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.

Plot twist! And another and another… Life may feel quite chaotic these days for a lot of us. Eclipses, Conjunctions, Mercury Rx and even semi-squares and semi-sextiles (more on those later) seem to be conspiring to upset the apple cart of our expectations. It’s not necessarily all a bad thing if you’ve got bandwidth to absorb the sudden shifts and to deal with the numerous tasks, obstacles, delays and disappointments. These are like chiropractic adjustments to our collective trajectory and psyche that are necessary for getting in synch with the true reality.

As I said last week, we astrologers can get pretty excited about eclipses and there is a lot of information and misinformation out there right now about this one. “The sky is Falling! The sky is Falling!” Right?. Eclipses Are a big deal, and this one definitely has a lot of astrological oomph to it for sure, Still, I want to front that though these cosmic influences are significant, it is still all part of a mix of infinite influences, both personal and collective. Like the news weathermen, people can exaggerate and catastrophize things for the limbic capture it generates and I’ve certainly seen that happening on this occasion. In actuality it doesn’t need much exaggeration though. If you’ve been tracking the energies, you can feel that April is another peak in a very peaky year and there is a significant buzz if intensity about this eclipse.

Why is that? Well, It’s in Aries for a start. Not only is Aries ruled by MARS and all the fire and action that comes with that, but also its the first sign of the zodiac: Initiations and new beginnings on top of the same energies augured by a NEW MOON. This beginnings energy also implies endings which can involve loss, grieving and letting go. There is plenty of aggression as well as grief in the world right now. Also, this eclipse is (unusually) exactly conjunct CHIRON while pretty near the NORTH NODE/SOUTH NODE axis: our original wounds and the healing journey thereof, our past and future fate, Karma and Dharma, all get stirred by this NEW MOON Eclipse.

Our stability is getting shaken quite a bit this month as well with the oncoming conjunction of JUPITER and URANUS, now just a little more than 1 degree apart by the 8^th. URANUS brings rapid, sometimes explosive reformations, innovations, re-visions, and revolutions. JUPITER expands everything it touches. While JUPITER is usually a benefic energy, it can overdo it too. It might be a while before we see the positivity in what URANUS is delivering right now and as always it’ll hit everyone differently. “What one gathers, another spills”. This is just the beginning of a few years with a powerful URANUS emphasis, as PLUTO and NEPTUNE will move into prolonged aspects with it. The big changes in our lives and world are certainly astrologically en route in this decade.

Since most of the planets are packed on one side of the sky right now it is also a time of many conjunctions and short-arc aspects such as the sextile, semisextile and semisquare. Though not usually mentioned in astrology, the latter two aspects are only minor in the sense that they have a tight orb and hence have a relatively brief influence, often just days. Not really “minor” as in weak. Still, there are going to be a lot of them and it will be possibly significant as so many planets do their dance in Aries, Pisces and Taurus. Semisextiles put planets 30 degrees apart: The same degree in two adjacent signs. Adjacent signs often have very different, if not opposite energies. In this case it is Pisces, Aries and Taurus. Respectively: Water, Fire and Earth- Imagination, Action and Manifestation- Idealism/delusion, Audacity/aggression, Practical/stubborn. It is patently inadvisable to try to reduce any sign’s delineations to a few keywords, but you get the idea. So, though the 30 degree angle may flow smoothly under the surface like a sextile, it could also be slightly conflicting. The semisquare or half-square is also often in adjacent signs but has the vibe of a square; action, friction, conflict, irritation, etc, only more subtly and under the rug, as it were. So, there will be, unusually, many days with some trying undercurrents influencing the vibe.

For instance, the Eclipse will be semisextile to JUPITER and URANUS giving it even more impetus for transformation. Also, VENUS will be semisquare to JUPITER and URANUS at the same time pushing us to make those transformations harmonious for things we hold dear and sacred, such as relationships and money. Yeah, all that may not go as smoothly as we would like but it’ll go. By the time you all read this you will be deep in it or still experiencing the initial outcomes. Blessings on your journey!

