Astrology for April
April begins with the Sun, Chiron, and Jupiter conjuncting in Aries, a fitting archetypal theme. The wounded healer is amplified (Jupiter) and merging with the Sun, highlighting these times. Aries corresponds to assertiveness, aggression, conflict and the drive to win. Wounds are now exposed in the toxic masculine. Healing will take courage and initiative. Aries can activate both wounds and healing. Watch for themes emerging in the news, especially at the full Moon on the 5th, when Mercury conjuncts the North Node, and intensifies all communications and news stories.
On a personal level as we are in this in-between time, time of uncertainty, of powerful disruption, change, and tumultuous transformation. We are more sensitive to our own wound and healing, our own shadow material, our own fears. By bravely confronting our issues (Aries) we activate new levels of integration and consciousness.
Jupiter at 19 Aries is about to cross the USA Chiron at 20 Aries, on April 5th, Wednesday, amplifying both the shadow qualities of USA, and its unresolved wounds, or injuries, splits, tears, trauma body. The Sun touches the USA Chiron on the 9th, while the Chiron return begins in June and continues through April 2025. This takes place once every fifty years. (for more on this join Susan for her monthly astrology talk, April 7th, Friday, 9:30 am, or receive a recording).
Chiron is also known as the rainbow bridge, the bridge between mind and heart, between limited conditioned consciousness and self realization, broader awareness. Our minds get caught in the conditioning of programmed thoughts, worries, and fears, prejudices, and rationalizing judgments. The heart receives revelations from a broader field of attunement and intelligence, beyond polarization. We’ve come to the end of the time of defining through separation. Whether we can make the leap or not, into the higher consciousness, and healing of generations of trauma, we are positioned to wake up. When, through our wounds, hate, hurt, and rage, seek revenge and blame and separation extremes, we back slide into grand polarization and violence. Now we are at the edge, the test, the crossing. Chiron is being activated. Become the healer, seek out consciousness.
“The elders say we must let go of the shore, push off into the middle of the river, keep our eyes open, and our heads above water. see who is in there with you and celebrate. At this time in history, we are to take nothing personally, least of all ourselves. For the moment that we do, our spiritual growth and journey comes to a halt. Gather yourselves! All that we do now must be done in a sacred manner and in celebration. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.” attributed to an unnamed Hopi elder
Pluto in Aquarius
With Pluto now in Aquarius, the undigested repressed materials of the culture, society, and collective erupt from below. They spew outward, and are experienced. Maybe you’ve experienced old issues unexpectedly returning, and confronting you? With courage, we can witness this material a new, and come to new outcomes, letting go of old emotions connected with the past. We can embrace transformation and change, which is the gift that Pluto offers, becoming the Phoenix. Issues of power/powerlessness, courage to transform, or stay stuck, are activated. Inquiry into our values is the essential question. What is our internal guiding force? Is it conscious or unconscious? We witness, both within ourselves and externally, the battle of whose/which values will prevail. How do we now relate to ourselves, and who we are as a people, as a community? Pluto is completing its work of breaking down, and disrupting governing structures to set the stage for transformation (Capricorn). In Aquarius, it brings energy to grassroots movements, exposes the shadow side of power, what people do for power. In Aquarius, it exposes the shadow side of technology and social media, and has the potential to revolutionize how we relate to each other.
The full Moon takes place on April 5th, highlighting the opposing signs of Aries and Libra. There are 6 pairs of signs in the wheel of the zodiac. Each pair of signs teach us about balance and wholeness. At each full Moon we can honor the power of integration and check in with ourselves. Here the Libra full Moon calls for a pause in intensity, stepping back with mindfulness to witness our lives and events unfolding. Do you know how to live with equanimity?
“Equanimity, … is actually the secret ingredient in mindfulness. It does not mean indifference, …. Equanimity means balance, and it’s the balance that is born of wisdom. Mindfulness means a capacity or quality of awareness where our perception of what’s happening in the moment is not distorted by bias, old fears, projection into the future, anything that may arise, holding on, or pushing away. The quality of awareness for true mindfulness needs to have balance… It’s only through mindfulness, with its secret component of equanimity, that we have the right relationship to our experience to see more deeply into it, to understand it more fully, and to develop insight.” Sharon Salzberg, www.tricycle.org
Chiron’s healing powers teach us equanimity, just as the higher levels of Libra cultivate this practice of “seeing”, “balancing”. Here at the full Moon in Libra, opposite the fiery, passionate, quick reactionary gathering of planets in the sign of Aries, we are given an opportunity to witness our life, and the unfolding drama of an enlarged social event (Jupiter) with equanimity and perspective of a much larger story unfolding.
