The big news this month is the conjunction between Jupiter and Uranus in Taurus. Check out my video “Jupiter-Uranus Conjunction 2024” for more details.
April marks a shift from Pisces to Aries, with Mercury already in Aries as it starts its retrograde on April 2, and Venus moving into Aries on April 4.
Venus in Aries
Venus gets a bad rap in Aries in our tradition, and that’s not without reason with placating Venus in a sign ruled by not at all placating Mars. But there’s always more to the story with planets in fall, which I prefer to think of as “interesting” rather than simply problematic.
I’ve always liked the image of Xena warrior princess for Venus in Aries. The actress Lucy Lawless, who played Xena in the tv show, had the Sun in Aries and Mars in Taurus – which is the flip side of a planet in fall with Mars in a sign ruled by Venus. So maybe Xena is a better image for Mars in Taurus!
But getting back to Venus in Aries, the idea is that our attractions are fueled by a sign that prefers action over deliberation. In other words, we’re more likely to pursue our attractions rather than waiting for them to come to us.
Best April Date Night
But let me back up a couple of days. Because just before Venus gets into Aries, it spends a couple of days in peak Pisces territory on April 3 when Venus will be conjunct at parallel Neptune in Pisces. If you’re looking for a romantic date night in April, this would be a great pick. But with a caveat. Venus in this super conjunction with Neptune is the ultimate peak in romantic idealism. Use this energy to create a lovely vibe, enhance the romantic atmosphere, and soften any boundaries to a love connection. Just don’t set the bar so high in your imagination that the human you’re loving can’t ever attain the heights you’re fantasizing about.
Maximum Containment – the Bundle Chart Pattern
This brings me to another rare event this month. Right now the way the sky is laid out, when the Moon is in any sign between Aquarius and Taurus, we have a planetary portrait that could be described as “maximum containment”. This is because all of the major planets are in 4 consecutive signs less than 120 degrees apart. This is called a wedge or bundle chart pattern.
By the way, for some quick astrology vocabulary, a chart pattern is seen by looking at all of the major planets in a chart as a whole. This is different from an aspect pattern, which is formed by 3 or more planets in a particular configuration.
But back to the bundle chart pattern we have from April 3 to 10 – in this time of maximum containment, there’s a concentration of energy in one section of any chart run at this time. People born with this kind of chart have strong magnetism because of the intensity of focus. There’s an intensity to this pattern and this time period, as the developmental pressure generated by the planets will impact us in one particular zone of our chart.
If you have fixed angles, this will probably work out to be one quadrant of your chart in which all of the action is happening right now. The intense focus can lead to amazing work or growth in one area of life, but the pitfall is that the other sides of life aren’t getting as much attention. So the gift of focus can also produce a sharp blind spot.
Mercury Retrograde in Aries
Now, also as all of this starts, Mercury stations retrograde in Aries on April 2. So the start of the month is jam packed with interesting energy. You’ve probably heard enough general Mercury retrograde advice at this point, so I’ll just remind you of a less talked about dimension of Mercury retrograde, which has to do with Mercury’s cycle with the Sun.
At the start of Mercury retrograde, Mercury is wrapping up a roughly 3 month cycle. It’s in the balsamic part of that phase which tells us that our time is best spent wrapping things up, closing the door on one chapter so we can start a new one soon. This is all about Mercury related things, so it’s a great time to finally reply to old emails in your inbox or tidy up the papers in your office.
The idea is to clear space – both literal and mental – in preparation for a new Mercury chapter, which starts when Mercury makes its inferior conjunction with the Sun. This takes place on April 11. The inferior conjunction is worth noting in any Mercury retrograde period because it marks a turning point after which things start to shift. Your ideas about things could change. You might see something in a new light, and this might cause you to shift gears. You might not be clear yet about all of the details, but you have a sense that a new direction is emerging.
If you need to take some Mercury related actions like signing papers, this is also a good day to catch a bit of magic as this conjunction, which is also called a cazimi conjunction, gives us access to a little solar magic to be able to see more clearly.
Now if you’re following the eclipses, you’ll note this is right after the big solar eclipse on April 8. If the eclipse has correlated with a major shift in your life, April 11 might bring a touch of clarity.
