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How’s everyone doing after the launch of the energetic new year? I'm pleased to say we have a slightly calmer month than the insane whiplash inducing moves of March.
If you listened to the year ahead show, you heard me talk about the tension between Mars and Venus that will play out throughout the year. This is one of the months where we will really see the tension between the archetypally "masculine and feminine" (or "yin and yang" or "passive and active") energies. We will see this in Mars and Aries transits and in the Venus, Taurus, and major Libra Full Moon on 5 April.
3-8 April: Balancing energy
After zooming through Aries from 18 March until 3 April at 11:23 , Mercury enters Taurus (chart). Once the quick-moving planet begins its cycle through Taurus, it enters into a sign-based conjunction with Venus (in her domicile). Mercury is the planet of communication, intellect, curiosity, and thinking while Taurus is a sign that is deeply concerned with materiality. That’s material objects, sure, but it’s also what’s happening right here, right now. Taurus asks: where’s the beauty, sensuality, pleasure, and joy to be had in the now?
After a March full of the mutable, watery depths of Pisces (and especially as energies are surging toward the excited and entrepreneurial firebrand of Aries), we may find ourselves turning toward the here and now for some comfort. This will be important on 5 April at 23:34 as the Full Moon in Libra (chart) completes.
This lunation is ruled by Venus who is in her domicile giving the Moon reception. The Sun and Jupiter, meanwhile, are together in Aries. This Full Moon looks to be a moment where we will seek balance between the yin and yang energies in our lives (or, that will be demanded of us).
In general, Full Moons are culminations of cycles, natural peaks, great times for charging our selves and our tools or for revelations and breakthroughs. This is a great Full Moon to use for balance, especially if the last few weeks of March have felt confusing, exhausting, and chaotic. This is a powerful time to reclaim that balance.
A note: this lunation may contain a preview—just a small tease!—of the themes that will emerge during the Solar Eclipse in Libra on October 14, 2023 (chart). That eclipse cycle, when it begins, will bring major endings and new beginnings in the area of your life governed by Libra through October 2024. Keep your eyes peeled during this Full Moon for themes that emerge in the area of your chart governed by Libra.
When Saturn sextiles Mercury on 5 April at 11:20 (chart) and Mercury sextiles Mars on 8 April at 1:28 (chart) these minor transits will underscore the tensions between our real life interests and the bold adventures we've been daydreaming out. There may be some real strain on our feelings, our curiosity, and our speech—particularly on 8 April with the first Mars transit since the red planet left Gemini for Cancer. Look to the area of your chart governed by Cancer and know that you're likely to feel a bit raw here as Mars transits its unhappy place. For better or worse, try not to let yourself hold things in or get passive-aggressive.
10-11 April: Something new?!
On 10 April at 23:47, Venus will enter Gemini (chart) and camp out until May 7. Venus is a benefic planet of interpersonal relationships, beauty, art, aesthetics, and pleasure while Gemini is a sign of intellectual curiosity and duality (and, it’s a mutable sign which means it’s quick to adapt to a change in circumstance). Look to where Gemini falls in your chart to see where you’ll be experiencing a boon of good fortune and pleasantness–especially if you were born at night.
The good vibes will continue on 11 April at 17:06 when Jupiter conjoins the Sun in Aries (chart). This transit, also called a "cazimi", means that Jupiter will be "in the heart of the Sun". Astrologically, this means the two planets will be together in the exact same degree and minute or Aries. We have often talked on the podcast about Mercury Cazimis which happen a few times a year, but this Jupiter Cazimi is rare and happens only once each year. This conjunction hasn’t happened in Aries since 2011.
This transit is a great opportunity for spellcraft, ritual, or spiritual workings that combine the energies of Jupiter, the Sun, and the sign of Aries. Jupiter is a benefic planet that affirms our dreams and goals. Jupiter is a planet of expansion, spirituality, optimism, and tolerance. The Sun, meanwhile is a luminary which symbolizes true individuality, majesty, and the vitality of life. Aries is a firestarting sign of enthusiasm, boldness, entrepreneurial passion, and aggression. This transit is opportune for spiritual workings that serve or incorporate these energies and would also be a great time to start a new spiritual or “horizon-expanding” project of any kind.
19-20 April: Eclipse & New Moon
The key lunation of the month will occur on 19 April at 23:12 with the New Moon in Aries (chart) and just a few minutes later at 23:17 with the Hybrid Solar Eclipse in Aries (chart). This will be the first eclipse in the new Aries and Libra eclipse cycle (shifting us away from the series in Taurus and Scorpio that have been playing out since October 2021 and will wrap in October 2023).
