Departures
When I look at April, I can’t help but think of a Bette Davis quote from the movie All About Eve: “Fasten your seatbelts; it’s going to be a bumpy night.”
April packs a punch: expect a bit of intensity, as emotions run high and fuses short. People feel pushed to their limits. Many of us are already busy to the point of overwhelm and exhaustion and April aims to crank up the pressure rather than send in relief.
With the pace increasing and our lives busting at the seams, what once made sense begins to look like madness, and we begin to long for escape or, paraphrasing poet Philip Larkin, to chuck up everything and just clear off.
Grab some Rescue Remedy and schedule downtime. Think about ways to reduce stress that are effective to you and make sure to include them in the month. Some of us will feel this month’s cardinal cross quite directly and others less directly, but all of us will feel it.
Let’s be compassionate with ourselves and everyone around us. In a month of pressure and irritation, take as many deep breaths as you need and call on gentleness and patience to act as a salve for frazzled, overwrought nerves.
Channeled properly, the power of this month can help us breakthrough to the other side and make a proper shift, so give yourself the support you need to harness the incoming energy. Here’s wishing you amazing transformations.
March 30, 2014 – New Moon at 9 Aries 59’
This high-impact new moon sets the tone for April. It sits on the Cardinal Cross we’ve been discussing the past few years. With pressure coming from Uranus and Pluto, we are in a process of breaking things down so we can free ourselves from the forces of oppression, including the day-to-day mind-numbing forms of oppression that we do to ourselves. Add a touch of Jupiter and we have overexpansion and overreach that isn’t sustainable. Something has to give.
Then let’s add the planet ruling this new moon, Mars, in Libra, a place of determent, meaning he isn’t in an environment in which he can operate with ease. He’s prickly, thin-skinned, spoiling for a fight, and has no good outlet to blow off steam. This new moon is a bit of a pressure cooker, and we too can feel volatile, easily frustrated, and unable to cope with the frustrations, delays and irritations that surround us this month.
Juno plays a role in this new moon, so giving voice to the disempowered and paying attention to power dynamics in our relationships becomes another theme of this month. We may find ourselves unwilling to tolerate situations in which there is inequity in our relationships and needing to fight for shared power and fairness.
Given this month’s tensions, think about coping measures. How do you release stress quickly? Whether it’s a nap, a long baths, a pick-up game of basketball or a good book, schedule a bit of time in your week to decompress. Aries is a DIY sign, meaning it’s up to you to take charge and make sure you dial down the collective pressures of your life by using strategies that you know work for you.
April 5, 2014 – Venus enters Pisces
Lovely Venus enters into Pisces, where she is her most gentle, compassionate and emotionally giving. During this tense month, calling on these qualities can help us act from a place of understanding rather than aggravation.
April 7, 2014 – Mercury enters Aries
Mercury moves even faster in this fiery sign, so it’s easy to speak aloud what would have been left unsaid if we were in a more patient mood. Watching our tongues behooves us, particularly between April 13th -16th as pressures rise. When speaking up is important, stay objective and level-headed. The key is not to let your words to act as accelerant to a fire.
April 14, 2014 – Pluto stations Retrograde at 13 Capricorn 35’
Pluto spends half the year in retrograde motion (apparently moving backwards in the sky from our perspective on earth). Right around the time it changes directions people can become emotionally intense and/or obsessive, where they just can’t let things go. Just take note and don’t be drawn into useless power dynamics.
A constructive use of this energy is to release unwanted psychological patterns or to get rid of the old and obsolete in our lives. Pluto’s obsessive focus can help us probe deeply and provoke new insights that unlock old material. Turn your focus inward and dig deep.
As this station occurs right before the new moon and eclipse, it could be particularly emotionally intense. Keep your attention on what you can control—yourself, your responses—and steer clear of fueling smoldering resentments against others.
April 15, 2014 – Full Moon Eclipse at 25 Libra 16’
Emotions run high around the full moon and this is especially true if an eclipse is involved so avoid snap judgments starting the second week of April. Pay attention to your feelings, but temper your actions until you see how things unfold.
Tensions in relationships tend to flare during this period, so don’t be surprised if issues simmering beneath the surface rise to a boil. We have Pluto stationing the day before, putting extra power – necessary or unnecessary – behind our actions. The opposing needs of Sun in Aries (self-identity and self-directed) and moon in Libra (relationships as a mirror of the self and other-directed) need to be illuminated and then integrated.
Turning up the pressure is a cardinal cross (two pairs of planets opposing one another and all in tense relationship with the other), with Mars, Mercury, Uranus, Jupiter, and Pluto. This powerhouse combination can give our communication enormous power for good or ill. We have to use conscious control to direct our focus toward insight and brilliance least we shoot from the hip in inflated and inflamed ways.
We do have a bit of celestial support, as this eclipse falls on the fixed star Spica, connected to learning, high-mindedness, eloquence and philosophy, an indication that our higher natures and wisdom are available to guide us.
At best, there can be breakthroughs in our thinking, as well as insights into longstanding resentments, power dynamics, and the ways we support and nurture ourselves and others (and if that balance is healthy). Constructive uses of the full moon include illuminating discussions about the give and take in our relationships and growing self-awareness into the ways the roles we play help or hinder us. Less constructively, we have communication breakdowns where words are weapons, we draw a line in the sand, and we’re unwilling to compromise.
Venus – the ruling planet of this full moon – is in Pisces with Neptune and asks us to aim high for a healing vision where compassion overrides fault and blame. The alternate, her shadow, is to fall low, feeling victimized and disillusioned.
