March is a month of change, reflection, and taking things slow. We enter Retrograde Season now, and things can feel a little heavy at times. Right as we enter March, Venus goes retrograde in Aries. Venus only goes retrograde every 18 months or so, so this is one of the more significant astrological transits of the year. Venus will be retrograde in Aries from March 1 to March 27, and then in Pisces from March 27 to April 12.
While Venus is retrograde in Aries, love and relationship matters need some navigating. There can be a lack of direction when it comes to love this month, and this is overall occurring to put you in a better position within your relationships and relight the spark in you.
This month also begins Eclipse Season, and the first one of the year will be a Full Moon Lunar Eclipse in Virgo on March 14. This Eclipse is a full circle moment and will be a time of clearing the air, getting organized, making space, and finding the gifts within the changes you are moving through right now. Lunar Eclipses are a time to allow things to settle in rather than make any drastic moves, and being in Virgo, a lot of this has to do with the healing needed to get things back in order. This Eclipse opposes the Sun currently in Pisces, and there is beauty in the culmination.
March 2025 Astrology: Retrograde Season, Eclipses & Major Shifts
Mercury goes retrograde in Aries from March 15 to March 29 and then will be retrograde in Pisces from March 29 to April 7. This is the first Mercury retrograde of the year, and in Aries, brings a dynamic and passionate energy. This is not the best month to take any unnecessary risks, and playing it safe may turn out to be for the best right now. Mercury retrograde in Aries can cause clashes, power struggles, and a need for greater independence and freedom.
Don’t rush what you are trying to communicate or get across right now, and know that patience will lead you to better places than mental overexertion will.
Aries Season begins on March 20, and this is going to help pick up the pace and create more opportunities after the setbacks that may have prevailed this month. On March 29, the New Moon Solar Eclipse in Aries happens, creating a breakthrough from what you have been initiating and taking action on since April 2023. This is a powerful Eclipse and is bringing forth the manifestations from all the work you have done. Before the month ends, Neptune enters Aries, where this dreamy planet will remain until 2039.
Neptune in Aries drives us to pursue our creative and spiritual pursuits and gives us the boost of energy needed to see our dreams and inspirations through. Overall, through the changes and detours happening in March, there is a light at the end of the tunnel and a new journey awaiting you.
Read for your Sun and Rising Sign below to see what March has in store for you.
What Does March 2025 Have in Store for Your Zodiac Sign?
ARIES
AriesKyra Jay for xoNecoleMarch is one of the most if not the most important months for you, Aries. All eyes are on you, and most of the energy of March is in your sign. This begins with Venus going retrograde in Aries on March 1 until March 27. While Venus is retrograde in your sign, you are learning how to love yourself radically, and what that may mean for your relationships moving forward. Mercury also goes retrograde in your sign this month and will be guiding you toward inner clarity. Be careful with miscommunications in March, and focus on communicating your vision with strength.
Aries Season officially begins on March 20, and there is light at the end of the tunnel. You are ready for a new beginning and are embarking on it now. On March 29, there is a New Moon Solar Eclipse in your sign, and you are ready to embrace the beauty in your life and will be moving through a lot of fortunate changes during this time. Neptune then enters your sign on March 30 and will be in Aries until 2039, and you are moving into a creative, inspiring, and magical time.
TAURUS
TaurusKyra Jay for xoNecoleTake things one day at a time this month, Taurus. Your ruling planet Venus is retrograde for the entire month, and you need some time to process things right now. The focus is on your healing, your truth, and your patience, and emotionally you are moving through a time of growth. With Mercury also retrograde and in your 12th house of closure, the past may be coming up for you a lot this month but remember that this is for your healing and not for you to repeat old patterns or mistakes.
On March 14, a Full Moon Lunar Eclipse will be held in fellow earth sign, Virgo, and this is an opportunity for closure and to grow closer to your heart. You are letting go of how you thought things would be, and owning what you are creating in your life now. Overall, this month is about not letting yourself overthink things that are still coming to fruition for you, and being patient with it all. Venus will be retrograde until April 12; use this time to get to know yourself better.
GEMINI
GeminiKyra Jay for xoNecoleEverything's coming together for you this month, Gemini. You are looking at the full picture and accomplishing what you have set out to do this year. With Venus and Mercury both retrograde in an area of your life having to do with friendships, community, aspirations, and social life; this isn’t the best time for meeting new people, but it is a time for understanding the social dynamics in your life better, and for creating greater harmony and connection here.
