This week opens up with a separating antiscia between Venus and Mars, the two forbidden lovers, and the polar opposites of one another. The planets of love and war. I wrote a whole post breaking down the concept of antisica which can be found here Astrology Etymollogy . I won’t go too deep into the concept, but generally speaking the two planets share what was known as a secret conjunction. These two are unlikely pairs, and are seeing one another through a hidden aspect.

This secret conjunction for secret lovers, one in his fall in Cancer, and the other floating through the air in Gemini, both planets oversaw the hybrid Solar eclipse last week. Mars with rulership of Aries, and Venus overseeing the North Node in Taurus, perhaps this secret meeting is a review and a hand off regarding the movements of the nodes through the different axes. Soon the nodes will move off the Scorpio/Taurus axis and will begin the journey through Libra and Aries.   The hybrid eclipse with these two rulers, show a connection to the transition taking place. Again asking us to finish our business in Taurus and Scorpio, use the initiating energy that Mars in Aries brings, but first wrap up what you begun or you left hanging through last eclipse seasons. 

Revision may be on the table, taking another approach may be the key, asking for what you really need might be the hardest but realest thing you can do right now. Mercury is retrograde in a Venus sign, and Venus is in Mercury’s sign, creating mutual reception or a shared interest. Mercury’s retrograde was at a near conjunction with Uranus, the god of revolution. Speaking up and speaking out may be front and center. Creating a ripple effect of change or suddenly pivoting might be in the cards. This antiscia today, may provide you an easier day to communicate, lay out your demands, and negotiate the balance of the scales.

Be aware of secret meetings though, especially when it comes to love. This may be a day where unforbidden love surfaces, a rise in a flirtations or  entertaining the thoughts of a love affair. Mars and Venus meeting secretly can elevate the libido, certainly the forbidden ones.

Solar energy merges with the North Node at 4 deg in Taurus this same day, increasing the hunger for long lasting change, stability,  and earthly hunger.  Perhaps this day is just an overall increase in virility, urges, and passion. Be cautious though, feeling overwhelmed by the need for more, the North Node can devour you with insatiable desires that will always keep spilling over.

On the 25th, the Moon leaves the party with Venus and moves into her temple of Cancer and joins Mars, lending the environment an air of protective and shielded emotion. If there is anything to protect, especially your heart, today may feel heavy, introverted and cautious. It is a good day to be at home, tend to matters that bring you in balance with your environment, and bring safety and peace to your own life. 

On the 26th, Jupiter and Saturn also have a hidden connection, this one is a secret opposition, also know as a “contra-antiscia”. Again you can read further on contra-antiscia here Astrology Etymollogy. This secret opposition is happening with Saturn at 5 deg of Pisces and Jupiter at 25 deg of Aries. The greater malefic Saturn standing off with the greater benefic Jupiter, a constriction is applied to the expansion. What is keeping you from growing, expanding, moving forward? 

Look to the houses of Aries for what you are trying to get off the ground, especially since the Solar Eclipse occured, this will lend clues. Jupiter, a newly crowned king since his synodic cycle is getting his first challenge by Saturn in Pisces. Look to the house Pisces falls and the themes around that. How do the two houses interact with one another, what is holding one back from the other in achieving a better outcome, again the concept of a sacrifice for the greater good may be at play. Uncertain where this is in your own birth chart, reach out to me here and let us navigate the stars together.

Moon enters Leo on the 27th of April and immediately opposes Pluto. This opposition to Pluto follows the critical square the Moon had last week to Pluto. Both are challenging aspects, and the Moon will also hit her First Quarter phase since the eclipse. The supercharged New Moon began initiating a new plan, perhaps a new strategy. Can we look at the shadow sides of our goals, of our ethics, of our actions? Are we acting in the most honest nature? If we were to move forward, can we bring our heart and mind in alignment. 

Last week, during the luminaries squaring Pluto, I posted an article on the rise of robot police dogs being implemented in big cities, specifically New York City. This is a great example of new technology rolling out, but at what cost? What are the ethics of a robot dog enforcing crime? What does it mean for mass surveillance and legal enforcement laws? Are the laws in the books up-to-date with such advanced technology? What does this mean for the human agent, workforce and their own job security? You do not have to pay a robodog health insurance or pension plans. What happens when these dogs are fully armed and they have to start making moral decisions at the drop of a pin? How does this effect poorer sections of the city, gathering data and using it in a discriminatory fashion? Many questions lie at the feet of lawmakers and humanity. Is this a corner we want to turn, does this increase the risk of turning our nation into a heavily monitored and militarized police state? Maybe.

Jupiter and Saturn in contra-antisicia, and this first quarter Moon are turning points in the conversation. They will have us zooming into ethical questions, legal questions, boundaries and order. This is the point to look at any aspect in our life with a microscope and ask what is best? Sacrifice is a part of any hard decision making. Let us not sacrifice humanity or ethics at the cost of efficiency, making are lives superficially easier.

The week closes as the Moon grows fuller in Virgo, preparing the next eclipse path landing in Scorpio, lunar in nature. We will look closer at this next eclipse next week, until now lay low, think hard, feel the hard feels.