Welcome to your April 2017 forecast!   Click on “read article” and scroll down til you find your sign of the zodiac….

ARIES (MAR 20-APRIL19) Well, Happy April! Tis the season of retrogrades! Venus retrograde crosses over the 0-degree Aries point on the 2^nd as it passes back into Pisces and approaches its square to Saturn.   Most of April is graced with this interesting Venus-Saturn square, giving you the ability to make commitments to the things that have been bubbling up in you since Venus retrograded in Aries on March 4^th…And oh, did I mention that Mercury goes retrograde this month? That begins on the 9^th for 3 weeks, and by the 20^th it retrogrades from Taurus into Aries, causing you a bit of aggravation. But I get ahead of myself. The month actually starts with nice Venus-Mars action that stimulates a sense of shared purpose. Then the Sun catches up to the Jupiter-Pluto square by the 6^th or 7^th, and you are able to take steps towards getting a project going. This is a great combination for development, investment, and sustainability. The Venus Saturn square gets exact on the 9^th, the same day the Sun-Jupiter-Pluto business is also exact. This is a positive time for committing your time, energy, and resources to something—if finances are involved just be clear about the real value of what you’re buying or selling. The 11^th brings a full moon in Libra with Uranus-Pluto aspects. This could be a chunky one, especially with Mercury retrograde in the mix. Watch for communication glitches and be open to change. As they say in the Bhagavad Gita, “be not attached to outcome; have your attachment not be to that…” The Sun-Uranus aspects continue for a full week after the 11^th, so the world will be rockin’ and rollin’.   Then Venus turns direct on April 15^th and barely moves forward for the rest of April, staying in its square to Saturn. Commitment, commitment, commitment. The Sun enters Taurus on the 19^th. Right after that Mars enters Gemini and squares the North Lunar Node. Spend some time connecting with loved ones. There is an interesting new moon in Taurus on the 26^th with a crazy Mercury retrograde-Uranus conjunction in Aries. Pay attention to your extremely wild ideas but back up your hard drive….

TAURUS (APR 20-MAY 20) This month is all about Venus, your ruling planet, first retrograde and then by April 15^th turning direct. The interesting thing—besides its retrograde, which this astrologer loves—is its square to Saturn. How can that be good, you ask? Because this month, commitments will become clarified, based on Venus retrograde’s lessons and its help grounding you in your values. And, oh, did I mention Mercury goes retrograde too? It turns on April 9^th, in Taurus, no less (Please—don’t shoot the messenger!) but then it moves into Aries by the 20^th…. The Taurus part may give you some headaches, but it’s spring and you can plant your spinach and peas when the moon is in watery Cancer on April 3 and 4^th…. But I digress. Back to April—the start of the month has a nice Jupiter-Pluto square which is triggered by the Sun on the 6^th or so for a few days. Your job is to sow as many seeds as possible, and this time I don’t mean in the garden. This juicy period is about making plans and developing ideas. The soil is already fertile, so go for it. Mercury and Mars spend a good part of the month in Taurus, so you have tools at your disposal. The full moon comes on the 11^th and the run up to this lunation will be rich with possibility. Use Mercury retrograde to cultivate your intuitive sense of where to position yourself. The full moon itself is kinda crazy and there will be some global drama. The Sun spends several days opposing Uranus—oy! People will be crazed. Then Venus turns direct on the 15^th but remains almost at a standstill, sitting in a tight square to Saturn. Like I said, commitments, decisions. The Sun enters your sign on the 19^th, followed by a few days of a nice Mars-Lunar Node square. Enjoy friends and intimates. The month ends with that gorgeous Taurus new moon on 26^th. This one has Mercury retrograde-Uranus aspects so keep track of your stuff….Your propensity for losing personal effects will be exaggerated on this new moon, just sayin’. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/03/well/missing-keys.html?smprod=nytcore-iphone&smid=nytcore-iphone-share  But it is a beautiful new moon for inspiration !

GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20) Oh honey! The big news is that Venus retrograde moves from Aries into Pisces on the 2^nd – after a couple of days of nice aspects to Mars that give you a satisfying sense of shared purpose—and enters its square to Saturn. Let me give it to you gently: the Venus –Saturn square lasts all month, as Venus retrogrades slowly into the square and then stays there even after it turns direct on the 15^th. I know, it sounds bad but it isn’t. Venus retrograde is helping you get clear about what you really need and want. When it turns direct you’ll be clearer about which commitments you want to make and which you want to let go of. Venus and Saturn could also involve some financial reformulations that you need to make. (But did I mention that your ruling planet Mercury goes retrograde on the 9^th? Have fun with that!) But I get ahead of myself…. The month begins with an interesting Jupiter-Pluto square which gets intensified when the Sun gets involved by the 6^th. This is all about development and sustainability. It’s a good time for you to consider starting something and investing your energy in it. Keep in mind that pesky Mercury retrograde on the 9^th and then the full moon in Libra on the 11^th. This lunation aspects Uranus and Pluto for some intense global drama, followed by a week of a Sun-Uranus conjunction in Aries. Try to keep yourself from jumping out of your skin and use Venus and Saturn to ground you…. The Sun enters Taurus on the 19^th. Mars enters your sign of Gemini on the 21^st and squares the Lunar Node bringing a few days that are great for connection and intimacy. There is a delicious new moon in Taurus on the 26^th with a Mercury retro –Uranus conjunction. Back up your hard drive!

CANCER (JUNE 21- JUL 21) April is a pivotal month for you. The Sun in Aries provokes you to take action, setting into motion desires that have bubbled up during this stretch of Venus retrograde. Venus spends virtually all month in a square to Saturn—both while it is still retrograde and after it turns direct on April 15 – and it gives you the grounding to make decisions and plans and commitments based in your values. But back to the month at hand. The first week brings an auspicious Jupiter-Pluto square which is all about development and sustainability. It gets really heightened for a few days on the 6^th when the Sun gets involved in the aspect. This is a potent week for planning. Then things heat up as we approach the full moon in Libra on the 11^th – oh, and did I mention that Mercury goes retrograde on the 9^th? . The full moon is an intense one because it pulls in the influence of Uranus and Pluto. Oy! The world – what can I say? In fact, we have a full week of a Sun-Uranus conjunction in Aries and so people will be agitated and kinda nuts. Venus turns around on the 15^th and then the Sun pulls away from Uranus and enters Taurus on the 19^th. We get a few days of a Mars-Lunar Node square that is great for connecting with loved ones. There is a juicy new moon in Taurus on the 26^th with a Mercury retro-Uranus conjunction.   This will be an inspiring and intuitive new moon but watch your electronics—it could wreak havoc in the technological realm.

LEO (JUL 22-AUG 21) Get ready for Venus retrograde and Saturn to help you figure out what is really important and then generate some concrete changes as a result. All of this under the influence of Mercury retrograde– interesting, huh? But I get ahead of myself! The month begins with nice Mars-Venus aspects of shared purpose against a Jupiter Pluto backdrop which is all about development and sustainability. This is a fruitful time for planning, especially after the 6^th, when the Sun in Aries gets involved in the aspect. Keep in mind, however, that Mercury retrogrades on the 9^th – oy! – and that there is a full moon in Libra on the 11^th with chunky aspects to Uranus and Pluto. The world – what can I say? And in fact, the world and all of us on this little blue planet will be pretty stressed for a whole week starting on the 11^th since the Sun will be conjunct Uranus in Aries. Try to stay calm. Venus turns direct on the 15^th, facilitating the actualizing of all those plans and commitments that have been cooking under Venus retrograde. The Sun enters Taurus on the 19^th and then we have a couple of nice days of a Mars-Lunar Node square. Enjoy some quality time with lived ones. There is a beautiful new moon in Taurus on the 26^th …but it has a catch: a Mercury retro –Uranus conjunction in Aries. Wow. That’s great for inspiration but awful for your technology devices.

 VIRGO (AUG 22- SEPT 21) Well, how is Venus retrograde treating you? It is bound to get more interesting for you this month, because on the 2^nd, it moves back from Aries into the tail end of Pisces and squares Saturn in Sag. So now its influence is in a mutable sign and with the added impact of Saturn. Until Venus turns direct on the 15^th you may become aware of a situation that is constraining you. Just watch what comes up – you will have plenty of time to make decisions and changes once Venus turns direct and remains in its square to Saturn…. Auspiciously enough, the month begins with a nice Jupiter-Pluto square, a combination that is very conducive to making plans and developing resources. Its effect is intensified on the 6^th for a few days when the Sun gets involved in the aspect (if you play the Neolithic development game Settlers of Catan, for instance, you will undoubtedly win….). But keep in mind that your ruling planet Mercury goes retrograde on the 9^th, just two days before the Libra full moon on the 11^th. That full moon is a mess, what with Mercury retro and Uranus-Pluto aspects. I expect big doings on the global stage, followed by about a week of more global drama when the Sun is conjunct Uranus in Aries. People will be edgy, you included. Venus turns direct on the 15^th and you wil make some changes in your life, with the help of that Uranus desire for new and different. The Sun enters Taurus on the 19^th followed by a few days of a nice Mars-Lunar Node square which is all about connecting with people. Then the month ends with a new moon in Taurus along with a wild Mercury retro-Uranus conjunction. Back up your hard drive!

