Today's Astrology forecast | Thursday, April 8th, 2021 - change is good, drifting motivations, moving toward the facts and the smaller/more manageable pieces, taking a breath


 

 

The Moon is in Pisces - we are nourished/nurtured through prayer/meditation, art, music, nostalgia, our imagination, healing, connection, escape, rest, water. She sextiles (an opportunity the requires some movement/effort on our part) Uranus at 10:23AM EDT - we are feeling more comfortable with change/the unusual, a break in our routine. Change is good/magical. This is mutable water and fixed earth - we can make mud or clay. We can make the dream more real. Financial/relationship shifts are eased into, nurture us in new ways. New money/new love. Very old familial patterns are being broken.


Later today, the Pisces Moon will move into a square with the Nodes. 

 

A turning point/choice. 

 

But, with Pisces everything is more gentle/subtle. We are moving through water and even a slight change in our stroke, changes our direction. The North Node is in Gemini - a Gemini/Pisces square speaks of separating facts from lies or too much pink paint (idealism). Or maybe something has grown so big (no boundaries, no end in sight) it needs to be broken down into smaller, more manageable pieces. Think of the difference between flowing water and flowing air. A conversation now doesn't have to be some big heavy, emotional thing. Keep it light. The square to the South Node is Sagittarius/Pisces - old beliefs that are no longer working/wise allowed to float on downstream. Water puts out the old fire. And the air takes us in a new direction. That sextile to Uranus creating the opportunity for a more gentle break with the past. Our values are changing. What we want is changing. The Sun is in Aries - the way we personally shine/value ourselves (and the ways we don't) is being made more clear to us now.

 

Keep in mind, the Moon is waning. Mars is still squaring Neptune and, with a balsamic Moon in Pisces, since yesterday afternoon - situations will be fluid/hard to pin down. We want to get going, but just aren't sure of our next step. We start with good intentions and then drift off course. Tired people/situations will feel especially draining. Things can be confusing. Today's hard square with the Nodes can help us drill down, the Sun is on Ceres (something new needs to be nurtured/fed) and we have a New Moon in Aries (new Lunar Year!) in just a couple days. 

 

If our motivated/momentum feels misdirected or missing somehow, that will change. 

 

Allow yourself to move with the shifting tides today. It's still Aries season and we don't want to float totally off-course, the urgency of what we need to do/anything hanging over our head - will probably create anxiety. But we have to give that Pisces Moon her due, too.

 

Take a breath.


xo all


artwork by the talented Isolde Pavlovskaya


April's Astrology Forecast for Creatives | THE MONTH AHEAD - motivation returns, green lights, fence sitting/preparation ends, decide, start, move your ass, take a risk, prepare for some challenges/twists later in the month

 


 

The first couple weeks of April we have some excellent MOMENTUM and motivation - no more fence sitting/gestating - it's GO TIME. 

 

Decisions must be made now. Things need to move. PUT TOGETHER AN ACTION PLAN. As we approach mid-month the energy is EXTREMELY OPPORTUNISTIC, and trust me, you do not want to miss this. If you have something to start, something you need to do/want to do - you had best be starting/doing it. This good fortune won't be around forever. 

 

The future belongs to the brave this month!

 

If you are starting a business/launching a new product, doing home renovations, etc (like I am, all of it) - the period from April 10th - 15th looks very promising (depending on what your chart ruler is doing will give you the best date - I will write a post specifically geared to this where we will add in the Moon and drill things down). If you are not ready for a full launch (try to be!), you will want to register a domain name/announce your intention/break ground in some way to get this energy into your project's DNA. This can also be something old (relationship, project, etc) done in a new way. LIFE IS LOOKING UP. 

 

By the third week of the month we start maybe slowing a bit, taking stock of what we have/where we are, then we might start hitting the challenging squares, Uranus shake-ups and power struggles. Pluto will be standing dangerously still. The energy shifts, opportunities tighten up/require more effort. Our Taurus security is shaken not stirred. The collective news might be INTENSE. There is a need to overcome a CHALLENGE. 

 

By the end of this month the retrogrades will begin and next month Eclipse season will roll in, so the first couple weeks of April are a MAJOR GREEN LIGHT - especially the energy near the New Moon in Aries. It's time to initiate something new, and small is BIG with the North Node in Gemini.


If you have been feeling unmotivated/tired - that will end! I promise!


Heads up - there is a major karmic story (a new one) going to start playing out here in the United States this month (and likely many other places) that we will talk about in the 2021-2022 big-picture posts and through the royalty/patriarchy series which is all the same astro-amazing stuff! We can't not change folks - it's written in the stars. 


