From the Vault: A Re-Post of 'Anger As a Guiding Force' for the New Moon in Aries Conjunct Chiron and Black Moon Lilith

We wake tomorrow into a New Moon in Aries that marks a powerful impetus to action. 

We're required to follow our instincts very closely during the following lunar cycle (until April 22) and to check in with our emotional impulses and reactions regularly. We're being asked to use our anger (and the anger of others) as a guiding force, harnessing its raw power for productive and constructive ends.

Even in this time of increasing authoritarian control over our daily lives, there are actions we can take, and indeed, every independent action matters, now more than ever.

The New Moon occurs at 4 degrees Aries early tomorrow morning (1:28 a.m. PDT) at apogee, meaning it is the furthest the Moon can get in its orbit around the Earth. The lunar apogee is symbolized astrologically by Black Moon Lilith. In addition to being conjunct Black Moon Lilith, the New Moon occurs in an exact conjunction to wounded healer Chiron. The presence of both Black Moon Lilith and Chiron in Aries indicates emotional volatility and a certain "edge" to things. 

We're drawing on ancient suppression, ancient frustration, and ancient anger as this lunar cycle unfolds. This is bigger than just us (isn't it always?). This involves historical mistreatment by the violent and authoritarian power structures of this planet - the stepping on human rights, on the human spirit, on the right to live life unharassed and unmanipulated - and the anger from this historical mistreatment is being drawn into our courses of action this lunar month.

The emotion is very raw and very potent. If not channeled productively, it could become destructive, dangerous, toxic.

This is very intricate work, addressing historical sore spots in ourselves and others and doing it with the nuance and precision required, turning this anger, this raw and historical rage coming from every face that has ever felt the boot of tyranny and oppression on this planet, into useful fuel, into energy, action, and inspired movement.

Maintaining physical activity and movement is very important this month, even as these things are harshly constricted and controlled.  

Black Moon Lilith is the wild and raw feminine force that has been suppressed, pinned down, ignored, downplayed, used, abused, spit at. We're drawing from some very deep zones in our emotional landscapes this lunar month, and these areas are refusing to be pushed down, shut up, or controlled any longer. We're standing up and making ourselves count, making ourselves known, in areas where we have been stepped on or discounted previously. Our experiences matter. We matter. And the actions we take now matter, too.

We're standing up for ourselves and for our rights as natural and sovereign human beings this lunar month. As we stand up for ourselves, we stand up for all those who never got that chance - or who do not have that chance now. We reach back into our lineages, both physical and spiritual, and we take action in our own lives that was inaccessible to so many generations prior. We do the things they wish they had had the opportunity to do, and we do it with their backing.    

Venus in Aries Retrograde and Anger as a Guiding Force

Anger is helpful. There is nothing unspiritual or shameful about anger. It's there to guide us, as an impetus to action. Anger flares up to tell us something is not quite right and needs to be addressed, to be made right.

There are many situations and circumstances on Planet Earth where anger is necessary, vital. To not feel anger/irritation/annoyance in these situations and circumstances shows that the spirit is broken in some way.

Retrograding Venus in Aries is here now, in part, to strengthen our relationship with our own anger. To help us use it properly, to follow its constructive impulses and to learn to love its wisdom.

Venus in Aries is also making sure we're tapped into the raw power of who we are. That we're not compromising ourselves too much or dulling our flames in any way within our relationships or social settings.

So many times in our relations, we ignore the little warning flares of anger. Libra (ruled by Venus) likes harmony and doesn't want to rock the boat. It will often downplay its own feelings for the supposed greater good of the relationship. The problem is - this is not actually good for the relationship. It creates a level of falsity, and over time those flickers of anger we've ignored and internalized become big resentments.

Those flickers of anger are actually meant to be the impetus to action. They're there to tell us to exert our will and make a move, in whatever direction feels right. When we ignore these signals and subvert our will, even in the tiniest ways, we don't get where we need to be within our relationships and in our lives, in general. We end up in a place that doesn't feel right and isn't what we really, truly want.

Every tiny flicker of anger is purposeful and is trying to tell you something about a move that needs to be made.

We're getting a second chance now with Venus retrograding in Aries to work with these co-mingling forces of love and war and to align with the guiding flickers of annoyance, irritation, and anger within our relations with others. No pretending they're not there!

These themes are especially important for Pluto in Libras (1971 - 1984). Our evolutionary work of "cutting the shit" in relationships and creating true equality hinges a great deal on our mastery of Aries within those relationships. Developing the polarity point to our Pluto placement is crucial to our success.

Because I understand the importance of Aries energy for Pluto in Libras (and being one myself), I feel that there is a misstep within the "spirituality of the day" regarding anger. It is the promotion of the idea that "enlightened" people don't get angry. That we have to purify ourselves of anger and "transcend" anger-inducing circumstances.

