As the editor of the Astrology Arizona newsletter, I compose an overview of each month. Today we take a look at the primary factors for the month.

The Overview for April

In 2024, the month of April brings the beginning of the end of the last Grand Compression of planets for 300 years! Yes, we’re finally beginning to expand the occupied span after Jupiter conjuncts Uranus, even though this month all the rest of the planets are within the span defined by Pluto and Uranus. With all the inner planets in Pisces and Aries, that’s the specific area of focus in our charts.

We’ve been moving through closures and completions within a very narrow concentration of signs. The narrowest occupied span this year was when Venus conjuncted Pluto on February 16-17, as then all the planets were between 1 Aquarius and 20 Taurus, a 109 degree span! This is a very rare phenomenon, and is like a crowded house, with 10 people all crowded together in a small space. It continues through all of March, and by the end of April it will still be only 111+ degrees, still an extremely narrow span.

You can bet that wherever you have Pisces, Aries, and Taurus you will see a lot of activity in April and early May with residual effects in play through the Mars-Uranus conjunction in mid-July. When the inner planets transit Aquarius through Taurus and conjunct the outer planets, it’s time to pull the energies inward, and when they’re between Gemini and Scorpio the energies are more expansive in the outer world.

This month features Mercury retrograde for most of the month, so review, reflect, rehearse, research, and refocus on finishing whatever has been on hold since December. This review will involve taking a new look at recent developments, as well as whatever “new identity” has been stirred up in our lives. Take a new look at “the facts,” and show courage as you get a “new light on old cherished ideas.”

If there are delays, don’t get upset, since there may be some welcome returns from the past now that we’ve made it into the new land promised by Mercury’s last direct station at 23 Sagittarius in January. That phase is over, and we’re launching a new energy in our Aries and Taurus sector. The retrograde gives us a chance to review some things and make sure what we were told in March is true, accurate, and complete.

Pluto leads the entire occupied span, with Mars approaching its conjunction with Saturn. That conjunction will semisquare Pluto and marks a time when open conflict of a duplicitous nature will come to the fore. Do not be distracted by hassles which don’t concern you, and if there’s a sense of drifting or a lack of clarity in direction, don’t look outward for guidance. Be the pathfinder, the trailblazer, the pioneer and the guide for others.

After Venus conjuncts Neptune in early April, it will again be the planet “leading the Light.” That shows the entrance to illumination is now the “deeply compassionate empathic” energies of Venus in the Water sign of Pisces. If we want to “see the Light” in situations, see the Piscean connection with others before leaping into action.

Remember, the first 8 days of the month are still under the influence of the March New Moon at 21 Pisces, which has introduced all of us to a new level of tactile awareness and hope which can only be felt. We’ve been in a time of managing our emotions on deep levels, seeing what we want to take with us into the future.

The late March Full Moon Lunar eclipse at 6 Aries/Libra will help us let go of old ideals, old ways of visualizing what we want, and end a time of us showing a specific facet to the world so another facet or two may be illuminated. This is a productive eclipse and continues shutting down parts of our Aries/Libra axis. It will have dramatic effects for those with planets near 4-8 Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn, as well as 19-23 Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius.

The October 2023 Libra Solar eclipse continues to help us remove old ideals and old “repair work” which is already done or which can no longer be done. Ambivalence and theoretical images which aren’t relevant to our future are slipping away, creating space to be filled in 2024. The early Scorpio/Taurus Lunar eclipse Full Moon which followed the Solar eclipse has worked since November to help us “tear away from the known and familiar,” and find allies to build bridges from the present to the future.

The April 8 New Moon Total Solar Eclipse begins a new influence and brings a month of joining with others to overcome “seasonal difficulties.” This will last for several years, and the conjunction with Chiron promises old mentors will pass and new ones will come to the fore. It can show the end of old ways of healing and being healed, and with Mercury retrograde it could 1) bring returns of those things and people which we let go of at a previous time, and/or 2) bring insights about past losses which had to happen to create space to attract something new. This one offers “the redemption of a promise,” perhaps made in 2016-2018.

Jupiter in Taurus continues to give a Taurus backdrop to planets we have in Sagittarius and Pisces, as well as the houses where we have these signs on the cusp. It’s now headed toward its conjunction with Uranus expanding the promise of it being a new time, a new way, and a new day wherever we have 22 Taurus in our chart! As Mars and Saturn will both be favorably aspected with Jupiter and Uranus all month, make the best of the productive flow despite the hidden gear grinds of Saturn semisquare Pluto.

