If you have gotten through the first 3 months of the year mostly
intact, congratulations. It has been a wild ride. The first part of
2016 set the energetic tone for the rest of the year so if you have had
some unexpected or difficult changes you’ll get the chance for
resolution now and into the coming months. I think the difficulty of the
past few months is over but that is relative too, it depends on how you
adapt to change, what is going on in your life, and where you want to
go from here. It’s ‘Action April’ and time for movement but before you
rush out of the starting gate, be aware that this is not the kind of
‘take the first thing that comes along’ action. We’re in a new vibe now
and this is ‘aligned action’, focused movement in a deliberate
direction. Before you shout ‘ready, set, go’, think more in terms of
‘assess, align, then act’.
The retrogrades simply add to the opportunity to gather up our scattered energy, focus our intention, realign with our power and then, with access to all of our energetic resources, reconsider our options, potential, and possibilities. Or we can use them to avoid acting, which is not really the best way to use this energy at all. That said, when you aren’t ready for change, you simply aren’t ready. And that’s OK, it isn’t a one shot deal. This is a continuing process, so the next turn may be yours or the one that appeals to you.
Saturn and Jupiter both retrograde at the beginning of April, and Pluto retros in the middle, which is also when Mercury and Mars enter their retro shadow for their month-end retrograde. In fact, Mars only covers one degree the whole month of April. If there were not so many other things happening it would feel very stagnant indeed. But we have so much more movement and mayhem going on that it’s like being at a multi-stage concert with many different acts all playing at the same time, so the retros can be a negligible aspect of the month’s activities, like the boring act that we decide not to listen to because they are out of tune or playing music we don’t like.
In spite of the emphasis on retro action this month, it’s more interesting to see which planets are not going retrograde – Venus, Uranus, and Neptune. Venus is moving through Pisces, its sign of exaltation (where it performs the best), and enters Aries on April 7, the day of the Aries new moon. Neptune, also in Pisces (its sign of rulership) is moving forward too as it finally leaves its retro shadow. Anyone up for dispelling illusions? Hang on to your dreams though, especially the ones you truly believe in. The rest may either go up in a big puff of smoke or the curtain is drawn back and we see the ‘wizard’ for who and what it really is.
And we have Uranus in Aries, a new 84 year cycle that began in 2010/2011. Uranus was last in Aries in 1926, a period of tremendous change and social upheaval for some. For others the widening gap between the rich and poor became all too apparent (sound familiar?). It was also conjunct Eris, the planet representing discord, chaos, and retribution, sometimes cloaked as revenge.
This year we have that 1920s aspect repeating, as Uranus is conjunct Eris again, this time at a later degree in Aries, sign of beginnings, not in the final degrees of Pisces, at the end of the zodiac wheel. With a 560 year orbit, Eris has been in Aries since the mid 1920s and will be there for a long time, while Uranus has made its 84-year tour of the zodiac wheel. Now they are back together, the cosmic revolutionary change partners, and it exponentially multiplies Uranus’ transformative power which is what you would expect to happen when you pair the planet of revolution with the planet of discord. Without proper oversight and management, it would be like giving a 2 year old your car keys, which is what we saw in the 1920s. But when properly managed, this pair can bring about massive change in a more balanced, mature way that looks after the underdog as well as the overlord.
The Aries New Moon on April 7 features the powerhouse Uranus/Eris conjunction as well as a mild square from Pluto, which is equivalent to getting a warning rather than the expensive speeding ticket you were expecting. While we have had a number of new and full moons featuring every single planet lately, this one acts in a more solitary but no less powerful way. I think that the lack of other planetary activity removes the distractions and adds to the new beginnings theme of all new moons, but especially one in Aries, and that contains the revolutionary and transformative force of Uranus/Eris. There is no chatter to distract us from a singular focus on our next choices, where we want to go, what is our most pressing urge in this moment, and what stands in our way.
The April full moon is at early Taurus, whose ruler Venus is going to be in Aries, zipping along while the other planets are all grinding through their retrogrades, and it may be a good time to schedule a spa day, take a break, or to be self indulgent. This also fits into the theme of ‘Action April’ and yes, taking time for ourselves is part of the action process because we must now act from our ‘being’ instead of our ‘doing’. Our being isn’t very effective when it’s tired, overworked, and needs a rest. We need to work from the energy now, from how we want to experience an outcome and the energy it expands our lives, rather than what we are going to do and then try to make the energy flow in that direction, retrofitting the energy after the fact instead of creating it from the outset. Remember it’s about energetic congruence this year, fit and flow with harmony, grace, and ease.
The best way to use this action oriented energy is to follow these 3 steps:
Have a wonderful month.
