Stellar Insights: April 17 - 23

Blurry Yields Focus

Here are some insights about the opportunities and challenges that this week’s astrology may offer. May they help you make the most of this moment. Remember that if you would ever like to see how the planetary movements are inspiring you, based upon your personal astrology chart, we can explore that in a Stellar Guidance Session.

This concise and beautiful teaching feels incredibly resonant with the texture of this week, one that features a trifecta of blurry-inspiring celestial events: a *Balsamic Moon, a New Moon Solar Eclipse, and the beginning of Mercury Retrograde.

Not only do Jami’s reflections embody the understanding that can become quite present to us this week, they also encapsulate an orientation that can help us navigate the thoughts, feelings, and situations that arise.

It’s a time in which we are called to accept and embrace the lack of clarity, rather than fight it. It’s a week in which, as difficult as it may be, we should not push for precise definition. That’s because not only will what we receive likely be preliminary and possibly arbitrary but we may be showered in stress by swimming against the current to try to access a solution that’s not yet ready to emerge.

And yet, as Jami reflects, it’s not just about allowing for the blurry. It’s also about realizing that when there is haze, it forces us to shift our lens to be able to see differently. And in doing so, we may see things we would have otherwise not noticed. When you look at things, do so with a soft gaze, notice the margins, and see what ahas emerge when you patiently glance at the nebulous.

That said, I don’t expect the blur to yield a somnambulant veil across the week. That’s because the New Moon Solar Eclipse not only occurs in the fiery sign of Aries but at the very last degree, a position that lends a concentrating effect. Therefore, there may be a lot of active and explosive energy circulating about, as well as a rash of impatience and frustrations should things not manifest in the style and pace that one desires (again, a reason to not push for a premature understanding or conclusion). As such, it does feel important to connect to a desire for movement while also not being attached to pathways or outcomes (as much as is possible).

What’s also striking is that the New Moon Eclipse happens to make a tense square with Pluto, and with this we may find ourselves called to dive deep rather than stay on the surface. Be aware that things that are hidden may want to emerge. In fact, you can channel this invitation by seeing where you can be more forthcoming and honest—starting with yourself. Additionally, honor a pull to discover that which has been shrouded and kept out of sight. Given that Solar Eclipses accord with a feeling that something significant is about to germinate, be open to the transformative ripples that the waves of this blossoming may inspire.

One last note: Mercury Retrograde begins on April 21, and goes through May 15. As it takes place in the sign of Taurus, we may find ourselves discovering new ways to understand what security feels like, find new approaches to solving practical matters, become more pragmatic about how we approach transportation, and perceive fresh ways to invite in experiences that delight our senses. Following an ‘as above, so below’ perspective, as Mercury is retracing its steps, so should we. Go back over conversations, communications, and messages recently undertaken to see if there’s a way to bolster them through the sagacity of the different perspective you now hold.

In honor of Mercury Retrograde encouraging us to revisit territory already traversed, and the new perception and knowledge that doing so yields, I thought to conclude where we began, again highlighting Criss Jami’s reflection. May it help you find peace, ease, and affirmation.

xxStephanie

Astrological Highlights

• April 20: Aries New Moon Solar Eclipse; Sun enters Taurus; Sun/Pluto Square

• April 21: Mercury shifts retrograde

• April 23: Mercury/Mars Sextile

All days reflect Eastern Daylight Time (-4 hours GMT)

Photos: Ilona Panych, Ian Parker, and Tim Russman, all via Unsplash

* The Balsamic Moon is the 3-1/2 day period each month that leads up to the New Moon. During this lunar phase, the moon is dark and getting darker; as such, things may feel obscured and ambiguous, notably if we are focusing the majority of our fact-finding attention to the outer world. As I note in my book The Complete Guide to Living by the Moon: “The Balsamic Moon is a time in which we embody the passive process of allowance. We are more apt to notice what arises when we make space and invite in stillness. We are open to receiving and find ourselves more attuned to being receptive. Our intuition is heightened, our imagination more unfettered, and our ability to feel a sense of interconnectivity magnified.”

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A Focus on the Saturn Return: Workshops, Instagram + Sessions

I’m so excited about the launch of my Saturn Return series, which I’m kicking off with two Astrosalons in Seattle. The one on May 3 is for those who are in their late 20s or just turned 30, who are navigating their first Saturn Return. The one on May 10 is for those who are in their late 50s and moving through their second Saturn Return. Both events will be held in the beautiful lounge of The Cloud Room. For more details and to register, see this page. And if you know of anyone one in the Seattle area who may be interested in these offerings, don’t hesitate to share it with them.

If you’re going through your Saturn Return but don’t live in Seattle, I’m in the process of developing offerings that you can access as well.

Saturn Return Profiles

In fact, this week I just launched my Saturn Return Profiles on Instagram, which I started with a feature on model/actress Emily Ratajkowski. In it, I share insights on some events that occurred not only during her recent Saturn Return but also during the previous phases of her Saturn cycle. By seeing the interplay of these different periods of her life, you can apply these insights to yours, to begin to see unfolding patterns. Find the profile here.

Saturn Return Personal Sessions

The Saturn Return is a stellar life stage in which time becomes a great teacher and we make a deeper commitment to how we truly want to author our lives. Whether we’re experiencing/approaching our first Saturn Return (27-30 years old), our second one (57-59 years old) or our third one (86-88 years old), it’s a time when we have a committed opportunity to more authentically define who we are and how we want to live.

If you’d like to gather insights and strategies to help you move through this pivotal time in your life, this is something we can concentrate on in a Stellar Guidance Session astrology reading whether one that’s 45- or 75-minutes. Find more information and schedule yours here, or write me for more information.