Saturn is accelerating rapidly and moving through its 2024 Shadow zone between 13-20 Pisces. This month Saturn calls us to “subject appearances to real necessities” as we prepare to withdraw from the world for a time to get a new inspiration. By the end of the month we’ll be called to a form of social-spiritual renewal. Show courage as you move into greater effectiveness within the collective field.

Pisces is associated with deep and vast feeling energies, and impacts planets, points, or house cusps we have in Capricorn and Aquarius. Having heard Saturn’s “call to renewal” since last Summer, a new life related to that renewal has been unfolding quickly.

The Spiritual Field

We continue to be blessed by the closest Neptune sextile with Pluto in 30 years, with Uranus joining the “three note chord” by the Summer of 2024. With Uranus in late Taurus, Neptune in late Pisces, and Pluto in late Capricorn/early Aquarius, we will have a very strong “double sextile/trine” which should favorably impact all planets we have in the last 10 degrees of Taurus, Cancer, Virgo, Scorpio, Capricorn, and Pisces. The Spiritual Field represented by these outermost planets is helping stabilize our late Earth and Water sectors in the spiritual sectors of their signs.

This is preparing us for an entirely new experience of Spirit and Life in 2025 when these Spiritual powerhouses shift out of Earth and Water into Fire and Air, joined by Saturn when it enters Aries creating a “three note chord” of harmonic consciousness. That means 2024 and 2025 will spiritually harmonize planets we have in the late degrees of the Earth and Water signs, while in 2025-2026 they will do the same for planets we have in the early degrees of the Fire and Air signs. This will be discussed in greater depth in our April presentation.

Uranus is now direct and will occupy the third decan of Taurus for the rest of this year through early July 2025. This is a Capricorn sub-influence with an added dose of Saturn, so there’ll be more structure and discipline and less micromanagement of details. The Cosmic Awakener now promises us a new life and rewards which will certify our worth as we assert our unique qualities and find a new way of awakening our heart’s desire by June/July. We’re moving through an emotional or social awakening leading us to the individual and spiritual sector of late Taurus by late June.

Neptune at “the end of the end” of Pisces is giving us all a sense of vast feelings and finality. We’ve been through a purification process since December, have glimpsed forms of abundance, and now move into a vast feeling of things falling apart, or at least dispersing into the parts from the whole. This year we experience the vast unifying field as we prepare to move into a more fiery collective energy in 2025.

With Pluto now again in early Aquarius, we are living on the cusp of historical change. This month it goes retrograde at 3 Aquarius, showing we’re collectively “desocializing” and many will no longer follow what they believe to be authoritarian control systems. Many will “regrasp past experience” and see it from a different angle of understanding due to a “sharp self-examination.” Be fearless in making the decisions you need to make.

We also have several long wave Aries cycles in play. Jupiter launched a major healing and mentoring cycle when it conjuncted Chiron at 15 Aries on March 11, 2023. That began a long wave Chiron cycle which will last until the Summer of 2036.

Not all Chiron cycles are the same length. When Chiron transits between Aquarius and Gemini, it moves relatively slowly and has conjunctions with Jupiter about every 13 years. However, it can take 19-20 years for the next conjunction after Gemini or Cancer. That means once the conjunction at 16 Gemini happens in the Summer of 2036 we won’t have another conjunction of Jupiter and Chiron until the Spring of 2056 in Aquarius, which will launch another long term “expansive healing/mentoring” cycle.

Planets Slowing Down, Speeding Up, or Shifting Signs

This month shows Mercury retrograde and Pluto slowing to go retrograde. All the other planets are moving at a very fast pace so those areas should be sailing forward with no delays. Because Mercury retrograde will slow until the Inferior conjunction at 23 Aries, don’t push the river, chill out a little, and find things to do which will support the Mercury work after it goes direct.

In April we have only three planets changing signs. This month the Sun, ruler of Leo and Cancer, will give us two (Aries and Taurus). Venus, ruler of Taurus and Libra, will give us three (Pisces, Aries and Taurus). And Mars, ruler of Aries and Scorpio, will give us two (Pisces and Aries).

Mars

Mars is currently at maximum speed, indicating we can get a lot done quickly if we don’t get too scattered or ahead of ourselves. It went stationary direct at 9 Gemini in January 2023, with a theme of being a Zen archer, sure in your aim as a result of your training between September 2022 and February 2023. This has been a theme for this year and continues in 2024.

