Windless Waters
As astrologers looked ahead to the first half of 2025, we anticipated intensely chaotic circumstances. Between Nov. 2024 and July 2025, the Lunar Nodes and all the outer planets would change sign. Retrogrades of Mercury, Venus, and Mars, two eclipses, and hard aspects from the Sun and Mars to Pluto would make the month of April a particular minefield.
As it turns out, we were right. And aren’t we ready for a respite about now?
Luckily, it’s been a while since our astrological weather has been so uneventful as it is this calendar week. Only Pluto is retrograde; there are only three major, but easy transits; and there’s not even a major lunation (Full Moon comes next week).
It’s the astrological equivalent of the area near the equator where the northeast and southeast trade winds converge, which sailors call “the doldrums” or “the calms” because of its monotonous, windless weather.
Aren’t we ready for our ships to bob along for a little while with little forward motion and minimal planetary drama? Monotony might not sound like such a fun time, but after a hectic couple of months, it will be nice to take a little time to catch up on our rest, mend our sails, and enjoy the stillness.
Overviews From on High
Even when the schedule is already packed, we’re out of groceries, and we’ve been wearing the same clothes for days because there’s no time to do laundry, it can be surprisingly hard to turn down tempting opportunities to do even more. But Mercury’s sextile to Jupiter (May 5, 2025, 10:21 am PDT) is a reminder that we needn’t take every opportunity that comes our way – even though Mercury in Aries might be especially eager to.
Jupiter continually reminds us that if we don’t take chances, we’re unlikely to grow. But in this relatively quiet astrological week, the emphasis is more on repairing damage from recent, harsh planetary activity, not making more waves. It can be difficult to grow, to expand horizons, when we’re regaining strength and repairing infrastructure. Jupiter’s Sabian symbol is 23 Gemini, Three fledglings in a nest high in a tree. Entertain Jupiterian overviews of adventures yet to come, but do it from a safe place on high.
Between Love and Obsession
Any connection between Venus and Pluto brings powerful lessons about attraction and control. This week’s Venus-Pluto sextile (May 6, 2025, 2:31 pm PDT, 3º49’ Aries and Aquarius) finds Venus on Sabian symbol 4 Aries, Two lovers strolling through a secluded walk, and Pluto on 4 Aquarius, A Hindu healer – a combination that evokes the healing potential of love. Venus’s connection with Pluto doesn’t exactly negate that, but it does suggest that having gotten what we wanted, we might find that we don’t really want what we’ve got.
A connection between Venus and Pluto can be beautiful and soulful, symbolizing depth of feeling, authentic love, and affection for things or people that are difficult to love. But it’s a combination that has to be treated consciously and carefully, because it’s a fine line that separates deep love and painful obsession. Pluto has a way of sucking up all the oxygen in the room with its single-minded focus and desire for control. That’s not for everyone, and particularly not for Venus in Aries, an independent sign that needs its breathing room. And it doesn’t always feel like love.
This is a fast transit, with an influence of just a few days. But take this time to take another look at a close relationship. Is it true love, or obsession?
Dialogue with the Physical World
Mercury enters Taurus this week (May 10, 2025, 5:15 am PDT, through May 25). Deliberate, taciturn Taurus may seem like an odd fit for Mercury. But that’s only if we assume that Mercury’s work is limited to speaking, writing, and conversing. Mercury is also the planet of perception and learning, which are by no means confined to language.
Mercury in Taurus symbolizes our dialogue with the physical world. What can our body teach us? What knowledge do we gain from living on a planet? How do we communicate with the world through touch, fragrance, beauty?
To have a dialogue with the things of the physical world – to let them teach us – means letting go of some of our attachment to the mind. It means slowing down chronological time so that we can focus on the present moment. Mercury in Taurus excels at slowing down. Try not to fight it. There is plenty to occupy Mercury’s curiosity beyond what’s written on a page or spoken with words.
Writing and images © 2017-25 by April Elliott Kent
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