Current Transits for April 2011 Current Transits for April 2011Here's some of the important astrological news this month ...
Mars enters Aries, 4-1
Vesta enters Aquarius, 4-2
New Moon at 13Ar29, 4-3
Neptune enters Pisces, 4-4
Pluto Retrograde Station at 7Cp30, 4-9
Jupiter Octile Chiron, 4-17
Full Moon at 27Li44, 4-17
Mercury Direct Station at 12Ar53, 4-23
Hindsight...
An online ephemeris for the month is available.
April continues the moderating effect that started in March, with intensity levels much lower than they were during most of 2010. There's one Koz Alert all month, and that is just barely. There are two main stories to be watching in April. First of all, Neptune dips his toe into early Pisces on the 4th, starting a 10 month long transition from Aquarius into Pisces. Neptune is one of the slow pokes in the planetary family, typically taking about 14 years to travel through a single zodiac sign, so he's going to be in his new home for quite some time (until 2025) once he finally settles in. Curiously, most modern astrologers assign Pisces as the sign that Neptune rules, so this is a homecoming for him that should bring out the best of his energies (hopefully). Of course, he's a slippery character, perhaps the planet that is hardest to pin down, so it will be interesting to see what the energies feel like after this transition. The other big story is when Pluto stands still and goes retrograde on the 9th. Pluto stations are notorious for bringing long standing issues to a head, a time when it becomes important to let go and move on after we outgrow some part of our lives. Granted, the direct station (next Sep 16) is more dramatic than the retrograde station, but you'll see the seeds of troublesome problems being planted now that you'll be struggling with all summer. It's better to get the head's up memo as soon as possible and start dealing with the problems early on, as they only get more difficult as you approach the direct station. The Jupiter-Saturn-Neptune pattern we were tracking last month continues to be active now, especially when a lot of the faster planets move over the Aries end of the pattern. Otherwise, there's not a lot of big news. We're still in a phase of picking up the pieces after the immensely challenging storm that dominated most of the last year, but at least we're not being blown out of the water constantly. Small blessings -- we'll take it...
There are 3 sign changes, of which the Neptune shift on the 4th is the most important. Mercury and Pluto have stations this month. There is just one "big aspect" in April.
Mars moves from Pisces into Aries on the 1st. He'll be in his home sign until May 11, when he shifts into Taurus. Mars is so ready to get out of Pisces and onto his own turf finally. Mars is the planet of will power and doing things the way you want them done, so the selfless, empathic qualities of Pisces really get him down after awhile. Aries is a different matter! This sign is all action and getting things done. It is all about "me first!" and having your way, with a helping of whooping, hollering and having unabashed fun on the side. No wonder Mars feels at home here! It's time to step out and take care of business. Just be aware that you're likely to step on other people's toes under this placement, as there's not a lot of thinking about the other guy going on. Try to be a little diplomatic if you can -- you may need someone's help with your plans. So let loose! We all need to be ourselves now and then.
Vesta goes from Capricorn into the sign of Aquarius on the 2nd for an extended stay due to an upcoming retrograde cycle. She doesn't reach Pisces until Dec 20. Whatever Vesta creates, it needs to come from deep inside her. She's a woman that gets worn down by contact with the outer world from time to time and needs to retreat within herself in order to recharge. Turning inward to the unconscious or soul or whatever you name it is a demanding process, requiring extreme courage and honesty to face whatever comes up for you, but the rewards are also great. There is great inner power that comes from being in tune with your deepest stirrings, a genuineness and integrity that can't be faked. In Aquarius, this process of going within takes on a mental character, bordering on the visionary. Aquarius loves to draw the blueprints for a wonderful, utopian future, that master plan that solves all the world's problems. The shadow side of this is a bossy or dictatorial nature that insists others follow the grand plan, not their own paths. I suspect Vesta will see this shadow tendency quickly, since a lack of integrity generally blows up in her face in short order. Perhaps it's more a time to refine and update your ideas rather than try to implement them, working out the kinks before they can backfire on you. Whatever you decide, be certain that your ideas accurately reflect who you are deep down and don't settle for anything less. Vesta has high standards for herself...