FIRST WEEK - lean forward, get things moving, make decisions/solid plans, communication is key, relationships and money should be looking up, finish whatever you can that is going to be in your way of any New Moon fresh start at the end of the week

END OF FIRST WEEK AND SECOND WEEK - green light GO, GO, GO

THIRD WEEK - get grounded/practical/comfortable, things might slow a bit as we move into fixed earth, but they are also looking more solid, stock up

FOURTH WEEK - lighten your schedule, expect the unexpected and some challenges


And, please remember, this is COLLECTIVE, lists dates when aspects are most exact (they can be felt when applying/waning, too) and doesn't factor in the Moon. If you are a Cancer rising or more of a 'lunar person', the Moon's aspects will come into play in a more major way and we'll talk about them in some dailies as we move through the month - this post replaces the weekly and I am taking a blog break from the dailies this week, but will be back with an important ARIES NEW MOON post to kick off the lunar year!


For now - let's unpack the month -


APRIL 3RD - MERCURY ENTERS ARIES | crosses the Aries point, starts mutual reception with Mars in Gemini

 

Mercury finally gets out of the Pisces soup (a sign of his detriment) and begins a new cycle in fiery Aries. The conversation/our thinking changes/sharpens. New plans. New ideas. Mercury in Aries is so fast, she/he can solve problems before we even know we have a problem! This is going to be a fast transit (only through April 19th), but that's all we will need for our thinking/the conversation/ideas to SHIFT.

Our language and thinking becomes more focused, clear-headed and passionate. Mercury in Aries puts our instinct into words. Our mind gets faster. Our tongue gets sharper. Words get pushy. It is easier to speak up for ourselves and ask for what we want/need. We can also more easily pick an argument as language becomes more competitive. Mercury in Aries says, "I know what I think and THIS is what I think." The silence that was so golden in Pisces gets broken in Aries.

This is a fresh start/new year with Mercury themes - words, thinking, writing, learning, teaching, ideas, sibling issues, transportation, your local community. Also bringing fresh words and fresh thinking into our Aries house theme already smoking hot with the Sun and Venus. 

 

AND best of all with Mercury in Aries answering to Mars and Mars in Gemini answering to Mercury - both Mars and Mercury are empowered/stabilized. We can walk our talk, walk and chew gum at the same time, make better decisions, HAVE MORE MOTIVATION, get things moving.


APRIL 4TH - LAST QUARTER MOON | 14 degrees, Capricorn/Aries


The waning Moon at 14 degrees Capricorn (the sign of her detriment as ruler of Cappy's polarity sign of Cancer, but answering to Saturn strong in his home sign of Aquarius) squares an exalted Sun in Aries. This month's waning square - Cappy/Aries - hard to say who gets the home court advantage with this one.

 

This is tension/frustration between rules/limits/authority and independence/the new/what is starting. When is control too much control? Are stronger rules really needed or is initiative/courage/a boundless kind of newness the way forward? We are moving ahead, but now maybe patience is needed. 

 

The Moon (Cappy/authority) is waning and weak here. But answering to a strong Saturn in his home sign. The Sun (self/ego/independence) is exalted in Aries - STRONG. It could be time to circumvent the rules or authority a bit/take a risk (notice I am not saying - take  a break). If life during Aries season isn't a daring adventure or nothing at all (to quote the amazing Helen Keller) - then what the hell is it? Or maybe the reverse is true for you. You might need to take a breath, apply some wisdom/experience to the situation. Maybe something that looked promising, now looks like a whole lot of work or is getting old fast and you have to ask yourself if you are still wanting/willing to do it. In a few days Cappy's ruler Saturn is going to trine the North Node

 

Also keep in mind the Moon is waning, so, if some elbow grease needs to be applied to something that NEEDS FINISHING before next week's New Moon MAKE SURE IT IS. This can't be skipped. Independent work is certainly favored though.


APRIL 6TH - VENUS SEXTILES MARS | 19, degrees, Aries, Gemini


Here is what we want meeting up with the actions we need to take to get it. Set plans into motion. Send the email. Make the call. The girls and the boys are playing nicely. Venus is applying to her sextile to Jupiter, too, so, think - expansion/luck/optimism. Get those plans rolling!

 

APRIL 9TH - SATURN TRINES NORTH NODE (sextiles South Node) | 12 degrees, Aqua/Gemini, MARS SQUARES NEPTUNE | 21 degrees, Gemini/Pisces, MERCURY CONJUNCTS CHIRON | 9 degrees Aries

 

Maybe the facts/details are foggy. Maybe people don't get what we are saying or we aren't hearing things correctly. Maybe we are squared off with an ancestral story-line. We could be tired/need a rest. Even our best intended actions might drift off course. Men might be unreliable or lying or feel weak. Or maybe we are acting like a martyr.