 LIBRA (SEPT 22-OCT21) April is an important month for you because the Sun in Aries triggers many planetary combinations that are stimulating and …umm…perhaps a bit discombobulating. Then there is your ruling planet Venus, which is in Aries for just a few more minutes before it retrograde into late Pisces, where it squares Saturn all month, for gods sake. Oh, and Mercury retrograde too. But I am getting ahead of myself! April starts with a couple of days of nice shared activity under Mars –Venus aspects. And the first week of April has a juicy Jupiter-Pluto square which is great for developing projects and investing energy. In other words, it is a rich time for planning, especially starting on the 6^th when the Sun in Aries gets involved. Keep in mind, however, that Mercury goes retrograde on the 9^th, so don’t be attached to your plans and/or allow completely different plans to replace the original ones. You know what I’m sayin’?   Meanwhile there is a wacky full moon in Libra on the 11^th—wacky because of Pluto and Uranus. I think the world will be rockin’ and rollin’ and people will be nuts.   Stay calm, because the Sun pairs up with Uranus for a full week of antsy excitement. Venus turns direct on the 15^th but remains in its square to Saturn – it will be a great time for you to make commitments and use the values-based insights you gained during 6 weeks of Venus retrograde. The Sun enters Taurus on the 19^th and we have a few days of nice relationship aspects. There is a delicious new moon in Taurus on the 26^th but it has Mercury retro conjunct Uranus in Aries – great for thinking brilliant thoughts but bad for technology. Don’t be dropping your phone out of the car window.

SCORPIO (OCT 22-NOV 21) What a month this is! It begins with a sense of fun and shared purpose. The first week of April has very auspicious aspects for planning and development, especially once the Sun in Aries gets involved on the 6^th. This all occurs against the ongoing backdrop of Venus retrograde, but keep in mind that on the 2^nd Venus backs her way into watery Pisces and squares Saturn. This Venus-Saturn square lasts all month, and definitely will help crystallize a plan of action to address all the realizations you have had about what you really need from your life. Venus and Saturn may surface some areas where you feel really hemmed in. Just observe it for now – there will be plenty of time for change. Back to matters at hand.. Mercury goes retrograde on the 9^th for three weeks, starting out in Taurus and edging into Aries by the 20^th. There is a crazy full moon in Libra on the 11^th with an intense Uranus-Pluto influence. The world will be in an uproar, and then we have a full week of a Sun-Uranus conjunction in Aries, making everyone very tense indeed. Venus goes direct on the 15^th, and with Saturn’s help you will make some changes and commitments. The Sun enters Taurus on the 19^th and there are a few days of nice relationship aspects under Mars and the Lunar Node. Then there is a juicy new moon in your opposite sign of Taurus, great for inspiration but lousy for electronics. Mercury retrograde is conjunct Uranus so pay attention to your craziest ideas.

SAGITTARIUS (NOV 22- DEC 21) April is a pivotal month for you, mostly thanks to Venus retrograde inching back into Pisces and squaring Saturn in Sag all month. The past 25 days of Venus retro have been really important for you to get clear about what’s working in your life and what isn’t. With Venus entering Pisces on the 2^nd and almost immediately squaring Saturn, your values will crystallize into real commitments, especially financial and relational ones. So get ready! But back to April… The month kicks off with some very positive Jupiter-Pluto aspects for planning and development, aided by the Sun starting on the 6th. Keep in mind Mercury goes retrograde on the 9^th and then there is an intense full moon on the 11^th with crazy Uranus-Pluto effects. Oy—global drama, I am afraid. Then the Sun is conjunct Uranus for the next week, adding to everyone’s antsiness and your desire for freedom. If you’re feeling hemmed in somewhere in your life, it will become very clear the week of the 11^th, especially once Venus turns around on the 15^th. Then the Sun enters Taurus on the 19^th, followed by a few days for intimacy and connection brought to you by Mars in Gemini squaring the Lunar Node. Get ready for a juicy new moon in Taurus on the 26^th which has an exact Mercury retro –Uranus conjunction in Aries. Wha-aa-at? You will be very mentally stimulated and have utterly inspired ideas but make sure you back up your hard drive.

