Important astrological energies for the month of April 2017:

• Venus retrograde re-enters the sign of Pisces on April 2, 2017. It turned retrograde in the sign of Aries on March 4, 2017. It will turn stationary direct on April 15, 2017.
• Saturn in Sagittarius turns stationary retrograde on April 6, 2017. It will remain retrograde until August 25, 2017.
• Mercury in Taurus turns stationary retrograde on April 9, 2017. It will remain retrograde until May 3, 2017.
• Full Moon with Sun in Aries and Moon in Libra occurs on April 11, 2017.
• Venus in Pisces turns stationary direct on April 15, 2017. It went stationary retrograde in the sign of Aries on March 4, 2017 and re-entered the sign of Pisces on April 2, 2017.
• Pluto in Capricorn turns stationary retrograde on April 20, 2017. It will remain retrograde until October 28, 2017.
• Mercury retrograde re-enters the sign of Aries on April 20, 2017. It turned retrograde in the sign of Taurus on April 9, 2017. It will remain retrograde until May 3, 2017.
• New Moon with Sun and Moon in Taurus occurs on April 26, 2017.

Listening: Critical In Communications

By Misty Kuceris ©2017

You’ll find two underlying themes during the month of April 2017. The first theme is created by Mercury which started two triad sequences. One on March 26, 2017 and the other on March 29, 2017. The other theme is created by Ceres because it starts the month with an aspect, a trine to Pluto, and ends the month with an aspect, a square to the Moon’s Nodal Axis.

A triad sequence is a term I’ve coined to indicate that a faster moving planet is going to turn retrograde and make the same aspect three times. The first triad sequence that Mercury formed occurred on March 26, 2017 when Mercury, in direct motion, formed a conjunction to Uranus. The second triad sequence occurred on March 29, 2017 when Mercury, in direct motion, formed a trine to Saturn. These two triad sequences of Mercury will be in effect from March 26, 2017 until May 11, 2017 when Mercury direct forms the third trine to Saturn. This means that while Mercury retrograde won’t officially occur until April 9^th, you started feeling the retrograde energy at the end of last month and will continue to feel that energy until May 11^th even though Mercury goes direct on May 3, 2017.

The underlying energy of this triad sequence and retrograde motion of Mercury during the month of April means that you need to focus on your goals and your communication style. Too often people assume communication style means how you verbally express your needs. But, communication style also means how you listen to what other people have to say. So, a major theme for this month is to use critical listening techniques when you discuss matters of importance with others. And, critical listening techniques mean that you take in information from others, ask appropriate questions when you don’t understand what they say or you don’t agree with their facts, and finally make you own decision based on the knowledge you have.

With Ceres starting the month by forming a trine to Pluto on April 2^nd, and ending the month with a square to the Moon’s Nodal Axis, compromise becomes another underlying theme for the month. In mythology, Ceres, the earth goddess, represents the mother who lost her child to Pluto, the god of the underworld. The pain of this loss led Ceres to throw the world into an icy cold which devastated crops and could eventually kill all of humanity. When Ceres confronted Zeus, the head of all the gods, to allow her daughter’s return to earth, Zeus informed her that once the underworld is entered, an individual cannot leave. However, confronted with a cold world where no humans could survive, Zeus and Ceres reached a compromise. She would return the world to a place of growth and harvest and he would allow the daughter to come back to her mother for at least six months out of the year. The greatest lesson from this myth is that through understanding what’s important to you, you also know when you need to find a path of compromise which still lets you achieve your goals in life.

It helps that Venus retrograde re-enters the sign of Pisces later in the day. While Venus is retrograde, it is important to review your finances so you can stay on track with your budget. You also find that old relationships seem to resurface. When Venus re-enters the sign of Pisces, you may be tempted to shy away from interactions with others. If that’s the case, it’s because you are overly sensitive to their pain. But, if you can apply compassion in your relationships, you’ll find that you don’t get sucked into their pain. Instead, you can help guide them through their situation. What’s more important is that the same can be applied in your life. If you let other people feel compassionate towards your circumstances, you’ll find that you don’t need to go through difficult situations by yourself. You have other people who can lend you their support.

