The early portions of this new cycle can send a shock through the system, as we have some major grand configurations shaping up. Taurus is prominently involved which can kick in some attributes of absolute decisiveness; once you pick which way you're going to go, there isn't much going back. This can lead to a bit of stubbornness on people's parts, but it can also lead to a boost in confidence, which can get people through some tough jams they might get into here.
It started in the last cycle, but Saturn and Pluto have nestled together in a trine and since Pluto doesn't move too quickly and Saturn's position has slowed to a stop because it's about to go direct again, they'll be locked up for a while. Meanwhile, "the posse" of the Sun, Mercury and Venus are all going to pass through the area of the chart that makes this a Grand Trine. Mercury went through at the end of the last cycle, and this new cycle begins with the Sun entering into the aspect (on the 20th).
What you can expect here is some more events that can have a huge magnitude about them. Because of the nature of the Grand Trine, there should be some real possibility for growth or the discovery of things that can make your lives a hell of a lot easier, but because Saturn and Pluto are involved, things can get a little frustrating as you are making these discoveries. Here, expect to make some major changes as a person. Worries might be driving some of these decisions; in many circumstances you might feel a "now or never" type approach to some of the decisions. Again, I reiterate that there can be a ton of pressure on people right now, even though that pressure is designed to draw the best consequences out of this.
On the 22nd, Mars will hook up with Uranus, in a transit that should draw out the inner rebel in everyone. People can use aggressive means to try to shift the way the world appears in their eyes. The very best can start a new movement of some sort to make some major changes, but for most people, this energy will cause people to not take things that upset them lying down. Expect to take some bold action here to make things more suitable for yourself.
The major configuration barrage continues on the 23rd, this time with a more troubling aspect as Venus is caught in the middle of a T-Square with Mars and Jupiter. The driving force here is your pursuit of either intense personal connections or of materially or financially related things. How you try to pursue them is the hang-up though as part of you will want to move forward in an aggressive, active manner, while the other half of you wants to think things over and come up with a mental solution. It's also completely possible that you hold off and hope for something to happen as if it was fated. Conflicts will arise, because when you see one mode of thought not working as well as you want, you can jump over to the other mode.
To the objective observer though, you might seem a little nutty and unorganized because of this. It will be extremely difficult for you to formulate a plan of action and stick with because in your mind you always have other options. But the truth of the matter is that for the most part, you can frequently approach situations with no real logical idea about what you're doing.
The 28th has Mercury aligning with Jupiter and this should make it a little bit easier to articulate to others about things you've experienced and you can give out some good advice as well as receive some in return. Other people can step up and offer you some good opportunities, but you have to be vocal about your desires or else they'll think you don't want anything.
A day later, on the 29th, Mercury is going to conflict with Neptune which can put some limits on how far you can dream and idealize situations. For many, this can lead to a pessimistic attitude because they won't see how a situation could turn around in their favor. Some people can still have high hopes, but for these people, their visions will tend to be more on the improbable side (even though they can buy into them totally).
Venus moves into the Taurus on the 30th where it is much stronger. Expect a boost in personal romantic relationship and you'll also strive to surround yourself with nicer things than you currently have. In personal matters, you can have a strong draw to you as well so people are going to naturally gravitate to you. If there is something out there that you want, it can somehow find its way to you. In general, people will go out there looking to find success and embrace it when it comes to them.
Heading into May 1st, the last huge configuration of the cycle shapes up with Venus connecting with Saturn and Pluto. This where a lot of people are going to have to make decisions about the level of financial prosperity they want to achieve as well as how far they are willing to take current relationships. There's the possibility of deconstructing everything (or leaving it behind) in order to start anew. This might include starting off on a new foot with people you know, cutting off people who've been doing you wrong, or perhaps seeking out new financial opportunities if the current ones you have fail to meet your goals. This can be a tumultuous period, but there should be people to help you out along the way.
The 2nd is busy as well, as Mercury moves into Gemini and Saturn returns to direct motion. Mercury is strong in Gemini, so this should be another good cycle where you should be quick mentally and say things that consistently pique the interest of others. You'll have the knack for saying the right things at the right times. It's also cool because you'll see varying levels of things, how one thing could appeal to one person one way and another person completely differently. This can also broaden the scope of types of humor that you appreciate.
As for Saturn, going direct is going to take a little bit of the emphasis off of you to provide your own need to be responsible and place that onus back on the universe. This could be construed as "bad" by some because now if you mess something up, the universe will punish you for it, whereas before, you could probably skirt by. But the good aspect of this is you'll begin to become conditioned properly once again and when you make a mistake, you'll learn to avoid making it again.
A day after that (the 3rd), Mercury and Saturn will conflict with each other, which can lead to you making unappreciated comments to others, often speaking without an internal monologue. Sometimes, you can get a little critical of others when it is yourself that you should be criticizing. You can also find that there are some situations where you have to feel your way around because you lack an understanding of how things are supposed to proceed.
Jupiter goes retro on the 9th while Mars moves into Leo. Jupiter going retro can always be a tough stretch because in many ways, you have to try to find to ways to succeed on your own. Other people can offer you help, but it's not always the most quality help. You can also become more narrow minded in how you look at situations and you aren't going to always use the full arsenal of resources you have at your availability, leaving you at a disadvantage.
With the new Mars cycle, it can really be emboldening as you won't be afraid to fail because you know you can't succeed if you don't try. While you can often speak rather bluntly and say what's exactly on your mind, you can still have a strong sense of honor about you that you will strive not to betray. It's important that you can look at other people and they will respect you and you will realize that if you consistently act out of sorts in an embarrassing manner, you will not gain the respect of others.
Jupiter and the Sun hook up on the 12th which should be a good to look at some personal goals you want to pursue. Most of the things you will want though have to do with making yourself a better person though, not so much making your position in the world better. With this energy comes the understanding that you need to be at your best to put forward your best to others. So many of you activities will be things that build you up, be it in a health sense or a knowledge sense, or through building up some personal skills you have that need to be sharpened.
May 14th will feature a tough aspect between the Sun and Neptune where you can often get into trouble because of an inflated ego and thinking you can accomplish things that you really have no business even attempting. Other people aren't always going to be upfront about things here as well, so stay on your toes so you can avoid any potential deception. This is important because you'll be more willing to believe people here as well and it won't be terribly difficult for them to pull the wool over your eyes.
The last big aspect of this cycle will come on the 18th when Venus and Jupiter hook up. This transit is going to look to build up a person's love of himself. Expect to engage in some activities that will be self esteem builders. It should be easy to find things that can help boost your self-confidence and the admiration you have for what you've accomplished. This will only make it easier down the line for you to share such feelings with others, eventually leading to stronger personal relationships.
That's all there is for this cycle. There's potential for a lot of fireworks in the early portion of this month, but as things go along, you'll notice things retreat back to a more manageable pace. Stay on your toes, give full effort whenever you can and remember to remain open to new changes and possibilities (especially early on), because some pretty major personal transformations can begin in this cycle. Best of luck.
Bud
