Cosmic Insights

April 2023 Astro-Highlights: Fated Transitions!

Mar 29, 2023

April is yet another dynamic month in 2023 as we enter the fated eclipse season and get a vivid glimpse of where our lives are headed over the course of the next few years! The month begins with Mercury entering Taurus! This transit is always a good time to slow down after Mercury's transit in Aries. However, that 'slow down' is doubly emphasized because of Mercury's retrograde cycle in Taurus towards the end of the month!

We then move through a profoundly healing Libra Full Moon opposite Chiron and Jupiter in Aries! The Full Moon in Libra is an opportunity for deep authenticity and renewal within our partnerships or close relationships!

After the Libra Full Moon, Venus, the planet of love and relationships, moves into the Mutable Air sign of Gemini and squares Saturn in Pisces! Although this transit begins with a few roadblocks, it soon opens up into a curious and exciting time in love and money!

Mid-month we'll experience our FIRST eclipse in the sign of Aries! This will be a Total Solar Eclipse at the anaretic 29th degree! New beginnings are certainly afoot as we experience this hybrid eclipse and get our first taste of what is to come with the Lunar Nodes shifting into the signs of Aries and Libra later in the year!

Soon after the eclipse, the Sun shifts into dependable Taurus, once again, illuminating the Lunar Nodes and unpredictable Uranus! The month closes between eclipses AND with another Mercury retrograde in slow and steady Taurus, providing us ample time to process our thoughts and next moves! Things are definitely shifting and changing by the end of April and will continue to do so well into May!

 

 

Energy most positive for Sun/Moon/Rising in:  Aries, Libra

Energy most challenging for Sun/Moon Rising in:  Virgo, Pisces

Mixed energy for Sun/Moon/Rising in:Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Aquarius, Capricorn

Maximum intensity for Sun/Moon Rising in:Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Aquarius, Capricorn

 

 

April 3, 2023: Mercury Enters Taurus 

April 5, 2023: Full Moon at 16° Libra

 April 10, 2023: Venus Enters Gemini

 April 19, 2023: New Moon Total Solar Eclipse at 29° Aries

 April 20, 2023: Sun Enters Taurus

April 21, 2023: Mercury Stations Retrograde at 15° Taurus

 

 

 

Mercury Enters Taurus

Exact on April 3, 2023 at 10:22 am MDT

Active from April 3rd through June 11th, 2023

The transit of Mercury through Taurus is typically a time to catch our breath, move into a steady rhythm with life, and keep moving forward with whatever was initiated under Mercury's transit of Aries. Mercury rules over our communication and day-to-day activities. When Mercury enters the sign of the Bull, we may notice a tendency to want to think things through and be more deliberate. 

The theme of slowing down will still apply during this transit, however, Mercury through Taurus this year differs for a few reasons. Along the way, Mercury will conjunct the North Node and Uranus in Taurus, which will inevitably bring about the need to make a few changes. Additionally, Mercury will spend six weeks in the sign of Taurus due to its retrograde cycle, putting extra emphasis on the necessity to be thorough.

The retrograde in Taurus indicates a period of revision and going back over something that may have been rushed while Mercury moved through Aries. Mercury through Aries is an excitable transit, especially combined with the energy of Jupiter in this sign! However, it could be that with all the enthusiasm over something new, we may have overlooked some of the details. Mercury retrogrades are always a time to slow down and redo, but in the sign of Taurus, we may need to slow waaaaaayyyyy down.

Mercury's conjunction with the North Node could also tie into the retrograde in Taurus. Mercury conjuncts the North Node exactly once, which could bring about fated information or news that moves us in a new direction. Perhaps the retrograde gives us time to consider any dramatic changes before entirely leaping in.

Mercury will then conjunct Uranus AFTER the retrograde. Mercury conjunct Uranus indicates brilliant thoughts, downloads, ideas, or even messages that bring about sudden clarity. It will not be until after Mercury has gone direct and left its shadow phase that we will understand the complete picture of what has unfolded during this period and how to integrate any changes or ideas that have come about.

 

 

 

Full Moon at 16° Libra

Exact on April 5th, 2023 at 10:34 pm MDT

Active from April 3rd through June 11th, 2023 

The Full Moon in Libra is always an opportunity to bring our focus back to important relationships in our lives during Aries season in order to restore the balance between ourselves and the other people in we care so deeply about. 