On March 14, there is a Full Moon Lunar Eclipse in Virgo, and you are ready to let go of foundations that haven’t been serving you. You are no longer building things that don’t sustain and you are thinking a lot about the long-term of your life and creating plans in this way. Overall, March is about seeing things with new eyes, and trusting that you have done everything you needed to do to be where you want to be.
CANCER
CancerKyra Jay for xoNecoleMarch is a month of progress, Cancer. You are moving at full speed ahead and going after the things you have wanted for yourself. Life is happening for you right now, and you are excited about the opportunities that present themselves this month. Remember to keep two feet planted and ground yourself in the present moment, but know that things are really picking up for you in March.
A Full Moon Lunar Eclipse is happening in your 3rd house of communication mid-month, and this is helping you let go of any miscommunications that have been flowing in your world. You are looking at things a lot differently this month and this new perspective is helping you let go of a version of yourself you don’t resonate with anymore. Before the month ends, Venus retrograde enters Pisces, and this impacts your sense of adventure. Be careful with unnecessary risks over the next few weeks, and try to look at the bigger picture right now.
LEO
LeoKyra Jay for xoNecoleMarch is a month of letting things come to fruition and moving through life knowing that they will, Leo. While we are in the midst of Retrograde Season, there is a lot for you to process right now, especially regarding your plans for the future, your perspective, mind, and belief systems. You are asking yourself all the important questions this month, but it’s important to give yourself grace and compassion within this process.
The more you focus on nurturing your world instead of forcing things to unfold, the better this month. The Sun is in your 8th house of rebirth for most of March, and there are a lot of changes happening in your life right now. Own how these things play out for you. At the end of the month, there is a New Moon Solar Eclipse happening in your 2nd house of abundance, and your intentions are manifesting in your life. You are leaving the month seeing the gifts of your patience and walking with your head held high.
VIRGO
VirgoKyra Jay for xoNecoleIn March you are taking some time for yourself, Virgo. You have been through a lot as of late, and you need some space to process everything that has occurred. You are walking away from the things that no longer resonate, and are leading with your heart and with self-love right now. Your ruling planet Mercury goes retrograde this month from March 14 through April 7, and this is a good time to get clear on health matters and to see where things can use some reworking or replanning. Taking care of yourself can look many different ways this month, just make sure you are doing so.
On March 14, the first Eclipse of the year happens, and this Full Moon Lunar Eclipse will be in your sign, Virgo. You are moving through massive changes this month, and the key here is in letting go. Don’t hold onto things too tightly when they are falling away from your life, and trust that where you are going right now is better than where you have been. Overall, this month is about empowering yourself toward change.
LIBRA
LibraKyra Jay for xoNecoleThis is a month of collaboration, dedication, and effort, Libra. You are taking care of your priorities and crossing off the to-do list this month, and a lot is going on for you. With the Sun in your 6th house of health, work, and daily routines, this is a time for seeing the results of your efforts and for feeling more energetic and alive in the workplace and within the actions you are taking right now. However, with Venus and Mercury both retrograde and in your opposite sign this month, love is on the back burner as you figure out what your heart needs.
On March 29, one of the most important New Moons of the year for you occurs and this is the New Moon Solar Eclipse in Aries. This New Moon is when you finally get some closure and some answers you have been looking for in love over the past few years, and when you feel more in tune with your partnerships. Things are changing for you as the month ends, and they are moving in a better direction for you and your heart.
SCORPIO
ScorpioKyra Jay for xoNecoleMarch is about doing what is best for you and your health, rather than entertaining negative patterning or people, Scorpio. The gift this month is in letting go and not allowing yourself to get overly attached to things that haven’t been serving you. With Venus retrograde in your 6th house of health and daily routine this month, it’s important to take matters here a little more seriously and to put your peace and well-being first.
The first Lunar Eclipse of the year happens on March 14, and this highlights your friendships, hopes and dreams, and sense of community. The people you associate with or surround yourself with are changing for you right now, and this begins a journey of letting go that will be with you until 2027. You are recognizing what is authentic to you and your dreams, and what has been holding you back from obtaining that. Overall, you are moving through the month asking yourself the important questions and making the necessary moves to protect your peace.
