The Engine of Progress

I have a tenuous relationship with the phrase “no pain, no gain”; yet the times call for us to make friends with this sentiment. No one alive has ever moved through passages and transitions that are now unfolding.  As a whole, we are navigating a completely New Frontier.  In the words of Star Trek, we are truly “going where no man has gone before.”  Or woman, I might add.  We have chosen to be here on Earth to live and learn lessons at this precise time. It must be acknowledged, that we are doing some very, very heavy soul lifting. Both for our own distinct lessons and also helping to usher in new paradigms for everyone at the same time.

Now in the final two signs of the zodiac, cosmic heavy hitters Pluto and Saturn mandate our attention to focus on the collective:  what benefits the greater good, most, if not all of us. Both planets shifted signs last month and now gain steam, transformer Pluto in innovative Aquarius and taskmaster Saturn in spiritual Pisces.  It is no accident that together in concert, these serious planets direct us toward connectivity and unity.

All planets are still turning direct motion as April begins.  If you need to purchase large items: houses, cars, appliances, technical devices or book travel plans, better to lock these in during the first ten days of the month; since the last half of April is particularly dicey.  When possible, plan ahead so you are not caught short.

The first week of April we are literally all fired up.  The Sun, Generous Jupiter and Messenger Mercury are in fiery Aries pushing us to get a move on.  Some are looking for a fight.  Steer clear.  Turn your BIG ideas and energy to give life to your dreams. Make sure you ask open ended questions and gather necessary information before signing on the dotted line or hitting send, or the buy now and submit buttons. This is especially important from April 1^st to the 4^th.  You do not want any lingering April Fool’s surprises coming back to haunt you.

More considerate energy arrives on Tuesday, April 4^th when Mercury shifts into deliberate Taurus.  Our thoughts and minds want to know exactly what we are getting for our hard-earned money; what in fact is the return on any investment, whether in exchange for our time, talents or treasure.  We are not so quick to the draw now and exercise some measure of impulse control for the rest of the month.

Mercury joins Valuable Venus and Change Agent Uranus already cycling through earthy Taurus. The trio lends a steady sturdiness and practical mitigating hand to what might otherwise get out from underneath us. They offer balance and ballast to any decisions we face, as well as a brake to the fast and furious Aries Sun-Jupiter gas pedal.  Grounding energy is especially useful heading into the Full Moon in Libra on Thursday, April 6^th when justice will be served.  The Libra Moon ensures all is brought into balance and alignment.

Especially important to note that Mercury pairs tightly to the lunar north node, our directional calling, over the next week, strengthening and empowering our thoughts and words, how we communicate. We say what we mean and mean what we say now.  A word of caution here:  this practical duo challenges Pluto in non-mainstream Aquarius. 

Taurus Mercury-North Node is real deal, result-oriented and traditional.  It likes to stick to what it knows will work and has been time-tested.  Aquarian Pluto could care less about tradition and customs; desires a shake-up and stirs up situations for the sake of seeing what will happen.  Truly, a rebel with a cause. The clash may make for some highly charged scenes:  of status quo versus change, of shifting values, of known versus unknown. Welcome to the New Frontier of humankind. The last time Pluto cycled through Aquarius:  the American and French revolutions occurred, upending feudalism and monarchies that lasted a thousand years. It also marked the Age of Enlightenment ushering humanity forward by leaps and bounds.  

For three months now, we are given a taste, a preview of how life will change with Pluto in Aquarius. On a personal front, we are pushed out of our comfort zone in terms of what and how we think and speak. We have a choice to stubbornly dig our heels in and resist growth or different responses, or, stay open to change.  I recommend staying open.

The annual pairing of the Sun and Jupiter on Tuesday, April 10th, this year in pioneering Aries, ignites us to blaze new trails and forge our own path from a jungle of choices.   Know there are no wrong choices except to ignore what feels right and true for our own soul.  The very same day, Valuable Venus turns into versatile Gemini, giving tremendous flexibility to how we manage relationships and utilize our skills and talents.

Focus on the work at hand and effectively harness the grounding Taurus elements.  Put these to work crafting useful communication (Mercury-Lunar North Node) that yields innovative outcomes (Uranus).  Indeed, the Taurus duo offers a solid foundation to help navigate what crosses our path.  Even more so, the duo serves as a reliable support for a series of planetary events occurring on the exact same day, in fact:  within hours of each other on Thursday, April 20^th. Three separate events so closely string together that it will be difficult to distinguish individual cosmic effects. Suffice to say:  you will feel these energetic shifts. 

First, the initial eclipse of 2023 occurs at the final degree of Aries during the very wee hours of Thursday, April 20^th. The last degree of any zodiac sign is notable as it bears a crescendo of energetic emphasis.  The lunar month began on March 20^th, also the Spring Equinox, at the very first degree of Aries. That New Moon ushered in a formidable fierce energy, marking the dawn of a New Era. 

Now, one month later, a solar New Moon eclipse at the 29^th and final degree of Aries serves as a bookend, a clarion call to bravery.  How you respond depends on your soul path.  Some will stand and fight (literally); and some will wade into new terrain (whether emotionally, physically or intellectually).  To understand how you will be impacted and where you may be called to act, look at the decisions and choices you face, be it family, work, finances, and otherwise.  It is in these areas that you will be called to take a stand and act courageously.

Only hours later, the second shift occurs:  the Sun (our will) enters real-deal Taurus.   The eclipse incites us to act, to get a move on.  The Sun in Taurus considers practical aspects: how to be most effective and resourceful.  In the northern hemisphere, we are now firmly footed in springtime, the time for planting what we want to grow more of. 

Then, only an hour later, Messenger Mercury turns retrograde motion at an attention-getting degree of Taurus, tightly conjoined to change-agent Uranus.  The reverse gear shift brings to an end the unusually prolonged collective forward motion of all ten planets. The conclusion of this cycle reminds us:  Not so fast.  Slow down.  Consider all of the facts, hows and whys of any proposition.  Yes, it is the season to sow and plant. Mercury-Uranus ask:  exactly what will you plant?  What do you want to grow more of in your life?  How will you go about planting the seeds to yield the greatest beneficial result?  With Uranus, the older sibling and higher octave of Messenger Mercury in the mix, there is now even an existential question: why.  Why do you want to plant any certain idea or object?

Mercury’s retrograde motion says there is no rush to plant a thing.  Reminds us to consider the consequences of our decisions and choices.  Before you open your wallet and say yes to anything or anyone, take time and hit the pause button.  Ponder the impact on you, your loved ones, and your future.  Use the next three weeks of the messenger planet’s reverse gear to use the RE words:   Review, Remember, RESEARCH, renew, recharge, etc. 

RE-flect on what you want your life to look like; consider all angles of a relationship and situation that you find yourself in; take into account the various means to accomplish your vision and goals.  Then formulate a plan. 

Soon it will be time to harness your plan to sow the seeds of your future; not quite yet though; only after the second eclipse on May 6^th and following Mercury’s shift direct motion in mid-May.  For now, through the remainder of April and first half May, review your options and consider all possibilities.  We are only limited by how far we allow our imagination to wander.