For the week of April 26th thru May 3rd, be sure to read your Rising Sign as well:

Aries

Pluto in Aquarius has been beckoning you to share your unique gifts with the world, in whichever way or capacity that feels best for you. This transit will span over the next 20 years, so you are merely dipping your toes in here, and may not fully grasp the transformative effect this will have on your life. Yet even now you might already notice some sort of sea change, as you find yourself beckoned to share your knowledge and experience with others. This is one of those transits that can actually allow you to have some sort of an influence in the world at large, but which will also bring greater inner meaning, by enriching your own as well as the lives of others. And never will you be as aware of that in a truly meaningful way, as you will when Pluto is in its retrograde phase from May 2nd thru October 11th. In the mean time, your ruling planet Mars leaves the world of dreamy wistfulness behind this week, and comes home to its own sign of Aries. And as it does so, you could begin to see how relevant this Pluto transit is and will be going forward, while investing you with a resurgence of inspirational energy and vitality. Like an infusion of adrenaline, pro-active Mars in Aries can serve as a catalyst to get you moving and initiating much needed changes, but can also be instrumental in showing you how you connect with a sense of purpose. And lo to anyone who dares stand in your way

Taurus

Your ruling planet Venus comes home to Taurus on Monday, in which you are being asked to reconnect with those things that will bring you a deeper awareness of those experiences and things that will bring you happiness and fulfillment. However, as you sift through the list this week, it is likely to be interlaced with all sorts of complicated feelings. For no sooner does Venus enter Taurus then it will interface with sultry and obsessively compulsive Pluto, stationing in the sign of Aquarius. It will be hard not to feel a sense of urgency with this transit, which is also entwined with feelings of loss or absence. It is probably best not to invest too much in these deep and complicated feelings. And even those very expensive shoes, or that one thing you thought you couldn’t possibly live without won’t replace what you are truly needing. For that is the job of Pluto which stations for its retrograde phase on May 2nd. Much of the next 5 month retrograde phase of Pluto could be spent unpacking these feelings. But eventually what Pluto will be showing you are the ways that you can ultimately recognize your own inimitable power and place in the world. For now that Pluto is in Aquarius it will be trying to bring you in alignment with nothing less that your soul’s deepest purpose and destiny. And now that you are standing at the edge of this retrograde phase, ask yourself: Am I truly passionate about what I am doing? How much do I really want this thing? And if not, what is it that is calling me out on to the stage of life? 

Gemini

Your ruling planet, Mercury, has stationed direct once again, while closely conjunct the North Node of the Moon. And as it has done so, it has been attempting to connect you with your most heart-felt hopes and wishes. And with that, hopefully also arises a clearer understanding and connection with what might be termed your purpose, or even some inkling of your own healing path which was being initiated by the Solar Eclipse earlier this month. Pluto is stationing for its retrograde phase this week, which can also incline us to consider our whole life’s purpose and destiny. And now that it is in Aquarius it could inspire you to look at things from a much higher vantage point. Over the next 20 years, Pluto’s transit through Aquarius will have the remarkable capacity to unveil the truth, piece by piece, ever evolving your point of view. And now that Pluto is diving into its retrograde phase, this becomes a little more personal, for any self-limiting ideas, any awkward prejudicial thoughts or assumptions will be challenged. In order to be more in alignment with the good work that Pluto is trying to show you, be open and willing over the next 5 months to look at things from another point of view, or to consider ideas that you might not have previously. And also be prepared to have your mind blown in the process. 

Cancer

This coming week Pluto will station for its retrograde phase which will last until October. But it will be on Tuesday, when the Moon enters Aquarius, and makes its conjunction to Pluto that the heaviness of this station will make itself more fully understood. Planets are always a bit stronger and evident when they station, and the lunar transit, albeit brief, has this capacity to make it all that much more personal. It’s like taking a brief but illuminating dive into Pluto’s lair. It is here that you are made aware that you are standing at the threshold of a new era. One that is arising out of an older phase. Whenever we are in a state of transition such as this, there will be a few growing pains. And there will be transformative events that make you realize that your life will never be quite the same again. And the brief awareness that can come with the station of Pluto can give you some insight into what that may all be. Which can often include things like what needs to stay, but also what needs to go. Pluto wants us to grow. And anything that is holding us back and preventing us from growing will need to be addressed at some point over the next 20 years of Pluto’s transit in Aquarius. But for now, Pluto is just giving you a glimpse, ever so slight, of what needs to become unbound, in order to achieve greater wholeness and healing in the end. 

