April 2023

By Bob Mulligan

(a personal note is at the end of the newsletter)

April Highlights 

At first glance, April seems like a relatively tame month after such a dynamic and active March. We now have time to assimilate and integrate; at the same time, April has some significant astronomical events all her own.  Jupiter in Aries is close to the Sun when the Full Moon occurs on the 6^th, and stays close through the New Moon Eclipse on the 20^th.  All through this two week period, Jupiter gives extra lift to every projects; he adds luck and expands our influence. When we redo a project, he gives us a better outcome.  Because the New Moon is a Solar Eclipse, this point in the zodiac (29 degrees of Aries) becomes a hot spot for the next few years.  In July, a Retrograde Pluto will Square this point and usher in collective violence; but will also offer some unique material opportunities.  Lots of money will change hands at the time.  Mercury turns Retrograde on the 21^st at 15 degrees of Taurus, and turns Direct on the 14^th of May.  Retrograde means review.  The first two weeks of this three week period begins with Mercury and Venus in each other’s sign of rulership; this is called Mutual Reception.  This gives us a leg up as there is artistry to this configuration; we can unravel past difficulties.  Circumstances that seemed to be hardwired into our foundations give way to reason.

 The Full Moon 

The Full Moon is on the 6^th at 12:34 AM EDT on the 16^th degree of Aries/Libra.  Mars is Trine Saturn with Mercury at the Mid-point, Sextile both Mars and Saturn.  Results come through hard work and thoughtful contemplation.  Pluto Squares the Mercury/North Node Conjunction.  This indicates disruption to our process of getting rid of unwanted items.  If we are honest with ourselves, many things we hang onto now are legacies; they have reached a successful conclusion and now must go.  Every Aries/Libra Full Moon provides opportunity to fuse self and other.  Because the Sun is Conjunct Jupiter, the self side of the equation seems to get the lion’s share of attention. However, this chart is a bucket shape and the Moon (others/the environment) is the handle.  As a consequence, the needs of other people must be configured into every move now.

The New Moon 

The New Moon on the 20^th comes at 12:12 am EDT on the 29^th degree of Aries; this is a Solar Eclipse which is Square Pluto.  A potent start to the month, but also a strong indication that we will be looking for quick results for everything we put in motion. Jupiter in Aries rises before the Eclipse giving further feelings of impatience and self-confidence. Mars in Cancer rules Aries, and is in Mutual Reception with the Moon.  This suggests nervous impulses will promote self-serving desires and force a series of limiting directions on our energy.  Mars is Sextile the Mercury/Uranus Conjunction, pointing toward attempts to control our impulses with reason. Logic and thoughtful deliberation have a say in our actions.  Mercury and Uranus are in Taurus which suggests material results must enter into the equation if our actions are to have potency.

 The Sun enters Taurus 

Sun enters Taurus on the 20^th at 4:15 AM EDT, just hours after the New Moon Eclipse. So we enter this Solar Month with a punch.  With the Sun/Moon/North Node/Mercury/Uranus all in Taurus, our experiences will be kinesthetic, a time of physical evaluation.  With the North Node in Taurus, the dharma of this  time period requires us to be both stalwart and patient when implementing plans.  The Mutual Reception between Venus in Gemini with Mercury in Taurus suggests there can be a real coming together of head (Mercury) and heart (Venus).  This is important because with Pluto Square the Sun, we need the lift of new ideas to spark excitement, otherwise we are stuck.  It is best to work on projects we know well and have some emotional commitment.

The Weeks 

From the 1^st to the 9^th consolidation and the urge for some kind of permanence pulls us toward our past.  We may find indecision stops us making much real progress.  However, resting and nurturing our inner being is necessary self-maintenance to be efficient going forward.  A reward to past accomplishments comes to us naturally.