 

The way through the Mars/Neptune is the Saturn/North Node trine. The trine is arguably the best aspect in astrology. Things fall into place. This is Aquarius/Gemini. Saturn/Mercury. Both strong now with Saturn in one of his home signs and Mercury in mutual reception with Mars, so gaining access to Gemini, his home sign. 

 

Stability/structure is the new black. Grown up words and conversations. Commitments to group goals. Stepping back and seeing the big picture/detaching from the emotions of the story a bit can help. Logical thinking. Logical/scientific language. Flashes of genius are possible now. Life can use whatever responsible or group/future oriented action we take now to move us along our best path/new timeline. Keep in mind as Saturn trines the North Node, he sextiles the South Node - this is the beliefs/hopes/greener pastures we need to release. Actions we take toward this will be smooth, too (will require some effort though - this is air, so probably through conversations, words, contracts, etc) - because remember the Moon is waning/winding down a story now, so as we move in one direction, another path/timeline begins to fray/come untangled.

 

Mercury/Chiron means words are wounding/healing. It is probably time to speak up about what is hurting. Writing/research is cathartic. 


APRIL 10TH - MERCURY SEXTILES THE NORTH NODE | 11 degrees, Aries/Gemini, MERCURY SEXTILES SATURN | 12 degrees, Aries, Aquarius, VENUS SEXTILES JUPITER | 25 degrees, Aries/Aquarius


Now, we are past (barely, but I'm counting it!) the Mars/Neptune square and look at these aspects! The Moon is in independent Aries - her only aspect a conjunction to wounded healer Chiron - repeating yesterday's Mercury/Chiron, so we are still dealing with whatever this is emotionally. 

 

There are MULTIPLE opportunistic sextiles. Air/fire. WHAT A DAY. And keep in mind this has been in play for a couple days and tomorrow's New Moon will carry the potency of this for weeks/even months/even the entire year. This isn't just about April 10th. Our words/actions are moving us smoothly into the future. Our money/love GROWS. The Jupiter sextile pulls in progress with legal/foreign issues.


Mercury is in Aries now, words and conversations are fast/blunt/to the point. Whatever we are talking about/thinking about TAKES US FURTHER, SO TALK ABOUT IT/think about it. The right words find their way to the right lips, eyes and ears. Words are powerful/adult/used responsibly, building us a newer/stronger world. Rules, limits, authority is supportive. At the same time Mercury is trining the South Node - old conversations can be put to bed. Mercury in Aries might just burn that sh*t down, but this time things are easier/smoother - no need for a match. Chiron/Moon in Aries. The fire is somehow healing. Keep in mind the North Node - way forward - is still Gemini, so keep words light/airy. Expect to be seeing/hearing double. If we are committing to something now we are actually going to have to do it. Maybe twice, so keep that in mind. Venus/Jupiter - there are financial opportunities here; the kind of luck that comes with some risk. Here is the smooth and easy expansion of something new. Jupiter is answering to Saturn, so there will still be work and limits, but they are more STRETCHY now.


APRIL 11TH - NEW MOON IN ARIES | 22 degrees conjunct Ceres, VENUS SQUARES PLUTO | 26 degrees, Aries, Capricorn

 

The lunar year begins! EXPECT A BIG NEW MOON POST. 

 

Actually, multiple posts because we will be talking about that 26 degrees Pluto - we haven't been here since the days of the American Revolution and before that the time of King Henry VIII and we'll be talking about that alot in April, too. The United States Pluto return will seem just moments away by the end of the month (something else in the collective news by then) and then, Pluto will station, retrograde, again, the death/transformation is postponed, so we can get it right this time! 

 

Also today, Venus, nearing the end of her days in Aries, squares Pluto in Cappy. Tension/frustration between this new thing we are loving/creating/our independence/our physical self and the fear of what we could lose/maybe are losing. How much do we want this? Maybe our heart breaks open. Maybe here is a breakthrough moment around our ability to love ourselves. 

 

Venus/Pluto an urge to 'feel the fear and do it anyway'. She kicks off the dead wood, connecting us to a more authentic "me and we".


Keep in mind, that fly in the ointment with what is started now is that Venus/Pluto - we want to avoid manipulations, obsession, jealousy, power struggles (the negative side of Venus/Pluto which is the love and passion mixed with the fear and taken too far), and, instead, use the powerful square energy of their friction to get that New Moon fire started!


