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4/1 Mercury sextile Chiron
4/2 Mercury enters Taurus
Venus trine Ceres
4/3 Venus square Mars
4/4 Mercury trine Ceres
Venus trine Pluto
4/5 Mercury square Mars
4/6 Mercury trine Pluto
Pluto retrograde
4/7 Saturn Rx enters Virgo
4/13 No aspects of any kind
4/14 New Moon in Aries 8:39 am
4/18 Mercury Rx (until May 11)
Sun sextile Neptune
4/20 Sun sextile Chiron
Sun enters Taurus
Chiron enters Pisces
4/23 Venus square Neptune
Venus sextile Uranus
4/24 Venus trine Saturn
Sun trine Ceres
4/25 Venus enters Gemini
Venus square Uranus
Mercury square Mars
Sun trine Pluto
4/26 Saturn opposite Uranus
4/28 Full Moon Scorpio 8:39 am
Sun conjunct Mercury
Ceres Rx

They say when March comes in like a lion it goes out like a lamb, and the same can be said of this astrological period. April begins with lamb-like astrological weather - there is a nice elemental balance with the Sun and Mars both in fire signs, Jupiter in watery Pisces, Mercury and Venus both in Earth, and Saturn, Chiron and Neptune all in air. There are no major problematic aspects to contend with in early April, but as the month progresses Saturn will retrograde back into Virgo and begin to face off against Uranus in Pisces. But more on that later!

Pluto takes center stage this month as it prepares for its retrograde turn on the 7th. Pluto has been at a virtual standstill at 5 degrees Capricorn since early March, and if Pluto is aspecting your own chart you are certainly feeling it now! The intensity of Pluto dredges up old memories, emotions and situations from the past but also helps us to let go of anything that no longer serves our personal growth.

Mercury enters Taurus on the 2nd, and because it will turn retrograde on the 18th it will remain in Taurus for a longer period than the few weeks which it usually takes to travel through a zodiacal sign. In Taurus, the mental function and communication (Mercury) becomes very practical and grounded, with a tendency to want to define firm ideas and ways of thinking about the world we live in. In Taurus, Mercury has an easier time during its retrograde path because there is more introspection and planning than there is when Mercury is in the more active signs.

Venus is active during the first few days of the month. This Taurus Venus is grounded and calm, with a desire for serenity and comfort. It does not want disruption or chaos to disturb the hard-won peace of its inner world, and that helps to bring a greater level of serenity to our interactions with others until later in the month when Venus enters Gemini. Venus trines Ceres on the 2nd, helping us to be more aware of the needs of others and our own inner connections between our emotions and our spirit life.

On the 3rd Venus forms a challenging square to Mars which is presently in Leo. Mars in Leo is very self-oriented, and Venus in Taurus desires peace and comfort so when these two face off there could be some minor conflict for a day or so. However, when Venus makes a harmonious trine to Pluto on the 4th it will become easier to transform (Pluto) any disharmony into positive change and personal transformation. The trine of Mercury to Ceres that day will also help that process as we discover new ways of thinking (Mercury) about the things that are important to us (Ceres).

On the 5th and 6th communication takes center stage. A challenging square from Mercury to Mars on the 5th can energize the mind and help to sharpen our focus and solve problems, but it can also result in arguments and disagreements. Both planets are in fixed signs and a stubborn attachment to personal opinions can make it difficult to compromise. This will be assisted by a trine from Mercury to Pluto on the 6th, and because Pluto also retrogrades that day Pluto is at its most powerful and helps to ease the tension and push through the desired results.

Any time we are dealing with Pluto it's important to maintain a balance between clarifying our intention for what we want to see happen, and surrender to the powers of the Universe and our higher Self. Pluto empowers us, but it also wants us to be empowered at the highest level and not just from a place of ego. If our desires are not in harmony with the goal of the higher Self, they will not find fruition under Pluto's influence.

On April 7 Saturn retrogrades back into Virgo where it will remain until mid-July when it moves back into Libra for the next couple of years. While in Virgo Saturn will complete the work it has been doing with issues around health care, work environment, the need for frugality and practicality in financial matters. Saturn creates challenges when any aspect of our life is out of balance, and in Virgo it has found a lot that needs its attention!

Saturn is approaching the fourth exact opposition with Uranus (exact on April 26) in a long cycle that has created a great deal of tension in all areas of life but particularly in the political arena. The cycle began on the US Election Day in 2008, the second phase of the cycle occurred in February of 2009, the next phase in September 2009, and the cycle will complete in late July of this year. It is rare that Saturn cycles pass through more than three phases, so this is a very important process that involves rebalancing old ideas and conservative values and societal structures (Saturn) with the breaking up of the old order with change and innovation that is potentially frightening to the status quo. You can read more about it here.

The Aries New Moon on April 14th brings with it a tremendous amount of fresh new inspiration. Aries is the first sign of the zodiac and the sign that marks the beginning of Spring, and the New Moon is the beginning of the lunar cycle. So here we have the beginning of the solar cycle combining with the initiation of the lunar cycle and providing an opportunity for a fresh start.

