As the MOON makes it way towards full and comes into square with the SUN on the 13^th we will have an unusually synchronized conjunction between the SUN and MERCURY the planet of communication, mind and travel. Seems like we’ve had a lot of these unusually coincidental conjunctions lately, eh? The universe is certainly reflecting the profundity of these times here on Earth.

The WAXING SQUARE MOON always indicates a time of feeling pushed to complete the next step in whatever we consciously or unconsciously initiated at the NEW MOON. Having MERCURY right there this time adds a mental angle to it: Cogitation about our progress with plans and projects. When a planet is exactly “combust” the SUN it is also said to lose its power until it is past that point, so with MERCURY there we may be briefly spaced out on the morning of the 14^th (9:22 AM Pacific Time). Check it out for yourself and let me know what you experience that day. The other close aspect at the QUARTER MOON will be CHIRON sextile to the SUN/MERCURY. CHIRON directs our attention to our deeper problems, dis-ease or chronic patterns. The sextile helps this flow with ease.

NEPTUNE gets involved over the next few days as it starts to square the oncoming conjunction between MERCURY and VENUS and begins to square the SUN. Our dreams may have become more vivid and personal during as these aspects come into orb this week. NEPTUNE can also signify a wide range of characteristics: deception, confusion, lethargy and spacey-ness or inspiration, imagination, ideals and spiritual revelations. Notably, the last few degrees of signs (where all 4 planets involved are right now) is noted for being a particularly influential (anaretic) degree. So, right? It can go either way for us all as we use those days to contemplate our relationships, finances, aesthetic choices or travel plans with those in mind.

On the 17^th both MERCURY and VENUS cross over together into deep feeling and sensitive Cancer, followed by the SUN on the Solstice June 20^th. That should mellow things out a bit and bring our focus more inward and increase our sensitivity to the subtleties. Hopefully nurturing, comfort and peace will be a bigger priority with Cancer and not its extreme shadow side of hyper-sensitivity and emotional dis-regulation. As with all transits, it will probably manifest in some mix of both.

Don’t overlook that PLUTO Rx in Aquarius is as ever, pushing our evolution without consent (Cue maniacal laugh). Its extended sextile to NEPTUNE is still in effect signaling years of true epiphanies and false prophets. This week PLUTO moves into an awkward Quincunx (Inconjunct, 150 degrees, whatever) aspect with VENUS and MERCURY just as they enter Cancer, indicating a temptation to the more neurotic, obsessive and/or controlling expressions of those planets for a few days. Then it does the same aspect to the SUN right on the FULL MOON on the 21^st giving us a crux choice to dance with the dark or the light forces in our personal and collective psyche. Doing the deep work to become consciously aware of our shadows is the only way to ride that dragon otherwise it just shows up in our lives as “bad luck” or fate and PLUTO is the archetypal signifier of all that. Just ask Carl Jung. Stay sober and awake through the FULL MOON this time and watch what you let in to your field. Shields up!

HEADLINE! “Pesky PLUTO Ruins Everything!” Lol. Ok, PLUTO is far more intense than the word “pesky” implies and of course what Pluto augurs is not necessarily negative. It actually represents the force of evolution, spiritual and material, in action. Though that energy is particularly present now, it might feel comforting to know it’s not that we somehow missed the bus on all the good stuff promised by JUPITER entering Gemini and conjuncting VENUS on the last FULL MOON. MARS in Aries has been adding its half square irritations to the vibe as well. So while we may feel quite off at times, some really good things are happening. It’s been a mixed bag for sure.

As we head into the week preceding the NEW MOON we are still dealing with the parade of trines formed by PLUTO with planets as they each pass into GEMINI. PLUTO deserves a lot of respect for signifying the dredging up and transformation of the darkest energies. We understandably do not like or want to experience its process, though from the big perspective it is a necessary part of the universe. Check out this partial list of PLUTO’s attributes from the brilliant Richard Tarnes, who has, among other extraordinary creations, developed the art and science of archetypal astrology:

“Pluto: Elemental power, depth, and intensity; that which compels, empowers, and intensifies whatever it touches, sometimes to overwhelming and catastrophic extremes; concern with survival, sex, or power, the lower chakras; the primordial instincts, libidinal and aggressive, destructive and regenerative, volcanic and cathartic, eliminative, transformative, ever-evolving; the biological processes of birth, sex, and death, the cycle of death and rebirth; upheaval, breakdown, decay, and fertilization; violent purgatorial discharge of pent-up energies, purifying fire; situations of life-and-death extremes, power struggles, all that is titanic, potent, and massive; Freud’s primordial id, “the broiling cauldron of the instincts”, the powerful forces of nature emerging from its chthonic depths, within and without, the intense, fiery underworld and underground in all senses: elemental, geological, instinctual, political, social, sexual, urban, criminal, mythological, demonic; the dark, mysterious, taboo, and often terrifying reality that lurks beneath the surface of things, beneath the ego, societal conventions, and the veneer of civilization, etc.”