This is powerful energy! The Sun, Moon and Jupiter are conjunct in Aries a self-starting, firebrand of a sign with passion for days. Though it may be tempting to think about "harnessing" this energy for a spiritual working, I typically caution against that. Why? Well, eclipses are huge energetic earthquakes that are moving in sometimes unexpected directions. Spiritual workings that seek attunement to or information about the coming shifts in energy are better bets.
Aries risings: Aries rules your 1st house and indicates the self, the body, the personality, and the character. This eclipse series will start a cycle of major endings and new beginnings relating to who you are between now and April 2024.
Pisces risings: Aries rules your 2nd house and indicates finances, income, and your earthly and material possessions. This eclipse series will start a cycle of major endings and new beginnings relating to your relationship with what you own and your income between now and April 2024.
Aquarius risings: Aries rules your 3rd house and can indicate daily travel, schooling, our relationships with our siblings, and our communication in general (but also communication specifically about 9th house topics like spirituality, higher education, and travel). This eclipse series will start a cycle of major endings and new beginnings related to how you communicate your big ideas as well as potentially your relationship with siblings or events happening in your siblings’ lives or daily commuting between now and April 2024.
Capricorn risings: Aries rules your 4th house and indicates your domicile and your private life as experienced inside the home. This house also carries significations for our relationship with our parents or what may be going on in their lives. This eclipse series will start a cycle of major endings and new beginnings relating to your home and private life or, perhaps, big changes in your parents lives between now and April 2024..
Sagittarius risings: Aries rules your 5th house and indicates creativity, pleasure, hobbies, and sexuality. This house can also speak to children of our own or our interactions with others' children. This eclipse series will start a cycle of major endings and new beginnings relating to your creative passions, your sex life, or, potentially your relationship to children between now and April 2024.
Scorpio risings: Aries rules your 6th house and indicates illness, injury, and hard labor. This eclipse series will start a cycle of major endings and new beginnings related to illness or sickness or the grind of your daily work between now and April 2024.
Libra risings: Aries rules your 7th house and indicates romantic partnerships, long term relationships, business partners and, to some extent, enemies that are openly known to you. This eclipse series will start a cycle of major endings and new beginnings related to your romantic relationship or business partnership or perhaps a new chapter with a long-term rival between now and April 2024.
Virgo risings: Aries rules your 8th house and indicates death, inheritance, legal matters, and the assets of others. This eclipse series will start a cycle of major endings and new beginnings related to a legal matter, your debts or investments, or an inheritance to the forefront between now and April 2024 or may activate the topic of death in your life.
Leo risings: Aries rules your 9th house and indicates travel abroad, higher education of any kind, and our spiritual or religious beliefs. This eclipse series will start a cycle of major endings and new beginnings related to spiritual beliefs (an initiation, perhaps?) or travel abroad to the forefront or may kick up some dreams of higher education between now and April 2024.
Cancer risings: Aries rules your 10th house and indicates your career and public reputation. This eclipse series will start a cycle of major endings and new beginnings relating to your career or public actions between now and April 2024.
Gemini risings: Aries rules your 11th house and indicates your social circles, friends, and groups you're a part of and is called a place of "good spirit". This eclipse series will start a cycle of major endings and new beginnings relating to your relationship and standing in social groups, among friends, and a general tide of good spirits between now and April 2024.
Taurus risings: Aries rules your 12th house and indicates sickness, seclusion, isolation, loss, and enemies that are not yet known to us. This eclipse series will start a cycle of major endings and new beginnings related to feelings of loneliness and isolation as well as your self-destructive habits or even hidden rivals between now and April 2024.
The following day on 20 April at 03:14, the Sun enters Taurus (chart) and forms a sign-based conjunction with the Moon and Mercury, bringing us careening back towards Venusian energy. Taurus season, ruled by Venus, is a time to enjoy the pleasures of spring in their full force. Taurus is a fixed, earth sign that is embodied in the imagery of a warm, mellow spring day spent lying in the grass in a patch of sunlight... but also the undeterrable tenacity of the bull in pursuit of its conquest. Use this energy to stay on track with all the big ideas you dreamed up (and projects you started!) during Aries season.
21-25 April: Restriction and reassessment
As the month draws to a close on 21 April at 3:35, Mercury will station Retrograde until May 15 (chart). Mercury retrogrades affect us all in different ways and can be a little chaotic. Typically these periods involve disruption of technology, communication, travel and other Mercurial realms. While in Taurus, this retrograde will seemingly ask us to revisit and reexamine questions from earlier in the month about how our surroundings are supporting (or not!) our goals and ambitions. When Mercury sextiles Mars on 23 April at 22:18 (chart) and Saturn sextiles the Sun on 25 April at 5:47 (chart), these minor transits will bring disruption and restriction to our best laid plans.