Important astrological energies for the month of April:

• Jupiter retrograde in Scorpio forms a sextile to Pluto in Capricorn on April 14, 2018. This is the second time this sextile is occurs in this triad sequence. The first time it occurred was on January 15, 2018 when both planets were in direct motion. The third time it occurs is on September 12, 2018 when Jupiter is in direct motion and Pluto is retrograde.
• Mercury in Aries turns stationary direct on April 15, 2018. It went retrograde on March 22, 2018.
• New Moon with Sun and Moon in Aries occurs on April 15, 2018.
• Chiron enters the sign of Aries on April 17, 2018. Chiron will be in Aries from April 17, 2018 until September 25, 2018 when it re-enters the sign of Pisces in retrograde motion.
• Full Moon with Sun in Taurus and Moon in Scorpio occurs on April 29, 2018.

Strategies Lead to Success

By Misty Kuceris ©2018

The month of April begins with both Mercury and Jupiter in retrograde motion. Mercury went retrograde on March 22, 2018 and Jupiter went retrograde on March 8, 2018. With both of these planets retrograde, you’ll find that this is a month where you need to watch and listen. This is also an important month to gather information so you can develop strategies which will lead to your success.

On April 2^nd, Mars forms a conjunction to Saturn. With both of these planets in the sign of Capricorn you need to move slowly and with purpose. You don’t want to take anything for granted. Instead, it’s important to focus on your goals and find practical ways to achieve them.

When Venus forms a square to Ceres on April 4^th you’re not sure whether to approach life passionately or continue moving with caution. You don’t want other people to take advantage of your good nature. Nor do you want to feel so cynical of others that you can’t get anything accomplished. The best way to proceed in your relationships is to determine what your needs are and not let anyone else try to change your mind. This is actually a good day to negotiate contracts because you’ll find a way to cooperate with others while standing up for your needs.

On April 5^th, Mercury forms its second square to Saturn in this triad sequence. The first time that Mercury formed a square to Saturn was on March 11, 2018 when both Mercury and Saturn were in direct motion. The last time this square occurs is on April 25, 2018 when Mercury is direct and Saturn is retrograde.

If you feel any tension in your life it’s because you feel as if things are moving too slowly. You’re taking everything seriously. You don’t want to say the wrong thing and end up in trouble. Now is the time to observe your surroundings and make any necessary changes. You need to develop strategies for success. The time for implementing those strategies will be around April 25^th when Mercury forms the last square to Saturn.

When Venus forms a trine to Saturn on April 7^th, you feel comfortable with any decisions you make. You know what you value and how to create a strategy that achieves your goals. You realize the value in working slowly. You don’t want to take any shortcuts or make mistakes.

This is also a good day for relationships, either personal or professional. Because you know what you want, you can succeed at negotiating any contracts. You have the research done and you understand the value of the contract. On a personal level, you are willing to listen to what others have to say, just as they are willing to listen to you. They understand that you care about the situation.

On April 9^th, Mercury retrograde is forming the second trine to Ceres in this triad sequence. The first time that Mercury formed the trine to Ceres was on March 9, 2018 when Mercury was direct and Ceres was retrograde. The last time Mercury forms a trine to Ceres in this triad sequence is on April 26, 2018 when both Mercury and Ceres are direct.

When this trine first occurred at the start of March, other people may have tried to push you into a compromise. With Mercury in Aries, you may have wanted to rush right in and agree. But something held you back. That something was a sense that you weren’t getting everything you needed from the deal. Today you get more information about that project or contract. You find that you were right not to rush in. You’ll still need more information before you finally come to an agreement. If possible, wait until around April 26^th before you make any commitments because all the information will be revealed at that time.

You’ll get some help in getting more information when Venus forms a square to the Moon’s Nodal Axis on April 10^th. The help may come from external sources where other people question your values and you find yourself reviewing them. Or, you may take an inner, spiritual, journey where you consider whether all your old values are still meaningful in your life. You may even decide that it’s time to let go of some old beliefs which were hindering your success.

April 12^th is a great day for reflection and creative ventures as Venus forms a sextile to Neptune. You’re in touch with the world around you from a different perspective. You see the beauty in things that you didn’t before. You find value in the passionate side of nature and you want to express it. You’re also open to new ideas and approaches to situations.

You may meet someone new today who seems to embody the aspects that you’re seeking in a soul mate. Or, you may be able to resolve some old problems with a dose of compassion. If you do meet someone new, take the time to find out who that individual really is. Sometimes when Neptune is involved, you see what you want and not what’s there. You’ll know whether this new person is your soul mate by April 15, 2018 when Mercury turns direct and the new Moon occurs.

