The World Keeps Turning

As April begins, it is helpful to remember now the phrase “be in the world, not of the world”.  Of course that isn’t so easy when so much chaos reigns around us.  If you feel as though you are wandering around in a stupor, you are in very good company, especially the first full week of April.  The initial month of spring carries over into it the recent March eclipse energy while both Messenger Mercury and Valuable Venus still cycle retrograde.

Our intuition is working overtime now with Motivating Mars in Cancer aligning to three planets in Pisces (Saturn, Mercury and Venus) plus the lunar north node. This greatly helps cut through any confusion stirred up by the ether. Find a moment of quiet and tune into your center self.  It knows the way. What is it showing you?

Neptune, the ruling planet of intuition has just shifted signs at the tail end of March.  As this rarely happens, it is worth spending some time looking at what this means for us.  Neptune changes signs every 15 years, with the last time being 2011.  From then until now, soulful Neptune cycled through its own sign of Pisces, the final sign of the zodiac.  Look back and remember who you were, where you were during those teenage years of the 2000s. Whom did you surround yourself with?  What occupied your days?

And just look at how far you have come!  I can certainly say that I was living a life very different to the one I am now. Not better or worse. But definitely more soulful and aligned to my true self now than years ago.

Pisces and Neptune rule the entire spectrum of human existence, distinct polarities of the soul and spirit and everything in between.  Fear to faith, fame to despondency and despair, saints and angels to villains and victims.  Depending on where Neptune has been cycling through your astrology chart and the aspects it makes to your planets greatly influences your lived experience. For sure, it guaranteed a journey like no other.  Neptune in Pisces offered us gentle waves lapping a lakeshore, a wild, rapid river ride or a tsunami of flooding rains.

Now in Aries, this watery, dreamy and spiritual planet, Neptune is on a mission.  Let’s talk about what that looks like.  Aries is the first, primal sign of the zodiac.  A fire sign, it is the Great Initiator.  Aries leaps into action and asks questions later.  Ruled by Motivating Mars, Aries signifies the warrior, the pioneer, trail blazer, executive and leader.  Its energy is notoriously fierce, fearless (and foolhardy too) impulsively letting others worry about the details. 

Enter Neptune.  Soulful, sleepy, hippy dippy, enchanting, depressed, fearful, angelic, inspirational, insane, saintly are only a few of the descriptors laying claim to the watery planet.

Combine Aries and Neptune together to see how the two energies merge. It is a study of opposites: Fire and water, action and rest, fearless and fearful, brash and flowing, utterly impatient and clueless about time. Their disparities couldn’t be more striking.  To boil down their energetic essences into one phrase, this will be a time of the Spiritual (Neptune) Warrior (Aries).

An outer planet, Neptune moves very slowly, beginning a new passage through the zodiac every 165 years.  So the last time it shifted into Aries was 1861.  Ring any bells?  In the United States, civil war broke out.

Pay attention to the energetic qualities you feel at the beginning of April.  Do you notice anything different?  Just two days into its Aries cycle, Neptune hovers at the 00 degree mark, also known as the Creator Degree.  Think:  initial spark, the Sistine Chapel image of God touching the hand of Adam, or the first in breath of a newborn baby.

April is the “getting to know you” phase of this energetic combination.  So settle in as best you can, like trying on a new pair of shoes.  See how they fit when you walk around in them.

We’re getting our wheels under us by the end of April’s first week. Messenger Mercury turns direct motion on Sunday, April 6^th.  Tightly wedged between the lunar north node, Saturn and Venus in Pisces, Mercury cradles our intuition and refines our emotional certainty as these planets continue aligning to Mars in sensitive Cancer.  Trust and definitely follow your internal GPS as it is highly accurate now.

With greater light each day we’re thawing out from a deep and lengthy winter.  We’ve endured seemingly interminable interior planetary retrogrades beginning with Mars last December 2024 followed by Venus retrograde since March 1^st.  This protracted period of reverse gears afforded us ample opportunity to review, research and reflect on our current situation and where to go from here.

Now, under the spotlight of the Full Moon on Saturday, April 12^th, Venus stations, stopping altogether in the sky before turning direct motion on the very same day, April 12^th.  It is no accident that this Full Moon is in Libra, ruled by Venus. Libra is the sign of harmony, balance, equality and justice.  Meanwhile Venus is turning direct in Pisces, sign of unity and all souls. Make no mistake, the Universe is sending a message. 

There is no more me versus you, us versus them. As she emerges from the depths of the underworld, having disappeared from our night sky before being reborn under April’s Full Moon, Venus signifies a new world and new order of collaboration and cooperation.  We might not yet be ready to join hands and sing Kumbaya; but at least we know that’s the direction to follow.

On the Earthly plane, the April 12^th Full Moon marks a major grand push forward.  With both Venus and Mercury now direct motion, the time has arrived to move forward with your plans, sign on the dotted line, purchase large ticket items including cars, homes and booking travel, launch new initiatives and relationships, acquire new technology and communication devices.  If you have a big announcement, this is the time to share the news!

We’re bursting with pent up energy like a new born colt.  Messenger Mercury enters Aries on April 16th, joining Neptune.  Pay attention to key messages now as you will be heard. Engines are firing on all cylinders.  It’s GO TIME! 

Underscoring our zeal is Motivating Mars’ shift into Leo on Friday, April 18^th at the onset of Passover and Holy Week no less.  I cannot emphasize this sign change enough.  This is one energetic switch you will feel.  Mars has been cycling through sensitive Cancer the Crab since early September 2024!  For six and a half months, our drive and focus has pulled us toward all aspects of home, family, food, our ancestral inheritance including psychological programming as well as tangible assets.

While wintertime is convenient for taking inventory, it’s also been a prolonged deep dive we are more than ready to put behind us.  We are eager to step outside of our homes and explore.  There is no better way to do this than fun and festive Leo activating fiery Mars.  Bring on the party. Our divinely inspired creativity overflows.  Enjoy the moment.

Saturday, April 19^th the Sun turns into earthy Taurus bringing much needed grounded and practical solutions.  After all of the cosmic tumult and turmoil upending our lives, the real deal, values driven Taurus Sun feels like a warm hug and gentle maternal hand safely guiding us home.

Mother Earth has been awaiting our return.  Spring is the eternal season for planting what we want to grow.  She showers us with yet another glorious invitation on Sunday, April 27^th.  The New Moon in Taurus is nothing short of delicious.  Strong and beautiful, she promises a bountiful harvest. Over the long winter we’ve had more than enough time to think about what we want our future to look like.  And now the time is at hand.  What will you plant? 

Hand write three to five intentions and sow these in the ripening soft earth.  With tender care, watch how your garden of goals blooms and grows.

Of Special Note:

The 3 Wise Women is off and running!  Our community is about to celebrate its first anniversary. Join us!  We are three veteran metaphysical practitioners offering community, conversation and connection via zoom every first Tuesday of the month @6 pm eastern.  For just $10/session, feel safe among like-minded seekers to ask your wildest woo questions and learn from each other.  To enroll:  www.cathyripleygreene.com

Mystical Messages features my monthly astrology forecasts if you prefer listening via podcast.  Also featured are cutting edge healing arts practitioners.  Tune in and listen through Youtube, Apple or Spotify or hear previous episodes:  www.hilaryharley.com