What began as possibility at the New Moon on March 21st, now has come to ripeness of revealing and expressing. How do we find mindfulness and quiet balance when swept away by our passions and defense of self? How does the impulsivesness of Aries actions meet justice and the law? In the Tarot Libra is the Justice/Karma card. How do we balance intuition, instinct, and reflective mindfulness, thoughtfulness of others? how do we balance self and relationship?
Celestial Events for April
Apr 3 – Mercury enters Taurus, squares Pluto – (on the 5th, Mercury conjuncts the North Node) – April 1-5, Mercury conjuncts North Node, intense communications, something from the past, something hidden or pushed aside (south node in Scorpio) – becomes communicated in a very matter of fact way (Mercury North node in Taurus) The messenger and communications (Mercury) are active and busy. Pluto squares the nodes representing an important cross roads. Something of the past needs to be resolved before healthy growth can take place. And this thing revolves around power/powerlessness, hidden things, and deep intense feelings of wrong doing, which can include resentment, revenge, forgiveness, and letting go, (square to Pluto). So interesting, this is taking place during the Libra full Moon, where balance and justice are called for, during a big dramatic event (Jupiter in Aries) and calls upon our country’s deep wounds or personal wounds around the masculine (Chiron in Aries).
Apr 5 – Full Moon in Libra, 8:34 pm – powerful day! – Mercury at 4 Taurus conjunct North Node, sextiles Saturn in Pisces, the Sun conjunct Chiron 15 Aries – (see above for the meaning of this full Moon)
Powerful day – Full Moon in Libra – Mercury conjunct North Node, squaring Pluto
Affirmation for the Full Moon in Libra
“May I slow down enough in my responses to allow equanimity to penetrate my awareness. From there, may I have the courage and trust to initiate new beginnings, to heal, and see the world in fresh ways.”
Apr 10 – Venus enters Gemini, trines Pluto – the planet of relatedness is now busy connecting with others, sharing insights and information, networking. The love for learning grows. Deeper passions permeate relationships and activate transformations.
Apr 11 – Sun conjunct Jupiter conjunct Chiron at 21 Aries – (see above)
Apr 14 – Venus at 4 Gemini squares Saturn in Pisces – Saturn in Pisces calls for slowing down in order to know one’s feelings, in order to explore the deeper unconscious that programs our awareness and perceptions, while Venus in Gemini is a windy energy, busy with making connections and light conversation. Relationships are called to deepen, or obstruction slows connection. What are you willing to commit to?
Solar Eclipse in Aries
Apr 19 – Solar Eclipse 8:13 pm PDT – an annular, total eclipse at 29 Aries 50 minutes, squares Pluto – We have now entered the eclipse season, which defines a time of both the Solar eclipse and then Lunar eclipse on May 5th. Eclipses are intensified New Moon times. Solar eclipses often expose something that needs to be seen, or revealed, so we can move forward in a new way. They are often said to be like wild cards, sometimes very powerful, sometimes more subtle. This Solar eclipse squares Pluto so it carries very powerful energy, especially in the last degree of Aries. This is a time of breaking down, or completing, or ending of one phase to begin another. It calls for exposing the hidden, activating powerful forces for change. The ruling planet of Aries is Mars, now in Cancer, brings in the theme, of defensiveness, emotional reactiveness, or the need to attune to feelings and find emotional connection.
Affirmation for the Solar Eclipse New Moon in Aries
“May I be aware of what now needs completing, and may I apply energy and courage in meeting what arises. May I be open to letting go, transforming, completing the past. May I trust my intuition, as I go forward”
Apr 20 – The Sun enters Taurus, squares Pluto – As the Sun enters each new sign, (called sign ingress) it will aspect Pluto. With the Sun entering Taurus we want to get grounded, honor our bodies, tend our gardens, and nourish ourselves with the beauty of Earth and Spring. Taurus calls to us to be fully present. It’s gift is the use of our senses to see, feel, hear, smell, and taste the world. During Taurus time of year, we want to take care of practical matters, get down to earth with our finances, clear our clutter (Spring cleaning), and feel ourselves in our bodies. The body is a temple, a wisdom place, which Taurus calls us to attune to. Pluto squaring the Sun as it enters Taurus asks us to take a deeper look. What is challenging us right now? With Pluto, something from the past that has played out in our lives without consciousness, now confronts us and demands release. Release is the set up for transformation. How can we grow from this situation? Are we alert, and willing to create change?
