The astrology for this week of April 24th through the 30th of 2023 is the first full week of this three-week Mercury retrograde cycle and reminds us to concentrate on the details and not lose sight of the particulars.
The week may be slow starting. We are likely to feel upbeat, a large measure of which may be our traipsing through la-la-land. Let’s not put expectations on ourselves or on others as we begin the week. There just isn’t a great deal of energy to get things going. And what we might engage could be a little confused or off the mark. Irrational exuberance and buying into unrealistic possibilities are liable to trip us up if we seek to be fast out of the starting gate on Monday.
We can get more of a grip on matters as the week unfolds. Perhaps we have gotten our proverbial ‘sea legs’ as we accustom ourselves to the shift in energy brought about by the Mercury retrograde, an energy cycle that enlists Murphy’s Law of ‘whatever can go wrong could go wrong’.
If we keep our head down, pay attention to the details, and take things item by item, we could be highly productive during the mid-week. We just need to avoid trying to do too much, leaping forward and assuming our activities will all turn out successfully.
If we get a little too full of ourselves, our arrogance could trigger a nasty blowback whereby we meet irresistible forces that take us down a notch or two. One of our main challenges during these times is to engage humility. We are no longer sole determiners of how our life is going to unfold [as if we ever were]. More so now during this paradigm shift than ever before, we must learn to work with the energies and the natural unfolding of conditions and circumstance and not try to enforce our will upon the changes and alterations that are likely occurring. These times demand that we be mindful, read the signals, and be flexible and adaptable.
The early part of the weekend offers us the energy to have a good time and find venues that give us an uplift and a confident attitude. We do need to watch our expenses, for we can easily get caught up in the moment and spend more than we anticipated or more than we can truly afford.
The second half of the weekend may have us in tidying and straightening mode. We might prefer to ‘let the good times roll’ but addressing our home environment would help make it more attuned with whom we are becoming and where we choose to be going. Yes, this may be a weekend when we participate in an ‘out with the old, in with the new’. Ridding ourselves of the extraneous and streamlining our operations allow us to be ready for springtime activities and summer fun without being encumbered by the outmoded or dysfunctional. Sunday shopping could land us some remarkable bargains.
Monday, April 24th – Consequences of Irrational Exuberance – Jupiter, Neptune, Moon Void-of-Course. Monday begins with the Gemini Moon sextile Jupiter and the Moon square Neptune. The Moon then goes Void-of-Course for six and a half hours as the Moon finishes its transit of Gemini without making any further connections to the planets and before the Moon enters Cancer on this Monday. We could easily fall into meandering through a world of possibilities, although not all of them may be anywhere near the realm of practicality. But why shouldn’t we consider a wide range of future involvements? Such an attitude can be exhilarating, allows us to step away from our daily, mundane realities, and consider what could be, at least in our mind’s eye. We might play out James Thurber’s The Secret Life of Walter Mitty and imagine ourselves in one successful heroic adventure after another. Not only can our daily routine be a mindless grind, but these tumultuous, disruptive times are liable to frequently throw us into overwhelm and a reactive mode where we feel like pawns in life’s convolutions. There are times when it is important that we allow our imagination to roam, to divest ourselves mentally of the parameters and restraints in our daily living. This Monday can be one of those days. We just need to avoid acting on or acting out some of the more extreme fantasies we come up with. Let’s enjoy our upbeat, optimistic attitude without feeling pressured to put our spirit into action today.
Tuesday, April 25th – Well Thought Out – Sun, Saturn, Mercury, Mars. Tuesday has the Cancer Moon sextile both the Sun and Mercury both in Taurus, the Moon trine Saturn, and the Moon conjunct Mars. The Sun sextiles Saturn. This can be one highly productive day, if we take our time and keep in mind that we are in Mercury retrograde, a Mercury retrograde cycle that could constantly remind us that ‘the devil is in the details’. If we would draw upon our expertise developed from past experiences and take things step by step without allowing anything to fall between the cracks, then we would be able to accomplish a great deal on this Tuesday. Being in our own sanctuary without the cacophony of the outside world would provide the clarity for us to devise a best practices approach in whatever we aim to achieve on this Tuesday. By prioritizing our involvements, we can focus on the most important and discard the inconsequential. In our fast-paced living where we are being asked to juggle ever more things in ever shorter periods of time, we need to highlight the essential and prevent ourselves from being bogged down by needless distractions. This is a day for us to have nose-to-grindstone, deal with our responsibilities, pay attention to even the most minute particulars, and give serious thought to the ways by which we could realize our most important goals.
Wednesday, April 26th – Let Go, Let God – Uranus, Jupiter, Neptune, Moon Void-of-Course. Wednesday continues with the Cancer Moon with the Moon today sextile Uranus, the Moon square Jupiter, and the Moon trine Neptune. Late in the day, the Moon goes Void-of-Course for almost seven hours with the Moon making no further connections to the planets as the Moon finishes its transit of Cancer and before the Moon enters Leo early on Thursday. This Wednesday could prove paradoxical. Either we accept our role as co-creators with the natural unfolding and be privy to things working and easily, or we might fall prey to our own arrogance and assumption that we are in control of all matters. The old and the new may be in play today, the old being our conditioned mindset of making things happen, the new being our willingness to work with the energies and follow the lead of unexpected developments. If we get too full of ourselves or get ahead of ourselves, we could miss some of the subtle or startling clues along the way, clues that can lead us down a different trajectory or at the least allow us to streamline our operations and be more effective with less expenditure of energy. This Wednesday could give us a good indication of how we often get in our own way, a liability heightened over the next two days. It would be wise for us today to be open and receptive to how things can easily evolve without our insistence of steering the way.