APRIL 12TH JUNO STATIONS RETROGRADE | 24 degrees Sagittarius

 

Juno entered Sagittarius back on December 20, 2020, just days before the world 'started back up again' as Jupiter met Saturn. A very BIG player in 2020 (our relationships, partnerships, commitments), Juno was finally getting some blue skies and greener pastures. Our relationships were LOOKING UP/more optimistic and expansive. Or maybe we met a new mentor/teacher/embraced something or someone foreign. The challenges here would be if one partner was/is escaping or resistant to change/inflexible. She (as us) has gone (and some of this was through the square to Vesta in Virgo and Neptune in Pisces - THE PROBLEM we have been avoiding or over-focusing on, the need to fix it or forget it or forgive it or maybe all three) all the way to 24 degrees Sag. She is going to get all the way back to 8 degrees Sagittarius before stationing direct again on August 2nd and she won't get back to 24 degrees until around Halloween and start covering new ground, so this is and will be a very long relationship story-line. From now until early August is the part we will get the re-do's. Our relationships also become more of an inside job. We notice what we are mirroring and the way our partnerships are mirroring us. Notice this is conjunct the Galactic Center (our homing signal/seat of creation) and opposing Mars, so disagreements and challenges are built right into the process. If one partner is pushing to do something the other partner doesn't want to do or efforts are too aggressive or one-sided this will be felt now. Is compromise possible?


APRIL 13TH - SUN SEXTILES MARS | 24 degrees, Aries/Gemini

 

This is a boost of INITIATIVE/fire power. A light on our strengths. This is fire and air - our words are like rocket fuel/ideas catch fire. Here is the Sun (as us/our ego) in an opportunistic aspect with the Sun's ruler now - Mars, who, through mutual reception with Mercury is able to be more Mars-y/function almost like he would in his home sign! Mercury in Gemini pulls in the conversations, contracts, commerce, the words/ideas, maybe our siblings, local community, transportation/tech.

 

APRIL 14TH - VENUS INTO TAURUS  | her home sign

 

Venus is now out of her detriment in Aries and off that square to Pluto and into her home sign of Taurus. Whew! Venus loves (and rules) Taurus. After her weeks in Aries trying to be a lover and a fighter, she is quite content to settle into herself again.

Taurus suns and rising signs get more attractive (both physically attractive and more able to attract). Venus is Taurus will help us appreciate the finer things in life, what we already have and what is right in front of us. Taurus is a fixed sign, so things happen slowly. It can take some time for a person who is used to (because remember we are hardwired to crave what is familiar) seeing beauty in a lush green lawn, for example, to appreciate the magnificence of a dandelion. If you can't see the beauty in what you already have - look again.

(did you know the word dandelion comes from the Latin "lion's tooth" - dandelions are some of the honey bees earliest food, are reproductive superstars - an energy sorely needed now and have centuries of usages in food, drink and medicine)


The power and real beauty of Venus in Taurus is a deep seeded belief that everything we need is available to us. Either we have it, or we can attract it if we believe we are worth it. Venus will be in Taurus until May 8th. 

 

APRIL 15TH - SUN SEXTILES JUPITER | 25 degrees, Aries/Aquarius

 

An opportunity comes to light. This is Aries/Aqua. Initiative/passion/something new is EXPANDING. Making things better/more stable/more lasting. Luck that requires courage/some risk. Confidence. Keep in mind tomorrow's follow-up aspect -


APRIL 16TH - SUN SQUARES PLUTO | 26 degrees, Aries/Capricorn


So, the Sun takes the expansion/hope/opportunity from Jupiter in Aquarius and now moves into tension/frustration with Pluto in Cappy - power struggles, authority, limits, REALITY. Pluto is always about a death/fear. Maybe we are under pressure to do something, stand up, be ourselves. Look ahead to tomorrow and we see that Mercury is repeating the Sun's transits of the last two days and now we have Mars trining Jupiter. This week ends with the Sun meeting Mercury at the very, very end of Aries and then plunging into Taurus together. 

 

For now, the Sun square Pluto is power struggles. Fear of death/destruction/loss. It might feel like our ability to be ourselves/even to live is somehow threatened. This doesn't mean this will actually be the case, but this can be what challenges faced now will feel like. This is Aries/Cappy - the new vs the old. We have to be brave. We might have to fight (maybe not) and we could lose anyway (something will be gained though). We could be manipulated. This is us vs the man/power. Or maybe we are the power trying to control someone else. Either way be careful. Keep in mind, this will likely be felt strongest by people with planets/points near 26 degrees of the cardinal signs.


APRIL 17TH - MARS TRINES JUPITER | 26 degrees, Gemini/Aquarius, MERCURY SEXTILES JUPITER | 26 degrees, Aries/Aquarius, MERCURY SQUARES PLUTO | 26 degrees, Aries/Capricorn


Look at this day?! Do you have anything at 26 degrees?! I hope so! Mars trines Jupiter - our energy/enthusiasm/action expands. Makes us brave. Makes us lucky. Our words are our fortune. Make the call. Send the email. SAY YES.

