Welcome to your April 2016 forecast!   Click on “read article” and scroll down til you find your sign of the zodiac….

ARIES (MAR 20-APRIL19) April will certainly test your mettle! The month begins with a nerved-up Mercury-Uranus conjunction in your own sign, so don’t be surprised for a few days of tension. Two pieces of good news to this transit : it is fast-moving, and it comes with exciting new ideas. Pay attention to your crazy-seeming notions. The new moon in Aries on the 7^th pulls in heavy Uranus-Pluto effects so you will be embodying the energy of change- agent during this lunation. You will be antsy for change and likely to stir things up around you whether you want to or not. The Jupiter-Saturn square which began last month is more exact in April. Although I like this transit for the good judgment it inspires, be aware that it may show up for you as a sense of being held back or restrained. Go with it and trust that there is some sound planning and decision-making once you get over your irritation at being hemmed in. But the big news this month is that your ruling planet Mars goes retrograde on April 17^th!   This is important for everyone but especially for you, because you Aries are Martian kind of people. Mars represents the will, action, forward motion, and direction, and this planet is very central to your core identity as an Aries. Like any other planet, when Mars is retrograde the energy goes somewhat sideways.   Things that you expect to be straightforward will not be. And because it only happens once every 2 years or so and is a long transit to boot, it can really throw us for a loop. So you need to get ready, inasmuch as one can, that is! During the second half of April you can expect your focus and sense of Aries purpose to flag a bit, or be diverted into something else. The direction of your Martian energy will shift and there is not a damn thing you can do about it. In fact, you need to completely go with where the energy takes you and not fight it. It will take you through some interesting and fruitful process if you let it. Meanwhile the Sun enters Taurus on the 19^th and on the 22^nd there is a juicy full moon in Scorpio. You will learn something important about power during this full moon, aided and abetted by Mars retro. Then—you won’t believe it!– Mercury turns retrograde on the 28^th. Oh wow, with both Mercury and Mars retrograde you’re in for 3 weeks of surprises. Just turn yourself over to your unconscious and enjoy the ride.

 TAURUS (APR 20-MAY 20) Oh honey, I hope you still like me after reading this! April begins with a few days of Mercury-Uranus tension so don’t be surprised if you can’t sleep. The Aries new moon on the 7^th pulls in a lot of Uranus-Pluto drama so there will be plenty of excitement on the world stage, especially since the Sun in Aries moves across Uranus from the 7^th through the 12th. You will be stressed and pulled in many directions. Then on April 17^th Mars goes retrograde, which lasts a good two and a half months and is likely to present some challenges. Expect that things will move in a different direction from what you have planned. Remember the emphasis is on process, not outcome, and that you have no choice but to move with where the energy takes you. If you are in any situations where there are power imbalances, you will chafe at authority…Life itself could throw curveballs, inspiring you to change plans. The Sun enters your own sign of Taurus on the 19^th and there is a gorgeous full moon in Scorpio on the 22^nd which will highlight those power struggles I refer to. Then on April 28^th Mercury in Taurus goes retrograde!   Yes, it’s true – there will be a 3-week stretch into mid -May where both Mercury and Mars will be retrograde at the same time!   What can I say? Expect the unexpected! After all, resistance is futile, and so you have to give up any notion of control whatsoever.   Plans will change, priorities will shift, and travel will be ridiculous. If you can go with the flow you will have a great time. Trust me on this! With Mercury retrograding in your own sign you will be especially affected by it, and any shred of Taurean stubbornness will not work at all.   The good news is that the Saturn-Jupiter square is even tighter this month and so it continues to be a time for financial decision-making and resource allocation. Some very important things will be revealed during this month of utterly odd influences.

GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20) The first half of April is dominated by Uranus and the second half by….. (drum roll)…. Mars retrograde! Yes, the month starts off with a quick Mercury- Uranus transit, making you edgy and jittery. This gives way to heavy Uranus –Pluto influences on the April 7^th new moon, so the world will be a mess and weighing on you. The Sun in Aries spends a few days transiting past Uranus so from the 7^th til 12^th you’ll be jumping out of your skin, wanting freedom and something new. Mars in Sagittarius goes retrograde on the 17^th, and if you are an early Gemini (born in the

first week) it will come into an opposition to your Sun at some point during April and May which will be very interesting indeed! Remember that Mars retrograde shifts the energy in a profound way, bringing to the surface desires and passions that are normally hidden. You may find yourself not wanting to do what you’re doing. Don’t fight it – the only strategy is to move with it. This transit lasts two and a half months, so get ready! The Sun enters Taurus on the 19^th and there is a big Scorpio full moon on the 22^nd which will highlight these Martian power issues. Then just to really throw a wrench into the works, Mercury in Taurus goes retrograde on the 28^th. Yowza! We get three weeks of both Mars and Mercury retrograde that take us well into May. Forget about things happening as planned! You will have no choice but to suspend your Gemini rationality and let your unconscious take over.   Fun, right?

CANCER (JUNE 21- JUL 21) April is wild! The first couple of weeks have a strong Uranian emphasis, so you will be nerved out and jumpy. The month starts off with a quick-moving and sleep-denying Mercury-Uranus transit. Then the Sun gets in on the action – the April 7 New Moon has Uranus and Pluto all over it.   The world will be jumping, probably with more bad news, sorry to say. The Sun in Aries moves across Uranus from the 7^th til the 12^th, so you are stressed and just really, really unsettled. Take heart, because the vibe is about to change. On April 17^th Mars in Sagittarius starts its

long retrograde stint (all the way til June 28^th), which is a fascinating influence. I think you’ll like it! When Mars is retrograde life moves in a vastly different direction. We have no choice but to go with where our will takes us, and it typically is away from what we were doing or thought we were doing or thought we had planned to do….The retrograde periods of the personal planets –Mars, Venus, and Mercury – are always very instructive. These times show us what’s really going on under the surface. So get ready for some surprises, and let yourself move with where the energy takes you. Your Cancerian self will like this. The Sun enters Taurus on the 19^th and there is a juicy full moon in Scorpio on the 22^nd which has great aspects for creative expression. Then Mercury in Taurus goes retrograde on the 28^th!   Yes! Two retrogrades! Let your unconscious take over and suspend all your expectations!

LEO (JUL 22-AUG 21) All-righty then! April is very weird!   It starts off with a few edgy days of a Mercury-Uranus conjunction, making you antsy and overstimulated. Uranus is quite dominant for the first two weeks of the month, since the April 7 new moon has strong Uranus-Pluto effects.   Oy ! The world is a mess, and the tension continues to build between the 7^th and the 12^th when the Sun in Aries makes a powerful conjunction to Uranus. You will be very crazed, so try to invoke the more reasonable influence of the Saturn-Jupiter square still in effect this month. But this is the least of it! Mars in Sagittarius goes retrograde on the 17^th, and this is a complex and long transit, taking us all the way til June 28^th.   Mars retrograde can throw a wrench in the works by surfacing desires that have been under wraps. So plans can go haywire, or your energy could get diverted into something else. The main thing is that your Leonine will is no match for it and you have no choice but to go with where the energy takes you.   The Sun enters Taurus on the 19^th and there is a beautiful full moon in Scorpio on the 22^nd. This full moon will illuminate what you need to be different in your life and also spark some creative energy. Then on April 28^th Mercury also turns retrograde. With both Mercury and Mars retrograde you have no choice but to expect the unexpected and completely suspend any semblance of conscious control!

VIRGO (AUG 22- SEPT 21)  Well, there is no way around it: April is a bit stressful! There are very contradictory influences at play. The month begins with a tense few days of a Mercury-Uranus conjunction, and then the April 7 new moon has strong Uranus-Pluto influences. The world is edgy and it is hard not to feel grim about it. The Sun in Aries spends from the 7^th to the 12^th crossing over Uranus, so you are stressed. The overall backdrop is still the Saturn-Jupiter square, so you are trying to make plans and decisions to create stability in an unstable time. Then mid month the excitement really starts! Mars in Sagittarius turns retrograde, beginning two and half months of weirdness. Mars retrograde throws a wrench into the works, surfacing desires and passions that may have been under wraps. Suddenly you may want to go in a different direction from what you’ve been doing, and that dissonance feels strange indeed. It’s important to go with where Mars takes you – like with any retrograde, it’s an important time of learning what we really need. On April 19 the Sun enters Taurus, and on the 22^nd there is a gorgeous full moon in Scorpio that highlights your Martian desires. It could surface a power struggle or two! Then Mercury in Taurus goes retrograde on the 28^th!   Wow—two retrogrades! When both of these planets re retrograde it is truly a time to expect the unexpected. You have no choice but to completely go with the flow!

