The Indoors Edition
‘Skyvibe’ Astrology Forecast for April 2020
By Ingrid Anderson
“Whosoever is delighted in solitude is either a wild beast or a god.” ~ Aristotle
“The only way out… is in” ~ Sadhguru
Feel a little like you are tumbling down a rabbit-hole at the moment? You are not alone! Some of us are busier than ever (can we ever thank our essential services and medical workers enough?), and others of us may be in self-isolation limbo.
‘May you live in interesting times’ was actually a translation of a traditional Chinese curse. Recently the world has been catapulted into interesting times, but luckily, armed with the valuable tool of astrological thinking – we are able to see both the ‘blessing’ and ‘curse’ contained within all events and happenings in our lives…. giving us choice, and a deeper understanding of the evolutionary process that is unfolding here.
Just to step back and look at this in its larger context – we are still living under the influence of Pluto-Saturn conjunction which was exact on 12th January, it only happened once, but it will colour and continue to be felt for the entire year.
Historically the Pluto-Saturn conjunction has been associated with big events throughout history; The Black Plague/Black Death in 1350 (in Aries), WW1 (1916 in Cancer), The Spanish Flu plague of 1918 (cases begun 1914), the conjunction was also active at the time of the 1947 Polio epidemic (in Leo), and in 1982 at the beginning of the AIDS epidemic (in Libra).
Saturn corresponds with boundaries, restriction, limitation and Pluto dredges up, intensifies, destroys and transforms whatever it touches. Or it could be said that Saturn; the structures of governance, and Pluto; power structures, are cracked wide open and transformed. Astrologers have been speaking about this for quite some time now, not quite knowing what form this structural metamorphosis would take.
And here we are in the midst of the worlds first global pandemic. What is different here to the epidemics listed above, is the speed at which the virus has spread due to the unprecedented volume of air travel, not to mention information spreading like wildfire via news channels and social media.
The changes that have been imposed on our daily movements and routines are consistent with Saturn’s recent shift into future-focused Aquarius. Social distancing is a metaphor for restrictive Saturn in community-minded Aquarius, and hand sanitising is the new form of social responsibility.
We begin April with Jupiter conjuncting Pluto at 24 degrees Capricorn. Last time Jupiter and Pluto were in Capricorn was 2008, another time of financial crisis. This could possibly represent the peak of the COVID19 virus cases – as Jupiter expands anything it touches and Pluto is linked to survival and global events. Jupiter can expand the power of governments at this time. There could even be a fundamental transformation (Pluto) and change in the laws (Jupiter), we can see how literally this symbolism is playing out.
Meanwhile Mercury, now out of its retrograde shadow and venturing into new territory, speeds up and conjuncts Neptune on 4th April, @ 19 degrees Pisces. Interestingly the Sabian Symbol for this degree is “A Table Set for an Evening Meal”. This symbol conjures the provision of life’s necessities, and the importance of being well nourished – both of which we collectively have been contemplating in light of potential food shortages. I know myself, I have gained a heightened appreciation of the food on my table and all involved in the process of getting it there.
“Sometimes you struggle so hard to feed your family one way, you forget to feed them the other way, with spiritual nourishment. Every body needs that.” ~ James Brown
Neptune in this equation takes our perception to a higher octave, to arrive at a place of being able to let go of Mercurial stressors, and to a space of acceptance and surrender… right now we can’t go anywhere, do anything… what better time to let go of the outside world and meditate!
Many spiritual leaders are calling this time of world stillness a “Gift”, a “window of opportunity” and urging people to use it wisely. As Sadhguru says; “the only way out, is in”.
If you have planets at 19 degrees mutable (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces) you will be feeling this keenly.
In a mundane sense, perhaps this conjunction marks the pinnacle of fuzziness, the uncertainty of not knowing… what is real? What are we seeing in the media that’s either exaggerated or downplayed? This confusion could continue until Mercury moves into Aries (April 11) and we start to regain some clarity.