Jupiter retrograde in Scorpio forms a sextile to Pluto in Capricorn on April 14^th. This is the second time this trine is occurring in this triad sequence. The first time it occurred was on January 15, 2018 when both planets were in direct motion. The third time it occurs is on September 12, 2018 when Jupiter is in direct motion and Pluto is retrograde.

With Jupiter retrograde, be cautious before moving forward with new adventures. It’s important to gather information before proceeding. It’s also important to consider both your spiritual and material needs. With Pluto in Capricorn, it helps if you can understand the political climate and social structure. By understanding the political climate and social structure, you’ll know whether any plans you’re making have a chance for success.

A few hours after Jupiter retrograde forms a sextile to Pluto, Mars forms a sextile to Neptune. Once again you’re reminded of the importance of moving cautiously with any new plans. If possible, take time to reflect on your aspirations. Make certain that they are realistic. In addition, try to find new and creative ways to implement your plans.

For an artist, this is a great day because inspiration is all around you. You feel the world evolve. You may decide to pull back and just observe the world. What you see can inspire you to create an amazing piece of artwork.

On April 15^th, Mercury turns stationary direct. It went retrograde on March 22, 2018. Now you feel as if you can speak your mind. With Mercury in Aries, you don’t care what other people think. You just want to get it done.

What you’ll find as Mercury turns direct is that other people are more willing to be honest with you. They also don’t want to withhold anything. Where it can be difficult is if you were angry about a situation and didn’t deal with that anger before. Now you’ll deal with it now. Today you will find your words.

On the same day that Mercury turns stationary direct, the new Moon with Sun and Moon in Aries occurs. This new Moon also forms a conjunction to Uranus. Expect the unexpected.

Information which has been lurking in the shadows is suddenly revealed. If you were confused about something, you’ll get clarification today, even if you don’t like it.

People won’t hold back. You are willing to try new experiences. You may even feel as if so much is going on so quickly that you can’t keep up. The best thing to do is to take all the strategies that you developed earlier this month and get ready to implement them.

On April 17^th Venus forms an opposition to Jupiter retrograde, Chiron enters the sign of Aries, Venus forms a trine to Pluto, and Saturn turns retrograde. This is a day where your optimism can either lead you down the wrong path or let you achieve remarkable results. It’s how you handle your commitments and desires.

With Venus forming the opposition to Jupiter retrograde you don’t want to make too many commitments. Even if all the opportunities sound good, you can’t take advantage of every one. You need to pick and choose.

As Chiron enters the sign of Aries, you may find that your aggressive nature could actually do you more harm than good. You need to temper your actions so you don’t inflict any self-wounds. If you move too quickly, you may not take other people into consideration. Or, you may feel as if you don’t need help from anyone else. Yet, the truth is that you can achieve more if you work with others and find common ground.

As Venus forms that trine to Pluto you’re able to understand the importance of working with others. While you may feel passionate about your goals, you also understand the importance of following realistic goals. You’ll even understand your financial obligations and realize that any plan of success must also be financially stable. This will be a time of releasing some parts of your plan because they aren’t realistic enough. While it’s not always easy to let go when Venus forms a trine to Pluto, you understand the importance of setting boundaries and working on one goal at a time.

As Saturn turns stationary retrograde later in the day, things slow down. You may feel a little sluggish. Saturn will be retrograde from April 17^th until September 6, 2018. With Saturn retrograde in Capricorn, you need to re-evaluate the structures in your life. You need to see if they are working for you. You may even decide to make some changes so you can feel more security in your life. Just don’t put up so many barriers that you don’t let other people in your life. You don’t want to isolate yourself with Saturn retrograde in Capricorn.

As the Sun enters the sign of Taurus on April 19^th take time to review your finances and make certain that your life is on track. Just look at the goals that you established and determine if you can afford to move forward with your plan. Make certain that your goals don’t compromise your value system. It’s important that you find a way to meet your spiritual needs as well as financial obligations.

On April 22^nd, Pluto turns stationary retrograde. It will be retrograde until September 30, 2018. It’s interesting to point out that both Saturn and Pluto will be retrograde for almost the same time period, from April 2018 to September 2018. During this time period you may want to review various strategies and determine if you’re on the right track. You may feel as if certain achievements are taking too long. But, if you’re taking the right steps in life, you’re realize that the main reason things are taking so long is because you’re doing everything right.

