Your Stars April 2012

If you wonder why the date of Easter, unlike Christmas, shifts each year, look to the heavens. Easter is celebrated on the first full Moon following the Spring Equinox of March 20th (the halfway point between the longest and shortest days of the year), and can thus fall anywhere between March 21st and April 25th. This Easter’s full Moon, for example, is at 7.18 pm GMT on Friday April 6^th.

 

Easter’s lunar lore is a reminder that the Christian church is not as removed as it likes to claim from the pagan practice of scouring the skies for heavenly portents. Christmas, after all, was co-opted from the Winter solstice celebrations of December 21^st. Easter, too, retains elements of pagan fertility rites to greet the resurrection of nature in Spring; hence all those hopping bunnies, leaping hares, flowers and Easter eggs.

 

April has a few other significant astro-dates. The Taurus new Moon arrives on the 21^st, the key moment of spring for gardeners to seed, plant out and set their plots in motion. Mars has been in backward mood since late January – the red planet’s return to forwards motion on April 14 will feel like the brakes coming off, especially for the earth signs of Virgo, Capricorn and Taurus. Mercury’s return to onward march after three weeks of retrograde just happened (on April 4), hopefully putting an end to dying phones and computers.

 

Aries

If the fresh breezes of spring are not yet filling your sails, stay patient. These are early days in a personal revolution that picks up pace as April unfolds. First, over Easter weekend, there is a full Moon in your opposite sign to handle, a high tide moment in relationships, especially the kind you can’t escape, but not a time to issue or accept ultimatums. Hearts are likely to be pounding too hard for that. Far better to absorb the situation as calmly as any Aries can (not that calmly then) and wait a week or two.

With Saturn in your opposite sign of Libra until, ulp, October, your entanglements with significant others – past, present or future, and not necessarily romantic – come with a touch of karma, calling for understanding first, action second. That the opposition of the Aries Sun to Saturn on April 15^th won’t happen again for 28 years shows you these are not exactly ordinary times. It’s more likely that you are wrapping up the business of a long-term relationship, or declaring your commitment to one. In either case, you need eyes wide open.

Thanks to a synchronous flurry of planetary activity, mid-April also brings clarity, or at least a fresh gaze, to issues of work, friendship, and personal representation. Mercury returns to your skies on the 16^th, signalling an urgent catch-up from a month back and a ceaselessly ringing phone for the rest of the month. The Ram’s totem planet, Mars, simultaneously starts to move forwards in the sky (it’s highly visible too), accelerating a work situation that you have been ploughing through since well before Christmas.  Work scenarios get more fluid thereafter. If you can weave some idealism into what you do to earn a crust, so much the better. Perhaps oddly, you also appear cash rich in April.

Whether you are looking for romance or looking to advertise yourself, April through to August is totally opportune. Happy birthday.

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 Taurus

Glass half-full? Your ruling planet, Venus, just left your skies, but not before putting on a spectacular celestial show with another ‘lucky’ planet, Jupiter, which remains handily on your case. In other words, you are marching – though it may feel more like bumbling – into April in the best form possible.

Maintaining self-belief is the first imperative of April’s stars. The weeks before your birthday month are invariably tricky, and thanks to Mercury’s recent backwards phase you are playing catch-up with professional situations– be happy to re-introduce yourself and your ideas, even if it is with a glazed expression.

Something similar applies on a personal level – and here we are talking murmured bed-time conversations – where you reach a turn-round point in mid-April. If you have something decent going on, invest energy into said relationship, even if it has seemed to be drifting away in recent months. If you’re searching for romantic action, you have a fruitful few months ahead.

In either respect, or in terms of personal ambition, the role of bright-of-eye, full-of-energy Bull calls loudly with the new Moon of April 21^st. Since this is the start-up moment of your year, scatter your seeds widely, push your luck extravagantly, and cleave to your ideals assiduously.

