The Astrology of April 2024:
Unexpected Change + Revelation

by Juliana McCarthy

Abdul Mati Klarwein

April 1, 2024 — April is the most dramatic month of the year, offering a swell of shock, change, and truth. Mercury retrogrades on the first of the month, an Aries total solar eclipse arrives a week later, and the much-anticipated Jupiter-Uranus conjunction becomes exact on April 20. We’re ready for massive purgation, release, and surprise as we finally free ourselves from long-standing cycles of suffering. 

Mercury retrograde in Aries offers the chance to integrate all that’s been surfacing during this eclipse season, especially around conflict, anger, and relational turmoil. We can turn inward, reflecting on any challenging events that have transpired. We’re becoming more direct, addressing triggers and blocks to deeper intimacy, and hashing out disagreements in healthier ways.

The Aries total solar eclipse forms on April 8, heralding breakthrough and revelation in a catalyzing lunation. This is the last total solar eclipse across the United States until 2044, and we can expect major turns of events. We’ve already seen wild news since the lunar eclipse on March 25, and we can now anticipate more disruption, intensity, and the opening of a whole new energetic chapter. With Chiron exactly conjunct the Sun and Moon, we have the chance for healing and redemption as we integrate deep wounds and embody more of our true character. This isn’t the time to hide—we are facing ourselves head-on with bravery and grace.

The Jupiter-Uranus conjunction on April 20 promises rapid-fire change and liberation. Unexpected developments and ingenious vision and invention will help us dislodge from tired, repetitive patterns. Rebellion and protests are likely to ramp up while progress quickens. Prior to this transit, we may have felt overwhelmed with frustration, caught in painful personal cycles while witnessing the insanity of the world. The feeling now is, Enough is enough! In continuing the difficult process of rebirthing humanity, hope and optimism are rising. At last, we’re breaking down stubborn walls of resistance and catapulting into new versions of reality. More collective trauma is likely to ensue, but we are rising together with deep resolve, holding hands while turning the tides—matching our actions with the strength of our words to affect real change.

March 2024 TRANSITS

MERCURY RETROGRADE IN ARIES

Mercury retrograde begins in bold Aries on April 1, stationing direct in the same sign on April 25. We often speak of retrogrades as challenging—miscommunication is likely, as well as delays and hiccups around transit and technology. However, it also provides a beautiful opportunity. If we have unfinished business with old friends or loves, this is the time to return to them and talk things through. We may notice our dreams becoming more vivid, and exes or old friends may reach out. Falling in Aries, it’s important that we are direct—that we learn to clarify our true desires and rally the confidence to communicate them. 

VENUS + NEPTUNE CONJUNCT IN PISCES

Venus conjoins with Neptune in dreamy Pisces April 2–4, exact on April 3. This is a beautiful, dreamy transit, inspiring unconditional love, heart expansion, and forgiveness. This is a good time to create art or send psychic messages of love to people and the planet. We can meditate and remember that we are all interconnected and basically good. With Mercury retrograding during this transit, our telepathic abilities are especially strong. We can find ways to communicate with our hearts, without words.

ARIES TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE

The Aries total solar eclipse forms on April 8, with the path falling in part of Mexico and across the United States. This eclipse is on the north node conjunct Chiron, the Wounded Healer. Meanwhile, Mars, Aries’ ruler, is conjunct Saturn in Pisces. Karmic reckonings for leaders abound, and traditionally, the solar eclipse represents the falling of a king if there’s an imbalance of power. The archetype of the tender warrior is strong, and there’s a feeling of deep pain accompanied by standing up against injustices. In our personal lives, we are clarifying what we want, working through deep childhood traumas, unresolved anger, and ancestral wounds to fully stand in our strength and wholeness. A solar eclipse is an amplified New Moon, so fresh starts are imminent. As the Moon crosses the Sun, we are wiping our slates clean and experiencing powerful new beginnings. Grace, redemption, and fearlessness in meeting our pain are key—we are now ready to shed the next layer of the onion, personally and collectively emerging from the chrysalis.

