Current Transits for April 2010 Current Transits for April 2010Here's some of the important astrological news this month ...
Jupiter Quintile Pluto, 4-1
Vesta Direct Station at 21Le36, 4-6
Pluto Retrograde Station at 5Cp25, 4-6
Saturn reenters Virgo, 4-7
Saturn Quincunx Chiron, 4-12
Uranus Semisextile Neptune, 4-13
New Moon at 24Ar27, 4-14
Juno enters Gemini,4-17
Mercury Retrograde Station at 12Ta37, 4-17
Chiron enters Pisces,4-20
Saturn Opposite Uranus, 4-26
Full Moon at 8Sc06, 4-28
Ceres Retrograde Station at 4Cp38, 4-28
An online ephemeris for the month is available.
April looks like a transitional month, when old stories start to die out (at least temporarily) and some new stories take their places. In particular, we've been talking for months now about the Pluto gang: Pluto, Saturn and Mars in a nasty combination that has caused most of the storms so far in 2010. This pattern is slowly being ripped apart, as Mars takes off after its direct station in March and Saturn retrogrades out of reach of Pluto. After about the 10th, this pattern pretty much disappears for a few months -- good riddance! Meanwhile, Saturn is joining up with Uranus and Neptune once more. In fact, most of the activity in the last half of the month involves this new trio. There are a number of strong, well organized storms in April, but the intensity levels are rarely overwhelming. This gives us some much needed "oomph!" in our lives to get off our butts and get some work done. In terms of traditional astrological events (stations, "big aspects", sign changes, etc.), this is a very busy month, so it may seem like life is moving along at a very fast pace with lots of changes and detours ahead. We're definitely into some new territory now.
There's lots to talk about in April! Let's see, I counted 4 stations, 3 sign changes and 4 "big aspects" this month. That's enough to keep us plenty busy.
Jupiter is quintile Pluto on the 1st. This is a relatively quick, single pass aspect. Quintiles are a funny kind of aspect, neither good nor bad, just ... different. They seem to transcend seemingly irreconcilable situations simply by changing your outlook and perspective. Suddenly intractable problems look like minor speed bumps, matters of little consequence. Of course this change in perspective may be difficult to maintain in the face of daily life (you still have to do your inner work), but when you clearly see a new way, it becomes easier to make the shift. Now Jupiter is an extroverted planet. He's about going out into the world, seeing what goodies are out there, making new friends and connections -- enjoying the good life, as society generally defines that term. Pluto, on the other hand, takes one inward into the deeper psyche, where you have to confront who you really are, instead of that pleasing external mask you wear in public. What an odd couple! However, as a quintile might hint, they aren't as different as they seem. Pluto brings up issues of authenticity, of being true to yourself. When you're in touch with this level of your being, you can't help but act in a genuine manner. When you act like this in the outer world, people respond well to that sense of honesty and openness you convey. "Getting your rewards in the world" is not about playing the game in a cutthroat, I win, you lose manner. In fact, your situation improves the most when you look for the good that benefits all. Authenticity may grow from the inside, but it is expressed in the outer world. There is no conflict here. Too bad this aspect doesn't last for a longer time...
Vesta reaches her direct station of 21Le36 on the 6th. She has been backing up since Jan 3, when she went retrograde at 6Vi39. For people who respond strongly to Vesta, her retrograde cycles are often a time to retreat from the world, go within, become preoccupied with some activities that feed the soul. She can sometimes become saturated with people and external situations to the point of feeling drained by them and then she must disconnect from the world around her and get back to her roots. This is typically a time of great creativity or healing, but it comes at the cost of isolation from others, generally not a big concern for Vesta. Well she's at her direct station now -- time to come out of your shell and show the world what you've created! Start reconnecting with others again...
