Cosmic Weather Forecast (April)

The Cosmic Weather: Astrology Forecast for April 2011 by Jane Lyle

Like a slab of chocolate laced with spicy chilli, sweet April packs a fiery punch this year. Saturn may soothe the blazing dance of planets in Aries a little, but cannot hold them back completely. And if we are temporarily unable to start things rolling, we can always prepare and plan ahead. Doing nothing is not a wise choice this spring.

2nd April: A journey of a thousand miles begins with just one step. And with the focused fires of five planets in Aries urging us on, this could be the time to put on your walking boots, or dancing shoes if you prefer. The Moon also enters Aries today.  Saturn slows up some of this combustible energy – expect conflicts between the rules, or law and order, and an irrepressible urge for change. The Cardinal signs – Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn, or people with planets in those signs, will feel tense yet exhilarated.

3rd April: An Aries new Moon always favours fresh starts, or new beginnings. But it’s complicated today. Over-enthusiasm can be unintentionally destructive. There’s more in the Moon Diary.

4th April: Neptune, boundary-less planet of dreams and much else, enters its home sign of Pisces for the first time since the mid-nineteenth century. It backs into Aquarius again on 5th August, but is preparing to enter Pisces for a long stay in February 2012.  This is the beginning of a subtle sea-change in our values, in the way we express our creativity and spirituality, and in our understanding of what it means to be human. I’ll be looking at this more closely in a separate article. If you’re an early Pisces, Gemini, Virgo or Sagittarius your intuition will certainly demand attention this summer, and you may feel rather confused from time to time.

6th April: Fortune favours the brave today, and good luck is linked to an open heart and mind. Individuals and entire nations are concerned with their reputations, beliefs and ideals.

10th April: The urge for new beginnings stirs up powerful emotions and even opposition. Reformation, or disruptive actions, could be suppressed. The armed forces or police states try to squash those who oppose them. Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn – take a little time out if you can.

11th April: Battles, campaigns, and fights prevail. On a personal level you can harness determination and passion and fight for what it is you want – whether that’s love or a new career. On a global level, it looks intense.

12th April: It’s rare to be given a second chance. But some of us get that gift today. Grab it.

13th April: If you’re an Aries, Leo, or Sagittarius (or have planets or angles there in your chart) this is a great day to reach out, get noticed, or simply feel good.

18th April: The full Moon rises in Libra.  We seek balance, but it’s hard to achieve. More in the Moon Diary, as always.

19th April: Sweeping statements, assertive words, speed and impatience are all around us.

20th April: The Sun enters earthy Taurus, linking with Neptune in a sweet, sensual embrace. A day for music, flowers, and candlelight.

21st April: Venus, planet of love and money, enters Aries. So even though the Sun has moved on, there are still five planets in this assertive sign, and many people want to get their own way by fair means or foul. If it’s making you feel tense, get physical or clear out some junk.

22nd April: Good Friday. If you’re going away for the Easter weekend, prepare for delays or confusion and allow your self plenty of time.

23rd April: Sudden feelings of love and desire ignite some of us. Sudden feelings of exasperation and frustration create arguments for others. Mercury turns direct today, but travel chaos or lost items and misunderstandings linger until May. If there are clear skies we may see the Lyrid meteors tonight.

24th April: Easter Sunday. Whether or not you’re a Christian, the profound theme of rebirth and new life is something to think about today. Easter is named after an ancient Saxon fertility goddess, Eostre. Easter eggs and bunnies symbolise new life and fertility – so on every level we can conceive something fresh now.

25th April: Easter Monday. Moon in Aquarius favours kindness to others and fosters unusual connections and brilliant ideas.

27th April: Passion, sometimes obsessive or intense, rolls around in our hearts and minds. Erotic for some of us, scary for others. We are entertained by vampire tales and psychological thrillers.

28th April: A positive link between the Sun and Pluto favours financial businesses, mining, espionage, and buried treasure. What lies beneath? We may find out today.

29th April: It’s the Royal Wedding today – Prince William and Kate Middleton are finally getting married. So, it’s a public holiday in the United Kingdom.  The Moon, symbolic of the public, is in romantic Pisces all day long, entering lively Aries in late afternoon (GMT). But Jupiter and Mars connect with the recently-discovered dwarf planet, Eris – named for the Greek goddess of strife and discord. Hmmn. Strangely enough, one of the major stories about Eris happens at an important wedding.

Eris was not invited to the glamorous wedding of heroic Greek Peleus, and his bride Thetis, a shape-shifting, magical sea-nymph. Eris was hurt. She was angry. So she went to the party anyway, and tossed a golden apple into the crowd. On it were written the words ‘For the Fairest’. Cunning. Three goddesses promptly began to argue and fight for the apple, a kind of mythic cat fight ensued. Paris, a rather naïve young man, was asked to judge between the three goddesses. Which of them would get the apple? Which was the fairest of them all?  Would it be Hera, goddess of marriage and wife of Zeus (Roman Jupiter)? Or how about Athena, wise, stern goddess of intellect and war? Or Aphrodite (Roman Venus), the goddess of love and beauty?  So determined and ruthless were the goddesses, each of them offered Paris a bribe. Of course. While Hera and Athene offered him earthly power of one sort or another, Aphrodite tempted him with the most beautiful woman in the world, Helen of Troy. Failing to realise that power would have eased his path towards anything else he wanted (I told you he was naïve) he chose sex and Aphrodite. And ultimately, war. For when Helen left her royal husband and ran off with Paris, both of them under Aphrodite’s spell, the forces of strife were unleashed. The Trojan War was the result – as you’ll know if you saw the epic film Troy. If there is a message here for the royal couple it might be ‘keep your friends close, but your enemies closer." An uninvited guest may decide to wreak havoc today in our lives, or in the wider world.