 

Just keep in mind that Mercury square to Pluto possibility for power struggles/obsessive thinking, going too dark/the very real need to be walking our talk now. We will be talking about the 26th degree Pluto and its karmic possibilities -  in a big-picture post. We are dealing with old fear/powerlessness and now (past the point we always died before) transforming it/getting our power back. We are able to shift the energy across multiple timelines and for different lifetimes - yes, we are healing the ancestral woundings around power that we carry. 


APRIL 18TH - SUN CONJUNCTS MERCURY | 29 degrees Aries


Now, Mercury meets the Sun. This is excellent energy for communication. Our words are focused/fast. There could be a result now/a culmination/maybe an ending. Here is important information. A new idea. A voice to passion. A declaration. This is a good time for AFFIRMATIONS. This is the very, very end of Aries - a "hail mary play" degree. We start at the end/the very last moment. NOW WE KNOW. Then they (our heart/our brain) tumble together into the fertile fields of Taurus.  


Keep in mind, this is the mid-point of the Mercury/Sun cycle that started back on February 8, 2021. Kind of their 'full moon' moment, before their cycle starts waning.


APRIL 19TH - MERCURY INTO TAURUS, SUN INTO TAURUS

 

The Sun and Mercury move into Taurus TOGETHER. From cardinal fire to fixed earth. Our value appreciates. Our thinking and our willpower/force combined/in agreement. It's time to be practical, settle down, plant the seeds, take care of our resources/balance the books. We want things to make sense/cents. Our focus turns to practical things. The pace slows. The roses are noticed - will there be roses by mid-April? My dogwood trees are three weeks late this year. It's back to basics.  Taurus gets results through self-sufficiency, by bringing ideas and concepts 'down to earth', by being sensible. Also by valuing what we already HAVE.

This is not the time to enact complicated plans unless we want to make ourselves (and everyone else) crazy. Better to drill down to the fundamentals now. The month will start to change on us in a couple days, so don't get too comfortable, but find a comfort/a sweet spot/a soft shoulder. Mash the potatoes. Eat the pie.

 

Rushing through ideas, conversations and decisions won't work well now. Take the time to think things through and get it right - life will encourage/force this process, so fighting it is futile anyway. If a person or situation is pushing us to make a decision we are not ready to make, events will conspire to give us more time. If we can't decide - we should wait. If we are the one doing the pushing we will be frustrated during this transit. Mercury likes to move lightning fast, but Taurus likes to stop and smell the roses. The fly in the ointment with Mercury in Taurus is its fixed nature. One of the reasons for the information slowing down is that everyone becomes entrenched in their position and digs in. Compromise becomes a four letter word and there aren't alot of choices. The answer is either yes or no, there is no maybe with Taurus. Our resolve is strengthened though.

 

Keep in mind, this takes Mercury out of his/her mutual reception with Mars, so his access to his home sign of Gemini ends now. All good things must come to an end. We don't get to age three without knowing this. Mars is about to make his own move anyway. 


APRIL 20TH - FIRST QUARTER MOON | 0 degrees Leo, Leo/Taurus, VESTA STATIONS DIRECT | 6 degrees Virgo

 

This is an important First Quarter Moon - not only because it's the first real problem of our New Moon in Aries story, but because the Moon is opposing 0 Aquarius, where Jupiter and Saturn met back in December and restarted a more equal, socially responsible, science minded (and yes, more detached) new world. 


The Moon in Leo (as us) needs ATTENTION, love, children, our inner child, the center-stage, some heart-felt JOY. The Sun in Taurus is more practical, wants to be comfortable, wants to hold onto what we have. Maybe this is tension/frustration between our need to have fun and our need to be comfortable/not rock the boat/stick with what we know. This is fixed fire vs fixed earth. The earth can put the fire out, but is that what we really want?


Vesta moved into Virgo back on October 22, 2020. She came in like a freight train on a trine to Black Moon Lilith. She (as we) got all the way to 21 degrees when she stationed retrograde back on January 19, 2021. Now, we are moving forward - either having fixed the problems/or working on them - or using the Pisces oppositions we have had to release any unnecessary attention from that Virgo situation -  forgetting/forgiving the problem. This is one final pass through Virgo to tie up loose ends - to do the actual doing. We know what we need to do/focus on to keep the necessary fires burning.

 

APRIL 22ND - VENUS CONJUNCTS URANUS | 10 degrees Taurus


Uranus is all about change, something Venus-ruled Taurus resists. Resisting change can be a good thing, because not all change is good (no matter what the t-shirts tell us) BUT it can also be bad - lead to rust, depression, stagnant water that is unfit to drink. Our Taurus natal house, the place we are naturally inclined to 'leave well enough alone' has been anything BUT stable these last couple years.