Pluto goes retrograde at 5Cp25 on the 6th. He'll be in reverse gear until Sep 13, when he goes direct again at 2Cp47. These retrograde cycles are some of the most amazing phenomena that we experience in all of astrology. During these cycles, some area of your life is challenged and, if found lacking, sometimes pushed to the breaking point. We all like to be comfortable in life and when we find that pleasant groove, it's easy to get stuck in a rut for a long time. What Pluto is objecting to is the tendency to stay in these grooves even when they no longer serve our higher purposes or reflect who we truly are. Strange to say somehow, but Pluto resembles the esoteric idea of our Higher Self that is really in charge of our lives, no matter what the ego-self thinks about the matter. Right now at the retrograde station, his message is pretty quiet and non-threatening, little more than a whisper or a hint that something is just not quite right. This subtle sense of discontent will grow through the summer as Pluto's influence intensifies. Meanwhile, in the world around us, the physical situation that maintains and supports this rut of ours starts to crumble. It becomes harder and harder to hold this situation together, no matter how much time and energy you put into the effort. It eventually becomes obvious that it's not worth it to hold onto the past like this, that a clean break (no matter how painful) is the better solution. At this moment of truth, there are essentially two options. Either you can cooperate with Pluto by letting go and moving on, or you can fight back, kicking and screaming all the way, and still wind up letting go and moving on after your temper tantrum. Either way, the Higher Self has its way -- are you really willing to fight such an outcome? This climax typically comes around the direct station (next September). So keep your eyes open and look for the subtle signs of change and growth that are happening within you. The sooner you start cooperating with the process, the easier the path becomes. Look at the part of your birthchart where the retrograde zone lies -- you may find some clues there.
Saturn backs up from Libra into Virgo on the 7th. Saturn has been in Libra since 2009-10-29, is now returning to Virgo until Jul 21, and will then return to Libra for a final pass. Saturn's retrograde cycles are rarely much fun when they affect your birthchart powerfully. Regardless of how it feels, it's often a time of hard work and great accomplishment, if you buckle down and put in the effort. That's really Saturn's big message: settle down, be responsible for yourself, finish your chores, tend your own garden, do what's right. Not very flashy or sexy a message, but it's still solid advice from a good friend. This cycle may be more demanding than most, due to Saturn's ongoing square to Pluto (still pretty loud due to his station) that won't be complete until Aug 21. It's this square that seems to be driving people crazy and to the breaking point lately. When Saturn was in Libra the last 6 months, his lessons dealt mainly with relationship issues and how to handle problems with the people around you in a responsible fashion. Now that he's in Virgo again, issues of applying your ideas to life in a skillful manner reappear. Virgo, ruled by Mercury, is a bit of a mental sign, but it's thinking tempered by the practical earth element. She demands that "blue sky ideas" actually have their feet on the ground because "down to earth" really matters to her. Learn your lessons well so that you can act skillfully and effortlessly, no matter what the circumstances you face. Saturn goes direct on May 30 at 27Vi49 -- you'll know how you're doing by then. Saturn will be sure to tell you...
Saturn is quincunx Chiron on the 12th for the 4th of 5 such contacts. This series of aspects began back on 2008-10-8 and lasts until Jul 20 of this year. This aspect has a history to it that apparently links it with the economic collapse. It's first contact was the same time as the initial failure of the financial markets and the passage of the TARP program. The second was the Feb 2009 stimulus package around the time that the economy was at its worst. The third back in Aug 2009 coincided with a backlash to everything Obama on the Tea Party end of the spectrum, especially the proposed health reform bill that just became law in time for the fourth contact. The underlying question of this aspect seems to be what is our connection and responsibility to the world around us. Are we each in it for ourselves or do older, more communal values of "we're all in this together" apply. There are no simple answers here, but an entire political spectrum. As we head into the coming mid-term election season, these questions are still in the air. Perhaps Saturn and Chiron are telling us to merge the best of both approaches -- yes/and instead of either/or. If so, not many people seem to be listening. It will be a long political summer...
Uranus is semisextile Neptune on the 13th, the last of 3 such contacts. The previous contacts were on 2009-6-10 and 2009-10-4. This is the last of the 3 semisextiles in a powerful 171 year long cycle that only began in 1993 and has been an ongoing spiritual initiation for many people the last two decades. It's effect is amplified by another cycle, the return of Neptune to its 1846 discovery position (25Aq52) over the last year. Uranus is the Awakener, the highly intuitive planet that lets us see through our delusions and misunderstandings, the unruly revolutionary that destroys the status quo. Neptune is harder to buttonhole, leading us into a mystical hall of mirrors where nothing is as it seems, where there's always another veil of illusion to see through. It's not easy to be on your path under this aspect, as the rules keep changing and the expectations go up, but it's certainly not been boring. On the larger stage, one area of the world seemingly linked with this aspect has been Iran. Their presidential election a year ago, widely presumed to have been rigged, was 2 days after the first contact, leading to massive popular dissent and protest and the traditional government crackdown. This brew of unrest is still simmering today, revealing huge rifts in Iranian society, and will continue to play out for years to come. With this last contact, much of this Neptune saga is winding down. It's time to take what lessons you discovered amidst the confusion and put it to work. Through the magic of these outer planets, new beliefs create new realities, but you have to take this power seriously and apply it skillfully. You'll get your report card about 2018, when Uranus and Neptune are octile each other. Spirit grinds slowly, but finely...