SAGITTARIUS
SagittariusKyra Jay for xoNecolePerspective is everything this month, and it’s important to go at your own pace, Sagittarius. Everything is coming into full focus for you and this is changing the way you look at some of the experiences you have been through. Mercury and Venus are both retrograde in your 5th house of romance, happiness, and self-expression, and you may be feeling like you need to relight the spark in your life. Look for the experiences that make you feel grounded, authentic, safe, and joyful, and spend more time there.
Juno goes retrograde in your sign from March 19 until April 15, and you are doing a lot of reassessing when it comes to your relationships right now. Ask yourself what a soulmate or a soul connection looks like for you at this time in your life. How can you authentically show up in your relationships or experiences right now, to attract these types of authentic connections? Before the month ends there is a Solar Eclipse in Aries, creating a breakthrough for you in love and a chance for a new beginning.
CAPRICORN
CapricornKyra Jay for xoNecoleMarch is a fun month for you, Capricorn. Celebrations are in store and you are really leaning upon the people who make you happy. With the Sun in your 3rd house of communication for most of the month, you are having a lot of good conversations, meeting new people, and enjoying the life you have created for yourself. Even with the retrogrades happening this month you are overcoming as you always do, and having more fun than usual at the same time.
A Lunar Eclipse in Virgo happens on March 14, and this is wrapping up an adventure you have been on and fueling your quest for knowledge. You are mentally seeing things with a new perspective right now, and this is an inspiring and hopeful one. On March 27, Venus goes retrograde, and you are leaving the month needing more downtime from your social calendar and will be taking the time to relax your mind and create some space. Remember that you are loved, Capricorn.
AQUARIUS
AquariusKyra Jay for xoNecoleMarch is a new beginning for you and your financial world, Aquarius. You are taking on new opportunities, and developing professionally, and some Aquariuses may begin a new career venture this month as well. All the intentions you have been setting and the efforts you have made are showing fruition for you now, and with the Sun in your 2nd house of income for most of the month, you are feeling a sense of abundance in your life that is lighting up your world. There is a lot to look forward to, and you deserve these wins.
With Mercury and Venus both retrograde in your 3rd house of communication this month, however, be careful with acting on impulse or creating confusion in communication matters by not leading with transparency. Before the month ends there is a New Moon Solar Eclipse, and this will be a breakthrough for you in clearing up any chaos and creating more order and understanding in your life and interactions. Overall, March is your month of opening new doors and owning the abundance you are finding yourself in.
PISCES
PiscesKyra Jay for xoNecoleMarch moves fast for you, Pisces. You have a lot going on, but you are appreciating this pickup in pace. Your guidance for the month is to focus on your new beginnings, the present moment, and the good that is unfolding for you. This is Pisces Season and you deserve to enjoy where life is and everything you have become in the process. The light is shining on you, and there is a lot of support moving you forward in March. The Lunar Eclipse happening on March 14 is in your sister sign, Virgo, and the clarity you have been needing in love is blooming for you mid-month.
Venus and Mercury are both retrograde this month, and they move into your sign to finish their retrograde transit. Venus will be retrograde in Pisces from March 27 to April 12 and Mercury from March 29 to April 7. Leaving the month, you could feel a bit off and like you don’t know where you want to go from here. Know that these challenges are arising for you to get clearer on who you are and the things you want for yourself, and in mid-April, you are going to have an inner clarity and confidence bloom that will be worth the confusion.
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As I quickly ran down my “Christmas list” of desires, as I came towards the end and then looked him in the eyes (because we were walking), he calmly and simply said, “I can be that.” Chile…CHILE. It took me close to a year of discovering so many cryptic things about him for me to realize that there is a really big difference between what someone “can be” vs. who they actually are — and that oversharing can set you up for dating a character more than a genuine individual. Lesson learned. Lesson freakin’ learned.
I can’t lie, though — when I recently read about a current dating trend known as “floodlighting,” from my own personal experience, that’s probably the closest that I’ve ever come to it. I think it’s because, since I’m so open with damn near everyone and also, since my past pattern has mostly consisted of taking friendships into something more (as opposed to dating people who I barely know), I’ve never really taken the classic floodlighting approach to try and connect with someone else.
I do have clients who have, though — and the trend is concerning enough that I definitely thought that it was worth writing about; mostly as a PSA to not floodlight and also to be cautious if you sense that someone is currently in the process of trying to floodlight you.
And just what do I mean when I say that? Read on, sis. Read on.
Floodlighting. According to Author Brené Brown.