Then its full steam ahead to the exact conjunction of Jupiter and Uranus on April 20.
There is so much going on, it’s like the whole first half of this month is building up to the stunning climax of a binge worthy Netflix series. I’ll have my popcorn ready and curious to see what surprises are in store. Of course, some surprises aren’t welcome ones, but these are the kind that answer burning questions so that we can finally see what we’re working with and then move forward.
May will be a transition month, and then June will bring a signification change in tone. But for now, the main message is to ride the wave of possibility and potential, tie up loose ends this month, and stay nimble on your feet.
As the month wraps up, Venus moves into Taurus on April 29, and Mars into Aries on April 30. Those really tell the story of May, so I’ll leave them for next time.
Electional Dates for Good Timing
And with that, let’s get to this months dates for good timing. Watch my video What is Electional Astrology if you’re new to this and you want to learn more about it.
Since Jupiter is currently in Taurus, we get even better than usual juju every time the Moon is in Cancer and Taurus, because the harmonious aspects. This month the Moon will be in Taurus April 9 and 10th, and Cancer for April 13 to 15.
The Moon in Cancer will also be out of bounds – which gives it a turbo charge.
With Mercury retrograde for most of the month, we want to take extra care with any actions ruled by Mercury, which would include important communications and paperwork shuffles or just general commerce. If you can put those things off without too much trouble, that’s not a bad idea. But don’t be too worried if you can’t. The message under Mercury retrograde is to just slow down and take care, which will be extra hard while Mercury is in Aries. Moving too quickly or impulsively could get you into trouble.
Now, a lot of astrologers will avoid important actions too near an eclipse, and April 9 might be too close for comfort for some. But on April 10, that conjunction with Jupiter and Uranus might feel worth it, especially knowing that you’ll have to wait about 12 years for another one like it.
You’ll have to wait until April is over to get clear of the Mercury retrograde shadow. But if you’re not as worried about that and take care, the waxing Moon in Cancer presents an opporunity to pick up a sextile with the Jupiter-Uranus conjunction and a trine to Mars and Saturn. That’s probably one of your best options in April.
If you’d like to learn how to do electional astrology, join us for Intro to Electional Astrology with expert Mary Shea starting up again in early April.
And if you’re in Europe, join us for an immersion into Jupiter-Uranus aspects in either Dublin or Berlin. Discount admission scholarships are available. Just ask us!
Alright, well that takes me to the end of this month’s forecast. I hope you’re able to make good use of the planetary energies this month, and until next time, take good care.
Declination Aspects
- April 1-3 – Moon out of bounds in Sagittarius and Capricorn
- April 3 – Venus parallel Neptune
- April 8 – Sun contraparallel Mars and Saturn
- April 9 – Mars parallel Saturn
- April 11 – Venus contraparallel Neptune
- April 14 – Sun parallel Mercury
- April 12-16 – Moon out of bounds in Gemini and Cancer
- April 17 – Venus contraparallel Mars
- April 20 – Mercury parallel Venus
- April 22 – Venus contraparallel Saturn
- April 28-29 – Mars parallel Neptune
Longitudinal Aspects
- April 1 – Venus conjunct Neptune in Pisces (and parallel)
- April 2 – Mercury stations retrograde in Aries
- April 3 – 10 – “Maximum Containment” (planets in 4 consecutive signs)
- April 11 – Mercury inferior conjunction with Sun
- April 19 – Mercury conjunct Venus
- April 20 – Jupiter conjunct Uranus (exact)
- April 25 – Mercury stations direct in Aries
- April 28 – Mars conjunct and parallel Neptune
- April 30 – Venus square Pluto
Ingresses
- April 4 – Venus enters Aries
- April 19 – Sun enters Taurus
- April 29 – Venus enters Taurus
- April 30 – Mars enters Aries
Electionals – Dates for Supportive Aspects
- April 9-10 – Moon in Taurus conjunct Jupiter and Uranus (though close to the solar eclipse)
- April 14-15 – Moon in Cancer sextile Jupiter conjunct Uranus and trine Mars conjunct Saturn