The new moon chart is more of a promise than an actuality. The waveform certainly looks quiet, busy and unfocused. Hard to believe this mess will turn into a Koz Alert in a few days time, yet with Saturn in Virgo now, joining up with Neptune, Chiron, Uranus and shortly the Sun and Jupiter, the seeds are sown. There are a lot of planets that fail to make significant connections to this main pattern.
The new moon point lies in Aries, so there's a sense of urgency to get up and do something. Aries isn't good at sitting still. However, all this get-up-and-move is being channeled through a configuration called a Yod, pointing towards Saturn. Whatever you decide to do, please be clear ahead of time what your real intentions are with it and plan well. Saturn is not in the mood to let you get away with anything but the best. If you make a hasty choice, there aren't any do-overs later when you change your mind. Frankly, with so many outer planets (heavy on the spiritual side) in the picture and so few of the inner planets (skimping on mundane reality), I'd take a good hard look before kicking off any new directions now. No harm waiting a few days...
Juno moves from Taurus into Gemini on the 17th, where she will be until shifting into Cancer on Jun 8. Juno is the Queen of Relationships, the need to be with a partner in a relationship based on mutual trust, respect and love. The last thing she wants is to be stuck in a situation where she feels ripped off or unappreciated. So depending on the health of your partnerships, this placement can play out in numerous ways. If partners are getting along well, Gemini adds a light hearted, fun mood to the mix, a desire to play together. In a more troubled relationship, this sign opens up lines of communication while minimizing the emotional overtones in the dialogue. It's easier to talk over problems without blowing minor points out of proportion. Sometimes talking out any problem, even a minor one, can be enough to restore trust and convince your partner you're serious. Avoid being condescending or trying to "score points" by going for the jugular vein -- that only sends Juno into a rage. Granted, some relationships are really shaky and hard to turn around, so Juno in Gemini might be the trigger to break them up. Gemini is a bit of a roamer and a flirt, so if the skirt looks greener on the other side of the fence, you might be tempted to chase it. Not a good idea, but it happens. Anyway, this placement is a mirror on your love life -- take a good, honest look.
Mercury is at his retrograde station of 12Ta37 on the 17th, starting 3 weeks of reverse gear. He'll reach his direct station of 2Ta39 on May 11, ending this retrograde period. It's another Mercury retrograde cycle, which happen about 3 times a year. They really aren't as big a bogeyman as the popular mind has it, at least if you approach them from the proper perspective. Yes, the thinking, communicating parts of the brain tend to turn to mush, the world doesn't behave the way it's supposed to, people misunderstand each other, plans fall apart for unexpected reasons. All these Mercury areas of our lives are a problem for one reason: we don't understand the true nature of the thinking mind. Mercury is the ongoing dialogue in our heads, that narrative called "How the World Works" that is always running in our minds and constantly being revised. This is a useful story to have (once you get the bugs out) since it helps us navigate all the demands of daily life easily, but it's just a story. The fallacy is that most people take this story as Reality and forget its tentative nature. No story can capture the reality of life fully, so it's inevitable that the world misbehaves contrary to our expectations sometimes. The problem is with the story, not the world. Mercury retrograde is a great time to perform some debugging and housecleaning of your mental world, provided you also realize your story is not reality. A little uncertainty is a good thing -- it keeps you honest. And best of all, the cycle is only 3 weeks long!
