April 8 Total Solar Eclipse

If you've never seen a total solar eclipse, put it on your bucket list! (A good one is coming up in two years, visible in Iceland and Portugal.) "Awesome" doesn't do it justice. I was lucky enough to be in Indianapolis in the path of totality near the maximum duration of about four minutes. I was stunned. I had not realized (and I should have) that when the light of the Sun was blocked, you could see planets! And I certainly didn't know all of the visible planets could indeed be seen. Saturn and Mars were so close together (just over a degree apart), they looked to my bad vision (without binoculars - and duh, I should have had those with me!) like one big star. I spied Jupiter. Only after the eclipse, did I spot Venus in a photo I took. And if I knew just where to look, I hear I could have seen Mercury. Oh, that little sparkly trickster. It's hard to see and being it was Retrograde, I wasn't thinking well enough to research what would happen when the sky darkened. With a telescope, you could have seen Uranus, too, right by Jupiter. I didn't hear the people on the NASA broaccast talking about any of that. However, you can see a nice illustration on their website.

yours truly in eclipse glasses

The eclipse occurred at 19 degrees of Aries in a close conjunction with Chiron. Any new moon eclipse presages and stimulates big changes. In Aries, it's good for asserting and promoting yourself, going after your desires, challenging yourself, stacking up to the competition, starting something new, leading the way, exerting a lot of energy, and being courageous. Chiron steers us toward innovation, healing and repair. Look to the house in your chart where 19 degrees Aries is located for the part of your life due for a revamp.

We lived through Jupiter conjunct Uranus!

Every thirtten to fourten years, quicker Jupiter passes slower Uranus. This time around, the big meet-up between giant Jupiter and quirky Uranus was April 20 and it wasn't as scary as some astrologers may have led you to believe. Jupiter magnifies whatever it touches and Uranus is unpredictable, so it could have signaled a tragedy, especially since Jupiter is associated with international relations and with all the tension in eastern Europe and the Middle East.. They joined in Taurus (at nearly 22 degrees) and this is the sign of money, but markets didn't crash and plunge us into a depression. So far, so good. Jupiter is usually fortunate and for some, this undoubtedly brought a lucky surprise. Uranus has a technological and inventive side and I'm hoping for good news soon about science finding a new beneficial solution for the environment or for energy production (Uranus rules electricity). For any of us, it can inspire expanded learning (a Jupiter activity) in the metaphysical field (under Uranus's umbrella - it's the ruling planet of astrology). In that vein, see the paragraph about the New Age Fair below.

Next Up: the Saturn-Pluto Semisquare

Next up on the celestial radar screen is the Saturn-Pluto semisquare on May 6. Some people call a semisquare a "minor aspect" and think it doesn't matter much. But when it involves two heavy-weight contenders like Saturn and Pluto (considered "malefic"), you better give it some respect. Pluto demands change, albeit not immediately like Uranus promotes; Saturn pleads for taking time and doing the job right. Pluto in Aquarius can help foster progress. Saturn in Pisces elicits our sympathy for those who have been mistreated. This semisquare applies pressure for better boundaries (Saturn's areas) and sharing of resources (under Pluto's purview). It also provides us an opportunity to use imagination (Pisces' gift) to straighten out (Saturn-ize) our finances (Pluto's realm). This is another interplanetary connection that some astrologers have been dooming and glooming about. I try to be an optimist. Last year, there were rumblings and worries about a recession, but I just didn't feel like that was coming, and thus far, the economy seems pretty good. Still, I keep my fingers crossed.

Does the semisquare hit your chart? Saturn will be at 17 degrees of Pisces and Pluto at 2 degrees of Aquarius. If you have anything near 17 degrees of any Mutable sign (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius or Pisces) or near 2 degrees of any Fixed sign (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio or Aquarius), you're in the crosshairs and the push will impact what your receiving planet (or angle, like the Ascendant or Midheaven) indicates by location and rulership.

Big Transits Reverberate Across a Period of Time

Eclipses and aspects between slower planets have an impact that stretches from before the date of exactitude until well beyond it. Sometimes events or developments in accord with the sign of a lunation are already in place by the time of the new or full moon. Similarly, big aspects like the two discussed above have a strong effect for a good week or more before and after the date when they occur. As I write this on April 26, only six days after the Jupiter-Uranus conjunction and ten days before the Saturn-Pluto semisquare, I can detect themes related to both in this week's news. For instance, here are some current circumstances and the ruling planets in parentheses:

• Supreme Court (Jupiter) hears unprecedented (Uranus) case, Presidential immunity
• A former President (Saturn/Pluto) is on trial for fraudulent (Pisces) accounting (Pluto) related to a secret (Pisces) sexual liaison (Pluto)
• Protests (Uranus) at colleges (Jupiter) involving religious prejudice (Pisces)
• Net Neutrality is back - more equitable (Uranus) internet (Jupiter)
• Ending employee non-disclosure agreements (Saturn = rules, contracts; Aquarius = power in the hands of people rather than Plutocrats)
• Funding (Pluto) for foreign allies (Jupiter) finally moves past Congressional (Jupiter) blockade (Saturn)

New Age Fair

Just thought I'd put the word out for those of you who live in central Connecticut to let you know the Astrological Society of Connecticut's popular New Age Fair is this Sunday, April 28, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM in Wethersfield. I will be there on the admin staff, not reading, but there will be a lot of great readers there as well as wellness practitioners and shopping! (Mother's Day is just around the corner.) There are also free presentations and a $10 astrology class about 2024's solar eclipses and their affect on the various Sun signs. And of course, refreshments. Bring a friend and make a day of it! Here are complete details and DIRECTIONS Hope to see you there!

In the Works ...

I'm working on 2025 On a Page and should have that posted before long to help you in looking ahead to next year. This year is whizzing by!

At Your Service

Although I haven't written a newsletter in a while, I'm stll here, working away and at your service for your astrological needs. Be in touch if I can be of assistance.

In closing ...

I hope you'll continue to enjoy my blogs and check out my website if you haven't before. They can help you deal with the current and upcoming planetary influences and use the celestial tides to your advantage. If I can be of service to you, please be in touch!

Yours in the stars, Janet Booth

Janet Booth | AstrologyBooth.com| 860-232-4670 | janetbooth@astrologybooth.com