• April 4^th   –  Mercury stations direct at 23° Pisces, Venus enters Gemini
• April 6^th   –  Full moon at 17° Aries/Libra
• April 10^th – Pluto stations retrograde at 9°Capricorn
• April 13^th – Mars stations direct at 3° Virgo
• April 17^th – Mercury enters Aries
• April 21^st – New moon at 1° Taurus
• April 23^rd – Mercury conjoins Uranus at 6° Aries

 

After the refining and reviewing of March, April aims to get the party started  — or at least to get out of the house.

We begin the month with Mercury still retrograde in Pisces, not it’s favorite sign in which to hang. Mercury likes clear communication, data, and straightforward reasoning. Pisces, on the other hand, prefers to keep it loose and tap into the zeitgeist. It would rather capture the feel rather than the facts. In short, communication and nailing down information can be a bit wonky at the start of the month.

On April 4^th, Mercury turns direct and the retrograde period ends. Visually, Mercury will appear to change direction and begin moving forward through the sky. Symbolically, it means communications get back on track and we can begin to put our ideas into effect.  But momentum really picks up after mid-April, so shelve your big plans until then.

Also, on April 4^th, Venus, planet of love and money, leaves Taurus and moves into Gemini, the sign of communication, ideas, and networking. Circulate, my lovelies!

The full moon in Libra on April 6^th shines its spotlight on the need to balance our needs with those around us. If we don’t have boundaries, now is the time to put some in place.  Time alone or with those closest to us will feed us. Note any conflicts between what you want and what you need, and tap into your creativity to bridge the divide.

A square between Neptune and Venus makes us dreamy and idealistic – and perhaps less likely to see the truth about others – but the midpoint to the moon asks us to ground that vision in the day-to-day realm and cultivate allies to support us. Again, use the creativity of this full moon to bring some of that vision into your daily life.

You may find yourself brooding during the days before April 10^th when Pluto stations. Pluto, lord of the underworld, doesn’t want to flit above the surface but to dig deep and ponder.  That’s just his way.  People may be more emotional, intense and resistant around the station. Try to keep your sense of humor and give yourself some outlets: write in your journal, have a heart-to-heart with someone close to you, take a martial arts class. Pay attention to your dreams around this period, as unconscious material can be rich for the exploring.

On April 13^th Mars, planet of drive and action, turns direct in the sign of Virgo after ten weeks of being retrograde. And on April 17^th, Mercury leaves Pisces and enters Aries. Now we start picking up some speed and can act on our ideas and plans. Essentially, these planets are in each other’s home signs; it’s as if they swapped houses for a vacation. They are in synch and can coordinate easily with each other.  Now is the time to start acting on the plans you made and to start seeing progress.  If you’ve been feeling like you’ve been hiking through quicksand or like you can’t keep your forward focus, you may all of a sudden feel like you’ve got your groove back.

The new moon on April 21^st will ground the ideas you implemented midmonth and keep them moving forward. Any unrealistic, pie-in-the sky elements of your plans should be rooted out at this time. Supportive Mars will lend you a hand, keeping you focused and action-oriented. With Neptune sitting opposite Mars this new moon, there’s a need to refine and adjust your dreams without becoming overly sensitive. If you find yourself triggered and bristling, take note. Use any feedback you receive to make your dreams more tangible and effective.

On April 24^th, Mercury will join Uranus in Aries. For roughly a month, Mercury has been focused inward, asking us to rewire our mental patterns and fated beliefs. If you’ve done the work of examining your unquestioned beliefs and ideas, April 22^nd-24^th will be primed to liberate you from old thinking. Epiphanies and breakthroughs are possible if you have used March and April to cultivate the opportunities.  Let your ideas gain momentum, and use your insight during this period to open yourself to the possibilities available to you.

Write down what you discover. Your thinking is highly innovative and spot on during these few days. If you have your breakthrough thinking recorded in black and white, it will orient you when the future is less clear and tangible.

 

Aries 

The energy keeps building for you, doesn’t it? Watch out for foot-in-mouth disease during the first half of the month. The second half of the month is perfect for long-range planning, the kind you usually hate. Do it anyhow. Gemstone: Howlite

 Taurus

Your mood may be a bit heavy, especially in the first half of the month. Use your need for time alone to look at self-defeating patterns or ancient material you haven’t yet let go. Use any insights to find more constructive ways to parent yourself. Self-care pays off big the second half of the month. Massage, anyone? Gemstone: Apatite

Gemini

Anytime Mercury goes retrograde, you begin to feel a bit sluggish. Midmonth the fog begins to lift and the tempo begins to be more to your liking. Ideas for the future and festivities with friends pick up this month. Don’t ignore practical considerations later in the month, unless you’re fond of re-dos.  Gemstone: Malachite

Cancer

Use the first half of the month to get clear on your direction in the world. Opportunities and solutions exist that you haven’t considered, most likely because you’re so busy taking care of others you don’t expect others to support you. Break that egg wide open and think again. Gemstone: Rhodochrosite

Leo

You feel the power surge coming your way?  Align yourself with your greater values and you will. Breakthroughs in your personal philosophy and a greater awareness of your place in the world are yours if you want them. Be willing to burn through old body armor that used to protect you but only weighs you down now.  Gemstone: Unakite

Virgo

Life was clicking along and then, wham, things came to a halt. No worries. When Mars reverses course midmonth, so will you, and your famous productivity will pick back up right where you left it. Travel – armchair or otherwise –is restorative in the latter part of month, as is time spent in nature. Get outside and enjoy the spring.  Gemstone: Labradorite 

Libra

Keep working on your boundary-setting, Libra, especially with those closest to you, partners and family alike. If you’ve been looking deeply at your expectations around relationships – of yourself and of others – you have the chance to break free of some of your most debilitating patterns. Repeat after me: I am enough. Gemstone:  Pyrite

Scorpio

Watch yourself around the 9^th-10^th of April. If you’re brooding and wanting to push people around to your way of thinking, be careful. Allow people to have their own ideas. If you’re right, they’ll come around. Later in the month, focus on your relationships. Plan a sensuous night with your beloved or a celebratory outing with friends. Gemstone: Kyanite

Sagittarius

You can be a bit unrealistic about people and your desires early in the month, so bounce ideas off of a friend whose judgment you trust. Later in the month, plumb your creative ideas to the fullest. Romance may rear its alluring heads, single Saggies. Don’t commit yourself until after the 21^st of the month!  Gemstone: Hematite

Capricorn

If you find yourself moody and out of sorts around the 10^th of the month, take a few days to hibernate and wait it out. Any wonkiness at home will lighten up after the 13^th of the month. Later in the month, get out of the house and have fun. A spring romance is ripening on the vine. Gemstone: Tourmaline

Aquarius

Watch your tongue until midmonth. You may give away or say more than you meant to. Keep your plans to yourself until later in the month. Your ideas are fresh and inventive right now, so keep a notebook handy. Watch your self-talk. Of all the signs, Aquarius has the capacity to reprogram old beliefs and start anew. Do it.  Gemstone: Sodalite

Pisces

Relationships that have been in a holding pattern loosen up and begin to move. Tackle financial concerns the first part of the month. By the end of the month you’ll be positioned to share what you want and need. Do not hold back. Sharing helps you further define and ground your ideas and feelings. Gemstone: Sugalite