Well, though things move on the 9^th still has those aforementioned semisextiles and semisquares happening with the SUN-CHIRON to JUPITER-URANUS, as well as the MOON square to PLUTO, likely bringing up some deep-rooted feelings and intuitions that day related to our healing.

The 10^th has the same aspects, except the MOON moves on to conjunct JUPITER, URANUS, so change is still very much in the air and a closing MARS-SATURN conjunction will finally perfect. This will be in orb for a week either side and has an effect of giving some determination and discipline, if not stubbornness, to our psyches and actions. For good or for ill.

The 11th the MARS, SATURN cluster is semisextile to the NORTH NODE for a few days. A good time to lean in even more on actions for creating the future you really want. Just be aware everyone else will also be doing that, though perhaps at cross purposes to your values. Frustration and conflict. JUPITER, URANUS is still slightly semisextile to SUN, CHIRON as the SUN comes on to conjunct MERCURY Rx. Ongoing shifts and change energy! And lets not forget MERCURY Rx has been making all this week really “interestin”. Glitches, delays, frustrations and constant distractions could be an constant theme of this time because of that.

The 12th the MOON squares MARS-SATURN for a bit while PLUTO is semisquare them. Yeah, that could get hot: passions from the shadow side or real power plays once again for good or ill.

On the 13^th  we are still doing semisquares between MERCURY Rx-CHIRON to JUPITER-URANUS and also NORTH NODE to MARS-SATURN with its semi square to PLUTO. This shit don’t let up!

By the 14^th , he MOON will trine MARS-SATURN, hopefully bringing some much-needed compassion to our actions motivated by her simultaneous squares to the NORTH NODE and CHIRON.

We reach the first quarter square MOON by the 15^th, halfway to the FULL MOON on April 23^rd. The MOON will be trine NEPTUNE that day, so dreams and daydreams might be manifest. Could be dreams about practical matters as SATURN is semisextile to the NORTH NODE.

Sorry, I know that’s a lot of information to track, but for those of you who find value in a heads up or a “what just happened?” mapping I hope it is helpful. It’s probably been a super stressful time for most of us and really hard to slow down enough to keep ourselves oriented in the right direction. Trust in the ultimate coherency of the flow is essential. Take some comfort in that we are all experiencing this wild rising tide together and it is absolutely necessary as well as inevitable. Be as compassionate as you can with yourself and others and be vigilant for taking care of your safety and sovereignty while these transformations take place. Nurture conscientiously those relationships that are authentically supporting you and pulling with you in the direction your soul wants/needs to go. Absolutely stay aware of the inherent shortsightedness of fear that will pull us in directions that lead to suffering and dystopia.

Well, We astrologers get pretty excited about eclipses. Auguring powerful changes on Earth and it is an awesome phenomenon to see. With these intense eclipses in Libra and Aries we should all not be surprised if it heats things up. Since this first lunar eclipse is in Libra ruled by VENUS the Venusian archetypes are super activated; relationships, money; things we give high value to, possibly including things that may not be good for us, e.g. addictions, expensive items, etc. (e.g. Yes, I just bought some expensive new tools I’ve been wanting for my budding workshop) Most astrologers will focus on the relationship aspects of this eclipse season and that is certainly legitimate. We’ve already been getting some of that with VENUS conjunct SATURN last week, so we all may be seeing that as an ongoing theme. I also want to emphasize that the Libra/Venus essence is also about bringing justice, peace, harmony and beauty to the world. We certainly can use a wave of that these days! While the SUN is in Aries can give the whole thing a get-it-done, fiery assertiveness and courage with perhaps a bit of impulsive “its about Me!” vibe. Just try to be wise about it all and make things a win-win for everyone as best you can. Remember, peace and beauty starts within and close to home.
The standard chart shown first appears to be pretty simple for this Full Moon/Eclipse. Just a few major aspects apparent. But as always that leaves out a lot of important nuances and influences that are also going on, so I’m posting a second chart with some of the so called ‘Minor” aspects displayed. When we add in aspects such as the half squares (45°), sesquisquares (square and ½ 135°) and quincunx (150°), we see a much more complex situation. In actual fact, astrology and astronomy are, literally, infinitely complex if all possible factors were taken into account which is why we simplify and oversimplify the actual reality to a few objects and aspect so we don’t get overwhelmed with infinity. In any case, keeping awareness of a more variety of aspects can be very informative though few people explore it.