LIBRA (SEPT 22-OCT21) Oh wow – what a month! The first half of the month hits you hard because Mercury and the Sun are in Aries, your opposite sign, and transit across Uranus, also in Aries.   So life feels a tad out of control, despite the grounding influence of Saturn and Jupiter. The first few days of April have your brain on fire, thanks to Mercury and Uranus. You’re jumpy and full of ideas. Then the new moon of April 7^th harnesses Uranus and Pluto and the world seems to have another spasm of awfulness. From the 7^th to the 12^th the Sun in Aries sits with Uranus, and you are stressed out and tense. Take a deep breath—it passes. Then on April 17^th Mars goes retrograde! This long (2 -1/2 month) transit may throw a wrench in your plans – nothing personal, it’s just what happens. When Mars is retrograde, events – or our own desire or lack thereof– conspire to pull us away from what we thought we were doing, and anything is possible. It is important to let yourself move with where the energy takes you during Mars retrograde because fighting it is fruitless and not good for the soul. Remember that Mars retro is about process, not outcome. You may get to the same desired outcome but you will go a different and unexpected route….Interesting, huh? The Sun enters Taurus on the 19^th, followed by a juicy full moon in Scorpio on the 22^nd, a full moon that will highlight issues of freedom and autonomy. Then – hold on to your hat—on April 28^th Mercury in Taurus also goes retrograde! Two retrogrades!   When both of these planets are retrograde, you really have to let go of control, expectations, conscious thinking, etc. Expect the unexpected!

SCORPIO (OCT 22-NOV 21) April will challenge you to relinquish control over pretty much everything…… It starts with a few days of mental tension that interferes with your sleep but brings you some interesting creative brainstorms. Then the new moon on the 7^th has strong Uranus-Pluto aspects, bringing more global drama our way. This is followed by a few days of the Sun in Aries transiting across Uranus, making everyone agitated and stressed. You’re in demand and

many people and projects are pulling at you. Keep in mind that the Saturn-Jupiter square is still in effect this month so you are having to face reality about where you’re putting time and money and make some choices.   It’s not fun but it’s satisfying and you know you’re doing the right thing.   Then on April 17 Mars in Sagittarius turns retrograde – oy!. Mars retrograde brings willfulness and desire to the surface that may have been under wraps, and so you end up feeling pulled in a different direction from where you thought you were going. You have no choice but to go with it—you certainly cannot fight it.   This is a really important transit that only occurs once every two years and lasts a good 2+ months, so with any retrograde of a personal planet, use it and learn from it. Meanwhile the Sun enters your opposite sign Taurus on the 19^th, and then on the 22^nd is a gorgeous full moon in Scorpio. Your willfulness and desires will be the focus. Then – on April 28^th Mercury also goes retrograde. Woo-hoo! It’s time for the conscious mind to take a back seat!

 SAGITTARIUS (NOV 22- DEC 21) April is wild! It begins with a few nerve-wracking days of a Mercury-Uranus transit that make you edgy and sleepless. Then The Sun in Aries catches up to Uranus for a good few days starting on the 7^th. In fact, the Aries new moon on the 7^th carries the influence of the Uranus-Pluto square so I am afraid that the world will be full of drama the second week of April…. Keep in mind the overall backdrop of the month is the Saturn-Jupiter square, bringing you a big fat reality check about where you’re putting time, money and energy. But then things get very interesting! Mars in Sagittarius goes retrograde on April 17^th for two and half months — yow! And for half that time it is in Sagittarius, so if you are an early Sag, born in the first week, you’ll be getting Mars retro passing over your Sun. This is big! Remember that Mars retrograde surfaces desires and passions that have been under wraps. You may find yourself wanting to move in a different direction from what you thought you had planned or intended, or the world may throw a curveball at you. Gotta go with it! It’s not a good plan to fight Mars retrograde – it has something to teach us. The Sun enters Taurus on the 19^th and is followed by a full moon in Scorpio on the 22^nd. Talk about willfulness! Yours will be evident. Then Mercury goes retrograde on the 28^th, and we will have 3 weeks in which both Mercury and Mars are retrograde…Expect the unexpected!