Horse hooey.

The anger is there to show us what needs to be changed. Anger is our ally when we align with its raw, constructive directional potential and channel it in productive ways.

It's when we deny our anger, ignore it, and cover it over day-by-day - and maybe more importantly, when we are denied our legitimate anger by others - that it becomes dangerous and spills out in less constructive ways.

Instead of listening to people's frustrations, respecting the perspective, and working to understand and address what is causing the anger, there's a New Agey knee-jerk reaction to talk people out of it, to explain it away according to some motto or creed (that often involves a requirement to become "more evolved" or "more enlightened"). It all just needs to be healed with a cup of medicinal tea and a big old group hug!

Uhhh...no. Healing can only happen when the root causes of the pain and anger are addressed. Anger is a symptom. Again with the treatment of symptoms rather than the more difficult work of getting to the nitty gritty root causes.

When people try to talk me out of my darker feelings and show me the "error" of my ways, all I can think is: the only thing that might help is you being less of a dumbass. Instead of dumping superficial and unsolicited "healing advice" on me, try going a little deeper. Take on your fair share of the consciousness and do something constructive to try to improve circumstances, or honestly, just step aside because we're pretty much done.

So many people seem to instantly feel "more evolved" or wise than a person who is expressing anger, and there is a lazy tendency to write people off as "angry" and "negative," as if this is actual meaningful analysis. The fact that the individual is supposedly fundamentally flawed in these ways creates the problems, they say, not the other way around.

Well, isn't that convenient? Again, this lets the collective off the hook for any group, systemic, or institutional responsibility for righting wrongs. It also lacks any sort of understanding that an individual could be taking on difficult life circumstances in order to understand and bring things to light that the collective has been denying or ignoring for too long. This turns the canary in the coal mine into the problem itself.

We don't move on until these things are addressed. Got it?

When we don't take action on anger's instructional impulses, or when we are made unable to take action due to systemic/institutional set-ups, anger becomes toxic to our systems, creating roiling, resentful rage and/or depression. That's when things can get ugly. Think of a kid being bullied in school who has his initial complaints constantly ignored or downplayed - and then one day just erupts into violence.

I would argue it's the constant writing off of other people's frustrations and anger, and the resulting continuation of the root circumstances, that takes things to that next level - rage.

This is why I am choosing to hammer home this point. The denial and condemnation of anger within the "spirituality of the day," and particularly within New Age ideology, is actually dangerous. Those puppies and unicorns have box cutters, y'all.

But honouring our feelings of anger, listening to them, getting to the root of what is making us angry, and then taking action on it - and making space for this process in relationships and social settings? That's a beautiful thing, and we get a chance to experience that beauty right now.

Venus in Aries Retrograde and Why I'm Crap at Telling You When Mr./Ms. Right is Going to Show Up...

So the big astro news for March (to me, anyway) is the Venus retrograde in Aries. Venus goes retrograde once every 18 months for around 40 - 43 days. The current retrograde begins the evening of March 5, 2009 at 15 degrees Aries and ends April 16/17 (12:35 a.m. MST) at 29 degrees Pisces.

As I said in a previous post, this is significant because 29 degrees Pisces is the last degree of the zodiac. We're also experiencing the final layers of the Piscean Era, in general. So big Piscean "finishing" energy wrapped up with the "fresh start" energy of Aries.

(Quick recap for beginners - a retrograde happens when, because of the movement of the planets, a planet appears from our perspective on Earth to stop in the sky and go backward, retracing the area from which it just came. The planet retraces degrees of the zodiac, then "stops" again, before appearing to move forward. A chance to adjust to shifting gears, shifting energies and internally recalibrate to progressing outer conditions.)

Aries is the first sign of the zodiac and the sign related to the individual self. Ruled by Mars, it relates to who we are and what we want. Personal desire. On the most fundamental level, it represents the desire to start again.

After going through the spiritual surrender and dissolution process of the 12th house/Pisces, Aries is where we scream forth in all our might with the raw, powerful will to live (birth). Movement begins again here. We come back into the physical body from the etheric realms and have another go at 'er. ;-)

Venus is the planet relating to things like love, beauty, relationships, what we need (including money), what we value and self-worth. It rules the opposite sign of Aries, Libra.

Libra is about being in relationship to. It seeks balanced, harmonious partnerships with equals. Aries is about the self. So Venus is in the opposite sign of its rulership while it is in Aries, and we are challenged to balance the needs of me with we. We are very aware of our own identities and what we personally want with Venus here, but we have to work with the identities and personal desires of those we are in relationship to in order to get anything done.

Those who generally subvert their own identities and personal desire/will for the sake of harmony in their relationships will be asked to rebalance this. And those who are used to getting their way with others just might not get it so easily. There is always a push and pull when it comes to working with polarity energy.

