Current Transits for April 2000 Current Transits for April 2000Here's some of the important astrological news this month ...
The Taurus Traffic Jam
New Moon at 15Ar16, 4-4
Saturn quincunx Chiron, 4-13
Jupiter quincunx Pluto, 4-15
Full Moon at 28Li59, 4-18
Parallel Action, 4-23
An online ephemeris for the month is available.
April is (thank goodness) a slow news month astrologically. After the way we've been battered the last few months, a little down time is in order. I'd be looking at the next few weeks as a time to prepare for some of the fireworks that will hit us in May. In fact, some of the more interesting events this month seem to be previews for the show in May, giving us a chance to rehearse the action now when the stakes aren't so high. The biggest "coming attraction" is the big build-up in Taurus that peaks around May 3rd (when there are 7 planets in that sign). By the last week of this month, Taurus will already be plenty crowded. Until then, the energy is pretty sluggish, so just keep on plowing through.
In order to understand April, you really need to look forward into the major stories of May. They include the big pile-up in Taurus of 7 planets on May 3rd, the squares of Saturn and Jupiter to Uranus on 5-13 and 5-20, and the once every 20 years conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn on 5-28. In a number of ways, the important events in April are mostly previews of the May phenomena. There are a pair of "big aspects" to consider this month, as well as some important connections (known as "parallels") that mimic the May aspects. Also, as the month wears on, Taurus gets more and more crowded, preparing us for the May 3rd show.
The Taurus build-up in early May has been receiving quite a bit of press for many years, including a book or two. Half the planets (7 out of 15), including all the bodies that are visible to the naked eye, are in this one zodiac sign (for about 14 hours) shortly before the May new moon. The "doom and gloom" writers have been going crazy with this one, describing the event as all the planets lined up in a row on one side of the Sun and us on poor planet Earth on the other. The alleged gravitational imbalance is "supposed" to trigger all sorts of catastrophes on Earth, such as earthquakes, solar storms or a major pole shift that will wipe out everything on the Earth's surface. Frankly, such claims are overstated and quite unlikely to occur. The line up is not as precise as the "straight line" description implies -- the planets are spread out over a 26 degree span -- plus the invisible outer planets are still on "our side" of the Sun with us. I'm not saying a few major disasters won't happen, but I'm not expecting the end of the world by any means. After all, Taurus (an earth sign) tends to show up frequently in charts of important earthquakes, etc. In fact, since Mars entered Taurus on March 22, there have been two volcano eruptions that have been in the news (in Italy and Japan). Solar storms are a possibility (especially since the Sun is at its sunspot maximum this year), which could affect communications and the electrical power grid, or even knock out a satellite or two, but that's not a doomsday scenario all by itself. We've gotten through big alignments like this before (including an important one in Aquarius back in 1962). Life will go on...
The build-up has been underway for a long time already. Saturn entered Taurus last year, Jupiter on Feb 14th of this year, Mars last month. In April, 3 more planets join the club: the Sun on the 19th, Mercury on the 29th, Venus on the 30th. When the Moon enters Taurus late on May 2nd, the line up is complete, as least until Mars moves into Gemini on the 3rd. As I said, the big pile up is only about 14 hours long. Watch for the fireworks to happen between May 2nd and the 5th, as the Moon moves past one planet after another. The energy starts to dissipate in the following days and weeks, although the likelihood of aftershocks and delayed reactions is high.
So what does this have to do with April? As the month opens up, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn are already in Taurus. In fact, they are all visible low in the western sky shortly after sunset (the brilliant white object is Jupiter, Mars is a dull red, Saturn a dim yellow body) -- I encourage you to go out and watch the show! The evenings of the 5th and 6th will be an especially good view, as a thin creasent Moon will join them. The Moon passes all three planets on the 6th, the same day Mars is next to Jupiter, so this is an important day to watch. Another crucial preliminary release of energy is on the 15th, when Mars is on Saturn. These 9 days should give you a good taste of the influences to come.
Taurus energy, on a personal level, is about getting in touch with the physical plane. An emphasis on the Bull (and 7 planets here certainly counts as an emphasis) brings us back to our physical bodies and the realm of the senses. The famed laziness that Taurus is noted for is more a delight in sensual pleasures than a true lack of motivation. For a culture like ours that tends to "live in our heads" (and lately in cyberspace), this focus on the body may feel strange and vaguely forbidden. It teaches us that the quiet joy of living is its own reward, that you don't need an endless glut of mental stimulation and "entertainment" to be happy. Given that Jupiter and Saturn are part of the picture, both strong "social" planets, this could also result (in the long run) in a reassessment of our relations to money, possessions and other resources. It does no good to simply accumulate more and more things if you never take time to enjoy them. At its best, Taurus energy is about taking pleasure in all things in proper measure, the fine middle road between scarcity and gluttony. On a more global level, this sign relates to Mother Earth herself, the physical cradle and support that allows our lives to happen. Perhaps this is a wake up call for us to correct our grossly imbalanced relationship with our home planet and the other living creatures who share this beautiful world with us before we irreparably trash it. If we fail to get the message here, Mother Earth may issue us a few warnings (hence the earthquakes and volcanos). We are not conquerors passing through this planet temporarily -- we live here. Let's treat this place as our home, not a cheap motel room.