 

Gemini

Start April as you mean it to continue. Together with the return of your personal planet, Mercury, to forward motion, the arrival of ‘fortunate and fair’ Venus in your skies promises to resolve situations that have been unsettled and undecided over the last couple of months. Home and career are the immediate beneficiaries of this new mood– and it is a new cycle – enabling you to face down doubters and critics, and sprinkle some glitter over your public persona.

Very unusually, Venus will be in your skies for months, until August 7^th, meaning the least you can do is glam up and put on your best togs. If you are the artistic kind, this looks an excellent time to create. Since Venus is also the goddess of romance, those of you on the lookout for said quality are promised a few opportune months.

Troubled relationships need to hold steady until mid-month, when the sticky opposition of Sun and Saturn questions yours and others’ motives. The simultaneous halt of Mars makes this an uncomfortable time for those of you in a romantic or family mire. A mix of stubbornness and generosity is you best option for now.

The month of Taurus, from the 19^th, calls for an element of secrecy or solitude – what you are brewing up in private is potentially a big deal (including financially), but resist the temptation to spill the beans before they are fully cooked – which is probably around the time of your birthday.

 

Cancer

The great cliché about Cancerians is their propensity to be homebodies, a view not without merit – Crabs tend to stick to their shell! – but in April you would be missing a trick not to involve yourself in public life, and bang the drum for your career (it’s still around).

Thanks to Easter weekend’s full Moon, you may like to consider domestic issues first, probably those of the merely material variety attached to property, but anything involving family and clan also figures. Here it’s the medium to long term that counts – until October at a minimum – so do not expect instant solutions. Mid-April, around the 14-15^th, are dates of potentially significant reckoning. Persistence is the key.

The progressive action belongs to your professional path, however. Yours is s naturally conservative sign (no politics intended) but anything of a radical stripe plays well for you now, and together with some eager networking, promises a breakthrough this spring. Extravagant gestures and wild-eyed talk may help and certainly won’t do you too much harm.

Romance? If it isn’t intense at present, then you may have to wait, at least until after the new Moon of the 21^st (you are favoured on the 26-28th). If it’s a super-strong fixation, then be sure to put in a few boundaries, especialy if your birthday is around July 1^st

 Leo

Leos are sometimes accused of being empty, vainglorious show-offs – just look at the negative publicity that Obama has attracted! Nonetheless, you’d be failing your horoscope were you not to get out under the spotlight this spring and summer, and remind everyone that you are not only noisy and fun but a person of vision.

‘Lucky’ Jupiter – you will have seen said planet high in the evening sky over the last month – remains splendidly sited in terms of your professional life, hopefully bringing invites to prestige events (accept every such offer). Venus, the other part of the recent celestial show, is also furthering your cause through networks, contacts and joint enterprises. You can be both the shining solo star and the committed team player this spring.

The new Moon of the 21^st is a lift-off moment for all public activities – neither shy away from battles, not shrink from them. The 28-30^th is one hot weekend, for all aspects of your life.

Single? Thanks to Venus you look hot to trot. Hitched? It could be quite a tangle, and one coming to a head in mid-April, when any deceptions get hard to maintain. Money? Get a grip!

 

Virgo

You have been on enforced go-slow in recent weeks – not necessarily unproductive, but the retrograde of your ruler, Mercury, invariably involves delays. With the messenger planet now in forward motion, getting straight answers from other people becomes simpler.

Rethinking your attitude to one particular player in your life has also been a theme of Mars’ long backslide through Virgo’s skies since late January. The red planet’s halt on April 14 signals a time of resolution, when deliberation turns to action, and you find the courage to free yourself from an outgrown partner, or engage in a new liaison. Virgo is associated with propriety and good manners, but feel free to turn hothead in the second half of the month -you look quite the surprise package this spring. With Neptune strong in the planetary mix at mid-month, romantic captivation (dreamy or deceptive) is also a possible feature, especially if your birthday is circa August 26/27.