What we want now is: something new! A fresh, new direction in our relationships and a newly held place for us to be our ever-unfolding true selves within them. We want to be ourselves and to have that work within our relationships - no guilt, no subverting who we really are and what we really want and need.

With Venus in Aries, there is no more compromising ourselves for other people. Unless, of course, you're one of the people who never does the compromising. In that case, the exertion of the other's will might come as quite an affront.

This dynamic was quite apparent in February as we closed the store. I wasn't about to cater to ridiculous demands at this point (not that I ever do, but all the entitlement issues and bourgeois egos sort of bottlenecked last month). Telling horribly entitled mature soul types that they weren't going to get what they wanted (even with Visas and MasterCards at the ready) was pretty sweet, I must say! heh heh

There could be anger (Mars) involved in our relationships on both ends as we deal with balancing needs and wants during this retrograde. We'll see new facets of identity pushing forth in ourselves and in the people around us - surprising but also refreshing. A more powerful will, one we possibly didn't know was there.

And remember - Venus in Aries is most certainly about a fresh start for ourselves and those we're in relationship with, but the Venus retrograde is heading back to the last degree of the zodiac cycle, the degree where any unresolved crap (but also a great deal of spiritual wisdom) has accumulated - 29 degrees Pisces.

Pisces/12th House collects stuff from all the signs that came before. It's a bit of a last stop dumping ground, so anything about our relating/relations that was pushed into our subconscious to be dealt with "later"? Well...later will be Venus on that 29th degree. Mopping up the last messes before we can really push forward into something new in our way of relating with others. We'll be tested one last time here to make sure we REALLY got it, that we really have cleared out and bolstered ourselves around any old Piscean pitfalls.

Venus will station (appear to stop and then turn to move forward again) on this 29th degree, so we're challenged to show mastery with these final Piscean lessons from April 11 to 23.

We're getting it from Venus both coming and going!

One side of the coin will be related to holding the energy of our new consciousness in the face of the old Piscean energy nipping at us, looking for blind spots, weaknesses and ways to get in and sabotage. These dynamics will primarily be set up in our relations with other people. Having the self-worth to say: I want something new and better in my relationships! No more old stuff that's past its expiry date. No more falling for those too-good-to-be-true mirages in our relations with others. No more wishful thinking about the other person or our relationship with them that only ends up screwing us over. No more setting ourselves up for victimization from another...or to do the victimizing. We have to become fully aware of all those old blind spots and seal them up once and for all.

The other side of the coin of retro Venus at 29 Pisces is related to being infused with the masterful spiritual understanding, connection and unconditional love that sign has to offer. To bring this spiritual love, compassion and understanding of ourselves and others into our daily relationships as we go forward.

Any relationships begun recently will have this backdrop going on...some past completion/clearing before you get to the exciting part.

After coming out of Pisces April 23 (under the umbrella of wrapping up tail-end Piscean Age stuff), Venus in Aries really isn't going to take any crap from anyone. Feisty!

Relationships that can't handle who you really are will be left in the dust. With love!

Venus doesn't clear its retrograde shadow until May 20, so nothing completely new until then. However, when Venus goes direct April 16, we'll be raring to go with the new insight we have gained into ourselves and how we interact in relationships...as well as a deeper understanding (from that 29 degree Pisces work) of relationships past and why things went the way they did.

If we receive carefully the love retrograde Venus is trying to give us through this understanding, we should truly have a clean slate as we move forward. Best case scenario, we should be able to clear all the cycles before this one and send them on their way with love. These are the monumental times we're living in! Just think about completing everything there ever was to complete in your relationships (even through ancestral lines) and moving forward from that. We'll be assisted to do so.

Venus Retro Breakdown:

February 1, 2009 - Venus entered its retrograde shadow at 29 degrees Pisces (so we go back over the degrees starting from this point)
March 5, 2009 - Venus goes retrograde at 15 degrees Aries - RETROGRADE BEGINS
April 11, 2009 - Venus hits 29 degrees Pisces going retrograde
April 16, 2009 - Venus stations direct at 29 degrees Pisces - RETROGRADE ENDS
April 23, 2009 - Venus re-enters Aries
May 20, 2009 - Venus clears the retrograde shadow at 15 degrees Aries and we enter new territory

The Spring Equinox occurs March 20 as the Sun leaves Pisces and enters Aries. Here is that Arien birth point again. We've made it out of winter. Life begins again. The days are longer than the nights (in the Northern Hemisphere) from here on in.

There is a very interesting New Moon in Aries March 26. The Sun and Moon come together at 6 degrees Aries conjunct retrograde Venus. Mercury is also in Aries at this time and takes part in the conjunction. The sunshine hits retrograde Venus and we become conscious of, feel and understand what is newly being born in ourselves and in our relationships.

