Current Transits for April 1998 Current Transits for April 1998Here's some of the important astrological news this month ...
Saturn trioctile Pluto, 4-9
Full Moon at 21Li49, 4-11
Mars enters Taurus, 4-12
Jupiter trine Chiron, 4-17
Jupiter octile Neptune, 4-18
Mercury Direct Station at 9Ar47, 4-20
New Moon at 6Ta03, 4-26
Vesta enters Gemini, 4-27
I've been searching for the right word for days -- April is a "crabby" month. It has no real highs or lows, but kind of muddles along without passion. At that, it's overall mood is difficult and trying. Add in Mercury's retrograde cycle that colors most of the month, making the brain cells turn to mush, and the possibilities of a constructive time evaporate quickly. Granted there are a few "big aspects" to liven things up, but even these have a difficult "edge" to them. Oh, it's not all that awful, but I suspect it will be a month to look back on and let go without regret. Get through it and move on.
There are 3 "big aspects" in April, which form the "backbone" of all the important planetary patterns during the month. Mercury's direct station on the 20th and a couple of important sign changes round out the month's major influences.
The first big aspect is the trioctile of Saturn and Pluto on the 9th. This is actually the third and final contact in this series, stretching back to 97-6-16 and 97-9-22, so this influence is starting to resolve itself. It's hard to imagine a more troublesome combination than Saturn and Pluto. Saturn has the reputation of being a harsh and demanding taskmaster in the affairs of the outer world, while Pluto curiously plays a very similar role on the inner planes. It's as though in the aftermath of last year's Grand Finale influences that forced us to accept new spiritual directions into our lives, we've been trying to figure out how to live these new truths in our everyday lives. Frankly, it hasn't been easy to make that shift. People seem to have slipped into one of two paths. One technique for coping has been to become so consumed with "mundane matters" (like work or relationships) that the spiritual life has gotten choked off. The other technique has been to spend so much time attending to the inner turmoil going on in the psyche that it leaves little energy to deal with the real world concerns. In fact, I'd say most of us have been doing a little of both paths at once. Part of the lesson the last year has been to discriminate between what's really important and what is inessential. As our lives become more busy and focused, there's less and less time available for doing inessentials anymore. There's been much pressure to simplify our lives, as well as scale back our commitments and responsibilities, in order to make room for our "real work". This simplification seems to be important (for now) so that the deeper levels of the soul can shine through into our everyday behavior more easily. This pruning process may not always feel good (our usual ego-level ideas about life have taken quite a beating lately!), but it produces a clarity of vision and purpose that will make the changes in coming years a much lighter burden.
There's quite a bit of emotional tension in this full moon chart. A Pluto-Venus square is repeating key positions in the solar eclipse of Feb 26 (with Venus about to pass over the eclipse degree), so this is a time when long-term transformational energies are being released. Think of it as leftovers from the eclipse. The main groups of planets have a large number of relationship vs. individual themes in them, learning to balance emotional sensitivity to others with your needs and desires. If anything, the strong Aries emphasis in this chart tips the scales in your direction. Be assertive, not overbearing, and you'll get the maximum benefit from the next few weeks. If anything, the biggest problem now may be your own resistance to change from within, not from the outside. Again, we've been changing markedly the last few years, and the wishes of the ego may not always be in touch with the deeper regions of ourselves that have been emerging. Take some time to explore these darker areas -- there are valuable pieces of ourselves down there that we're normally not aware of. Above all, let your emotions and your sense of what "feels" good and right guide your path -- feelings contain more wisdom than we give them credit for.
Mars shifts from his home sign Aries into Taurus on the 12th. It remains in this sign until 5-23, when it moves into Gemini. Taurus is not always considered a hospitable home for the Warrior God, but I think there's a certain compatibility here. Taurus gives stability and direction to the energy of Mars (which can be rather impetuous at times), calming the heated passion so a more calm and level-headed approach can come through. This is a good influence for activities that require lots of sustained and concentrated effort over a period of time, since Taurus provides the stick-to-it-iveness that Mars lacks. The main downside of this placement is an abundance of stubbornness and bull-headedness (this is Taurus you know!) that can get out of hand. The tendency is to display much inertia -- once you've started in a certain direction, it takes a lot of force to move you to a different path. Don't dismiss criticism too lightly -- some of it is actually useful advice. Take some time to indulge yourself during this time -- Taurus has a sensuous streak that likes to be pampered.
