Astrology Skywatch Summary for April:

Summary for April:

The first week in April we are building towards a challenging planetary event that is a new peak for the tension that began with the New Moon on March 26th. We're feeling now a deepening of the intensity with which we approach the day-to-day matters of our life.

There is a strong Aries influence now which is impulsive and highly energized. Rather than a slow burn, Aries explodes and then the fire fizzles out quickly. A challenging aspect involving Venus is asking us to look back at unfinished business around the 3rd of April, and any issues raised back in early February when this aspect first began may raise their heads again. Venus is retrograde now, appearing to move backwards from our perspective on earth, so it may be difficult to keep our relationships moving in a forward direction.
This is a good time to willingly explore the issues in our relationships that give us problems, as the door to the underworld of hidden meanings and motivations is open now. If we don’t pass through the door willingly, we may be pulled in there anyway by the intensity of this dynamic. There is an opportunity to learn something new – to begin a new cycle of evolution and bring new skills into our relationships. Pluto is a powerful influence now, so we are experiencing more intensity at every level of our lives.
On the 4th, a harmonious aspect facilitates our mental understanding by providing us with a more expansive viewpoint. This will help to facilitate the Pluto process of getting to the root of the matters in which we are involved.
Also on the 4th, a face-off between Mars and Saturn pits our individual desires against our responsibilities and the requirement that we respect authority. Mars is in compassionate Pisces now where it does not have the advantage of being able to utilize all of its tools of warfare and when stressed, there may be a temptation to slip into more passive-aggressive behavior rather than confront problems openly. Try not to succumb to this temptation, because Pluto is ruling this time period and demands that we are as honest and true in our actions as we can possibly be. We are likely to feel that our impulse to action is slowed for a few days, and that is absolutely normal under the Saturn influence.
Over the next few days and especially on the 7th we find ourselves in greater harmony with our inner world and provide the insights and understanding to release issues of difficulty. Mercury enters Taurus on the 9th which will be a calming influence as our minds become more concerned with achieving serenity and a measure of peace that Taurus so values.
The Full Moon in Libra occurs at 10:56 am EDT on April 9, offering a harmonious array of planetary aspects. Libra is the sign of balance and harmony, of beauty and relationships with others. The Full Moon occurs when the Sun, representing the solar principle of the conscious mind and action, opposes the Moon and her lunar principles of receptivity and instinctive wisdom. Under the Full Moon there is a need to bring these two opposites into balance, and because Libra is the sign of balance it is easier under the Libra Full Moon to accomplish this than with any other sign. The Sun is in Aries now, governing the Will of the individual self, so under this Full Moon we need to learn to balance our own will and our individual needs with an intention towards harmony and peace in our relationships. As with any opposition, it’s important to recognize that neither side is better or should take precedence. There needs to be a balance between them.
An aspect from the Full Moon to Jupiter offers the promise of great things and a sense of fulfillment and healing of the past, but the need for balance is still an imperative.
A harmonious aspect on the 11th will make it easier for us to probe the depths of the subconscious and to focus on that which is important. Also on the 11th, there is the opportunity to wrap up old unfinished business with partners or friends of any kind and to move forward free from old fears and resistance that held us back before.

For a day or two before the 15th be somewhat careful as this a Mars/Uranus planetary combination can be decidedly prone to accidents when the aggressive instincts of Mars collide with the impatient reckless behavior of Uranus. At its best, when Mars and Uranus work together there is tremendous excitement and creativity combined with a surge of physical energy that permits great things to be accomplished.
On the 17th, we become more calm and more easily able to focus our intention and achieve mental clarity. This helps to ground us, and the grounding will continue on the 19th when the Sun enters the earthy sign of Taurus.
Venus and Mars collide on April 21st, creating perhaps a sense of urgency around our relationships with others and our values in general. Integration between our individual needs (Mars) and the need for balance and harmony with others (Venus) is called for here.
Mars enters its own sign of Aries on April 22nd. Mars is very comfortable in Aries – its passion and drive can operate unclouded by the compassion and sensitivity of which Pisces is so enamored. On the same day our sense of our abilities is expanded but there is also the potential for arguments and power conflicts.
On the day of the New Moon in Taurus on April 24th at 11:23 pm EDT. there is a sharp focus on the satisfaction of our own desires. This isn’t a bad thing, but understanding that this dynamic is in play will help us to manage our relationships in case problems arise as a result.
Taurus is the Empress, the mother goddess Gaia. Under the influence of Taurus, we cherish the bounty of earth and the inherent pleasure of living life in a body. New Moons, occurring when the Sun and Moon fuse and begin the lunar cycle anew, are times of new beginnings and offer a new potentiality. This New Moon is part of a harmonious blend of planets that help us in creating a solid and grounded life that is full of the bounty that life on Earth has to offer. At the same time, our minds are flooded with new ideas to help make it happen.
This New Moon is critical to our evolutionary progress. There are things that we feel we haven’t completed, that we need to go back to, but the time for going back is past now. It’s time to move forward – to let go of what remains unfinished and begin anew.
The following few days may be somewhat challenging, as we are forced to look clearly at our old wounds as they arise. Communications with others more emotional and therefore more difficult, and a Neptune influence can confuse the issues and lead to misunderstandings. This is exacerbated by the fact that Mercury is entering the shadow of its retrograde period when it begins to slow down in preparation for the change of direction on May 8. For a week or so, tread lightly and expect that communication may be difficult.
This last week of April is a period where there is a great deal of energy unleashed. This poses the potential for power conflicts and other types of battles, and it is a time when we can feel very angry or irritated. Physical activity and vigorous exercise can help us to channel this energy so that we can utilize it in more constructive ways.
On the last day of April, Mercury enters its own sign of Gemini. Communication will become of primary importance at that time, despite the upcoming Mercury retrograde period!
As always, if you have any questions about this information please email me at lynn@astrodynamics.net, or schedule a personal consultation.

peace and blessings,
Lynn
www.astrodynamics.net