This is a double dose of fresh, "new start" energy. Because this New Moon is in Aries conjunct retro Venus, we should be able to take our first steps into our new selves within our relationships here. A burst of forward motion tailored to us. I know a lot of people (including me) have been feeling stuck, and I hope this New Moon helps propel us out of the shadows.

Then again, I generally feel at a standstill when it comes to Venus/relationship issues, which leads me to the second part of this post: why I'm crap at telling people when Mr./Ms. Right is going to show up...

Now, I completely understand that when consulting someone like an astrologer (or, in a similar vein, a tarot reader, psychic, any kind of reader, actually), people REALLY want to know when their mate is coming along. This is important information and information I really wish I could provide.

I was born with Venus Retrograde in Scorpio in the 4th House. Not only that, but Venus went retrograde one day before I was born, meaning Venus is basically standing still in my birth chart. In Scorpio. Retrograde. In the 4th House. :-)

Anyway, for those of you wondering what all that means, let's just say that I have an atypical experience of Venus. Because of this atypical experience, I'm not the best with more traditional analysis of Venus and relationships - things people commonly want analyzed.

My personal relationships are generally extremely dharmic/karmic and are related to evolutionary desire more so than what I think I want. All my relationships have to be reframed within that context (sigh) with a looooooong, long range vision of what is going on. Using a progressed chart, I'll be dealing with this Venus in Scorpio retrograde and its shadow my entire life. Nothing else. So when I say I have very little free will this lifetime...this is a big part of it.

Unless I want to attract relationships that are irritating at best, damaging and maybe even life-threatening at worst, it's best for me to just deal with and process this stuff inside myself when the universe says so. (4th House)

It's not that there aren't people I like in the world...it's just that once we actually start interacting face-to-face, things generally go awry in that alchemically Scorpionic kind of way.

I think this also relates to Pluto in Libra, in general, in that our generation has to do a whole hell of a lot of work on the front end of these lifetimes to experience, break down, and process out stultifying, abusive and "just not right" relationship dynamics of all sorts. And we attract a whole hell of a lot of relationships designed to be vehicles to do just that...which often doesn't allow for much of the lovey good feelings that Venus is traditionally associated with.

So basically, I can tell you what the purpose of you NOT being in a relationship is. I can talk about the soul growth, the alignment going on and the love you're showing yourself and others long-term by processing things in yourself. I can talk about the internal masculine-feminine rebalancing that is going on these days.

I personally experience the sometimes primal scream-worthy frustration of these conditions, so I can commiserate about the isolation and disappointment and constant experience of waiting, waiting, waiting.

But this information is small comfort, and I realize that.

I can't tell you when Mr. or Ms. Right is going to show his/her lovely face. I really wish I could because that's what we all want to know.

All I can say is I've learned that these trials do have a purpose, even when it feels as if they're going to kill you and/or drive you insane. I can't offer the comfort of saying he or she is just around the corner because I just don't know. I'm not 100% sure how long the solitary confinement will last.

But I can say that I think Pluto in Libras (and anyone taking on this type of soul work) have the possiblity of creating the most beautiful, deeply loving and meaningful relationships this planet has ever seen. That we can bring forward human relations and love relationships truly befitting this beautiful planet - ones that allow for our further mutual soul growth, rather than following patterns and forms that bring misery and dissatisfaction. I strongly feel it's all possible. It's just that we have to work our little hearts out for it. :-)

I read an astrologer on the Web a long time ago saying Libra is a sign that has difficulty finding its true mate. I guess that could be true...and true for the entire generation of Pluto in Libras.

Of course, there are exceptions to this. Many people find their heart's desire relationships early on in life.

But I've always been a person who saves the best for last and gets the hard work out of the way first...so I'm banking on this being the case with relationships, as well.

Another interesting point about this Venus retrograde (brought up by a few other astrologers on the Web - thanks for pointing this out) is that the last time Venus was retrograde in Aries was March/April of 2001.

So take a look at what was going on in your life relationship-wise at that time, and this retro should involve events showing us how we've progressed since then. I guess this Venus retro in Aries could be seen as the release of that cycle...

This really interested me because March/April 2001 was when I met my last boyfriend. That relationship was one of those sometimes blissful, moretimes hellish Scorpionic/Plutonic clearing vehicles for abusive past dynamics. So it'll be interesting to see if anything comes up...if I meet anyone...that will show me where I stand now. It'll be interesting for all of us to see that.

The Slow March Out of Scorpio has Begun...

And thank goodness for that...

Processing of the Scorpionic kind is always quite heavy, sometimes brutal, so it should be a welcome bit of news that Mars left Scorpio for Sagittarius yesterday in the early morning. The Sun will follow suit this Friday (Nov. 21), and Mercury will do the same Sunday (Nov. 23). Pluto (co-ruler of Scorpio) will exit the final degree of Sagittarius for Capricorn November 26.