You can apply your energies to matters other than relationships. Venus at the peak of your ‘scope promises support from those further up the professional tree, and Jupiter’s ongoing parade through Taurus, another earth sign, emphasises that this spring is a time for engagement with the world, for trade and for personal enlightenment. The new Moon of the 21^st is one of the year’s key seed moments, a call to relentless action, and further reminder that these are exceptional and definitely not business-as-usual months.

 

Libra

Get used to the idea that this is unlikely to be the strongest point of your year and you are halfway to resolving the issues spread before you. First of all you are confronted by a full Moon in your skies on Good Friday, the 6^th – not a bad moment for one of those Libran get-togethers you are so good at but as likely to make you feel on the spot over one particular issue, most likely a significant other. If so, sit tight and resist the urge to go into battle during a lunar storm.

Sitting tight is one way you have endured the last winter, what with Saturn sitting on top of you. Hard work and clever manipulation of meagre resources is another. Saturn always asks that you make plans for the long haul, so treat April and May as a time of research, deliberation and reflection. At the very least take no precipitate action before mid month, when a flurry of planetary activity changes the outlook. The Sun’s opposition to Saturn on the 15^th is a passing but demanding moment, when karma and payback/payoff are in the air. Simultaneously, Mars stops still in the sky, about to return to forwards motion, another signifier that deep issues are being dragged to the surface, perhaps from the distant or secret past.

You get to breathe more easily once the Sun moves out of opposition on the 19^th. By then one of the year’s happier aspects will have also kicked in – Venus in Gemini is usually a three week affair, but in 2012 you get four months of your governing planet plying back and forth in this fellow air sign, helping you shake off Saturn’s chains and grab a cheap (or expensive) break. Venus being the love goddess, for singles, this also promises of some romantic action. April 25 looks a promising moment for a date.

 

Scorpio

 

 

Give inspiration and perspiration their fair share of the action in April. The Sun and other planets highlighting the mind/body/spirit axis of your horoscope suggest plain hard graft and proper rest will solve many of your problems, just as those ‘early to bed’ sayings claim. At the same time, with Neptune making its presence felt in the zone of your chart concerning creativity and romance, your ‘out there’ ideas (and wildest crushes) are to be taken seriously.

Alliances of all kinds, not just romantic, remain winningly starred, as does any release from a worn-out relationship – through to early June Jupiter acts as both introduction to helpful people and liberator from the past. Venus, having shown you some options over the last month, now asks if you want to deepen an association, perhaps taking it to the bedroom. With the romance goddess spending several months here, a steamy love affair looks a possibility.

On April 14 Mars, Scorpio’s ruling planet (at least for this astrologer), finally stops its two month retreat, during which certain professional associations have doubtless been subject to review and misunderstanding. A more dynamic phase of your career beckons from mid-April, perhaps picking up broken threads from December and January. That Mars is so tangled up with Neptune at mid-month is another fat clue that a love affair, new old or recent, has a big role in your life this spring, something that should be clear shortly after the new Moon of the 21^st.

 

Sagittarius

Restless? It would be surprising if you aren’t, given the frisky look to your horoscope. Aries being the first sign of the zodiac and a fellow fire sign, spring is definitely in the air for Centaurs, and recent developments with romances and/or creative projects are to be taken seriously, however wacky they might appear, or however disruptive.

Relationships have a lot riding on them this month. The opposition of the Sun to Saturn on April 15 may make the stakes around a long-term romance starkly clear, something that the full Moon of Friday the 6^th may similarly do. There is a feeling of change and turn-around, accentuated by the arrival of Venus in your house of significant others for a rare four month stay. At best this presages a flurry of Cupid’s darts being fired your way, or the resurrection of a jaded affair, or negotiated peace terms with the troublesome ex. Events around the 10^th and 11^th, hen the waxing moon is in Sag’s skies, may make things clearer (god days to be out the house in any case).

The standstill of Mars at the peak of your ‘scope, also mid month, is an omen of professional change – perhaps not of the long term variety, since Mars was here just three months back, but absolutely a signal to engage your ambition and throw your energies into your career for the next few months.