Mars helps us act with precision and persistence; in Aquarius, we renewed the larger Grand Mutation of 2020 theme related to 1 Aquarius. Each time Mars goes over 1 Aquarius, i.e. every 26 months, a new iteration of that 20 and 200 year air theme gets set into motion. While it’s in Pisces, we have to learn when to act and when to rest, bringing things to a close without drama or antagonism. Forgiveness accomplishes much when Mars is in Pisces, since we can bring an end to old aggravations in our subconscious mind.

This month Mars activates the house(s) where we have 8 Pisces to 1 Aries. The first 4 days of April, Mars is in the Pisces decan of Pisces, ruled by Jupiter with an extra dose of Saturn. From April 4 through April 17, Mars is in the Cancer decan of Pisces, ruled by the Moon with an extra dose of Jupiter. From April 17-30, Mars is in the Scorpio decan of Pisces, ruled by Mars with an extra dose of Mars.

Between April 1-10, Mars will prove agitating to those with planets between 8-15 degrees of Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces. Between April 10-20, it will have the same effect on planets between 15-23 degrees of the same signs, Between April 20-30, it will have an agitating effect on planets between 23-30 degrees of Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces.

As I’ve offered before, when Mars is within a degree of forming or separating from a hard aspect with a planet, slow down and show deliberation and caution in how you use force. Hard aspects to/from Mars always require that we moderate or antidote impulsiveness and impatience.

Sign Focus

This month the sign focus shows a preponderance of Pisces and Aries. We have the Sun in Aries through the 19th, Mercury’s in Aries the entire month, and Venus is in Pisces for a few days and then spends the rest of the month in Aries. Everything else remains in the signs they begin the month in.

So the first 5 days of the month features two visible planets in Pisces and two in Aries. By the 5th we have one in Pisces, and three in Aries. This holds until the Sun enters Taurus. The very last days of April show Venus and Mars both changing signs, bringing an entirely new emphasis to May.

We’re Actors On A New Stage With A New Set – The Bigger Picture

We’re still in the initial years of a new era in human evolution. The Grand Mutation of Jupiter conjunct Saturn at 1 Aquarius began a new 20 year Aquarian Era in December 2020, as well as a new 200 year era, moving global energies out of Earth and into Air. We’ve begun to grow beyond the materialism of the past 200 years and have entered two centuries of Air emphasis, with its qualities of relatedness, receptivity, versatility, movability, lightness, and cooperative ideas, visions, and ideals.

We’re still "under the beams" of the Solar Eclipses we experienced in 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 and these “cosmic recyclers” continue to remove what we no longer need in our lives. Take note of where you have 1 Cancer, 24 and 13 Sagittarius, 20 Gemini, 11 Taurus, and 2 Scorpio, since 1 Cancer aligns us with a larger reality, 24 Sagittarius helps us find happiness, 13 Sagittarius gives us a new identity and love, 20 Gemini removes what cannot be assimilated or communicated, 11 Taurus will help us remove “weeds from our garden of Life and Mind,” and 2 Scorpio is helping us release memories and attachments from the past.

The May 2022 eclipses with Sun in Taurus have begun to shut down old value systems in that sector, as well as the Scorpio sector via the May Full Moon Wesak Festival eclipse. The Scorpio Solar eclipses are already leading us to say goodbye to the past, giving up some old ideals. You can find out more about Solar and Lunar eclipses by going to my numerous articles in the archives on how eclipses work.

The April-May 2023 eclipses have begun to work their magic on our Aries and Libra sectors for a long time to come. The Solar eclipse at 30 Aries as well as the October 2023 Solar eclipse at 22 Libra are also shutting down parts of our lives where we have those signs.

As we study how successive Eclipses have affected various areas of our charts and lives, we can get a sense of the utility of these “Cosmic Recyclers” in removing what we no longer needed in those areas, creating a void which attracted new life experiences. They invite us to look back, and then forward, to see the continuity of “letting go, taking in, letting go, taking in” across the years.

Primary Action Beats for the First Half of the Month

April begins under the influence of the March New Moon at 21 Pisces, putting the focus on cultivating an ability “to touch and be touched,” learning a deeper level of connection with others, and being more aware of the “collective atmosphere” (Pisces is the sign of the collective consciousness/unconscious.) The subsequent Full Moon Lunar eclipse at 6 Aries/Libra will help remove old patterns of relating to self and others which no longer fit our need.

