopefully you’re having an easier time of it.

Photo by Amanda Painter.

We have just over another week before Uranus finally enters Taurus on March 6. Later that same day is the Pisces New Moon. And the day before that, on March 5, Mercury will station retrograde in Pisces.

In other words, we’re winding down a lunar cycle; a major planet is gearing up to leave a high-energy sign; and the planet of the mind is starting to apply the brakes in a sign known for being highly sensitive to psychic and emotional energy.

If you think about it, that perfectly describes a potentially challenging mix of urgency and waning (or compromised) energy.

None of this is permanent. Which means that you really only have to figure out how to get from one moment to the next. Yes, there are goals and deadlines and desires and plans to factor in. But much of that will take care of itself and unfold as it needs to if you can just focus on your primary needs at any given time, one day to the next.

Between now and next week, here are a few astrological highlights that may prove useful:

Tuesday is the last quarter Moon, with the Moon in early Sagittarius squaring the Pisces Sun and the centaur planet Nessus (the Sun makes its exact conjunction to Nessus on Wednesday). You might want to notice when you’re identifying more strongly than is needed with outdated hurts and emotional patterns. Remember the difference between simply sharing what’s going on with you and unloading a lot of emotional or psychic energy onto an innocent bystander.

A square from Ceres in Sagittarius to the Sun offers another option to seeking sympathy, which for many people is their default mode: it might actually feel more nurturing to exert the freedom you have to explore a new experience. The same could be said for how helping another to succeed has this beautiful way of distracting us from our own difficulty long enough to feel better — with the added benefit of channeling the energy into something more constructive.

Simplified chart section for the Pisces New Moon. Clockwise from left: Mars and Uranus in Taurus; Eris and Chiron in Aries; Mercury (retrograde), Vesta, Neptune, the Moon, the Sun and Nessus in Pisces; Venus in Aquarius. View glyph key here.

Even so, Uranus is not simply sliding quietly into Taurus. On Friday, Venus in the last degree of Capricorn makes a square to Uranus — a little more than four hours before Venus enters Aquarius.

That’s likely to come as some form of edginess in intimate relationships — though there are certain edges that can be a lot of fun when you’re talking about love and sex.

Leaving aside the obvious BDSM jokes (Capricorn, ruled by Saturn, being the sign of limits and restrictions), Venus-Uranus squares often indicate a need to seek stimulation. Lots of things count for that — anything from flirting with someone new (just don’t take it too seriously or pile too much expectation on it), to provoking an argument with a lover just to get some sparks and energy moving. You (or a partner) may feel a need to get something out in the open, which is rarely a bad thing — though it will show you how flexible the relationship is (or is not).

Hint: the more open a relationship is to new experiences, the easier this aspect will likely be. This might even be a useful teaser for Uranus moving into Taurus next week, since that sign is ruled by Venus. Taurus and Venus are not one and the same, but there are important resonances. Once Venus moves into Aquarius on Friday, it might be easier to take a slightly more detached approach to anything that’s gotten riled up.

In the meantime, you’ll want to begin battening down the proverbial hatches as Mercury prepares to station retrograde in a week: back up your computer; get a handle on your finances and any backlogged correspondence; either get your taxes done ASAP or plan to tackle them after Mercury stations direct on March 28. Also, since we’re talking Mercury in Pisces, it might be worthwhile to dedicate some time to ‘psychic hygiene’ — whatever that means to you in terms of your self care, checking on your energetic boundaries, and keeping your intuition grounded in reality.

Actually, that’s a good practice no matter what the astrology is, and no matter what the day of the week.