Hey star-gazers, welcome to eclipse season — the time of year where our galactic passports get stamped with big celestial changes over the next six months. If you haven’t checked out my forecast for the solar eclipse taking place in the sign of Aries on April 20, then I suggest you click your way into the 411 on what this major soli-lunar event has in store for your Sun, Moon and rising sign. Return your seat and tray table to the upright position because, to top it all off, Mercury turns retrograde, making it an action-packed week for the intrepid stellar sojourners.
With that, let’s dig into the energies of the days ahead!
We begin the week with the Aries Sun separating from a semi-sextile to Neptune in Pisces. This minor aspect isn’t much to write home about, but it may have fed our imaginations, leading us to ruminate about foreign shores and creative ventures that help us escape the banality of the every day. With the eclipse taking place this week, for some of us, this aspect may be more than a pipedream, ushering in much-needed new beginnings that will enable us to lead a life more in line with our hopes and dreams.
On April 16, Mercury in Taurus, which is slowing down to station retrograde, conjuncts the fixed star Almach, known for its beneficence. Considered to be of the nature of Venus, Tarot enthusiasts may appreciate Almach’s kabbalistic correspondences with “The Star” card, making it a red-letter signature for standing out and shining a spotlight on our individual awesomeness. At the same time the Mercury-Almach meet-up could make this signature especially auspicious for financial matters, positive news, and contractual undertakings. While the positive effects will linger through the week, with Mercury’s immediate direction shift, be on your guard for any unexpected reversals, delays or temporary upsets to anything you might pull the trigger on under this beneficent celestial kiss.
Saturn in Pisces continues flexing its slightly perturbing muscles — I know this from the havoc transiting Saturn is wreaking on my ascendant ruler ATM!— though the sextile the Lord of Karma makes to the North Node in Taurus on April 18 can help us shore up our patience, determination and resolve.
Saturn as harsh disciplinarian is invariably curbing Neptune’s diffusive effects. Last year’s Jupiter transit through Pisces likely wasn’t particularly helpful in reining in this energy. Where emotional matters were concerned, we may have struggled with healthy boundaries or with a desire towards rampant escapism, while the Jupiter-Neptune co-presence could have had us inhabiting imaginal realms where a strong grip on reality wasn’t part of the planetary agenda. Now, with leaden Kronos bringing in a heavy dose of sober second thought, the North Node in Taurus could amplify Saturn’s tendency to make “No” a full sentence, allowing us to experience a powerful spiritual lesson in how to assert ourselves. At the same time, Saturn’s trine to the South Node in Scorpio could have us releasing anxieties associated with exercising our firm control over our own emotional autonomy.
All this, however, pales in comparison with this week’s astrological headliner — the hybrid solar eclipse taking place at 29 degrees, 50 minutes of Aries. Although this eclipse won’t be visible in most parts of the world, on this blog we err on the side of caution and lay low as the eclipse energy perfects. We don’t start new initiatives, we avoid unnecessary travel that isn’t routine, and we rag the puck where we can until after this energy passes. For those of you with natal or progressed ascendant rulers, Suns, or Moons conjunct 29 degrees of Aries, this could be a particularly important lunation. For the rest of us, it could simply trigger a conscious awakening around matters pertaining to independence, adventure and our ability to stand on our own two feet in whatever sector of our lives Aries rules.
I really like the co-presence of Jupiter in conjunction to this eclipse, with the exalted Sun enjoying a highlighted and prominent placement astrologically. This eclipse may have an overall flavour of rejuvenation, renewal, dynamism, and fiery ambition with expansive Jupiter also in the mix. This said, the eclipse is taking place on a more challenging astrological degree, which could make this soli-lunar event especially potent, particularly where new beginnings are concerned.
With the eclipse ruler, Mars, in mutual reception to this lunation in a section of Cancer where the constellation is thought to confer wisdom, patience and endurance, I like the potency of this eclipse for ushering new opportunities into our lives. I would, however, caution any conscious seeding of new intentions under this New Moon eclipse given that the Moon is void of course until its Taurean ingress.
Then, in rapid post-eclipse succession, the Sun enters Taurus where our financial and material security takes centre stage, while the square from Pluto in Aquarius could have us butting heads with authority figures. The next day, Mercury turns retrograde also in the sign of the bull, eventually moving all the way back to where it was originally around April 11 by the end of its transit next month.
Be prepared for the usual delays associated with Mercury retrogrades. In Venus’ sign, some of you may experience delayed financial payments or snafus with your paychecks coming in on time, while Mercurial technologies, like electronic and telecommunications devices, could go on the fritz. And, who knows — maybe a few Venus-Mercury-ish technologies could get their turn for a mini-breakdown: think dating apps and hair dryers.
Ultimately, accept that this is part of the cycle of the year where small annoyances pepper your life, and you’ll make it through the roughly three weeks of Mercury’s apparent backward movement in the sky just fine.
And, of course, some of you may find yourself picking up the storyline of events that first potentially transpired back on April 8 when Mercury sextiled Mars the first time while it was still direct. This may have previously manifested as a slightly more irksome, albeit not especially long-lasting transit, where the people closest to you may have been more irritable and averse to your more direct communications. This aspect will return in its retrograde redux next week, so try avoid poking the bear in the lead-up if you can.
More broadly, all of us should bring out the binoculars and the popcorn for all the Mercurial blasts from the past that are expected to make cameo appearances during this topsy-turvy time. Depending on where the sign of Taurus is situated in your natal chart, expect old friends, books, emails, business partners, contracts, transactions or other Mercurial items to pop back into your life.
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*DISCLAIMER: All astrological forecasts are for ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY. Any decisions that you might make as a result of reading this or any other astrological blog entry are YOURS ALONE and the creator of this blog will not be held responsible! For any legal issues, see a lawyer; for medical ones, consult a physician. None of the information in this blog constitutes actionable advice from a licensed professional. Once again, this forecast is for ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY!
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