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| just a little boy by zznzz |
Happy April everyone!
Let's take a look at the upcoming transits so we can better understand the energetic alignments we will be working with.
We start the month with two planets retrograde - Jupiter (thru July 10th) and Mercury. We had a Full Moon this past weekend in Libra - opposing the Sun in Aries - that is beginning to wane.
I hope you had the chance to get out and walk in it. There is still time to do this!
At the same time as this Full Moon, Mercury was retrograding over the Sun and we had a challenging T-Square form between the Moon, Mars and Saturn focused on our Capricorn houses.
We have the planet Mars (ruler of Aries) - the planet of of our personal initiative, activation and determination - the warrior planet - meeting up with Saturn - the great teacher, restrict-er and limiter. This is us learning and re-balancing through karma (cause and effect). Their joined energetic has been in effect since March 10th and continues through April 26th.
Mars wants to go, go, go and Saturn puts the brakes on. With Saturn strong in Capricorn and Mercury retrograding through Aries - the brakes are holding.
We have two more weeks of Mercury retrograde - time best spent getting our ducks in a row, taking care of the details, re-working, re-viewing and getting REAL (Saturn will take care of that one!) - especially with Capricornian matters - physical structure/career/life in the world/your Capricorn natal house theme.
April will be an Aries/Capricorn month and anyone with planets in cardinal signs - Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn - which is pretty much everyone, but some people to a greater extent than others - will be feeling this strong push to get something going meeting some kind of wall.
The New Moon in the middle of the month is the kick off to our new Lunar Year and our explosion out of the gate as Mercury stations direct and Saturn (limits) stations retrograde. Then the HUGE Full Moon at the end of the Month - the most powerful Full Moon of the year in powerful Scorpio will be trining Neptune (more brakes released!) and sextiling (opportunity) Mars and Pluto. We are going to be ready for this one and we are going to make it count!
Alot is set to happen between now and that life-changing Moon at month's end and some of it is going to be in play this week as Mars, Mercury and Venus with some big assistance from Saturn - a new man since passing through the Galactic Center last December and getting re-booted - it's been out with the Brooks Brothers and in with the Nike Airs, offer us some radical honesty with a clear vision of the ways we keep ourselves stuck, accept barely getting by and settle for striving and struggling with these "what do you really want?" conscious contractions, identity crises and structure building/smashing opportunities.
The big aspects for the week ahead are:
Sunday - Mercury conjunct the Sun
Monday - Mars conjunct Saturn, Sun trines North Node
Wednesday - Mercury square Mars
Thursday - Mercury square Saturn
Saturday - Venus trine Saturn
This week looks lopsided from the last couple weeks with things easing up at the end instead of getting harder! YAY - something to look forward to as we plunge ahead!
On SUNDAY, Mercury (retrograde) meets up with the Sun at 11 degrees Aries. This is also pretty much the mid-way point of her journey back through Aries (16-4 degrees), so we reach the heart of Mercury retrograde. Information (Mercury) could come to light (Sun). Maybe we hear/say exactly the right words at exactly the right time. Maybe someone/something from the past reappears now. Mercury rules the details - so let's go back over them. Keep in mind though that Mercury is still retrograde and doing the "re's" - review, revise, revisit, reveal, etc and that Mercury is going to hit Saturn later this week (the wall, limit, authority, the "no"), so pay attention to what is revealed now, but know we are not in the end-zone just yet.
Saturn (ruler of the week!) rewards patience and we are playing the long game.
EXAMPLE FOR Capricorn/Capricorn Rising - Mercury and the Sun are meeting in your 4th house of home, family, your roots, mother, mothering, your ancestry, real estate or a home business. There could be a conversation now that brings something to light, some home-related paperwork that needs to be re-viewed or re-negotiated or maybe a home business/renovation/purchase decision. Maybe someone in your home is going through a big change or maybe someone is coming or going. Working through the details now will bring to light what you need. Keep plugging away, but don't make any huge moves just yet. The bigger news for you this week dear Capricorn (this one is going to play out over time) could be Mars and Saturn meeting up in your sign. You are the boss now. Yes, you. Stuff is going to go the way you go. This isn't going to happen overnight. You (and all of us) are building toward 2020's Pluto/Saturn conjunction when a whole new life cracks open for everyone. In the meantime work that 4th house Capricorn - re-attach those family ties! Get your house in order Capricorn.
MONDAY is a BIG day because Mars meets up with Saturn at 8 degrees Capricorn. These guys connect every couple years and this party happening in Capricorn (is there such a thing as a party in Capricorn? - maybe an office party with cold coffee and stale cake or a paint party where you bring your own brush and go home with sore arms and splattered sneakers), a sign that one planet rules (Saturn) and the other planet is exalted (Mars) makes this meeting even more powerful.
This will be the end of the line for our previous Mars cycle that began back on August 24, 2016 at 9 degrees Sagittarius. Back then we were talking about our big, bodacious Jupiterian dreams (this cycle really helped Trump become President!).
How has that worked out for everyone? (I mean our own cycles here, not Trump - ha!)
That cycle finishes up and a new, more serious (and stabilizing) Capricorn cycle kicks off.
Mars is about action, passion and initiative. Saturn is about our ambitions and growing real things (over time and with some sweat equity) that last. When they meet it can feel like we are being tested. How badly do we want this thing we want? How hard are we willing to work for it? Our actions could be blocked now. Maybe we attained that Sagittarian dream and now we have to work to maintain it. Maybe it is time to let the old dream go and honor something more practical and solid with our time and attention. Maybe this is the Capricorn fuel that is finally going to push us toward our heart's desire. What's it gonna be?
We could need a six pack of one of those near-lethal energy drinks to get through this one. Or maybe that is what we will feel like we had for breakfast!