As Mars forms a quincunx to Jupiter retrograde on April 4^th, you want to rush into situations without considering all the consequences. But it’s a good thing that Mars is in Taurus right now. When Mars is in Taurus you understand the importance of boundaries. You’re willing to approach situations a lot more slowly. By approaching these circumstances in a slow manner, you avoid making serious mistakes that you’ll regret later.

You’ll find that focusing on important details becomes easier on April 5^th when Mars forms a trine to Pluto. You’ll be able to approach your goals with an intensity that can achieve success. At the same time, keep the underlying theme of compromise in mind. Without working with others, you may achieve your goals but you may also alienate the very people who can help you in the long run.

On April 6^th Saturn turns stationary retrograde. It will remain retrograde until August 25, 2017.

When Saturn is retrograde there is a tendency to feel sluggish. It’s as if the world is slowing down around you. It’s not really a conscious thought but rather a way people are approaching life. What may be happening on a subconscious level is that you’re re-evaluating some of the “rules” you live by. You may be feeling that perhaps it’s time to make changes in your life which help you approach your daily routine with less effort. With the underlying theme of Ceres and the Mercury triad forming a trine to Saturn, you really do need to review your daily routine and see if habits are getting in the way of your success. You also need to make certain that you’re listening to what others are saying.

On a mundane level, Saturn represents the rules and regulations which govern a nation or an organization. When Saturn is retrograde, there is a desire to repeal many of the rules which appear too restrictive. This could impact some of the laws not only in the United States but also in the European Euro Zone. With the underlying theme of Ceres this month, many of those rules and regulations could also involve environmental rules which deal with climate change.

Be very careful with your finances on April 8^th when Venus retrograde forms a square to Saturn retrograde. Also, be very cautious with any long-term projects. This is not the time to implement them. Rather, this is the time to take current projects and re-evaluate the goals you’ve set. You may need to change those goals around April 15^th when Venus goes direct in order to be successful.

On April 9^th, Mercury in Taurus finally turns stationary retrograde. It will remain retrograde until May 3^rd.

With the Mercury triad that started on March 29, 2017, you actually felt as if Mercury was already retrograde when the month of April began. Now, Mercury is officially retrograde. With Mercury retrograde in the sign of Taurus a lot of your energy needs to be spent on your financial well-being as well as your relationship with others. It becomes more difficult to compromise because there’s a tendency to hold on to your ideas with greater conviction. You may even feel as if you need to fight for your belief systems rather than listen to what others have to say. Subconsciously you want to make sure you’re taking care of your needs. There’s value in taking care of your needs. At the same time, you don’t want to ignore other people and the value they have in your life.

Ceres forms a conjunction to Mars on April 10^th, the day before the full Moon. Like Pluto, Mars is also a symbol of the god of the underworld. For this reason, you may feel as if things that occurred on April 2^nd when Ceres formed a trine to Pluto are also occurring again today. Perhaps you were confronted with a situation where you felt as if something important was taking from you and you had to fight for your rights. And, perhaps the only way that you won was to understand the importance of compromise. With both Ceres and Mars in Taurus, you may feel as if you need to do everything on your own. But that’s not necessarily true. If you listen to what the other person has to say, you may find that both of you are really striving for the same goal. Or, you may find that by compromising, both of you can improve a situation and ensure its success.

When the full Moon, with Sun in Aries and Moon in Libra, occurs on April 11^th, there is a strong need to be very careful. This full Moon creates a cardinal T-square which emphasizes the energy of the cardinal T-square occurring between Jupiter retrograde, Uranus, and Pluto. The Sun forms a conjunction to Uranus, an opposition to Jupiter retrograde, and a square to Pluto. The Moon forms a conjunction to Jupiter retrograde, an opposition to Uranus, and a square to Pluto.

You want to move forward, but you don’t know how. Unexpected circumstances are occurring in your life. You feel stressed by various situations. You also feel as if other people have control over your life and you don’t. Emotionally you’d like to work with other people but you don’t know if you can trust them. They aren’t consistent. They seem to be saying one thing and acting another way.

Yet with the Moon in Libra, you need to understand that you can’t do everything on your own. You need to form alliances which help you succeed with your goals. You may need to take risks, but you also don’t want to alienate others.

Although Ceres formed the conjunction to Mars yesterday, this aspect is still in effect during the full Moon. This reinforces the need to find other people who are willing to either support your efforts or join you in your fight to win. Compromise is very important if you want to succeed.