MERCURY RETROGRADE CONJUNCT THE SUN

Mercury retrograde crosses the Sun on April 11, intensifying the retrograde energy and bringing clarity and insight. This transit could possibly magnetize misunderstandings, confusion, and conflict since it falls in confrontational Aries. However, we can pay attention to messages, themes, and epiphanies that emerge—they’re helping us recalibrate our minds and communication, extract truth, and sort through old, unresolved entanglements and challenges.

MERCURY RETROGRADE CONJUNCT VENUS

Mercury retrograde crosses Venus on April 19, falling between the north node and Chiron. This offers a significant moment of reflection and reevaluation around partnership, values, and personal growth. We may feel like the planets are exposing our relational patterns for stark viewing, either in general or with a specific person. We can trust that if we meet whatever emerges now with courage and honesty, it will help us evolve into higher potentials of ourselves and our relationships. Have we been too afraid to speak our truth or desires? To address tension? We can keep in mind that during Mercury retrograde, speaking from our hearts is far more effective than speaking from our minds. It’s time to embody love and speak the truth.

SUN IN TAURUS

The Sun moves into Taurus on April 19, marking an explosion of beauty—flowers and greenery in the northern hemisphere, colorful leaves in the southern. Taurus season reminds us to slow down and take pleasure in our senses, connecting to the Earth and our bodies. We can slow down and remember why we love the world and the simple splendors of being human.

JUPITER-URANUS CONJUNCTION

In the most anticipated transit of 2024, Jupiter conjoins with Uranus at 21º Taurus, exact on April 20, marking electrifying change and auspiciousness. We could experience hairpin turns and sudden transformation in all facets of our lives and the collective. Manifestation is powerful now, and if we’ve been beating our heads against the wall, caught in stubborn patterns that seem deeply entrenched and impossible to end, we have the opportunity for rapid-fire liberation. Revolts, windfalls, awakenings, and technological advancement are all likely to ignite. Our ideological, spiritual, and religious perspectives are up for revision, and we may witness explosions of truth, or answers to long-standing mysteries and quandaries. Since Taurus rules food, farming, real estate, money, and the environment, it’s possible that we’ll feel significant shifts in these domains. On the shadow side, we are likely to experience shocking external events, particularly relating to agriculture, disruptions of peace, or natural disasters. Unpredictable events are set to change the courses of our lives, for better or worse. Jupiter tends to have a benefic influence, so we can stay hopeful that whatever changes emerge will be positive—even if they begin with shock or crisis.

SCORPIO FULL MOON

An explosive Scorpio full Moon forms on April 23, squaring volcanic Pluto. We are ready for deep transformation, but not without discomfort and the potential for crisis. We are continuing this month’s theme of revealing painful truths for the sake of growth. What are we afraid of? What unconscious traumas are still ruling our reactions, relationships, and self-concept? We might take some time to meditate, face our shadows with love and acceptance, and use this as an opportunity to surrender to our suffering and the resulting metamorphosis available to us now. With this, we close a dramatic eclipse season with an intense punctuation mark.

MERCURY DIRECT IN ARIES

After a period of deep introspection, reflection, and recalibration, we are now stepping into clarity and assertiveness as Mercury stations direct on April 25 in Aries. Falling exactly on the north node and within 5º of Chiron, we are growing exponentially and healing our mental patterns and communication. We are standing up for what we want and learning to have healthy confrontation for the sake of evolution. We can pay attention to any conversations and messages we receive today—they hold great significance in our journeys of healing and becoming more of who we are.

MARS-NEPTUNE CONJUNCTION

With Mercury now direct, Mars conjoins Neptune in Pisces on April 29, fogging our potential clarity. We may feel that we lack direction or that we aren’t sure of where we’re going. Deception and faulty beliefs could escalate conflict, so we can work extra hard to ground, giving ourselves time for Mars to pass Neptune and for Mercury to regain speed. While our perceptions may feel murky, we will emerge from the fog with more lucidity than ever.

APRIL 2024 Aspiration

In the midst of massive change and breakthrough, may we rally the courage to embrace truth and become more of who we are. May we welcome miraculous shifts, feeling more and more that anything is possible.

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