The processing and regeneration that happens when Scorpio/the 8th house is emphasized (when Pluto is stirring up some action) is deep and emotional and can create experiences of rage, grief, oppression, feeling stuck and trapped, and suicidal depression. Facilitating the process can be exhausting (like giving birth to a real live human), so it's with relief that we accept movement into the buoyancy and optimism of fiery Sagittarius.

But first, this tail-end Scorp stuff.

Pluto triggers in Scorpio the things we need to shed in order to stay vital and continue the unfolding process we undertake by living our lives on Planet Earth.

These things to shed can be triggered/brought to our awareness in a number of different ways, but to successfully complete the process, it involves going to the deep, dark, ancient core of ourselves.

As we bring forward the energetic dynamics, the aspects of self or relationship to lay on the funeral pyre, we go through a process of digging so we get all of it. The dynamics/aspects of self or relationship exist in our individual lives but have collective roots.

So as we dig and scrape and disengage, we get triggered again and again so that we understand the real depth and complexity of that which we're dealing with. We get sucker punched in any area where we need to increase awareness and improve, where we need to fight to get out from under the weight of that which is attempting to suffocate and drain us. We see how cleverly the roots of the poisonous dynamics have worked their way into the system. We see how they attach to every last bit of unresolved fear and weakness and hurt and feed on it.

But we also get right pissed! How dare these things try to suffocate and drain and kill me? How dare they try to keep me down and feed off my energy?

This is the Mars part of the Scorpio equation. Where the collective garbage stirred up by Pluto becomes personal. Where we apply our personal motivation and energy to power through. This is where we learn to love our anger, to honour our rage, and to do what it instructs us to do (only the healthy, productive things, of course!). This is where we use our our never-say-die iron will to battle our way through the hellish aspects of our lives and selves. The only way past it is through it, so we'd best get going.

There is a big aspect of letting go with Scorpio/Pluto, for sure. "Letting go" is a big mantra of the New Age establishment these days. Yes, it is necessary to let go of everything we can. To just disengage. To not allow ourselves to be drawn into the figure eight dynamics with the other person/situation trying to get our goats.

But there are also times when one needs to face down his or her opponent and show it who's boss. To get rid of it once and for all. To "let go" in these instances is actually counter-productive. It just allows the dynamic to circle back and bite you in the ass from another angle. So in these instances, we wield the sword and shield, and we cut our way out of the entrapping garbage. We clear our path. We don't wait for it to clear on its own. We listen to our gut-level intuition (Pluto) and take action (Mars). We use our flickers of anger and rage as a guide. They're telling us we need to do something, and do something we must.

It's not all about surrendering. This is a Piscean concept, and (broken record time) we're heading out of the astrological Piscean era. There is some redundance here that will simply not be successful. With Scorpio energy, we really must DO (Mars) something about our circumstances.

The other aspect of this Scorpionic/Plutonic process is the body processing. Pluto digs up old emotion from our ancient cores. Rage and hurt and grief from all the betrayals, injustices, oppressions, inequalities, wounds and dark, dark, darkness that have been under the surface and left unresolved for all this time, through all our ancestral lines. We then process it through our physical bodies (Mars) to resolve it. The collective stuff is dealt with through each individual processing it.

This body processing is a little like going through menopause (not that I've gone through it, but from what I hear). Aches and pains, muscle stiffness, bone-weary exhaustion, hot and cold flashes, weird electrical sensations, feeling dirty and greasy even after bathing, nausea, sleep disruption, etc.

We purge a whole lot of energetic garbage through our systems, and it can be rough. We're also physically adjusting to changes in our structures, which can be painful.

So we're coming to the end of our yearly Scorpio season, but we're not out of the woods yet. The final degrees are sometimes a big old bitch because we're tired, but we can't let up. We have to maintain awareness of any more garbage dynamics that we need to be cut loose right up until the last minute of the last degree of Scorpio. These Scorpionic things are sneaky. They kick your ass to make you stronger and better and smarter and a more masterful psychic surgeon. They teach you to trust your own intuition and take razor-sharp precise action using its guidance. But they're still a bitch-a-roonie-doonie. So keep staring them down.

