April Outlook: This is No Joke
A wizard’s monthly take on the weeks ahead
All of the signs are in agreement and they are clear: the days immediately ahead of us are extremely important. This is not a drill. Mark my words — they will count.
Okay, now that the ominousness is out of my system, let’s talk about this. What I just said is true, but it’s not a bad thing. This little stretch may well be the best time of the year.
That’s what Austin Coppock and Gordon White have been saying for months, of course. For more depth on this period of the year specifically from an astrological perspective, I urge you to check out Austin and Kelly Coppock, Rune Soup, and The Astrology Podcast. My very fast and loose summation of what I’ve garnered from these wise teachers is as follows:
- This is a very favorable time, the kind of favorable time that is best for your most important planting;
- The major astrological events of the last couple of months (some of which we discussed in March’s overview) have set the stage for the present. We are now dealing with the consequences of those changes, groping our way forward in the semi-new world they’ve brought to our doorstep;
- 2019 is a really strange and likely difficult year, and the window afforded us for the next three or four weeks is both very limited and very rare, particularly as we head toward a somewhat dark and weird summer.
From there, my own readings and analysis provide further color as to what exactly all this looks like. This is a time in which big accomplishments are not only possible but prescribed. Take hold of it, right now, today, for there is no time to waste.
All of the signs are in agreement and they are clear: the days immediately ahead of us are extremely important. This is not a drill. Mark my words — they will count.
Yes, it’s difficult to feel certain enough right now to charge ahead. That’s very much acknowledged. There are definitely a number of elements of unresolved tension, although there appears to be the opportunity to come to various arrangements if we can discern what those arrangements might be.
We’re in a new stage of things, not just in terms of the palpable emergence of spring and all that entails — which itself exerts no small influence on this month — but in the longer-term cosmic sense (see last month’s outlook for the significance of the new Uranus cycle). We can’t be expected to know what this new age really is all about yet, and we can expect it to start off a little bit bumpy. But we are strong right now. Even if we don’t know it, we are. If you can’t muster up the true confidence needed to go on ahead with the tasks and projects you have in mind, fake it.
We might also call this having faith.
As the wheel turns and we find the Possible and New exploding in the twilight all around us, we must at the same time contend with the debris and residue that remain to be picked up — or perhaps burned away. That’s a process that is almost always uncomfortable but shouldn’t be resisted. We are once again promised a certain dark adventure a little ways ahead, and we should cling to the virtuous purity of this new season as we step off into that nerve-wracking unknown.
One thing we have at our disposal is a certain measure of inner truth. It’s in there somewhere, and if we can find it and hold it, we have an opportunity to really employ it to the benefit of ourselves and those around us. This starts out by stabilizing ourselves. By taking an extended metaphorical deep breath and preparing for days of significance. If we can stomach the idea of faith, perhaps this is the time to lean on that.
Orient yourselves to the world — I mean, really take the time to do this. This may be a short window, but if you don’t burn a couple of days right now to get some measure of balance and intention, you’re only going to spend the rest of this sweet time trying to catch up and never quite getting there.
So chill a minute.
It may be tempting to enter into secret pacts and factions, there being comfort found in uncertain times from the embrace of conspiracy, but don’t take the bait. This will only shackle you in the days to come. Be a bit of an independent actor for the time being — but the “actor” part of that phrase is just as important as the “independent” part. Faith is going to be key to getting us going, but faith alone — at least a faith based in words or even in attitude — will not be enough to carry us through this month. We need to back up what we believe and what we seek and what we know with concrete action.
Start that project. Do that thing you’ve been putting off. There’s no time to lose.
For anyone interested in more comprehensive personal development, again, the time is fortuitous. The exercise for this month is trying to see your own biases and prejudices. I’m not just talking about race and gender, I mean all of the ordinary little assumptions you make about people and places and things in the course of the day. They’re not all bad, and you won’t be able to fix yourself overnight. But try, for little moments here and there, to step outside of them. Be open to truth that you normally might write off and refuse to consider. Be gentle toward even those you really don’t think highly of, and do what is asked of you by all. This is one way to quickly collect our confidence.
When dealing with those people or circumstances that are stubborn and hard to move or influence, take it easy. Don’t just come at them. Sometimes that’s the right thing to do, but not right now. Pause and see if you can connect in any way. See if you might be able to gain some understanding of their nature and position and circumstances. That doesn’t necessarily mean adopt their point of view or capitulate in cases of conflict, but it does mean that you receive and hear what they are putting out there.
In many cases, this alone is sufficient, for they sense your gentle receptivity and thereby you gain the influence and respect you lacked but a moment before. And we can do something with that. We can work together, build things, or if nothing else agree to forgo war.
A final reminder, a concept I’ve raised previously: at all times (but perhaps especially this month) remember the behavior of water — it flows. It flows on and on, not usually in a hurry, but never skipping steps. One dip after another it fills, and then steadily moves on, and on and on. No hesitation, no judgment. Just filling and continuing on.
By this process, all life on earth is sustained. Through this concept, we might adjust ourselves to even the most chaotic and difficult circumstances and might be able to develop within ourselves the strength of character to deal with whatever comes our way in the months beyond.