Astrology of April 2023
“The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.” - Alan Watts
This month we find ourselves within the cosmic landscape that is palpably different and unfamiliar to our energetic bodies. Mars now is in Cancer, Saturn is in Pisces and Pluto in Aquarius! Just know that it will take some time for us to ease into this new order of things, start integrating and gain awareness about what these changes have in store for us, beyond our expectations and assumptions. So as much as we sense the new visions forming and new ideas emerging, we need to try and find resonance in this process, and for that we need to loosen the grip of expectations and observe as we slowly and deliberately move through this finally changing reality.
April rushes in with lots of Arian fire and determination to use the ramblings of the collective edge (Pluto in Aquarius) to move us from the tendencies of self obstruction and continuous minimization of our individual gifts, towards radical autonomy over our selfhood, which is what ultimately going to be a root of collective liberation. With the Sun in Aries and its ruler Mars in Cancer for most of the month we are discovering the deep reservoir of persistence and inner trust, but the kind of trust that is very subtle and can be only found in the moments when we allow ourselves to be intimate with our true essence, moments when we exit the loop of urgency, and only act from a place of nourishment. The warrior in the home of the cardinal water needs to learn how to move with real, grounded intention, otherwise the fog and the heat can get overwhelming and rush to our heads with all sorts of emotional responses.
This month is the opening of the Eclipse Season, and the first Solar Eclipse on the Aries/Libra axis is taking us to a new set of lessons. This is the shift of focus from the Universe, the pulling force now comes into the part of our chart where Aries sits. The crystallization of the self follows the crystallization of our core values ( North Node has been in Taurus for nearly 16 months). We are now bound to learn some very important lessons on the give and take dynamics in our lives.
The sweet point of April arrives on April 11th with the annual Sun/Jupiter conjunction, but this is a really prominent one, as it is kicking off the new synodic cycle of yearly Sun/Jupiter conjunctions for next 12 years. And with the exalted Sun we can expect some really life affirming seeds being put in the ground this month.
By the end of the month Mercury prepares to take us on the journey of recalibration and reconsideration of some of the deals, agreements and plans according to how stable, sustainable and value affirming they are. As Venus and Mercury are in mutual reception from April 11th till May 7th, we need to be flexible in how we go about getting what we want, but not too flexible about what it is we really want. We are not settling during this time, but we are opening up to the paths that might get us where we want to go with more ease and fun.
April 3rd: Mercury enters Taurus
In the beginning of April Mercury enters the sign of Taurus where the quicksilver will be retrograding at the end of the month. The ingression of Mercury in Taurus is accompanied by the square to Pluto in Aquarius. This is the first of many many fixed squares from Pluto to planets in Taurus. In the next 20 years we are going to shift some fixed mental attitudes about the way we negotiate when it comes to our values and this shift will help us speak up about our needs and our value with greater power. The friction takes place between our inherent worth and the technological control that will gradually creep on more and more with this Mercury/Pluto 20 year dance
Mercury in Taurus doesn’t want to learn something just for the sake of learning, learning has to serve some concrete and clearly defined purpose. The mind is concerned with providing and accommodating our earthly needs. This Mercury learns more from daily experiences with nature, than from books or teachers. A touch of skepticism towards new, untested ideas can be useful as long as we don’t become too rigid in our process. The flow for this Mercury is found through form and patience. Coming to any decision is a carefully measured and deliberate process. The common sense and the application of our words and ideas to concrete, real and earthy concerns is preferred with this Mercury. Mercury in Taurus teaches us to savor the pause between the thought and the word spoken.
April 6th: Full Moon at 16 degrees on Libra at 12:34 am EST
Full Moon in the sign of scales offers us an opportunity to find closure within the endings that might have happened a while ago, endings that had to take place so we could reclaim the parts of ourselves that have been neglected within the time and space of holding on to people, ideas, places that required that sacrifice. The opposition to Chiron with Sun and Jupiter acts as a magnifier for all that has been imbalanced to start coming into greater alignment, internal alignment primarily. The ability to see both sides of an equation, really understand the opposite perspective, but not let this understanding to compromise the values and needs we hold close to our heart is how closure happens. Understanding the needs of the other is not a prerequisite for self abandonment, and parting with that wiring is incredibly healing. Balance is a constant dance, we never arrive there, we just thrive towards harmony through knowing when to choose oneself and when to compromise. And no one but us knows where this delicate line lies.
April 11th: Sun conjunct Jupiter at 21 degrees of Aries
The conjunction of the two power giants, Jupiter and Sun, that takes place every year is even more buzzing as Sun is exalted in Aries, and this will kick off a new 12 year cycle of Sun/Jupiter conjunctions of expansion and elevated awareness. Leading up to the conjunction Jupiter is in a way being swallowed by the Sun, and as Jupiter goes through the heart of the Sun it is getting purified and infused with solar energy to keep seeking, keep learning and keep making discoveries. As do we, with the help of the great benefic and the day time luminary.