We are experiencing a kind of precursor with these trines of PLUTO’s upcoming synergistic and epic geometry with URANUS and NEPTUNE that really gets going next year. In my opinion it looks like an ongoing process for the next three or more years of powerfully airing the basement of our personal and collective psyche in order to force us to evolve “or else”. Yeah, that’s heavy. I see it as analogous to having to “get well” in a medicine ceremony; unpleasant, ofttimes wrenchingly so, but necessary, and you feel much better after. If you manage to resist and restrain it you will suffer, and have to do it all over again. Imagine the whole world “getting well” somehow over the next 5 years. Whoa!

Of course, that is just one long bass note of the full symphony of life the planets are reflecting right now. We do have VENUS delightfully conjunct the SUN and MERCURY ingeniously conjunct JUPITER, all in airy and sparkly Gemini this week to add the balance of buoyant optimism, inspiration and love to the tune. Its never all gloom and doom in the universe, no matter what the news cycle focuses on to limbically hijack our vulnerable attention and sell us the next big thing.  It is just business as usual for PLUTO to keep things evolving.

NEPTUNE has been sextile to expansive JUPITER this moon cycle, amplifying our dreams and imaginations, for good or ill. That’ll get a boost just before MERCURY passes over into Gemini on JUNE 3^rd and makes its exact trine to PLUTO. We might be having a lot of vivid dreams lately, especially about the past or love or money. We may feel occasionally burdened by generalized fears or conversely it is possible to feel inspired and empowered to go for our dream life right now. Probably both in waves. There is a lot of potential in the air. Perhaps it would be good to journal your divine inspirations or share them with close friends. It is the kind of time where we can choose, to a certain degree, to grow with the challenges or stay asleep and be suffering to no good purpose.

The MOON enters Gemini on the 5^th and rapidly conjuncts all the benefic planets in the early degrees there. We have the NEW MOON conjoining with the SUN and affectionate and sensual VENUS around mid Gemini on the 6^th. Hopefully that will set the tone and lift the vibe for the next 2 weeks but PLUTO may once again impede that. We are far from out of the deep dark woods yet. We’ll see next week what is in store for us.

Things just won’t settle down, lol. I finally returned from my month-long travels around the Southwest and hit the ground running at home trying to weave up all the loose threads from April’s epicness. New place to live, new car, new collaborations and plans to be made for this summer’s teaching /travel schedule. I suspect that for a lot of you, things-to-do and opportunities just keep popping up while you’re still making adaptations to the big changes initiated last month as well.

This week on May 15^th, as the MOON squares the SUN on its way to the FULL MOON the 23^rd, we will be experiencing a continued buzz because the SUN (our collective and personal self, authority and creative ambitions) will be essentially conjunct expansive and optimistic JUPITER in Taurus. It is “continued” because the SUN just passed its conjunction with the disruptive and innovative URANUS last week (Interestingly but not unexpectedly, coinciding with the massive solar flares, hmmm). URANUS and JUPITER have been adding a lot of excitement to this post-eclipse time and they are not done yet. It’s a sign and reflector of the big changes happening in our lives and world values and conditions. We will be seeing all the various shoes drop over a long timeline, as this energy ripples forward.

More immediately, on the 15^th MERCURY will change signs to Taurus, soothing out some of the agitation we’ve all been dealing with in our thoughts and movements for months. What a relief! But like coming down off a caffeine binge we may get a serious drop, such as getting sick or depressed for a few days (if we haven’t experienced these burnout symptoms already), from the overdraw on our chi. PLUTO will be squaring MERCURY too giving it a thrust towards the dark and serious cogitation for its first few days in Taurus. As always, consistent cultivation of our resilience, honesty and courage is key for navigating this era well, however that may look for you.

