Current Transits for April 2001 Current Transits for April 2001Here's some of the important astrological news this month ...
Jupiter trine Neptune, 4-5
Pallas Retrograde Station at 16Sa00, 4-5
Chiron Retrograde Station at 28Sa55, 4-7
Full Moon at 18Li21, 4-7
Saturn quincunx Chiron, 4-11
Juno enters Taurus, 4-13
Venus Direct Station at 1Ar27, 4-19
Saturn enters Gemini, 4-20
New Moon at 3Ta32, 4-23
An online ephemeris for the month is available.
After the doldrums of February and March, April should feel like a real upturn in the energies. It's debateable whether the forces at work now are new influences coming into our lives or old stories drawing to a conclusion. In fact, it's a little of both. It should be a relief to have some of the old business cleared away, if only to make room for the newer cycles that kick in during May and June. The stations of Pallas and Chiron speak of situations starting to develop that will require a great deal of healing insight to get through, while the passage of Saturn into Gemini on the 20th indicates the overall mood of these times becoming a lot lighter and more manageable. There's still much work to do, but at least we have a tail-wind to back us up finally. Maybe it will be easier to see results for all the effort.
Compared to the previous months, there's lots of significant planetary activity coming up in April. The news this month includes 2 big aspects that are finishing up their extended shows, 2 sign changes, and 3 planets at their stations.
Jupiter and Neptune are completing a 3 pass trine on the 5th. The previous contacts in this series were on July 27 and Dec 9 of last year, so we are wrapping up a 9 month cycle. This kind of connection is generally quite positive and upbeat, with only a few warnings. Both planets are optimistic and idealistic, looking for the best sides of life, while a trine is one of the most easy-going ways to combine two planetary energies. Jupiter is good at seeing the big picture of our connections with other people, helping us cultivate a broader view of the world at large. Neptune works at even a vaster level of connection, one that can be termed "cosmic" without fear of exaggeration. This combination is excellent for expanding your physical and mental boundaries, allowing you to explore territories you could only dream about previously. Since both planets work at a spiritual or metaphysical level as well, this can be a time of interesting breakthroughs in your awareness. While I'm all for expanded consciousness, there are potential problem areas to be aware of. First, Neptune is a planet of illusion and escapism as much as it is of enlightenment. It's easy to think you have all of life's answers now when you really don't have a clue. Coupled with Jupiter's tendency to see the big picture at the expense of working out the details, and the trine's inclination to taking the easy way out, it can be easy to lose your bearings. If you notice a feeling of being lost or fuzzy, or exhibit a tendency to have a swelled head about how much you understand, I'd take these as warning signs you need to reexamine matters. Above all, stay practical and keep at least one foot connected to planet earth. I see this as a time when spirit can be brought into everyday life more fully, as opposed to escaping mundane life into a more etheric existance. It's an illusion to separate matter and spirit like that, probably one of the most pervasive and destructive spiritual errors of our culture for thousands of years. Life is spiritual here and now, at all levels -- there is nothing else. So open up and let the experiences of the last 9 months shine within you. There's a new reality trying to emerge.
Pallas reaches her retrograde station on the 5th, at 16Sa00, and prepares to go into reverse gear. Times like the next 3 months are ones when you need to focus your creativity on specific endeavors. It's not enough to simply let your Muse guide you, since Pallas usually requires you to plan ahead -- new approaches may be necessary. The mental realm is usually emphasized over the emotional side, so it may feel like you're cut off from your gut level feelings. (Sometimes, however, the emotions can get so overwhelming that the thinking mind has no recourse but to pay attention.) It's interesting that this retrograde cycle for Pallas overlaps Pluto's cycle (both in space and time), indicating these planets are working together for an extended period (like Pluto and Chiron did in 1999-2000). Whatever creative project you focus on, make certain it's something significant to who you are. Trivial projects will probably be frustrated in the long run, while doing your "core work" will have some unexpected rewards. Pallas goes direct again on July 18, at 27Sc14.
Similarly, Chiron makes his retrograde station on the 7th, at 28Sa55, and is in reverse gear until Aug 26th, when he stands still at 22Sa51. As I mentioned in February, I'm particularly intrigued by Chiron's retrograde cycle this year. Just as the Pluto and Pallas cycles are connected this year, Chiron has strong connections with Mars and the Galactic Center via his cycle. The old Trickster Teacher has some interesting lessons for us this year, since the Galactic Center can be felt as a deep connection to the soul, the deep psyche, the "Underworld." The Mars contact is an important clue (perhaps more for me than other people, since my natal Mars is also in this retrograde zone). Chiron is frequently the most downtrodden parts of the psyche, the deep inner wound. Mars, the Warrior and the Masculine spirit, is often one of these undeveloped and immature areas. I find it interesting how much disgust arises, especially among women, when the topic of discussion turns to the Mars archetype. The models of male behavior in our culture, particularly the more unthinking "macho" versions, certainly leave much to be desired. There's no room for growth here. But rather than simply stuff the whole topic into the closet in the back of the unconscious (which is how this becomes an inner wound), perhaps it's better to take a more compassionate second look. This complex of Mars-Chiron-GC crystallizes in the phrase "Sacred Warrior" -- the spirit that believes in and stands for an ideal and does whatever it takes to nurture it along. In short, put all that energy to good use instead of complaining about all that wild unruliness. Look for the positive use of power and value it instead of fixating only on the negative side. This is, of course, only one of the themes within this Chiron cycle. More will come out in due time. Don't rush the GC!
