This month there is extraordinary activity in the cosmos! With six important planets in retrograde motion, this New Moon of Taurus will keep us busy learning deep lessons.
When a planet goes "retrograde," it appears to be moving backwards through the sky. It’s an optical illusion from our point of view on Earth. When this happens, we get a second chance to fix what we didn’t or couldn’t achieve before. We can become stuck in our old patterns and beliefs. The retrograde motion of planets helps us find the courage to disconnect from the past and move forward.
With this important planetary configuration, the New Moon of Taurus will help us go through a deep cleansing process of old patterns.
First, one of the most important planets in retrograde motion this month is Pluto, which goes retrograde about once a year. A Pluto retrograde is the most profound of all the planetary transits; it is nothing less than a total and complete transformation from one way of being to another. In nature, it’s like the metamorphosis of a caterpillar into a butterfly. Likewise, this month we will go through a process during which we may feel “lost in the dark”—unable to see what we are to become.
We may feel pressured to eliminate and release that which is old and obsolete in our lives. When Pluto is transiting in retrograde, we are urged to let go of attitudes, emotions, and old ways of thinking or communicating. It is a good time to look within our own souls in order to determine exactly what we do or do not need. It’s the death of an old cycle and the rebirth of a new one.
Interestingly enough, the retrograde motion of the planet Pluto, starts on April 20th and coincides with the period of time known as the “Omer.” It finishes on September 28th, the day of Yom Kippur. It’s a second chance, an opportunity from the Light to complete what we didn’t or couldn’t during the first six months of the year (since Rosh Hashanah, the beginning of the kabbalistic year). This is a rare opportunity to turn chaos and rebellion into order and stability.
The second important aspect of this month is the T-square involving Pluto and Jupiter. Everyone remembers the last T-square where chaos and terror where involved. This one can fire up aggression and frustration, or bring a lot of cooperation and mercy between people. Be careful during this time. This configuration starts on April 18th and will last for the next seven weeks, until roughly June 4th. It is interesting to note, this is the exact time of the Omer—the 49 days where the Light is concealed.
The third important configuration of this month is the planet Saturn which squares with Chiron. It helps heal old sorrows and wounds connected to abuse, especially sexual.
It is truly a healing process. Also, unexpected truths will be exposed with this configuration. We will feel the urge to make decisions and change things immediately. However, it is wiser to wait until late May.
Exercises of the month:
Chodesh tov!