This week, the Moon is waxing from crescent to First Quarter – always a time of forward momentum and quickening – and that is only exacerbated by the fact that we are in the midst of fiery Aries season. To top it off, every single planet in our solar system is currently moving “direct” in the sky (as in, none of them are in dreaded retrograde) so all systems are go, go, go.
And yet… there doesn’t really seem to be an easy outlet for all of this energy. The planets are grouped in such a way that the only major aspect between them is a conjunction or sextile - which means a lot of energy is being “enveloped” or “energized” - but where no real place to be released. For better or for worse.
In astrology, alignments between planets are known as aspects. There are the harsh aspects - the square and opposition; the harmonious aspects - the trine and sextile; and then there’s the conjunction. When planets line up in the sky, their energy envelopes one another, and how this is interpreted relies largely on which planets are involved. Sometimes the two get along, sometimes they don’t.
For example, we have a conjunction between Mars and Venus, which - due to their similar speeds - has been active since the end of January! Mars is active, masculine, passionate where Venus is reflective, feminine, and loving. Together they can make for a beautifully passionate love affair - or one of emotional discord and bickering. This conjunction comes to a close this Thursday, so if you’ve felt as though your one-on-one relationships (romantic or otherwise) have been at the forefront for months, there may be a break in this fixation to come.
Also this week – starting Monday April 4th and lasting until Easter Sunday, April 17th – we have a powerful conjunction between Jupiter and Neptune, both in the sign of Pisces. Before Neptune was discovered in 1846, Jupiter was considered the ruler of Pisces. Modern astrology bestows Neptune with that title, but both planets have Piscean ties. The fact that these two planets are aligned this month is typically very auspicious. We feel as though our wildest imaginings can come true, and believing in magic is, in large part, what makes it possible. The risk of this conjunction, on the other hand, is being overly optimistic, wearing rose-colored glasses and spouting toxic positivity.
How these alignments play out is up to us… as one of my favorite astrologers, Carol Rushman, is quoted as saying, “You can be challenged by destiny, but you are not controlled by it.”