This April is a highly active month and one likely to be reminiscent of the statement by the character played by Bette Davis in All About Eve: “Fasten your seatbelts, it’s going to be a bumpy night”.
If we believe that the volatility of these recent times has peaked and unable to go to any further extreme, we could be sorely disappointed as the energy this month seems ratcheted up even more.
We have two Eclipses this month and the Cardinal Grand Cross being exact. We may go through our own paroxysms, the US could experience unexpected events, and the Earth itself could shake, rattle and roll.
Welcome to the world of the twenty-first century, a time of drastic changes and dramatic transformations. Despite the intensity of the energies this month, let’s keep in mind that the past few years have allowed us a conditioning and preparation for times like these. As the 1960’s girl group The Shirelles sang in their hit song Mama Said:
“Mama said there’ll be days like this,
There’ll be days like this Mama said.”
Dynamics may exaggerate friction, but they also allow for extreme changes to occur in a nanosecond or less.
As the Chinese proverb states: ‘May you live in interesting times’. In deed, we do, but for some of us this April might just seem too interesting.
The beginning of April is influenced by the Aries New Moon of March 30th. Impacting the next fortnight up to the 15th and the Full Moon, which is a Lunar Eclipse, the Aries New Moon triggers the Cardinal Grand Cross and accentuates the tightly-orbed T-Square of Uranus square Jupiter and Uranus square Pluto with Jupiter and Pluto opposed each other.
As we begin this month of April, we have the passion and enthusiasm to forge ahead, but volatility can be the name of the game with unexpected incidents arising. This may be a most dynamic period when we can put our mark and imprint on projects, initiate plans and start up innovations and things unique to ourselves.
We do have to be wary of being overly impetuous. We also have to be highly aware and mindful to shifting sands and changing currents that can come about in a nanosecond or less. We are in times when we might feel similar to Lewis Carroll’s Alice when she said: “I’m afraid I can’t explain myself, sir. Because I am not myself, you see?”
We could find ourselves in fields of self-discovery, trying this, trying that but without any real conviction as to who we are becoming. Even if we are letting go of our old identities, our new sense of self may not have formed or crystallized.
And why should it when Spring, especially under the auspices of Uranus, is urging us to test the waters of the new, the unique, the innovative and the iconoclastic?
These times of journey in our life’s passage do not allow for stability or security. These are dynamic times and the dynamics give lie to a concept of stasis and instead enforce a sense of continual fluidity, a feeling of constantly shifting sands.
Even without a roadmap or a well-devised strategy, we can launch forward into new endeavors. Traditional structures — man-made institutions and earth’s natural elements — may be crumbling around us, but we can feel as though we can meet any challenge and come out of the morass like the mythological phoenix rising from its ashes for us to soar ever higher.
A sense of confidence, even overconfidence, can be strong during this early April period. Not only do we have the Aries New Moon impacting the first two weeks of April, but other energies in early April give greater impetus for our carrying through on our sentiment of ‘out with the old, in with the new.’
On the 1st of April, the Sun squares Jupiter, followed on the 2nd by the Sun conjunct Uranus and Mercury trine Saturn, and on the 3rd the Sun square Pluto.
A good Spring cleaning may be called for. We may want to free ourselves up from the restrictions of the past, focus on the fundamentals and find ways by which we can do more with less. We could come up against resistance from traditional sources, so we need to keep in mind key characteristics of these times: adaptability and flexibility. Fixity and rigidity nowadays will play into the wise Taoist saying: ‘bend like a reed or break like an oak’.
The 5th of April has Venus exiting Aquarius to enter Pisces. Our compassion can be enhanced. We may seek to comfort and provide solace to those who are going through a hard time. Although we might subscribe to the sentiment ‘there but for the grace of god go I’, it is essential that we respect each individual’s journey and whatever their personal karma might be. We can help someone through their difficult times, but we cannot take on the responsibility for their past actions or decisions.
On the 7th, Mercury exits Pisces to enter Aries. We now have a Stellium of three or more planets in the Cardinal Fire Sign, and fuel will be added to the fire of the Cardinal Grand Cross. The 8th of April has the Sun opposed Mars.
People can be belligerent, wanting what they want with little concern as to how their desires impact other people. Relationships could prove a little dicey during this time and during this Spring period. On the one hand, we are geared towards our personal interests and may downplay the needs of other people. We might be willing to come to the assistance of someone if such help benefits us in some way.