Whenever there is this much fire in a chart, part of me gets a bit worried. While fire is full of light, vision and personal drive, it also has a "me first" attitude that often produces a big blindspot. Something needs to balance it out. This chart pattern is something astrologers call a "Bucket." In this case, 14 bodies are in one half of the chart, producing an intense focussing of attention in a limited area, with entire parts of the story ignored and out of sight. Only the Libra Moon acts as a counterweight. All that Aries energy says "me, me, me!" -- and the Moon asks, "But what about us?" There's a need to balance a strong ego with an understanding of how you affect others and of what's good for your partnerships. An attention to the requirements of others is needed to counteract this strong self-centered streak. The Sun and Moon are joined by Ceres in a tight T-square, a sign that our connections with others need nurturing during trying circumstances. The consequences of our egocentric behaviors are often not perceived until it breaks out into a disagreement or a fight. Rather than give in to "power politics" with your partners and the blaming game that goes with it, really and honestly listen to them. It's hard to hear bad news about yourself, but this is a time when it's important to truly understand the other person's point of view. It may be hard to let it sink in deeply (we're somewhat emotionally disengaged), but at least you heard it. Friends can be an excellent mirror for the soul, whether you want them to or not...
On the 11th, Saturn is quincunx Chiron for last of 8 times, making the Chiron station even more prominent. We've been tracking this aspect since the first contact on 1997-12-14, so I've had a lot to say about it already. The healing themes of Chiron have been important these 4 years. Since Saturn represents the physical body itself, especially the structural parts like the bones, skin and teeth, some of this healing is "simply" at the physical level. It's been important to work on your health problems, particularly those with a psychosomatic connection, such as tight muscles and postural imbalances due to held-in emotions. There's much wisdom in the body's cries for help. Even deeper, though, are the emotional states themselves that caused it all. If you attend to any ache or pain in the body, you'll often feel an old hurt or fear or other emotion lying there. Saturn rules our grounding in the world, a sense of being responsible and competent to meet life's challenges, a feeling of confidence and authority that comes from within. If you are deficient in these areas, your life will certainly be letting you know now! It's only when you feel able to stand your ground that your body will comfortably be able to stand at all. This cycle of healing is coming to a close soon -- finish up the work and make room for the new!
Juno moves from Aries into Taurus for about 3 months on the 13th. Juno is the queen of partnerships between equals. Aries brings out a feisty, individualistic streak that kind of rubs her the wrong direction (she's more of a Libra planet), so she's looking forward to settling down in Taurus awhile. Juno in Taurus wants to simply enjoy her partner, savoring the pleasures of life together. There's very much a need to have the material aspects of the relation working smoothly so physical needs aren't a problem. This is also a time to explore the sensual side of the relationship, but only if the partners are fair and considerate. Juno is likely to clam up or else go into a rage if she feels taken advantage of sexually. So slow down, spend some leisurely time together, have a good time! Relationships are fostered by quiet times. Juno moves into Gemini on June 2.
Venus reaches her direct station on the 19th, at 1Ar27. This cycle started on March 8, when she went retrograde at 17Ar44. Given the connections between Pluto and Venus this time around, it seems this cycle has been especially brutal on friends and lovers. We're tuning into unconscious patterns in each other and doing a lot of complaining about it. It's resulted in much blaming and arguing, as we try to pin "the cause" for our upset emotions on the other person. When Venus is backing up, we are affected at the level of basic wants, needs, likes and dislikes. Very often, the things that we love look a bit odd during these cycles -- we wonder why we were ever attracted to him or her. Hold on awhile longer -- things slowly get back to "normal" after the 19th. Granted, some shifts in your instinctual nature may be in order, so don't go back to the old status quo completely. But it should be easier to get along shortly.
Saturn moves from Taurus into Gemini on the 20th. The slow and lumbering Saturn seems out of place in the fleet-footed Gemini at first glance, but they make a better match than you would expect. They bring out the best of each other in the long run. Saturn tends to get stuck in a rut, getting resigned to doing the same thing over and over again. The changeableness and love of novelty of Gemini tends to counteract that tendency, bringing a lightness to the planet's energies that would normally be missing. Plus Saturn tones down some of Gemini's flightiness and lack of focus. This is a combination that's excellent for long-term, disciplined thinking tasks, especially when large amounts of data need to be organized and sifted through. Just be sure to maintain your flexibility and be willing to try out new approaches when you get stuck. The mood should quickly be less heavy and burdensome once Saturn leaves Taurus. Enjoy the switch. Saturn shifts into Cancer on 2003-6-3.
The new moon is a lot more settled and sedate than the last few weeks have been. A strong Taurus streak says to quiet down and enjoy life a bit more. We've gotten overheated in our drives of late and need to realize there's more to life than just winning battles. It's time to reassess what power and drive are really for. As we head into the middle part of spring and experience the reemergence of Life first hand, it's important to see how we are part of the living whole about us. It's time to "get the war out of us" and feel what we truly stand for. Life is bigger than "I" will ever be.