Episode 69 features a discussion with Kelly Surtees and Austin Coppock about the astrological forecast for April of 2016, as well as a segment on some of the most auspicious electional dates over the next few weeks.
The cover art for this episode is from the 2016 PlanetWatcher Astrology Calendar.
Below you will find the show notes, followed by links to download or stream the recording:
Alignments for April
MARS STATIONS RETROGRADE! ********
- April 17th at 8 Sag
- Mars station at 7 – 8 Sag all month. Treading water?
- Previous retrograde was 15 years ago
- May 10 2001 SRx at 29° Sagittarius – July 19 SD at 15° Sagittarius
Mercury Retrograde
- Stations Rx on April 28 at 23 Taurus.
Lunations
- New Moon in Aries – April 7th 18 Aries
- Full Moon in Scorpio, April 21st at 2 Scorpio
- Fun fact: New Moon is on the degree of the Sun’s exaltation, the Full Moon is in the degree of the Moon’s maximum fall.
Miscellaneous
- Both Jupiter/Saturn rx all month. Interestingly, Uranus pushes beyond 20 Aries, where he stationed last July. Breaking new ground? People with planets at 21 cardinal triggered
Elections for April
This month’s elections feature contributions from Leisa Schaim, who has been helping me with the electional column for TMA over the past few months while I’ve been working on my book.
These elections are set for Denver, Colorado, but you should be able to use approximately the same times after you have set them for your location, since they are set for local time. Just make sure that when you relocate the chart that it has the same rising sign and degree in your location as what is shown in the chart below.
- April 1 around 8:05 a.m., with 12° Taurus rising – Venus ruling the Ascendant, exalted in Pisces in the 11th. Moon in Capricorn in the 9th whole sign house, conjunct the degree of the MC and applying to a sextile with Venus.
- April 8 around 11:30 a.m., with 14° Cancer rising – Moon ruling the Ascendant, exalted in Taurus in the 11th, applying to a trine with Jupiter in Virgo in the 3rd.
- April 12 around 12:05 p.m. with 24° Cancer rising – Moon ruling the Ascendant, placed in its own domicile in Cancer in the 1st whole sign house, applying to square Venus, then sextile Mercury and Jupiter.
- April 27 around 1:05 p.m. with 18° Leo rising – Sun ruling the Ascendant, placed in Taurus in the 10th, applying to trine Jupiter in Virgo in the 2nd. Moon in Capricorn in the 6th, although mitigated by a trine with the MC, and applying to a trine with Jupiter. Mercury is stationing retrograde.
Transcript
A full transcript of this episode is available: Episode 69 transcript
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I had a reading with Austin earlier in the year, and he mentioned Mars retrograding and spending a lot of time squaring my natal moon, which is 7 Virgo, and this might cause a “challenge to my health.” Well, on February 24th, when Mars was directly opposite my natal Mars, I got the flu. Then this week, when Mars got within two degrees of squaring my moon, I got the flu again. I hope this doesn’t go on for weeks! Saturn is also squaring my nodes right now, as it stations. I have to say I am not feeling the Warrior or the Smith at the moment!
Great metaphor to the Arab Spring internalized. Natal 10 deg Aries Sun did get burned to the ground at that time. Waxing square is a cleanup and acceptance of the blow up that happened and now having to get on w a new reality.
woops – Waning square. Maybe a certain naivite and impetuosity can be assigned to the Aries expression of that 1st decan Uranian transit June 2012 onward – so not just a matter of rebellion not meaning freedom but also a certain irresponsibility – a certain adolescent perspective. I felt enormously liberated from the old order at that time but with no plan and other extenuating circumstances it was also devastating. I find this exercise of relating concrete current events to the personal as a descriptive metaphor very useful – thank you for the reminder! Interesting now the Saturn trine to Uranus and Jupiter trine to Pluto is at play there is finally, a plan for the re-build after all this time. When Mars also hits this point at Stationary retrograde and then again in August, I see a possible intensification and activation relating to that time (June 2012 onward) for those who were affected in the natal chart. A new order?
About Mars retrograde: astrologer Marina Macario likens this to a BAKING and not an increase in intensity, stating that Mars does not become more malefic in the retrograde. This makes sense to me. As an example, Mars ingress into Sag brought an intensely painful stitch removal from late Feb (Mars in Scorp) facial surgery. A 2nd surgery to come early April while Mars still direct. The healing for both (subsiding of inflammation) will take place during the retrograde. Another example is elderly mother moving house April 1 (ongoing concern all of 2015 while Saturn was covering decan 1 in my 4th H conj Moon and her 5 deg Sag Sun). Mars now activates previous work done by Saturn bringing the crisis/concern/responsibility to a close. She then settles in to new environment during the retrograde of both planets. I myself am moving house May 1 during the retrograde but all initial preparation will have been done (fast and furiously) while direct. Six years ago moved to current residence during a Mars transit of 4th H during another medical crisis involving the head! (3 deg Aries Mercury is ASC ruler and trines early Sag transits). Current move is due to an unexpected sale of property communicated while Mars was direct in late degrees of Scorpio, 3rd H. I will be settling in to new residence during those same degrees of the retrograde. Intense emotion seems to be put aside and replaced by activity – I imagine the ongoing retrograde will bring a feeling/reflection of having been through the fire – I am sure. Hoping for the best – cautiously optimistic.