This Libra Full Moon is an opportunity for INTENSE healing and the restoration of balance and fairness within our relationships, BUT patience and commitment to growth are key!

The Full Moon is opposite Chiron and Jupiter in Aries! The transit of Chiron through Aries continues to be a profoundly regenerative healing of our core sense of self. This long-term transit is dispelling toxic conditioning and getting us back in touch with who we are at our core and what we deeply yearn for in our lives. Chiron in Aries is relighting the Aries flame and helping us remember what inspires us about our lives!

Jupiter's transit through Aries and conjunction with Chiron at this time is advancing the healing process exponentially by bringing wisdom, hope, a newfound perspective AND opportunity to this area of our lives. Combined, these two powerful transits are enhancing our bravery and opening us up to new possibilities we may not have allowed ourselves to envision previously.

Naturally, as we heal ourselves, we heal our relationships, and this is especially highlighted at the time of this Full Moon.

The dispositor of the Full Moon is Venus in Taurus squaring Saturn. This energy comes as a bit of a test. 

How far have we come? How much have we really healed?

Something may be culminating or illuminated during the Full Moon that puts our healing to the test and may initially feel like a setback within our close relationships or a blow to our self-esteem. For some, feelings of loneliness or isolation may arise. For others, it could be that finances are stalled or restricted in some way, and the things we had our heart set on can't move forward as quickly as we'd hoped. 

Emotional expressions of joy or pleasure may feel suppressed while Venus squares Saturn.

However, Saturn's involvement with Venus at the Libra Full Moon is about the long haul. Any important relationship, including the one we have with ourselves, requires commitment and hard work. This transit indicates that whatever is illuminated now needs more of our time, patience, and effort than initially planned. 

It also indicates that going the extra mile now is worth our while in the long run.

The good news is that Venus forms an out-of-sign trine Pluto in Aquarius. Transformation, healing, and new beginnings ARE occurring at very deep levels, even though it may not initially feel that way.

Additionally, Mars in Gemini forms an out-of-sign trine to Saturn in Pisces. This energy mitigates Venus' square by providing a physical outlet. Mars trine Saturn indicates that while more effort is necessary now, we will have the passion, ideas, and stamina to take action and see things through to completion.

 

 

 

Venus Enters Gemini

Exact on April 10, 2023 at 10:47 pm MDT

Active from April 10th through May 7th, 2023

Venus, the planet of Money and Relationships enters Gemini, the Mutable Air sign of the Twins today. The energy of Venus in Gemini is a fun, curious, and social transit. With Venus in Gemini, we may feel more flirtatious and playful in our relationships and ready to try new things to keep the fun alive.

Those with this placement are blessed with social charm and are skilled in the art of communication! These people are inquisitive and need strong communication and intellectual stimulation in relationships.

With transiting Venus in Gemini, we may find ourselves attracted to multiple people or that numerous people are attracted to US! This is also a time when multiple income streams open up or we may find ourselves better able to diversify the money we already have.

This transit makes mostly helpful connections, with the exception of a square to Saturn and Neptune in Pisces.
Venus square Saturn occurs on April 13, indicating a setback or challenge concerning romance or finances. This is a time when relationships may require more work or that the money you are waiting on may take longer than expected. This would be a great time to revise your budget or handle practical relationship matters.

The challenges that come with Venus' square to Neptune are less noticeable. Venus square Neptune doesn't occur until May 4th. This is likely to be a time when we cannot see our relationships or finances clearly, and as a result, we make poor choices. Venus square Neptune is dreamy and romantic. It's a highly creative, but hazy energy and we can romanticize people or situations a great deal; unless we are tapping into the spiritual or creative side of this energy, waiting for this square to dissipate before making important, long-lasting decisions is good.

 

 

 

New Moon Total Solar Eclipse at 29° Aries

Exact on April 19, 2023 at 10:12 pm MDT

Most active April 9th through April 29th, 2023 

The New Moon Total Solar Eclipse in Aries is like a POWERFUL bridge over a deep canyon, on the one hand helping us cross into the new territory we'll be exploring for the next two years as the Lunar Nodes transition into Aries and Libra. On the other hand, while significant shifts in direction are set to occur, it does not happen without first facing a great deal of fear!

This New Moon is a rare, hybrid eclipse, which means it is a combination of a total and an annular solar eclipse. Additionally, the Aries New Moon conjuncts the North Node, while the North Node is still in Taurus.

