Planetary news this week: Why we tend to focus on bad astrological news 🤔

Astrological update for the week of April 7 - 14, 2025

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Dear friends,

Reader note: I wrote this before I left for a trip and meanwhile the economy of the US has crashed with effects that will be with us for some time. This happened in 2008 when Pluto entered Capricorn and now Pluto has just entered Aquarius with Neptune causing confusion in Aries, the sign that likes to act first and debate later. We knew this was coming, we just didn’t know how, so hang on and keep breathing while the world begins to settle into a new reality 💗

When I started writing on the internet *20* ‼ years ago this year, there weren’t a lot of astrology blogs out there and most people were blissfully unaware of the imagined dangers of a lunar eclipse in Aries, or the snafus that could happen when Mercury is retrograde. Now even the smallest astrological details can be found in news sites all over the world and not just in the astrology columns. This is great! Except that people who don’t know how to read this information may focus on the negative interpretations without being able to see the whole picture, and those of us who tend to be fearful have new reasons to be afraid.

My philosophy about astrology, proven over and over through the years, is that planetary cycles serve to create change where change is needed. Take the Uranus 21 year cycles (ages 20-22, 41-43, 62-64, 83-85) in which our lives can be changed by the disruptive nature of Uranus. If a person is stuck in a job they hate, and a life that makes them miserable, under the influence of Uranus they may suddenly quit that job, leave their spouse, change their career, etc. But a person whose life is filled with stimulation and personal growth that is always seeking growth will take up something fascinating and new under the same influence. They will have already changed the job they hated, and rearranged their friendships to better suit their evolving selves.

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Anyway, my point is that the tools offered by astrology are here to support and guide us, not to create more fear and loathing in our lives. Every time we have a difficult planetary cycle to our own chart there are two or three soft and supportive cycles to help us through. So try not to read these or any other forecasts with trepidation, but instead seek to embrace the power of change to carry us in the direction guided by the soul. 💖 [Lecture over.]

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Here are the major events you need to know about this week. For frequent musings and updates visit my Astro Notes and/or BlueSky.

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Mercury turns direct April 7 and activates the North Node April 11. Mercury, planet of the mind, has been retrograde for the past few weeks and turns direct on Monday. Mercury is in the Pisces gang this week along with Venus, Saturn and the North Node so our focus may seem blurry while our intuition and inner senses are more acute. Once Mercury turns direct it will begin to move slowly towards entering Aries next week, but the mental clarity will take a week or so to catch up.

These North Node activations have been interesting. Last week both Mercury and Venus transited the North Node, the gateway post to the future, and this week once Mercury turns direct it will make one more pass. Transits to the lunar nodes are not often earthshaking but there are sometimes subtle shifts that end up making significant changes to the course of our lives. If we pay attention, we may be able to see behind the veil of mystery that shrouds the future.

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Jupiter square Ceres April 10-11. With Ceres currently in Pisces, urging us to find the soothing and transcendent calm of meditation and spiritual bliss, this challenging aspect to Jupiter will require some intentionality. Jupiter is in Gemini, the sign of conversation and busyness, which is not a natural ally to the longing for peace of Ceres in Pisces.

This influence will last for a couple of weeks, and if ever there was a time when an experience of peace and spiritual connection was needed, it is now. Scheduling time for meditation or solitude in nature will be a good way to manage this planetary cycle.

Libra Full Moon, and Venus turns direct April 13. The Libra Full Moon is ruled by Venus, and Venus is at its most potent at the Full Moon since it turns direct that day. This means that all things Venusian (beauty and love of course, but also finance, connection, sensitivity, art, aesthetics…) are highlighted here. At the Libra Full Moon we seek balance and harmony, along with the integration of opposing forces within us and in our environment as well.

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At this Full Moon, Venus forges a harmonious partnership (trine) with Mars in Cancer, encouraging the unfolding of the most secret of emotions in order to gain greater depth in our relationships. Influences of Saturn, the North Node and Mercury combine to offer opportunities for intention and plans for the future.

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