Our ambition, focus and willpower will be jacked up. This is a WAKE-UP CALL pushing us to get something going. The Moon (in Scorpio) is helping in the morning and is best aspected through mid-afternoon EDT, so the earlier you get moving on Monday the better. No sleeping in.
EXAMPLE FOR Pisces/Pisces Rising - The Mercury Mars/Saturn squares are hitting your 11th house of friendships, groups, causes, the internet, the public, the goals that bring you into relationship with other people, your advancement, technology. Saturn's limit/restriction could narrow your focus with what you can accomplish within a group or public platform. Maybe a friendship is tested now. The situation could involve your public reputation. A goal, work or career related or about your public image - that began around August 24, 2016 has reached a peak or conclusion now. This challenge has been met and you can begin a new chapter where you bring your personal goals into alignment with other people! Venus (what you want, an issue with a woman, financial issue) is going to trine (brakes off) Saturn later in the week in your 3rd house of communication. A conversation could go well then and be re-assuring. Helpful information could come in. Keep in mind with Saturn we are playing a long game and Venus encourages balance and diplomacy.
Also today the Sun (in Aries) is trining the North Node in Leo lighting up a path ahead. So there are some brakes coming off now - the Sun will shine a light so we don't miss it! Something should fall smoothly into place amidst all the roadblocks this week - watch for it.
Remember our North Node - collective way forward - is in fiery, kingly Leo - the best decisions won't come from making a list of pros and cons, but rather through our instincts - is it a great big YES or a great big NO - the middle ground, like the middle class is fast disappearing.
On WEDNESDAY and THURSDAY, Mercury (retrograde) is going to square Mars and Saturn. We had this (Mercury/Saturn) on March 11th - when Mercury was direct and will have this square again on April 25th. This is the square/tension/obstacle where Mercury is retrograde, so likely the most important.
This could trigger disagreements around how to proceed and require something go back to the drawing board for additional revisions. Remember Mercury is retrograde - we are going back over things anyway. Nothing has been firmly decided at this point. We are still digging around. We are still making our voice heard.
These tension points are part of the process. Our rough edges need to be rubbed against other rough edges to get smoothed out.
Be careful (and purposeful) with your language this week.
When Mercury aspects Saturn our spoken/written words, and maybe most especially the things we tell ourselves about what is possible, create iron-clad contracts. Only make promises you know you can keep now because you will be held accountable. If you say you are going to do something, you are actually going to have to do it or it is going to come back and bite you in the ass. We could be really feeling those commitments we made at the end of last year now. too.
Avoid gossip. It has a way of coming back around.
Avoid self-limiting language. If you have a sore neck and keep saying "my neck is killing me", please do not climb a ladder to clean the gutters this week or you could fall and your neck really might kill you - of course, this is an exaggeration - maybe - Saturn isn't to be trifled with. Notice what you are saying/thinking. Notice the song lyrics that get stuck in your head and the things you are ruminating over. Keep things positive - meaning certain and focused on what you want. Especially notice the words you use that follow the words, "I am ...".
If we have been 'doing our Saturn' since Mercury/Saturn met up last December - working the process, being responsible (this doesn't mean killing ourselves, remember that North Node in Leo - oxygen mask on our own face first) - we will be in a better position this week and especially in a couple weeks when Mercury stations direct and Saturn station retrograde.
News could be challenging now. We need to go and stay. We need to start and stop. We need to hurry up. We need to wait. Things could be complicated.
We know, because we have the benefit of astrology, Mercury and Saturn are in the process of a long interaction - this isn't likely to just wrap itself up in a nice tidy bow this week.
EXAMPLE FOR Virgo/Virgo Rising this is happening in your 5th house of creative projects, your self-expression, what you give birth to, children, romance and recreation. Something here is roadblocked. There is tension and frustration. The solution - and remember this is a process, there won't be a quick fix - will be to either apply more focus/effort toward getting what you want here or learning to live with the reality (Saturn) of something that isn't going to show up the way you were hoping. Keep in mind the other things happening this week, too. Mars/Saturn is finishing up a cycle that started on August 24, 2016 in your 4th house - home, family, home business, renovation, etc and Venus will be trining (here's some release!) Saturn from your 9th house of travel, higher education, weddings, politics, legal issues, the media, publishing, foreigners, everything outside your comfort zone, exploration, your beliefs and higher thinking - maybe something here is your next step?
We'll talk about the weekend in the next post - Venus is going to trine Saturn giving everyone some forward movement toward getting what we want - somewhere in our charts - and then Venus is going to trine Mars next week! Maybe we will look at that by sign.
I didn't have time to write about the Moons due to Easter but the week moves from Scorpio (taxes, loans, intimacy, other people's resources) to Sagittarius after Tuesday's void (travel, foreign issues, higher education, weddings, higher thinking) to Capricorn after Friday's void (career, duty, goals, father-energy).
The Moon is void this week - during work hours - on Tuesday from 12:06PM EDT and Friday from 9:36 AM EDT to 2:06PM EDT. These are not times to start anything or launch anything into the world you want 'something to come of', but are good times for self-reflection and practiced, routine work.
The challenges now are geared toward growing us up and teaching us what we really want/need. Saturn is the great teacher and always showing us, by facing our limits, our untapped potential. We are moving through the last couple months with our North Node in Leo (heading into Cancer - home, family, putting down roots) - pushing us to move toward what WE want. If we still do not know what this is - this month's energy will help us clarify.
Sometimes all we get is "no's" and all we can figure out is what we don't want.
That is OK. Headed toward that big Pluto Full Moon at the end of the month either empty of ambitions or angry at life's inequities won't prevent the amazing changes that lie ahead for all of us!
It might even help - nature rushes to fill a void after all.
xo all