Leo

The Full Moon last week on April 23rd was trying to give you a glimpse into some of the deeper meaning of the Pluto station on May 2nd. Whenever planets station, they dig in more deeply, and become more evident in our lives. And during the retrograde phase which will last until October, much of the transformative qualities of Pluto are being turned within. This is where it does its best work, reminding us that the most effective changes are those that occur within us, rather than in the outer world. We can attempt to change the outer events of our lives, those other people, the circumstances, our environment. But when we do this inner work each year during the retrograde phase of Pluto, that is when the real changes occur. And it can also actually have this synergistic effect in our outer world and circumstances. Pluto wants us to evolve, and wants us to grow. And during the years that Pluto will be in Aquarius, the catalyst for some sort of evolutionary change will more likely come through others, who then compel us to look back at ourselves. When Pluto stations retrograde this week, it is letting you know that when you are willing to put the focus on yourself, and only the things and circumstances that you do have control over, that is when you begin to have ever greater control over the circumstances and conditions of your life. 

Virgo

As we enter this week, your ruling planet, Mercury, has just stationed, ending its retrograde phase. And as it did so it was also conjunct the North Node of the Moon, trying to give us all some deeper insight or understanding into whatever healing path was being initiated by the Solar Eclipse earlier this month. Meanwhile, this coming week, Pluto will station for its own retrograde phase which lasts a little over 5 months. These annual retrograde phases help to facilitate a deeper understanding of what the Pluto transit is truly about, and what it may entail for you over the years ahead. For it is when Pluto is retrograde that things begin to get real. And that very real stuff can wend its way through your every day life and events and even your daily routines. Even the everyday things that you do to maintain your health and well being will feel like hard work when Pluto rolls about in his underground lair. It may even become your work! That can include things that support yours or other’s well-being, including exploring what to eat and when, getting enough sleep, using your time efficiently, and maintaining healthy routines. Whether your own health and well-being, or the health and well-being of others, anything that is being revealed during the retrograde phase of Pluto over the next 5 months, can not, nor will not be ignored. 

Libra

On Monday your ruling planet, Venus, enters Taurus, doubling down on the idea that there are some things over which you do have control, and others that you simply do not. This is a helpful reminder, for the month that Venus will be in this sign, you could find yourself wantonly (and perhaps even obsessively) craving that which you might wistfully hope will fill some hole somewhere. Giving in to these cravings could become complicated, therefore try not to take these yearnings all that seriously. Life goes on even without that fancy red car, or that one person who you mistakenly thought might have been the one. Part of what makes this all complicated right now is that once Venus enters Taurus it comes up against Pluto, stationing for its retrograde phase. This is when Pluto digs down deep, and compels us to look within, rather than without, for the source of all of our angst, obsession and internal drama. Pluto, having just entered the sign of Aquarius, has been giving you a preview of some of what the Pluto in Aquarius era may involve. And during the retrograde phase this could get very deep, even getting you in touch with some of your soul’s deepest and most provocative yearnings. This could be unsettling for Libra who prefers to be a little more composed. But this same deeply compelling longing, can also translate through some sort of wonderful and creatively inspired self-expression, or to pursue a much-loved hobby, or even through some sort of competitive sport. For in some way your passions are asking to be reawakened. Even if it is a little disconcerting at first. 

Scorpio

On Tuesday, your ruling planet Mars enters the sign of Aries where it will make an insightful sextile to your co-ruling planet Pluto! Pluto has this ability to rake up the dirt, and turn over the rocks in our lives, exposing what was hidden beneath. Most people would be inclined to run away from what you find there, or hide under the bed. By contrast Scorpio may find all this rather intriguing.  Especially with Mars in courageous and energizing Aries sextile beguiling Pluto. And rather than shamefully turning away, Scorpio is all in, and ready to dive deep to the very heart of things, even if it is a little dark. In fact, that might make it all that much more interesting. For the 20 years that Pluto will be in Aquarius, Scorpio will be learning a great deal about themselves, and what makes them tick. This could find you lying recumbent on the therapist’s couch, or exploring your ancestry in order to figure out who was responsible for what. As a result all that stuff that you’ve been carrying around with you, and taking for granted, will be seen in a whole new light. In some way you are being tasked with re-writing the narrative, so that whatever dysfunction or recurring themes you have been carrying, or had inherited from the ancestors, will go no further. It’s well nigh time to re-write that narrative. And perhaps your homework for the next 5 months, might be to discover what these narratives actually are. 