The new moon on the 3rd is an exclamation point to the "big aspects" of March. The configuration of Jupiter opposite Saturn, with Neptune in octile style aspects to them, produced 3 major aspects in the last week of March. With the new moon point on the Jupiter end of this pattern, very closely opposite Saturn, this pattern gets a renewed lease on life for the coming lunar month. Further, Neptune is about to move into Pisces tomorrow, so there's a natural emphasis on his otherworldly energies now. (About 3 hours after the new moon, the Moon octiles Neptune, it's last aspect while in Aquarius; this starts the "silent running" period.) Mars is now in Aries and about to conjunct Uranus, an explosive mixture if ever there was one. Venus sextile Pluto form a little group by themselves, while newly retrograde Mercury is mostly isolated.
With 6 planets in Aries alone, there's a lot of "get up and go!" in the new moon chart. We're primed for action and impatient to get started. But with the new moon point closely opposite Saturn (limitations and delays), you can be sure that hasty or unconsidered activity will run into some unexpected problems. With Jupiter and Saturn in the mix, perhaps the most obvious expressions of these conflicts will be seen on the national or international level, as these planets are mediating many of the crises we see on the nightly news these days. Temper your enthusiasm with some caution and a concern for the unintended consequences that effect people around you. Perhaps Neptune's upcoming sign change is also part of the message, that these problems are partly a matter of ideology run amok, that we need to transcend preconceived ideas and take on a higher perspective. That's hard to do with that Mars-Uranus conjunction, an aspect that stimulates the ego's concerns and gives us little patience for obstacles. Pluto, already standing still for all practical purposes, is widely square the new moon, another stressful indication. Whatever you do in coming weeks, you might remember it best down the road for the unintended consequences it unleashes. By all means, put this energy to use and try to get something worthwhile accomplished, but keep in mind that nothing is going smoothly according to plan. Don't bite off more than you can chew...
Neptune moves from Aquarius into Pisces on the 4th, one of the major stories of 2011. He'll back up into Aquarius on Aug 5 again for some cleanup work, finally setting into Pisces for a 14 year stay (think 2025) on 2012-2-3. Neptune was discovered in late Aquarius in 1846, but quickly changed to Pisces between 1847 to 1861. Yes, the last time we had this placement was when the Civil War was starting! Since Neptune was crowned the ruler of Pisces by astrologers, you'd expect him to exhibit his most positive traits under this placement. However, Neptune is a subtle and deceptive influence, full of unconscious traps and difficult to understand side effects. Similarly, the pitfalls along the spiritual path described by Pisces are quite numerous. I suspect this placement is less about experiencing Neptune's finer traits in a passive fashion than it is discovering these traits deep within ourselves. Humanity is just starting Neptune's second orbit since it was discovered ("became conscious of it") in the sky, so we're really only beginning to understand how to handle these powerful spiritual forces with any skill at all. Until the effects of this influence become clearer (it might take a few years), I'd concentrate on 3 main themes for now. Most importantly, Neptune represents a very refined heart chakra energy. Anything that gets in the way of expressing compassion and an open heart to others will cause trouble under this placement, so work on developing the highest, clearest heart energy you can. Next, the down side or shadow side of Neptune includes a big dose of self-deception. We all love to imagine ourselves in a glamorous starring role in our lives that typically is more ego than reality. I suspect that such dishonesty with ourselves will boomerang on us badly in coming years. It may not sound exciting to face up to the facts and deflate that overblown image you have of yourself, but it should help you avoid the other shadow stuff that Neptune can bring. My last advice concerns a mysterious ability of the unconscious to mold the world into a reflection of your inner realities, what I think of as the creative or magical side of Neptune. This is where cleaning up your energies and purging your delusions comes in handy. If your inner life is running fairly smoothly, you're less likely to create or attract trouble in the world around you. Pay attention to intense or compelling relationships in particular now, as other people tend to mirror the turmoil going on internally. It's a kind of instant feedback on how well you're picking up on being a good "magician" in your life. I'm sure there will be other lessons along the way -- Neptune in Pisces sounds like a bottomless well of spiritual experiences.