Apr 21 – Mercury goes retrograde at 15 Taurus (goes direct May 14, at 5 Taurus) – The trickster Mercury now retrogrades, asking us to slow and take in the Spring. For the next 3 weeks, can we be mindful of our thoughts, and slow our busy lives for deeper insight, review, and fine-tuning? Editing is highlighted.
Apr 25 – The Sun sextiles Saturn – this is an excellent time to focus, to organize, to discover what we are committed to. We can be steady and persevering.
Apr 27 – Mars at 17 Cancer squares Chiron in Aries – Mars in Cancer is sensitive and seeks belonging. Cancer is a yin, water sign, where Mars can activate exploring our inner world, find what we are willing to defend, to nurture, and to protect. With the square to Chiron in Aries, we may be very aware of the tension between different uses of the masculine energy, or yang energy. It may become very apparent where the wounds of the masculine are, how war and domestic violence amplify the wounds of these times. Be thoughtful and clear in our actions. This alignment cautions us to think before reacting, or seeking to prove our way or perspective, is the right way. Sensitivity is heightened.
Apr 29 – Mars at 18 Cancer sextiles Uranus in Taurus – the energy shifts, and we reach a sudden break through. Be inventive, try something new. with Uranus quick unexpected energy we always want to keep our feet on the ground!
May 1 – Pluto goes retrograde at 0 Aquarius – (back to 27 Capricorn, direct Oct 10) – Pluto retrogrades for about 1/2 of the year. When any planet is ‘stationary retrograde’ its expression becomes more powerful. (see above for Plutonian themes).
May 1 – The Sun and Mercury retrograde conjunct at 11 Taurus – When Mercury is retrograde and conjuncts the Sun, it is seen as beginning a new cycle. Here Mercury listens to the Sun, picks up its message, and seeks to deepened it. Mercury, then brings out that message and theme until the next Mercury retrograde. This Sun Mercury conjunction takes place near change agent, revolutionary, Uranus, the disruptor. Uranus is the energy that breaks us open to new horizons, stimulates revelation, and creative insight. Being in earthy Taurus, attunement to the Earth, and practical manifestation of insight and creativity are highlighted. This is a powerful combination to shake us up.
The Twelve signs for April: Sun and Rising Signs
Aries (Mar 20-Apr 19): Dear Aries, Jupiter in Aries gives its beneficial influence to your sign, especially strong under the full Moon on the 5th. You attune to optimism, and feel better about future developments. Always under the full Moon, we are asked to find balance between the two signs occupied by the Sun and Moon, which now is Aries and Libra. For you, dear Aries, you walk that fine line between your needs and busy agenda, and slowing to be present, and consider others. How do you experience that balance? It’s a time when you can align with more consciousness if you choose. The full Moon lights up your house of relationship, highlighting important communications and decisions with partners and others in general. Libra instructs you to find your equanimity, not to jump to conclusions. Your ruling planet, Mars, has just moved into sensitive and deep feeling Cancer. Mars in Cancer will act from instinct and memory quickly, easily triggering your emotional responses. So be thoughtful as you respond. You may be more sensitive than usual. This is a great time, though, to work on home projects, to explore your inner life, find some solitude and feed your soul. The Solar Eclipse on the 19th, takes place in the last degree of Aries. You may want to honor this day by looking back over what you have accomplished and where you want to create new beginnings. Watch for synchronicities and unexpected events that may guide you forward. Keywords for April, “Channel sensitivity into creative projects.”
Taurus (Apr 20-May 20): Dear Taurus, the Libra full Moon falls in your house of daily habits, work, and health. What a perfect time to organize and tend to your home environment and office. Taurus resonates with the Libra Venus energy, and its characteristic of creating beauty. This is an excellent time to reflect on the transitions and changes now occurring in your life, or ones that you are wishing for. Bringing your intention to this during the full Moon will help to move these changes forward. With Venus now in Taurus, you are encouraged to slow down and find time to enjoy art, the garden, nature, and good food. Venus enters Gemini on the 10th, when you suddenly feel more social. It supports writing, learning, and communications, while lightening your mood. The Solar Eclipse takes place on the 19th, almost in the 1st degree of Taurus. It marks a transitional time and may provide clues, revelations, or guidance unexpectedly, to activate your goals and motivate your boldness in taking up new activities. Keywords for April, “Reflect on and activate your deepest desires.”
