Astrological Forecast for March & April 2019

As winter turns to spring, the skies heat up in March and April. Over the course of these two months Uranus moves into Taurus, where he’ll stay for the next seven years, and four planets change direction. While I wouldn’t say that this period of time is going to be entirely one of confusion, it will certainly be one in which we find things shifting rapidly and in unexpected ways.

For much of the start of 2019, we’ve had a rare period when all planets were direct – moving forward in the zodiac. In addition to Mercury’s retrograde in March, we have Jupiter, Pluto, and Saturn turning around to backpedal in April. This doesn’t mean that our forward progress will be blocked, but we are likely to reconsider our direction, and may need to strategize to find new ways to get where we’re going. It will be a time to refine our goals and our approach to them.

These three planets are retrograde for much of every year, so their retrogrades aren’t as prominent as Mars or Venus retrograde, which have an overt effect on our lives. Still, the weight of the combined retrogrades will be putting on the brakes, especially at the collective level.

Uranus moved into Taurus for a while last year, then retrograded back into Aries. This time, he’s in the sign of the bull to stay. Uranus in Taurus will have us moving in two directions at the same time: on the one hand, we’ll be embracing new technologies and innovations that will affect our bodies, the economy, and our food supply, while on the other hand, we’re likely to see a strong back to the land movement that rejects our cyber social world, Frankenfood, and screen-addicted lifestyles. On one side of the equation is Bitcoin, on the other is bartering. Uranus is great for pulling us in two directions at the same time, and while the split is likely to be very apparent on the collective level, each of us will also be feeling it within.

Mercury’s retrograde (March 5 – 28) deserves special attention this time around. Yes, the usual caveats about buying a car or computer, signing contracts, and communication snafus apply, and even more so with Mercury swimming along in Pisces, a sign in which he can struggle to keep facts straight. The power of the retrograde is amplified as Mercury meets Neptune on March 24th, and is extended by their meeting again on April 2nd.

With the Sun also meeting with Neptune on March 6th at the new moon, we might view all of March as a time when we go within to reexamine. It’s an incubation period, a time when the creative potential grows within us and needs to be nurtured. April’s vibe is much more outgoing – despite the retrogrades.

March

March begins with a flurry of activity that is likely to be confusing on many levels. Mercury stations to retrograde on the 5th, then Uranus moves into Taurus on the 6th, which is also the day of the new moon in Pisces, which is closely conjunct Neptune. While it’s usual to look for signs of how a planet will manifest in a sign on the day of its ingress, the message on the collective level is likely to be a confused jumble of misread facts and overblown reactions – even at the quiet of the new moon.

This new moon is a seeding time for our spiritual and imaginal journeying for the next year, and it is packed with creative potential. Yet it could be very difficult to figure out exactly what is being seeded. It’s a time to go within and trust your intuition, while keeping a skeptical eye on any facts that are presented to you.

Stretching towards mid-month, we have a period of relatively easy energy that can help to unpack the powerful but vague experiences of the first week of the month. While the time around the 13th to the 15th could see increased polarization and the tendency to bend data to fit opinions and beliefs, we’re generally inclined to review the claims and make informed decisions.

If the energy of early March pulls us inward, the full moon in in Libra on March 20th announces the awakening of energy. This full moon comes less than five hours after the Sun enters Aries, signaling the Spring Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere, and the beginning of the astrological year. It’s a time of beginnings, and is likely to feel like a bold wake-up call after some weeks of more internal focus.

Passions also start to stir, as Venus squares Mars and sextiles Jupiter just a day later. These aspects, coming at the full moon, can push romance to new levels. There’s openness to new ideas, and a willingness to take the plunge around this time. What we struggle to say in words can find outlet in actions.

A different vibe prevails on the 22nd, as the Sun meets with Chiron in Aries. It’s the first time the two have met in the sign of the ram since the 1970s, so those of us old enough can look for some resonance with that time. For all of us, this aspect calls us to question our individuality – who we are and how we stand up for ourselves. With the full moon in relationship-oriented Libra still ringing in our ears, we consider how much we need to give to partners and partnerships, and how much we need to assert our independence.

As Venus slips into Pisces and sextiles Uranus a few days later, on the 26th and 27th, we can find ways to ease those relationship questions towards practical answers. Allow entrenched patterns to give way to more flexible, flowing approaches to partnership.

The time from the 24th through April 2nd is colored by Mercury’s station to go direct, conjunct Neptune. This is a very poor time for practical decisions – consider it a hyper-Mercury-retrograde period. Double and triple check all work, and defer important decisions if you can.

April

If March was a month when energy germinated below the surface and then popped through the half-frozen ground at the full moon, April represents a flowering of that energy – retrogrades and all.

Things really begin to pick up following the new moon in Aries on April 5th. After a few days when we’ll be itching to get moving, the action starts. A Venus/Neptune meeting can make the time around the 8th through the 10th good for romance, although as with any romance the truth behind the story may not be quite what we think. Over the next week, Venus will make a series of aspects that should help us to sort reality from fantasy, while making the best of both.

Many of us won’t be thinking of romance at this time, though, as the Sun’s upward movement is given a check by a square to Saturn, while Jupiter stations to retrograde. It feels like the brakes are slammed just as we’re picking up speed. Expect delays and hesitations – not of the Mercurial kind, but more fundamentally, as we consider whether we have the resources to press onward in the face of resistance.

Getting stuck leads to frustration, and frustration can become motivation. The struggle is on as the Sun meets Pluto on the 13th. The resistance we’ve encountered can be transmuted into power, but doing so without going too far is tricky. Expect that tensions build throughout the middle of April and will find their release in the last week of the month.

That last week is power-packed, with a “something’s gotta give” kind of feel. From the full moon on the 19th, through the meeting of the Sun and Uranus on 22nd, to Pluto’s station retrograde on the 24th, Saturn’s station retrograde on the 29th, and a few hot aspects thrown in for good measure, it’s unlikely to be a time when we can contain ourselves.

The cosmic weather is complex at the end of April, a mixture of implosive, pressurizing forces and explosive, liberating energies. The possible manifestations, from the most positive to the most negative ends of the spectrum on the individual and collective levels, are beyond imagining. This is a time to push ahead with plans and projects you’re sure of, but also a time when it may be necessary to reconsider what you’re doing and how you’re going about it. Keep in mind, also, that others are also struggling with their own issues, and some folks are sure to be rather volatile.

Dealing with such a mix of contradictory and powerful forces isn’t easy for any of us. It’s in the areas of life where we feel most vulnerable that we’re likely to encounter difficulties, while the same energies can be viewed as opportunities in places where we’re on top of our game.

Armand M. Diaz, Ph.D. uses an intuitive and heart-centered approach to astrology to help his clients. Armand has practiced divination for more than thirty years, working with the I Ching and Tarot in addition to astrology. He has published in various astrological journals, including The Mountain Astrologer. Armand’s most recent book, Separating Aspects: The Astrology of Breakups, Divorce, and Other Partings, is available through Amazon and on Kindle. He can be reached through his website at www.ArmandDiaz.com .