Article by Joni Patry

Mars will oppose Neptune while it turns direct at the midpoint of Rahu and Ketu. Rahu and Ketu always travel backwards while Mars is retrograde slowing down to station. This is a very dangerous time especi ally since they seem to be traveling backwards around the same motion. Extreme tension will cause crises to break worldwide.

Rahu in Scorpio and Ketu in Taurus indicate financial crises and since Neptune rules oil, Mars and Neptune will cause oil prices to rise and the stock market to turn downward.

Venus in the sign of Taurus rules banks and money, and as it travels with Ketu approaching its retrograde motion the banks will reveal the deep issues surmounting.

Saturn retrograde in Libra (ruled by Venus) contributes to this downturn. Since Mars rules real estate, the real estate market will take a turn for the worse as banks dissolve loans. Abandoned neighborhoods will be reflections of the financial losses occurring. But! If you can buy a home the prices will never be cheaper. The market will bottom out this summer.

Neptune in the nakshatra Shatabhishak will force many over the edge concerning addictions. People will want to escape from mounting pressures causing many families to break up. Divorce will occur in a disproportional rate for people will not connect or be responsible.

Many people will be searching for healing within their lives and questioning their faiths and spiritual truths for their outgrown beliefs cannot provide the spiritual refuge they need.

Mercury retrograde in Pisces will cause problems with forward progress initiated because When Mercury changes direction, (as it turns direct) people change their minds. Many businesses will fail and put a strain on government programs. People will be disillusioned with the downward spiral.

This month marks the time the earth becomes turbulent specifically around earthquakes. There are many clues adding up to a big earthquake that may hit the Pacific. As the square of Uranus and Pluto come closer it is evident an event of monumental proportion is on its way.

The most important event this month involves Mars as it stations opposed Neptune, with both square Rahu/Ketu. Many world developments are changing the world. Intense social events will continue as the May Solar Eclipse approaches. It will be a wild ride between now and July.

The earth is at a turning point and now is the time for great opportunities. You can contribute to the balance of positive world affairs by your focus on non-judgment. It takes a concerted effort to remember this. Planet earth is a world of duality which leads us to believe we are separate, but we have to remind ourselves we are not. Unity is our natural state of being. Planetary cycles give us information as to the social climate during different times. It is a special privilege to study astrology, to be aware of the mass trends to see beyond what each cycle has to give us and the blessings we will glean from these experiences on Earth.

Major Features:

1. Grand fire trine involving Sun, Mars and Pluto. The Sun is exalted in Aries in the same sign as Jupiter opposed Saturn.

2. Grand fixed cross involving Mars opposed Neptune square Rahu and Ketu. Venus joins the cross as it conjoins Ketu in Taurus.

3. Saturn and Venus are both in Venus ruled signs: Libra and Taurus

4. Mars and the Sun are in parivartana (mutual reception)

5. Mercury is debilitated in Pisces conjoint Uranus.

6. Saturn is exalted but retrograde (reversing the exaltation quality)

7. Both Mercury and Mars turn direct this month.

8. Pluto turns retrograde.

04/02 Mercury enters Aquarius
• 04/04 Mercury turns Direct 29 degrees Aquarius
• 04/05 Venus square Neptune
• 04/06 Mercury enters Pisces; Full Moon: 23 degrees Virgo, nakshatra Chitra
• 04/07 Venus square Mars
• 04/10 Pluto turns Retrograde 15 degrees Sagittarius
• 04/13 Sun enters Aries; Mars turns Stationary Direct: 9 degrees Leo
• 04/15 Sun oppose Saturn
• 04/21 New Moon: 7 degrees Aries, nakshatra Ashwini
• 04/22 Mercury conjunct Uranus
• 04/23 Sun trine Mars
• 04/25 Mercury square Pluto
• 04/29 Sun trine Pluto

Spiritual Insights

Currently, there is a sense that everything is in a holding pattern. And in essence it is! Have you felt like nothing seems to be making progress and you feel stuck? Well, you are not alone. But the real issue is that there is much being processed and incubated during this time. It is time to allow the process to form and take place. For most people, we become impatient in a world that is action oriented. But it is time now to just pull back and wait for the next beginning. It is much like a new birth, you just cannot rush the birth of a baby and the incubation period is of vital importance to the development of what is to come.