GiphyBest-selling author, podcaster, and professor Brené Brown is a pretty popular person. Since quotes are my thing, that’s probably how I “connect” with her most because I like things that she has been credited for saying like “Maybe stories are just data with a soul,” “The dark does not destroy the light; it defines it” and “Shame corrodes the very part of us that believes we are capable of change.”
And since self-reflection is such a big part of her platform, it didn’t really surprise me when I found out that she is actually credited for coming up with the term “floodlighting.” It would seem that in her audiobook, The Power of Vulnerability: Teachings of Authenticity, Connections, and Courage, she stated this:
“Oversharing? Not vulnerability; I call it floodlighting. ... A lot of times we share too much information as a way to protect us from vulnerability, and here's why.
I'm scared to let you know that I just wrote this article and I'm under total fire for it and people are making fun of me and I'm feeling hurt — the same thing that I told someone in an intimate conversation. So what I do is I floodlight you with it — I don't know you very well or I'm in front of a big group, or it's a story that I haven't processed enough to be sharing with other people — and you immediately respond ‘hands up; push me away’ and I go, ‘See? No one cares about me. No one gives a s*** that I'm hurting. I knew it.'
It's how we protect ourselves from vulnerability. We just engage in a behavior that confirms our fear.”
If that was a bit challenging to follow, what Brené is basically saying is…well, you know how sometimes you will watch a post on social media by someone you don’t know, your first reaction is something like “Ugh. TMI.” and then you may actually say some form of that in their comment section? If others join in with your sentiment, the poster may follow up with a second video about that being why they don’t share their lives — it’s because people only take shots at them for doing so. Yeah, social media? Oh, there is PLENTY of floodlighting that goes on up in there, chile.
Okay, but what would be the strategy for floodlighting if it proves to be such a risky approach to connecting with other people? According to Brené, by sharing too much information about ourselves only to then receive some level of rejection for it — it’s kind of a “hurt you before you hurt me” kind of thing.
Meaning, “I’m not the best at cultivating intimacy and so, if I overshare and you pull back, I can make you be the ‘bad guy’ for rejecting me which makes all of this a test that you failed instead of my choosing to create an authentic connection and owning my part if things don’t end up working out.”
And yes, many people do this because, at the end of the day, they aren’t very comfortable with genuine intimacy. They also do it because they don’t really get that, when it comes to intimacy, another word should be the goal instead of vulnerability anyway.
I’ll explain.
It’s Important to Remember What Vulnerability Means
GiphyAsk pretty much any of my clients about what I think about the word “vulnerable” when it comes to marriage and they’ll tell you that I am not a fan. That’s because I lean into being pretty word-literal (as far as original definitions go) and I am aware that vulnerable means things like “capable of or susceptible to being attacked, damaged, or hurt,” “open to moral attack, criticism, temptation, etc.”
And y’all, for the life of me, I don’t know why anyone would choose to vow to spend their lives with an individual who they would need to be vulnerable with because, if your partner is susceptible to damaging you or they leave you open to attack or temptation — does that sound healthy to you? Yeah, me neither.
So, what word do I prefer then? Dependent. And what’s so wild to me is the fact that our culture is so used to the word “vulnerable” that many, even when it comes to their close connections, are far more uncomfortable with the word “dependent” — and boy, ain’t that a damn shame. Dependent is all that I want to be with my intimate dynamics because that’s all about “relying on someone or something else for aid, support, etc.” — and that is what you should do with your closest friends and definitely who you are in a romantic relationship with.
In fact, if the relationship is solid, it should be interdependent: “mutually dependent; depending on each other.” However, the thing to keep in mind with getting to the point where you can rely on someone is it takes time. While vulnerability, on some levels, can be rushed and semi-forced, dependency is an organic experience that occurs from life simply…happening.
Now keep all of this in mind as we explore how floodlighting reveals itself in a dating situation.
Floodlighting. When It Comes to Dating.
GiphyOnce I processed floodlighting, as far as dating is concerned, it actually made me think of people who have sex very quickly in the beginning of a relationship. I’m pretty sure that at least 70 percent of us know of someone who has raved about a person who they’ve only gone out on a couple of dates with. However, because they’ve already had sex with them and it was really good, suddenly, they believe that they’ve met the one.
