Juliana's Astrological Insights for April 2023

A Rare Solar Hybrid Eclipse, a Pink Full Moon, The Day of Eternal Golden Success, and Other Exciting Events Coming Up This Month

Please note that this and all my other forecasts are based on the sidereal zodiac used in both Vedic and Western sidereal astrology, not the tropical system used by most Western and some Vedic astrologers. All the astrological charts below are calculated according to the sidereal zodiac and Lahiri Ayanamsa.

April will not fail to turn out as it should be, and as it generally is, one of the sweetest, dearest, loveliest months of the year. (Joseph Grimaldi)

Full Moon in Virgo and Hasta Nakshatra on Thursday, April 6: Blessings Abound!

The Full Moon will occur in the Virgo constellation and in Hasta nakshatra on Thursday, April 6, at 00:34 AM Eastern Time (4:34 AM UTC).

Both the sign of Virgo and the nakshatra of Hasta represent the path of selfless service, which is called Karma Yoga. It involves working diligently and doing our best, without being attached to success or failure. In Karma Yoga, we offer all our thoughts and actions in love and humble service to God.

All this is especially fitting as April 6 is also Hanuman Jayanti, the Vedic holy day that commemorates the birth of Lord Hanuman, the Monkey God and quintessential Karma Yogi who is the divine servant of Lord Rama (God). Jai Jai Jai Hanuman!

Hasta nakshatra in its highest expression reflects a strong degree of circumspection, self-control, enterprise, hard work, and dutiful action. Its shakti is sthapanya agama, which is the power to take what you desire and place it in your own hands (hasta means "hand" in Sanskrit). The hands of Hasta also symbolize determination and cooperation as well as Divine blessing.

Other Names for the April Full Moon include the Pink Moon, the Sprouting Grass Moon, the Egg Moon, and the Fish Moon. The Full Moon will be in a full 180-degree aspect with Jupiter, which will be conjoined the Sun in Pisces. This suggests a magnanimous and optimistic influence. The Moon will also occupy the ninth harmonic (navamsa) of Cancer, which brings a nurturing quality, and also a focus on the home and inner security.

Full Moon Energetics from Now Until April 6: Time to Mind the Mind and Activate Spiritual Power

Heightened mental and emotional activity occur in the days leading up to a Full Moon. This can feel quite exhausting or overwhelming for some, so it’s an important time to be extra-mindful. You may also want to perform spiritual practices that can make use of and channel the higher spiritual frequencies coming in at this time.

The Full Moon day represents a culmination, so it’s always a good day to take some rest and enjoy the fruits of your recent actions, and to align with and imbibe the beautiful spiritual and healing soma of the Moon. The Purnima Tithi is in place from early morning April 5 until the Full Moon culminates on April 6, so the best time for Full Moon spiritual practices and rituals will be on the night of April 5.

The Full Moon of High Holy Days Begins April 5: Celebrating Passover and Easter

This month’s Full Moon is the Paschal Moon, which is the ecclesiastical Full Moon of the northern spring. This lunar event is used in the determination of the date of Easter, the Christian holy day commemorating the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This year, Easter will occur on April 9.

The "paschal" in the term Paschal Moon is derived from "Pascha," a transliteration of the Aramaic word meaning Passover. This is a major Jewish holiday that celebrates the Biblical story of the Israelites’ escape from slavery in Egypt. This year, Passover will begin at sundown on on April 5 and will extend until the following week. Muslims are coincidentally celebrating their sacred festival of Ramadan at this time, too (from March 22 to April 20). Happy holy days to all!

Venus Transits into Taurus on April 6: A Very Fortunate Placement

Venus will transit into Taurus on April 6, where it will remain until May 2. For a few days after it enters Taurus (April 6 to 9), we may need to be cautious because Venus will conjoin the fixed star Caput Algol, the Blinking Star of the Demon symbolized by Medusa’s head, which is located at 2 degrees of Taurus.

In its lower expression, Algol can reflect difficult circumstances related to violence, storms, money, or relationships. It can be associated with “losing one’s head” through out-of-control emotional reactions, intoxication, and other forms of mindless attitudes and behaviors. On the other hand, the higher expression of Algol can represent true female empowerment.

Once it moves beyond Algol, Venus should be very happy transiting in its own sign of Taurus (known as swakshetra). This is considered a very fortunate placement for Venus, and especially for those with Taurus, Libra, Capricorn, or Aquarius Ascendant, Moon, or Sun signs, and also for those who are in Venus dashas.

Venus in Taurus should add some nice energy to counterbalance some of the less positive energies this month. In Taurus, Venus can be refined, generous, and quite pleasant, though when acting through its lower nature, it may also be acquisitive and materialistic.

