In April 2019, the most active areas of life for you, Cancer, will center around career, relationships, and potentially travel, higher education, or your belief system. On April 2nd, Mercury will conjunct Neptune at 17 degrees Pisces for the third time this year. Because of March’s Mercury retrograde, you would have likely seen the beginning of this transit around February 19th, when Mercury conjoined Neptune for the first time. Then Mercury backtracked during its retrograde and had its second conjunction with Neptune on March 24th. April 2nd is the third pass of this Mercury/Neptune conjunction, so hopefully you’re wrapping up whatever this transit was about for you.
Mercury/Neptune contacts can involve lying, deception, as well as miscommunication or being misinformed. You may have signed a contract or been involved with a business transaction but didn’t have all the facts straight, or they were obscured somehow. Here are some examples of how this could manifest in your 9th house specifically:
- You may question your belief system, spirituality, or way of seeing the world due to finding out inaccurate information was involved.
- You could have difficulty booking or navigating a trip or vacation, ending up with the wrong directions.
- You might feel confused about something you’re learning, whether it’s a college or continuing education class, or outside of school.
- You may be dealing with gossip in some fashion, leaving you or others unsure what to believe.
At the same time, Mercury/Neptune in Pisces can be decent for artistic pursuits like writing or podcasting, because it can be very inspiring, plus the Moon and Venus are also present in Pisces at this time. Benefic Venus may help navigate any challenging Neptune stuff, and Jupiter is in a good position to do the same. You may feel more poetic or emotional in the way you express yourself.
On April 5th, there’s a New Moon at 15 degrees Aries, and this most likely has to do with your career, although it could involve your reputation or successes in general. You may begin a new cycle with your career, whether that’s taking on different tasks at your job, getting a new boss, etc. If there’s something new you’d like to initiate at the office, now’s a good time to do it. New Moons are always about a fresh cycle, but the sign of Aries is a big initiator too, so that’s double the “fresh start” symbolism.
April 10th is one of the most important days of the month, with more transits than any other. First, Venus conjuncts Neptune at 17 degrees Pisces. Continue those creative projects or get together with a group of friends and do something relaxing. Meanwhile, Saturn in Capricorn squares the Sun in Aries at 20 degrees on the same day, so you’ll *need* that relaxation! This is a challenging aspect; Saturn has the upper hand in this configuration, and it’s spending the better part of three years in your relationship zone. There’s likely to be tension between your career and your desire for romance, whether it’s not having enough time for a partner because work’s been busy, or feeling distracted at your job due to relationship troubles. A less common manifestation is feeling like you can’t get the job you want because of your partner, for example if your partner needs to live in a certain area for their career, and as a result, you’re having trouble finding desirable positions in your field. If you don’t have a partner, watch out for a small blockage or obstacle in your career, or just feeling a bit depressed over it. Something about your reputation could be affecting your romantic life. Saturn is also within three degrees of Pluto here, so it could be more intense than usual, and both Saturn and the Sun are in very strong positions.
But April 10th isn’t over yet. Jupiter stations retrograde at 24 degrees Sagittarius on the same day. Outer planet retrogrades don’t typically signify any great changes; the main time they’re important is when the planet is stationing retrograde, or stationing direct. Jupiter-related topics may become slightly more prominent during the week of April 10th, and it’s in your 6th house of work and health, so if you’ve overextended yourself in one of these areas, it might be wise to pull back a bit and take some time for reflection. You may work behind-the-scenes to grow a project that will gradually develop at your job, or make some healthy changes to your lifestyle, the effects of which you won’t see until later down the road. Bottom line is, having benefic Jupiter as a greater presence in the sky during a Sun-Saturn square can only be a positive mitigating factor.
Mercury in Pisces also sextiles Pluto in Capricorn at 23 degrees on April 10th, which is a nice aspect for investigative research, perhaps planning a trip for you and your partner if you have one – or learning more about a date if you don’t!
It’s important to remember that not all of these transits will manifest if the planets are not activated as Time Lords right now. Using the annual or monthly profections technique, you can determine which planets are currently turned on in your personal chart, and pay the most attention to them and the houses and signs they rule. Also, you may experience the symbolism of an aspect within a few days to a week before or after the aspect itself, as it’s building up or waning during those times. The third thing to keep in mind is that all of the aspects in the sky interact with your personal birth chart, so there’s an unknown factor that a general horoscope can’t comment on. For that, you’d need an individual consultation to see which transits connect to your birth chart and which will probably pass you by. You’ll likely notice a decent amount of your horoscope occurring, but not everything will happen to you specifically for that reason.
On April 11th or April 12th, depending on your time zone, Jupiter in Sagittarius squares Mercury in Pisces at 24 degrees. The other benefic, Venus, is still co-present with Mercury in Pisces, so on the whole, this should generate an upbeat feeling, even if whatever you’re taking on is a new challenge. This is also the third in a series of Mercury-Jupiter squares: look back to what you were doing around February 22nd, 2019, as well as March 15th. It should be wrapping up, culminating, or presenting an outcome around this time. Some of you will travel for work or take part in group training. For those of you who are spiritual, you may do some spiritual or personal development at this time, and it’s another good aspect for creativity. If you’re having any health issues, you may get a diagnosis or learn more about the causes of it.