On the 18^th the SUN exactly conjuncts JUPITER which will be peaking our self-confidence for better or worse. Uncertainty whether it is egotistical hubris or authentic self-assuredness will likely be present as it will also be semi-square to MARS and sextile to NEPTUNE. So don’t make any “too good to be true” deals with shady salesmen or impulsively join forces with charismatic characters (or act out any of those archetypes yourself) for at least the next week or so. We actually better practice keeping our heads on straight for the next few years. Neptune’s confusing influence is looming as it dances in and out and into the anaretic degree of its home sign Pisces for many months. Delusions of escaping, being saved or being the savior will be very possible. We’ll all get a reality check though in 2025 and 2026 when it slips into Aries and conjuncts hardheaded SATURN a few times.

For the next week or so the SUN+JUPITER will be in near orb of a trine with PLUTO, (More PLUTO muckraking! WTF?!) forming a grand trine with the MOON that completes a loose kite configuration involving all those planets: SUN, JUPITER, PLUTO, NEPTUNE, MOON. So one way or another this week has some deep psychological punch.
As the SUN moves on it will move into heady, adaptable and perfunctory Gemini and exactly trines PLUTO on the 22^nd while JUPITER exactly sextiles NEPTUNE on the 23^rd; the day of the FULL MOON in Sagittarius. I’ll go over what that might auger as we get closer to it, but you might be well advised to start planning a short ceremonial journey or a couple of days alone in the wilderness for that time. It will pay off.

This week’s waning MOON square to the SUN on May 1^st continues the PLUTO theme started at the FULL MOON in Scorpio square PLUTO, last week. Cleaning and tidying the basement and getting to know what’s down there, so to speak, or less cool, unconsciously acting out our stifled and lurking parts on ourselves and others. A grand opportunity to see the crowd that struggle behind the curtain to be pulling ours and others levers, both collectively and personally. MARS, the higher octave of PLUTO, spins over into its home sign of Aries on the 1^st as it is sextile to PLUTO. More fire, more willfulness for getting things done, unfortunately likely more impulsivity, more impatience and more aggression too can be expected. As if we hadn’t had enough of Aries energy already this year. The whole 1^st week of May really has PLUTO square to VENUS AND sextile to MARS, as it switches signs plus a crunchy half square to SATURN all at the same tiime. Anything we’ve been repressing about relationship, money and responsibilities are likely to come up: Fears, resentments, secrets. Unless you deal with all this up-front it will likely show up in your life as fate. It’s a hassle to be accountable and responsible, but avoidance is worse in the long run, and PLUTO is always doing us a favor by inexorably dredging this shit up, even though we will not like it. You can run but you cannot hide.

Fortunately, the 3 planets and 1 energetic point now in fiery Aries are tempered by the 4 planets now moving through, stabilizing and friendly, Taurus helping us to move towards the most beautiful and true direction for us with courage and power if we let it. The number of near conjunctions are demanding a lot of flexibility and creativity from us to blend and profit from all these dancing archetypal energies. It has, and will feel like being pushed a lot the time. Overwhelm or near overwhelm are just part of the gig right now. With so much is getting moved and initiated though, it’s totally possible to be excited and inspired instead. We all may be feeling all of the above in waves that come and go. In addition, with all the close clusters of planets in the sky right now there are consequently,still quite a few half-squares (semi-squares) and half sextiles (semi-sextiles) that will go on until the planets get spread out sometime later in the year. I’ll keep mentioning these “minor” aspects until they are less prevalent, but it’s also a good reminder that the standard aspects are far from all that are reflecting in our lives astrologically.

Semi-squares have the energy of push, friction and choice of squares but less overtly. Semi-sextiles bring the energy of two adjacent elements, in this case; Water (Pisces) and Fire (Aries) in two adjacent signs that have very different expressions and energies. Though it acts subtly and under the radar, it can often be a discordant energy if it isn’t noticed and handled correctly. Both aspects usually last from a few days to a week depending on the speed of the planet.

There is a Half-square on approximately the 3^rd and 4^th between The SUN and NEPTUNE asking us to look beyond just the 3d realms; dreams and imagination or irrational fears and nightmares may flare. Especially as the MOON passes NEPTUNE on the 4^th.
The 6th has MERCURY exactly conjunct to CHIRON so there is that ongoing healing/healer theme peaking. Perhaps uncomfortable but familiar as this is the third pass for MERCURY this retrograde. Handling this with maturity will be aided by a SEXTILE between SATURN and the SUN. All that will still be in effect as the MOON conjuncts the SUN for the NEW MOON on the 7th.

It’s such a strangely epic time as I’m sure you all are aware. It is something beautiful, awe inducing and perhaps comforting to see our experiences down here reflected so consistently in the stars. The Law of Correspondence: “As above, So below, As within, So without” allows us to be a participant in this dance and not just a helpless mote. It really helps navigation and equanimity to know your own birth chart and follow along with that as well as the general astrology I give here.

