“Dancing with the Stars”
By Janis Page c2011
Happy spring! How lovely to have the hours of light now outnumber the hours of darkness, and warmer temperatures to allow more time outside in nature. It’s a good thing, and a good idea to do just that – take a break, go outside, to the mountains or at least a park, and spend some decompression time just breathing and taking in the nurturing energies of nature and the Sun. A little rest and recharge will help, because April continues the amplification of the energies that have been increasing in intensity for a while now. Big time. March brought not only the spring equinox, but also the ingress, or entry of Uranus into Aries – on the day of the Japan earthquake, now upgraded to 9.1, the resultant tsunami, and the start of the continuing worsening disaster at the nuclear power plant in Japan. Wow! Aries is ‘ready, fire, aim!’ As I write, eleven days later, Japan continues to have earthquakes of at least 6.0 every day, and the supermoon full Moon on the 19th isn’t calming things down.
March ends with Mercury beginning its first retrograde cycle for the year, calling for time to reassess, redefine our focus, finish what has been started, along with the frequent communication and technology snafus that Mercury Rx usually also brings. We’ve been in a time of major solar flares, which further activate and amplify all the stress and confusion and technology challenges.
April begins day 1 calling us all fools, as now Mars enters his own fiery sign of Aries to further heat things up, and to quickly conjunct Uranus two days later. That’s a lot like throwing gasoline on a fire… so now we have Mars, Jupiter and Uranus all in Aries – that only happens about every 500 years! Jupiter and Uranus together can be quite innovative and expansive, and indicate significant events in foreign relations, but then adding Mars to the mix increases the likelihood of aggression and violence, and possibly more religious conflicts. The last time these three planets were in Aries was 1595. There was war, some treaties, and the first performance of Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet.’ Hmm!
The chart for the new Moon on April 3rd is astonishing. The Sun, Moon, and Jupiter are conjunct in Aries, in tight opposition to Saturn Rx conjunct the uranian transneptunian Zeus, which relates to fire, explosions, the military, organizations, inflammation, and squaring the asteroid Siwa, which relates to Asia. There is Japan. On this same axis, on the 90 degree dial we also find Neptune (water, illusion, compassion), Transpluto (usually mute, but nearly always active when major crises happen), Hygeia (issues around health), and the asteroids Odysseus (travel), Industria (hard work), the asteroid Zeus-a (same as the TNP already involved), and Klotho (new beginnings). We also consider what midpoints are activated by an axis, and the list is longer than I want to type out. I will say it includes Mars/Vulcanus, Uranus/Vulcanus, each adding more explosive volatility, and Hades/Apollon, suggesting multiple incidents of breakdown, but also healing possibilities.
There’s more. This day of the new Moon is the day that Mars makes his exact conjunction to Uranus (that is 5, half the traditional planets in Aries, if you are counting) and also Black Moon Lilith, relating to shadow issues, all on the universal Aries/cardinal axis. The events this brings about will have global, collective impact. If this huge casserole of intense planetary beings isn’t mindboggling enough, transformative Pluto, the planet of power and the abuse of it, falls at the midpoint of the two Aries clusters. To add even more of a kick, Pluto is further intensified as the little powerhouse now digs in stationary, preparing to turn Rx on the 9th, and will remain Rx till the middle of September.
We are already seeing the amplification of the striving for personal freedom (Mars, Jupiter and Uranus in Aries) crashing against the control of established political powers (Saturn in Libra in opposition and the square to Pluto). On the personal level, we must release old patterns and belief systems that are limiting our greater spiritual vision. You may remember reading that here before, and more than once… I know, it isn’t easy. But it’s easier than trying to resist, which is sort of like trying to beat back a tidal wave with a fly swatter.
Then the next day, after Jupiter entered Aries in January and then Uranus entered Aries in March, now on April 4th, giant, watery Neptune enters its own sign of Pisces, to be there till January, 2026! With an orbit of about 160 years, Neptune was last in Pisces 1847-1861, when there was a spiritualism movement in America, driven by a desire to explore the unseen and unknown. Neptune relates to spirituality, religion, the astral realms, addictions, illusion, glamour (including of the Alice Bailey variety), oceans, oil. At its highest level, Neptune relates to universal compassion. While Neptune in technology-based Uranus brought the era of relationships over the internet and dating sites, well, I don’t know that that will stop, but it will change somehow. Beyond that, we may expect breakthroughs in spiritual healing, including thru music and imagery, a greater sense of compassion and increasing awareness of unity consciousness, but also possibly further increase in religious conflicts and fundamentalism, and issues around oil, as well as concern for the oceans and of water as a resource.
We’ve only gotten as far as April 4th! On the 6th, the Sun conjuncts Jupiter, bringing one of the more expansive and upbeat days we’ve had for a while. April 9th, Pluto turns Rx, and while at a standstill Mars makes an exact square to it on the 11th. This is a good day to be careful, as tempers and rage may possibly abound, and with Mercury also conjunct Jupiter that day, some will be quite positive and optimistic, but others may go way over the top, knowing no limits and respecting no boundaries.
The full Moon on April 17th has the uranian transneptunian Apollon (multiples, commerce) tightly conjunct the Moon in social and diplomatic Libra squaring intense and focused Vulcanus. Across the dial is an interesting cluster of asteroids, including Sphinx (questions), Lilith (triangulations, rivalries, rejections), and Eros (sexual energy, hormones and cardio issues) Expect relationship issues to be up, and those on the edge to come to a head at this time. Another cluster on the dial has Aries Mars and Mercury opposing Saturn conjunct Zeus, which can be explosive as people want to blast beyond imposed constraints. Jupiter is at the midpoint of these two clusters, emboldening and encouraging many to extremes, some of which are needed and warranted, and others to be just reckless. Pluto continues to be a player, holding powerful midpoints to Saturn/Uranus (um, that’s a potential earthquake indicator, also revolution), Uranus/Zeus (explosive), Mars/Black Moon Lilith (taking things very personally, projecting, and not seeing or owning one’s own part in it). The dial also brings in Astraea, vision, witnessing, and incomplete resolution, lingering situations, and Orpehus, which relates to sorrow, loss, death, and music, especially music with longing and pathos.
April is an extremely intense month, with much coming to light for purification and transformation. There is ample opportunity for major spiritual growth and awareness. The way is being cleared (while sometime kicking and screaming in resistance) for the new emergent spiritual consciousness. Not all will choose to continue the journey. Those whose soul agreements are complete may choose to move on, and that’s ok. Zen Buddhist teacher Cheri Huber wisely advises to pay attention to everything; don’t believe anything; and don’t take anything personally. Take heart, be mindful, consider and fine-tune your priorities and intent, stay in joy, gratitude, compassion, acceptance, and creativity. There is much to celebrate!