Willow's April 2008 Astro Perspective

April is a month of fresh, new territory and concrete progress…combined with a mad Plutonic flavah, stripping us down to the core (yet more stripping!) as we move forward in our lives. Things will start to move, but we’ll have to do some digging to bring up and let go of any tail-end garbage (especially related to relationships) that threatens our progress. It’s never either/or these days…it’s both/and. We can have our fresh starts, our eased movement, and our spring-ish “lightness of being” after wrestling our way out of the karmic past in March. But we’re going to be constantly challenged this month to get serious about stripping away the detritus as we get to our most crucial desires. Anything wished for out of frivolous ego, any vision we’re seeing through deluded rose-coloured glasses, any desire or goal related to an older version of ourselves, will be dead once and for all in the name of streamlining. We only have the time and energy to go after things that are truly right, heart and soul. Not to mention that the planet only has time and energy left for us to go after those things. Nothing frivolous or unnecessary, Pluto in Capricorn says. Only what feels perfectly right, Mars in Cancer says.

Some very relieving news this month: the Mars - Pluto opposition cycle finally comes to completion as Pluto goes retrograde on the 2nd and Mars enters new ground for the first time since November on the 5th! This has been a rough transit. Irritating, frustrating, exhausting. Some nuclear meltdowns. Over the past six months, this cycle has forced us to align our personal desires, identities and physical energy with broader evolutionary desires…to place what we want personally into a larger context of what is desired for us evolution-wise. We’ve learned to listen to our soul self…to consult ourselves in order to make decisions that feel right on an intuitive, gut level - even when they don’t seem completely rational. This because, for many of us, it’s not a choice anymore to divide ourselves into the self we put forward into society and the work world and our “real” self that we become only when comfortable at home or with friends. Pluto and Scorpio are related to alchemical merging, and we’ve been challenged to merge all the compartmentalized aspects of ourselves and our lives into one integrated force to be reckoned with. We’ve been challenged to come from our core personal truth at all times, to come from a place of complete honesty and integrity, no matter what the consequences, because nothing less will suffice now. We’re meant to be who we really are, and things simply won’t function properly if we’re hiding that and creating false fronts.

Pluto goes retrograde on the 2nd of the month to give us time to internally recalibrate and prepare for what’s ahead during its 16-year transit of Capricorn. (Transforming our business/corporate structures into something that is sustainable on the planet.) We’ve gotten an initial taste in the past couple of months of the themes we’ll be taking on during that process (see the past two Astro Perspectives for Pluto in Capricorn analysis). Aligning our identities (“who we are”) and our emotional, soul-level selves with the visible public roles related to Capricorn is the first step of that process. We should now be getting clear on what we’re willing to take responsibility for. In order to shoulder responsibility, we have to feel right in the role. We have to feel as if we are meant to take that on, to do that work. At this point, we should be closer to knowing what feels right…like home to us. If we’re not quite there, we should at least know what we DON’T want, and this will make it easier to find or build what we do want.

As April begins, we have a lot of emphasis on Aries and Mars (the planet that rules Aries), representing action, breaking new ground and starting new cycles. The Sun is in Aries until April 19. Mercury enters Aries on April 2, and Venus moves into Aries just after midnight (MST) on April 6, less than two hours after a very powerful New Moon at 16 degrees Aries. All this Aries energy is ruled by Mars in Cancer, which is finally heading into new degrees of the zodiac (the same day as the New Moon!) after a heavy, six-month dance with Pluto. There is nothing Mars loves more than movement into new territory. Fresh challenges. New goals. Action. The fact that Mars has been going over old territory while simultaneously feeling quite oppressed by its connections with Pluto means that it will be desiring action and fresh territory even more than usual this month. Because of this, the New Moon in Aries on April 5 will create an especially powerful surge into new beginnings. Mars is ready for something new. We all are. So here we’re supported to initiate, to take action, to move toward what we want. As long as it FEELS absolutely right and takes into consideration our long-term, practical responsibilities, we will be supported to embrace the new in all aspects of life.

As Mercury and then Venus enter Aries this month (on the 2nd and 5th), they almost immediately square retrograding Pluto at 1 degree Capricorn. Just to make sure we haven’t forgotten the lessons of the Mars - Pluto opposition cycle, we can only take those actions that are in alignment with our evolutionary responsibilities. When personal will (Mars) and evolutionary will (Pluto) clash, guess which one usually wins? So we have to honour both, with a willingness to drop the things we’re being asked to drop and align with the momentum that has been created in our lives. As Mars/Aries likes to do, we can’t just jump into anything that suits our fancy. We can’t go too fast (even though we’ll want to, after being held back for so long). The urge to jump in head first will be kept in check first by the squares to Pluto in Capricorn and then by squares to Mars in Cancer. (Mercury squares Mars in Cancer on April 10 and Venus squares Mars on April 23.)

But now that the Mars - Pluto oppositions have streamlined us and what we want out of this life, there should be less danger of heading off in the wrong direction. Listening to our inner compasses should keep us on track.

