April has been a month of fiery intensity and non-stop activity. If you feel like you’ve spent the past month harried and pushed, May will be a bit of a reprieve but don’t expect the pace to truly start to cool until mid-month.
With a multitude of planets in Aries, a fire sign, this March and April, things heated up. Stresses and challenges appeared to help us suss out those areas in our lives that enliven us and those where the cracks show. Many of us have been microcosms of the Middle East and North Africa, discovering where we are fed up with the status quo and need to make changes.
Fire incites us, creates passion, and an impatience for action – we want it and we want it now – but without fuel and tending, it can’t sustain its intensity and burns out.
The new moon on May 3rd brings a little earth into the picture, indicating a need to roll up our sleeves and begin the hard work necessary to continue our growth, even when it’s less than sexy or glamorous. Inspiration might spur us to buy flowers and landscape our yard, but if we don’t plant our flowers in the earth, water and care for them – especially at the critical early stage – they probably won’t survive, let alone thrive.
As Saturn and Pluto square one another and aspect the new moon, part of the work to be done relates to transforming the structures in our life. Our fundamental foundations must change to support new life. Often this means shaking up the daily frameworks that provide stability, security, and continuity. Questions to ask at the new moon:
- Where have I grown rigid in my thinking, routines, or my relationships?
- What practical, grounded steps can I take to move myself in the direction I want to go?
Harness your sense of urgency and channel it into doable first steps. Earth asks us to make changes incrementally rather than radically. It prefers grounded, pragmatic approaches and imbues us with the patience to show consistent effort and fortitude.
By the full moon on May 17th, the frenetic pace of the past few months should begin to calm. Neptune squares the full moon, asking us to tap into our dreams but also to refine what we want. If our expectations have been unrealistic, now is the time to recalibrate and ground our vision into one that we can manifest.
But there’s a shadow side to earth: don’t let your need for comfort trick you into complacency. Just because the pressure backs off doesn’t mean the need for change is any less urgent. Push ahead and support the growth for which you’ve been longing – not because you can’t take the pressure anymore, but because you’re overdue for a change and you’re being called to manifest a dream dear to you.
ARIES: If anyone has felt the pressure of the past few months, it’s been you, Aries. Someone pushed your go button and you’ve not been able to find the “idle” position since. Most of the stress has shown up in your interpersonal relationships and at work. The people around you are your greatest resources, so this month you need to make an effort to shore up their support. Mineral: Blue Chalcedony
TAURUS: Nagging worries that have been difficult for you to share with others need to be addressed. Start with those closest to home and work your way out. Shining some light on the situation should bring you more stability by the full moon. Mineral: Labradorite
GEMINI: This month may stir up a lot of complicated feelings. Sometimes your internal reaction to a situation is every bit as important as the situation itself. Pay attention. As new information comes to light, the trick will be to acknowledge the endings which must come and adapt your long-range plans in response. Mineral: Sodalite
CANCER: Cancer, harness the energy of this new moon cycle to tap into your hopes and dreams and begin making them real. Core relationships are being transformed over the next few years, so your best bet is to get clear on your goals and let others in so they can position themselves to help. Mineral: Pearl
LEO: The setbacks of the past few months have challenged your views and plans. The new moon will help get you back on track and allow you to move ahead. If you find your certainties challenged, see it as an opportunity to reinvigorate your routines and career by opening up yourself to a new point-of-view. Mineral: Rutilated Quartz
VIRGO: Let go of beliefs or behaviors that inhibit your self-expression or creativity. Use this month to shed the dead skin and recharge. Immersing yourself in a higher truth – be it spiritual, philosophical or ethical – will be the fastest track to the new you. Find a larger message with which you resonate and walk that talk. Mineral: Black Tourmaline
LIBRA: Tactful Libra has had more than its fair share of dissent and disagreement over these past few months. Have the discipline to own your part and bring it to an end. It may be particularly difficult to see work relationships clearly, so err on the side of caution. Mineral: Celestine
SCORPIO: You have been moving at the speed of light for the past few months. Hopefully you’ve used this time to breathe new life into your work life and your daily routines. This month asks that you stabilize those routines through relationship-building. Honest and perceptive communication is key. Mineral: Citrine
SAGITTARIUS: Lately you’ve experienced a creative renaissance. You seem to be brimming with ideas and plans. Make sure you anchor those plans to a carefully structured long-term vision, as this month demands you apply your ideas to real work. Enthusiasm alone won’t sustain you. Mineral: Ocean Jasper
CAPRICORN: The stress of home will start to back off by the end of the month. Hopefully you’ve made the changes or at least laid the groundwork to make home truly a supportive environment for you. If you have, you’ll find May the start of a more creative, playful period. Mineral: Aquamarine
AQUARIUS: Have you been speaking up? If you haven’t, are you clearer about what needs to be said? Primary to these questions is the recognition that what you think and say lay the foundation for who you are. If you’ve been frustrated or angry of late, address the roots of those issues to procure more peace. Mineral: Amazonite
PISCES: Your resources – be they financial, spiritual, emotional, or intellectual – have been the center of focus for the past few months. Hopefully, you’ve shored up this area. If you haven’t, push during the first weeks of May to do so. Connecting with others in the community brings opportunities this month, so get out of the house and talk to people. Mineral: Jade