The sun is shining in Aries this month until the 19th. Aries begins the astrological wheel, and the world becomes a more bold and dynamic place when the sun is moving through this sign. But the flip, sort of annoying side of bold is haste. Be aware that sometimes the fastest decision is not the right one. Be aware of the long term while moving quickly in the present. The new moon on the 5th is a good time to set goals for the next year—especially if they include anything physically challenging or passion-based.
On the 10th, Jupiter enters a retrograde phase in Sagittarius, the sign it rules. This retrograde phase will last until August. Jupiter retrograde happens every year, and is a time when some of the abundant nature of Jupiter slows down a bit. Uranus entered slow-moving Taurus a month ago, and this might also feel a bit like our entire world is slowing down enough for us to see everything more clearly. Pay attention to what is happening when Jupiter goes into retrograde; it is a good time to catch up after all the action from the last few months. This is a spring cleaning that could include everything from sorting mail to feelings.
On the 24th, Pluto goes retrograde, followed quickly by Saturn, both in Capricorn. These retrograde phases will last through the summer. Saturn retrograde is a time to review the last year and understand what you forgot to fix or address. If you keep having the same themes come up in your problems, this is the time to deal with it. Pluto retrograde is a time for less change and deception. In your life, is everyone telling the truth? This will be a period of time where truths will come out on a world scale too. This ride is going to get a little bumpy at the end of the month. But ultimately, we will all get a little break from the pressure.
ARIES
One of your greatest qualities is being able to get to the point. Whether it’s in conversation, situations, or relationships, you shine the most when you are direct. As the sun shines in your sign until the 19th of this month, this behavior will be celebrated and mirrored in the world. It is a good time to work through things at a pace that feels more comfortable to you, especially with signs that may be a little slower by nature in other parts of the year. The new moon in Aries on the 5th is a potent time to set intentions for the upcoming year, with a focus on self in areas where you’d like to see change and movement. As the sun leaves your sign on the 20th, Venus enters. Venus in your sign makes the world a softer place for you, rounding off all the edges. The whole world loves you a little more. Explore crushes, do something new with a partner, be with people who love you. This is a powerful time to show yourself and the people around you some love.
TAURUS
This month’s planets are concentrated in some secret spaces of your chart, Taurus. The sun, Mercury, and Venus spend much of the month in your 12th house of dreams. This placement is abundant with symbolic meaning and psychic power. Pay attention to your dreams, and the themes brought up in them. If you have a place of worship, clean it up, literally and figuratively. The light that is shining is meant to bring awareness and love in these spaces—and connection can get weak when you don’t check in. Mars is in your house of introspection for the whole month, which brings a lot of action toward goals you have had for years. If you have been meaning to get more serious about your value systems, this is an especially great time to start. Money, personal motivation, boundaries—we sometimes lose track of where we are, and this is a good time to realign with our root systems. When the sun moves into your sign on the 20th, it joins Uranus: check in with who you are now versus who you were last year. What have you done differently? What can you do differently in the upcoming year?
GEMINI
Mars is the planet of action and war, and it spends the entirety of this month in your sign. Mars motivates, and is best worked with physically: working, building, loving, moving. List your goals at the beginning of the month. Be aware that while you may feel more energy this month than you have in years, you could lose track of how tired you are, and it’s important to pace yourself. Mars energy can run us ragged if left unchecked. Jupiter is in opposition to your sign and will remain so through December; but on the 10th of this month, it goes into a retrograde phase. This phase will mellow some of the anxiety-inducing energy that Jupiter can bring and allow for some exceptional discipline and focus. All those good ideas that have been brewing since the fall? Now’s the time to start.
CANCER
Cancers have a tendency to spend a lot of their time looking for a source of peace and calm. This month, aggressive Mars lands in your house of spirituality and dreams. While a Mars movement isn’t always the easiest and best for a Cancer, this is a really good time to relax into your psychic center. Finding a community to share spiritual beliefs with is key, and if you already have that group, deepening your relationship to faith is a good thing to work on. “Faith” here can be religion; but faith in family, the future, your community, etc. can also become deeper. Pluto and Saturn are in opposition to your sign this year, making all of your decisions feel like life or death. At the end of this month, both go retrograde through the summer. Take a break, take a trip, do something fun. You’ve earned it.
LEO
Sometimes, we focus so hard on what we are responsible for that we lose track of what we actually care about or want. This month, the super-powered Saturn and Pluto go retrograde in your house of work and health. The pressure of responsibility will be back-burnered for a feeling of personal satisfaction in its place. You will get fewer surprises. It begins a period of a few months where you can trust that your work will be recognized and rewarded. The Aries new moon on the 5th is trine your sign. Pay attention to what is sparked during this time: you might be perfectly aligned to start something really important to your future—especially if it is a passion project instead of a work responsibility.
