March 31-April 2 Venus sextile Jupiter The two most beneficial planets, Venus and Jupiter, are in flowing aspect from March 31 through April 2. This is an incredible time for opening the heart and expanding your sense of unconditional love for self and others. I would highly recommend that you read The Ecstatic Moment by Paul Ferrini sometime during this month. Subtitled A Practical Manual for Opening Your Heart and Staying in It, it ’s one of my favorite books. I’d like to quote the book now, as it really speaks to me of the wonderful joining of the planetary energies of Venus (the heart) and Jupiter (higher mind): "You are acceptable as you are, no matter how many mistakes you think you have made. There is nothing you have thought, felt, or done that prevents you from realizing your perfection here and now." April 5 Mercury enters Aries Mercury travels through the sign of Aries this month from April 5 through April 21. With Mercury in Aries, the spotlight is on creating a new reality for ourselves through our speaking. Mercury is associated with the throat, or fifth chakra, which represents our communication abilities. The fifth chakra also governs how we use our will to create our reality through our thoughts and through speaking our truth. You could be the greatest thinker in the world, but no one would ever know that unless you opened your mouth! With Mercury in Aries, the focus is on taking initiative and leadership in the arena of communication. What do you "stand" for? What is it that you have to communicate that will catalyze and empower others to act? What communications have you been putting off because of fear of what others would think? With Mercury in Aries, the emphasis is on being the spiritual warrior in all areas of communication. April 6-14 Mars sextile Uranus Mars in Sagittarius is in a flowing relationship with Uranus in Aquarius from April 6 through April 14. Mars/Uranus releases tension with sudden, unexpected, and often unpredictable action. Try to resolve any built-up tensions, whether on a physical, emotional, or mental level, when Mars sextiles Uranus. If you try to resist change, breakdowns will occur. If you embrace change, much can be accomplished during this transit, as it tends to increase energy and the desire to evolve. April 6 Chiron retrograde Chiron in Sagittarius goes retrograde from April 6 through August 12. Retrograde periods are an opportunity to look at the retrograde planet's function in our lives. For many people born between November 1948 and November 1951, this is the time of their Chiron return. The Chiron return represents a choice point: Are you moving more toward death, or are you moving ever more deeply into your spiritual nature? If you have worked on healing your wounds and are opening to your spiritual nature, it can be a truly remarkable period in your life. It can be a time of great creativity and letting go into your personhood and to your place in the world. On the other hand, if the lessons of Chiron have not been integrated and you have not opened to the spiritual realm, it can be a trying, if not "deadly," experience. My father, for example, died one month from his fiftieth birthday on the day of his Chiron return. His death never made any sense to me until I discovered the cycles of Chiron. He had survived open-heart surgery and was doing better than ever, and then suddenly died as a result of a motorcycle accident. Just before he died, he had been baptized in the Southern Baptist church (we were Congregationalists growing up). On some level, it seems that he knew that it was important for him to embrace spirit in his life, but unfortunately, at that stage in his life, it was too late. This example of the negative aspects of the Chiron return is an extreme one, and I don't want to suggest that if you haven't embraced spirit in your lives by age fifty, you're definitely a goner! But I think it is a powerful reminder of that old question: Is the cup half full or half empty? Am I moving fast toward death, or am I beginning to really move into my essential self? Have I dealt with my own woundedness and seen the inherent lessons and gifts, or am I hiding in my cave, unable to deal with my pain and unconsciously wounding others? These are the questions that Chiron, our wounded healer, our inner teacher, asks each of us to look at. Even if you are not going through a Chiron return, the Chiron retrograde presents an opportunity to address these fundamental questions in your life as well. The beauty and reward of answering these questions and understanding the lessons of Chiron is revealed when our unique healing or whole-making abilities come to the foreground. When we embrace the lessons that Chiron brings us, we learn to accept our own suffering. In so doing, we can help others heal the very issues that we know so well. April 7 Full moon in Libra The moon is full today at 18 degrees of Libra. The full moon in Libra represents our need for cooperative, balanced, and harmonious relationship with others. This is a great time to look at where we