Current Transits for April 2014 Current Transits for April 2014Here's some of the important astrological news this month ...
The Big Picture for April
Pallas Direct Station at 24Le58, 4-8
Pluto Retrograde Station at 13Cp34, 4-14
Full Moon / Total Lunar Eclipse at 25Li15, 4-15
Jupiter Square Uranus, 4-20
Jupiter Opposite Pluto, 4-20
Uranus Square Pluto, 4-21
Juno enters Taurus, 4-26
New Moon / Annular Solar Eclipse at 8Ta51, 4-29
Hindsight
An online ephemeris for the month is available.
April is going to be one helluva month. It seems everything Pluto is busting out in spades this month. For starters, Pluto goes retrograde on the 14th and is essentially standing still all of April. His stations tend to lock in the stresses in difficult areas of our lives, only to release them later and totally disrupt those old patterns. He feels like he's marching in place on top of us with big, heavy army boots, just to get our attention. Of course, Pluto is part of that planetary configuration we've been talking about all year, the T-Square he forms with Uranus, Jupiter and Chiron; I sometimes will call it a Grand Cross as well when Mars is also part of the picture (last half of the month). This is a pattern that is breaking down all the old, outmoded structures in the world, releasing a lot of chaos and confusion in its wake. We'll go into this pattern in more detail shortly. And for good measure, we have two eclipses in April, the harbingers of change and the need to do some "housecleaning" in our lives. While all these influences will have a major disruptive effect on our individual lives, I suspect that the more noticeable impacts will be on a more global scale. The US Sun, in particular, is smack dab in the middle of this T-Square. As a nation, we have some awesome challenges facing us in the near future. Some of these problems may be developments of situations already in motion (e.g., Ukraine), but we may be surprised by something we aren't even thinking about yet. In your private life, be nimble and adaptable, open to the changing currents. It's easy to freak out or shut down (the "deer in the headlights" response) under intense pressures like these. Slow down, take a deep breath or two, focus more clearly on the task at hand, smile inwardly a bit more. These energies are challenging to surf, but it's a rush when you get the hang of it. Good luck...
There are 3 "big aspects" in April within a two day period, all part of the T-Square configuration. There are also two stations (Pallas and Pluto) and one minor sign change.
Before looking at individual events, we need to repeat a big picture discussion that I brought up in the January issue. The term "T-Square" that I've been using as shorthand for a complex system of outer planet influences gets rather meaningless after month's of echoing around, so let's take a fresh look at this pattern. It all starts with the square of Uranus and Pluto that began in 2012 and extends to 2015. Uranus is revolutionary change, new insights and directions, a breaking away from the past, while Pluto is a deeper evolutionary force that drives our lives in directions that only Spirit can fully understand. These forces of change were first released at their conjunction back in 1965-6, about the time "the Sixties" burst on the scene. As this 139 year long cycle progresses from 1965 to 2104, we see radical change in individuals and in society at large bump up against a stubborn, conservative status quo, with the momentum of the game changing every few years. At this square aspect, in the aftermath of the Great Recession and in the midst of powerful social movements like the shaky Arab Spring, the two sides are slugging it out with a ferocity that hasn't been seen in decades. Great growth is expected from this square (and from the entire cycle), but the going is slow, tough and often frustrating to the impatient. 2014 is a major turning point for this extended square, because Uranus and Pluto have plenty of company. Back in January, they were joined by Jupiter and Mars in a menacing Grand Cross pattern, 4 planets in a big cross in the sky. Normally, you'd expect these faster moving planets to pull away after a few weeks and the Cross would fall apart, but due to their retrograde motions (Mars and Jupiter both had stations in March), they turned around and doubled back for seconds, coming up in late April. In fact, this Grand Cross dominates all the astrological news for the first half of 2014. But April is critical.
