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*Whether astrology is science or magic, we’re open to most things, if they may be of benefit. ~ Ed.

The moon is now waxing from the Aries new moon of April 11th—the first new moon of this astrological year—to the full moon in Scorpio coming up on April 26th.

(Our next full moon in one month, on May 26th, will be a full moon eclipse in Sagittarius, opening a two-week eclipse portal from then until the following new moon, so big change is on deck!)

This week we ride the wave of the waxing moon by taking actions that support new moon intentions and also make any necessary adjustments or course corrections brought to our attention with this week’s first-quarter square moon.

Early on Tuesday of this week (April 19th), we arrive at the first quarter square moon—the choice point that comes each month between the new moon and full moon. The first quarter square moon has been referred to by astrologer Dane Rudhyar as a “crisis in action.” It is a checkpoint of sorts during the waxing moon every month when we come to an internal impasse between conscious thought and the subconscious and thus have to work something out to unblock the energy and resume forward motion.

Before we even get to the first quarter square Tuesday morning, though, we kick the week off with a big energetic shift on Monday, as both the sun and Mercury shift from Aries to Taurus.

Wherever the sun is, it’s where our conscious focus is. As it shifts signs on Monday, our consciousness shifts from the Aries themes of individuality, new beginnings, fresh starts, and going after what we want, to the stabilizing earth energy of Taurus that supports us in those endeavors and allows us to fully receive and enjoy the rewards of our efforts.

Taurus is Venus-ruled earth, the energy of resources, abundance, and life’s little luxuries. As of Monday, we will have four planets in this sign, as the sun and Mercury are joining Venus and Uranus, already in the sign.

Later this week, Venus will be passing by Uranus at 10 degrees Taurus. Expect restlessness and independence to be intensifying up until Venus gets past Uranus—their conjunction is exact on Thursday the 22nd.

Venus is love and money, and Uranus wants innovation and change. The thing to watch for here is stagnation and boredom, or feeling blocked in—that’s when the restlessness and impulsiveness can kick in and go sideways, which, when paired with Venus, can blow budgets and relationships.

Because these two are in Taurus, the sign of resources and stability, this could feel really unsettling and destabilizing to us. (Also note that Uranus’ “job” as it transits Taurus for the next several years is to help us innovate in how we feel stable and secure in the world, and this began back around 2018, so this transit of Venus to Uranus is part of that larger cycle.)

In conjunction, Venus and Uranus will be both expressing through the energetic prism of Taurus (they are working together rather than challenging each other at an energetic impasse), so think à la innovation in love and money; go for what feels fresh and like there is lots of breathing room and maneuverability, not what feels stuffy and outdated.

Tried-and-true or status quo just won’t do right now.

This is about new ways to get that feeling of security, comfort, pleasure, and even a sense of self-worth.

The more we come at this with conscious awareness, the more likely it is we can harness this energy and direct it into breakthroughs, revelation, and innovation where they are needed instead of it erupting in shake-ups and blowups “unexpectedly.” It’s also likely, with such a strong Uranus influence, that we won’t be quite tolerant over this week/weekend of carrying anyone else in any way, so move into the latter half of this week ready to ride that wave and make the most of it.

Staying conscious of moving toward what feels exciting, innovative, and fresh and moving away from what feels stifling is where the magic is at this week.

On Friday, we have another big energetic shift when Mars moves out of Gemini and into Cancer, where it stays until June 11th, taking us through the eclipses coming at the end of May and beginning of June.

Mars is a personal planet along with Venus and Mercury, but out of the three is the slowest mover, taking about two years on average to complete one cycle around the zodiac, meaning it spends about two months in each sign.

Mars is our motivation and assertion, ruler of Aries, known as “the warrior.”

It spent an unprecedented six months in its own sign of Aries over the last half of 2020. In early January, it shifted into Taurus and then has been in Gemini.

While we will regain our sense of focus that may have felt lost while Mars was in Gemini, Mars in Cancer has a different set of issues.

Mars is our passion, motivation, and assertiveness. Cancer is a sign of emotions, whose symbol is the crab. While Cancer is one of the four cardinal signs—the signs that initiate—like Mars’ own sign of Aries when our warrior is in Cancer, we, like the crab, won’t necessarily want to move directly toward what it is we want. This can be awkward for Mars, the warrior archetype that assists us in confronting things head-on.

Cancer is also the sign that represents where we come from—our lineage and ancestors even. If our intentions and path forward are different from the values of our lineage, or even if what we are doing is helping break through a barrier the lineage has faced in the past, this might come up strongly while Mars is in Cancer, as Mars is our passion and drive to go after things, and Cancer is the past, lineage, ancestry, and the subconscious. While Mars here may stir these things in us and bring them to the forefront of our lives, remember that Mars is also our warrior, so it brings the strength to face these things now as well.

This week, we take action that supports our new moon intentions and also use the first quarter square moon early in the week to assist us in determining if and where any adjustments or course corrections might be necessary.

At the first quarter moon, we check to make sure we are still in alignment. At the same time, the planetary shifts bring us new energy to work with; it may feel stabilized and grounded to the point of not moving enough, but we can use this to build a foundation before moving forward again. If earth energy brings us anything, it is endurance. This week we can begin harnessing that.

How will you work with the energies this week has to offer?

~