April marks our second Mercury retrograde period for 2023 as well as the beginning of the first of the two eclipse seasons with a New Moon/ Solar Eclipse at 29 degrees of Aries. Last month the New Moon fell at 0 Aries so we are getting another opportunity to work our Aries lessons.
Both lunations suggest the need for shadow work to contain the energies as strong Chiron [full moon], Eris and Pluto [solar eclipse] themes will be playing out.
Best Wishes
Christine Rothwell 🙏🏼
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.christine-rothwell.com
Contents
March begins with all the main planets moving direct.
Note: All the dates below are for Australian Eastern Time.
Full Moon in Libra on April 6
…the day before Good Friday
Easter always falls on the Sunday after the Full Moon that occurs on or after the Equinox, and this year the Full Moon occurs on Good Friday making this a powerful Full Moon.
The Full Moon falls on April 6 at 2.34pm with the Sun in Aries and the Moon opposite in Libra. Each year at the Libra Full Moon we are challenged to balance our Libran need for partnership, co-operation and compromise with the Arian need for independence and autonomy ...and to reflect on how we are balancing these parts of self.
Both lunations suggest the need for shadow work to contain the energies as strong Chiron [full moon], Eris and Pluto [solar eclipse] themes will be playing out.
Best Wishes
Christine Rothwell 🙏🏼
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.christine-rothwell.com
Contents
- April Full Moon
- April New Moon / Solar Eclipse
- Mercury Retrograde
- 2023 Astrology Classes & Consultations
March begins with all the main planets moving direct.
Note: All the dates below are for Australian Eastern Time.
- April 4: Mercury to Taurus
- April 6: Full Moon in Libra
- April 11: Venus to Gemini
- April 20: New Moon / Solar Eclipse at 29 Aries 50
- April 20: Sun to Taurus
- April 21: Mercury stations retrograde at 15 Taurus
- April 24: Jupiter conjunct Eris
Full Moon in Libra on April 6
…the day before Good Friday
Easter always falls on the Sunday after the Full Moon that occurs on or after the Equinox, and this year the Full Moon occurs on Good Friday making this a powerful Full Moon.
The Full Moon falls on April 6 at 2.34pm with the Sun in Aries and the Moon opposite in Libra. Each year at the Libra Full Moon we are challenged to balance our Libran need for partnership, co-operation and compromise with the Arian need for independence and autonomy ...and to reflect on how we are balancing these parts of self.
This Full Moon in Libra is opposing a stellium in Aries formed by the Sun, Jupiter and Chiron, highlighting wounds and insecurities we may have personally and collectively that come from following - or trying to follow - our own paths and experience autonomy and the impact that this may have on our need for connection and partnership [Moon in Libra].
This symbolism of Good Friday suggests the Full Moon is a very powerful time for reflection, especially about what it is we need to sacrifice and let go of. It may well be that the strong Chironic energy may bring up current or past feelings of abandonment and rejection that come from being true to our self – or activate the fear that this may happen now - but it does challenge us to be more authentic and try to find ways to do this that are not at the expense of our significant partnerships and emotional connections.
Chiron’s prominence is always a call to individuate and listen to our inner truth, even if our ego finds that uncomfortable. The here challenge is to reflect on how we can do this without hurting others or experiencing alienation.
Chironic forms of healing may well be very powerful at this time. Homeopathy, energy/ vibrational medicine and attending to the wisdom revealed through our dreams can all be especially potent.
New Moon Solar Eclipse on April 20
This is the second New Moon in Aries for 2023 and it also happens to be a quite rare Hybrid Solar Eclipse. The eclipse occurs at 2.12pm AEST and Space.com tells us that …’a hybrid eclipse is a rare and strange phenomenon that combines a partial, annular, and total solar eclipse into one stunning event. These eclipses happen only about once a decade; the last occurred on November 3, 2013’.