This month, with the Aries and Mars emphasis, getting to a place in our lives where we can live as we truly are means we have to tap into the power of our own anger (Mars) as a guiding force. We’re going to have to fight for the changes we want in our lives and battle our way out of the past and out of the circumstances and dynamics we want to shed. It’s not going to just happen on its own. We have to courageously trust our impulses, make changes and keep fighting for those changes until we get to where we want to be. This month, Aries and Mars reinforce that anger is not something that needs to be purified out of us. It’s something we need to learn to trust and harness as a force for change in our lives. A lot of times, when we get angry about something, it’s a signal that we need to take action to change things. In our society, anger is often considered undesirable or “un-spiritual.” In reality, we have to honour our own anger and use it to our benefit, to follow its impulse as it leads us to new territory. With Mercury and Venus in Aries for a big part of the month, our relationships and how we interact in our day-to-day lives are going to be the battleground for change. So when how someone is interacting with you is pissing you off…trust it. There’s a reason why it’s pissing you off. There’s something that needs to be different. When you’re being drawn into a dynamic that doesn’t feel right, focus on changing how you’re interacting. Get pissed off and refuse to play ball! People get used to treating us in a certain way, and we can feed that. It becomes a sort of energetic rut where you just switch on the old auto-pilot and fall unconsciously into old roles and dynamics. It’s familiar. But this is not what is being asked of us this month. We’re being asked to make changes and to keep making changes until we find ourselves in a life we love to live. To practise taking a new stance, a new direction…to fight for that new way…and to keep practising until it becomes second nature. To get rid, once and for all, of what doesn’t feel right anymore…and to not invite those dynamics back. We need to get to the point in our lives where we say, “Screw this! I’m not putting up with this anymore!” And we have to mean it. And follow through. That’s where the energy is - not in old patterns. We need strong personal will to break the energetic pull back to older versions of ourselves and our lives, especially when making changes in our relationships. Staying close to our angry emotional reactions will help us see what needs to change. Doing that will help us to differentiate between our new direction in life and the things that are related to an older version of our lives.

Getting our new directions down (and down right) in the first part of the month is crucial because by the last third, we’re in Taurus territory. Taurus is the fixed earth sign of hunkering down and gittin’ ’er done. With Taurus, we commit our energy in a concrete way. Taurus is like a lumbering freight train - very powerful, and once it has been set in motion, it’s not easy to make adjustments to the direction. It’s even more difficult to change direction entirely. Taurus works with momentum in “here and now” physical reality. It digs in, building on the new direction initiated in inspirational cardinal fire, Aries, in an attempt to bring the goal to material manifestation. This is why we have to be sure of the direction we’re heading in, the goals we’re setting for ourselves. Once Taurus commits to a direction, it’s a big waste of energy and momentum to start over, and Taurus doesn’t like wasting its time or energy. It makes more work and less time for enjoying life. So checking in with ourselves and using our emotions for guidance before we leap ahead is important this month to keep ourselves on track.

Making the direction we choose to commit to even more imperative is the fact that we have a Grand Earth Trine forming mid-month, at the first degrees of Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn. After the Cardinal Grand Cross at last month’s Full Moon (initiating the new on all levels), the Grand Trine in earth signs represents the challenge to bring the new beginnings we so desperately need into physical reality. Time to get real, focus and take on the responsibility for doing what needs to be done.

Mercury passes the Sun at the tail-end of Aries mid-month and enters Taurus April 17. Mercury in Taurus will then trine Pluto in Capricorn and Saturn in Virgo at the first degree of all three signs, creating the Grand Earth Trine. Trines are flowing aspects among signs of the same element. They’re “on the same page,” “reading each other’s mail,” so to speak. The energies understand each other and work together in a smooth, flowing way, without a lot of disagreements and butting heads. So when all the earth signs are working together at the beginning degrees, big things can happen and a lot of material progress can be made in bringing new beginnings into concrete, physical reality - almost miraculously. Things that would take much more time and effort at other times will seem to come about without much of a hitch. Mostly because they have been “in the works” for a while.

Just as Mercury moves out of perfect alignment in the Grand Earth Trine, the Sun enters Taurus (April 19) and takes its place, continuing the aspect. (The Grand Trine will be very potent from April 17 to April 22.) So at this point, we’ll be very aware, in our current conscious moment, of all the things that are unfolding. Things should be moving now that had been held up. The time will be right for things to manifest in physical reality…and they will, as long as we’re willing to do the sometimes unglamourous work related to the earth houses. There is work to be done, but hopefully, it will now have the flavour of the work we love to do, the work we are ready to do. We should be able to shoulder the weight of our responsibilities now…or be well on the way to that point, moving out of the structures and roles that make us feel oppressed.

