A potent Aries New Moon, which powerfully echoes January’s solar eclipse, headlines the first half of April. We also have Jupiter turning retrograde, Juno aspects highlighting committed partnership, and Venus aspecting four slower planets in six days. We also have four new aspect patterns – all starting on the same day!

Click astrology graphics to see larger images. Some resource links occur more than once. This is because many people link to a specific day’s forecast from social media, and might not see an important resource link elsewhere on this page.

4/2 (Tue)

How well are you hearing the wisdom that transcends your rational mind’s limited awareness? With Mercury conjunct Neptune (17°8′ Pisces), this constant flow of wisdom from your higher self is easier to perceive. It will help if you sincerely ask for this intuitive guidance, then create enough mental stillness to notice it when it arrives!

4/3 (Wed)

The first half of April features four new aspect patterns … and they all kick off today!

T-square Begins

How skillfully do you embody and use power? This T-square, featuring the Sun, Saturn, Pluto and the lunar nodes, may catalyze situations that show you. It starts today (4/3), peaks on 4/11 and ends on 4/21.

The Aries Sun radiates the energy of the warrior, entrepreneur and the one who “just does it.” It’s ideal for new beginnings or injecting new energy into something already underway.

If you’ve already embodied your personal power, the Sun’s square to Saturn and Pluto will juice up your ability to confidently accomplish whatever you’re striving for. But if you haven’t yet mastered yourself, Saturn and Pluto’s energies are more likely to show up outside you.

These commonly appear as people or power structures trying to dominate or control you, or difficult obstacles blocking your path. If so, you’re being challenged to step more fully into your own power. Are you ready?

Power can be thought of in two basic ways. “Power over,” fueled by fear and insecurity, seeks to dominate and control others. “Power with” has already tapped into its own internal power source, and feels no need to manipulate others. “Power with” delights in sharing power, and helping others blossom more fully into theirs.

The involvement of the Capricorn South Node and the Cancer North Node, also square the Sun, suggests that you step into your own power and authority in alignment with your soul purpose. Take the practical steps that are needed (Capricorn), while infusing them with love and nurturing (Cancer).

Grand Cross Begins

By adding one planet to the T-square just described, we get a Grand Cross. Combining Pallas Athena with the Sun, Saturn, Pluto and the lunar nodes offers specific strategies to work more skillfully with power. Pallas can help bring out the strategic and diplomatic skills that will help you accomplish your goals, as well as the feminine assertiveness that can help you get in gear.

This intense but potentially rewarding Grand Cross begins today (4/3), peaks on 4/11 and ends on 4/17.

Mystic Rectangle Begins

Pallas Athena is also featured in the other two aspect patterns starting today. She encourages strategy, negotiation and appropriate assertiveness in your committed partnerships as part of a Mystic Rectangle. This harmonious aspect pattern also includes the Sun, Juno and Jupiter.  It starts today (4/3), peaks on 4/13 and ends on 4/16.

The Aries Sun could indicate a new relationship, or fresh energy poured into an existing one. Sagittarian Jupiter contributes luck and expansion, as well as joy and enthusiasm. Pallas’ placement in Libra encourages fairness and balance, while the committed partnership asteroid goddess Juno in Gemini encourages open, clear communication.

Thor’s Hammer Begins

The same Pallas Athena themes – strategy, negotiation and appropriate assertiveness – can be combined with good planning and skillful implementation (Capricornian Saturn) to create a variety of positive outcomes (Geminian Mars). That’s a great way to use the Mars-Pallas-Saturn Thor’s Hammer that begins today (4/3), peaks on 4/8 and ends on 4/13. Geminian Mars, the focal point of this aspect pattern, can also empower learning and communication.

Lots of drive and passion is available for mentoring and healing with Mars sextile Chiron (2°34′ Gemini-Aries). This aspect also energizes mentoring to support your learning and communication.

4/5 (Fri)

Aries New Moon

April’s New Moon happens at 4:50 AM EDT (15°17′ Aries). With any Aries New Moon, new beginnings of all kinds are strongly supported. In addition, fresh energy can be specifically directed toward being a warrior, entrepreneur, sexual being, athlete or initiator.