The Aries Eclipse is at the anaretic 29th degree and is closely squaring Pluto, now in Aquarius at 0 degrees and squaring the Lunar Nodes. This is likely to be a period of enormous pressure, and because Aries is such a bold and trailblazing sign, there could be intense power struggles coming up at this time.

Pluto's transits are like a clean sweep of a particular area of our lives. It unearths what is hidden or buried. It reveals what we do not wish to face, but it does so in pursuit of truth and with the power to transform it into brand new life. This eclipse is likely to bring up things we fear letting go of, but deep within, we know these are things we need to face in order to move onto the next phase of our life. Pluto will be squaring the Lunar Nodes for six months, and this is likely to be a long process of deep examination of our lives and working through what is outdated, potentially toxic, and no longer working for us.

However, there is a healthy outlet within this energy to work with. Mars rules the Aries New Moon Eclipse, and at the time of this New Moon, Mars in Cancer is closely sextile to Mercury and Uranus in Taurus and trine to Saturn in Pisces. Saturn is also forming an exact trine to the Nodes! While things may feel very uncomfortable and potentially volatile at the Aries New Moon, we may also receive unexpected news or downloads that help us look in a new direction. Our intuition is strong, as are our emotions at this time, which will motivate us to take the next steps. We already know something deep within ourselves about our future and direction in life, and it's time to start stepping in that direction while letting go of another.

 

 

 

Sun Enters Taurus

Exact on April 20, 2023  at 2:13 am MDT

Active from April 20th through May 21st, 2023

Happy birthday season to the Taurus readers out there! The Sun enters into Venus’ bountiful home sign of Taurus today, initiating another very unusual Taurus season! Taurus energy is all about abundance, growth, and stability! However, with transiting Uranus and the Lunar Nodes activating this sign over the past couple of years, life has been anything but stable! This Taurus season is very unique because this will be the LAST time the Sun conjuncts the North Node in this sign. This means the eclipses are winding down in the Fixed energies of Taurus and Scorpio and moving into the Cardinal energy of Aries and Libra.  

However, there is still more change to come for the Fixed signs! The Lunar Nodes are now at the early degrees of Taurus and Scorpio, forming an ongoing square with Pluto in Aquarius. We also have a couple more eclipses to go in Taurus and Scorpio before we move fully into the Aries/Libra axis. Transformation abounds!

The Sun will also transit Uranus in Taurus, illuminating our desires for more freedom and what we've done (or not done) to make that freedom more tangible! As always with Uranus activations, it's advisable to expect the unexpected and do your best to remain grounded amid more change.

 

 

 

Mercury Stations Retrograde at 15° Taurus

Exact on April 21, 2023 at 2:35 am MDT

Active from April 21st through May 14th, 2023

Mercury Stations retrograde today in a tight conjunction with Uranus! Although Mercury doesn't quite make it to an exact conjunction with Uranus, it comes within 2 degrees before it stands still and moves backward. Mercury's transit through steady Taurus is always an opportunity to slow down the Mercurial aspects of our lives. With the close contact with Uranus, this could be a period where we receive unexpected news that requires us to dig deep and process our thoughts before moving forward.

Mercury is the planet of the mind, and it rules our thoughts, ideas, and communications. As it zips around the Zodiac, it speeds up faster and faster until it goes too far beyond the Sun, and from our perspective on Earth, it appears to stop and move backward. During its speedy phase, especially in the sign of Aries, which preceded Taurus, we can launch head first into things due to excitement and inspiration.

Mercury retrogrades are always about slowing down, reviewing, and correcting before proceeding. Mercury's retrograde in the Fixed Earth sign of Taurus emphasizes the importance of slowing down. This is a time to think things through and to plan and prepare ourselves for the long haul concerning our day-to-day activities, new ideas, projects, or communications.

Ruled by Venus, Taurus is a sign of beauty, patience, value, and embodiment. Perhaps we need to be more patient with something or look for ways to add more beauty or value to our creations. Maybe we just need to rest. This would be an excellent time to get out of our minds, away from our devices, and into our bodies by connecting to the Earth. It could be very beneficial for each of us to get into nature and re-attune ourselves to the natural rhythms and cycles of the Earth.

 

 

Written by Stephanie Weiss, edited by Heather and the Astrology with Heather team