Hi Everyone

Happy Spring!  Hope you enjoyed the relative quiet of March, because April promises to be a busy month.  Here are the highlights.

Sign Changes:

Neptune: The planet of illusion, fog, redemption and compassion (how’s that for a combination!) enters her own sign (Pisces) tomorrow (April 4) at 9:36 a.m. EDT.  When a planet is in the sign that it rules, it can express itself more freely and easily than it can in a sign that it isn’t compatible with.  Neptune has just concluded (although she will back into it again) a long transit of Aquarius (an air sign). Neptune doesn’t like the air element very well.  She prefers water or earth.  Pisces, which is the last of the water signs, seeks to merge with all that is and is the sign of faith, service and the addict. If things can get more blurred and I believe they will, we may see an increased emphasis on water, which could include too much water/not enough water, water quality, etc.  (I believe that the tsunami associated with Japan’s earthquake can be attributed to Uranus’ departure from Pisces and entry into Aries.  More on that below).  Anyone with planets in early (0-5) degrees Pisces, Cancer or Scorpio, Virgo, Sagittarius or Gemini will be affected by this change of sign.  Neptune will stay in Pisces (moving very slowly) until August when she will back up (retrograde motion) into Aquarius for a bit. Neptune’s time in Pisces can also herald an increased interest in/commitment to all things spiritual.  It can also mean an increase in not seeing things clearly and in buying into the illusion of this plane.  A classic Neptunian event is the Academy Awards — Neptune rules the film industry. . . .  Need I say more?

Venus: The planet of love, beauty, chocolate and plush bathrobes (preferably blue) will enter Aries on April 21 at 0.06 a.m. EDT.  She doesn’t like Aries.  After all, it’s ruled by the god of war, Mars, who blissfully entered his own sign on April 2 at 0.51 a.m.  So, they may balance each other out, with Venus soothing Mars’ rather impulsive nature.  Or not.  More of the teeter-totter. . .

Sun: The Sun enters Taurus on April 20 at 6:18 a.m.  So all you fixed signs (Leo, Aquarius, Scorpio) and earth signs (Virgo and Capricorn) at early degrees (0-5) enjoy!  It will be good to have some earth (practicality) to slow all the fire in the heavens down a little bit.  After all, earth is a great way to put fire out.

Moon: The new Moon is April 3 at 10:32 a.m. at 13 degrees Aries.  The full Moon is April 17 at 10:44 p.m. at 27 degrees Libra.

Cardinal T-Square:

Uranus: Uranus made a big splash, literally, when it entered Aries last month.  It is now in an increasingly tight/strong relationship with Pluto.  Throughout this month the relationship will get stronger between these two planets.  Uranus destroys outmoded forms and systems; Pluto ferrets out all the dark places and brings them to light.  An example is that oil companies involved in the spill in the Gulf are being rewarded for their great safety accomplishments — how that works is unclear, except possibly to them!  Pluto is bringing all this “business as usual” to light as it transits Capricorn, the sign of business.  Another example is how well the nuclear industry is regulated — or isn’t, which has come to light since the earthquake in Japan. The name of the game is greed and Pluto will expose all the various ways greed is expressed (along with other untruths and misperceptions) during its long transit of earth sign Capricorn.  Uranus is in a fire sign which generally has a “me first” approach to life. The symbol for Aries is the ram, which sometimes charges blindly around.  Jupiter is also in Aries as are Mars and Venus — so there’s a lot of this kind of energy.  Aries can also be reckless, so be mindful of this in your interactions with others.  Anyone with planets in Aries, Cancer, Capricorn or Libra, Sagittarius, Leo, Virgo or Taurus (from 0-10 degrees) will be affected by the current position of Uranus and Pluto.

Saturn: Lest we forget Saturn (how could we!), he’s currently retrograde in Libra.  As he backs up, toward the end of the month, he will tighten his challenging relationship with Uranus (opposition) and Pluto (square).  This will tighten or close the T-Square that I’ve written about before.  He’s currently opposite Jupiter (in Aries) in the heavens, which has the feel of walking with your shoes tied together.  Some will seek peace at any price (Libra); some will take the attitude of “my way or the highway” (Aries).  This relationship will weaken considerably by the end of the month as the planets separate from one another.

Direction Changes:

Mercury:  You’ll all be pleased to know that Mercury goes direct on April 23 at 6:04 a.m.  In the meantime continue to re-group, re-think, re-flect, re-pair.  He will still be in Aries — along with all the other planets it seems.

Pluto: The big deal is that Pluto goes retrograde on April 9 at 4:49 a.m.  This means that his penetrating light that shines on the deepest recesses of whatever it’s focused on can be easily turned inward to attitudes, structures, belief systems, hardened attitudes that we may have and we can get rid of them by lifting them into the light.  It also means that as the month goes on, Pluto’s relationship with Uranus will become increasingly strong (see above).  On an individual level Uranus in Aries can also help us to balance ourselves in relation to others, if we’re the type to put others first. . . . Aries is also about new beginnings.

Remember, always that the stars impel — they don’t compel!  Have a great April!

Peace

Margaret

“The sun shines not on us, but in us.”  — John Muir