Photo by Tamu Miles

All Signs

Though I am not a huge fan of their music anymore (Am I just getting old?), Guns ’N Roses’ “November Rain” really states a truth that we would all do well to keep in mind throughout the month of April. With Mercury Retrograde approaching (April 9 to May 3), we will need to keep sentiments like “we all just need some time” foremost in our minds. For “like November rain” this too, shall pass. I recommend listening to this song, with the volume cranked as loud as you can stand it, periodically over the next while.

We’ve just come through New Moon in Aries, with tons of will/intent energy moving through us. Change and new beginnings have been the theme. We have felt the push to do what we are here for, to do what needs to be done, to put our heads down and not let anything get in our way.

But life has also thrown a lot of shit at us lately, put up a lot of roadblocks and made things difficult, hasn’t it. We are edgy and tired, and there seems to be conflict everywhere. Therefore, throughout this cycle of Mercury Retrograde, it’s going to be important to remember to breathe.

And I know it sounds crazy, but we need to embrace the lessons being taught to us by Mercury Retrograde in order to harness and actually benefit from the power of the New Moon in Aries. In other words, true change will not be able to take place if we don’t listen to the jagged, lost, hurt, and lonely parts of ourselves.

We all carry around, like so much excess baggage, illusions about who we are as individuals. Most of the time these illusions tell us that we are not worthy, that we are not good enough, or that we are dumb or inferior. Right now these illusions are contributing to the very real obstacles that keep popping up. They’re also contributing to a sense of suppression; we don’t feel we have the ability to express who we are or stand up against the injustices inflicted upon us, or those who we care about.

So it’s important that in the practical reality of your everyday you don’t make any hasty or rash decisions. In fact, for the most part, try to do nothing. Stay neutral and ride out whatever is going on. Trust that this energy will pass and that the universe is still on your side.

On an inward level, however, there is much opportunity for growth. For that is what Mercury Retrograde is all about. Listen and learn from your emotions and your reactions to others. Try to see the small sphere of your world with a wider lens.

In other words let go of some of the responsibility. It’s not all about me/you/I/the individual. Things just aren’t going to be as harmonious as we’d like. However, great success can be attained by trying to look at this time with a playful eye. Why not try to have fun with it? Slap on a positive attitude and go out and see what good you can do in the world. Did you make someone laugh today? Did you console a friend who just couldn’t deal with the world’s shit anymore?  Did you force yourself to get creative and find that you tapped into something really beautiful and meaningful once you got passed the stubborn, pouty child within you?

If you didn’t do any of these things, I recommend you try at least one of them. For what else is Mercury Retrograde trying to teach us if not to love the crappy parts of ourselves into wholeness?

Aries – Mar. 21 to Apr. 19

This is a beautiful time for you, Aries. Your energy is bursting with brilliance. Your light attracts others to you. Co-creation is easy, and it just feels right. You are full of awareness; of lessons learned and sureness of direction. You have reached a place where you can see that you are the centre of your own web and you are happy to be creating something for the sheer joy of creating it. Your energy is also in a stance of open acceptance. Others see you as a leader and someone they can confide in. You have wisdom to pass along and you are able to steer these “apprentices” in the right direction. Enjoy this time, Aries. You deserve to be happy and to allow your self-esteem to blossom with the sheer beauty of your soul shining from your core.

Taurus – Apr. 20 to May 20

Your life right now is like the spring thaw on the tundra. Life is bursting forth and there is endless potential and thriving energy. A great harmony exists between all things and if you stay grounded in a mothering like patience and call on the assistance of others when you need them, you will achieve much. It’s important that while you let your light shine, while you allow your will and intent to reach out and influence the world around you, that you also send out tendrils of compassion and empathy. Stay open to the lessons the universe is sending your way. Pay attention to your dreams and the new ideas that are trying to bubble to the surface of your consciousness. Remember, spring is a time of possibility, and it will serve you to take advantage of this time of renewal to experiment and break from traditional ways of doing things.

Gemini – May 21 to Jun. 20

Ahhh, see? It’s all starting to make sense now, isn’t it? You’ve been denying your innermost dreams and therefore blocking your ability to find the happiness you seek. It doesn’t have to be complicated. It all comes back to love and the natural expression of your heart. And things take time. You are slowly learning this truth. Try looking at the world with eyes of innocence. Try letting some of your vulnerability show and surrendering to the universe when you know you don’t have any control. Let love always be your guide. When your heart sings, you are doing the right thing. If your heart is not singing, then you are denying yourself something: you are taking too much on, or you are isolating yourself and wallowing in self-pity. We all have our mountains to climb, our battles to fight. All we can do is keep going in the pursuit of our dreams.

Cancer – Jun. 21 to Jul. 22

So the adventure continues, dear Cancer. And right now, on this adventure, you are able to influence others around you. Ideas can be planted like seeds and you are able to organize action in your favour. Just remember to stay grounded in your integrity. Stick to your morals and your convictions. Don’t let others take you off course through narrow-minded and petty thinking. The part of you that is still healing, who still feels slightly like an outsider, will want to pull you back into believing that you are all alone and that your goals and aspirations mean nothing. To counteract this, use stealth. When the situation calls for it, allow others to think that your ideas are their own. Doing so will make no difference in the end as you will still get what you wanted, and the whole group will benefit in the process. Remember, the best heroes are the unsung ones.