On April 13th, Pluto in Capricorn squares the Sun in Aries at 23 degrees. Some lingering feelings from the Sun-Saturn square on the 10th may arise again. You may feel like your partner or boss is exercising too much control over you (or you over them), but it’s only likely to be an issue if the Sun, Mars, or Saturn is turned on as a Time Lord.
On April 14th, the Sun in Aries trines Jupiter in Sagittarius at 24 degrees. This is one of my two favorite aspects of the month. The Sun is exalted in Aries; it feels very provided for. Meanwhile, Jupiter is in one of its home signs, Sagittarius, so it has access to all the resources it needs to say yes to career endeavors. Both planets are in Fire signs, so there’s a bit more energy than there usually is behind a trine, which is a smooth, flowing connection between Jupiter and the Sun. If you need to ask for something at work, today’s the day to do it.
My other favorite aspect of the month occurs a day later, on April 15th, when Jupiter in Sagittarius squares Venus in Pisces at 24 degrees. If Venus or Jupiter is a Time Lord for you this year, you’re in luck. This highlights the same areas of life as the Jupiter-Mercury square, and a connection between the two benefic planets can bring positive things in. If your MC happens to fall in the 9th house, Pisces, it’s even more likely to pertain to your career situation, but could also involve a welcome change in routine such as a vacation or planning a trip, a more optimistic attitude about your health even though it’s challenging, learning something that’s very fulfilling to you, etc. Also the area of pets falls in the 6th house, so doing something special for them couldn’t hurt!
On April 17th, Mercury ingresses into Aries, your 10th house of career, reputation and honors. Mercury can be a bit brash or tactless in Aries, so you may want to be careful how you address your superiors or clients at work. However, it could be a good time give a presentation or anything that involves public speaking if your job includes that aspect. This is also a nice aspect for working independently.
The Full Moon in Libra at 29 degrees takes place on April 19th in your zone of parents, family, home, and city. You may experience a culmination of something in one of these areas of life that began about six months earlier, during a New Moon in Libra around October of 2018. Perhaps you’ve finished redecorating, or helping your parents move. It’s a good time to wrap up any loose ends regarding these topics. Sometimes this indicates an event or situation in your parents’ lives, more than your own.
On April 20th, the Sun ingresses into Taurus and Venus ingresses into Aries. Benefic Venus indicates the chance to smooth over any lingering issues at your job, or this is a good time to find a new one if you’ve been looking. Meanwhile, the Sun takes on a slower attitude in the sign of Taurus, which has a very different feel from the go-getter pace of Aries. The Sun is no longer in a sign-based square with bad news bears Saturn and Pluto, and is now highlighting your 11th house of friends, groups, organizations, prosperity, goals, and dreams. On April 22nd, it conjuncts Uranus at 2 degrees Taurus, indicating that a fresh approach or housecleaning might take place when it comes to evaluating which friends and groups support you. You could also meet a new friend or brand new group of people. You may decide which goals you want to prioritize, and which ones it might be time to let go of. This week or the weekend before could be a nice time to visit a new place in nature that you’ve never been before, such as a park, hiking trail, forest preserve, or beach – and perhaps take your true friends along. If you’re really not a nature person, doing something luxurious and in the “treat yourself” realm will work instead – but either way, make it a novel experience.
Remember that Uranus will be in Taurus for the next seven years, and this is one of the first conjunctions it experiences since ingressing into Taurus, so whatever happens when the Sun conjoins it may indicate the bigger picture and what you’re headed towards in the next seven years or so.
On April 24th, Pluto stations retrograde at 23 Capricorn, within three degrees of Saturn. For about a week before and after, be careful not to do anything that might invoke a big change in your life or relationships, unless that’s what you’re aiming for.
We close out the month with a nasty little aspect, Neptune in Pisces squaring Mars in Gemini on April 27th. With Pisces known for not always being clear, and Gemini potentially having a touch of duplicitousness, especially with a malefic present, it only emphasizes Mars and Neptune’s natural significations. Hard aspects between Mars and Neptune have not been pleasant in my experience; they can indicate things like deception, lying, cheating, disillusionment, etc. You may be dealing with loss or separation. It can also feel like you’re trying to run a mile underwater and getting nowhere.
Notice, Cancer, that Mars is also visiting your 12th house during this time, and with Neptune doing a number on it, you may feel like stepping back from social situations for a day or two. If you do take part in something social, it might just turn out badly. This is not a great aspect for traveling either; too much potential to get lost or have a car accident during heavy rainfall. Best to exercise or work out any excess Martian energy, and then watch guilty pleasure movies that lift your mood during the rest of the evening. Jupiter is in a superior position to both Neptune and Mars, so hopefully that’s enough of a mitigating factor to smooth things over.
Finally, on April 29th, Saturn stations retrograde at 21 degrees Capricorn, within three degrees of Pluto. Around the week of the station, you may experience the same types of emotions that were brought up around April 24th, when Pluto stationed retrograde. This is a pretty intense and heavy week for relationships, with the two retrogrades bookending the Mars-Neptune square. Sometimes it’s best to just keep your head down, bite your tongue, and say nothing during transits like this. That might be the savviest tactic for letting them pass by.
Final words of advice: Don’t rock the boat when it comes to relationships or career this month; do work on creative projects or something you’re passionate about, learn something new, and carve out a little bit of time for socializing with friends who lift your mood.