From the 10^th to the 16^th bold new ideas come with lightning speed and are embraced with great enthusiasm.  However, the thoughts that will have staying power and affect people’s daily lives will be the ones carefully scrutinized, serialized, and implemented with great care for substance and physical presentation.  The world is only prepared to receive information that has been carefully vetted and applied with attention to procedural details.  New ideas are applied and meet the criteria of the momentary needs of civilization.  The brave lead and the rest come along in the aftermath. 

From the 17^th to the 23^rd for all the heavy lifting, we do make progress.  Patience and effort is the pair of virtues that pay dividends. Our tools are not exactly appropriate for the environment, but we can make do and accept help from others along the way.  We are in touch with those we have a shared emotional history with.  Reaching out increases goodwill and expands our horizons.

From 24^th to the 30^th we fall back on well-proven methods.  Even though we are attracted to innovation, it is back to basics time.  Rustic lifestyles may seem unappealing, but gold can be successfully mined out of skills honed in yesteryears.  

The Days 

1^st – Saturday – Mercury Semi-sextile Neptune, Venus Semi-square Mars –  Adventure is upon us and it may be a singular experience.  Do we want to explore or stay home and do the dishes?  We can procrastinate, but the basic tasks will still be there with our name on them.  If we can avoid offending anyone, it is best to clear up misunderstanding, take care of routine chores, and look for luck in traditional hangouts. 

2^nd – Sunday – Venus Semi-sextile Jupiter, Mercury Contra-parallel Saturn –  Logic fails to pierce the veil of today’s mysteries.  It isn’t just a leap of faith that can carry us forward; the physical sensations in our body tell volumes.  A turn of fortune comes by following our heart.

3^rd – Monday –  Mercury enters Taurus, Mercury Square Pluto – The world is in a hurry and we may feel the rush.  However, it is prudent to plod along, making sure that every step of the way feels right. Stopping periodically to see what others are doing is a factor in helping us stay grounded. 

4^th – Tuesday –  Politeness goes a long way to secure the veracity of our decisions.  Our behavior stems from our desire to get it right and to be with on the same page with our co-thinkers. Even though changes are coming fast, we don’t have to do more than to keep moving, even if our pace is slow. 

5^th – Wednesday –  Mercury Sextile Saturn –  What is most important is to be physically situated to ride out the coming storm.  The big picture may elude us as there is a tendency to be lost in the funhouse.  Making sense of recent environmental changes is not as important as seeing what we must do now.  To be effective and safe we must be attuned to the general direction of civilization.  There will be time to diagnose the causes later. 

6^th – Thursday – The Full Moon is at 12:34 AM EDT on the 16^th degree of Aries/Libra –  It is time to get physical; touch is a language all its own.  This is not the time for Zoom, phone calls, or email.  These things are second best.  Two or more people in the same room can create sacred space.  Social distancing has bred some useful habits.  We need to acknowledge how our interactions have improved over the last three years; at the same time, we must overcome physical hibernation.

7^th – Friday –   Sun Semi-sextile Uranus, Venus Sextile Neptune – Going beyond logic is sometimes the only way to awaken the heart.  There is beauty unfolding within each of us; we just need an expanded awareness to see it.  Once recognized, it will automatically spread to others.  All forms of artistic expression find a way into the limelight.  

8^th – Saturday –  Mercury Sextile Mars, Sun Parallel Jupiter, Sun Semi-sextile Saturn –  Big ideas and raw enthusiasm are both in full force but pull in opposite directions.  Still, conversation helps align and counter-balance.  Tackling small areas of disagreements first can set the stage for larger consensus later.  Respect for each other’s sovereignty eventually builds trust.

9^th – Sunday – Mercury Parallel Uranus – Lightning strikes; we see the flash but without a real jolt.  This is a wakeup call, but not a call to arms. Large projects can inspire or depress us.  What is important is that we don’t go back to sleep. So much vitality is required to climb the next mountain. We only have to take notes today.  Real action is a ways away.

10^th – Monday – It is time to take stock of what we have been given.  Let’s share.  Each of us has something to give. We are in an exploratory mood.  Too much pressure and excitement can force us into an unnecessary combative attitude toward each other.  There are options to improve the environment; we get there by doing our part, and leaving others to discover their own truth.

