The planets are pretty quiet for the first half of April, but remember we are still in the midst of Mercury retrograde until then. While our planet of communication is moving backward, the possibility of miscommunication is high. Avoid having critical conversations during the first two weeks of April. We should be patient with people who don’t understand what we are trying to say because we will have a hard time interpreting them as well. This is due to the distracting white noise of the retrograde.

In the wee hours of the morning of April 15, Mercury begins to move direct again in the sign of Aries. Give Mercury some time to speed up in the forward-moving direction before initiating important conversations. In a few weeks, communications should start feeling much more natural and productive. 

April 15 also brings a New Moon in Aries, the first sign of the zodiac and the youngest energy of the wheel. Use this new 28-day cycle to take a risk and/or do something adventurous. In the element of fire, think about doing something physical. It’s a great time to commit to a new workout routine. 

On April 17, Saturn, our planet of limits, starts moving retrograde. This outer planet stays in retrograde much longer than Mercury. Saturn won’t move forward again until September 6, so settle in for a summer of testing the boundaries. In the sign of Capricorn, our sense of right and wrong is still very strong. But with Saturn in retrograde, we may find ourselves evaluating our foundational beliefs and structures. 

The Sun enters Taurus the bull just before midnight on April 19. With our luminary moving into an Earth sign, we may find ourselves wanting to feed the senses and get outdoors. Taurus encourages us to pay attention to the sights and sounds of the earth coming alive again. Let’s literally stop to smell the roses.

We close out the month with an intense Full Moon in Scorpio on April 29. A Full Moon is an opportunity to release something that no longer serves us. In the element of Water, we may feel extra emotional as the moon grows with light. Intense Scorpio encourages us to shed an old skin.

Michele Leigh is an astrologer, author and podcaster. A practitioner of ancient astrology and planetary magic, she is an active member of OPA, the Organization for Professional Astrology. Connect at DarkMoonAstrology.com.