New beginnings are empowered with an Aries New Moon during the second half of April. Other “skylights” include the Sun entering Taurus, Pluto turning retrograde and Mars aspecting Jupiter, Chiron and Pluto.
Click astrology graphics to see larger images.
4/16 (Thu)
Selfless service in alignment with your highest ideals is supported by a Neptune-Vesta conjunction (8°58′ Pisces). This aspect can also create an especially flowing experience of sacred sexuality.
Communication could get a bit wonky with Mercury quincunx Saturn (4°2′ Taurus-Sagittarius). Whether your self-expression is being limited or you’re just having trouble finding the words, diligent persistence should get you the words you need in the end.
Pluto stations retrograde today at 15°32′ Capricorn, and will turn direct again at 12°58′ Capricorn on 9/25. Anything in your natal chart within 3° of this station in the cardinal signs – from about 12°30′ to 18°30′ in Aries, Cancer, Libra or Capricorn – will feel Pluto’s power with special intensity now.
Apply these Pluto Principles to any themes stimulated in your chart: release all that doesn’t serve you, and open to maximum divine power by surrendering your ego to divine guidance as much as you can.
Mystic Rectangle: Venus-Juno-Ceres-Saturn
(Repeated from my April 1-15 forecast.) A Mystic Rectangle provides a variety of opportunities. It’s helpful to think of the energies of Juno, Ceres and Saturn focusing on Venus, the fastest planet in this aspect pattern. Venus has three fundamental meanings, and all lend themselves to meaningful interpretations here.
In relationships, this Mystic Rectangle can help stabilize your self-esteem in committed partnerships. In creative pursuits, having a collaborator can lend stability and profitability to your enterprise. And financially speaking, a business or investment partner can help you overcome any challenges that arise and help you attain a larger return on your investment.
This aspect pattern started on 4/12, peaks today and ends on 4/22.
4/17 (Fri)
Stepping into your juju as a leader, pioneer, warrior, inventor or sexual being is jujuiced up as Mars squares Jupiter (12°43′ Taurus-Leo). Mars’ placement in Taurus can add long-lasting endurance to any of these activities.
Two T-squares peak on 4/17, involving completely different sets of planets. Both these interpretations are repeated from my April 1-15 forecast.
T-square: Venus-Vesta-Saturn-Neptune
This dynamic aspect pattern is custom-made for Law of Attraction work, thanks to the square between Neptune (visualization) and Saturn (crystallization). Since their energies connect to Venus, using your power of visualization to imagine what you want in the areas of relationship, creativity and finance is powerfully supported.
Vesta’s conjunction to Neptune in this configuration encourages you to visualize not just selfishly gratifying outcomes, but those which also serve a higher cause. (The highest forms of service are the most rewarding!)
Holding a more awakened consciousness while relating with others in the 3D world — again, optimally in the service of a higher cause – is also supported by this aspect pattern. This T-square began on 4/13, peaks today and ends on 4/21.
T-square: Mercury-Juno-Ceres
Focusing your mind on prosperity through partnership is a great way to use a Mercury-Juno-Ceres T-square. Mercury is in Taurus, the ruling sign of money. Juno represents committed partnership, while the grain goddess Ceres represents a bountiful harvest of abundance! This T-square began on 4/14, peaks today and ends on 4/20.
4/18 (Sat)
Aries New Moon
There’s a New Moon at 2:57 pm EDT (28°25′ Aries). We’ve had a lot of cuspy lunations in recent months, in which I blended the meanings of two adjacent signs. This one’s at 28°25′ Aries. I believe this to be snugly enough within its own sign that I can interpret it simply as an Aries New Moon. (Whew!)
Both Aries and New Moons are about fresh starts or applying new energy to existing projects. You can apply this idea in any area of life. Or you can focus it into specifically Arean themes such as leadership, warriorship, sexuality and invention.
Aspects
A tight trine to Capricornian Pallas Athena makes it easier to embrace feminine assertiveness and strategic planning in doing business and meeting your goals. A loose square to Aquarian Ceres invites you to look at outside-the-box ways of generating income. And a very loose conjunction to Taurean Mercury invites a steady, methodical approach to thinking and communicating.