11^th – Tuesday –  Venus enters Gemini, Venus Trine Pluto, Sun Conjunct Jupiter, Mercury Semi-square Neptune –  So many options appear that it is easy to get lost in indecision.  We win if we take the time to select our goal then stick to it.  Our foot only fits one shoe size. It is right in front of us and if we take it and are satisfied we will be happy and have time left over to help others. “Real happiness lies in making others happy.” 

12^th – Wednesday –  Innovation has meaning if we stay within the gridlines we have already committed to.  Challenges will come; if we stay calm we can use the present energy to remove obstacles.  When we are impatient we are apt to get upset with others or get angry at the environment.  Kind thoughts are healing.

13^th – Thursday – Venus Contra-parallel Pluto – A blast from the past can stir emotions that have been dormant.  If we control our negative feelings, a new sky opens.  Positive feelings carry us higher and away from the excesses of the past.  We are using other people’s ideas and creations; this is ok.  But we need to acknowledge the source of our “cover tunes”.  This authenticity allows our own creativity to emerge. 

14^th – Friday – Venus Square Saturn –   A little deliberation can calm nervousness.  Time spent inspecting the source of our blockage and reserve can help us find a more productive road forward.  Fear itself is not good, but it can point to some immoveable circumstances in our reality.  Lack of success is one more step on the necessary path to victory. 

15^th – Saturday –  We don’t have to know every twist and turn in the path to take the first step.  There are a few things we must accomplish today.  On the other side of these tasks, we need to just glide.  Emotional signposts point us in a direction leading inward.  This is a moment meant for recharging. 

16^th – Sunday –  Sun Semi-sextile Neptune –  It is easy to misread the directional signals the world is throwing our way.  Synthesis of many threads of logic is filtered through our emotional matrix.  As long as we are free from any need to control others, we make consistent and productive progress.  We may be in need of a well deserved rest; it is time to take it. 

17^th – Monday – Our best move now is to be certain that our faith is grounded in fact before we act.  To be authentic means to stay close to home and embrace the people and circumstances where we have firsthand experience.  The familiar shows us where to plant our feet. 

18^th – Tuesday –  Venus Semi-sextile Jupiter –  Nervous energy pushes us forward.  We desire a change, even though there is nothing wrong with our current direction.  If we look beneath the surface of our antsy-ness, the real culprit emerges.  Yes, it is time for a change, but to be effective, we need to raise the scope of the trajectory.  We can change schools not just classrooms.

19^th – Wednesday – Sun Contra-parallel Saturn –  Vague fears slow us down, but also prevent hasty actions that would have caused problems.  Moments of unrelenting optimism dot the landscape as we navigate fresh terrain. Meditation reveals the magnitude of the tectonic shift we are moving into.  

20^th – Thursday – The New Moon comes at 12:12 AM EDT on the 29^th degree of Aries; this is a Solar Eclipse, the  Sun enters Taurus at 4:15 AM EDT, Sun Square Pluto –   There will be anger and violence, but you don’t have to be part of it.  Lots of talk leads to very little action.  However, it is possible to use this movement of energy to probe a little deeper, to see the cause of the unrest, the resistance to change, and our role in the social dance. 

21^st – Friday –  Mercury turns Retrograde –  We have been in a retrospective period; today adds more power to our mood of reflection. We make more progress if we are measured, thorough, and physically present.  We have to look past the urgency; our natural fallback is to let our attention jump to a mental interpretation of our experiences.  However, we gain more useful information from our body than our mind.

22^nd – Saturday –  Venus Parallel Mars –  Important information comes through a love interest.   Our own inner workings are trying to make sense from two conflicting desires.  Our plate is full. The way to have a satisfying dinner is to limit our intake to what we already have.  We add more later. 