The other part of this story is the US Solar position at 13Cn19. In terms of the Grand Cross, our country's Sun is conjunct Jupiter, square Uranus and Mars, and opposite Pluto as it stands still. This last aspect repeats 5 times in 2014-5. Of all the oppositions of Pluto to the Cancer planets in the US chart, this solar contact is the one that worries me the most. The Sun is the center, the sense of self and identity in a chart. Our sense of who we are as a country is under immense pressure and conflicting demands as we try to understand our role in a changing world. It requires us to acknowledge our limitations without abandoning our ideals. The Sun is also the Head or Leader of any organization. In the US chart, this would be the president in particular and the government more generally. Obama is taking the heat, rightly or wrongly, for many of the sins of our country as a whole for many decades, a scapegoat for our own political schizophrenia. It may even get to the point where he's in personal danger, though that's a long shot. The US is ripe for a shake up and a long overdue reorientation of our lives. Doesn't sound pretty. Anyway, those are the back stories to keep in mind as we discuss other matters.
Pallas reaches her direct station of 24Le58 on the 8th. This ends a cycle that began at her retrograde station of 13Vi44 back on Jan 6. I often think of Pallas as a part of the thinking-intuitive mind that can look at situations as a complete gestalt, take it in and intuitively know what to do to achieve her goals. At least when she's operating well. During her retrograde cycles, this ability to size up a situation may actually lead to misunderstandings that undermine her actions. It's a challenge for her to "up her game" and hone her intuitive skills. Since this cycle has been a dance back and forth across the Leo-Virgo border, those signs form a backdrop for a larger narrative. A young and brash Leo tends to try to get by on charm and good looks, a poor basis for lasting success. As Pallas moved into Virgo and then halted, this charm offensive stalled out. Skill and a deep understanding of your game is a much better foundation for achieving your goals than bluffing, a lesson that the young soul has to learn through failure. So she focuses on honing her skills and really coming to terms with her craft. But there comes a time when the student must become a master, when she internalizes all these external lessons and makes them her own. True mastery comes from within. As she hits her direct station, it's time to tackle those old problems with the more mature perspective of a wiser and more confident Leo. This may take the form of work performed or even some kind of artistic expression that captures this deeper vision. If well met finally, this opens the door for further growth presently undreamt of. This cycle is subtle and may not be highly visible from the outside, but if you pursue this path purposefully, it pays great benefits down the road.
Pluto lumbers to a halt at his retrograde station of 13Cp34 on the 14th. This starts a 5 month retrograde cycle that stretches until Sep 22 (around the fall equinox) when he reaches his direct station of 10Cp59. As I always say, I find the retrograde cycles of Pluto one of the most fascinating of astrological processes. I'm coming to think of Pluto as the voice and will of the Higher Self that guides our lower selves along our various spiritual pathways. Since the lower ego mind usually has no map or clue of what this path might be, it's easy to get lost or distracted along the way. Particularly when it comes to parts of our lives that make life comfortable or safe, free from external or internal challenges, these become detour signs that move us in the wrong direction. If you're "lucky" (though it hardly feels like it at the time), Pluto comes along, kicks the support out from under these distractions and points you back to the path. The cycle goes through several somewhat predictable phases. Leading up to the retrograde station, life seems to be going along OK, though sometimes there's a feeling of emptiness or alienation from some part of your daily life. That hole in the psyche is the entry point for your growth. After Pluto starts backing up, whatever this area might be, you find that it starts to back fire on you, requiring an ever increasing amount of effort and attention to hold this together. This is Pluto upping the ante on you, pressuring you to wake up from your comfortable trance and see your world more clearly. We rarely get the message right away and undergo the needed midcourse correction, which is why these Pluto cycles get really nasty for most people. Pluto doesn't take "no" for an answer and he's bigger than us. Eventually, usually around the direct station (next fall), Pluto's admonitions become so powerful that this part of your life is literally ripped out of your hands -- favorite possessions physically break with uncanny regularity at the direct station. At that point, it's best to concede the situation, pick up any pieces that might still be useful and move forward in the direction Pluto is pointing. It's rarely helpful to put up a big fight at this point -- it only makes Pluto more insistent and prolongs your suffering. Besides, it makes no sense to rebel against your Higher Self. That's pure spiritual pigheadedness. Again, the retrograde station this month is directly opposite the US Sun, so this nation is up for a big wakeup call the next two years. (It's a scary omen for the elections coming up in the fall, however.) Some Pluto cycles are bigger than others -- this is a huge one. Wake up and give it your best!
