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by Terry Lamb The Sun is in Aries, that springtime sign of feverish growth and longing for action. Regardless of whether you live north or south of the equator, the Aries Equinox launches us into action. This forms the all-encompassing context for a lively month ahead. This is a month when our new plans and directions are launched in some way. When April opens, we’ve had a week’s practice in emerging from the oceanic ethers of Pisces. The quietude of this floaty time may have induced a "there’s so much to do" anxiety, but now we find out how essential this gestation period was for letting some conditions dissolve into nothingness that are still with us from the past. The clearer and cleaner our slate, the better prepared we are to write our new future on it. Although the entire month is filled with planetary calls to action, Weeks two and three are the most dynamic. The Moon augments the process when it reaches its Full phase on April 15—this is the day of our latest Lunar Eclipse (25°16' Libra/Aries), a total eclipse that will be visible throughout the Western Hemisphere. An annular New Moon (Solar) Eclipse follows on the 28th (8°52' Taurus). While both types of eclipse dissolve our current moorings, there is more of a "letting go" energy to the Full Moon Eclipse and more of a new beginning energy with the New Moon Eclipse. This is augmented this time by the prevailing planetary energies, which in Cardinal signs encourage us to make decisions that commit us to a particular path or direction. When we are dealing with Cardinal energy, we ask ourselves, “Who am I?”, or more specifically “What/who do I want to identify with?” When we choose one thing, we move away from or deprioritize the other possibilities we were considering. We signal a change in values, direction, and ways of being who we are. This announcement of our chosen fate can have a profound effect throughout our life, as well as upon others. Considering that everyone is doing the same thing, we will find our world much altered by the end of April. Some of this will be in ways we have anticipated, but there will be new plot twists added in as we connect the dots between previously disconnected stories. This is the last month of the yearly "(No-Hem) winter" lunations, in which each lunar event falls at the same degree of successive signs. Those with placements at 10, 17, 25, or 3 degrees get a rest. The Taurus New Moon shows the slippage backward in degrees (from 10 to 8 degrees), which will occur very rapidly in the summer months.
(Except as otherwise noted, all interpretations here are based on a natural chart, using the beginning of Aries as the ascendant, and times are Pacific Daylight Time (UTC–7). A "Void Moon" or "Void of Course Moon" (or "VOC moon" for short) makes no significant aspects until it enters the next sign. Its void period is thought to be a poor time for starting new projects or making concerted effort toward existing plans. According to William Lilly, the Moon in Cancer (Moon's rulership), Taurus (Moon's exaltation), Sagittarius and Pisces (signs ruled by Jupiter, the Great Benefic) "performeth somewhat." Lee Lehmann reports that she has tested this, and "you can take it to the bank." Another way of putting how this works is that, when an action is taken during the void period in one of these signs, you get "unanswered success." That is, the lack of planetary action prevents your action from being denied. The month launches with a bang, as Sun squares Jupiter, the closing square in their yearly interaction, and we feel pulled to complete our plans for expansion. The Moon in Taurus soothes our senses and stabilizes our feelings so we get some traction, harmonizing with Neptune, Jupiter, and Pluto. Don’t forget to say “White Rabbit!” when you rise today, to invoke the powers of the unconscious world for the coming month—and don’t let anyone get your goat on this All Fool’s Day. We scarcely get a chance to draw breath as Sun conjoins Uranus at 12°28' Aries, commencing the newest yearly cycle of quantum change and unexpected events. You never know what’s coming, so we should watch events, discipline our focus, and act carefully today as seeds are planted for what’s to come. We feel the urge to connect today, and there is a constructive process that we can address. However, there’s a relationship issue that undermines the project, and it may curtail the discussion until this elephant in the living room is addressed. The Moon carries on in Taurus, highlighting the need to work things through. Its brief void period commences at 11:43 pm PT (2:43 am ET on April 3) and expires overnight. The Sun continues to spotlight the call for action as it squares Pluto, opening us to the active transformation process we’ve chosen for this year since this cycle began on January 1. At 4:48 am (7:48 am ET), the Moon enters Gemini, and we want to talk it out, but with a square to Neptune it’s hard to know what to say. Tomorrow we’ll know. Today’s energies facilitate commerce and connectivity, with an eye toward future peace in our ties with others, as the Moon receives usable input from Uranus, Sun, and Mars. What happens today is the set-up for the culmination of the Mars retrograde next Tuesday (April 8). We have the chance to smooth things over, but our efforts must be heartfelt and sincere to be successful. Charm offensives won’t work. Venus enters its exaltation sign of Pisces at 1:31 pm, and our outcomes in relationship are finally handed over from Saturn to Jupiter. (See April’s overview for more.) The Moon takes us from awkward silence to deep feeling as it goes void at 7:55 am (10:55 am ET), until it enters Cancer at 2:40 pm, when a trine to Venus sweetly opens our emotions to the light of day. As the Moon traverses Cancer, it shows us what’s going on with our big changes from a feeling perspective. We touch on questions of where we belong and feel at home, and our efforts now are designed to ensure our security in the midst of rapidly shifting circumstances. Today’s First Quarter Moon arrives at 1:31 am/17°27' Cancer/Aries (4:31 am ET), creating the urge to do something to stop the merry-go-round. The cosmic director says, “Again, with more feeling!” We reach the tipping point with a dilemma that we have been aware of since December. If we have taken steps since then to build trust and connection with the person(s) involved, the tension will be considerably reduced. No matter where we find ourselves at this time, we will feel called to act; but rather than one grand gesture, a series of small steps will produce better results when there is so much newness to adapt to. Mercury augments our optimism and initiative when it goes into Aries at 8:35 am. The Moon in Cancer enters its void period at 11:14 am in a constructive frame. The void in Cancer is a powerful time when the "inner wireless" system is up and humming strong. This lunar event is the last before we descend into the Full Moon Lunar Eclipse, and carries the full impetus of the Mars climax which arrives tomorrow. This allows the energy to disperse more gracefully, and we find it easier to avoid automatic reactions in favor of more thoughtful responses. This is especially significant for the world situation, which has become more tense since Putin’s Russia has violated international code and custom in Ukraine. This is a “family” dispute that goes back centuries, and the subtleties of Russia’s history and current circumstances must be understood and dealt with honestly in order to resolve this peacefully. Attitudes of high-handedness and superiority will inflame the conflict, while patient insistence on the rule of law with sincere negotiations to meet Russia’s true needs will bring better results. President Obama is likely to take the high road in a brilliant fashion, although Secretary of State Kerry may not be in complete alignment. The Sabian Symbols that we will work with in the coming week are: “A hen is scratching for her chicks” (the Moon); and for the Sun, “An empty hammock hangs between two lovely trees.” It’s time to roll up our sleeves and get to work, whether we feel like we’re just scratching out a living or involved in a great and purposeful enterprise. The good life tantalizes us, but this is a time for action. The retrograde of Mars, and its two-year cycle with the Sun, reach their official peak as the Sun and Mars oppose each other, heightening tension and pushing toward the release that will come in the next six weeks. Although we want to resolve things in one fell swoop, small steps work better when so much is happening that we feel overwhelmed. At 2:50 am PT (5:50 am ET), the Moon makes its way into Leo, head and heart align, and we feel a burst of confidence that helps us overcome the obstacles that remain unresolved. The Moon continues through Leo, distracting us while we catch our breath between Cardinal rounds. We get a break until next week. Living in the moment is key right now, and today it’s easier than usual. When the Moon goes void at 11:26 pm (2:26 am April 10 ET), we know there’s still lots to be done, but we can take a break for now. The Moon is void of course in Leo until it enters Virgo at 3:08 pm (6:08 pm ET), bringing out our logic and problem-solving skills. We look a little deeper today into our progress on long-term goals, as seemingly random events bring up new considerations. Our longing for love fuels new insights and efforts in communication as Venus conjoins Neptune while the Virgo Moon collects energy from around the String of Pearls. We know now that this is the right thing, and we know what to do next. It’s time to take a very important step. The Moon is void in Virgo at 10:12 am (1:12 am April 13 ET) on a note of industry. It’s possible to complete those projects today, or at least make considerable progress. Once the Moon enters Libra at 1:33 am (4:33 am ET), we can take up new enterprises, but we’ll be thinking more about known situations and how to deal with the obstacles to success. Somewhere in the mix, there is a relationship that needs repairing. After last week’s emotional insights, we see what’s important. Now it’s time to make the connections that will lay the groundwork for overcoming those obstacles. Invitations and preparations are more in order, rather than putting deeper feelings into words. Mercury acts as a lightning rod, focussing the energy of change through mind and word as it squares Jupiter, conjoins Uranus, and squares the near-stationary Pluto. This reactivates the events of the past two weeks from a mental perspective, and we are prepared to take bold action to change our daily life. The Moon that has prepared us so carefully (with Mercury’s help) since January 1 now eggs us on as we head into the Full Moon Lunar Eclipse. It travels tandem with Mercury, making the rounds of the Cardinal Grand Cross. We are finally prepared to make the Big Change because we can’t stand the tension of no-action any longer. Communications made today may not flow so smoothly, but they might be essential nonetheless. If you can, delay verbal expression until Thursday or Friday; if you can’t, don’t take anything said today as the final word, because more adjustments will be needed. What happens today feeds a much deeper process that will echo over the coming five months, as Pluto turns retrograde at 13°35' Capricorn. Communication blockages that exist or emerge at this time can be cleared by the end of September. The Full Moon is also a Total Lunar Eclipse occurring at 0:42 am PT/25°16' Libra/Aries (3:42 am ET), visible to those in the Western Hemisphere. This is the void-of-course event, coming late in these two signs, and giving us a pause to consider all that has come to this point. Now we go into the dissolving process of the eclipse in earnest. Now the actions that we and others have taken must sink in, establishing conditions that we will assimilate, adjust, and adapt to in the next six months. We have turned a corner, and a new landscape awaits. The Moon enters Scorpio at 9:20 am and resonates with Neptune, enhancing the release of old feelings and fears. In the chart cast for the US set in the nation’s capitol, political tensions are played out in the world arena rather than domestically. A wounded and wayward leader has taken the wrong path in the world’s eyes, and the eclipse finds the situation in mid-reckoning. While many grievances have been addressed, some remain to be aired. It is a David-and-Goliath story with big, powerful Russia attempting to drown out small voices through force. The world is learning to rely on non-conflictual techniques for resolving such crises and missteps in leadership, in which the US will play an important but inconsistent role. The Sabian Symbols we will work with for the next six months are “an eagle and a large white dove turning constantly into each other” (the Moon); and “a man possessed of more gifts than he can hold” (the Sun). These symbols speak to the need to balance diplomacy and force, and the confused messages that come from a pluralistic society like the United States as well as other democracies. We have an opportunity, personally and humanistically, to overcome fear and want with a broad appreciation of the riches we enjoy, whatever they are, hidden in our daily experience. Our current need to communicate and resolve conflict reaches its final stages as Mercury opposes Mars. What isn’t resolved now may feel like it can’t be healed at all unless we use force, as Mars leaps into the game with a set of impending contacts. Awkwardness and strange experiences show us that there’s still something hidden, and it’s better if we understand what that is before we take our next steps. The Moon in Scorpio finds harmonies with Venus, Jupiter, and Pluto to bring deeper understanding just when and where we need it. Questions asked now (internally or externally) will be answered. The 17th brings us to the horns of our most prominent current dilemma, as Venus trines Jupiter while Moon in Scorpio occults (eclipses) Saturn before going void at 0:09 am (3:09 am ET). Any ideas for scaling new cliffs must be planned carefully in order to bring them to fruition now. However, situations which are already in progress fare better and may be a source of fulfillment if they are ripe. At 2:44 pm, the Moon enters Sagittarius to provide more support for our Jupiterian expansive ideas. Venus reminds us of the powerful undercurrent in what draws us forward as she sextiles Pluto, completing the pre-activation of the weekend’s Jupiter-Pluto opposition. As