This eclipse is quite potent on a number of levels as it is:
This symbolism of Good Friday suggests the Full Moon is a very powerful time for reflection, especially about what it is we need to sacrifice and let go of. It may well be that the strong Chironic energy may bring up current or past feelings of abandonment and rejection that come from being true to our self – or activate the fear that this may happen now - but it does challenge us to be more authentic and try to find ways to do this that are not at the expense of our significant partnerships and emotional connections.
Chiron’s prominence is always a call to individuate and listen to our inner truth, even if our ego finds that uncomfortable. The here challenge is to reflect on how we can do this without hurting others or experiencing alienation.
Chironic forms of healing may well be very powerful at this time. Homeopathy, energy/ vibrational medicine and attending to the wisdom revealed through our dreams can all be especially potent.
New Moon Solar Eclipse on April 20
This is the second New Moon in Aries for 2023 and it also happens to be a quite rare Hybrid Solar Eclipse. The eclipse occurs at 2.12pm AEST and Space.com tells us that …’a hybrid eclipse is a rare and strange phenomenon that combines a partial, annular, and total solar eclipse into one stunning event. These eclipses happen only about once a decade; the last occurred on November 3, 2013’.
This eclipse is quite potent on a number of levels as it is:
- A rare hybrid eclipse.
- At the final degree of Aries - the anaretic degree – often called the crisis degree.
- Falls a day before Mercury stations retrograde, the most chaotic time in the Mercury cycle.
- Conjunct Eris and Jupiter and square to Pluto
This eclipse is activating the Warrior archetype and the conjunction to Eris and square to Pluto suggest the potential for both outer and inner power struggles that may trigger our personal and collective shadows. It is a VERY potent time for shadow work, and we may all need to be mindful not to get drawn into power struggles and the desire for revenge.
Eris and Pluto can both be destructive – and self-destructive – but as transpersonal points they offer the potential for a major transformation if we can hold our ground, stay in our heart and call on the courage of the Spiritual Warrior to face the darkness and bring it into the light.
Jupiter is within a degree of an exact conjunction with Eris in this chart - the exact conjunction takes place a few days later on the 24th which falls at 24 degrees of Aries – highlighting the Eris archetype. This highlights the possibility for issues to constellate in both our personal lives and the collective around:
The danger here is for chaos to emerge along with:
The eclipse path is depicted as the red line in the map below and you will see it touches the coast of West Australia and travels across the ocean between Australia and Indonesia as well as passing over parts of Indonesia. Areas under the red line will be able to see the full eclipse and each band reduces the eclipse effect by 25%.
Eris and Pluto can both be destructive – and self-destructive – but as transpersonal points they offer the potential for a major transformation if we can hold our ground, stay in our heart and call on the courage of the Spiritual Warrior to face the darkness and bring it into the light.
Jupiter is within a degree of an exact conjunction with Eris in this chart - the exact conjunction takes place a few days later on the 24th which falls at 24 degrees of Aries – highlighting the Eris archetype. This highlights the possibility for issues to constellate in both our personal lives and the collective around:
- The need to face inconvenient truths.
- The need for difficult decisions.
- The need for strong and inclusive leadership.
- The need to face the banished and exiled parts of self as well as the need to hear the voices of those who have been banished and marginalized.
The danger here is for chaos to emerge along with:
- Competition over scarce resources
- Using underhand means to get ‘our share’.
- Desire for revenge on those who we feel have excluded us.
The eclipse path is depicted as the red line in the map below and you will see it touches the coast of West Australia and travels across the ocean between Australia and Indonesia as well as passing over parts of Indonesia. Areas under the red line will be able to see the full eclipse and each band reduces the eclipse effect by 25%.
This eclipse will highlight:
Eclipses tend to be neutral energetically, but they often bring to the surface whatever has been buried, hidden and repressed, especially regards the sign and house where the eclipse falls in the personal horoscope.
Eclipses are also markers in the Nodal Cycle and can therefor herald major turning points and sudden changes of direction. They sometimes act as catalysts for major changes that serve our soul’s growth, but we may feel changes are being forced on us as they can challenge our resilience and flexibility.