The full moon on the early morning of the 15th is also a lovely total lunar eclipse visible throughout the US. The main story of this chart is the familiar one of the Grand Cross and a few trigger planets (Mercury and Venus). The Pluto station was yesterday and we're still reverberating to that event. The second group consists of the Sun, Moon and the 4 major asteroids (all at 23-25 degrees). Saturn and Neptune are isolated.
Except for those asteroids, the Sun and Moon are cut off from the rest of the chart, a quality I don't like to see in a new or full moon chart. These bodies represent the heart of our conscious experience, so when they are isolated, it's as if we are separated from or unaware of the real story going on behind our backs. It appears we are concerned with false issues that don't really mean much in the current situation. Sun in Aries, Moon in Libra often has relationship themes present, as though we are trying to balance the ego's self-concern against the needs of others. There is some of that going on, but it's such a small part of the total picture. Those asteroids really tilt the scales towards bending to the people around you, if need be. It de-emphasizes the ego's role, but nowhere near as much as Pluto and the Cross planets, who are pointing to a whole different level in this chart. It's time to reinvent your world and see everything from a fresh perspective, not just a relation or two. Perhaps people are focusing on such limited areas in an attempt to control the chaos and disruption of the Grand Cross that pervades our lives. It may make you feel better, but that's not a terribly helpful approach to take. Old solutions don't seem to work well anymore, novel ideas that haven't been tried before must be put to the test. Don't limit yourself anymore.
Jupiter is square Uranus on the 20th, the third of 3 such contacts. They met previously on 2013-8-21 and 2014-2-26. The next two days are key to handling the Grand Cross. Mars is moving into position now and all the "big aspects" in the Cross are ripe to go off over a 36 hour span. Watch 13 degrees of any zodiac sign in your birth chart -- this is where you will feel the biggest impact personally. Now, Jupiter is probably the tamest of the planets in this Cross, especially in Cancer, the sign of tradition, mom and apple pie. While a positive and protective influence on us in this chaotic time, it is also the kind of backward looking influence that the likes of Uranus and Pluto are trying to transform. This and the next aspect both started in Aug 2013 and are finishing up now, so important issues are coming to a head. As for the larger 14 year Jupiter-Uranus cycle, which began with their conjunction back in 2010, we are now experiencing some of the speed bumps and set backs of that original reformist mood, though both right (Tea Party) and left are claiming the mantle of true reform. It's hard to imagine our political system performing even more poorly than it already does, but given the coming election season, I think we'll take gridlock to even greater heights. Jupiter is at 13Cn29 at this square, while the US Sun is 13Cn19 -- Jup is right on top of our Sun! We can use his protection and positive outlook now, just as matters go seriously haywire.
Also on the 20th, Jupiter is opposite Pluto. This is third contact of 3, with earlier contacts on 2013-8-7 and 2014-1-31. Here's another Grand Cross aspect winding up its business. Oppositions are like a tug-of-war, with two planets pulling in opposite directions. Jupiter is more of the conventional point of view, with a special affinity for the large social institutions in our lives (government, business, education, etc.) that structure daily existence. Pluto is more inwardly directed, but he also likes to challenge and undermine those structures that no longer serve a useful purpose. The big problem now is one of motivations. Jupiter can be lazy and selfish if he's not careful, while Pluto's big vice is wanting to abuse power over other people in a manipulative fashion. Together, that's a recipe for a really bad situation. The alternative is a more conscious approach that looks for the highest good in an unselfish manner. It helps to keep an eye on the big picture and not just "what's in it for me?" Avoid temptation...
