Astrology Transits for April 21st-16th: This Frustration is Sustaining
- Astro Anarchist
- 11 minutes ago
- 6 min read
Taurus season, so far, may feel austere by a little or a lot, and that is because, since Mars moved back into Leo, he has also moved into closer proximity to an opposition with Pluto in Aquarius. Mars in Cancer has been a tough ride, and it’s been long because of the retrograde. Normally we could rejoice a little to see Mars enter fiery Leo, except for this Pluto opposition. This has been a 6 month journey of proximity between two of the most dramatic planets. With Mars and Pluto- we feel this very much on the world stage, and in our personal lives.
With retrogrades, we get a 3 part story; Chapter 1 was November 3rd, with Mars in the 29th degree of Cancer, and Pluto at the 29th degree of Capricorn. That denoted a sort of ending, a relationship friction, and an old narrative. The US election happened on November 5th, and all of the hullabaloo that ensued is part of this story collectively.
Chapter 2 had January 2nd’s opposition at 1 degree of Mars in Leo and Aquarius Pluto. The fires in LA had begun, it was a new year, and Mars was retrograde. And now, again we have this approaching– our Chapter 3 of this story, here to initiate us relationally forward on April 26th. But we are in the shadow of this energy, and have been, for quite some time. I can feel this overwhelmingly; can you?
Are there any points of friction that you can point to that make sense with these dates?
Both these planets initiate, exert will. Pluto is all about power, Mars is about desire. Pluto is about the collective in humanity, Mars is about the individual in society. When they are in opposition, we see tension, friction, and relational strife. We see it between countries, but also in communities, families, legacies. All are related, of course.
If that wasn’t enough, because these two powerhouses are opposing in fixed houses, and the Sun just moved into Taurus, it means that we have a T square, which just gives us more tension, and a mechanism for the tension to be released through, and that’s our consciousness, identity, and ego. Tension in fixed houses is the feeling of grinding gears. This is collectively and also individually. Interesting that it is in the earth sign of Gaia, our mother.
This is the vibe right now and all week, this frustration is sustaining. It’s not moving fast, and it’s not going away. We have to bring this cosmic chiseling in for the long haul.
But wait, there’s more.
Here are the timestamps:
April 21
Pisces Saturn conjunct North Node 26 degrees
4:31 am PST/ 7:31 am EST
Mercury Maximum elongation @ 4 degrees Aries
12:00 pm PST/ 3:00 pm EST
April 23
Taurus Sun square Aquarius Pluto @ 3 degree
9:59 am PST/ 12:59 pm EST
Venus conjunct North Node Pisces @ 26 degrees
9:35 pm PST/ 12:35 pm EST
April 24th
Venus conjunct Saturn @ 27 degrees
4:32 pm PST/ 7:32 pm EST
April 26th
Leo Mercury leaves post retrograde shadow 9 degrees
1:28 am PST/ 4:28 am EST
Leo Mars oppose Aquarius Pluto @ 3 degrees
6:05 pm PST/ 9:05 pm EST
Sunday April 21st saw a very fated aspect, that we are coming to terms with still even today, and all week. Saturn conjunct the North Node in Pisces. This is a rare, and highly important transit. It happens roughly once a decade, and never in our lives has it happened in Pisces.
The North Node is our fate, known as the head of the dragon, and anywhere and thing that it touches speaks to where we are heading, karmically. In Pisces, this fate is spiritual, oceanic, unifying, infinite, but speaks also to endings, the void, dreams, death, and emptiness. Pisces is the Yoda sign of the zodiac. Saturn is also the lord of karma, structures, hierarchy, finiteness, time, boundaries, and work. Nothing comes easy with Saturn, and Saturn makes us work hard. It’s a social planet, so it speaks to our work in the world, and not just personally.
Add to this that Mercury meets its longest elongation here, which is supposed to be the time that we find the next inspiration to run with.
With this cosmic meeting, we are at some kind of karmic checkpoint. The structures of late-stage capitalism are crumbling. Pluto in Aquarius is saying that the power is in the collective; and Saturn is impressing upon us our personal role in that story.
For myself, I gave a webinar/ presentation on Sunday to an astrology audience, and I have known for some time that my fate is pointing me in this direction, no matter how much I resist it. 15 years ago a boyfriend told me that he thought I should be a teacher, and I remember thinking how much he didn’t know me; and how it was evident that we weren’t right for each other. That much was true, but he could actually see something I could not. A spiritual guide several years later, in 2017 told me the same thing, and I didn’t buy it then either.
What did you do on Sunday, and what’s coming up for you around this? North Node energy is awkward, and it’s not easy but often, we know when fate is knocking on our door.
On Wednesday April 23rd, we get the exact square between Aquarius Pluto and Taurus Sun. This energy is much of what I described earlier in this post, although on a personal level. With Pluto we are always contending with power, that which is hidden, becoming conscious, and, at times, destruction. Pluto lessons can be hard to contend with because often they reveal what has always been true, and what gets destroyed is our own construct of belief. We become aware of patterns and that can be destabilizing at first, even if knowledge is power.
Interestingly enough, Taurus is ruled by Venus, and Venus makes the same conjunction to the North Node that Saturn did on Sunday. This transit is less rare, except that Venus, Saturn, and the North Node are pretty much conjunct in these last degrees of Pisces for the rest of the month. Venus is the planet of love and value, and with our fate being highlighted with deep lessons, bottoming out, and our values: we can see a spiritual calling coming forth. We are contending with what we must do, what must end, and what must begin in our personal and collective lives. Venus is exalted in Pisces and has just done a retrograde in this sign. With Taurus Sun so tasked right now, it’s beautiful to know how cleansed and purified Venus is.
What are you starting to learn about what and who are most important, and what is needed to honor that which you value?
What must end in order for you to do so?
Thursday April 24th has the exact conjunction of Saturn and Venus, and I won’t go on and on about this energy except to say this is a moment where our work in the world, our karma, meet our values. Venus and Saturn have been meeting up in Pisces now, a few times. This week, we are starting to understand something about our spiritual path.
Saturday April 26th is when the Pluto/Mars conjunction goes exact. I frontloaded this description so that you would all know what the vibe is this week, you’re feeling this energy already, and it will just intensify. Mercury will leave its post retrograde shadow at 9 degrees Leo on this same day, as we have completed a lesson for now, about how we think and communicate, and we are in better condition to lead our pride.
There is a WHOLE lot going on right now, and many of us feel really unsure about the future. That is by design. We shouldn’t be certain. We have a lot to learn about ourselves and the world we live in.
A lot of us are scared, exhausted, disappointed, and forlorn. This is a normal reaction to the world right now. Beware spiritual bypassers who demand positivity or “high vibration” at all times. There is a lot to be angry at, and if you aren’t a little pissed off, you aren’t paying attention. There is a big tidal wave coming, but we are already in it.
But there is lots to appreciate, amplify, there’s lots that is going right, even though it doesn’t seem like it. Take care of yourself, do your best, and live in integrity. Love hard, my friends. We all need it, especially those who take care of everyone. They need it the most right now.
We have a new world to build together, and as scary as that feels, I look forward to it. Our planet, our mother, deserves our true love and dedication.
Xo Astro Anarchist