Wings Come in Many Sizes and Shapes
We have a number of retrogrades this month which might make us think that we’re in yet another month where we have to sit and wait but these retrogrades actually add to the action potential, they don’t detract from it. The key is how we use them, positively and powerfully to act from our self-ishness and to be aligned with what serves us, rather than negatively and in a limited way through our impatience and desire to be anywhere else but where we are, or our guilt over our own joy and success.The retrogrades simply add to the opportunity to gather up our scattered energy, focus our intention, realign with our power and then, with access to all of our energetic resources, reconsider our options, potential, and possibilities. Or we can use them to avoid acting, which is not really the best way to use this energy at all. That said, when you aren’t ready for change, you simply aren’t ready. And that’s OK, it isn’t a one shot deal. This is a continuing process, so the next turn may be yours or the one that appeals to you.
Saturn and Jupiter both retrograde at the beginning of April, and Pluto retros in the middle, which is also when Mercury and Mars enter their retro shadow for their month-end retrograde. In fact, Mars only covers one degree the whole month of April. If there were not so many other things happening it would feel very stagnant indeed. But we have so much more movement and mayhem going on that it’s like being at a multi-stage concert with many different acts all playing at the same time, so the retros can be a negligible aspect of the month’s activities, like the boring act that we decide not to listen to because they are out of tune or playing music we don’t like.
In spite of the emphasis on retro action this month, it’s more interesting to see which planets are not going retrograde – Venus, Uranus, and Neptune. Venus is moving through Pisces, its sign of exaltation (where it performs the best), and enters Aries on April 7, the day of the Aries new moon. Neptune, also in Pisces (its sign of rulership) is moving forward too as it finally leaves its retro shadow. Anyone up for dispelling illusions? Hang on to your dreams though, especially the ones you truly believe in. The rest may either go up in a big puff of smoke or the curtain is drawn back and we see the ‘wizard’ for who and what it really is.
And we have Uranus in Aries, a new 84 year cycle that began in 2010/2011. Uranus was last in Aries in 1926, a period of tremendous change and social upheaval for some. For others the widening gap between the rich and poor became all too apparent (sound familiar?). It was also conjunct Eris, the planet representing discord, chaos, and retribution, sometimes cloaked as revenge.
This year we have that 1920s aspect repeating, as Uranus is conjunct Eris again, this time at a later degree in Aries, sign of beginnings, not in the final degrees of Pisces, at the end of the zodiac wheel. With a 560 year orbit, Eris has been in Aries since the mid 1920s and will be there for a long time, while Uranus has made its 84-year tour of the zodiac wheel. Now they are back together, the cosmic revolutionary change partners, and it exponentially multiplies Uranus’ transformative power which is what you would expect to happen when you pair the planet of revolution with the planet of discord. Without proper oversight and management, it would be like giving a 2 year old your car keys, which is what we saw in the 1920s. But when properly managed, this pair can bring about massive change in a more balanced, mature way that looks after the underdog as well as the overlord.
The Aries New Moon on April 7 features the powerhouse Uranus/Eris conjunction as well as a mild square from Pluto, which is equivalent to getting a warning rather than the expensive speeding ticket you were expecting. While we have had a number of new and full moons featuring every single planet lately, this one acts in a more solitary but no less powerful way. I think that the lack of other planetary activity removes the distractions and adds to the new beginnings theme of all new moons, but especially one in Aries, and that contains the revolutionary and transformative force of Uranus/Eris. There is no chatter to distract us from a singular focus on our next choices, where we want to go, what is our most pressing urge in this moment, and what stands in our way.
The April full moon is at early Taurus, whose ruler Venus is going to be in Aries, zipping along while the other planets are all grinding through their retrogrades, and it may be a good time to schedule a spa day, take a break, or to be self indulgent. This also fits into the theme of ‘Action April’ and yes, taking time for ourselves is part of the action process because we must now act from our ‘being’ instead of our ‘doing’. Our being isn’t very effective when it’s tired, overworked, and needs a rest. We need to work from the energy now, from how we want to experience an outcome and the energy it expands our lives, rather than what we are going to do and then try to make the energy flow in that direction, retrofitting the energy after the fact instead of creating it from the outset. Remember it’s about energetic congruence this year, fit and flow with harmony, grace, and ease.
The best way to use this action oriented energy is to follow these 3 steps:
- Assess the options in front of you without committing to anything, think of it as energetic window shopping. Sometimes it helps to review all of the options first, before you make a choice. Don’t you look at all of the items on the menu at a restaurant before you order?
- Check out which option is best aligned with your intention – which one feels better, is more fun, and has the greatest potential for you? This requires that you put yourself first, you become self-ish and see what aligns with you. You can always address the needs of other people later, once your needs are taken care of.
- Take action based on #1 and #2 above. There comes a point when we have to jump off the cliff and spread our wings and this is it. Course correction at a later date is always a possibility but that must happen after we have begun the journey and stepped out into our own field of potential. There is only so much planning and preparation we can do – eventually we have to get in the car and start the trip.
Have a wonderful month.
Copyright (c) 2016
by Jennifer Hoffman. All rights reserved. You may quote, translate,
reprint or refer to this message if you mention the author name and
include a working link to http://enlighteninglife.com
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