Venus in Pisces turns stationary direct on April 15^th. It went retrograde on March 4^th when it was in the sign of Aries. It re-entered the sign of Pisces on April 2, 2017. It was originally in the sign of Pisces from January 3, 2017 to February 3, 2017 when it first entered the sign of Aries.

When Venus was retrograde in the sign of Pisces, you may have felt that you just wanted to retreat from the world. At the same time, you understood the importance of approaching life situations with compassion. When Venus re-entered the sign of Pisces on April 2^nd, it was applying to a conjunction to Chiron. Now that it is turning direct it is close to forming the conjunction to Chiron by 23 minutes. But Venus moves away before it forms that conjunction. It’s as if you’re moving closer to some sort of emotional or financial pain, but that pain doesn’t manifest. Perhaps it’s because you were able to approach situations with such compassion that it raised your understanding of how to approach and correct the problem. Or, perhaps you used this retrograde time period to understand how to improve your relationships with other people or you own financial situation. The good news is that you can finally move on with your life and improve your relationships and finances.

Although Venus didn’t make that aspect to Chiron, Mars does form a sextile to Chiron on April 16^th. This can be a tremendous day of healing.  You have more vitality. You have more energy. You’re able to move forward with your life. You don’t let things stand in your way. You also feel good about the personal relationships which can share your joy of healing.

You may feel frustrated on April 17^th as Mars forms a quincunx to Saturn retrograde. You want to take action but you feel as if other people are standing in your way. You don’t like the barriers you have in front of you. But, with Mars in Taurus, you can find a way around these barriers if you just understand what you need to do before you take any action. You might even be able to get other people to remove those barriers if you realize that approaching situations with love works a lot better than approaching them with anger.

When the Sun enters Taurus on April 19^th, you continue to feel better about your financial situation especially since Mercury retrograde will form a conjunction to the Sun just after midnight EDT tomorrow. Now is the time to review your responsibilities, especially in relationship to your financial situation. This is also a good day to make certain that you re-evaluate your budget and start keeping track of all financial matters.

By April 20^th, Pluto turns stationary retrograde and Mercury re-enters the sign of Aries later in the day. Pluto will remain retrograde until October 28, 2017.

Most people won’t feel the energy of Pluto turning retrograde on April 20^th. You may feel as if things are slowing down, but that’s about it. When Pluto is retrograde, it’s a good time to delve into your subconscious motivations. It’s also a good time to try and understand why certain things are important to you.

When Mercury retrograde re-enters the sign of Aries later in the day, you may feel a little frustrated. Mercury initially entered the sign of Aries on March 13. 2017. It stayed in the sign of Aries until March 31, 2017 when it entered the sign of Taurus. It went retrograde in the sign of Taurus on April 9^th.

When Mercury retrograde re-enters the sign of Aries you may want to rush into situations without thinking. You may want to throw things out of your life. You may want to take risks without any regard to the consequences. You may even say things which you’ll regret later. But the underlying theme of this month is use your critical listening skills so you can understand what others are saying and to realize that at times you need to compromise. You may even want to renew some old alliances.

On April 21^st, Mars enters the sign of Gemini and Venus forms a square to Saturn retrograde within minutes of each other. With Mars in Gemini you may talk too much and not consider the meaning of your words. Yet with Venus forming a square to Saturn retrograde, you may feel as if other people are criticizing your very actions. This is a day where you do need to choose your words carefully. You don’t want to say something you’ll regret. At the same time, you don’t want to feel frustrated because other people don’t want to listen. Use the energy this way: If people aren’t willing to listen, just keep quiet and keep your thoughts to yourself. If they are trying to tell you what to do, pay attention to their words but don’t act on their suggestions. Think about the information and how that fits into your own needs. If you can do this, you’ll find a way to come up with your own solutions without alienating others.

Later in the day on April 21^st, Ceres forms a sextile to Chiron indicating that you can actually find ways to heal from feeling lonely and feeling as if no one is willing to listen to you. You realize that you were expecting too much. You also realize, with Ceres in Taurus, that you thought you had to do everything on your own. But, with Chiron in Pisces, you’ll find that if you reach out to others, you’ll be able to understand that you’re not alone in the world.