 

Capricorn

You are, as the saying goes, moving right along. It may not seem like that, since Mercury has only just finished its retreat cycle, but April’s planetary picture gets more insistent as the month progresses. The hurdles you will have to jump arrive at mid-month, when the Sun makes an opposition to ruler Saturn, and issues surrounding your career, and more especially your superiors (even Capricorns have ‘em) flare, however briefly. There is a lot of baggage attached to events at this time however, perhaps stretching back a year or three.

The standstill of Mars on the 14^th likewise brings up issues that have been in play since December concerning a person or project dear (or dear-ish) to your heart. Here it’s a case of staying alert and letting events unfold rather than pushing things along unnecessarily. Mars will be back up to speed in May and the deal you need to get done can be forged. If anger is an issue with said person, you have a chance to calm the waters later this month.

The advent of the month of Taurus, a fellow earth sign, on the 19^th helps your equilibrium. Given the disruptive forces at work in your zone of home and family, a more placid few weeks may appeal. The new Moon of the 21^st is a re-start moment for all personal projects and the pursuit of pleasures to which you likely pay too little attention, what with being so dedicated/enslaved to your job. That, however, can change.

 

Aquarius

How much of your destiny you own and how much you are reliant on others is an ongoing debate in your horoscope. Much of this issue appears to revolve around money and who owes whom – last month’s forecast suggested that it would take until mid-May to sort out this particular issue, but it could be sooner. The tipping point comes on the 14^th April, when Mars stops its backslide in your cash zone. With Neptune involved, however, nothing is simple, and when trying to do deals with your spouse, ex or mortgage provider, there’s a risk of deceit. Give yourself time to feel that everything is nailed down to your satisfaction.

Time is also an ally where your domestic situation is involved. The new Moon of the 21^st touches on your foundations, be they centuries of ancestors or your modest bijou loft. You can make a brand new settlement in the following month, should you so wish, either renegotiating your current set-up or moving on.

Socially, your horoscope is already in upbeat mode thanks to the shift of Venus into the party and romance zone of your ‘scope, where you are well served by leaving the house more often and making dates and whoopee. With Venus plying this zone for an unusual four months, love affairs look enchanted, at least in the short term.

Employment prospects get a brief but perhaps telling inspection at mid month, when Saturn, your co-ruler, is activated by the Sun. A little wariness around the boss, a little thoroughness with your work and you should, as ever, pass with flying colours. Given events over the last month, however, you may already have decided that your future lies elsewhere.

 

Pisces

At war or making peace? The long transit of Mars through your opposite sign (since December) has made dispute with a significant other (not necessarily your romantic partner) an era where you have been obliged to walk on tippytoes or endure a long siege.

This cycle reaches a significant point in mid-April when the red planet finally stops its backslide – a time when you can work out what has gone wrong, bamboozle an enemy or strike a peace deal – choose from said options according to your temperament and plans. If the issue is a compulsive but troubled romance, you have to get past this bump in the road before you can resume. Give things time. Mars won’t be out of your way until, sigh, July, but events move along briskly once the impasse of late April is over.

That Mercury has just stopped its backslide through Piscean skies is also good news, allowing you to state your case and be heard and/or nurse your smartphone back to life. Being among the whirl and eddy of social life remains the preferred mode of your ruling planet, Jupiter – grabbing lucrative deals, educational opportunities and travel tickets are all in the offing, but especially after the new Moon of the 21^st.

Another ‘benefic’ planet, Venus, just arrived at the root of your ‘scope – opportune for redcorating the Pisces Villa, for making peace with the family, and for movinghouse if that’s on your agenda – if so, June looks a fine time to make the shift.

Born around 2-22 Februray? With neptune on your case you potentially have a touch that is visionary, idelistic, spiritual, arty. The flip side is that you start believing your own hype or, just bad, get taken in by other people’s waffle. Zen-like calm then!