Sun conjoins the South Node, we get a look at where we’ve been and what we still need to let go of from the deepest levels of consciousness. The Moon in Sagittarius reconnects Venus and Neptune, reminding us of the spiritual truth in what and who we love. As the resurrection energy of the Easter weekend builds, the Moon in Sagittarius creates a strong Fire trine with Mercury and the Sun. The passion of inspiration pulls us forward and upward without effort. Venus quincunxes Mars Rx to refocus us on our long-term relationship objectives, as we feel irritated over what has not yet been brought into harmony. The Moon goes void at 6:17 pm (9:17 am ET), entering Capricorn at 6:28 pm, prompting an authenticity check on our current circumstances. At 8:56 pm PT, the Sun enters Taurus, taking us to stabler ground, with a sigh of relief. Another culmination is upon us, as Jupiter reaches its exact conjunction to Uranus, and opposition to Pluto, over the course of the day. This is the third of three contacts demarcating a powerful shift in our social interactions, the place where we belong, and the people we feel we belong with. This comes in response to the changes we see around us and feel we have to respond to by doing something differently in our lives. Venus conjoins Chiron, helping us clear the wound that we have sacrificed so much to heal, hearkening back to the end of February when this point was first activated this year. The Moon in Capricorn heightens our experience of these challenges, and we must resist feeling overwhelmed or isolated now as this crescendo passes. There is a light leading us forward, even if we are distracted right now by other factors. Uranus and Pluto make their fifth of seven squares in a series that is completed in March 2015. This is the point that all the challenges of the past month have been leading us to, and after today, the tension eases internally. The Moon is void of course in Capricorn at 4:21 pm (7:21 pm ET). When it enters Aquarius at 9:18 pm, objectivity is easier to access. The Moon makes its Third Quarter square to the Sun at 0:52 am PT/2°07' Aquarius/Taurus (3:52 am ET), taking us into a more predictable zone of consciousness-stretching. There’s something that will feel like the same old problem. With a new approach based on recent new insights, the outcome can be different this time—but our work with the Cardinal Cross is not yet complete. First it was the Sun, next Mercury, then Jupiter: Each of these planets has run the gauntlet of the Cardinal Cross heavies—Mars, Uranus and Pluto—adding their own flavor to our courageous journey on our unique path of purpose and fulfillment. Now Mars reaches its exact contacts with Jupiter, Uranus, and Pluto as it move backward through Libra, nearing the end of its retrograde passage. This is a volatile combination whose effects will depend on all the actions taken up to this point this year. We have needed the time to explore all the facets of the situation, from its deep history to our current skills in resolving differences in perspective, values, and understanding. Now it’s time to show what we’re made of. Conflicts are more likely to flare up now as Mars tests our flexibility, inner strength, and ingenuity. The first salvo comes today, as Mars squares Jupiter. This can be interpreted as being shunned, shamed, or isolated from those with whom we belong, bringing up ancient hurts and unhealed emotional wounds. Personally it is perhaps easier to overcome these issues with wisdom and insight, but politically such sagacity may be harder to come by. Volatility of mood can result in misguided leadership on the international playing field. Mercury conjoins the South Node, augmenting a tendency to rely on past patterns over new and untried approaches, but if we can use this to fuel our ingenuity with a pioneering spirit, we will gain the best outcomes from it. “A deserter from the Navy stands suddenly aware of a dawning truth: freedom is never the result of compromise” and “natural steps up to a lawn blooming with clover” are the Sabian Symbols for the Moon and Sun respectively. An inner crisis of values and principles must be balanced with the need to allow something to evolve organically. We may feel that we have to take immediate action on something, but that may be exactly what we don’t need to do. Let things develop slowly, and everything will be in clover. The day’s potential for fruitful activity is spent by the first coffee break, as the Moon goes void at 9:10 am (12:10 pm ET) in Aquarius until very late this evening. In the meantime, Mars retrograde reaches its opposition to Uranus and its square Pluto, challenging us to deal with a problem at the core of what’s wrong in a larger context. Once this issue is resolved, the rest will fall into place. That doesn’t mean it will be easy, but the first step, that of identifying