This is no April Fool’s joke: right out of the gate Motivating Mars shifts into communicative Gemini on April 1st . Our energies are directed toward thoughts, speech and language in all forms. Positive (self) talk is vital for the next six weeks. Refrain from hearsay and gossip as it will wind you in the wrong directions. Focused thought, right use of silence and carefully measured words are key this month.
Mars in mercurial Gemini can verbally annihilate another…or promise things it knows it can’t deliver. Make the best use of this energy by asking questions, listening rather than speaking (remember the other half of the conversation is a silent, respectful hEARing), fleshing out ideas either on paper or with a trusted friend. Refrain from assuming you already know the answer, or dismissing suggestions out of hand, talking over/mansplaining someone else. Practice consideration even if another isn’t.
For the first two weeks of April, the ruler of Gemini, Mercury, is still cycling through dreamy Pisces, paired tightly with Neptune. Together they urge us to press the escape button and/or shroud our mind in obscurity unless we make concerted efforts to distill our thoughts. Yes, this takes a bit of effort. But those who do take the time to clarify and corral thoughts and information into comprehensible form, grasp deeper meanings, will be leaps and bounds ahead.
Helping us to discern and decipher what puzzles us is the lunar North Node in nurturing Cancer. Trust your gut, honor your intuition and spidey senses now. Especially as the North Node exactly opposes Powerhouse Pluto and Taskmaster Saturn in Capricorn. The planetary duo insists we account for the structure of our lives, the essentials necessary to function by pointing us to gut and eliminate any extraneous routines, systems, people, parts of ourselves or our lives that inhibit our full potential.
Such scrutiny offers survival needs at a minimum, or optimal performance at best.
The Cancer North Node opposite Pluto-Saturn ultimately raises our awareness: about self-care, and care for our family (of origin or chosen), home and house, food, end stage of life versus ambition, status, achievement. Through stark or severe measures if needed, this troika highlights what is really of importance and significance. Think of a house so cluttered or decaying that it requires a total gut job to make it habitable.
This is where we are in our lives: at the beginning of the demolition. Parts of our lives (rooms) or the entire house demand reduction to ground zero, down to the studs to begin fresh as individuals and/or as the human collective. While this sounds alarming, most have been moving toward this for a long time now. Only some will experience a sudden shock. It is all part of the natural cycle of things, occurring by no accident or coincidence, during spring time so that we may create The New from scratch.
Working harmoniously together, Gemini Mars, Radical Uranus in Taurus and healer Chiron decisively point to what needs to be healed, what resources and skills we have to harness, and how to chart a versatile and flexible course. And this is only the beginning of April… giving us just a taste of what is to come, a warm-up if you will for the New Moon on Friday, April 5th in fiery Aries. We are incited to be brave, warriors, pioneers and Great Initiators. Yes, to go where no wo/man has gone before in some cases, but for most of us, forge new paths in our lives.
Directly challenging the Lunar nodes and heavy hitters Pluto-Saturn, this New Moon is no shrinking violet. Stand up and stand out now. Go into battle for a cause, a belief, an idea, venture, the cause of yourself. Hand write 3-5 goals or wishes and plant them in the earth or cast in a moving body of water.
The caution with this New Moon is creating a storm in a teacup, a problem where there is none, being a rebel without a cause. Pluto-Saturn won’t tolerate a waste of time, energy or resources so be sure that when you take a stand, you have done your homework and have back up data. Generous Jupiter in Sagittarius is working for us, aligning helpfully to the Sun-Moon in Aries on April 5th, providing abundant information, facts, legal support (cosmic and earthly) lending a gigantic boost to our focused energies.
Speaking of Jupiter, it slows down to turn retrograde motion on Wednesday, April 10th. Along with two other outer planets, Pluto and Saturn, turning retrograde later in April, we do not feel immediate effects similar to retrograde inner planets Mercury, Venus and Mars. In terms of Jupiter’s retrograde, what we may notice is that resources and support may be slower to the draw for the next several months.
Especially Jupiter in its own sign of Sagittarius, this is a good thing as we are pushed to make sure what we aim for, our wishes and goals are truly aligned with our soul. This gives us time to be careful what we wish for, allowing divine guidance and timing to naturally unfold. Jupiter’s retrograde is akin to a not receiving exactly what we want, only to realize later on that it is the best thing that ever happened to us. Jupiter’s retrograde cycle hones our faith and trust. Think delayed gratification…
Heightening this is Messenger Mercury’s challenge to Jupiter at the same time. Fortunately, Mercury aligns with the lunar North Node in Cancer, sharpening our intuition and instincts. Rely on your internal GPS to steer: what feels right? Not what others are telling you to do or that pesky loud voice of doubt in your head, but rather what you emotionally know to be valid. Let ideas and beliefs slowly sift through you for soulful connection, to assess if these indicate the correct course.
At mid-month, Messenger Mercury finally shifts into Aries on April 17th finishing its very long turn through Pisces. Joining healer Chiron directly opposite the Libra Moon, this combo aids our look at relationships, including that with ourselves, to take action and heal what must be repaired. This effect increases toward the Full Moon on the 19th. Occurring at the final degree of Aries and Libra, this Full Moon emphasizes you as an individual, me, versus them, how you relate to all others, family, friends, partners, co-workers, community.
The Full Moon is bookended by Venus’ shift into Aries on April 21st. The heat is on! Impulsive, rash, Venus and Messenger Mercury in Aries refuse to take no for an answer. They will have their day, their say and their way come hell or high water. All your pent-up energy from this past winter and the March slog is released now: Go, go, go. DO. Spring fever unfurls in a major way. Execute now, now, now. We are full of optimism, bouncing with life, confident and sure. The caution with the Aries Mercury-Venus duo is racing and rushing into binding commitments. It is a good thing we had most of March to RE-view, RE-search and RE-flect how best to move forward in our lives. So watch what you dive into too fast. Move forward, but move at your own pace, what, how and when that feels right for you. Most especially, refuse to allow someone else’s urgency to push you into something you do not feel is best for you.
Rely on Aries to stand your ground.
The final week of April, 24th-29th, both heavy weights Pluto and Saturn turn retrograde motion. Again, like Jupiter, these are outer planets and their retrograde cycles are longer and thus we do not feel their impact with the same immediacy. With both planets in serious Capricorn, our individual and collective responsibility turns inward now, living with integrity, honoring what is essential and of utmost need. The duo reminds us we must all adhere to the rules of the game. As above, so below. Or as Spike Lee famously said: Do the right thing. You know it. You know what that is. Be the right thing. Live the right way now.
Of Special Note:
Please join me at The Celebration of Reiki conference on Sunday, April 28th, 8-5, at the Newton, Massachusetts Marriott Hotel. I will be speaking about The Volunteer Reiki Experience. “Trials and Triumphs of Reiki Volunteering: Why We Do It.” To register, please go to: celebrationofreiki.org. I look forward to seeing you there!
Please join me at The Celebration of Reiki conference on Sunday, April 28th, 8-5, at the Newton, Massachusetts Marriott Hotel. I will be speaking about The Volunteer Reiki Experience. “Trials and Triumphs of Reiki Volunteering: Why We Do It.” To register, please go to: celebrationofreiki.org. I look forward to seeing you there!