23^rd – Sunday –  Mercury Sextile Mars – We welcome variety; joy follows.  We achieve this by learning to appreciate overlooked qualities in existing partners. After all, we want to leave the dance with the person who brought us.  “The universe is present in a grain of sand.” 

24^th – Monday –  Mercury Semi-sextile Venus, Venus Sesquiquadrate Pluto, Venus Semi-sextile Mars –  There are a few things we did on autopilot during the last few weeks that aren’t working out so well.  We need good grace and humility to realize this.  When we back up, the world presents us with a get out of jail free card.  Yes, we can undo a few rows of knitting and go forward with confidence.  

25^th – Tuesday –  Sun Sextile Saturn – Shared thoughts have a bit of an edge.  Others (stuck in past habits) have a bite behind their words. When we let the day unfold slowly, the ever-present good from our past is a direct challenge to all negative thoughts.  We live in the present and have responsibilities here and now.  Focusing on these things carries us to our next station. 

26^th – Wednesday –  Venus Semi-sextile Uranus –  We try on new ideas and procedures. Nothing works as planned.  Back at the starting gate, we get a chance to redo or redouble our efforts.  The current direction of the weather is the path to follow. 

27^th – Thursday – We feel most comfortable and successful when our natural sense of self guides us. Yes, faith in life is important, even necessary to read the signs of the time.  However, faith in one’s self is the potent fuel that wins the race.  In order to get something we want, we must let go of some possession we most closely identify with.  This is an important step in our transformation. 

28^th – Friday –   It worked before; it may work again.  New ideas abound, but uniqueness doesn’t mean correctness.  Proof-of-concept comes by trial and error.  If we figure out what isn’t working, then change directions immediately, we are on the right path.  Life is fun if we don’t take ourselves too seriously. 

29^th – Saturday –  Mercury Parallel Uranus, Mars Sextile Uranus – This is not the time to try something new.  However, opportunity comes knocking.  Do we answer?  At worst, this is still a learning experience.  At best, we hear the call and hit the ball out of the park.  When we keep ‘chance taking’ within the lines of our mental neighborhood, we insure a happy outcome.

30^th – Sunday –  Slow and steady wins the day.  Theories rise and fall based on their ability to turn a profit.  Material results of some measure are necessary to feel ‘in the groove’.  Life is poor when it is reduced to its material dimension.  Life is not about bread but like oxygen, it is necessary. 

Bob Mulligan is available for personal appointments, astrology classes, and astrological material.  Call him at 239-261-2840 or by e-mail at bobmulliga@aol.com.  Visit our web site, www.theastrologycompany.com.

My Personal Note 

My trip to India was life changing. Sitting at the feet of my Master for two weeks cleaned out some of the cobwebs and lifted my spirits.  Staying at the MPR (Meher Pilgrim Retreat) is easy.  There is a place to sleep, three meals a day, laundry is done.  Even though I have many lifelong friends at Meherabad (where Baba’s Tomb is) I did not venture away from His feet.  I was gone from February 26 to March 15^th.  To put the experience of pure infinite love into words is not possible.  What I can say is: when God takes physical form all that is left is to surrender.  On May 18^th 1970, Meher Baba heard my cry for help; in His Infinite Mercy He rescued me.  I’ve been His since that moment.  And now yet again, He has breathed life into me; apparently He still has use for me in this physical form.  

Two weeks after returning from India I had an auto accident.  Apparently I blacked out and hit a couple of other cars and flipped over.  Many of you (more than 100) wrote emails of kind thoughts, good wishes, and healing energy.  Mary Weiss even sent flowers.  Prayers always have a positive effect.  My sister, Mary Alice, is a Christian Minister at St. Andrew’s Church in Sarasota, Florida.  She asked her congregation to pray for me, which certainly added to the energy behind the healing force.  Once again, I’m living a new life, one without driving, and wearing a heart monitor. 