Perhaps Venus in Taurus will shore up financial matters in April. In fact, a melt-up in financial markets could even be possible this month, though the effects would likely be short-lived since the long-term economic fundamentals are woefully unstable.

The Sun Exalts from April 14 to May 15: A Renewal of Hope, Vitality, Creativity, and Confidence

April truly may be one of the “sweetest, dearest, lovlielest months of the year” because this is when we welcome the bursting forth of early spring in the northern hemisphere, and when the weather grows milder in all parts of the world. More important perhaps is that the Sun, symbol of our life force, moves into its sign of exaltation in April (into Aries on April 14).

This transition points to a renewed sense of hope, vitality, creativity, and confidence. As an additional boost occurring a week after the Sun’s Aries ingress, Jupiter will also enter Aries, where it will transit from April 21, 2023, until May 1, 2024. I discussed this transit in another article posted on my Substack blog last week. I hope to write more about the Sun’s transit as we approach closer to its Aries ingress, which is known as Mesha Sankranti in the Vedic tradition.

Mercury On the Hot Seat from March 31 to June 7: In Aries, Exchanging Signs with Mars, Retrograding, Combusting, and in the Sign of the Eclipse

We begin the month of April with the potentially irritating and turbulent transit of Mercury in Aries, in place from March 31 to June 7. Additionally, Mercury and Mars are exchanging signs, until May 10. I wrote about this transit in a previous article. During this period, Mercury will retrograde from April 21 to May 14. (Please stay tuned for a future post about the retrograde cycle).

Mercury is further agitated because it is transiting in the sign of the eclipse and will be conjunct Rahu, the Moon’s North Node, on and off in April and May. Mercury and Rahu will be exactly conjunct on the Full Moon day on April 6. This combination can point to loads of stress or unease, toxic or clouded thinking, heightened criminality, and social and political turmoil. These qualities become most exaggerated from the time of the solar eclipse on April 20 and into mid-May. During much of this period, Mercury will also combust the Sun, which is an additional irritation.

Mercury will be within a five-degree effective orb of conjunction with Uranus beginning April 13, and then will move out of orb by April 29, and will come back within an effective orb of conjunction in late May. They will be exactly conjunct in early June. This aspect suggests the possibility for new insights and scientific, philosophical, or technological discoveries.

The energetics of this Mercury transit may be highly aggravating for the global nervous system, including being problematical for aggression and violence, communication breakdowns, travel and transportation issues, ongoing economic uncertainty, social unrest, and stormy weather patterns. I wrote another article about the Impatiens flower essence which is a remedy that can help us navigate this intensity.

A Solar Hybrid Eclipse Will Occur in Aries on April 20: A Rare and Unusual Celestial Event

A solar hybrid eclipse will occur in Aries on April 20. This strange and rare type of eclipse occurs only once every decade. Combining a partial, annular, and total solar eclipse into one event, a hybrid eclipse changes its appearance as the Moon's shadow moves across the Earth's surface.

The last time we had a hybrid eclipse was November 3, 2013. The exact soli-lunar phase of this month’s solar eclipse (at the time of the New Moon) will occur at 00:12:30 AM Eastern Time (4:12:30 AM UTC). The maximum eclipse will occur slightly later, at 00:17 AM Eastern Time (4:17 AM UTC). The solar eclipse will be followed two weeks later with an appulse (penumbral) lunar eclipse in Libra on May 5. Please stay tuned for a future in-depth article about these eclipses.

Akshaya Tritiya Occurs on April 22 (or April 23 in Some Areas): The Golden Day of Eternal Success

If you have anything really important that you want to initiate this month, we have a special day for it, known as Akshaya Tritiya, the Golden Day of Eternal Success. It will occur on Saturday, April 22 in North and South America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and India. For points further east, it will occur on Sunday, April 23. You can check the online panchanga for your particular area to be sure. This is a great time all day long for performing important deeds, beginning new projects, making important sales or purchases, establishing significant business or personal relationships, and basically, setting something significant in motion. I will write more about this special day as it approaches nearer.

As you can see, April looks to be a big month with some “interesting” astral weather patterns coming through. In my future weekly updates, I plan to go into more detail about the astrological events as they are unfolding. Until then, I wish much love, light, and peace to all!

May peace radiate in the whole sky as well as in the vast ethereal space everywhere.

May peace reign all over this earth, in water and in all herbs, trees and creepers.

May peace flow over the whole universe.

May peace be in the Supreme Being Brahman.

And may there always exist in all, peace and peace alone.

Aum peace, peace and peace to all beings! (Translation by Swami Abhedananda, Ramakrishna Vedanta Math, India)