are on this continuum between independence and dependence. Somewhere in the middle, there is a new paradigm called interdependence, and that is what this full moon is offering us during the month. The moon in Libra calls us to balance our desire for intimate merging with others while at the same time acknowledging our own needs for autonomy. The challenge this month is to really acknowledge the vulnerability and fear of rejection or abandonment we may feel when we express our true needs to others. The full moon in Libra is asking us to communicate from a balanced center where we consider both the needs of the other and ourselves equally. April 18-19 Mercury sextile Uranus Mercury in Aries is in a positive relationship with Uranus in Aquarius April 18-19. Mercury/Uranus transits stimulate the concrete mind with intuitive information that is being "downloaded" from the higher mind. This is a great time for brainstorming new possibilities, as our minds will be much more receptive and open to this realm of perception. April 19 Venus goes direct With Venus retrograde since March 8, we have had an opportunity to reinvent our values so that they are rooted in our own unique experience. Now that Venus is direct, it is an excellent time to externalize or write your core values down. Our values are like guideposts that can be extremely valuable when we are confronted with making major decisions. For example, I was presented with an opportunity to sing in a major production of Leonard Bernstein's Mass last year. I auditioned and received one of the major supporting roles. The only problem was that one of my core values is around expressing my creativity through writing and performing my own music. Even though this was truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, I chose to relinquish the role so that I could spend more time writing and performing songs that will be on my next CD, Follow Your Spirit. I ended up going to the performance and really enjoying the music and performance without regretting my decision to drop out in the least. April 19 Sun enters Taurus The sun moves into the sign of Taurus on April 19 at 5:36 p.m. In nature, the outward impulse to manifest and thrive that was present in Aries now gives way to the methodical and practical shaping of the new life, thereby creating a secure foundation for future growth. The Taurus principle involves the practical shaping and formation of value. Our job during the sign of Taurus is to define and codify our values so that we can actualize our potential and leave an inspiring legacy for others. April 20 Saturn re-enters Gemini Saturn, which has been in the sign of Taurus since October, re-enters the sign of Gemini from April 20 through June 2003. In some ways, Saturn is less comfortable in an air sign like Gemini than in an earth sign like Taurus. The challenge with Saturn in Gemini is to keep grounded (Saturn) in the face of rapid change (Gemini). On an individual level, Saturn in Gemini is challenging us to learn how to remain grounded in an increasingly complex and information-intensive world. As new technologies come into our lives, we have the choice of either being seduced by them or learning how to use them so that we can free up time to devote to our relationships, family, and community. April 23 New moon in Taurus The new moon is in Taurus this month beginning at 8:26 this evening. A new moon occurs when the sun and moon are in the same sign, and signifies the joining of solar and lunar energies. With the new moon in Taurus, what nurtures us this month is getting more grounded and in touch with the natural world. Digging in the garden or any outdoor activity where you really experience being in your body is very healing and nurturing at this time. Attunement to the earth through Native American or indigenous culture's rituals is also a way of getting grounded this month. James Jarvis, M.A., is a master astrologer, professional life coach, and transpersonal counselor. He combines an M.A. in transpersonal counseling, thirty years’ experience with Eastern and metaphysical traditions, and 15 years coaching and empowering clients to actualize their full potential. For those who want support in discovering, clarifying, and manifesting their vision, James is available for astrological consultations and life coaching sessions by phone. For a brochure of his services, or to schedule phone or mail order consultations, call (831) 688-0574. E-mail <jjarvis@lifeqwest.com> or visit James' Web site at <http://www.lifeqwest.com/>. |
By adding the universal year 2001 (2+0+0+1=3) to the 4th month of April, we come up with the vibration of 7. The 7 month is about taking the time to tune in to what has meaning in your life. It is a time for inner reflection, contemplation, and rest. Use this month to tap into what has meaning for you through art, meditation, being close to nature, and, if possible, retreat time. Look to see how you can create a harmonious balance between alone time for expanding your insights and creativity and practical accomplishment.