I understand why people talk about planets going retrograde and suggest possible meanings, but don’t you have to know what house or houses Mars rules in a particular chart in order to know what is going to be affected, or what it will all mean? So if you have Aries on the 7th, for instance, then during the time of Mars being retrograde, your partner or partnerships generally will be different – the people you are involved with will be less active or more subdued, etc. Or if you have Aries rising, then during this period, you personally will be affected; or with Mars ruling the 10th, then business matters will be less straightforward. So if you have Mars ruling the 7th, you know what area of life will be affected and what other factors to consider to know the influence of Mars’s retrograde condition.
@John – I always first look at the area of life being affected first- certainly true in my case right now, and any planets being aspected in that house by the transiting planet, any aspects the natal planets make, now coupled with the Transiting planet on top of it , then I take a peak at transiting to natal aspects other than the conjunction (same house),, transits to transits, houses ruled by affected planets, Also, condition of the natal planet that correlates with the transiting is often important and may also be a priority according to some astrologers who have shown case studies to that affect. After all that, I guess you could look at the sign the transiting planet rules in the natal but it would be for me, the last place I would go. Pretty much the whole chart gets in involved any way as there is a lot of overlap and looping around once you follow rulerships and aspects. Clearly, in my example above the 4th H Moon (mother) has been a concern as has her moving and my own moving. Saturn and Mars transits to the 4th H are often an indication of moving house regardless of the house sign or the sign the transiting planet rules in the natal. If I look to natal placement of Mars however – it’s ruler takes me right back to the 4th House!
PS – if you first looked at the transiting planet’s natal correlation you would naturally end up looking at the area of the chart (sign) that natal and transiting planet rules, but IMO it would not take priority over the area being transited, or the condition of the correlating planet – certainly part of the story though – you would have to see! So, to use your example of Aries on the cusp of the 7th H, you would look to that house if you wish, but must also look to the condition of the ruler (manager) of that house (Mars in this case), where it is in the chart, the aspects it makes etc., as well as the immediate area of life where Mars would be transiting (a must) and on and on…
Re: the quality of being painful, but the result being good= Childbirth.
Lasr Mars retrograde in Sag in 2001 reminds me of the plot that was being hatched leading up.to 9/11 or shall i say the police missed the plot…
I was thinking also about 911 and that period before too,. especially with Uranus breaking into new ground later in the month I’m concerned about global issues. Personally I have Pluto at 23 Leo and I’m not looking forward to that Mars station at 23 Scorpio or the Mercury station at 23 Taurus. . Nervous. Thanks for the insight about the forging the new and trial by fire. Working extra hard can certainly produce results. Just hope it all works out for the best and no one dies in the process.
Does anyone have any insight into whether the April 8th chart would work well for starting a profitable side-business to hopefully turn into a full business? Or launching a new — hopefully financially viable — product? Moon in Taurus in the 11th would seem like it, but Aries in Venus (with -5 points) makes me question… If you have an opinion either way, would you mind sharing why? Thank you in advance!!
Hillary Clinton’s nodal axis is at 23 Taurus (n node)/ Scorpio , and she has a bunch of planets in late Scorpio and possibly her ascendant at 22 Scorpio as well (putting her descendent at 22 Taurus). Since 23 is a hot degree for the Mercury retrograde and will also be revisited by Mars later, I wonder what this month and season will bring for her.. extended battle?
me too
I am not looking at her chart but if the MC is 23 Taurus then this affects her personal life – her career is affected of course as well as a point of balance that must be focused on as well., but the whole chart needs to be seen for the whole story. Just this bit – with the Mars retrograde station direct exactly conjoining her IC June 29, I would say she is done – like the rest of us, with going back and cutting the last bits that bind and that this is huge for her since it is at the pivotal, foundational point of her being, making ready to rise again – especially in Scorpio., and especially since Mars rules Scorpio. This is in opposition to her public ambition – perhaps distracting her, detaining her. Maybe things will really take off for her after this point. August 23rd is the date to watch – when Antares gets into the mix square Neptune. Then Mars busts through and this is when things get going really fast, no more block from Saturn, no more diffusion from Neptune. I see September as being a time of big change. I assume she will win the Democratic nomination and that she will be in the throws of thrashing Trump – another chart to look at, but I would rather not.
Her axis may be 23 Taurus DC not MC. Also her time of birth is widely unknown/ disputed. Re: Trump’s chart- it’s just as embarrassing as you’d think it might be. Hillary Clinton’s nodal axis is definitely 23 Taurus/ Scorpio, so the Mercury Rx station is happening on her north node and the Mars direct station on her south. I think that when Mars gets some speed and overcomes external influence we’ll all see big change, for now all the retro planets are giving me nausea.
Just getting into astrology so still understanding things. With my natal sun and mars (mercury and neptune) in Sagittarius and in the ninth house I am oh so curious what it means for me with this mars retrograde (which seems like a big deal). I can sense it’s potentially something big occurring for me so I was wondering if anyone had any insight into this. Pisces ascendant too.