Leo – Jul. 23 to Aug. 22

No matter how negative things seem to get, remember this: you are the beacon of safety in the night. The universe is on your side, you are in harmony with your divine self, and you have access to great personal power. This power is the accumulation of knowledge throughout your lifetime and it will feed you wisdom when times get tough. Don’t plan too far into the future right now. Just take life moment-by-moment, and day-to-day, one problem at a time. All the negativity being flung around is not your problem. You did not cause it, and you don’t need to pay attention to it. Water off a duck’s back, right? You can do this.

Virgo – Aug. 23 to Sept. 22

The door to a great number of possibilities has opened for you. If you’re not seeing it you need to pay closer attention, but I’m pretty sure you know what I’m talking about. Right now is a delicate time. While you must allow your intent to shine and be heard, you must also act with grace and gentleness. Do not be forceful, brash or brazen, or you risk losing everything. All voices need to be heard and harmony must be sought for everyone to benefit. See that your energy seeks to mingle, it needs to gently and softly merge with those you care about. And this can also be said about how you should approach your goals and dreams. Let time do its handiwork and trust that everything will work out in the end.

Libra – Sept. 23 to Oct. 22

I hope you’re laughing at yourself, dear Libra. I hope you see the cosmic joke that’s been played upon you and appreciate it for the glorious drama that it is. All this time you’ve been feeling so lonely and lost when there really was no need. People really do support your ideas and goals and they really do want to connect with you on a deep and meaningful level. You just have to let them in. Through some kind of life circumstance you are either going to, or you already have been, made to see that this is so. So let your love light shine. Settle into the maturity of heart, mind, and soul that this new understanding brings with it. And watch the progress that you are able to make now that you have come to this new perception of yourself and the world around you.

Scorpio – Oct. 23 to Nov. 21

Your dreams are sending you signals from the universe. I recommend you pay attention. Your Future Self is talking to you. It’s telling you to slow down and take a bit of a step back to gain perspective. You have access to a lot of energy right now and can accomplish much, but you have to keep in mind the needs and desires of your loved ones, and stay conscious and present in your decision making. Stand in a place of sacredness and honour for all of life. There is no need to charge ahead; everything will happen when it’s supposed to. Pay more attention to the journey than the goal. Get creative with the everyday, mundane activities that consume your life. Learn to play, have fun, and enjoy the moment.

Sagittarius – Nov. 22 to Dec. 21

There’s no point in trying to make too much headway with your plans right now. I’m sorry, but that’s just the way it is. Don’t try to influence those around you because they won’t listen anyway and you’ll just end up getting frustrated. And don’t make any major decisions because you’ll just end up regretting them later. Instead, you would gain more by going inward. Seek moments of silence. Put down your phone or iPad for a while and get out into nature. Listen to what you are trying to tell yourself: the ideas and the knowing that is trying to bubble up from your subconscious. Use this time to gather all of your resources. Prepare for the future so that when the time is right you will be ready to take action and reap the harvest that is waiting for you.  

Capricorn – Dec. 22 to Jan. 19

Keep speaking those prayers because you’ll soon discover they are having an effect. Your heart, soul and mind are in alignment, even if it doesn’t feel like it. Something you’ve been working toward for a long time has the potential to really come together, and though it might feel that nothing could be further from being attained, you will see results. Let yourself be fed by the universal energy that is available to you and let everything go “right” for once. Look for and expect magic; those serendipitous  moments that change the colour and feel of the entire day. It’s almost like the vastness that is YOU is pressing its face down through the clouds of your crown chakra and conducting an experiment. This experiment will restore your faith in humanity and in your ability to achieve your dreams, not just your goals.

Aquarius – Jan. 20 to Feb. 18

Your Higher Self is playing tricks on you, but it’s doing so for your own good. I know that things don’t seem to be working out; every path you try to take is blocked and you’re getting a little frustrated. Stop. Listen. None of that matters right now. If you keep pushing ahead you’ll only run into more obstacles and you’ll miss the point entirely. Something magical wants to happen. Something that will help you, in the end, to feel more complete and whole as a human being. Goddess energy, through the portal of the moon, is trying to talk to you. Pay attention to your emotions and surrender to them. Pay attention to your dreams and perhaps journal them so that you can truly learn from them when you are in a more alert and awake head space. There’s a feeling of walking free (long strides and uninhibited gait) that exists just on the edge of your perception. Invite that feeling in. Embrace it and see what it brings you.

Pisces – Feb. 19 to Mar. 20

Inward, inward, inward. Reach down to your roots, to the core of the planet and draw nourishment and knowledge from there. Now is not a time of social interaction, it’s mostly one of hibernation and inward seeking. This is because there are more parts of yourself (Jeez, how many do you have?) that are trying to amalgamate into your everyday consciousness. This will make life a little confusing, and perhaps frustrating. But don’t forget that you are adept on the inner planes and, if you put your mind to it, you can easily navigate between worlds and dimensions. On a practical, every day level, don’t delve too much into experimentation. Stick with what works, and take a step back and let others take the lead.