On the same day, April 4 – Venus enters Gemini. Venus has been moving through Taurus, and is very at home and usually languishes here, but in these extra-ordinary times, her primary concern has been with security. Enter Gemini, she values clear concise information, ‘just give me the facts’. Adding strength to this, Venus trines Saturn (6-7th), bringing reality and allowing us to put things into perspective.
The Full Moon in Libra on April 7 is powerful and complex, drawing our focus to the tension that exists in our relationships, and the need for some give and take. We will be feeling the opposition keenly between self (Aries Sun) and others (Libra Moon). This also happens to be a Supermoon, the Moon will be at her closest (perigee) to the earth for 2020, creating a strong gravitational pull on tides and tectonic plates, and equally on our emotions. We are currently in lock-down with our nearest and dearest, is that wonderful or is it extremely challenging? The Sun in Aries also happens to be conjuncting Eris, the Greek goddess of strife and discord. Eris kicks off if she feels she is not being acknowledged. Meanwhile the Libra Moon is conjuncting asteroid Juno, who is prepared to weather any storm and be true to her commitment. An interesting tug of war, you can see how this might go. 🙂 So with this in mind, it might be wise to think before we spit the dummy, or risk doing damage to a long-suffering committed other (or vice-versa!)
Add to the mix – the Jupiter-Pluto conjunction becomes exact this same day, magnifying the underlying energy, bringing up profound psychological material from the shadows.
This Libra Full Moon is also about the relationship we have to ourselves, and will no doubt highlight our internal dialogue – bringing it up for conscious review.
Meanwhile, also on 7 April, an erratic Mars-Uranus square carries the potential of a sudden breakthrough or breakdown. Perhaps by this stage cabin fever will have set in, we’re at our wits end with ‘home detention’ and we’ll want to breakout of gaol and breakfree! This is strong Uranian/Aquarian energy and there will be this surge of “I want to be free” in some area of our lives. This will be particularly strong if it plays into your chart with planets at 5 degrees Fixed (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius).
But wait… there’s more! Chiron the Wounded Healer is also involved in this Full Moon, Chiron sextiles both Mars & Venus, bringing in welcome healing energy in the form of ideas and actions we can take that can lead the way towards improved circumstances – especially around 9 – 10 April. Seeking Naturopathic advice, reading up on immunity boosting tips, or connecting digitally with community to elevate your mind, body & spirit will work wonders.
On April 15-16, the Sun forms dynamic squares to Pluto and Jupiter, being triggered by the passing quarter Moon, further agitating the situation, or giving you the fire in your belly to push back – make that call you’ve been putting off, be it to the insurance company or government department. Time to power up!
The Sun shifts gears into practical and contented Taurus on 20 April, followed soon after by a stable Taurus New Moon on 23 April. This offers us a chance to take stock and set realistic goals. The subsequent days could see us challenged to delve deeper for answers, risk thinking big, whilst not being grandiose.. as Mercury squares Pluto and Jupiter on April 25-26.
Cerebral Mercury ingresses into Taurus on 28th and forms a pragmatic think tank; Sun-Uranus-Mercury conjunction in Taurus. This is a brilliant time to brainstorm some innovative solutions to the issues we face globally.. (or perhaps come up with inventive ways to eat the extremely well stocked pantry). Expect new ideas and methods to come to light with Uranus in the mix. Saturn squaring this stellium will ensure this burst of enthusiasm is not wasted.
As the cosmos ticks over into Taurus in late April, we live in hope for a return to some stability. Overall the astrology of April could be seen as both a challenging rock-climb and as a *gift*, a once-in-a-lifetime chance to retreat and journey inwards, to spend valuable time with our families, to try our hand at growing our own food, to band together and give generously to our communities if we are able. A time like this makes us grateful for all of the services that make our lives run so smoothly. A time like this also makes us reflect and reassess where humanity is headed globally and environmentally and look at our individual role in this. ‘How can I use this time of stillness to come up with ideas that are part of the solution to the problems we collectively face? What can I do to change?’
Much love to all – stay well, and stay inspired
— Ingrid Anderson
April 2020
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