The trine of Jupiter and Chiron on the 17th is the first of 3 such contacts. The other two contacts in this series are on Oct 16th and March 1st of '99. This aspect is perhaps one of the most pleasant influences all April, though I must admit I'm still uncertain how this energy is going to play out. Jupiter is the principle of abundance, expansion and reaching out to the world. We often think about this mostly in material terms of prosperity, since ol' Jove is the Santa Claus or rich uncle of the solar system, but there are more subtle levels of this expansion as well. Since both planets are in water signs (Jupiter in Pisces, Chiron in Scorpio), the emotional element is emphasized here. I'm beginning to understand Chiron as an initiator into new levels of awareness that simply transcend old hurts and wounds. And trines are the most easy-going and harmonious of all the aspects. The overall picture looks quite interesting, even if the details aren't all visible. Besides the obvious interpretations of overcoming old emotional limitations about prosperity and abundance, there's an intriguing social dimension to this contact. Our relationships are often defined more by their restrictions than by the freedoms they allow. Except for a few close friends and companions (and sometimes even with them), our contacts with others are usually tightly guarded affairs. Allowing our inner feelings and concerns to come out is basically a taboo. However, the more that the inner world contacts the outer, the more we open up to people, the wider and more rich our lives become. The Jupiterian theme of reaching out to the world can't be realized unless we let our passion come out. I think part of this three-fold trine is simply to let the joy of living emerge in us. There's probably much more as well -- we'll have to see.
This aspect adds a curious twist to the Jupiter-Chiron picture. Neptune is associated with the dreamer and the idealist, with taking the heart to a level where there are no distinctions or barriers between people. At a still deeper lesson, Neptune teaches us how to work with the subtle energetic connections between things that look separate and unconnected in the visible, material world. The flip side of all these themes are our abilities to delude and entrap our vision through false beliefs. Octiles are rarely easy contacts, so it seems one of the main blockages to unleashing that Jupiter expansion includes a feeling of separation and despair in the heart, a sense that oneness isn't real. Granted, it's easy to be seduced by Neptunian fairy tales, but the more subtle dimensions of the world are just as important to our lives as the more tangible parts are. A false vision of what's real is as much a jail as steel bars are -- more so, in fact, because Neptune's prison isn't visible to the eye. With Neptune still making its foothold in Aquarius all year, the old vision is taking an incessant pounding. We need to lighten and allow magic to happen.
Mercury is in reverse gear most of the month. It finally stands still on the 20th and then slowly resumes normal motion. Mercury is the thinking and symbol using parts of the mind, the parts that help us drive our cars, make phone calls and fill out income tax forms. How clever of Mercury to go into a tailspin now, turning our brain cells into mental mush! Take it easy and avoid making any big plans this month. Wait until May when your brain is plugged in again. I can assure you, even the best laid plans will be full of loopholes and gotchas that you simply couldn't foresee now. In fact, it can be amusing and quite instructive these days to simply watch yourself in action, paying attention to all the tiny (and not so tiny!) ways the thinking mind screws up. By ridding yourself of troublesome misconceptions now, you'll be much sharper mentally when Mercury starts to bogey once more.
I get a good feeling about this chart. There's a very solid, grounding mood to this energy, yet it allows for great action and drive. Granted, Uranus and Neptune (both approaching potent retrograde stations in early May) are stirring things up in unexpected ways, with a little help from our friend Pluto, but that sturdy Taurus influence seems to take it all in stride. This sense of groundedness and presence is a symptom that some of this vague "spiritual energy" I've been talking about until I'm blue in the face is taking on a very physical form, being incorporated right in our own awarenesses of our material bodies. Enjoy the joy and vitality that is entering your physical being these days, that sense of aliveness and focus. If your health is low or your body run down, use this coming lunar month to make lifestyle changes that will bring a return to vibrancy in the long run. The outer, "spiritual" or unconscious planets are still bringing all sorts of changes and new points of view into our lives, so don't get overly complacent here (think of Taurus as a bull grazing contentedly in the back 40, and you'll understand the problem). But do take these changes, mull them over, and see how you can fit them into day-to-day living. This combination of high spiritual energy expressed in a slow and steady fashion is the basic contradiction we must come to terms with in the coming weeks. We don't need to stress ourselves out completely by being transformation junkies. In general, this is a good time for starting projects that require steady, disciplined attention over a long period of time. Learn that your real power lies deep inside you.
Vesta moves into Gemini on the 27th, staying there until it hits Cancer on 7-5. Vesta is about tapping into your own internal reserves of power and wisdom, withdrawing from the world in order to be truer to yourself. Gemini is much more of a social gadfly than a recluse, so I don't expect this placement to put a dent in your nightlife. If anything, a plentitude of social contacts may well force you to reevaluate what it is you truly find satisfying in relationships. This may be especially the case if you tend to compromise too much with others, "giving yourself away cheap" so to speak. Gemini is also about words and ideas, what we stand for and how we communicate it. There may be a need in coming months to examine values and opinions that we spout off habitually and without thinking, because many of them are probably shockingly out of step with who we are these days (I think most of us have had a few changes lately). Vesta values integrity within oneself, so it's best to make sure your thoughts support that intergrity. Be open to fresh points of view from others about you, but don't just accept new viewpoints without reflection. Examine these ideas, not just for their "truth" but also for how well they support you at a deeper level.