When Pluto is retrograde you may feel as if you have less power. You feel as if you need to watch yourself with others. Although the sextile between Jupiter retrograde and Pluto retrograde isn’t exact, you can still feel the energy of this sextile. You have the opportunity to look at your future goals and determine what needs to be done to achieve them. You also want to take a look at the waste that needs to be tossed out. You may not feel like throwing any of this away at this point, but you will once Pluto turns direct.

On April 24^th, Mars forms a sextile to Jupiter retrograde, Venus enters the sign of Gemini, Ceres forms a quincunx to Saturn retrograde, and Venus forms a sextile to Chiron.

Overall this is a day for understanding your environment and finding ways to bring joy into your life as well as healing energies.

When Mars forms a sextile to Jupiter retrograde, you normally want to take risks. With Mars in the sign of Capricorn, however, you pay more attention to your job and how well you can provide for your family. You want to do well. You have goals that you want to achieve. You even want to take only calculated risks. Calculated risks are situations where you consider the cost if you lose and are still willing to pay the price.

With Venus entering the sign of Gemini, you place more value on communications. You want to make certain other people understand you. You are also willing to listen to people.

Collecting little tidbits of information is important. You may not fully understand the situation, but you still want all the information you can get. Just be careful not to get involved with gossip and believing that gossip without verifying the facts.

As Ceres forms a quincunx to Saturn retrograde, you survey your surroundings. You take a look to see if you have everything you need. You try to find ways to make situations safe for you and your family. You are not willing to take risks.

When Venus forms a sextile to Chiron, you realize just how important it is to take care of your health. You’re glad that you’re playing it safe. You don’t want to do anything which can bring injury to you or anyone else in your life.

On April 25^th, Mercury forms the last square to Saturn retrograde in this triad sequence. The first time this square occurred was on March 11, 2018 when both Mercury and Saturn were direct. The second time it occurred was on April 5, 2018 when Mercury was retrograde and Saturn was direct.

All the plans that you were conceiving since March 11^th are now are coming into focus. You have a good idea of what you need to do to begin. You also know which plans won’t be successful and which are best not to try and implement. It’s all right if you take yourself seriously today because you have a lot to begin. Just don’t become so critical of your actions that you don’t take any.

When Mercury forms a trine to Ceres on April 26^th, it will be the last time in this triad sequence. The first time this trine occurred was on March 9, 2018 when Mercury was direct and Ceres was retrograde. The second time this trine occurred was on April 9, 2018 when Mercury was retrograde and Ceres was direct. Now both planets are direct and you finally feel the Mercury retrograde energy is no longer impacting your life even though Mercury actually went direct on April 15^th.

As Mercury forms the trine to Ceres, you understand how to communicate with others in a way that they hear what you say. You’re able to negotiate deals because you know how to compromise without giving away anything of importance. You also realize that you can’t just take people for granted.

With Mars forming a conjunction to Pluto retrograde later in the day, you’re able to focus on your ideas and see all the possible solutions. You have a high level of energy today and you can accomplish a lot. Just don’t let the passion of your goals push you so hard that you alienate others in your pursuit to achieve your goals.

The full Moon with Sun in Taurus and Moon in Scorpio occurs on April 29^th. It forms a square to the Ceres/Moon’s North Node conjunction as well as a square to the Moon’s South Node. Karmically this can be a very important day.

When the Sun is in Taurus, it’s important to hold on to your value systems. As the same time, when the Moon is in Scorpio, you don’t want to give too much information away. You want to hold on to your secrets. But, because this is a full Moon, you need to know when to let go of situations or people in your life who don’t support your spiritual and material goals.

With the full Moon forming a square to the conjunction of Ceres and the Moon’s North Node in Leo, it’s important for you to pay attention to your future goals. You may need to compromise to achieve them. But, if you also hold onto your values, you’ll be able to compromise without losing your spiritual sense of self.

With the full Moon forming a square to the Moon’s South Node in Aquarius, you may experience fears of losing your individuality. But, if you understand your role in society, you won’t lose who you really are. Instead, you’ll find more ways to express your individuality.

This day is also one of opportunity as the Moon forms a sextile to Saturn retrograde while the Sun forms a trine to Saturn retrograde. All the goals that you set earlier in the month and the plans you create can be achieved. You also know your boundaries and this knowledge will inspire honor and respect from other people.

For more information on Misty Kuceris, her classes and seminars, as well as other articles, just go to www.mistykuceris.com.

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