Now, as I mentioned last month with Uranus' passage into Aries, the passage of Neptune into Pisces is a long, drawn out process. Neptune is winding down his stay in Aquarius already, making his final aspects before crossing the border. These include the octile to Jupiter on Mar 30 and a semisextile to Mars on Apr 1; the last lunar aspect is an octile just after the new moon on the 3rd. At this point, Neptune goes into "silent running", disconnecting from our conscious awareness as he crosses the border. Once he crosses into Pisces early on the 4th, Neptune doesn't waste any time opening up shop in his new sign. By the evening of the 4th, he's already aspected the Moon (a sextile or 60 degrees) and the Sun (an octile) -- he's ready to go! We don't get any down time with this passage. We have to be ready to go right away. Neptune is ready to get down to business...
Pluto stands still at his retrograde station of 7Cp30 on the 9th, starting a 5 month period of retrograde motion. This continues until Sep 16, when he reaches his direct station of 4Cp53 and resumes normal motion. I've watched this phenomenon of Pluto's retrograde cycles for several decades now and I must say it is one of the most fascinating shows in astrology. Pluto has a catabolic influence: he breaks things down that no longer serve a purpose. When the Dark Lord is passing over some ticklish part of your birth chart, there is inevitably growing pressure on that part of your life. We all get comfy with the circumstances of our lives over time, especially when it makes things easier or more pleasurable for us. But this is not always a good thing, particularly when the outer world is changing quickly (which it is lately). It's even more an issue when your life drifts in a direction that is at odds with your life long spiritual path. Pluto is that voice from somewhere deep in your being that says you're off course. Most of the time it's a quiet whisper that is easy to ignore, but sometimes he is yelling in your face when you're just not getting the message. During these retrograde cycles, it becomes very crucial to pay attention to these hints about where you need to clean up your act. Early in the cycle, where we are now, Pluto is still giving his advice in a calm manner. He's pointing to some areas of our life that are holding you back and keep you from being your best. This shows up as a string of problems and snafus in this area that make it increasingly harder to make this part of your life function smoothly and to your benefit. It becomes very difficult to hold this area together and it starts taking up a lot of your time, attention and effort. For most people, mild pressure like this is rarely sufficient to get you to say "Enough! I'll change my ways!" In fact, out of habit or stubbornness, you're more likely to double down and put in even more effort. In return, Pluto gets more persistent, the message louder. By the time of the direct station, the resistance you experience is so overwhelming that this part of your life is literally ripped out of your grasp, sometimes physically. At that point, the only sane response is to let the pieces fall where they may and move on. While this sounds like a very negative process, there's a good spiritual reason behind it. This area of comfort was never what you were about at all. In fact, it was distracting you from your path. By stripping you down to basics again, Pluto is doing you a favor, albeit a very painful one. All that effort you were expending holding this problem area together is now released for other goals more aligned with your soul's purpose. This is actually a very liberating influence. Pluto also bestows conscious awareness of these deeper levels of your being, what are sometimes called your shadow side. It may be uncomfortable to recognize these darker parts of yourself, but self awareness is almost always a useful gift. Most of our everyday failings are not a matter of bad intentions, but one of self delusion about your true nature. So work with Pluto during this time instead of resisting his changes -- it makes the process easier. Resistance is really a subtle self destructive tendency. You can do better...
Jupiter is octile Chiron on the 17th for a quick, one pass aspect. I suspect for most people, this aspect will come and go without leaving much of a mark. The effect is subtle and abstract. Jupiter is your connections with society at large, how you fit in with others and whether you feel you're getting something out of the bargain. Chiron tends to hit you in your emotional weak spots, the areas where you are most insecure or certain of yourself. Octiles are a minor stressful aspect, so you can expect the normal buoyant optimism of Jupiter to be questioned. There might be a tendency to trust others less than usual or you might feel less accepted or appreciated by people. You pick up mixed messages from people in your day to day encounters. It puts you off balance, wondering what's really going on here. Most of this is a matter of perception on your part, though there might be circumstances where a legitimate "threat" exists. The hard part is telling the difference. Own up to your own insecurities first, which will put you in a position of renewed strength in case you need to handle some outer world issue as well. This is mainly a growth influence, not something to lose sleep over.
