A Venus/Pluto trine on April 17 infuses the week with a much-needed capacity for easing into a deep place of being with another. Intimacy is welcome under this transit, even if it means revealing that which would rather stay hidden. This aspect correlates to a need for greater purpose in intimate relations than the giving and receiving of pleasure. The act of connecting with others in any arena has the potential to penetrate the surface of personality and touch the psyche in such a way that one feels truly seen and accepted. This depth of relating will inevitably evoke a willingness to follow a relationship’s destiny.
Also, on April 17, Saturn turns retrograde in Capricorn. As it stations, its archetypal focus gathers intensity, building momentum for some kind of change regarding our ability to respond to the demands of life. How well we manage the reality of a given situation indicates whether or not we embrace Saturn’s principles of discipline, learning and order. Retrograde through September 6, this focus on response-ability turns inward. It is a time to review our acceptance level of the inherent limitations of life. If we are overextended in our commitments we may need to address that, or we may recognize where we need to step up our efforts to more effectively handle the responsibilities we deem most important. Capricorn, the sign ruled by Saturn, is characterized as practical and concerned with the organizational structures that support society. During Saturn’s retrograde we may be looking at our role and purpose in these structures and if we are operating therein with integrity.
The Sun in Aries forms a conjunction to Uranus on April 18, a significant annual aspect that often correlates to sudden changes, the moments in life we distinctly remember diverging onto another path that ‘just opens up.’ We may have had internal signals that change needed to happen and the degree to which we are prepared will determine the extent to which we go with the groundbreaking flow. People may quickly switch in and out of our life under this transit, or we can experience some sort of crisis that pounds on the door of our psyche to wake up to the reality of our consciousness. This aspect caps a month of significant transits in the first sign of the zodiac indicating a significant new cycle is unfolding that will make life look pretty different once it takes hold. Charging the air with the Aries archetype of creative self-assertion and independence, Sun/Uranus here may propel us to swiftly act on any mental light bulbs flashing at this time, which should be done with attentiveness to right timing rather than force. From brilliant solutions to break-ups with what enslaves, Sun/Uranus in Aries celebrates awakening to our true self and discovering the inherent freedom we have to express uniquely in the world.
The Sun enters Taurus on April 19, shifting from the thrusting energy of Aries to the grounded, deliberate pace of the Bull that determines a course of action based on its attunement with the natural rhythms of life. While still affected in the coming days by its electric conjunction to Uranus, the Sun in Taurus will place greater importance on experiencing peace, love and beauty in all its forms. However, Sun in Taurus tends to hold onto these types of experiences, leading to a high degree of attachment. Objects of desire become extremely valuable “things” that are but mere imitations of what was evoked. The challenge and gift of the symbolic heart of our being in Taurus is to realize a state of non-attachment and to see earth life as a series of transient moments to be savored and released with every experience. According to Dane Rudhyar, the evolved Taurus follows the middle path, the “Path of Equilibrium,” between the joys and sorrows of universal life. “To kill the seed of pain by withering the weed of desire with the fire of awareness and understanding,” he writes, “is to follow the Noble Path, Arya Dharma – the ‘truth that sets all men free’.”
Pluto stations retrograde in Capricorn on April 22, further amplifying the highly gathered focus that can correlate to evolutionary shifts. Just days after Saturn’s station, Pluto changing directions internalizes our attention on power and authenticity. In Capricorn, the Pluto archetype calls us to live our role in society with integrity and serve the greater good. As consciousness seekers, we are compelled by Pluto turning inward to delve into our deepest motivations and address any corruption therein. We may discover we are motivated by a fear that all we have built up around us would collapse if the truth of all our mental constructs were revealed. As Pluto retreats through Capricorn until September 30, we may choose to address fears around control issues or experience its atomic force via external circumstances we’ll then have to face.
On April 23, Mars forms a sextile to Jupiter that energizes the need to act boldly and decisively with the strength of conviction. Mars in Capricorn is ambitious, hardworking and focuses on the business at hand. Retrograde Jupiter in Scorpio’s search for truth focuses on intimacy and presents teaching moments in situations where we may not be as real with another as we could be. Looking at this Mars/Jupiter alignment within the context of the other aspects between Aries and Capricorn that have unfolded over the last month indicates the will to move and move big will be great. This concentrated intensity of the cosmic forces at work is a proverbial throwing down of a spiritual gauntlet. It is up to us to answer the call and put this game-changing transformational power to use for the greater good.
Here’s the data (Pacific Time, rounded to the nearest whole degree unless otherwise noted):
April 17 – Venus trine Pluto at 21°Taurus/Capricorn at 6:02 a.m.
April 17 – Saturn station retrograde at 9°Capricorn at 6:47 p.m.
April 18 – Sun conjunct Uranus at 28°Aries at 6:59 a.m.
April 19 – Sun at 0°Taurus at 8:13 p.m.
April 22 – Pluto station retrograde at 21°Capricorn at 8:23 a.m.
April 23 – Mars sextile Jupiter at 20°Capricorn/Scorpio at 10:13 p.m.
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