 

Once a year, Venus (ruler of Taurus) comes along and meets up with Uranus - the one changing up her carefully orchestrated world. They first met in May 2019 at 3 degrees Taurus - here is where the changes with what we have/want/love/our values/our money started rocking and rolling, and they will meet every year until 2026 (at 29 degrees Taurus - they actually meet in BOTH July 2025 and April 2026 at 29 degrees, so our Taurus house will be totally changed by then!).


Their meetings accelerate change - things conspire to show us what we really value/love now, new ways to make/use/hold money, new beauty, new self-esteem. Venus in Taurus is slow, but Uranus change is fast, can happen in an instant, but isn't really something we couldn't see coming. They last met on March 8, 2020 - so likely what we wanted then has changed significantly from what we want now. If you have natal or progressed planets/points between 7-13 degrees Taurus, you will likely feel this conjunction the strongest. In general and collectively speaking, this is about changes with our values, money, resources and self-esteem. Your Taurus house themes will paint a more personal picture.


Venus's next aspect is a square to Saturn - reality check/limits - in a few days, so keep this in mind.

 

APRIL 23RD - MARS ENTERS CANCER

 

Mars is considered in his fall in Cancer. This is because Mars can't be all Martian - fired up and passionate and out in the world testing his courage, running onto the battlefield thinking only of himself and how good it will feel to swing that sword - when he has these pesky emotional Cancerian things to contend with.

Things like feelings (it's harder to take the instinctive action he needs to take when he has to feel his way through what he is doing instead of just doing it). And home and family and security (harder to be putting himself first when he has a family depending on him and harder to fight most effectively when he needs to stay alive to come home at the end of the day). This stuff can make Mars like a pot of hot water ready to boil over at any minute. Like the too-young father who wants to be out bar-hopping with his buds - he can feel trapped.
On the flip side, Mars becomes more nurturing in Cancer. There's less chance of tossing the baby out with the bathwater now - because we love the baby (just look at those dimples)! Mars in Cancer is the daddy-bear protecting his cubs/any small growth that is easily trampled. Don't cross him.

Collectively we will be more security and safety conscious. Maybe more patriotic/clansy, but, certainly more home and family oriented. Our actions driven by our emotions (need for safety) or centered around home, family, mom, home business, family business, real estate, renovation, our natal and progressed Cancer house themes. Our natal Cancer houses will experience more initiative, action, passion and ANGER (remember this is Mars we are taking about, not the Easter Bunny). Where is Cancer in your natal chart? Wherever it is, Mars is not the usual way you deal with the things ruled by this house (unless of course, you have Mars there natally), so watch for defensiveness/moodiness/maybe an unusual antsiness around these themes. Mars will be in Cancer until June 2nd. 

 

APRIL 24TH - MERCURY CONJUNCTS URANUS | 10 degrees

 

Now, Mercury, following in Venus's footsteps, meets up with Uranus at that same 10 degrees. New/unexpected information maybe regarding money, our resources, what we value, that Taurus house theme. Stuck ideas and conversations will come unstuck, ruts will be jumped. Plans will change. There is the potential for shocking news. Also flashes of genius. Rebellious ideas. Maybe we find out something is more valuable/or less than we thought it was. Changes with our income are possible. Here is where the truth comes out - ready or not.


APRIL 25TH - VENUS SQUARES SATURN | 12 degrees, Taurus/Aquarius, MERCURY SQUARES SATURN | 12 degrees, Taurus/Aquarius, MERCURY CONJUNCTS VENUS | 13 degrees, Taurus


Venus and Mercury square Saturn TOGETHER. This has been building during the Uranus conjunctions. There are limits, responsibilities, reality checks. Freedom isn't free. Karmic endings. Our responsibilities, maybe especially to the future/the group/collective goals will not be avoided. With Venus and Mercury together it's probably time to say what we want. We might just get it after all (but there will be limits, rules, responsibilities). 

 

This smash-up is pulling us toward tomorrow's BIG Full Moon.

 

APRIL 26TH - FULL MOON IN SCORPIO | 7 degrees

 

This one has a 'Danger Will Robinson' feel to me. A Full Moon in Scorpio, answering to Pluto (standing strong and still and in a space he hasn't occupied since the American Revolution!) and opposite change-maker Uranus, trining a passive-aggressive Mars in Cancer. We are going to want to be careful here. Yes, we are facing our fears, this part can't be avoided, and we shouldn't try, but don't need to be an idiot about it. 

 

We will talk all about this in a BIG FULL MOON POST.

 

APRIL 29TH | MERCURY SEXTILES NEPTUNE | 22 degrees, Taurus/Pisces

 

Mercury has been uber busy in the last few days. AND he is stuck in the fixed earth of Taurus through all this. He met up with Uranus (surprising news), squared Saturn (reality check, limits) and then met up with Venus (good news, ka-ching maybe), now he moves into a smooth sextile with Neptune. This feels like a ping pong match.