VIRGO
On the 10th of this month, Jupiter goes retrograde in your house of home. This is a really good time to get some family or home life things in order. If you have been meaning to start a project, buy a house, make repairs to an existing one, or add to your family, this is a good time to get something going. Jupiter brings so many opportunities, and when in retrograde it is a good time to get that necessary work done. Mars spends the month in your house of public identity, bringing the fight in you to the surface. This could be you screaming in the street (probably not) or just expressing your feelings publically about something that you’ve been avoiding for a very long time. It is important to stand up for yourself. You can control the outcomes.
LIBRA
The new moon on the 5th is in opposition to your sign, creating a little discomfort with the goal of emotional growth. What are you avoiding? What are you trying to balance that just isn’t working? This new moon provides a profound ability to choose, to move, and to do it all without a lot of fear. If there is something you have been thinking about doing for longer than a year, this is a perfect time to start. Mars spends the month in your house of travel and adventure, bringing you opportunities to visit somewhere new. New environments create peace. If you can’t take a trip now, plan for one by the end of summer.
SCORPIO
The sun, Mercury, and Venus spend most of this month in your house of work, bringing ample opportunity for lots of positive feelings about your job. Listen: if this seems far-fetched because your job sucks, this is the right time to make a move. If you’re bored? Good time to move. If you like it just fine, maybe move—just be careful to find something better. If it’s not a “Hell yes!” it’s a “no.” The new moon on the 5th gives a very clear perspective on what needs to change and what needs to stay the same. The sun will be in opposition to your sign starting on the 20th. This planetary placement creates uncomfortable situations that can lead to positive change. Imagine a huge spotlight just pointed at all the things you are avoiding. But when we work through our avoidance we are ultimately rewarded with more personal freedom. You deserve that.
SAGITTARIUS
Jupiter entered your sign in November, bringing ample messages, people, opportunities, love, and loss. Filling up your life with new energy is the name of the game, and the direction Jupiter takes is varied. It is your ruling planet, and while this energy might be something really nice to experience—the feeling of constant abundance—it can also feel a bit overwhelming. On the 10th of this month, Jupiter goes retrograde until August, slowing things down considerably. Take a deep breath, and look at some of the piles that have formed around you. You have time now to reflect on all that has come over the last several months, and heal some of the things that you couldn’t while you were running. The sun is in a trine to your sign until the 19th, furthering these feelings of peace. When the sun moves on the 20th, your work life and health will be a good first thing to tackle. Joy and luck are ruling energies of Jupiter in your sign. Have faith that if you do the work, the outcomes will be good.
CAPRICORN
The new moon on the 5th is in a square to your sign, promoting fun… even if it kills you. Sometimes, we have to prioritize our health and happiness over work, and this new moon is a good time to do just that. This would also be a good time to do something frivolous with your money: make a plan to go on a trip or buy something you’ve been thinking about for a couple months that’s a little too expensive. Treat yourself. At the end of the month, Pluto and Saturn go retrograde in your sign. This goes through the summer, and should mellow some of the crushing pressure that both of these planets bring. With Pluto—do you have a path of destruction in your recent history? Clean it up. With Saturn—is there anything that you’ve been avoiding since last September that you need to address? It’s a good time to work on that without a lot of big feelings.
AQUARIUS
Do you know that some breeds of shark will die if they stop swimming? I bring this up because this month, the sun is here to remind you that your version of swimming is learning. You have to keep growing your knowledge or your brain will start dying. This is a perfect time to begin learning something in a traditional setting like a school, or how to make something with a pal. Mental enrichment is the goal here. Mars spends the month in your house of creativity. If you are feeling salty, annoyed, or ready to fight, use those feelings to create something. Aggression should be funneled through projects if you’d like to avoid screaming at people you like. Mars in this placement has a tendency to create a big ego. Celebrating yourself is great—within reason.
PISCES
Venus and Mercury spend the first half of this month in your sign. Look into a mirror and remind yourself of your intelligence and beauty (this exercise may sound silly, but just try it). You are beautiful because? You are the smartest person in the room when it comes to which topic? If you are having a hard time with these truths, pay attention this month to who is promoting these ideas in your life. When Saturn and Pluto go retrograde at the end of the month, it is a perfect time to see friends. Sometimes, we lose track of what we are going through until someone close to us can relate. Pluto and Saturn create tremendous pressure, and a retrograde phase provides relief and fun with your community starting this month and through the summer.
iamastrology | illustrations Kallie Tiffau