April 20, 2014 – Sun enters Taurus
The pace begins to mellow as Sun enters Taurus. Hey, says the Bull, everything in its own time and why has everyone been in such a rush? It’s time to let things unfold organically.
April 23, 2014 – Mercury enters Taurus
Mercury leaves fiery Aries for pragmatic-minded Taurus, cooling heads considerably. Deliberate.
April 29, 2014 – New Moon Solar Eclipse at 8 Taurus 52’
We end the month with a bang as well, with a south node eclipse. Solar eclipses are game-changers, when new and unexpected things can enter or begin. Yet, with the new moon in Taurus supported by Pluto, Jupiter and Uranus, this new moon is less chaotic and disruptive than the March 30th moon.
Changes started now are grounded in what is organically right for us. We can find our own rhythm, set a pace that is comfortable and take things one at a time as we move toward our goals.
Yes, the pressure is still there and the intensity of the cardinal cross remains, but the energy is more deliberate and more contained. Taurus is a master builder, as it applies itself consistently and knows when to be patient. With support from Pluto, it points to a natural transformation, a release of the unnecessary or the superfluous and a concentration on what is at hand. A warning: do not stubbornly resist change. Taurus doesn’t like being pressured and pressure there will be. Headstrong resistance to the inevitable forces of transformation will only create more pressure.
What do you need to release so you can move forward unencumbered? Where do you need to regenerate your ideas so they work for you? What feels to be an organic starting point? Practical planning and ideas can really take shape during this period, so get going on what is possible now, and with your feet on the ground, keep moving forward.
2014 April Horoscopes
If you know your rising sign (the sign on the ascendant at the time of your birth), read that description as well as your birth sign. If you don’t know your rising sign and would like to find out, click here for instructions.
As always, a broad analysis such as this is no substitute for a personal astrological consultation based your full birth data. If you are interested in setting up an appointment, please email me or call me at 800.604.0299.
ARIES TAURUS GEMINI CANCER LEO VIRGO
LIBRA SCORPIO SAGITTARIUS CAPRICORN AQUARIUS PISCES
Gemstones: Japser
Expect the unexpected this birthday month, Rams. Sudden shifts of fortune can occur, as can enormous tailwinds that push you forward and into unchartered territory. Career and public role continue to be a place of enormous transformation, so hang on tight.
Gemstones: Blue Agate
Spend time away from the madding crowds at the start of the month. Pay attention to your fears, worries, and ways you undermine yourself. What old beliefs hold you hostage? Surrender them. When in doubt, help someone else. Being of service this month is an act of self-love.
Gemstones: Carnelian
You may find the shape of your life morphing. What demons do you need to put to the curb? A psychological shift is possible, if you’re willing to release a key fear or worry. From there, it’s just a hop, skip, and jump to more creativity, exciting new directions or breakthrough possibilities.
Gemstones: Angelite
Everything seems to be happening at once, especially in your career and at home. At times you feel like you’re being pulled in all four directions and there’s still not enough of you to go around. Profound changes in relationships can occur this month. Own your shadow.
Gemstones: Citrine
Life may find you philosophical this month, Lion. If you find your beliefs being challenged, look deeper to see if there are underlying weaknesses. You have the opportunity to deepen your understanding, maybe even break it wide open. Health and work routines can pivot.
Gemstones: Moonstone
Watch the rate of exchange this month, especially in relationships. If you don’t feel your values are being supported or the give and take in your partnership doesn’t feel equitable, burn off old patterns of unworthiness and surge into the future. A powerful surge in your creative expression can occur.
Gemstones: Obsidian
You’re feeling feisty these days as you reassess your foundations and seek a deeper sense of home. Interactions with others can be chaotic and disruptive but also can assist you in making a profound inner shift that will help you re-center and ground yourself.
Gemstones: Sodalite
Daily routines can be challenging, as the unexpected continues to crop up frustrating ways. Self-care is important this month, as the general stress can leave you with low energy and frazzled. It’s a great time to start a new wellness routine or to break free from stubborn habits.
Gemstones: Jade
Love, play, and creativity can flourish this month, single Centaurs, but don’t expect it to follow any set schedule. Catch as catch can! Those of you with children may find them wild with spring fever. Financial shifts can occur this month, so be mindful of your money.
CAPRICORN
Gemstones: Aquamarine
This month has two potentials. You yourself could go through a renewal where you break free of obsolete storylines you’ve told yourself since childhood and step into your power. Or you could have serious disruptions at home that rock you and force you to acknowledge your shadow. Your choice.
Gemstones: Labradorite
Find your voice, Waterbearer. Conversation can liberate you this month, so open your mouth and be willing to shock and awe. This strategy works best when you’re willing to compromise, when your motivations are pure, and when you’re wholly open to a new way of seeing.
Gemstones: Malachite
If you’ve been struggling with money, April could signal a new start. Even if you haven’t , this month is a great time to radically break from old spending habits or create a budget that aims to free you from debt. A shift in direction or in your circle of friends is also in the air.
TO FIND YOUR RISING SIGN (the Ascendant):
You’ll need the following information: date of birth, place of birth, and, most importantly, time of birth. Go to the following webpage and select “Extended Chart Selection” at the bottom right section of the page.
- Select the bar which says “Click here to show the chart,” which is to the right and above the “Options” area of the page.
- You should find yourself at another page. Select “Click here to go directly to data entry page.”
- You’ll be taken to the data entry page. Enter your birth data and click on “Continue.”
- Your natal chart with the positions will appear. At the upper left, look for the information in red text. Your rising sign appears after the word “Ascendant.”
- You can print the chart if you like, too.
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