The New Moon contains the energy of the opposition between Saturn to Uranus, so while there is the inspiration for a new beginning, there is an inherent tension that requires us to look for a way to integrate and balance the old order (Saturn) with the new (Uranus).

This New Moon is in a nice sextile to Chiron and Neptune which will bring in the soulful (Neptune) healing (Chiron) energy of that conjunction to heal the past as we move forward into the future. However, a conjunction of Pluto to Ceres will uncover any deep grief or disconnect between the Soul and the Spirit, requiring a greater level of integration. Pluto will intensify the excitement of the New Moon and bring in a deeper sense of meaning and soul transformation.

Mercury turns retrograde on April 18th for three weeks. Mercury retrograde periods can be challenging for communication and the use of electronic equipment, but they are excellent for looking back and perfecting projects from the past. Home renovations and repair, resolving old disputes, rejecting suitors that you know aren't good for you - anything that begins with the prefix "re-" works very well when Mercury is retrograde. However, these are not the best times to begin new projects or to start a business.

The Sun takes center stage on the 18th for a few days, beginning with a pleasant sextile to Chiron and Neptune. The Sun brings its warmth and illumination into any planetary relationship, and the 18th and 19th will be wonderful days to look within and see what soul messages are available to be heard. Chiron opens the doorway to parts of ourselves that have become lost, and Neptune takes us deep into the world of the Soul. These two planets together have been conjunct since last year and they will be within three degrees throughout 2010, continuing their work of soul healing.

On the 20th the Sun enters Taurus, bringing our conscious attention to more practical matters and helping us to ground into a more pleasurable and comfortable experience of life on Planet Earth.

Chiron also changes signs that day, entering Pisces for the first time in 51 years. Watch for news of an article on the implications of this shift, but in Pisces Chiron will expose the wounds (Chiron) in our dreams and fantasies (Pisces) but also put us in greater touch than ever before with the quality of soul in our lives. Neptune is the ruler of Pisces, and the conjunction of Chiron and Neptune has begun this process already. Chiron moving into Pisces will simply deepen and personalize it to a greater extent.

Relationships with others will become more active between the 22nd and the 26th of April. Venus will move into position to square Neptune on the 23rd which is wonderfully creative but can also present the potential for illusion. However, it forms a harmonious sextile to Uranus on that same day, encouraging us to break free from our everyday routine and seek something more fascinating in our interactions with others. On the 24th a trine from Venus to Saturn brings us back down to earth for a day or so where we can interact responsibly and forge deeper and more meaningful bonds.

However, on the following day Venus enters Gemini and forms a challenging square to the impulsive and radical planet Uranus and we need lots of change and autonomy for a couple of days. Mercury (communication) is in a challenging square to aggressive Mars as well, increasing the potential for arguments on the 25th. However, a trine of the Sun to Pluto that same day virtually ensures that any arguments will be resolved in a way that brings about the best possible solutions.

In Gemini Venus is very changeable and we tend to want to break free of routine and commitment. There is a desire here to talk to and learn from lots of different kinds of people, so the Venus in Gemini period is excellent for conferences or meetings where ideas can be exchanged.

The exact opposition from Saturn to Uranus occurs on April 26th, signifying a peak in the conflict between restriction (Saturn) and unfettered expression (Uranus). In our personal lives this can manifest as an inner conflict between a part of us that wants to move forward and another that wants to maintain the current order. Or we could attract a situation in our lives that creates challenge in one direction or another; either we are forced against our will to leave a situation to begin something new, or we want to effect a change in our life and are blocked from doing so. Any opposition (180 degree aspect) requires balance and integration, so keep this in mind as you enter the tug of war between tradition and change.

The Scorpio Full Moon on April 28th features a number of powerful aspects and this lunar event is likely to carry a fair amount of intensity with it. The Full Moon occurs when the Sun is opposite the Moon, so again we have the need for balance and integration. Here the centerpoint occurs between the peaceful harmony and stability of Taurus and the fiery emotional depth of Scorpio.

This Full Moon features a "T-square" with a conjunction of Mercury to the Sun, suggesting that the mind is to be fully engaged at this time with reason and understanding playing a key part in the dance. A square of Mars to the Sun/Mercury conjunction on the one side, and the Scorpio Moon on the other, completes the T-square with a powerful burst of energy and aggression. Mars is the traditional ruler of Scorpio and this tight aspect to the lunation heightens the emotional intensity that is present at that time.

The opposition from Saturn to Uranus is still nearly exact, hinting that the aggression that lies at the heart of this Full Moon will stem from any imbalance that occurs between the restrictive principle (Saturn) and the principle of change (Uranus). Fortunately, Pluto interacts harmoniously with the lunation to ensure that we process deeply anything that we need to learn at this time and that we find the inner courage and personal power that's needed now.

Ceres turns retrograde on April 30th and will continue to travel backwards from our perspective until mid-June. During this period we are likely to be more aware of areas in our life where we need to be taking better care of ourselves and others.

Have a great month!