Mars forms a square to the Moon’s Nodal Axis on April 23^rd and Ceres forms a quincunx to Saturn retrograde later in the day. With Mars forming the square to the Moon’s Nodal Axis on April 23^rd, you need to find balance in your life between moving towards your future and holding on to past ideals. It’s important to understand that the past can create the type of foundation you need to be successful.

When Ceres forms a quincunx to Saturn retrograde later in the day, you realize that perhaps you need to make some compromises if you want to succeed. While understanding the past is important, you also need to realize that you can’t hold on to past situations which prevent you from moving forward. That’s why balance is so important today.

Mercury forms its second trine to Saturn in the triad sequence on April 24^th with both planets in retrograde motion. When it formed the first trine on March 29^th, both planets were in direct motion. It will form the third trine when Mercury is in direct motion and Saturn is retrograde on May 11^th.

Once again it’s important to focus on your communication style. Perhaps information which you received on March 29^th resurfacing so you can look at your responsibilities and determine if your daily routine is bringing you closer to success. Or, perhaps you said too much at the end of March and now you have to go back and correct any misunderstanding from that earlier communication.

If you used the energy of Saturn to establish goals and develop a path of achievement, it’s time to review your milestones to see if you reached them. Or, perhaps you need to re-evaluate the milestones you set and make some changes. You’ll finally understand the right path on May 11^th when this aspect occurs for the last time.

When the new Moon occurs on April 26^th, the Sun and Moon are both in Taurus. This is a great time to determine what’s important in your life. Take the time to understand what you value. Find a way to implement your value systems into your daily routine. Let people you love know how much you appreciate them.

On April 28^th, Venus, now in direct motion, re-enters the sign of Aries and Mercury retrograde forms its second conjunction to Uranus in the triad sequence.

Venus initially entered the sign of Aries on February 3, 2017 and turned retrograde on March 4, 2017. On April 2, 2017, it re-entered the sign of Pisces in retrograde motion and turned direct in that sign on April 15, 2017. Now Venus re-enters the sign of Aries in direct motion.

While Venus is not that comfortable in the sign of Aries, you may actually be glad that it’s back in Aries. When Venus was in the sign of Pisces, especially in retrograde motion, you felt as if you wanted to retreat from the world. You didn’t want to interact with too many people because you could feel their pain too much. At the same time, you learned the importance of compassion in your interactions with other. Now that Venus is in Aries you realize that you can put yourself first when it comes to meeting your needs. You don’t have to give up your independence in order to please other people.

As Mercury retrograde forms a conjunction to Uranus communications become very important again. The first time that Mercury formed a conjunction to Uranus in this triad sequence was on March 26, 2017 when it was in direct motion. The last time that Mercury will form the conjunction to Uranus will be on May 10, 2017 when Mercury is in direct motion. It’s very important to remember the various conversations you had at the end of March when Mercury formed its first conjunction to Uranus. Perhaps you said too much and are regretting it now. Or, perhaps you acted without considering all the consequences of your actions and now you realize just what they mean.

However, this day can also be a positive one. With Venus now in Aries and Mercury retrograde forming the conjunction to Uranus, you may come up with new plans that can improve your success. Since the underlying theme for this month is both communication and compromise, you may find a new solution to problems which have been bothering you since the end of March.

Ceres enters the sign of Gemini on April 29^th. When Ceres is in the sign of Gemini, you feel that it’s important to discuss matters with other people. You want to resolve conflict by speaking, rather than arguing. Once again the theme is on communications and compromise. Just be careful not to compromise to the point that you give up commitments which are important to you.

As the month of April ends, Chiron forms a square to Saturn retrograde and Ceres forms a square to the Moon’s Nodal Axis on April 30^th. This can be a difficult day to get things done with Chiron forming a square to Saturn retrograde. You may feel as if you need to move too slowly. You may become too sluggish. Just don’t let other people criticize you or take your power away.

However, when Ceres forms a square to the Moon’s Nodal Axis later in the day, you find a balance between your past and future needs. You understand where you need to compromise in order to be successful in life. By moving slowly, you’ll be able to make changes that don’t draw criticism from other people. You also realize the importance of creating a responsible plan which generates the support of other people in your life.