While in the midst of our Grand Earth Trines, we have the first of two Full Moons in Scorpio on April 20. This is another indication of the completion of the Mars - Pluto opposition cycle. Mars and Pluto are the planets that rule Scorpio and a Full Moon is a point where things come to a head. So the next two Full Moons (this month, and next month on May 19) are related to a final clearing of emotional residue. The Full Moon this month occurs at 0 degrees Scorpio, and the one in May is at 29 degrees - representing the beginning and the end of the sign. So just like Scorpio, we don’t stop until we’re gutted completely! Anything that threatens our soul growth by keeping us in old energetic patterns will come to the surface during this Full Moon and throughout the next month. Repressed emotional truth (how you REALLY feel), dynamics that people would prefer to hide, abuse, self-worth issues, fear, domination and subjugation themes in relationships, emotional and financial dependence issues, the ways we stay in situations/dynamics because we’re scared to leave, we don’t feel we deserve better, we don’t think we’re strong enough to break out of it on our own, we fear the reaction of the other person…all that fun crap. It’s all part of the alchemical merging and integration we need in order to take the next steps in our evolution. The denied and compartmentalized aspects of ourselves will be asking for recognition and validation so that they can be brought into the whole. The ways we short-change ourselves by accepting mistreatment, especially emotional mistreatment, will be a theme. Again, Mars is a co-ruler of Scorpio, so we have our own anger to guide us. Relationships and circumstances that annoy or enrage us will drive us to make changes. We’ll have to confront the ways that we let fear control us and keep us in unsatisfactory situations. A lot of lines in the sand being drawn.

All this will be stirred up for release so that we don’t haul old emotional baggage into what we are building with the Grand Earth Trines. No more recreating the harshness of the past.

The caution this month (and with Mars in Cancer, in general) is not to deal with things in these ways: avoidance, denial, burying emotions, passive-aggressiveness, taking the weak way out, fearing the reaction of others and letting that fear keep us in unwanted situations/relationships, emotionally manipulating or controlling people.

Likely, things will come up during this Full Moon that will be processed all month long until reaching a final completion point next month at 29 degrees Scorpio. The 29th degree is the final degree of any sign and represents the master lessons - where we have to prove what we’ve learned throughout the entire sign. This is a little freaky because it means some ugly things that have been suppressed can come bubbling to the surface. Things that have been simmering for a while could boil over, and we could experience some “clearing the air” nuclear meltdowns in our relationships. Ways that we feel oppressed or de-valued in our most intimate relationships (with ourselves and with other people) could come to light. Dark undercurrents that people may or may not want to deal with. Severing ties to the past once and for all…and this includes any dynamic that is holding you down, keeping your oppressed and making you feel like hell. Epic, I tell you! It should all come out in the wash now, whether we like it or not. How “epic” these Full Moons are personally will have a lot to do with how much work was done (inner and outer) during the Mars - Pluto opposition cycle. If we did the work we were asked to do, these Full Moons will probably have more of a final clearance type of feel to them, rather than bringing up intense confrontations. There will definitely be some emotional cycles coming to a close. We’ll be sloughing off the past, driven by the will to move on, regenerate, evolve. We’ll be emotionally fortified for what’s to come, as long as we look at what is coming up and deal with it, emotionally uncomfortable as it may be. Physical processing (through the body) of emotion, especially old emotion, should be expected. So it could be a time of low physical energy but a lot going on internally.

The square between Venus in Aries and Mars in Cancer on April 23 will create the tension we need to make the required changes in our relationships. We need to be part of relationships that feel right and honour who we are. This relates to family, friends and mates.

After the somewhat intense Full Moon, we’ll be supported by more nice aspects. We can relax and enjoy the warmer weather that Taurus brings to the Northern hemisphere. Get out into nature and enjoy our physical senses.

Mercury in Taurus sextiles Uranus in Pisces and then trines Jupiter in Capricorn on April 27. This is an indicator that Mercury is doing its job as a go-between for the vision of the Aquarian Age and the expansion of our concrete physical world and structures. The plans for expansion are coming together, with an eye on creating the kind of world we all want to live in. Mercury is bridging the gap between physical and spiritual until we’re aware that there really is no gap.

At the close of the month, Venus heads into Taurus, reforming the Grand Earth Trine with Pluto in Capricorn and Saturn in Virgo. Now our hearts are fully committed. Our relationships with others take their part in the manifestation process. We’re working with other people who share our vision. Things are feeling comfortable, real, concrete. It’s really happening…we’re on our way to creating something new and better for ourselves and our communities. We have others to share the work and the responsibility with. And as Venus transits Taurus, we build our relationships to the point where they’re a solid foundation for us and for what’s to come. We can count on the people in our lives. Our relationships will stand the test of time. They will endure. And the ones that can’t will be let go of…hopefully with good wishes, after any initial hurt. We should be well aware at this point that what is yet to come is so much better than holding on to times gone by. When we let go of the past, we free up the universe to create something better. We’re on the final leg of past completion and resolution. Letting go internally in a complete way so that things can change.