Remember, Solar Eclipses are very potent New Moons that mark endings and beginnings: they can herald a crisis, but they also provide the opportunity to wipe the slate clean and start again.
Mercury Retrograde in Taurus: April 21 to May 15
Mercury stations retrograde on April 21 at close to 16 degrees of Taurus and remains retrograde until May 15 when it turns direct at close to 6 degrees of Taurus.
The new Mercury Cycle begins around May 2 at the Inferior Conjunction which falls close to 11 Taurus when Mercury conjuncts the Sun. Please be aware that the retrograde phenomenon is activated from the time that Mercury enters the loop to the time that it leaves: around April 7 to June 1. The most chaotic times are when Mercury stations – the few days around April 21 and May 15 when Mercury adjusts to the change of direction.
As the new cycle begins in Taurus, it intensifies the challenge to re-view and re-evaluate all things connected with this archetype, especially our financial and material security and our values around money and possessions.
We may also be challenged to review:
The whole retrograde phase is a potent time for reflection and review … a time when we can become aware of habitual beliefs and thought patterns and make the adjustments necessary to align our thinking with the person we are now. This is a great time to meditate, reflect, research, seek answers, sort out your paperwork, return calls and generally attend to all the things you have been too busy to do earlier.
Remember, Mercury retrograde always provides us with the opportunity to free our thinking from habitual ruts and develop a more conscious set of mental attitudes and beliefs.
- The house where 29 Aries is located in your personal horoscope
- Any planets or points within a 3 to 5 degree orb …between around 25 degrees of cardinal signs and 5 degrees of fixed signs: ie:- the last five degrees of cardinal signs , especially Libra and Aries [but also Cancer and Capricorn] as well as the first 5 degrees of fixed signs, especially Scorpio and Taurus [but also Leo and Aquarius].
Eclipses tend to be neutral energetically, but they often bring to the surface whatever has been buried, hidden and repressed, especially regards the sign and house where the eclipse falls in the personal horoscope.
Eclipses are also markers in the Nodal Cycle and can therefor herald major turning points and sudden changes of direction. They sometimes act as catalysts for major changes that serve our soul’s growth, but we may feel changes are being forced on us as they can challenge our resilience and flexibility.
Remember, Solar Eclipses are very potent New Moons that mark endings and beginnings: they can herald a crisis, but they also provide the opportunity to wipe the slate clean and start again.
Mercury Retrograde in Taurus: April 21 to May 15
Mercury stations retrograde on April 21 at close to 16 degrees of Taurus and remains retrograde until May 15 when it turns direct at close to 6 degrees of Taurus.
The new Mercury Cycle begins around May 2 at the Inferior Conjunction which falls close to 11 Taurus when Mercury conjuncts the Sun. Please be aware that the retrograde phenomenon is activated from the time that Mercury enters the loop to the time that it leaves: around April 7 to June 1. The most chaotic times are when Mercury stations – the few days around April 21 and May 15 when Mercury adjusts to the change of direction.
As the new cycle begins in Taurus, it intensifies the challenge to re-view and re-evaluate all things connected with this archetype, especially our financial and material security and our values around money and possessions.
We may also be challenged to review:
- the affairs of the house where the retrograde action takes place in your horoscope [5 to 16 degrees of Taurus].
- Any planets any points that fall between these degrees of fixed signs, especially those close to the Inferior Conjunction degree of 11 Taurus.
The whole retrograde phase is a potent time for reflection and review … a time when we can become aware of habitual beliefs and thought patterns and make the adjustments necessary to align our thinking with the person we are now. This is a great time to meditate, reflect, research, seek answers, sort out your paperwork, return calls and generally attend to all the things you have been too busy to do earlier.
Remember, Mercury retrograde always provides us with the opportunity to free our thinking from habitual ruts and develop a more conscious set of mental attitudes and beliefs.
May the Goddess & God Bless You All
Christine
www.christine-rothwell.com
[email protected]
2023 Astrology Classes:
Beginners through to Advanced Classes
Late enrolments welcome …you can catch up with the Video Files
Christine offers an in-depth psychological and mythological approach to astrology. Her classes are suitable for those individuals who are wishing to learn more about themselves as well as those interested in becoming a professional astrologer.