On Friday the 11th, Venus conjuncts Neptune. Relationships can be idyllic or delusional. We can see potential in people, but we have to ask ourselves whether that person is truly interested in realizing their potential. While this configuration could indicate cavorting with a god or goddess on Mount Olympus, the flip side of this configuration would be finding us doing the dance with the trickster, someone appearing one way but the reality being quite different.
The mid-part of April could prove to be the most difficult of the Spring season. The Mercury transit through Aries triggers the Cardinal Grand Cross around the time of the Libra Full Moon and Lunar Eclipse on the 15th, Passover and Tax Day in the US. On the 14th, Mercury squares Jupiter, Mercury conjuncts Uranus and Pluto turns retrograde. Unexpected situations could prove explosive, and this would be a time to be careful in whatever we choose to do. Communications can be off, and the electrical grid and computer systems can be at risk. On the 15th, there is the Lunar Eclipse and Mercury squares Pluto, followed on the 16th with Mercury opposed Mars.
Words can be flying and fighting words at that. People may shoot from the lip without forethought or full consideration of implications and long-term effects. This is a time for us to slow things down and not let our ideas and thoughts run away with us. We have to watch for travel issues and congestions of all sorts.
Although the liabilities toward ill-conceived plans and concepts could lead us into some bad situations, the 17th and 18th bring some positive Venus energies and may offer a brief respite from the intensity of this mid-April time. Venus trines Jupiter on the 17th and Venus sextiles Pluto on the 18th. Our interactions with other people can be inspiring and supportive. We could also find ourselves making some significant purchases to feather our nest and to streamline our operations.
On the 19th of April, the Sun ends the Stellium of three or more planets in Aries as the Sun exits Aries and enters Taurus. Although we can slow down the pace, we may wonder whether things earlier triggered impulsively can be rectified or turned back from.
While a wave of intensity occurs during the 14th through the 16th of April, this wave can be intensified on the 20th through the 23rd, as the Grand Cross becomes closer to exact. Jupiter opposes Pluto on the 20th, Uranus squares Pluto on the 21st, Mars squares Jupiter on the 22nd and on the 23rd Mars opposes Uranus, Mars squares Pluto and Mercury exits Aries to enter Taurus. The liability towards overreach cannot be discounted. This period would be another time for us to be cautious in our movements, in our actions and in our involvements.
These two times in April, from the 14th through the 16th and from the 20th through the 23rd, could be the most perilous of the Spring season, and a time for us to be completely aware and highly mindful. It would be important for us to keep our wits about us and not react to situations occurring in the world or in the conditions around us.
The latter part of April sees the intense period of the Cardinal Grand Cross triggering die down. People may be looking to make amends for any outlandish behavior that might have occurred during these two earlier times. Venus trines Saturn and the Sun conjuncts Mercury on the 25th, followed by Mercury sextile Neptune on the 26th and the Sun sextile Neptune on the 27th.
While impulsive speech and actions may have created an uproar, we are slowing things down, being far more patient and considerate of other people as we come towards the end of April and into May.
There is a Solar Eclipse with the Taurus New Moon on the 28th – 29th of April. Mercury trines Pluto on the 29th, and Mercury sextiles Jupiter on the 30th.
This is a time for us to consider how we can best budget our resources — being more effective with less expenditure of energy and staying aware that what is often presented as facts may be more fictional than real. Quantitative easing along with low interest rates have prodded the equity markets ever higher even when geopolitical tensions arise and business fundamentals may not be truly what they seem. While there may be few options to park one’s investable monies other than the equity markets, the question remains as to when the top peaks and a different perspective takes hold. This is a time for us to consider alternatives for the long term and our willingness to shift and change when the evidence becomes overwhelming.
The Taurus transiting planets, first Mercury, later the Sun, contribute to the due diligence, patience and restraint to expand our projects all the while that we are focusing on the essential factors and developing from solid foundations.
After the Mercury trine Pluto on the 29th and Mercury sextile Jupiter on the 30th of April, the Sun trines Pluto on the 3rd of May and the Sun sextiles Jupiter on the 6th.
All in all, this month of April provides a broad palette of emotions, attitudes and behaviors. We may swing high, and we may swing low. The high points, albeit ungrounded, can occur early in the month. The mid-month can test our resilience, our resources and our ability to withstand the intense whipsaws of these times. The end of the month allows the dust to settle, although with the recognition that certain situations may have crumbled away and seed plantings may be different from what we had envisioned earlier in the month.
April 2014… Gyrations Amidst the Turmoil…
