Increased retrograde motion occurs during the month of April. We start the month with both Jupiter and Saturn retrograde. During April, Mars turns retrograde on the 17th, Pluto retrogrades on the 18th and Mercury retrogrades on the 28th.
On the 5th of April, the Sun trines Saturn, Mercury exits Aries to enter Taurus, and Venus exits Pisces to enter Aries. Venus is in Detriment in Aries, a Sign in which it is uncomfortable with a liability towards narcissism. We can set down the structure and strategy of our new goals with a greater appreciation for a go-slow disposition. We might be a little more self-involved, willing to go it alone or emphasize our own particular interests with little consideration as to the effects on other people. Any sense of compassion can be lost to a greater focus on the rewards of our efforts, our return on investment. We may take a far more serious turn, but it would be wise for us to not only consider the consequences of our actions but also to give thought to its potential impact on other people. We can become slightly more stubborn, more wanting to have it our way and less considerate of other people’s interests.
A day before the Aries New Moon on the 7th, we are on the dark side of the Moon and have the Sun square Pluto on the 6th. Our intentions could run afoul of certain standards or regulations. We might feel limited by our responsibilities or restrained by authority and its figures. This is a good time for us to trim the sails, streamline operations and rid ourselves of things that may be holding us back.
‘Out with the old, in with the new’ could be our slogan on the 6th – 7th of April.
The 6th can have us eliminating the superfluous and outmoded from our lives. The 7th allows us new doors to open, often without our even having knocked on the door. The Aries New Moon on the 7th is within orb of a conjunction with Uranus and within orb of a trine to Saturn. Our creative abilities may be at a high pitch with us finding that things are neatly falling into place. Not only is magic in the air. We could experience various situations in which we can shine. Prospects might be cascading virtually out of nowhere. We just need to recognize that the paradigm shift of asequential reality is in operation and be receptive to the wondrous surprises that may come our way. And to add to the wonder of this day, this New Moon imprint influences the next two weeks up to the Full Moon on the 22nd.
Much of these two weeks from the April New Moon to the April Full Moon are a time for us to have our antennae up, work with peripheral vision and be open to the possibilities, even the seemingly impossible. We may feel as though we have stepped into a wonderland, a dimension where things flow freely and unexpectedly and allow us greater autonomy and freedom of movement.
The 9th of April has the Sun conjunct Uranus. We may be expressing a new side of ourselves, embracing a slight quirkiness to emphasize our individuality. We could be exploring new areas of interest, new facets of our being and looking to fully express our free spirit qualities.
The 12th of April has Mercury sextile Neptune and Venus trine Mars. We may have a sense about things, an inner knowing that we are then likely to put into action. This is a time when we can combine our passion with our intuition to devise the best strategy to achieve our aims and then have the energy and the style to pursue our goals. If we take the time to devise our strategy, then our presentation and implementation can be appealing and highly effective. Now is a time for us to take things step by step. We can plan our moves and then execute a best practices approach to realize our plans.
This mid-April period is a significant time to virtually move mountains.
The movement of the planets into Taurus, starting with Mercury on April 5th, also triggers an Earth Grand Trine that will be in effect, at least by Sign, through the third week of May. The Earth Element speaks to manifestation and matters dealing with the mundane, physical world.
On the 14th of April, Mercury trines Jupiter. We can be feeling upbeat and inspired but also willing to methodically plan out the steps necessary to secure our ambitions. We may take things step by step. But we are also focusing on the details and the ‘right’ manner of presentation. We might embrace the age-old sentiment that ‘if we watch the pennies, the dollars will take care of themselves’.
The 17th of April has Mercury trine Pluto and completes the Mercury Earth Grand Trine. First, the Taurus Mercury trines Jupiter on the 14th, and then Mercury trines Pluto on the 17th. While the initial contact of this Grand Trine focuses on the specifics and the particulars, this latter contact allows for solid foundation stones to be laid. We can evaluate and assess the structure of our engagement, for our laser-like vision will cut to the core and leave no stone unturned as we devise a best practices approach.
Despite the Earth Grand Trine triggered by Mercury in the mid-April period, we also have two significant energy shifts as Mars turns retrograde on the 17th, followed by Pluto turning retrograde on the 18th. This can be an explosive time, and we have to be careful in how we work with our physical energy. There can be strains or falls, all by reason of our overdoing or trying to push too hard. Like a volcano percolating only to release in an explosive manner, this mid-April period cautions us not to overreact or be too forceful in expressing ourselves or carrying too much of a heavy load.
The 17th – 18th period in April could have us feeling like the earth is moving under our feet. Apart from people acting out with liability of bomb blasts and terrorist incidents, storm systems could be quite intense around this time and there might be earthquake and volcanic activity. A whole lot of shaking can be happening around this mid-April period.
From a desire for security, we may seek out those people with whom we have a past, those people we look to for affirmation that there is stability and regularity in our world, feelings that seem increasingly rare during these shapeshifting times.
The Sun exits Aries to enter Taurus on the 19th of April and reinforces by Sign the Earth Grand Trine. Our impetuousness may die down, but now is a time when we can take the seeds of our intentions, plant them, nourish them in order for them to grow into greater manifestation.
The third week of April also has a great deal of Venus energy, first with Venus trine Saturn on the 18th, followed by Venus square Pluto on the 19th and then Venus conjunct Uranus at the time of the Scorpio Full Moon on the 22nd. Our relationships can go through scrutiny. Although we might want to rely on old connections, we may also find ourselves questioning whether certain relationships are more of the past rather than the present, and much less of our future. We could go through a sifting of our connections, letting go of those that no longer appeal to us and then opening the door to new exciting relationships that seem more akin to whom we are in process of being.
The Scorpio Full Moon on the 22nd comes one week after Tax Day in the US. This Full Moon would be a time for us to consider our financial situation, see what are truly essential expenditures and areas where we can pare down our expenses. We may come to a realization that cutting away some of the high maintenance in our lives allows us more time-space to fill in with new exciting interests and new endeavors. While basic finance and financial budgeting are rarely taught in early education, all of us might use this time to engage due diligence regarding our financial situation with plans of solidifying our base.
Attention to our finances and our carrying costs can be part of the Mercury retrograde that begins on April 28th and runs until the 22nd of May. Murphy’s Law of ‘whatever can go wrong could go wrong’ is in effect. As Mercury is retrograding back through Taurus, we might be questioning our involvements in the world, our career, where we place our energies and how we deal with our resources.
On the 29th of April, Venus exits Aries to enter Taurus, a move from a Sign in which Venus is in Detriment and uncomfortable into a Sign that Venus rules and is highly comfortable. Our attention may turn to style and grace. We might concentrate on our image with personal makeovers of our own appearance and a fix-up of our home environment. We can have greater decorum, be more considerate and look to put our best foot forward.
With Venus coming into Taurus we now have a Stellium of three planets in Taurus as Venus joins the Sun and Mercury in the Fixed Earth Sign and even greater emphasis on the Earth Grand Trine with the Taurus-transiting planets trining Jupiter in Virgo and trining Pluto in Capricorn.
April 2016… Choosing the Seeds and Planting Them…
