Astrological update for the week of April 25 – May 2, 2022
Pluto turns retrograde. I’ve been talking for a while about the Pluto station because Pluto hasn’t moved much in months – it’s only traveled one degree since the end of February and won’t travel more than one degree until early July. That is a long time if you have planets between 25 and 29 Capricorn or the other cardinal signs Cancer, Libra Aries. And if you have planets between 0 and 2 degrees of Aquarius or the other fixed signs (Leo, Taurus, Scorpio) you’ll feel some effect too. (Some astrologers use 10 degree orbs or more – I tend to use tight orbs as that seems to work in a more practical setting, like real life.)
We have had quite a few months with no planets retrograde, and with Pluto changing direction we have just one retrograde planet. The next retrograde will be Mercury turning retrograde on May 10, but in the meantime the focus is on Pluto and drilling down to the absolute Truth. Self-deception might have been the name of the game over the past few weeks with Jupiter and Neptune slamming together in a dance of bliss and psychic harmony, and we now have Mars and Venus joining them in Pisces (see the information about the eclipse below).
When Pluto is in charge, we are under the guidance of fate. Anyone with tight aspects from Pluto to their natal chart knows this, and eventually we learn that when fate is in charge we are guided towards our highest destiny if we can only let go.
A note about the Pisces stellium. The blurring of details is a feature and not a bug under Pisces, the purpose of which is to help us to let go of the material world and achieve spiritual bliss. This happens when we go to sleep and leave our daily consciousness behind, it happens at death when we leave our physical body and mental awareness. But it can happen during moments of heightened consciousness through creative expression, or ecstatic movement, or transcendent moments of bliss while at the beach or in a forest.
Mercury in Gemini. Mercury moves into its own sign of Gemini on April 29 EDT, speeding up communication and the mental pathways. Under this influence everything moves a little more quickly, and anything involving the transmission of information is highlighted. Mercury will be in Gemini until it briefly moves into Taurus while retrograde on May 22nd, but it will slip back into Gemini between June 13 and July 5.
Solar eclipse April 30. The first solar eclipse of the year occurs at the Taurus New Moon. New Moons are highly charged portals of energy where old patterns can be cleansed away with new intentions, and that is even more true at this lunation because Uranus, the planet of radical change and authenticity, conjoins the Sun and Moon. This eclipse is loaded with abundant positive energies since the Moon’s ruler Venus conjoins Jupiter – the two benefics, as they are called, working together for a burst of optimism and good fortune.
As eclipses go this one is called a partial eclipse by astronomers and is not very powerful astrologically – the North Node is 12 degrees from a conjunction to the Sun and Moon which is on the outside of the orb constituting an eclipse. Still, there’s a lot of astrological juice here with Pluto in a harmonious trine to the North Node of fate, and sextile all of the Pisces planets, signifying an alignment which affords an opportunity to make a powerful change happen here. In addition the Pisces stellium offers a hope of a burst of creative inspiration and spiritual harmony. And, all of these Pisces planets interact harmoniously with the New Moon at this eclipse time which is a very happy signature indeed!
Now, let’s talk about the week ahead. (Dates and times are for the Eastern time zone, please adjust for your own locality.)
Monday April 25. The Moon enters Pisces at 6:14 am EDT, meaning there are now five planetary bodies in Pisces. If you feel a little fuzzy (I know I do!) that could be why. Don’t expect the fog to lift until the Moon moves into Aries on April 27 at 12:09 pm EDT. Meanwhile, Venus trines the South Node today which can help to release a negative pattern of self-esteem and move towards something more positive, but watch for some irritability around 9 pm when the Moon collides with Mars in Pisces and everyone is on edge but nobody knows why. (Moon sextile Sun 4:08pm, Moon conjunct Mars 8:51 pm, Venus trine South Node 11:39 pm.)
Tuesday April 26. Planetary energies are gentle today, with a few soft lunar aspects to assist in the embrace of some new thoughts and possibilities. A harmonious aspect from Mercury (mind) to Jupiter (positivity) builds throughout the day to culminate on Wednesday that will really help to facilitate general good will and optimism. (Moon sextile Uranus 7:39 am, trine South Node 10:36 pm.)
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Wednesday April 27. Pisces Max. The Pisces stellium peaks today with all five Pisces planetary bodies lined up at their tightest point of collaboration. See above for a refresher on this burst of Piscean fairy dust! Fortunately the mental realm is well aspected today, with positive Mercury aspects including a harmonious Mercury/Pluto trine which builds all day on Wednesday, culminating on Thursday. This planetary combination fosters great focus and awareness which is a terrific addition to the Piscean misty inspiration.
The Moon enters Aries at 12:09 pm which will help to clear the Piscean mists a bit and offer a boost of much-needed energy. (Moon conjunct Venus 12:49 am, Mercury sextile Jupiter 1:11 am, Moon conjunct Neptune 2:01 am, Moon conjunct Jupiter 7 am, Moon sextile Mercury 7:34 am, Moon sextile Pluto 9:35 am, Venus conjunct Neptune 3:11 am.)
Thursday April 28. With Mercury trine Pluto today under the Aries Moon, this is a good day to energize ourselves to do whatever we may have put off under the Pisces influence of the previous few days. Watch for a bit of hyper-sensitivity around 2 pm EDT when the Aries Moon triggers Chiron and brings out any old resentments which linger under the surface and are ready to be released.
Friday April 29. Pluto turns retrograde today but we may not notice; however, the Aries Moon squares off against Pluto around 5:38 pm which could bring up Plutonic themes of rage, violence, or secrets.
Mercury enters Gemini at 6:23 pm EDT (see the details above), closely followed by the Moon entering Taurus at 8:18 pm which will set the stage for the Taurus New Moon and Solar Eclipse on Saturday.
Saturday April 30. The big news today is the Solar Eclipse! The energies of any lunar event, but especially an eclipse, tend to last for a few days before and after the event. Under the Taurus New Moon we can chart a new course for greater tranquility and peaceful harmony, as well as increasing the simple pleasures that make for a happy life.
The harmonious sextile from Jupiter (positivity) to Pluto (deep transformation) culminates Monday but is embedded in the chart of the eclipse – this intense boost of confidence and optimism will go a long way towards setting our dreams and goals into action.
Sunday May 1. The Taurus Moon completes the eclipse by transiting the North Node around 4 pm EDT, and meanwhile a harmonious aspect from Venus to Pluto helps to strengthen the bonds of relationship which help to anchor the effects of the eclipse.
I know that’s a lot of information! I hope you have a great week, infused by these positive energies. ❤️
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