Sabian Symbol
This New Moon’s Sabian Symbol is, “The music of the spheres.” This is the celestial symphony inaudible to human ears, but whose indescribable beauty can be “heard” in higher states of consciousness.
“Heard” is in quotes because the music of the spheres is experienced with senses beyond those available in the physical world. “Felt” and “seen” also point in the right direction, but do not even begin to encompass the magnificence of the actual experience. Think of the pleasure you’ve experienced while listening to your favorite music and multiply it by a thousand!
If you’d like to experience the music of the spheres yourself, you can try the following invocation: “Spirit-that-I-am, please help me experience the music of the spheres to the greatest extent that serves highest good, starting now, thank you.” Then rest in passive breath awareness and allow the experience to come to you. (Here’s more information on how to work with my invocations.)
4/19 (Sun)
Turning your thoughts toward inspired creativity or spiritual union practices is supported by Mercury sextile Neptune (9°2′ Taurus-Pisces). This aspect can also make it easier for you to do Law of Attraction manifestation work, and help your mind receive the ever-available flow of intuitive guidance.
All forms of abundance in your life receive steady, energized support with Saturn sextile Ceres (3°54′ Sagittarius-Aquarius).
Challenging manifestations of a Venus-Neptune square (9°3′ Gemini-Pisces) can include delusions about relationships and excessive indulgence in escapist pleasures. Focus instead on this aspect’s life-affirming possibilities: bringing your inspired creativity into manifestation and connecting with the exquisite divine essence in yourself and other beings. (With Venus in Gemini, creative writing receives special support.)
Pallas Athena turns retrograde today at 0°26′ Capricorn, and will turn direct again on 8/3 at 11°39′ Sagittarius. This is a good time to reflect on how you’re embodying feminine assertiveness, strategic planning and practical creativity into your life. Are you having the adventure you came to Earth to experience?
4/20 (Mon)
The Sun Enters Taurus at 5:42 AM EDT. For the next month, the star of our solar system supports “Steady Eddie” productivity, persistence and resource acquisition. It also energizes sensuality, connecting with nature and “just being.”
4/21 (Tue)
Do you need to join Talkaholics Anonymous, or is your excessive verbosity being triggered by Mercury square Jupiter (12°49′ Taurus-Leo)? This aspect can sharpen up all things mental, whether it’s learning, cogitating or communicating. With Mercury in Taurus, working through problems slowly and steadily can be a helpful approach.
The two planets of sexuality connect today as Mars trines Pluto (15°32′ Taurus-Capricorn). Mars dwells more in the realm of animalistic lust, while Pluto open the door to Tantric or sacred sexuality.
Mars in Taurus is more inclined to slow down and relish each moment of lovemaking with all five senses fully engaged. Transpersonal Pluto wants to take sexual pleasure into the sacred realms. Pluto can show you that even the most intense physical orgasm is but a pale reflection of the ecstasy that the higher realms can add to the mix!
Outside the sexual realm, this Mars-Pluto trine can also smoothly energize your actions as a warrior, pioneer, inventor and initiator.
4/22 (Wed)
Mercury, hot on Mars’ tail, also trines Pluto today. This can certainly stimulate thoughts about sex, but also creates an empowered flow for all mental activity. With Mercury in materialistic Taurus, this also creates fertile ground for Law of Attraction work.
Everything represented by the Goddess of Love – including relationships, creativity and money – is energetically amplified as Venus sextiles Jupiter (12°53′ Gemini-Leo). With Venus in Gemini, it’s okay to be a social butterfly or dabble in different types of creativity. It’s also a reminder to investigate whether your investment portfolio is sufficiently diversified.
There’s no need to launch a war of words just because Mercury is conjunct Mars (16°18′ Taurus). This conjunction can energize dynamic speech and give you a shot of “brain espresso.” At the same time, these planets’ placement in Taurus can help you proceed methodically and keep a level head.
4/23 (Thu)
Practical structural adjustments are supported under a Sun-Saturn quincunx (3°38′ Taurus-Sagittarius).