Sagittarius

Oftentimes it can feel as if all of our problems are due to circumstances beyond our control. However with Pluto in Aquarius we are being shown that often what appears to be from without, or beyond our control can be altered or mitigated simply by changing our relationship to the circumstances. That comes about due to a deeper understanding and awareness when we put the focus on ourselves and our own mind. However, old habits die hard. And the inner voices and dialogues that plague us, are not easily laid to rest. But over the next 20 years Sagittarius will be armed with the sharp sword of discrimination cutting through all the lies we tell ourselves, and the misinformation that has informed your idea of the way things are. And as Pluto stations for its retrograde phase, you will not be satisfied with superficial answers. For this is when the need to know is internalized. As a result you will find yourself less fascinated with what everyone else is or is not doing, and more interested in exploring the mystery of your own mind. Know that you will never cease to astonish yourself with what you might find there. Therefore be prepared to be amazed. For once you begin to dig deeply enough, the world will never look quite the same again. 

Capricorn

When Pluto entered Aquarius in January it was doubling down with prioritizing your needs and expectations. This may be of necessity, as Pluto serves as a catalyst for some sort of dramatic change in the financial picture of your life. But more importantly, as Pluto travels here, it will literally transform your relationship with wealth, self-worth and even self-esteem. Whether the catalyst comes through some sort of radical change, or you feel as if your priorities and values are being reinforced, perhaps the deepest teaching that Pluto, especially in its retrograde phases are not how much, or what you have, so much as how much you value who you are, and what you have to offer to others. And that can include things like strength of character, doing good works, having good values, and creating things that have sustainability and worth. Therefore your homework for the next 5  months, might involve exploring those things that you do most value about yourself, what you do, what you consider to be valuable to others, and those things which you associate with your own sense of self-worth. There could be a tendency to believe that you can’t change the way things are, however, with Pluto in its retrograde phase, it’s tuning you into the reality that we are all capable of evolving and growing, even in ways that we might not have imagined. 

Aquarius

With the station of Pluto for its retrograde station this week, you could find some old narratives and issues resurfacing. These may be old dialogues about self-worth and self-esteem that are standing in the way of your own evolutionary growth and understanding of yourself. If we continue to hold on to the past, what we could have or should have done, or almost did, we may lose sight of what is there right in front of us. But Cynthia Occelli tells us that in order for a seed to reach its fullest potential, it must first become completely undone. The shell cracks, and its insides fall out. At first this could feel like destruction. But in fact, when Pluto does its good work what it is doing is clearing the way for something better to come along. Just know that also as the shell cracks, all sorts of things are going to fall out, and some of those things may not be all that pretty. What you are being shown are often things that were there all along, but that you might have been ignoring in hopes that they would just go away. They won’t. Pluto is here to tell us that we need to clean that mess up. Not only because it is a mess. But because this is the stuff that is preventing you from taking greater control over yourself, and your own life and progress. And never will this be more critically addressed than during the retrograde phases of Pluto in your own sign. 

Pisces

There is something of an internal evolutionary growth process that will be occurring now that Pluto will be in the sign of Aquarius. It’s literally attempting to change you from the inside out. The work that it does on these inner hidden and subliminal levels will have the capacity to completely change your world. However, as Pluto is now stationing for its retrograde phase, we may all become aware of a certain resistance to those changes. Change can be hopeful, for it means that our lives might improve. But it can also be fearful, for it could also mean that things could change for the worse. And so there is that resistance to change, which could incline you to stick with the devil you know, rather than the one you don’t. But even if you do resist it, there are some things that are inevitable, and simply cannot be ignored. And over the next 20 years, Pluto will be doing its good work on these inner planes. This can begin by churning things up from the depths of your psyche, and perhaps even from the past. This isn’t an easy process, and much of it can and will manifest as indescribable feelings, fears and anxiety. Some of which may appear to have no basis. And yet they do. And Pluto, especially in its retrograde phase, is trying to show you what that all is. Know also that this is also one of your greatest opportunities to finally achieve a whole other level of healing and wholeness. And that’s when the true transformation begins.