All classes are on Zoom. Video files are provided for any classes you miss, and it is possible to enrol for video content only [correspondence] at a reduced rate.
First Year/ Beginners’
7pm Thursday, beginning March 2
…focuses on learning how to read / delineate a horoscope and covers the elements, signs, planets, houses, aspects etc.
Second Year / Intermediate
7pm Tuesday beginning February 14
…focuses on additional points and themes in the horoscope [ lunation cycle, asteroids, Eris, Medical Astrology, Career] and Dynamic [predictive] Techniques: Transits & Progressions.
Advanced Group
Second Saturday afternoon each month beginning February 11.
The Advanced Classes give you the opportunity to integrate what you have learned through a seminar format that allows exposure to more advanced techniques and psychological perspectives, plus the opportunity to develop your delineation skills.
Please email for a brochure.
[email protected]
Or visit
www.christinerothwell.com
For more information
Consultations
are now on Zoom and are still recorded so the sound file link can be sent to you via email.
Gift Certificates are available for most consultations.
AN INITIAL CONSULTATION explores the soul’s journey as revealed through the personal symbol of the birth chart. The focus is on the potential inherent in the birth chart and the challenges that need to be embraced to realize this potential.
Also available as an…
In-depth Consultation Two hours to explore both the soul’s journey [see above] and the year ahead. Includes 2 or 4 supplementary e-booklets.
Chart Up-date: The Year Ahead
Explores the year ahead from a psychological perspective.
Understanding Your Child: A wonderful gift for new parents and explores a child’s unique needs, motivations, potentials, and challenges.
Relocation: Explains how a different location may impact on your psyche. This can be helpful if you are thinking of re-locating and can be included with any of the above consultations.
Christine
www.christine-rothwell.com
[email protected]
2023 Astrology Classes:
Beginners through to Advanced Classes
Late enrolments welcome …you can catch up with the Video Files
Christine offers an in-depth psychological and mythological approach to astrology. Her classes are suitable for those individuals who are wishing to learn more about themselves as well as those interested in becoming a professional astrologer.
All classes are on Zoom. Video files are provided for any classes you miss, and it is possible to enrol for video content only [correspondence] at a reduced rate.
First Year/ Beginners’
7pm Thursday, beginning March 2
…focuses on learning how to read / delineate a horoscope and covers the elements, signs, planets, houses, aspects etc.
Second Year / Intermediate
7pm Tuesday beginning February 14
…focuses on additional points and themes in the horoscope [ lunation cycle, asteroids, Eris, Medical Astrology, Career] and Dynamic [predictive] Techniques: Transits & Progressions.
Advanced Group
Second Saturday afternoon each month beginning February 11.
The Advanced Classes give you the opportunity to integrate what you have learned through a seminar format that allows exposure to more advanced techniques and psychological perspectives, plus the opportunity to develop your delineation skills.
Please email for a brochure.
[email protected]
Or visit
www.christinerothwell.com
For more information
Consultations
are now on Zoom and are still recorded so the sound file link can be sent to you via email.
Gift Certificates are available for most consultations.
AN INITIAL CONSULTATION explores the soul’s journey as revealed through the personal symbol of the birth chart. The focus is on the potential inherent in the birth chart and the challenges that need to be embraced to realize this potential.
Also available as an…
In-depth Consultation Two hours to explore both the soul’s journey [see above] and the year ahead. Includes 2 or 4 supplementary e-booklets.
Chart Up-date: The Year Ahead
Explores the year ahead from a psychological perspective.
Understanding Your Child: A wonderful gift for new parents and explores a child’s unique needs, motivations, potentials, and challenges.
Relocation: Explains how a different location may impact on your psyche. This can be helpful if you are thinking of re-locating and can be included with any of the above consultations.
Southern Sky Astrology Email [email protected] Website www.christinerothwell.com
Cat's Eye Nebula, courtesy of Hubble