4/24 (Fri)
Your mind can focus more easily on mentoring and healing with Mercury sextile Chiron (20°0′ Taurus-Pisces). With Mercury in Taurus, hands-on healing and in-person mentoring receive special support.
With Venus quincunx Pluto (15°31′ Gemini-Capricorn), what adjustments and transformations would be helpful in your relationships, creativity and finances? With Venus in Gemini, consider taking an eclectic approach.
4/25 (Sat)
Creative writing – especially when it brings sensual details vividly to life – is supported with Mercury quintile Neptune (21°12′ Taurus-9°12′ Pisces). Creative thinking and imaginative expression in general also receive a sprinkling of fairy dust!
4/26 (Sun)
It can be easier to take your creativity in fresh directions with Venus sextile Uranus (17°36′ Gemini-Aries). Also keep your radar tuned for intuitive flashes to help guide you in your relationships and finances.
Are any of your committed partnerships (romantic or platonic) challenged by lack of clarity or a perpetrator/victim dynamic? If so, this is a good time to make appropriate adjustments with Neptune quincunx Juno (9°14′ Pisces-Leo). The more you keep your divine connection open, the easier it is for the transcendent intelligence within you to guide you in these and all other matters.
4/27 (Mon)
No major astrology events.
4/28 (Tue)
You’re smoothly and dynamically supported to act in the areas of healing and mentoring with Mars sextile Chiron (20°9′ Taurus-Pisces). Don’t be discouraged if you’re not rewarded with instant gratification. With Mars in Taurus, persistence and diligence can win the day.
4/29 (Wed)
Your childhood wounds, shadow material and past life baggage are more likely to be triggered with Venus square Chiron (20°11′ Gemini-Pisces). You can point a finger at the person who triggered your challenging emotions, or – more productively – you can take note of the three fingers pointing back at you!
I have found my healing invocation, holotropic-style breathwork, shamanic ceremonies and other experiential modalities to be the most helpful in purging the dense, debilitating energies that we all carry around. The safe container they create allows you to relive and clear these old traumas. You have to feel it to heal it!
States of spiritual union and creative inspiration are supported by two aspects today: a Mars-Neptune quintile (21°18′ Taurus-9°18′ Pisces) and a Sun-Neptune sextile (9°18′ Taurus-Pisces). With Mars and the Sun both in Taurus, you’re also supported in holding higher states of consciousness in the midst of your everyday activities. Get in the zone and go with the flow!
4/30 (Thu)
Pallas Athena retrogrades back into Sagittarius today, where she will remain through Halloween. Her presence here makes it easier to take a bold, adventurous approach to feminine assertiveness, strategic planning and practical creativity.
Mercury transits Gemini, one of the signs it rules, today through 7/8. Learning, quick thinking and communication in all its expressions, as well as playfulness and perhaps even mischievousness, are energized. The winged messenger’s stay in Gemini is unusually long because its next retrograde (5/18 through 6/11) takes place entirely within the Sign of the Twins.
Void-of-Course Moons
It’s best to avoid starting important new projects or making major purchases during void-of-course Moons. “Business as usual” is the optimal strategy. Void-of-course Moons occur when the Moon has made her last major Ptolemaic aspect, but has not yet moved into her next sign.
- 4/15, 5:36:49 pm – 4/16, 4:59:44 pm (Aries)
- 4/18, 2:56:48 pm – 5:31:09 pm (Taurus)
- 4/19, 7:06:36 pm – 4/20, 7:27:47 pm (Gemini)
- 4/22, 1:37:51 am – 4/23, 12:25:24 am (Cancer)
- 4/24, 1:03:44 pm – 4/25, 9:12:36 am (Leo)
- 4/27, 10:12:17 am – 9:07:13 pm (Virgo)
- 4/30, 8:23:22 am – 10:02:49 am (Libra)
Whatever your Sun Sign, Benjamin’s 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 several days before and after.
Everyone is affected by these global transits. However, you will be most powerfully impacted when moving planets activate sensitive points in your natal chart.
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