Remember that the Taurus planets are merely the visible (i.e., conscious) planets -- the invisible and unconscious planets are all elsewhere in the zodiac. Behind the conscious lessons we are (hopefully) learning now are the workings of deep, unseen spiritual forces that we can barely tune into. Part of our spiritual unfolding now is learning to appreciate that the physical is sacred, too.
If this chart were more focused, it would be quite spectacular. The tall, fat peaks in the waveform point to a large, fan-shaped grouping of planets that crosses the middle of 6 zodiac signs. However, these peaks are fat and misshapen, attesting to the fact that this group is spread out and not well organized. At least we have some breathing room in what could be a huge roller coaster ride in the coming lunar month.
Almost all of the planets and asteroids (11 out of 15!) are part of the fan-shaped grouping in this chart -- quite a showing! The string of 30 degree connections here links so many levels of our being together in a harmonious fashion that seemingly anything is possible. Even the difficult squares in this group are forcing us out of our ruts, challenging outmoded social conventions or kicking us in the butt to let go of habitual thought patterns that no longer apply. Many of the planets are deeper, unconscious forces, however, necessitating a reorientation away from normal everyday concerns and a shift towards less tangible issues. That requires some flexibility on your part, which may be in short supply. There's a tendency to protect your position more tenaciously than usual -- even the most high-minded among us can be a bit bull-headed these days. Above all, this is very useful and constructive energy, so if you've got some important work to do, get busy! The going may not always be smooth, but it's hard to find a time like this where the planets are working so positively without bowling us over. Make the most of this month!
On the 13th, Saturn is quincunx Chiron for the 6th time in this protracted 8-fold connection. This 8 act play lasts from December 1997 to April 2001, so we've still got a year to go. As I've commented on the previous occasions, this contact catalyzes a deep healing and release for us (Chiron) on a physical, structural level (Saturn). When you internalize old hurts, fears and limitations, those emotions wind up stuck in the physical body as muscular tension patterns, disturbed organ and glandular functions, and chronic aches and pains. When you let go of those old emotions, especially through therapeutic bodywork of some kind, the body also lets go of its old baggage and gradually gets healthier. Because these patterns are mostly unconscious (most body functions are), you really need the help of a therapist or bodyworker to mirror them back to you until you finally become aware of them. It's only through awareness, bringing this old garbage to the light of consciousness, that they can be released and healed. We are so used to separating body, mind and spirit in our thinking that we don't see anymore we are simply one person, not a collection of parts. This time of internal separations is over. There is no spiritual enlightenment without enlightening the body as well. Only when we are healthy inside can we make the structures of our outer lives healthy also. Do the work now so you won't carry these useless patterns into the future.
Jupiter is quincunx Pluto on the 15th, a quick single-pass contact. Whereas Jupiter tends to draw us outward into the world, expanding our outer horizons, Pluto draws us inward to the world of the psyche, our inner selves. For now, these two tendencies seem to step on each other's toes, more a mismatch than an outright conflict. Perhaps the demands of everyday living are dulling your inner connection or a preoccupation with internal concerns is preventing you from getting some important work done. Fortunately, this is only a temporary situation. On the up side, Jupiter-Pluto connections usually increase your drive and enthusiasm for things, filling you with energy that should be used wisely. Don't get caught up in selfish concerns, since they usually boomerang on you when Pluto is active. Listen to your intuition.
The full moon chart is remarkably similar to the new moon, so many of the themes in these two charts are the same. Even the house cusps in the charts are only a few degrees different. This frequently indicates "unfinished business" between the two times, a planetary hint to go back and revisit the same problems over again.
Despite the similarities between the new and full moon charts, the full moon strikes me as considerably weaker and more disorganized. The giant fan-shaped pattern has evaporated. Although the need to overcome old behaviors and habits is still present, the ability to actually incorporate the changes into your life is inhibited. There is a growing feeling of inertia or stagnation now, a sense that change is uncomfortable and overly disruptive. The strong Mars-Uranus square (which is exact on the 19th) is also quite explosive, leading to outbursts of anger or even violence under the proper circumstances. It's important to keep focused on your goals and not let your impatience run away with you. As long as Mars has something useful to work at, he stays out of trouble. Unfortunately, Uranus is as much a trouble maker as it is a visionary, making it hard to stick to your plans. Follow your heart, not your hot head.
Besides the usual system of aspects (angular distances between two planets as measured along the zodiac), astrologers sometimes use a second group of connections known as "parallels" and "contraparallels". Two planets are in parallel when they are the same distance either north or south of the equator, or in contraparallel when they are the same distance, but on opposite sides of the equator. Parallels are said to act like conjunctions, while contraparallels act like oppositions. Although few astrologers pay much attention to these contacts, they are just as powerful as the usual aspects. I bring this up because Jupiter and Saturn are parallel on the 23rd, and both are contraparallel to Uranus the same day. These connections mimic 3 of the most potent aspects coming up in May, the squares of Jupiter and Saturn to Uranus, followed by the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn on 5-28. In effect, this is a preview of the May contacts and could trigger some subtle, but powerful shifts in society at large. Our view of the world is being overturned and totally revamped, though I don't expect this to show up in any tangible fashion for many months yet (maybe this summer). Keep an eye out for the repurcussions.