To wit, the close sextile between VENUS and JUPITER expands the VENUS energies related above to the Aries-Libra FULL MOON/ECLIPSE and adds a dash of good fortune to the proceedings. PLUTO is Semisquare to VENUS so our unconscious material around VENUS stuff is also accented. The Eclipse will also be sesquisquare and semisquare to URANUS. This adds a portion of tension as all the squarish aspects do and push for change that URANUS brings. We may not be able to fully regulate the rapidly changing plot, so quick improvisations using high principles and an eye on our highest goals will be helpful. Though these aspects only last a few hours because of the MOON’s rapid motion, being on the Eclipse it sets up a resonance that will influence the whole eclipse period. That is one reason eclipses are so influential, they ring the bell strongly.

 

The big news is still, of course, the oncoming conjunction between JUPITER and URANUS which perfects April 20^th but is definitely palpable now as a rumbling excitement in the ethers. Because of their closeness the aforementioned sextile between VENUS and JUPITER will evolve into a sextile between VENUS and URANUS by March 28^th, signaling more fun plot twists in our VENUS department. That begins to fade away just as VENUS approaches dreamy and confusing NEPTUNE for an exact conjunction by April 3^rd.

The rapidly fluctuating aspects of the MOON trips along as usual. A lot of the planets are still all clustered close to each other in Pisces and Aries. On the 25^th the MOON meets the SOUTH NODE having us feel deeply into our collective destiny.

She opposes CHIRON then MERCURY on the 26^th: Thinking and discussions about our common healing.

By the 27^th MOON trines to MARS and squares PLUTO: aggressiveness/assertiveness erupting? On the 28^th: MOON trine to SATURN and opposite JUPITER early in the day, then trine to VENUS and opposite URANUS later. Definitely an opportunity for responsible evolution in the VENUS realms if we don’t fall in the ditch of stubborn and futile resistance.

29^th the MOON trines NEPTUNE: A day of rest and dreaming or perhaps just a spacy day. PLUTO gets a brief sextile later that day opening, hopefully, some deep creativity and inspirations or something more challenging such as feelings of overwhelm and emotional outbreaks.

Saturday starts with a lunar square to MARS: a burst of energy and ego for better or worse. Then a Trine to the SUN on the 30^th with much the same affect but more likely in a beneficial way. Later that day a square to SATURN occurs as a couple of trines develop to the NORTH NODE and CHIRON that will help us see our path to healing.

The 31^st has the MOON squaring VENUS and NEPTUNE while trine to the nearly stationed MERCURY. A day of contemplation of our options with the VENUS’s archetypal energies.

MERCURY goes Rx on April 1^st, so any April Fools shenanigans can be laid at its door. MERCURY is also the trickster as well as the messenger of the gods, so MERCURY Rx is always a test of our sense of humor and our ability to listen to the omens correctly. Just a tri-annual pop quiz of your wisdom and discernment. LOL
Whew! Last quarter Square MOON on April 1^st as the SUN approaches the NORTH NODE and the MOON is sextile to SATURN. Feelings of self-responsibility and restraint arise as we begin to close towards the SOLAR ECLIPSE on April 8^th. Plenty of energy in the air, perhaps more than we can handle at times. I think the path with all this is to be very discerning of what your priorities are and to pace yourself to avoid burnout and overwhelm. A lot can get done and a lot will change in April if we keep our heads and hearts aligned and can stay responsibly calm in this most serious of times.