Lynne Palmer passed away March 18^th 2023 at 4:25 AM.  She was a prominent figure in modern astrology for many years.  Most people remember her for her yearly almanac, listing the best time to do almost any activity you can think of.  Yes, there are other astrologers with other tools, but she was uniquely comprehensive and will be missed. 

I get advice from many other astrologers on areas of their expertise. Grace Morris publishes an informative financial newsletter every month.  She gives advice on stocks and other investments.  She also has another newsletter called, “The Right Time.”  I stay up on the world economy so I can give the most informed advice to my clients. 

The banking crisis is a real thing.  When Uranus (revolution) transits Taurus (sign of money), these things happen.  Georgia Stathis writes a wonderful newsletter; she recently wrote that currency will be in flux until the beginning of 2025.  We corresponded about this, and she has solid research showing this happens every time Pluto enters an air sign, but stabilizes when he reaches the 3^rd degree.  Pluto entered Aquarius March 23^rd and reaches the 3^rd degree at the beginning of 2025.  

At 28 years old, Audrey Hale was apparently having a bad Saturn return.  The first Saturn return happens for everyone between ages 27-31; for some this can be a time of great depression.  Would our world be different if everyone knew this?  We could reach out to help young people at this time.  Audrey went into a school, and shot and killed six people before she was killed.  The three children she killed were nine years old; the halfway point in a Nodal cycle.  The three adults killed were 60 and 61 years old, the time of the second Saturn return, a moment for reflection and completion. 

Must we live in a society where a first grader shoots his teacher?  This is a reflection of a deep social disconnectedness, which also is responsible for climate change, the war in Ukraine, civil unrest in Haiti, etc. We can grow beyond these aberrations if we become involved with each other and act from our higher selves. 

What happened to my office and apartment when I was away?  Katie took care of many issues at home while I was in India.  She hired new housekeepers for me and reorganized many small things that make a big difference; my life is simpler.  She did this on her own volition; she identified needs and took the initiative to fulfill them.  It was a good lesson for me, and a reminder to be pro-active.  This is a reset time for all of us. 

When I was 10 there was a 30 minute program on CBS called Yancy Derringer. My mother and I watched it at 8:30 PM every week.   The storyline takes place in New Orleans, right after the Civil War.  Like most shows at the time, we got to see people acting out positive virtues; every show ended with a happy conclusion.  By today’s standards, many would find this show objectionable; people of color and women were depicted in unbelievably demeaning stereotypes.  My mother, a southerner, born on the family plantation, grew up in a very racist environment. I always considered myself to be very liberal, caring, and a friend of equality for all.  When I was 19, in addition to participating in marches and demonstrations, I attended fundraisers for the civil rights and anti war movements.  One such event was hosted in a tiny two room apartment at the University of Chicago.  When I paid and entered this diminutive dwelling, three very large Black Muslim, Fruit of Islam, men forced me into a corner and started shouting at me “Just admit it, you’re just another white racist.” I was alone, a kid, and scared.  I looked right in the eyes of the one in front of me and said, “Of course I’m a racist, what do you expect? I was born in a racist society, that doesn’t mean I like it any more than you”.  They laughed, we became friends.  Healing starts with admission. 

For many lifetimes, music has played a key role in my spiritual progress.  There are so many types of music that I enjoy.  When I can’t find something that lifts my spirits, I’m in real trouble.  When I share music in my newsletter, I search for something that will have meaning to you.  Here are a few things you might enjoy: 

 Johnny Cash – Man in Black (The Best Of The Johnny Cash TV Show) – YouTube 

Marc Cohn – Walking in Memphis (Official Music Video) – YouTube

If you like this song, you might listen the beginning of this version when Marc tells how it came to be written.

Marc Cohn: Walking in Memphis (Including preamble) – YouTube 

“You may not be interested in this war, but this war is interested in you.”  – Leon Trotsky.

 Bob Mulligan is available for personal appointments, astrology classes, and astrological material.  Call him at 239-261-2840 or by e-mail at bobmulliga@aol.com.  Visit our web site, www.theastrologycompany.com.