By the full moon, the weak transition period is giving way to April's big storm. There are two main groups of planets to consider that are loosely connected to each other. One group is the Sun, Moon, Neptune and Venus. The other is Mars, Mercury, Juno and Saturn. Jupiter is just past its octile with Chiron (this aspect was exact about 35 minutes before the full moon) but is otherwise quite isolated. Uranus and Pluto are also pretty weak.
The sign of Aries is still fairly crowded (5 planets), but the Moon and Saturn in Libra provide a better counterbalance than in the new moon chart. It's more obvious now that working harmoniously with other people is important if you want to accomplish anything. With Neptune in Pisces now, a quieter emotionally based influence is prominent now. In fact, Pisces and Aries are fairly evenly balanced, a strange dynamic that pits egocentric and selfless motivations against each other. Tensions are rising, making it harder for people to get along. Be patient with others, as harsh words are certain to backfire. It just seems like this chart is creating tension and discord without giving many clues about what the underlying issues are. It may take some time to sort all this out...
Mercury reaches his direct station of 12Ar53 on the 23rd. This ends a retrograde cycle that began 3 weeks ago on Mar 30 when he stood still at 24Ar21. Mercury is the part of the psyche dealing with thinking, rationality, the use of symbols and language and the power of story for making sense of the world you live in. He maintains that internal narrative about how the world works and how to make it go your way. For the most part, this story line is quite adequate for navigating the challenges of everyday living. However, during Mercury's retrograde cycles, it seems the world is in a contrary mood, violating your expectations and assumptions in many ways. The world doesn't make sense, is behaving irrationally, leads to misunderstandings and confusion, etc. These are all symptoms that the world is more complicated and interconnected than your story allows. The problem is not the irrationality of the world around you, but the limitations and shortcomings of your narrative. The biggest fallacy with Mercury is to assume your version of reality is actually correct and complete -- these retrograde cycles are important opportunities to realize this fallacy. When you are confronted with a nonsensical situation, you are being given the option to literally change your mind. Diversify the ways you look at the world, try to understand things from alternative perspectives. Come to understand that the kind of knowledge Mercury provides is provisional and subject to revision and refinement later -- "truth" with a small T. Get used to living with uncertainty. Mercury and rationality are great tools for understanding, but tools with limitations that people don't often recognize. Thinking works best when the situation is clear cut, black and white, but is less useful when things are fuzzy shades of gray (or worse). Part of the fallacy is the assumption that the world is rational in this limited sense. This is why the thinking mind must be constantly augmented by other parts of the psyche, especially some of the more intuitive abilities. Do your mental housecleaning, while in the midst of dealing with the annoying confusion around you. As we pass the direct station (when most of this nonsense peaks) and Mercury starts moving forward, the world seems to behave better again. And hopefully, those improved thinking skills you developed will carry forward and make life easier for you. But if you don't get the message now, well, Mercury backs up frequently enough. The craziness will catch up to you later...
March was one of those months where there were more big news stories than you can reasonably analyze. The first part of the month seemed to be one blow out after another, mostly of the emotional kind, as Uranus finished up business in Pisces. On the 11th, however, about 18 hours before moving into Aries and just barely in silent running, Uranus had one last blow out with the combo earthquake, tsunami and nuclear meltdown in Japan. Except for the Uranus situation, there's little in that chart that looks like a 4 alarm disaster. On the 17th, there was a substantial natural gas line explosion in south Minneapolis, not far from where I live, that was intense enough to melt nearby cars. The Libyan civil war took a drastic turn on the 19th, after the full moon, when western powers launched air attacks on Gaddhafi's forces. The government lurches from one funding crisis to another without resolution. And so it goes. A little peace and quiet would be appreciated!