A wiley coyote, a pot of gold, and Venus cutting loose
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False tunnel
I grew up in a time when kids’ cartoons had a lot of action and a certain amount bloodless violence. We were particularly delighted by Looney Tunes, especially Wile E. Coyote’s endless and doomed pursuit of the Roadrunner. In one indelible sequence, the coyote paints a false tunnel on the side of mountain in the hopes that the roadrunner will be fooled into running into it. The roadrunner, of course, comes along at high speed and runs straight through the false tunnel without injury. The amazed coyote decides that what works for his prey will surely work for him. He rears back, tears off at high speed, and slams right into the mountain wall.
There’s a metaphor in there for this week’s Sun square Saturn aspect (April 21, 2020, 0:00 PDT). The Sun symbolizes how we see ourselves as superheroes, and coming off a month-long journey in Aries we still think that if we’re determined enough, even the impossible is within our grasp. But as the Sun squares Saturn, not even the full force of our determination and will are enough to turn a hard mountain wall into an escape route.
The pot of gold
This is where we find the Sun – symbol of vitality, purpose, and will – at the New Moon in Taurus (April 22, 2020, 7:26 pm PDT, at 3.24 Taurus). In the aftermath of its square to Saturn, the Sun is laid out flat on the ground.
However, just ahead on the cosmic road is a square from the Sun to Uranus (more about that later), which is a bit like hooking your car’s (or your Sun’s) dead battery to jumper cables to get it moving again.
The New Moon finds us, then, somewhere between down-for-the-count and reinvigorated. Somewhere between total lock-down and the promise of eventual freedom. In limbo.
Each New Moon offers an opportunity to sow new seeds, but it doesn’t guarantee an outcome. The Sabian symbol for this New Moon degree, The rainbow’s pot of gold, reminds us that chasing after future rewards can be a fruitless pursuit. True wealth comes from making the most of what we have in the here and now.
Going rogue
From our perspective, the Sun travels along a relatively narrow band of fixed stars called the ecliptic. At the solstices, the Sun in Cancer (Northern Hemisphere summer) or Capricorn (winter) is at its maximum declination, 23 deg. and 27 minutes, north or south of the equator. Mark these spots; located in the parental signs, they represent the boundaries of the Sun’s authority.
The Sun in astrology symbolizes the healthy sense of individual self and sanity, of ordered behavior. When a planet in its orbit transgresses the Sun’s natural boundaries along the ecliptic, it’s said to be “out of bounds.” It’s interpreted as being a little bit feral, behaving unusually, potentially brilliant but also destructive. Think of it as behaving in a Uranian way – rebellious, unpredictable, unusual, and innovative.
Between April 2 and June 1, Venus is out-of-bounds. As the planetary ruler of relationships, worth, and wealth prepares to turn retrograde (May 12) and approaches a series of square aspects to confusing Neptune (May 3, May 20, and July 27), it’s also out-of-bounds. This means that the areas of life, and particularly the areas of your birth chart, ruled by Venus (i.e., planets in Taurus and Libra, and houses with those signs on the cusp) are extremely unpredictable and probably a bit unstable at the moment. Either a retrograde condition OR out-of-bounds OR multiple aspects to Neptune would be a warning flag against moving forward in these areas. All three at once is an order.
Look for the houses in your chart with Taurus and Libra in them (this blog post can help). This is where you would do well to resist the urge to take major action over the next couple of months – no matter how desperately you desire to move forward.
A message
On April 25, Mercury squares Jupiter (9:31 pm PDT) and Pluto (0:35 am PDT), a major planetary pair that recently met in the first of three conjunctions. Many astrologers point to that combination as one that’s occurred in previous times of pandemic. As Mercury the messenger connects with the pair on this day, expect significant news related to the response to and treatment of the virus.
Pluto stations to turn retrograde on this day (11:54 am PDT, 24.59 Capricorn), which could be read two ways: either a retreat of the monster (Pluto), or tighter restrictions which would last until Pluto turns direct again in early October. The Sabian symbol at Pluto’s station, A large well-kept public park, sounds hopeful. But it could also be that the park is in good shape because no one is using it.
Restless
Unrest about the extended pandemic quarantine has started to build. As I write this, relatively small demonstrations are appearing in isolated cities of the U.S. It’s surprising, actually, that a nation founded with the Moon in Aquarius has taken quarantine and economic uncertainty with relative mildness. As the Sun conjoins restless, freedom-loving Uranus (April 26, 2020, 2 am PDT), I think we will see cracks begin to form – and the central motivator is economic (Sun/Uranus in Taurus, Venus in difficult condition).
This is a quick transit, really in play for just a few days; but it’s the kind of transit that can trigger larger patterns, conflicts, and frustrations. In your own life, and in the world at large, don’t be thrown by explosive emotional displays this week – even if they’re coming from inside of you.
Writing and images © 2020 April Elliott Kent
Jen and I dig deep into all the week’s highlights
in our latest podcast episode, 022| Taurus New Moon and Venus Gone Wild