Mercury/Neptune is a subtle influence, but considering all Mercury (as us) has been dealing with and Pluto standing still, this is likely to have more oomph. Good for visionary ideas and language. Imagination. Healing Prayer. Meditation. We might wake remembering our dreams. Our ancestors/past lives/ghosts are whispering to us. Ideas are AVAILABLE for the right person - the person who can make them REAL - to pick them like apples in an autumn orchard. This is good for learning something practical (Mercury) through osmosis (Neptune), so would be a good time to hang out with the smartest person you know. Compassionate (Neptune) language (Mercury) is helpful (sextile). Siblings may be illusive or confusing. But Mercury in Taurus is giving a Neptunian dream a structure to work with/build upon. Again this whole thing is subtle, but available. Talk to other people. The opportunity comes as one thought/conversation/idea drifts into another. People with planets/points near 22 degrees Taurus or Pisces will feel its influence most.


APRIL 30TH - SUN CONJUNCTS URANUS | 10 degrees, Taurus


The Sun meets Uranus - starts a new solar story. When a planet conjuncts another planet it's like a guest comes in from out of town and takes over. Maybe they put their feet on the coffee table, toss their coat on our favorite chair and polish off that bottle of wine we'd been saving. Maybe they clean the kitchen and cook us dinner. Either way, they are hard to miss.


Uranus is the planet of genius and rebellion and 'anything can happen' - charged with shifting us from point A to point B via the fastest possible route. Uranus jolts the fixed earth Taurus Sun with some unpredictable electricity. Something can come from out of nowhere - all the i's are not dotted and t's are not crossed now. Anything even slightly restrictive might feel like a dog collar - yes, the kind with the metal links that look like a medieval torture device. Wherever you think something is headed, expect something else. This is collective and personal shifting sands. Life changes. Again, this will probably be more dramatic for people with planets/points nearest 10 degrees of Taurus or the other fixed signs (Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius through squares and oppositions), but we will all be feeling this.

 

APRIL 27TH - PLUTO STATIONS RETROGRADE | 26 degrees Capricorn (and 48 minutes, so within spitting distance of the U.S. natal 27 degree Pluto)

 

Pluto has been standing still, preparing for today's station and let's just say he is, well, armed and  .. dangerous. I'd say no dark alleys for any of us, but we know that already. If you are quarantined, I will add - no dark hallways. Like seriously. Turn the light on, I fell last year and broke my foot. 

 

Pluto retrogrades are times we do deep inner work. Fear that is ripe for release will come up to be looked at/worked through/sometimes just survived. This year, we are working an energy that hasn't been worked since the American Revolution and before that the days of King Henry VIII - it's like we are all that woman who discovered another room behind her bathroom mirror. Very old power dynamics are shifting.

 

Fear can arise through uncomfortable or intense situations. Deep insights are possible while Pluto is retrograde. Worn out controls, rules and power systems are getting re-looked at, as well as the way we merge our resources (including our bodies and our money) with other people. Here is where we clean up the mess (sometimes an ancient/karmic one) as the external death/transformation process is postponed.


With Pluto stationing, the Sun on Uranus and Venus/Mercury squaring Saturn - we will keep in mind our 2021 maxim about chaos redistributing power. The end of the month looks pretty intense, so you'll want to set yourself up for a lighter load here. Don't over-schedule. Take care of yourself. Stock up on supplies just in case. Taurus season can bring food/weather/earth issues. 


BUT, PLEASE don't spend the first half of the month worrying about the second half. 

 

Just be prepared in a practical way. If something is scheduled for the end of the month and you can move it up then consider moving it up. If you can't, then it is what it is and will play out the way it needs to. Uranus stuff can't really be predicted and Saturn/Pluto mostly can't be avoided, so there is only so much we can do. 

 

The really lasting change always comes through the squares/challenges anyway and for anyone with very stuck situations they might be just what the doctor ordered! 

 

And Saturn's trine to the North Node is in play pretty much all month - ultimately our forward movement is stabilizing. Stepping into our responsibility and the goals that bring us into connection with other people is moving us forward.

 

NOW, PLEASE get going while the getting is GOOD!

