April 2010: Understanding the Impact of Your Decisions

The month of April 2010 is one of looking back so that you can evaluate how you want to move into the future. The world is changing and now is the time to review, evaluate, and understand.

In some ways this is going to be a quiet month. It begins with Mercury entering Taurus on April 2nd. Mercury in Taurus is a “plodding” energy. Although Mercury is neither in its detriment or fall in Taurus, it is not really comfortable here. If you have a strong Mercury in your chart, especially if it’s in Gemini or Virgo, you need to think things through very quickly and move on to the next phase. But, with Mercury in Taurus, you need to mull things over. You need to understand to the point of feeling that you own the thought. This can create frustration when communicating with others. People won’t want to make quick decisions. They’ll want to understand all the nuances. You may feel like they’re putting you off, but they’re not. They also need to feel like they have ownership in a task or project before they proceed.

This need to put off decision-making on April 2nd is emphasized by Mercury forming a quincunx to Saturn retrograde. People are trying to understand the rules and they aren’t getting enough information. It’s not that they don’t want to come to some sort of understanding, especially since Venus is also forming a trine to Ceres on this day. Usually on a day that Venus forms a trine to Ceres, it’s a lot easier to find ways to compromise. However, that’s not going to happen today. Rather, this is a day to really try and understand all factors involved in a situation.

Mercury forms a trine to Ceres on April 4th and Venus forms a trine to Pluto a little later that same day. This is a good day to negotiate and find avenues for compromise. Information that you received earlier in the month make sense now. You’ve had enough time to think about it. More importantly, you’ll feel good about the decisions you made and the actions you’re taking.

Mercury forms a trine to Pluto just before Pluto turns retrograde on April 6th. Normally Pluto changing directions isn’t that important. However, Pluto is still in the early degrees of Capricorn and the energy of Pluto in this sign is still new. So, during the Pluto retrograde period which lasts until September 14, 2010, you’ll find that people are reviewing new policies and procedures and trying to figure out how all of this fits into their lives.

The need to figure things out is especially important because Saturn, which is now in retrograde motion, re-enters the sign of Virgo. Saturn had entered the sign of Libra on October 29, 2009. It remained in the early degrees of Libra as a precursor to what the trend might mean: The importance of developing relationships with others in order to bring order to the world. Now, however, Saturn is re-entering the sign of Virgo to review what the world went through over the past couple of years and see where corrections need to be made. Saturn will be in Virgo for about three months, until July 21, 2010, when it re-enters and stays in Libra.

When Saturn is in Virgo, it’s important to consider the infrastructures in life. On a mundane level, this means that you need to take care of old systems and structures which may be failing, such as bridges, roads, sewage and water systems. Personally, you need to review the infrastructure of your life. Are you living the healthiest that you can? Are you living a balanced life where your daily routine supports your spiritual growth? If the answer is no, now is the time to make changes in your life. It’s a time to fix those old, worn out systems that don’t give you the support you need.

On a mundane level, Saturn in Virgo represents agriculture and food, as well as caring for the earth. During the first time that Saturn was in Virgo, the entire concept of local foods gained momentum. Many of you began to see how important it was to buy foods grown in your area even if the food may not have been certified organic. Also, during the first time Saturn was in Virgo, more chemical companies began to produce pesticides and insecticides which are organic and safer for the environment. You may even have started your own home garden. Now with Saturn returning to Virgo, it’s time to see how the environment really can change around you when you get more involved in the stewardship of the land.

In its most negative, Saturn in Virgo represents difficulties with employment. During the first time that Saturn was in Virgo, unemployment became a problem and rose to its highest levels. Companies and various government agencies started requiring furloughs for their employees as a way of avoiding massive lay-offs. Unfortunately unemployment or low employment is going to continue being a problem, especially during this time period that Saturn re-enters Virgo. While not a pleasant thought, it’s important that you do the best you can to plan for problems in the workplace as they relate to your salary.

Basically, Saturn re-entering Virgo emphasizes the need to take things slowly, re-evaluate your life, and understand what it occurring in the world around you so you can make the best choices.

On April 10th you may feel a little out of sorts as Mars forms a quincunx to Pluto retrograde. This is actually the only aspect that Mars will make to any planets other than the Moon during this month. Mars is still moving very slowly. It was retrograde until March 10, 2010 when energy really felt sluggish. You may have a little more energy today, but still not that much. If you feel like you need to rest, do so. Try not to push yourself too much. If other people are trying to influence you into taking action, you’ll probably become very frustrated with them and even angry. If you don’t feel like taking action, don’t let other people manipulate you.

April 13th could almost be a day of dreams. Uranus forms a semi-sextile to Neptune and both planets are in mutual reception. Mutual reception means that each planet is in the sign ruling the other planet. There’s a sense of understanding which doesn’t normally occur. In this case, Uranus in Pisces means that you feel changes are occurring in the world. The Neptune in Aquarius indicates that you don’t understand all the changes because they impact more than just you. However, today you’ll start getting glimmers of understanding. If you don’t experience the “ah-hah” moment (that moment where you get it all), put down the thoughts that come to you in a journal and review them over the next few weeks. You’ll find you understood a lot more than you thought.

The new Moon which occurs on April 14th has both the Sun and Moon in Aries. Normally this indicates that your energy is increasing. However, the new Moon forms a sextile to the Neptune/Chiron conjunction indicating a period of reflection rather than action. This is a wonderful day to take healing actions. If you had a fight with someone, this could be a day where you resolve problems with that person. If you weren’t feeling well and need to see an expert to improve your health, you’ll find the information received very beneficial.

