Planetary Illuminations for April 2024 💖
Confusion and clarity at the solar eclipse, and extreme breakthroughs with Jupiter and Uranus.
Dear friends,
If you follow astrology, you may be aware that the spring eclipse season is currently underway with last week’s lunar eclipse on March 25th being the first of a pair of eclipses culminating with the solar eclipse on April 8th. This is a total eclipse that will be viewable from much of the U.S. Eclipses have long been feared, but let’s not let the fearmongering ruin your opportunity to witness a unique phenomenon!
Most of us have lived through a lot of eclipses (2-5 per year) without any real negative effect, although sometimes emotions which have been quashed will emerge with a vengeance. The upcoming solar eclipse on April 8th, however, has a lot of planetary juice and could have a strong impact, especially for those of us with planets between 15º-29º of the cardinal signs (Aries, Libra, Cancer, Capricorn). I wrote an entire post on the April 8 solar eclipse here.
The other big news this month is the conjunction from Jupiter to Uranus, a one-hit wonder which is already having an impact - an awakening of some kind, and a burst of synchronicities that are unexpected and unexplainable. Or, you may just feel irritable and restless. This will be in effect throughout the month so if you’ve been feeling stuck, this could just be the impetus you need. 🤩
Before we go on to the April Illuminations, here are some other blog articles you may have missed in March:
Links to blog articles are always posted in the Astro Notes section here.
Read on for the April illuminations, and watch for the weekly forecast every Monday. 💖
DATES AND TIMES ARE FOR EASTERN TIME ZONE, please adjust for your locality. You'll find the full planetary calendar towards the bottom of this post.
Mercury retrograde in Aries. Mercury turns retrograde on April 1st, but it may feel as though it is already retrograde! Mercury is in Aries which is all about forward motion. The natural slowdown of Mercury’s motion before the apparent change of direction is frustrating when Mercury is in Aries, but important nevertheless. Retrograde periods are important for rest and for looking back into the past to see how best to move forward.
Mercury will be retrograde until April 25th, and it will be in Aries longer than it usually remains in a sign (until mid-May). We are in full-fledged Aries season now when desires and needs intensify and collaboration can seem difficult. This is especially true with Mars in Pisces creating some confusion throughout April.
The beauty of astrology is that when we understand the planetary dynamics it becomes easier to navigate the energies. While Mercury is retrograde in Aries it’s a good idea to take note of our accelerating desires, but ease up when the road is blocked and we need to take a different direction.
Total solar eclipse at the Aries New Moon April 8. Here is a link to my blog article with everything you need to know about the solar eclipse, and I’ll have more details in the weekly forecast.
Sun enters Taurus April 19. The Sun entering Taurus would normally help to ground and stabilize all of these swirling astrological energies but the Jupiter/Uranus influence in Taurus suggests that this normally steadying force will not apply until the end of the month when Venus enters Taurus and the Jupiter/Uranus energies are on the wane.
The conjunction of Jupiter and Uranus, April 20. Jupiter and Uranus have already begun their dance, beginning a new cycle of freedom and liberation. As we close out the reign of Pluto in Capricorn and move into the realm of Aquarius, these themes of paradigm shifts and emancipation from outmoded ways of thinking will continue to come to the forefront.
There is only one phase of this alignment, but coming in the midst of this strongly Arian time of self-orientation it may be difficult to find compromise in our personal lives and certainly in global politics. On the other hand, the exhilaration of this period of growth and expansion can help us to expand and grow in unparalleled ways.
Scorpio Full Moon, April 23rd. April’s intensity continues with the Scorpio Full Moon which pits the intense Scorpio Moon against the urge for tranquility of the Taurus Sun. Tranquility isn’t likely though, because not only do we have the explosion of radical vibrations coming from Jupiter and Uranus - we also have a challenging square alignment from Pluto to both the Sun and Moon. Pluto is the modern ruler of this Full Moon, and drives us towards a command of the greater Truths.
Meanwhile Mars, the traditional ruler of the Scorpio Moon, continues to undermine our focus as it is not only in the mushy sign of Pisces, but also nearing a conjunction to Neptune. Under this combination of influences a delicate balance is required; we must dive into the Underworld of knowledge (Scorpio/Pluto) while simultaneously cultivating a surrender and awareness of the highest good of all (Mars/Pisces/Neptune).
Venus enters Taurus, April 29. As the ruler of Taurus, Venus entering Taurus showers great blessings of peace and prosperity at the end of the month. This is generally a time of stabilization as Taurus helps to ground any wild energies that linger from the heavy Aries season, but with Mars entering Aries the following day we may not even notice. Venus influences are gentle and float like a breeze, but while we may not be aware of her sweet support her blessings are present nonetheless.
Mars enters Aries, April 30. Mars moving from watery and blissful Pisces into Aries can feel abrupt and the Fiery aggression of Mars in Aries can feel uncomfortable if we try to suppress it. But when released through intention and passion, the power of Will that Mars in Aries represents can create real magic. As we move into Taurus, Mars in Aries will keep us from becoming too complacent but it could also mean that you won’t know you need a rest until it’s too late! Try to factor this into your planning. 😃
That takes us to the end of the month! As always, these influences will be discussed in greater depth in the weekly forecast. Be sure to subscribe if you haven’t already!💖
Thank you for joining me in this monthly exploration of the planetary cycles! The weekly forecast is published every Monday morning.
If you'd like to know more about how your own personal chart is affected by these planetary events, consider having a personal consultation with me.Â
Planetary Calendar
(dates and times are for the Eastern time zone, please adjust for your locality)
4/1Â Mercury turns retrograde
4/3Â Venus conjunct Neptune
4/4 Sun conjunct North Node
4/5Â Venus enters Aries
4/6Â Venus sextile Pluto
    Sun square Ceres
4/8Â New Moon 19 Aries (total eclipse) 2:18 pm
    Sun conjunct Chiron
4/10Â Mars conjunct Saturn
4/15Â Mercury conjunct Chiron
4/16Â Mercury square Ceres
     Mars sextile Ceres
4/17Â Venus conjunct North Node
4/19Â Mercury conjunct Venus
     Sun enters Taurus
     Mars sextile Jupiter
     Mars sextile Uranus
4/20Â Jupiter conjunct Uranus
4/21Â Venus square Ceres
     Venus conjunct Chiron
     Sun square Pluto
4/23Â Full Moon 4 Scorpio, 7:48 pm
4/25Â Chiron square Ceres
     Mercury turns direct
4/29Â Mars conjunct Neptune
     Venus enters Taurus
4/30Â Mars enters Aries