This is as optimistic as it gets, but with Jupiter in the rays of the Sun, we need to keep our egos in check, optimism, confidence yes, but if grandiosity or arrogance start showing up, we are off the mark. Interesting to note the ruler of this conjunction is Mars in the sign of Jupiter’s exaltation in Cancer, while Moon is in her fall in Capricorn. We are planting the seeds with a hope that our exuberant spirit and generosity will be received with care and nurture, but without a mature perspective on what it will take for these beginnings to take root and grow, we may burn ourselves out in a short span of time with overzealousness and impractical behavior. This conjunction is a promise of opportunity, with a set of conditions. The conditions are, watching out for emotional decisions ( even happy ones), not underestimating what it takes to keep the momentum going, not falling into excessive focus on material things and allowing our egos to fall into dogmatic narratives about our purpose. The Sun within has a chance to receive a higher perspective of the journey ahead, this is time to meet life as we are, filled with fire and deep seated awareness of what drives us towards higher views and continuous expansion.
April 11th: Venus enters Gemini
Venus leaves its home sign of Taurus, and enters Gemini on the same day we have Sun/Jupiter conjunction in Aries. As Venus enters Gemini she forms a powerful trine to Pluto in Aquarius and a couple days later square to Saturn in Pisces. Like all the inner planets transits this year, the tone of Venus in Gemini is very different due to the influence from outer planets. Venus in Gemini absorbs information, what we do with that information is going to be a very interesting experience with Pluto and Saturn in the mix in the first few days of the transit. The fluidity and playfulness of this Venus in Gemini can really stir some interesting channels of information and communication opening up. Our stability right now is based on how flexible and adaptable we are willing to be. With the lighthearted, mischievous and fun loving attitude of Venus in Gemini, she has a very important job to do, it is to connect to joys, values and pleasures that are authentic and aligned with the moment in time we find ourselves in. And this Venus understands that the only way to do that is through the path of trial and error. Learning about love and our values by saying yes to the experiences and sharing all that we have uncovered with the world is the domain of this Venus. Now is the time to elevate our relationship to a spoken and written word, to use it to speak of what we value, to gently persuade and to woo the energies we desire come into our life.
April 20th: New Moon Solar Eclipse at 29 degrees of Aries at 12:12 am EST
Saros 129
The first Eclipse on Aries/Libra axis is a New Moon Solar Eclipse, that falls in the 29th anaretic degree of Aries. Also this is the second new moon in Aries, all the arrows are pointing to the need of focusing on the aspirations and goals that are so precious to us, to our individual nature and have an innocence of life
Eclipses are a pause, between past and the future, between inhale and exhale, it’s the time of anticipation of what move the Universe has in store for us. Patience is always required during the Eclipses, patience not to act out of frustration, fear or anger. Yes, Eclipses carry destined energy to them, but it is our ability to be grounded and humble in the face of these lessons, determines the unfolding of the events. So much is in the tempered response, so much is in our ability to observe and to wait during this time.
This Eclipse forms a square to Pluto in Aquarius, while its ruler is in Cancer. Can we concentrate on the small, personal matters that are really significant, on the matters that can lead us to safety, well being and a sense of belonging in time? Holding on to the focus, without spreading ourselves too thin is an ultimate exercise of power right now. Little things we can really manage can make a huge difference this season. The moment we start losing ourselves in the grand, overwhelming narratives, we are giving away power during this Eclipse season. With the ruler of the Eclipse in Cancer we need to watch out for doing anything out of spite, we need to watch where our vital energy flows now more acutely than ever.
April 20th: Sun enters Taurus
Just hours after the Solar Eclipse in Aries, Sun enters Taurus and forms a square to Pluto in Aquarius. As with every other transit this month, this is the beginning of a long story, things will be revealed to us in small increments over the next 20 years. The fixed square between Sun and Pluto is about the profound change required from the collective to preserve the most valuable things in our lives. This is about a clash between the traditional authorities and new technocratic powers, this transit screams ugly fight for resources, especially land and all that it has to offer. But more on that later.
Taurus season is ruled by Venus, a time when we focus our attention on the value of pleasure that sinks deep into our core, we find pleasure in the places we haven’t been before, the pleasure so radical and transformative, that it changes the fabric of our lives. Taurian energy craves comfort and familiarity, it basically invented stability. But this time around what we have deemed to be stable for so long is in a state of profound change, the tectonic shifts brought by Uranus are not here to preserve the status quo of what we consider to be fundamental, it is here to clear out the way for a better foundation.
This Taurus season is also an Eclipse season, time to let the Universe speak, time to respond deliberately, not reactively. The place we find ourselves in this month is a place of deep re-alignment with our values, here we ought to find security within ourselves, within our purpose and within the joy of pleasure rooted in the respect for the place we all call home. This Taurus season invites us to shift our relationship to abundance and stability. The beauty of the existence in between creation and potential, the season to delight in the stillness of the moment, waiting and sensing our way into the future are all the gifts of Taurean time.
April 21st: Mercury goes retrograde at 15 degrees of Taurus
Mercury starts its retrograde in Taurus just a couple degrees shy of meeting Uranus. Symbolically we are preparing to see how stagnan our understanding of stability and pleasure has become, we are preparing with this retrograde to reconsider the lens through which we make agreements, we reconsider the language we have attached to our value systems, we ultimately clear the narratives of lack within our bodies. The ruler of this retrograde is Venus in Gemini, and here the choice becomes very apparent, the choice is between familiar beliefs or the requirement for mutation of pseudo certainty and rigidity. We are asked to maybe return to some of the skills and talents we have not paid much attention to in the past, or we need to develop a new set of skills in regards to what brings us stability, pleasure and joy.