Uranus is square Pluto on the 21st, the 5th of 7 such contacts over 3 years for this transformative and often destructive aspect. The other contacts are 2012-6-24, 2012-9-19, 2013-5-20, 2013-11-1, and coming up, 2014-12-15 and 2015-3-16. This aspect is the climax of all the Grand Cross activity, with all its status quo busting influences going full tilt. Uranus is a Trickster, looking for our weak spots and shortcomings, eager to blow them up. Pluto is the uncompromising demands of spirit in the face of life on the material plane. Things are breaking and shifting for us. Intuitively, this 5th contact is a point of no return for the full 7 pass aspect. It has a "dark night of the soul" feeling to it, a test of the spirit that stretches us to our limits, all the while knowing we have a year more of this to go still. Flexibility and an openness to higher possibilities are critical for handling this energy. Keep in mind the conscious ego is not in charge of this process, so let yourself be open and vulnerable to influences that transcend your small, personal concerns. It's hard to imagine all the possibilities that are inherent in these larger cycles, which is probably why we'll make much less progress than we could. Do your best anyway.
Juno moves from Aries into Taurus on the 26th. She'll remain in this sign until Jun 17, when she heads into Gemini. Juno is the Queen of Relationships, the gal who loves to relax into a partnership where she can feel loved and supported. She may not be completely at home in Taurus, but it beats Aries. The trouble with fiery Aries is that it brings up too many ego issues -- butting heads brings out the worst behavior from Juno. However, Taurus is calmer and more into the pleasure of the moment. The next few weeks are a good time to settle in with the one you love and enjoy the simple pleasures of life together. Taurus is in touch with the material plane like few other signs, a veritable celebration of the joys of the physical body. Time together, a hearty shared meal, good sex make for a satisfying experience for the both of you. Make sure the needs and demands of the physical world (especially money matters) are in order and not disturbing the fun. Quiet, idyllic, relaxing -- sounds good to me, after all this craziness!
The solar eclipse is visible mostly around Australia, Antarctica and the southern Indian Ocean (where they're searching for the missing Malaysian airliner). Not too surprisingly, the Grand Cross is still active, with Mercury as the main trigger planet. The Sun and Moon are close behind and will take on trigger roles soon. Curiously, the eclipse point is closely sextile Neptune, bringing one more outer planet into the fold. The energies are strong and growing quickly.
It seems appropriate to find this eclipse in the earth sign of Taurus. When high vibrations enter our lives, it's important to find some way to ground the energies and integrate them into everyday life. The inner planes must be brought out into the outer world. Much of this will be done, at first, by Mercury, the Thinking Mind. You may have plenty of grand and glorious ideas going through your brain, but don't give into them unless they connect with the world in some practical manner. We've been through a lot this month (and it's not done yet!), not to mention a long string of months before that, and we have much to assimilate and make our own. Eclipses are a time to make adaptive changes and put your life in order for the future. Obviously, the "same old" way of doing things won't work in the future, so be prepared to make some modifications in your basic approach. On the bright side, we're through the worst of the Grand Cross -- nothing left but a few months of aftershocks and mop up work. Smile a little...
When we left Putin last month, he'd just decided to park his troops in Crimea, while Mercury, Mars and a bunch of other planets (the "Logjam") were standing still. A referendum for Crimea to join Russia followed on the powerful full moon of Mar 16, mostly boycotted by non-Russian opponents, dramatically rubber-stamped by the Russian parliament and widely rejected internationally. Russian military "exercises" across the border from eastern Ukraine followed. By month's end, Russia and the West are in a Mexican stand off of sorts as to what happens next and how all sides can save face. At least the diplomats are still talking. We've yet to see if it was wise to move in during a Logjam.
March seemed to have its share of weird stories. Perhaps the oddest was the disappearance of Malaysian flight 370 on Mar 8 when it flew off into the night without a trace, despite 3 weeks of intense searching over the Indian Ocean since then. Suspicion falls on the pilots themselves, but this may be one mystery that is never solved. Of the many natural calamities, the huge mudslide that wiped out the small town of Oso, WA is currently claiming most of our attention. I've yet to analyze these events astrologically, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Uranus and/or Pluto in the background.