Thursday, April 27th – In Our Own Way – Lunar T-Square, Pluto, Sun. Thursday has the Moon entering Leo where today the Moon triggers a Fixed Sign T-Square with the Moon opposed Pluto and the Moon square the Sun. Coming off yesterday when we might have felt that we could do no wrong and gave little acknowledgment to the universe’s hand in any success we experienced, we might find ourselves in a self-important attitude today and tomorrow where we try to enforce our will no matter the costs. And the costs can be many; costs in time, costs in financial expenditures, costs in physical energy and costs in repeatedly banging our head against the wall. I often suggest that the universe taps us on the shoulder. If we don’t get whatever the universe is trying to indicate to us, the universe taps harder. If we still don’t get it, the universe gives us a lateral lobotomy or whack on the side of the head. Eventually, whether we get it easily or it necessitates a universe takedown of us, we shall understand what we are supposed to comprehend. We could be a little too belligerent today, expecting everyone and everything to bow to our needs and wants. The pushback to remind us that there are variables out of our control and particulars not in accord with our wishes can be intense and expensive, however the costs are experienced. Humility is called for, especially today and tomorrow, but always during this paradigm shift when things can change suddenly and dramatically with us having to accede to the currents of the times.
Friday, April 28th – Not What We Think – Mercury, Uranus, Venus. Friday continues with the Leo Moon with the Moon today square both Mercury and Uranus both in Taurus and later in the day the Moon sextile Venus. We may be living for the weekend, but before we get there, we might have some tasks to attend to. With our focus elsewhere we could easily skip over details, gloss over important matters, and do a rather half-ass job just to bring closure before checking out for the weekend. It would be suggested that we not get ahead of ourselves today, for as the proverb admonishes us: ‘haste makes waste’. The waste today could be our rushing through matters that subsequently will either need to be reworked or costs that will be hard to recoup. We might have a great idea as to how best to streamline our activities, but we may be missing essential details necessary for the effective operation of the process of streamlining. People always want to build a better mousetrap when, in truth, the old -fashioned spring sprung snap trap patented in the late nineteenth century still seems to work the best. Let’s not waste our time trying to better something that works only to give ourselves credit for ingenuity while diverting us from being more effective. It is essential that we address the specifics today, maintain an eye on our finances, and not get carried away by insisting upon commendations for things that we have done and might have done either half-heartedly or perfunctorily. The evening hours can be pleasant social occasions with everyone losing some of their self-absorption and more interested in what is going on with the other person, with other people. The evening lightens the mood and whittles away some of the narcissism we might have encountered earlier today, yesterday, and even on Wednesday.
Saturday, April 29th – Second Wind – Jupiter, Moon Void-of-Course, Mars, Uranus. Saturday continues with the Leo Moon with the Moon today trine Jupiter. The Moon then goes Void-of-Course for eight hours with the Moon making no further connections to the planets as the Moon finishes its transit of Leo and before the Moon enters Virgo. The Virgo Moon makes no connections to the planets today. Mars sextiles Uranus. Friday night and early Saturday could have us engaged with all fun and games. We may be less concerned about being number one and more inclined just to enjoy ourselves, feel good about life, and have a good time. There seem to be less obstacles in our way, some of the obstacles possibly having been of our own making if we became too self-involved and self-absorbed over the past two days. This Saturday is a good day for us to get a second wind. As the day proceeds, we might give thought to how we can spruce up our environment, continue with our springtime clean up and clear out, and provide space for exciting additions. The latter part of the day could have some surprising developments, whether we initiate them or are recipient of them. When thrilling situations occur, let’s take advantage of the opportunity. It’s best to remember that we are in times when things can change without notice, and it would be suggested we engage the unexpected with awe and wonder. After all, it is a wonder-filled world.
Sunday, April 30th – Back at It – Saturn, Sun, Mercury. Sunday continues with the Moon transiting Virgo. The Moon opposes Saturn in the early morning hours, and the Moon trines both the Sun and Mercury both in Taurus during the day. Our sleep state could be restless if we can get to sleep. We might be anxious and concerned, almost waiting for some shoe to drop. We are living during crazy-making times, but we don’t have to fall victim to the craziness. Let’s keep in mind the true saying that “we never get more than we can handle.” The waking hours can have us getting a grip on our emotions and being far more analytical and reasonable. We may decide to concentrate on various items on our ‘to do’ list. If we have put off certain tasks, this Sunday is a day when we can take care of outstanding matters without letting anything fall between the cracks. We are less narcissistic and more focused on what we need to get done. This Sunday might prove a highly productive day when we could effectively deal with our mundane affairs, tie up loose ends, and solidify our base of operations. We are in the Mercury retrograde, and today we may be fully aware of the liabilities of a Mercury retrograde without getting tripped up by them. On the contrary, we are likely to be highly astute to the specifics and the details and certain to address all the essential factors.