 

xo all


artwork by the amazing Bo Bartlett

Today's Astrology Forecast | Friday, April 2nd, 2021 - a mixed bag emotionally, empowering words, making the dream real, our responsibilities pull us out of lalaland, a peek into April



 

The Moon in optimistic and (sometimes) bombastic Sagittarius faces a mixed and changing game today - she trined Venus at 1:56AM EDT, opposes Mars at 6:40AM EDT (tension, maybe feeling rushed, avoid unnecessary arguments, no preaching), squares Neptune at 1:41PM EDT (the fog rolls in), and finally sextiles ruler Jupiter (all's well that end's well?) at 5:17PM EDT. This isn't her last aspect in Sag (that's a testy square to Mercury at 1:23AM EDT tomorrow), but might help us end the day, if our day ends early enough, on the right note - luck/hope/adventure.


This is also the day Mercury's opportunistic sextile to Pluto reaches its exactness at 26 degrees. 

 

Pisces/Capricorn. The dream being made real/stable. With Pluto, maybe also more obsessive. The sacrifice/forgiveness/release required. This one needs a little action/effort on our part to do something with, but nothing overtly pushy. Words are powerful/connecting/healing/empowering. Authority, rules, limits, our responsibilities can PULL US out of the fog. This is Neptune/Saturn stuff which you know I LOVE (a tight Neptune/Saturn square in my natal and centaur/asteroid Pholus - the one with the Neptune/Saturn orbit - exact on my Sun). 


Working on a monthly for April, so I can spend April on the big-picture posts to prepare us for the upcoming challenges/opportunities. The first two weeks of April are mostly very positive - we have Mercury/Mars in each other's signs, so making them both way more stable and productive. We have a friendly New Moon to kick off the New Lunar Year mid-month. A couple days after the New Moon - right around primo launch time - the Moon will be in Taurus (exalted) and Venus will be in Taurus, too - a green light for projects. The end of April looks more challenging - things tighten up as the Full Moon in Scorpio squares the Aqua and Taurus planets. So, in January we had the explosions, February we kind of retracted, March things let up a bit, early April is a time of decisions/action, mid-April BIG GREEN LIGHT, then by the end of April things switch on us/challenges in the outer world and in our own world (especially for fixed planet people) are more likely. We can prepare for this to some degree. Be prepared to act by mid-month, DON'T wait until the end of April when things will be more challenging. Also, since this will be Taurus season, you might want to stock up on food/supplies over the next couple weeks, just in case.

 

Heads up I am switching to a monthly, rather than weekly format. 

 

I'll still do the New and Full Moons and update the monthly as we move through the month to add more daily info/the Moons. This will free up my time to write more big-picture stuff including the upcoming Eclipse season, finish the astro-amazing royalty series and the Saturn/Uranus, Battle for the Age of Aquarius, plus some Centaur stuff and Goddess Asteroid information that has come to me recently and is blowing my mind, all of which you should find very, very interesting and helpful as we move through the year and into 2022.


xo all


artwork by the amazing Daria Petrilli

Today's Astrology Forecast | Thursday, April 1st, 2021 - the old fires up the new, choosing a new direction, what needs fixing, what needs forgiving/forgetting


 

 

The Moon is in lighter/brighter Sagittarius now. We are nurtured/nourished by adventure, widening our scope, optimism, faith. She will sextile Saturn at 8:52PM EDT and trine the Sun at 10:45PM EDT. 


The sextile is repeating our Venus/Sun theme this week - opportunities (some action is required and things proceed smoothly from there) for stability, opportunities for responsibility. Her trine to the Sun is this month's Waning Trine - Sagittarius/Aries. This is courage and confidence. While the Moon is trining the Sun, the Sun is trining the South Node. An old optimism/belief/confidence is reactivated/fired up. 


Now it's the Sun's turn (at 12 degrees Aries) to sextile the North Node at 12 degrees Gemini. This is a repeating aspect from yesterday (Venus) - we are pulled into the future/choosing a course of action. Decisions made now MATTER. By the end of the week, Mercury will be in Aries answering to Mars and Mars will be in Gemini answering to Mercury - this will stay in orb for a couple weeks and it will be MUCH EASIER (we will be clearer/more decisive) to be taking action/communicating/signing on the dotted line. This is really good news.


At the same time Pallas (in Pisces) has now moved into her exact opposition to a retrograde Vesta. We are either Pallas in Pisces - using our intuition, working with the past, our decision-making skills feeling fuzzy, maybe we are escaping/avoiding and then Vesta opposes us with a need to put our attention on THE PROBLEM - fix it. And she's retrograde, so this will be something that probably needed our attention a long time ago. Or maybe we are Vesta, so entirely focused on the problem/flaw that we can't see what the opposition to Pallas is offering -  a smooth release, a rest, ancestral assistance, using our imagination, prayer, connection, love, FORGIVENESS. Is our fixation on the problem helping? Is our avoidance of the problem helping? There is amazing energy this week to take action/make decisions that are helpful, use it or lose it. We will be back here with Vesta direct in the middle of July, so THIS IS A PROCESS.


xo all

painting by the talented Neivan-IV