it, is accomplished! Mercury enters Taurus at 2:16 am PT to add to our much-needed sense of stability. At 11:55 pm, the Moon’s entry into Pisces signals a reactivation of the forces of grace and healing in our lives. Venus helps us find our feet as she trines Saturn, giving us a respite on our journey toward meaningful intimacy with those we love. We can see the potential for a successful outcome, even if a few hurdles remain. The Pisces Moon helps us dissolve old pain and separation as we shake off the tensions of the past few days. The Moon repeats the kite pattern established by Venus over the past week, a softening energy that has saved us from greater difficulty. What comes to the surface now is visible so it can be healed. At 8:27 pm PT/5°50' Taurus, Mercury makes its Superior (far-side) conjunction to the Sun (11:27 pm ET). This acts essentially as an opposition, giving perspective and inspiring our actions in a new direction as Heaven’s Messenger enters the second, less adventurous half of its four-month cycle. The Pisces Moon completes the Water Grand Trine and receptive-sign Kite at 1:03 pm PT, when it goes void of course. Grace has entered our life in some way. At 3:01 am, the Moon reactivates our urge to act when it enters Aries (6:01 am ET). Mercury sextiles Neptune, giving us an opportunity to understand some hidden facets of our current situation. An afternoon free of planetary contacts gives us the chance to create the day as we want it. The Sun follows Mercury’s lead when it sextiles Neptune and we see how our new insights can be used to fuel our way forward. The Moon in Aries is dark now as it draws near to the New Moon Eclipse. It makes quick work of the Cardinal Cross, activating the tightly bundled planets overnight. We can let our dreams tell us how to use these energies now. The wishes and intentions we make now will infuse our experiences of the coming month in mysterious and magical ways, so focus your attention well on this Wishing Moon. The Moon is void of course from 4:01 am (7:01 am) until tomorrow, an excellent time to tune in to the inner realms and create our future from the inside out. With the Sun and Moon in the calmer waters of Taurus, we reach the Annular Solar Eclipse/New Moon at 11:14 pm/8°52' Taurus (2:14 am April 29 ET). Once again, we may feel unsettled and adrift as the eclipse rearranges our energetic connections to the people and situations around us. We will find that everything dissolves temporarily so that we can be freed of what binds us but is no longer suited to us. Those situations which are magnetized to us now suit our vibration more precisely; some of them will be familiar, carry-overs from the previous cycle, while others will be brand new. Let the doorway open! Thoughts and actions are out of synch now, as Mercury quincunxes Mars. If we wait until we are clear and at peace before speaking, we will find harmony in all situations. This probably means waiting until Mercury’s harmony with Pluto and Jupiter emerges tomorrow. In the US, this lunation suggests that President Obama’s strength and wisdom are in the spotlight. He may seem to be relying too much on his advisors, but the situations he faces are long-term, and nothing will be decided now. Conditions are favorable for resolution through communication, even if such communication would not be fruitful at this time. With the eyes of the world turned away from domestic affairs, the work forces of the nation are left to flourish without the interference of those who have been dedicated to undermining them. There is a new enemy to distract them outside the country’s borders. The Moon and Sun share the Sabian Symbol for 9 Taurus: “A Christmas tree is decorated and shines in the darkness.” There is a gift hidden in the dark of this New Moon, which will be revealed in the course of the coming month(s) as the invisible forces of the eclipses emerge into manifestation. Don’t give up hope! After dealing with the complications of past insincerities and egotism, Mercury finds more stability in authenticity as it trines Pluto. Although the need to transform is a given, we can at least entertain ideas about how to realistically accomplish those changes now. The Moon, also in Taurus, magnifies these energies as it mimics and reflects Mercury, bringing a feeling element into the mix and allowing an accord of head and heart. Mercury sextiles Jupiter and Chiron, completing a Minor Grand Trine that can be used to activate physical-emotional healing from the subtle realms. The Moon gives us some time to reflect and reconnoiter as it goes void in Taurus at 8:53 am (11:53 am ET) on a beautiful harmony with Jupiter and Venus, which will linger even after it enters Gemini at 1:56 pm.
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Daykeeper Journal. |
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Terry Lamb