The first week of the month features Mercury crashing into retrograde, the very dreamy Venus conjunct Neptune just before it enters Aries where it sextiles Pluto. This is an old Moon phase where we should follow through, allow for delays, and work the productivity of April 1, 2, and 3 while seeing the new level of Aquarian function we’ve achieved by April 3 and 4.

From March 1 to 7, the Moon transits Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces, and Aries, so it occupies the front end of the occupied span. All in all the entire week is fairly favorable, so make the most of it. Mixed signals of April 2 become penetrating insights on April 3 and 4. The Moon in Pisces April 5 and 6 is extremely productive and favorable, and Sunday April 7 should be pleasant.

The second week of the month begins with the very powerful Total Solar eclipse which dominates the rest of the month as well as years to come. That week also has the very powerful Mars conjunct Saturn and the Inferior conjunction of Mercury and the Sun, showing the point from which Mercury will again begin to speed up.

The Moon moves from Aries through Taurus and Gemini and winds up in Cancer by April 14. As there are no squares operating during this time in April, make the most of the favorable aspects when dealing with the internal friction associated with Mars conjunct Saturn and both semisquare Pluto. This is a point of emergent inner tension and a phase shift for both planets relative to Pluto.

The entire second week of April is very productive, as the Moon in Taurus on April 10 is exceptionally favorable with the energies continuing into April 11 and 12 with a lot of very favorable aspects from Gemini to Aries. Just slow down a little the evening of the 11th since the Moon is square Mars and Saturn! Sacrifices and redirections are shown on April 13, with tenderness and playing it safe the themes for April 14.

Evolutionary Development

This is the ninth month of the North Node in Aries era! We’re now in the midst of many months of realizing that our line of greatest development is best served by self-initiated activity (Aries) which acts in the NOW, demonstrated by our balanced response (Libra) to our ongoing process of transfiguration into our ideal. We gain through focused action and demonstrate it through joyously doing some sort of repair or reconstruction work, whether in the world of inner space or outer affairs. We build through Aries and release through Libra, so adopt a pioneering attitude that is expressed with grace and diplomacy.

This month we grow through seeing the “relationship between the conscious and unconscious sides of life” as we “attune to the potency of invisible forces of nature,” demonstrated through our doing some sort of needed “repair” work. This is a month of repotentialization demonstrated through what we need to “reconstruct.” In any case, we grow through Aries and demonstrate it through Libra’s balance, fairness, and sense of justice.

Our wise friend Saturn brought us to the threshold of radical transfiguration and entry into a greater field of conscious Light/Life in March 2023, and having had our first experience of the Saturn in Pisces era, we now are ready to move forward into the next phase of the deep waters of Pisces. This is a time of demonstrating a greater empathy, sense of connection, intuition, and compassion.

Specific Saturn themes for April involve understanding when appearances must be set aside in the face of necessities, getting away from the world to get a new inspiration, and participating in forms of “public self-renewal.” The rehearsals we do this month will serve us well between August and October.

The Sun in Aries is the time to see the Light of “future oriented self-initiated action” on material, emotional, mental, and spiritual levels of life. The idealistic vision of Aquarius, deepened by Pisces’ connection to the collective feeling field, now leaps into action in Aries. This is the month when we can flow with the new life sprouting all around us, and move in new directions of individual growth of our own initiative without needing others’ approval. This is the month of new beginnings, with a promise of solid rewards coming over in May, June, and July.

We are in our fourth year of the new Aquarian era, with a new iteration of that future-oriented energy set into motion in February. Jupiter in Taurus has helped us get a new grounded expansive view of how to sustain the Aquarian unfoldment into the future. We’re all entering a new land. Let go of the lesser, accept the greater, and the new land you find will be far more enjoyable than the old land you’ve had to leave.

Because we’re now in the fourth year of a new 20 year and 200 year cycle, remember a new era has dawned. Have courage and take the initiative to leave the Earth and fly free into the Air of what’s opening as the Grand Mutation expands its promise into the Divine transfigured ideal of a more just truth and future. This month brings a tremendous push into new Aquarian expressions. As always, lighten up, play a little, and be willing to explore new arenas of effective activity where you can work and play with other Light Spirits, and take heart as we stand at the dawning of the coming Pluto in Aquarius era.

We have now collectively transfigured into a greater vision of the one Light/Life we all are together. Continue to find your heart strength and new forms of genuine happiness appropriate for who you are now, and who you are becoming relative to just a few months ago.