I also hope that as you read these forecasts you begin to learn the language and archetypal meanings that make up the universe we live in and feel inspired to use astrology as a tool to connect yourself to the sacred cycles of nature.

On we go with the echoes of the eclipse of a couple of weeks ago. I’m sure it’s been intense in one way or another for you all: one way AND another most likely. Each day has brought its frictions and beauties in good measure. The FULL MOON is in Scorpio this month is adding an air of depth and an intolerance with bullshit to the mix. The MOON and SUN in opposition are both essentially square to PLUTO, which as I mentioned in last week’s forecast, will trend towards pushing up the hidden and buried things in our psyche. This can be healing and cathartic, creative, passionate and sexy or it can be secret power trips, unconscious obsessiveness or jealousy with the polarity of the Scorpio archetype. Depends on you, your chart and your circumstances. Scorpio is ruled by PLUTO which represents the underworld, the unconscious, hidden power and wealth, so that’s why this FULL MOON may be a little intense.

ADVANCE ASTRO HEADS UP:
PLUTO is at the beginning, this April, of a very influential and generational sextile with NEPTUNE, as in a decade long. The key phrase may be “Spiritual Power activated”. That pair will also be dancing with URANUS come this July off and on for about the next 5 years, peaking in 2026. PLUTO sextile NEPTUNE, NEPTUNE sextile URANUS, URANUS trine PLUTO in a minor grand trine augers radical shifts in our spiritual reality AND our worldly reality. The last time this configuration occurred was the early 1940’s though of course in completely different signs and for a much briefer time. A lot of radical change in the world happened then too.
Transparency note: PLUTO and NEPTUNE have been pulsing in and out of sextile or near sextile for many decades (except, weirdly, for 2002 to 2022). So, it’s been a background generational influence that gets triggered occasionally by other planets and points.  This minor grand trine (only minor in the sense it is not a Grand Trine, i.e. three planets in trine) looks to be a big one. I’m sure it will hit the astrological news cycle soon enough and we’ll all be inundated with information and doomster-isms about it. Remember though, every configuration has a high expression and a low expression, positive and negative attributes. But yeah, I think it really will be a new world by 2030 and this year is a kickoff after the foundational earthquakes and breakdowns of the early 2020’s.

After the FULL MOON we get ready for MERCURY to station direct on the 24^th just as it near kisses the NORTH NODE. We’ve been feeling this for a while but as MERCURY turns around right there, we may get some clarity about what we want to do to get our lives in better alignment with our calling. Especially as the MOON trines MARS that day in SCORPIO which may bring us the will and courage to act (traditionally MARS is at home, and so empowered, in Scorpio).

Speaking of MARS it has been coming on to conjunct Neptune and finally does on the 28^th which may have had the effect of sapping our energy and willpower for a few days. Escapism is also a temptation, as is overindulgence with substances. Yet it can also turn our actions more toward the sacred .and deeper into Spirit and allow us to slow down and dream, if managed well

I’m still harping on about all the semi-sextiles (half sextiles) and half squares we are experiencing this month. Go to my website and look at last weeks forecast for an explanation of those aspects. In any case, SATURN is semi-sextile to MERCURY on the 25^th as it starts moving direct which might put us in a serious and philosophical state of mind as we contemplate our life direction.

As that semi-sextile fades later in the week, SATURN experiences an oncoming half square with PLUTO which will be subtly urging us to take practical action on thing that have been bothering us or holding us back. Frustration may arise but it may be hard to pin down about what until the first week of MAY or so.

A semi-sextile between NEPTUNE and VENUS on the 27^th may bring us lovely dreams and imaginings of love or money for a few days but alas, just as VENUS lands at home in Taurus on the 29th, she flips the vibes with a half square to SATURN and a square with PLUTO. This is enhanced by the MOON conjunct PLUTO and also square VENUS on the last day of April.  Could be some crunchy happening about the aforementioned love and/or money, only not just in your dreams.

May 1 brings us to the waning quarter MOON. Whew!

We are still getting a lot of amplitude from the JUPITER-URANUS conjunction though it is slowly separating. We will be feeling the buzz of April for a while to come. It’s been a wild ride and we may not see another month like this for some time to come. I hope you are all hangin’ in there and perhaps feeling inspired about the future despite all the turbulence. It’s on its way good and proper now. We’ll just have to see what the journey to the NEW MOON in Taurus brings us all next week.