Y’all, it truly can’t be said enough that “an oxytocin high” does not true intimacy make — oh, but because it feels amazing, it can have you out here thinking that something lasting and real has transpired when really, there hasn’t been enough moments shared or experiences had to know that for sure. However, since the sex was rushed, it can cause you to want to speed up the relationship too. It can tempt you to be like, “I mean, if we’re great in bed, surely we will be amazing in other rooms of the house too.” Floodlighting is a lot like this.
If you meet someone and you like the potential of what it could be, you might be tempted to want to, like Brené said in her book: OVERSHARE. It could be oversharing as it relates to some personal traumas that you’ve experienced. It could be oversharing as it relates to intimate details about your past relationships. It could be oversharing as it relates to your mistakes and flaws. It could be oversharing as it relates to your sex life. It could be oversharing as it relates to all of the expectations and demands (along with why) that you have.
The reason for doing this? It could be that you’re hoping the person will take it all in without any pushback which will cause you to believe that you both are immediately on the same page or it could be that you are attempting to fast-track the relationship by believing that if you share all of who you are during date one or two (or even four), they will do the same and — ding — an instant relationship.
See, more than anything else, floodlighting is a test. It’s a bit manipulative. It’s potentially stressful. And, more times than not, it ends up backfiring. And then, if it backfires, because it was a test, you can blame them for not rising up to the occasion.
Please tell me that you get how toxic this all is. For one thing, no one wants to be tested like this. Secondly, it’s unfair to expect someone to be “all in” with a person who they are just getting to know. Third, you have layers to you — all of us do — and it can be overwhelming for someone to be expected to learn, retain, and even accept all of the layers at once. Yeah, one thing that I like about the term floodlighting is it has the word “flood” in it. Water? We’re made up of mostly water, so of course, it’s good for us. Being flooded by water, though? That could harm or even destroy us.
In many ways, trying to force intimacy onto another person…it manifests in a similar way. Of course, you should share what makes you…you. A bit at a time, though, while letting time do its thing. Too much too soon is…exactly that.
How to Cultivate Healthy Intimacy in the Beginning Stages of a Relationship
GiphySo, what are some things that you can do to avoid being a floodlighter?
See your intel as privileged information.
Everything about you is special and special things should be earned. That said, as you get to know someone, OVER TIME, you’ll be able to see if they can be trusted with your thoughts, feelings and ultimately your heart — and no, that can’t happen on the first couple of dates. Y’all, it really can’t be said enough that instant chemistry doesn’t mean that intimacy should be expected to happen overnight.
In other words, just because you see the potential for something awesome with another person, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t wait to see if the individual’s words and actions, consistently so, can complement the elation that you feel. Share a little. See how they respond. At another time, share a little bit more. See how they react. Rinse and repeat. Patiently and intentionally so.
Stop trying to pull stuff out of people.
There are all kinds of ways to be manipulating and controlling — and deciding that someone should move at your pace in a relationship is a way to be both things. In other words, not everyone is emotionally unavailable or immature simply because they don’t want to share every childhood experience or their relationship stories with you by date three.
No doubt, a lot of people self-sabotage something that could’ve been good because they were rushing someone to move outside of their comfort zone — knowing damn well that they would’ve had a problem with that if the shoe was on the other foot. Chill…what someone wants to tell you, they will. If they don’t? All you can — and should — do is decide if you want to move forward or not. That doesn’t require force on your part to come to that conclusion.
Nervousness is one thing. Being fearful is something else.
If the reason why you’re floodlighting is because you’re scared that people will not accept you or that they will abandon you, it really is best to put dating aside for a season and get into some therapy. Because, while being nervous about a potentially new relationship is completely understandable, being afraid of organic intimacy and then doing things that can hinder or prevent it is something completely different.
Put the tests away.
Listen, if you recall the tests that you took back in school, I have no clue why you’d want to put others through tests now that you’re a big-time adult. Tests are stressful, pressuring and sometimes, no matter how smart you are, you’re not going to perform well on them because you’re simply not a good test-taker (some of y’all will catch that later). There’s no need to “test” someone to see if they can take all of who you are. Again, time will reveal that on its own.
___
Personally, I think that floodlighting is so common that folks don’t even realize that they’re doing it or how problematic it actually is. Hopefully, this helps to shed some light.
Vulnerability tests? Uh-uh.
Seeing if someone can be depended on to care for you as you are? Relax. Time. Will. Reveal.
Now go on your date(s) and have fun. Damn. #winkLet’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
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