Gemini (May 21-Jun 20): Dear Gemini, the full Moon in Libra lights up your house of creativity, self expression, and love. This is the house whose mission it is to develop your authentic expression, and move from ego needs to heart felt connections. Under this full Moon you can deepen and anchor both your love and your creative expression by taking time to appreciate the life and creativity you have manifested. This reflection will deepen its impact. With Mercury now conjunct the North Node you may have impelling ideas and insights for future growth. Mercury goes retrograde on April 21st at 15 Taurus. All this is encouraging you to slow your active mind and go inward. An inward review brings you wisdom and clarity. Take your time until May 14th when Mercury goes direct. The Solar Eclipse at 29 Aries highlights your house of friends, groups, and connecting with your ideals and future plans. Unexpected messages may come from a friend that impacts you in surprising ways. Keywords for April, “Reflection and deepening.”
Cancer (Jun 21–Jul 21): Dear Cancer, the full Moon in Libra highlights finding balance between your inner and outer worlds. It encourages you to deepen your self reflection, which brings an inner attunement. These insights will fuel your career, public standing, and/or whatever you wish to achieve. The full Moon also brings focus to your domestic life, your family relations, energy around and with your home. As a sensitive Cancer, your attunement to family members is strong. Under this full Moon, you may affirm a more balanced approach to pursuing your goals, establishing your boundaries and self interests, with your emotional bonds with those you love or care for. How do you experience the balance of influence and connection with others with hearing and acting on your own voice? With the Moon opposing the Wounded Healer, Chiron, you are especially attuned to new levels of integration that heal old patterns, opening you to greater possibilities and strengthening your confidence. The Solar Eclipse of the 19th, may bring sudden, unexpected events that support new beginnings in your work/life. Pay attention to synchronicities and offers. Keywords for April, “Honoring your intentions.”
Leo (Jul 22 – Aug 22): Dear Leo, with the Full Moon lighting up your travel and learning houses, this Aries time can lift your spirits and encourage you to explore, discover, and travel. With the Sun (your ruling planet) in spring time Aries, where the Sun is exalted, expand your horizons! Now is the time to take a risk. Because the Sun is conjunct Jupiter and Chiron this can also be a powerful time for healing as well. You may experience healing within youself or around you. During these times you may want to define and focus on healing affirmations. A Solar Eclipse on the 19th is a powerful time for Leos. It can illuminate anything that is obstructing your forward movement. Because of the placement of the eclipse it may expose a belief that no longer serves you and seeing it, sometimes suddenly, this obstacle can be released. It may also bring about sudden offers to travel, learn, or teach. Keywords for April, “Expanding consciousness.”
Virgo (Aug 23-Sep 22): Dear Virgo, this Libra full Moon lights up house of self worth, values, inner security, stability, and your relation to your finances. It can bring to your attention how you are valuing yourself and your life in general. It can offer you a time of realignment to what’s unfolding in your life right now. What might need to take place to bring a sense of equanimity in your life now? Your ruling planet Mercury is in Taurus, conjuncting the north node. We might see this as the need to find a sense of beauty and harmony as key to healing what needs healing right now. Where Virgo is busy analyzing and figuring things out, making plans, Mercury in Taurus encourages you to simply be in the present moment. The Solar Eclipse, on the 19th, activates transformation, change, and release. Where do you experience this happening in your life? Something may come out of the blue and support moving into a new place. Keywords for April, “Change of perspective.”
Libra (Sep 23-Oct 22): Dear Libra, this bright full Moon in Libra on the 5th, shines a light on you, drawing upon the graciousness and presence of your thoughtful Libra self. The full Moon highlights your unique life, and heightens your relationship powers. With the Sun in Aries in your house of partnership, there’s an activation and motivation coming from another that has triggered boldness, decisiveness, and movement. You might imagine the wounded healer, Chiron, in your presence, the sacred energy of the healer. How are you experiencing healing, and new levels of integration, within you and around you? We can also see travel, good will, and generosity highlighted at this time (Jupiter next to the Sun). Venus enters Gemini on the 10th and increases enjoyment in your relationships. There is a delight in sharing insights and information, as it heightens your love of learning. The Solar Eclipse on the 19th, in the last degree of Aries, may spark unexpected news from another that supports the beginning of something new, particularly if you have a planet or angle from 27 Aries to 1 Taurus. Keywords for April, “The beauty of you.”