The 2022 Capricorn and Aquarius transits began a new chapter of utilizing forms of personal power which began in Capricorn to serve the emerging Aquarian ideal. We now navigate the cosmic time-space between endings and beginnings so bless and forgive much to flow down the time stream. The past is over and we all have begun our trek into a new world of new potential, new adventures, and new ways to enjoy being ourselves while doing our work of Destiny. Open to the abundance of the process of growth, since we are all on a rocket ship to the stars!

*********

Since I also include this in the newsletter, I’ll offer it to you here:

PLANETARY MOTIONS IN APRIL 2024

(All the degree values listed in the next three sections are computed the same way Sabian Symbols are read; we always round up. 9+ = 10; 19+ = 20; 29+ = 30)

SUN – 13 Aries to 11 Taurus
MERCURY – 28 Aries back to 16 Aries then forward to 17 Aries
VENUS – 26 Pisces to 2 Taurus
MARS – 8 Pisces to 1 Aries
JUPITER – 18 to 25 Taurus
SATURN – 14 to 17 Pisces
URANUS – 21 to 23 Taurus
NEPTUNE – 28 Pisces to 29 Pisces
PLUTO – 2 to 3 Aquarius
CHIRON – 19 to 21 Aries
TRUE NORTH NODE – 16 Aries (all month)

SIGNIFICANT ASTROLOGICAL OCCURRENCES IN APRIL 2024

(Bold entries are the ingresses, stations, and lunations. Non-bold are significant aspects.)

NEW MOON; March 10; Sun and Moon at 21 Pisces FULL MOON LUNAR ECLIPSE; March 25; Sun 6 Aries; Moon 6 Libra MERCURY STATIONARY RETROGRADE; April 1 at 28 Aries NEPTUNE LEAVES SHADOW ZONE; April 2 at 28 Pisces VENUS CONJUNCT NEPTUNE; Apr 3 at 28 Pisces VENUS ENTERS ARIES; April 4 NEW MOON TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE; April 8; Sun and Moon at 20 Aries SUN CONJUNCT CHIRON; April 8 at 20 Aries MARS CONJUNCT SATURN; April 10 at 15 Pisces INFERIOR CONJUNCTION OF MERCURY/SUN; April 11 at 23 Aries MERCURY RX CONJUNCT CHIRON; April 15 at 20 Aries MERCURY RX CONJUNCT VENUS; April 19 at 18 Aries SUN ENTERS TAURUS; April 19 JUPITER CONJUNCT URANUS; April 20 at 22 Taurus VENUS CONJUNCT CHIRON; April 21 at 21 Aries SUN SQUARE PLUTO; April 21 at 3 Taurus/Aquarius WESAK FESTIVAL BUDDHA FULL MOON; April 23; Sun 5 Taurus; Moon 5 Scorpio MERCURY STATIONARY DIRECT; April 25 at 16 Aries AAZ MEETING; April 27 MARS CONJUNCT NEPTUNE; April 28 at 29 Pisces VENUS ENTERS TAURUS; April 29 MARS ENTERS ARIES; April 30 VENUS SQUARE PLUTO; April 30 at 3 Taurus/Aquarius PLUTO STATIONARY RETROGRADE; May 2 at 3 Aquarius

Again, please consider joining Astrology Arizona to get all this and a lot more delivered to your email inbox at the beginning of each month. Members get to advertise their business on our website for free, there’s free access to the fantastic documentary Changing of the Gods, and discounts on recorded talks as they are available.

I want to welcome all to drop by our Astrology Arizona Facebook page and join the social media initiative going on there. Please feel free to contribute a topic, ask about a topic, or anything else related to our new group. See you over there!

I also highly recommend joining our group and coming to our zoom presentations, since we have some of the best astrologers anywhere giving talks about all kinds of great astrological topics. We’ve had “Evolutionary Configurations,” “America at the Crossroads,” “Using Planetary Hours in Charts,” “Outer Planet Cycles and How The Past Affects the Present,” “The Three Part Self,” “How Our Chart Expresses Our Spiritual Potential,” and more.

Reprinted on crystalwind.ca with written permission from Robert Wilkinson. Copying this article to other blogs is strictly prohibited. It is copyright protected. 

© Copyright 2024 Robert Wilkinson

© 2024 crystalwind.ca. All rights reserved. In order to protect the authors who have granted us permission to repost their articles, we have implemented hidden tracking code for monitoring purposes. We utilize sniffer technology to track all IP addresses. Please be aware that using a Proxy/VPN/Tor will not conceal your IP address.