 CAPRICORN (Dec 21-Jan19) What a month! Venus is till retrograde, and on the 2^nd moves from Aries back into Pisces and squares Saturn. This square is in effect all month, even after Venus goes direct on the 15^th, and will enable you to remake commitments based on a clearer set of values. During the first week of April there is a beautiful Jupiter-Pluto square, which is all about sustainability and development, so it is a good time for planning, especially starting on the 6^th when the Sun in Aries gets involved. But keep in mind that Mercury goes retrograde on the 9^th, so those plans may change…just sayin’. There is a big and crazy full moon in Libra on the 11^th with a strong influence of Uranus and Pluto, bringing us some (more) global drama, In fact, you can look forward to a tension-producing several days of a Sun-Uranus conjunction in Aries after the 11^th. Stay calm though, since Venus goes direct on the 15^th, allowing you to manifest the changes Venus retrograde inspired. The Sun enters Taurus on the 19^th, followed by a few nice days of a Mars-Lunar Node square that bring satisfying connections with loved ones. The month ends with a delicious new moon in Taurus on the 26^th with an inspiring but slightly weird Mercury retrograde-Uranus conjunction. Greta for ideas but bad for your computer!

AQUARIUS (JAN 20-FEB 19) Welcome to the month of retrogrades! Venus continues its retrograde motion until the 15^th, but on the 2^nd Venus inches form Aries back into Pisces, squaring Saturn in Sag. This potent square – which is in effect all month, even once Venus turns direct – will crystallize some supreme piece of out-of-whackness in your life. Don’t be surprised if a situation feels untenable or intractable, and use this awareness to help you see a way forward. Saturn will help, as will Venus when it turns direct on the 15^th. Mercury retrograde – oops, I forget to tell you – will also help you surface ideas, information, and new ways of thinking.   Back to April. Jupiter and Pluto conspire during the first week of the month to support planning and resource development. This is intensified after the 6^th, when the Sun in Aries gets involved. Keep in mind that Mercury goes retrograde on the 9^th so allow communication and information and insight to bubble up from your unconscious. There is a crazy full moon in Libra on the 11^th and the world will be a mess thanks to Uranus and Pluto. Uranus is your planet and it will make you ansty for change the whole week of the 11^th, so try to stay calm. Venus goes direct on the 15^th and things should start to gel for you. The Sun enters Taurus – whew, solid, calm Taurus– on the 19^th, followed by a few days of a nice Mars-Lunar Node combo that facilitates connection and intimacy. There is a gorgeous new moon in Taurus on the 26^th with a wild Mercury retro –Uranus conjunction in Aries. This is a great new moon for inspiration but keep track of your electronics and don’t throw your phone out your car window…

PISCES (FEB 20-MAR 19) Well, April brings all kinds of juicy realizations and changes your way, thanks mostly to Venus and Saturn. On April 2^nd Venus retrograde inches from Aries back into Pisces and it immediately squares Saturn in Sagittarius. This square, which lasts pretty much all of April, brings quite an interesting finale to the 40 days of Venus retrograde that began on March 4^th. Venus and Saturn will allow you to crystallize the discontent and disorientation that Venus retro surfaced into plans and new commitments. The issues may include relationships, artistic expression, or financial structures but don’t rush any decisions. There is still a lot yet that has to unfold…   First, Jupiter and Pluto spend the first week of April in a nice square that has to do with resources and development. It is a great week for planning, especially once the Sun gets involved in the action on the 6^th. Keep in mind that Mercury goes retrograde on the 9^th so planning may not be linear. There is a crazy full moon in Libra on the 11^th and Uranus-Pluto aspects will undoubtedly highlight some global drama. Oy! In fact, the Sun in Aries is conjunct Uranus for a good week starting on the 11^th so everyone will be antsy and tense. Venus goes direct on the 15^th and the energy shifts. Decisions will be made, plans unrolled. The Sun enters Taurus on the 19^th and Mars and the Lunar Node bring you a few days of great connections and intimacy. There is a gorgeous new moon in Taurus on the 26^th with really intense Mercury retro-Uranus aspects. This is fabulous for inspiration but totally dangerous for your electronics. Don’t drop your iPhone in the toilet!