It is actually a time to review and revisit some of your previous actions that have produced what you have in your life now. Whether they are things you want in your life or not, this process is very important. And everything is moving you to your life’s mission or purpose regardless of how it may appear to you.

Naturally, I am referring to the powerful planets that have been retrograde at this point in time, Mercury, Mars, and Saturn. This month both Mercury and Mars will turn direct, Mercury on April 4th and Mars April 14th. Most who know a little astrology recoil at the thought of Mercury retrograde, and Mars retrograde intensifies the feeling of retrograde even more. But it is simply time to pull back and revisit something so that when the forward flow is appropriate we will be in a better more progressive place. It is the natural rhythm of the planet to pull back and reassess. It is like the ebb and flow of the tides or like the breath as in exhale. It is a time of release or to let go.

It is sad to think in our current society we are not accustomed to take a break. We all need vacations to sit back and relax to get a broader perspective on life. A vacation doesn’t mean we have to go anywhere, although it is good to get a change in scenery to get a different perspective.

Again, don’t expect the sky to fall on the days that planets begin to move in forward motion. Just as you begin a new day, you wake up and start out slow gaining momentum as the day progresses. It is unreasonable to expect anything to move as fast as possible in the beginning. Astrology is a tool to understand our life’s cycles and must be used accordingly.

And as a retrograde period might suggest it is a time of inner wonderment. It is time to look back into our past and get a sense of who we are and why we are here. The emotion that evokes positive energy and opens doors to more opportunities is the emotion of gratitude. You can be angry, mad and stuck with the attitude that there is nothing to be grateful for, but these thoughts only breed more resentment. Is this really what you want?

You don’t need to focus on where your life is going and what you need to be achieving. Let all that stuff go for now. Allow yourself to just be grateful for what you have. Trust that you will be presented with a new game plan as soon as the time is right without the pushing and pulling you feel you must do to get there. And you will see how easy the flow will become. Let go of the need to be in control and place your consciousness on what you are grateful for. Do something that gives reverence in this direction. It may be a little ceremony or ritual all your own to pay homage to what you are appreciative of.

One of the most beautiful things in this world is nature, for it is God’s creation. Flowers are nature in full bloom, beautiful, perfect and symbolize a new beginning. And because they don’t last they also symbolize the peak of glory that will wither like life. I believe this is why we bring flowers to any occasion. It is a way to give thanks and show appreciation.

Whoever, whatever you are grateful for give an unconditional gift. It is about you receiving the feeling of appreciation, for this in essence will break down the barriers and blocks you have created in your life. This can be a time of grace and blessings. There is a force that is all loving and has a plan for you, and by your act of kindness and love through appreciation you are giving it permission and allowing it to work for you.

About Author : Joni has been a practicing astrologer and teacher for over 30 years, and founder of the “Galactic Center” in Dallas. She has been an online Vedic Instructor for the Online College, for the American College of Vedic Astrology’s Online program, is a faculty member for ACVA (American Council of Vedic Astrology), and served as the executive secretary for CVA (Council of Vedic Astrology), where she published and distributed the International CVA Journal. As a writer, she has published three books and many articles and research in Vedic astrology. Her book Eastern Astrology for Western Minds is a complete manual of Vedic astrology. Joni has organized international symposiums and is often a keynote speaker for national and international conferences. She has been on national television and radio programs as an authority on both Western and Vedic astrology. Her clientele includes the Who’s Who of America, including Hollywood celebrities. Her web site, www.galacticcenter.org , has a good deal of information for all students of astrology. She can be contacted at joni@galacticcenter.org

Astrological Views on World News Predictions April 2012 by Joni Patry