Scorpio (Oct 23-Nov 21): Dear Scorpio, under this full Moon on the 5th, you are encouraged to take some alone time to regroup and refresh yourself. Being a strong and resilient person, you may sometimes forget how sensitive and vulnerable you are. This Moon lights up your house of solitude, privacy, and tuning into the deep self. Feel into what needs healing for yourself as the presence of Chiron, the wounded healer, is now prominent. With one of your ruling planets, Mars, just having entered Cancer on March 25th, you are even more emotional than usual, more sensitive, and perhaps feeling the need to defend yourself or someone else. This is a very dynamic time for reviewing the past to come to deeper clarity, understanding, and release. The Solar Eclipse on the 19th at the end of Aries, opposes any planets you have around 1 degree Scorpio, and depending on the planet involved may help you see what needs to be seen so you can move forward. Take good care of your sensitive self! Keyword for April, “Emotional sensitivity.”
Sagittarius (Nov 22-Dec 20): Dear Sagittarius, the Libra full Moon falls in your house of friends and groups of people. It highlights your enjoyment of likeminded people, and the natural good will you share with others. The Sun in Aries with Jupiter and Chiron light up the area of the chart that supports your unique and expressive individuality. This time brings out and calls for a balance between your leadership and unique individuality, and sharing with others. Your planet Jupiter conjuncts the Sun and Chiron, bringing out those wonderful Jupiterian traits of humor and the love of life, enjoyment of the good things of life, and the love of finding meaning in spirituality and philosophy. What a wonderful time to share with others those traits. The Solar Eclipse on the 19th, may bring a surprise of good fortune and ignite a transformation in some part of your life. Keyword for April, “Enjoyment.”
Capricorn (Dec 21- Jan 19): Dear Capricorn, the Libra full Moon shines bright in your house of achievement and public standing. Something is changing and has been changing in how others see you. As the Sun swings through Aries, next to Jupiter and Chiron, it highlights changes in home and your inner life. You can feel a healing taking place. Your ruling planet, Saturn, now in Pisces, compliments your earthy Capricorn traits, helping you to focus and accomplish. Saturn in Pisces brings a new time for you, a softening and deeper attunement to your spirit, creative imagination, and empathetic resonance with others. The Solar Eclipse on the 19th, shows that you are in transition. This new phase you are birthing uncovers a part of you that you now recognize and reclaim. Trust your inner voice. Keyword for April, “Believe.”
Aquarius (Jan 20-Feb 17): Dear Aquarius, the full Moon in Libra on the 5th highlights teaching, learning, and traveling for you. With the Sun and Jupiter in the house of communication and writing, of networking and sharing insights with others, what a sweet full Moon for you, as this is so your nature. With Jupiter so strong, do enjoy, but watch taking on too much, or overdoing. One of your ruling planets, Saturn, now in Pisces, has shifted into a new phase. In Pisces, Saturn will focus you into your imagination and empathy, drawing you into investigating, not only your deeper feeling and dream life, but also how you choose to relate to the collective and to community. Maybe you will begin a collaboration with another. The Solar Eclipse on the 19th, may bring messages that surprise you. You may suddenly be inspired with new creative ideas. That writing block may suddenly shift as something unexpected brings a transformation. Keywords for April, “A new phase.”
Pisces (Feb 18-Mar 19): Dear Pisces, under this Libra full Moon you are especially tuned into others. You are also attuned to the tenderness in life, to deeper more intimate connections with others. On the other hand, you may be focusing on your shared finances or completing your taxes! With the Aries Sun in the area of your chart representing your self reliance, you now experience the balancing of self and other, of attuning to your own life and needs while also sharing with another, collaborating, and finding the give and take of life. With Mars having entered Cancer, another water sign, on March 25th, you may experience more emotion or caring for others. This Mars in Cancer can also give you energy to activate your creativity, your self expression, and encourage your playfulness! The Solar Eclipse on the 19th may be helpful in uncovering a developing talent, or a sudden shift in how you value yourself. Keywords for April, “Intimate connections.”
Susan Heinz is a professional astrologer in Santa Cruz for 39 years, bringing together traditional & esoteric astrology, Tarot and Qabalah. For info on her Friday monthly astrology groups, her Qabalah, astrology and/or painting classes, and for personal readings, call (831) 479-3751, or go to www.susanheinz.co