April 17th will be a fun day with Venus forming a sextile to Jupiter. You may win at some game of chance. You may run into old friends you haven’t seen in a while. You may even decide that it’s more fun to play than work. Basically, it’ll be difficult to take on any serious activities because of the need to enjoy life.

The energy you felt on the 17th isn’t surprising with Mercury in Taurus turning retrograde on April 18th. As already written, Mercury in Taurus is a “plodding” energy. There is a need to take time as you think things through, especially if the concept is a new one. Now, with Mercury retrograde this need to think things through really magnifies. Since Taurus represents values and money, the greatest areas of concern will be your financial stability. Be very caution while Mercury is retrograde (April 18 through May 11, 2010) not to take on any new financial burdens. If you’re self-employed, this is not a good time to increase any personal loans for your business. Be very cautious with your finances.

Continue to be cautious with your finances between April 20th, when Chiron enters Pisces, and April 23rd when Venus forms a square to Neptune and also a sextile to Uranus. Critical information is being withheld from you at this time. If you try to negotiate with others, they won’t be as honest as they need to be. There’s also a chance that what you think is a positive measure may just be an illusion you want to believe in. When you accept the illusion as fact, you make serious errors in your choices.

Getting the right facts becomes easier on April 24th when Venus forms a trine to Saturn retrograde. Since Saturn has re-entered Virgo, the facts you’ll receive deal with past actions. If errors were made, you’ll be able to correct them. In other cases, you may understand that not taking a particular action, especially over the past two days, was definitely the right choice.

Venus enters Gemini on April 25th and immediately forms a square to Chiron. This is another day of caution. The caution in this case is with speech. If you have to negotiate today, be very careful with your words. You could give away too much information. You may become frustrated at the other person and lash out in anger. Or, you may be over-sensitive and misinterpret what another person is saying. If any of these play out for you today, remember that words can hurt just as much as actions.

On April 26th, Saturn retrograde forms an opposition to Uranus. This is a very important aspect which occurs every 47 years and tends to occur around five times during its cycle. The first time this opposition occurred in this cycle was on November 4, 2008, the day of the Presidential election in the United States. The next two times it occurred were on February 5, 2009 and September 15, 2009. It will occur one more time after today on July 26, 2010. Therefore, the energy of this aspect will be felt at least until the end of July 2010.

When Saturn forms an opposition to Uranus, there is a division between people who want to uphold the old ways of doing things and people who want to move into the future: Arguments get very heated. They get so heated, in fact, that often truth is forgotten and rumors and innuendos become part of the process.

In mundane astrology, the Saturn/Uranus opposition indicates that old systems are falling apart. Just before the United States election in 2008, the world spun into a global economic crisis. The second time, February 5, 2009, that this aspect occurred, the United States, Australia, Germany, and other countries created stimulus packages to get the financial industry out of economic crisis. The crisis continued throughout the world as unemployment figures increased by the third time, September 15, 2009, this aspect occurred.

This is a difficult time economically not only in the world but also in your life. While stimulus packages are meant to protect banks and the economic system, this protection has yet to trickle down to the majority of the population. With unemployment continuing to be a problem, it’s difficult for you to get on an even financial footing. Yet, to the best of your ability, it’s very important that you try. The other things that makes this time so difficult are the various innuendos and rumors that sectors of the political spectrum are promoting. It’s hard to know what to believe. On a spiritual level this could become a crisis of belief. The key is to believe in your own decisions, understanding that you’re doing the best you can.

Problems in the banking industry will continue. While various countries are trying to come up with solutions, especially with their central banking structures, these solutions won’t resolve the problem if consumers don’t receive any benefit. With central banks questions remain: How to regulate banks and still protect consumers? How to increase the flow of money through electronic means while protecting consumers from electronic fraud? How to give the banking industry better options for operating in a global economy without creating banks that are too big to fail?

There is also a danger with this opposition that not all the possible consequences of changes are considered. As more retail and banking industries use electronic currency, not enough has been done to stem the tide of electronic fraud. Therefore, consumers are more at financial risk than even before.

Historically the environment is erratic when Saturn forms an opposition to Uranus. Greater earthquakes and storms have been occurring. All of this has an impact on the human condition. Crops are affected. Lives are traumatized. Continue to be prepared as unusual weather patterns will continue.

When an opposition occurs, there is a conflict between holding on to the past and moving forward. While an opposition represents the need to find a compromise and live in balance, it all too often indicates conflicts between two warring sides where neither side really wins.

The most important thing to do when Saturn forms an opposition to Uranus is to assess past mistakes and determine how to correct those mistakes. At the same time, it’s very important to analyze the potential changes and make certain safe guards are in place. This is a time to move forward if you do it slowly. As you do any analysis, try not to operate from fears, innuendos, and rumors. Do the best you can to get as much information as possible. Most of all trust that you will do the best you can.

On April 28th, the full Moon, with Sun in Taurus and Moon in Scorpio, occurs. After the full Moon, Ceres turns retrograde and Venus forms a quincunx to Ceres. On April 29th, Venus will form a quincunx to Pluto. In many ways these energies will be frustrating. The full Moon creates a fixed T-square indicating that you may feel difficulty in letting go of situations which just aren’t working out. It’s possible that you feel you still don’t have all the facts. If that’s the case, take your time. However, if you aren’t moving forward to create change because of fear, that’s another matter. Fear occurs when there’s confusion and a sense of loss. Where possible, focus on what you can gain by making necessary changes and letting go of things that cause you problems.

This month really is about evaluating your past and finding ways to create a better future in a world that’s changing and going through difficulties that impact you. If won’t be easy, but if you take your time, you’ll understand the impact of your decisions and make the best ones.