The Road to Oz
Dates and times are given for U.S. Pacific Time zone.
Taurus, the Land of Oz
As the Sun traveled through Aries over the past month, we were like Dorothy Gale, spinning wildly in the eye of a tornado. Like Dorothy’s farmhouse, we landed to earth with a thud as the Sun made its final aspect in Aries on April 16.
Now, we creep cautiously to the door and open it to find we’ve landed in a gorgeous, technicolor Oz. The Sun entering Taurus (April 19, 2021, 1:35 pm) is an invitation to enjoy a beautiful land where munchkins sing and fairy godmothers stand by to give sage counsel. During Taurus season, energy and inspiration come from conspiring energetically with the physical world, and letting ourselves be nourished by emerald landscapes and rainbow skies. With Mercury entering Taurus the same day (April 19, 2021, 3:29 am), we’ll need to familiarize ourselves with new terminology and a new cast of characters in order to gather the resources we need for the road ahead.
Courage
The unfolding lunar cycle that began at the Aries New Moon (April 11) is a story of survival and of making our way through a new, sometimes daunting landscape. The First Quarter Moon (April 19, 2021, 11:58 pm PDT) is the first action point in this cycle, and in Leo it propels us out onto the yellow brick road to sing and dance our way toward our heart’s desire. It takes courage to reveal ourselves in this way, to make ourselves vulnerable to criticism and even ridicule; but courage is both Leo’s goal and its true nature.
Friends along the road
Along our Taurus journey through Oz, as Venus conjoins Uranus (April 22, 2021, at 6 pm PDT), we meet new friends and enlist them to our cause. Never mind if they’re made of straw or tin, or are lions afraid of their shadows. They’re good company, and together we are safer from wicked witches, flying monkeys, and trees that throw their apples at us.
Mars symbolizes the way we react to threats, and which things we feel are worth fighting for. As Mars enters Cancer (April 23, 2021, 4:48 am), we’re determined to make our way home. Perhaps someone we love is in danger, maybe we’re just desperately longing to reunite with those we love and from whom we’ve long been separated.
But there may be conflicts with these loved ones, too. Not everyone sees eye to eye about everything, perceives the same threats, shares the same vision. However, Mars’ mostly positive aspects to other planets during this transit make reconciliation likely. By the time Mars makes its last aspect in the sign, an opposition to Pluto in early June, we’ll realize we’ve had the power to get home all along.
The man behind the curtain
There are many ways a conjunction between Mercury and Uranus (April 23, 2021, 11:42 pm PDT) can manifest itself – as a lightning bolt striking a TV antenna, a shocking message, a flash of inspiration that gets you unstuck.
Or, it can be as simple as the realization that the great and power Oz is just an ordinary man pulling levers behind a curtain. And with that startling insight, it becomes clear that instead of hoping for some powerful being to take us where we want to go, we’ll need to put on our thinking caps and come up with a plan on our own.
A stop sign
When everything we desire seems to have been denied us, when our hot air balloon ride home takes off without us, we can give up or we can try harder. Sometimes, we’ve been wishing for the wrong things, and the universe holds up a stop sign for our own protection. Other times, the approach we’re taking is wrong, or the timing is off.
As Venus squares Saturn (April 24, 2021, 9:21 pm) in the intractable signs of Taurus and Aquarius, anything we want had better be worth the hard work it will take to get it. How can you tell if it is? More information is coming the next day that will help you figure it out.
The best fairy godparent
Toward week’s end brings Mercury’s square to Saturn (April 25, 4:58 am), and we reach the part of the story when our fairy godmother breaks the news: “You’ve had the power all along!” It’s easy to view Saturn as punitive, always standing in the way of our desires. But I prefer to view him as the best fairy godparent of all, because when we assume responsibility and authority over our circumstances, we’re empowered to take action.
Taurus is a very physical earth sign, and if something is meant to be yours, you will feel it in your bones and in your gut. As Mercury and Venus unite in Taurus (April 25, 2021, 3:19 pm), listen to what your body tells you. Then recite your mantra: There’s no place like home… and next thing you know, you’ll be back where you belong.