CAPRICORN (Dec 21-Jan19) April will test your mettle! It starts off with a few days of a Mercury-Uranus conjunction, making you overstimulated and meddlesome. Watch out! This gives way quickly to the Sun in Aries

transiting Uranus, including on April 7, the day of the new moon. In fact, the new moon captures the influence of Uranus and Pluto, so yes, more drama globally. The Sun –Uranus influence goes through the 12^th, so you’ll be agitated, busy, stressed. Then on April 17^th Mars goes retrograde—and this transit lasts til the end of June! Mars retrograde may flummox you a bit, because some curveballs may get thrown at you, or you will find yourself unable to direct your energy where you thought. Get ready to be thrown for a loop, and you have to go with it, whatever it is. When Mars is retrograde, desires that have been under wraps may surface; power struggles may arise if you’re in a situation with an imbalance of power. It is an exciting and unpredictable time, and it gets even more unpredictable when Mercury goes retrograde on the 28^th. That’s right – two retrograde personal planets!   When they are both retrograde, our conscious mind has no control whatsoever—just hand it over !     Expect the unexpected!

AQUARIUS (JAN 20-FEB 19) April is an exciting month for you – that is, if you can stand the stimulation during the first half and the curveballs the second half! April begins with a strong Uranian influence. First, Mercury zips by Uranus for the first few days of April, stimulating your thinking and making you a bit edgy. Then the Sun in Aries catches up to Uranus on the 7^th for a few days, and in fact, the new moon on the 7^th captures the influence of both Uranus and Pluto.   So you’re stressed and every so slightly overwhelmed, but brilliant. The world is crazy and everyone will be stressed from

the 7^th til 12^th.   Then Mars goes retrograde on the 17^th, and it remains retrograde til the end of June. This long transit is important and rather challenging because it surfaces desires and tensions that have been under wraps. You may find yourself unable to direct energy toward something, or you may get thrown by external events and have to change plans suddenly. In other words, things don’t go the way you expect! And you just have to go with it. This is not a time to force things into reality with that prodigious Aquarian brain of yours, but rather a time to let yourself be taken in an unexpected direction. Interesting, huh? And it gets even better when Mercury goes retrograde on the 28^th.   When both planets are retrograde, things do not go according to plan and you have to really expect the unexpected!

PISCES (FEB 20-MAR 19) Oh these pesky planets! April starts off with a slightly anxiety-producing few days of Mercury conjunct Uranus. Then the Sun in Aries transits past Uranus from the 7^th til 12^th, making everyone very stressed and crazed. There is a new moon in Aries on the 7^th that pulls in the influence of Uranus and Pluto so expect some (more) global drama. Keep in mind the backdrop overall is the ongoing Saturn-Jupiter square, making you want to find stability amidst the uncertainty – all this Uranus action makes that a tad difficult.   Then Mars goes retrograde on the

17^th, throwing more curveballs, but interesting ones! Mars retrograde is a good long transit, lasting over two months and surfacing personal desires that have been under wraps. You may find yourself not wanting to do what you had planned and in fact doing something else all together…. Go with it!   You cannot fight Mars retrograde, that’s for sure.   Mars retrograde can also surface power struggles if you’re in any situations where there are imbalances or lousy use of authority… The Sun enters Taurus on the 19^th and the Scorpio full moon on the 22^nd may indeed illuminate those power issues. Then Mercury also goes retrograde on the 28^th – this time in Taurus. With both Mercury and Mars retrograde, the conscious mind really takes a vacation – and should! Go with the flow and expect the unexpected!