Chiron moves from Aquarius into Pisces on the 20th. Due to an upcoming retrograde cycle, he'll return to Aquarius on Jul 20 for a brief stay, settling in for a long term stay in Pisces by 2011-2-8. The last time Chiron was in Pisces was 1960 to 1968, before it was even discovered, so we have essentially no experience on what this placement is about. When it comes to making sense of Chiron, the most useful concept I've found is the so-called psychic closet. This is the place in the psyche were we stuff all the things about ourselves that we don't want the world to see. We learn early on in life that not all of our behavior is loved by others, so the closet starts filling up at an young age. By middle age, the closet is quite full, much to the impoverishment of what life remains, so a goal of later life is to reconcile with all these hidden parts of ourselves and the wounded feelings that surround them. So how does this play out in Pisces? An early guess is that some of it has to do with a healthy ego. Just as Leo is caricatured as having an overblown, self-centered ego, Pisces is seen as having too little ego and being a pushover. Pride and self-worth aren't distinguished from arrogance, so off they go to the closet! Of course, Pisces is traditionally known as a place of confinement or self-undoing anyway, a place where the past can weigh you down, so it has an affinity for this closet idea to begin with. In broader terms, the next decade is a good time to examine what holds you back, where you fear to fully engage life for whatever reason. Slowly but surely, you can work your way through some of this material. Chiron will move into Aries in 2018.
Saturn is opposite Uranus on the 26th, the 4th of 5 such contacts. This series started back on 2008-11-4 (Election Day, of all things!) and ends with the final contact on Jul 26 this summer. This aspect is most easily seen on the national level, starting with the 2008 elections. Saturn is the conservative, same-old status quo that we're all familiar with, but is obviously failing to deliver on its promises -- read "The Great Recession" here. Uranus is in contrast a revolutionary rabble-rouser, someone in love with a future ideal world that transcends our current mess and with change for its own sake. The opposition aspect is quite simply a tug-o-war game between these two already conflicting tendencies. Most people would equate Obama with Uranus in this picture, which means Saturn represents the conservative backlash that is out to stop him at all costs. As election season starts again, the nation is still hashing out this aspect. If anything, the 2010 elections are going to be more pivotal than 2008. Fear and paranoia are deep in the national psyche, while idealism and rational practicality are held in suspicion. The results in November will be an interesting mirror on the country. It may be more manageable to balance out these planets in our personal lives, where the schisms aren't so pronounced. Keep in mind, as always, that oppositions aren't an either/or battle between two planets, but a challenge on our part to incorporate the best of both planets into our lives. On Saturn's side of the equation, we need to shore up the foundations that need some repair but are still useful. We need some solidity and stability as a launching pad for future growth. On the Uranus side, we need a little revolution now and then when we've clearly outgrown parts of our lives that no longer work for us. Even the best of ideals and visions can be left behind or become too rigid, especially when perfection becomes the enemy of what's possible. In our overheated times, incremental progress isn't appreciated anymore. We'll be playing this game through the summer yet, so hang on!
The full moon chart is considerably stronger than the new moon, but it seems to be of two minds. Yes, there's the Saturn, Uranus, etc. business still going on, a dominate force for some time to come. But the larger picture in this chart is a fixed sign T-square of the Sun and Moon with Mars; Venus, Juno, Ceres, Pluto and Jupiter are all on the fringes of joining the T-square. Perhaps we've had our heads in the clouds too much this month and need to come down to earth for a change. Keep in mind that fixed signs tend to be stubborn and hard to budge, so don't get offended if people stick to their positions and refuse to budge. Maybe it's a test of all that high minded stuff you've been thinking about lately. On the other hand, such a T-square provides plenty of perseverance and drive to get some pressing work behind you. Just be prepared for some delays along the way. Get moving!
Ceres goes retrograde at 4Cp38 on the 28th. She will be backing up until Aug 8, when she goes direct at 20Sa40. Ceres the Great Mother represents the web of interconnections binding all living beings together on the planet, how we love, support and nurture each other for our common good. On the personal level, it's how we care for the ones we love and receive our share of support in return. Whenever a planet goes retrograde, it's an invitation to look at those energies more closely. This cycle takes place in Capricorn and Sagittarius, some unusual placements for Ceres at first glance. However, they draw our attention to our support systems more on the large scale rather than in our personal lives. Sag reveals the macro-scale picture to us on an intuitive level of our relationship to the earth as a whole, while Capricorn is more concerned with the practical nuts and bolts of how we make this a more perfect world. Another hint that we should be looking at a global stage: the Galactic Center lies right at the middle of this retrograde zone. It's a prod to stop acting like clueless primates and get past those behaviors that actually sabotage our support systems. Honestly folks, caring isn't all that hard to do...