Aspects

The Sun and Moon are almost exactly square their positions in the January 5 Capricorn solar eclipse. This means that aspects to Saturn, Pluto and the lunar nodes are once again highlighted. However, unlike the solar eclipse, Pallas Athena is emphasized.

What this boils down to is that the most important New Moon aspects are contained in two aspect patterns: the T-square and Grand Cross I interpreted in my 4/3 forecast above. Rather than repeat something you may have just read, here’s a link to those forecasts.

This New Moon does have one aspect not discussed above: a trine to Ceres, which smooths the way for abundance and shadow work. At first blush, it may seem that these two ideas – prosperity versus working on your old childhood wounds and past life karma – are unrelated. But in practice, healing your old psychological wounds opens a stronger flow of divine energy in your life … which naturally tends to increase the energy of abundance!

Sabian Symbol

This New Moon’s Sabian Symbol is, “Brightly clad brownies dancing in the warm dying light.”

Are you imagining animated dessert bars cutting a rug? If so, you should know that the brownies in this image refer to nature spirits who love to help around the house. Brownie stories often tell of them helping humans with domestic tasks such as cooking and childcare.

As I discussed in a recent video, my partner and I routinely work with nature spirits in our shamanic practice. (We don’t specifically work with brownies, but do engage with other nature spirits that inhabit the land where we live.)

But you don’t have to believe in brownies to benefit from this Sabian Symbol. Given the intensity of this New Moon’s aspects, this symbol can simply remind you to put on your party clothes and dance your cares away for a while. If beings who love work as much as brownies can take time off to cavort, so can you!

And, given the tendency so many of us have to isolate, this symbol can encourage you to spend more time with friends. “Brownies” is plural, and the “warmth” of the light at day’s end can also refer to the rosy glow of good companionship.

4/6 (Sat)

A committed partnership may trigger an old wound as Pluto quincunxes Juno (23°4′ Capricorn-Gemini). If so, I recommend the 4-Part Nonviolent Communication Process to help the two of you work through the issue, and my free Healing Invocation to help you internally process your shadow material.

You can also use this aspect proactively, making conscious adjustments to relate with your committed partner more intimately and honestly. If a committed partnership is sexual, this aspect also supports sacred sex: enhancing your physical pleasure with the ecstatic blending of your energy bodies. This aspect remains in orb through 4/16.

4/7 (Sun)

Learning and communication are harmoniously and industriously supported by a Mercury-Saturn sextile (20°6′ Pisces-Capricorn). With Mercury in Pisces, the sign of visualization and imagination, this aspect also juices up Law of Attraction manifestation.

4/8 (Mon)

Thor’s Hammer Peaks

The Thor’s Hammer aspect pattern that started on 4/3 peaks today (4/8) and ends on 4/13.

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Would you like more joy, luck and expansive energy in a committed partnership? All this is being offered to you for the next three weeks (through 4/28) by a Jupiter-Juno opposition (24°20′ Sagittarius-Gemini).

While Jupiter naturally supports these wonderful things, it also works as a magnifying glass to amplify whatever’s going on in a committed partnership. And since the Juno-Pluto quincunx I interpreted on 4/6 remains active through 4/16, Jupiter will also be amping up that aspect’s power.

4/9 (Tue)

Do you feel called to selflessly serve others with your mentoring and healing gifts? A Chiron-Vesta conjunction (2°53′ Aries), active through 5/8, offers you powerful support!

4/10 (Wed)

Jupiter Retrograde

Jupiter begins a four-month retrograde today at 1:01 PM EDT (24°21′ Sagittarius), and will turn direct again on 8/11 (14°30′ Sagittarius). The fact that Jupiter and Sagittarius share the same keywords (Jupiter rules Sagittarius) makes this interpretation more straightforward than most.

This is a great time to reflect on religion, philosophy and the meaning of life. Are you satisfied with your current quest in life, or would it serve you to embark on a new one? Are you soaking in life-enhancing wisdom, or sharing your helpful insights with others?

Do you feel called to explore foreign lands, or enrich your life with the wisdom of other cultures? And are you making enough time for joy and celebration in your life?

Jupiter makes a tight aspect pattern as it turns retrograde: a Moon-Mercury-Juno-Jupiter T-square. (See graphic above.) This doubles down on the theme of learning and communication, especially in your committed partnerships. It also supports paying attention to both head and heart. Reflect well on these important relationships while Jupiter is retrograde. Would it serve highest good for a committed relationship to deepen, end or heal?

It’s good to plan and reflect on a planet’s themes while it’s retrograde, then take action once the planet turns direct. But this isn’t an ironclad law. Feel free to start making your life more wonderful now!

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You can experience soul connection with others more easily as Venus conjoins Neptune (17°24′ Pisces). This aspect is also tailor-made for creative people, since it increases the flow of divine inspiration.

You can also use this conjunction to more easily experience the divine current in everything around you. And, most importantly, this aspect can help you deepen your conscious relationship with your own divine self.

By the way, Venus is just getting warmed up. She’ll be aspecting four slower planets within six days. So consider putting special focus on Venus’ core themes of relationship, creativity and money.

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The Venus-Neptune conjunction I just interpreted obviously has many positive potentials. But it could also tempt you into excessive laziness or self-indulgence. Fortunately, another aspect happening today (4/10) can keep you from turning into a couch potato. A Sun-Saturn square (20°12′ Aries-Capricorn) can inspire you to new heights of energy, productivity and accomplishment. This, combined with the creative inspiration of the Venus-Neptune conjunction, can help you make your dreams come true!

This Sun-Saturn square can also bring challenge, especially if you haven’t yet stepped up to become your own master. How fully have you integrated responsibility, discipline and time management into your life, as well as efficient planning and implementation? Is it time to consider everyone else only as an advisor, and become the sole authority of your life?

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Your mind can be more intuitive, energized and focused as Mercury sextiles Pluto (23°6′ Pisces-Capricorn). This flowing aspect can also make your communication more creative and persuasive.

4/11 (Thu)

Grand Cross Peaks

The Grand Cross that started on 4/3 peaks today (4/11) and ends on 4/17. It includes the Sun, Pallas, Saturn, Pluto and the lunar nodes.

4/12 (Fri)

Learning and communication are robustly amplified by a Mercury-Jupiter square (24°20′ Pisces-Sagittarius). To avoid needless argument, be flexible in your thinking and considerate of others’ opinions. With Mercury in Pisces, supplement your logic and rationality with your inner wisdom’s intuitive certainty.

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It’s a great day to work on creative projects with Venus sextile Saturn (20°16′ Pisces-Capricorn). Inspiration is also in the air to give relationships a more solid foundation and improve your financial structures. This is the second aspect Venus makes to a slower planet within six days.

4/13 (Sat)

Mystic Rectangle Peaks

The Mystic Rectangle that started on 4/3 peaks today (4/13) and ends on 4/16. This flowing aspect pattern includes the Sun, Juno, Pallas and Jupiter.

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Is there a transformation, even a small one, that you’d like to bring into your life? With the Sun square Pluto (23°7′ Aries-Capricorn), the time is ripe! This is also a great time to be mindful of interpersonal power dynamics. Are you playing the “power over” zero-sum game – domination and control – or “power with,” where power is shared and everybody wins?

4/14 (Sun)

It’s easier to feel sunny and energized as the Sun trines Jupiter (24°19′ Aries-Sagittarius). With the Sun in Aries, this smooth connection also supports athletic activity, sex and leadership.

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Relationships, creativity and finances can enjoy a significant energy boost as Venus sextiles Pluto (23°7′ Pisces-Capricorn). This powerful connection can also smooth the way for any transformation needed in these areas.

4/15 (Mon)

You can enjoy extra inspiration in your thinking and communication as Mercury quintiles Mars (28°12′ Pisces-10°12′ Gemini).

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Venus hits the finish line – four slower planet aspects in six days! – with a Venus-Jupiter square (24°18′ Pisces-Sagittarius). Jupiter can have a benefic influence, bringing good fortune to relationships, creativity and finances. But Jupiter’s job is also to bring your attention to what’s already happening in these areas, especially with a hard aspect like this square. So adjust or release as needed, while remembering to celebrate what’s going well!

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Whatever your Sun Sign, my forecasts can help you make the best use of the current astrological energies.

All dates and times are in the U.S. eastern time zone. Events are most powerful on the dates listed, but their influence will be active for at least a week before and after.

Everyone is affected by these global transits. However, you’ll be most powerfully impacted when moving planets activate sensitive points in your natal chart. Discover how these transits will personally affect you by booking a session with me.

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