April 2016 Astro-Insight: CHANGES

Change changing places
Root yourself to the ground
Capitalize on this good fortune
One word can bring you round
Changes

~ “Changes,” Yes (1983)

M.C. Escher ~ Sky and Water I (1938)

Change is inevitable.

We’ve heard it said countless times in countless ways: “The only constant is change.” “Nothing lasts.” “It’s the Law of Impermanence.” “This too shall pass.” “When one door closes, another opens.”

If all this “change is inevitable” conditioning has been drilled into our heads, our collective psyches, then why is it still so damned hard when we’re in the midst of it?

This April, we face a plethora of planets in retrograde. The practical planet of worldly transformation, Saturn, stationed at the end of March and will stay in retrograde motion until August.* This is the spring, the summer, of gear-shifting. And, sometimes, it’s tears and sweat that lubricate the crankshaft.

People in my personal and professional realms are experiencing some of the biggies: being laid off from a job that promised security; serving divorce papers; facing a transcontinental move; ending a relationship with the person who was absolutely, irrefutably the love of your life.

Of course, there are smaller, but just as significant, adjustments as well. Taking in a renter to help pay the bills; pursuing a high risk, high reward creative dream; having to find new ways to supplement earning a living.

In counseling and psychotherapy, one of the most prevalent diagnoses is that of “Adjustment Disorder,” which simply means the individual needs support to cope with a significant life change. Unlike clinical depression, the stress is caused by an outside influence and usually resolves once the individual is able to ADAPT.

To be sure, this is an astrological time of adaptation. If you are feeling it, remember, you are not falling apart, you are being asked to transform, grow, change. It can all feel like pulling teeth, and make us lose sleep at night if we’re not aware that fear and discomfort are NORMAL. 

Still, despair sometimes knocks at the door – at a most inconvenient time, coaxing us to pull the covers over our head, call it a day, give up. We’ll try again in another lifetime. Right?

Change is difficult because we have to relinquish the comforts, our known way of being. For some time – weeks, months, likely years - we’ve had some part of our worlds dialed-in. We knew what to expect, even if it was imperfect, it was working somehow. We owned the situation, were familiar with it, had learned to appreciate the best of it and tolerated the flaws.

Now, Life comes along and puts a spanner in the works. “No more,” says Saturn, the karmic taskmaster. “You have bigger potential.” It’s time for a Human Development refresher course. You need to fulfill your capacity and grow. Ugh, you say. I’d rather play small, hide out a little longer. This feels like far too much work.

When we fail to heed Saturn’s worldly coaxing, we miss the point. The new doors that are opening up are ignored and melancholic feelings of failure settle in. We fail the test of Life by dwelling only on the Death. Perspective and maturity are vital now. As a Scorpio friend reminded me yesterday, facing her own latest round of transformation, “I’m being very REALISTIC about things. And it feels good.”

With so many planets stationing and turning retrograde, we can be sure April and springtime in general are times of revising, adjusting, fine-tuning – and taking out the garbage. Some of this will be, well, uncomfortable, if not merely new or different. Not only is Saturn retrograde, but he is joined by Jupiter already in reverse, followed by Mars, Pluto, and Mercury later this month.* Things are slowing down to force us to focus, do the work, concentrate on what must be done to change life chapters.

I believe we can make it more palatable, even interesting and engaging, with a hefty dose of that Saturnian REALITY CHECK. See how this scenario is developmentally right on track for your life stage. See how this was bound to happen sometime. See the necessity – a good Saturn word - of the situation. You can connect the dots of your life. You knew you couldn’t keep going the old way for long. Heed the call of Change Agent Saturn. Humbly do what is being asked to ADJUST.

The cool thing about Saturn, as I always remind my clients, is that he’s the great reaper and harvester. So, while he cuts away the chaff, he leaves us with the wheat. Saturn always leaves a gift, some sort of grain, if we willingly suit up, show up, and – to a certain extent – shut up and do the work.

This month and into spring 2016, taste the bittersweet truth of change and know that new life is beckoning you forward.  It’s all right on time.

How are the planets affecting your personal chart? Contact Erin for an individual consultation.

*Key April Retrogrades:

Mercury: April 28 to May 22, 2016

Mars: April 17 to June 29, 2016

Jupiter: January 7 to May 9, 2016

Saturn: March 25 to August 13, 2016

Pluto: April 18 to September 26, 2016

Toulouse, France Capitole
Erin @ Aquarius

Erin Reese is an author, spiritual guide, astrologer, and modern psychic reader based in the San Francisco Bay Area. She works with clients all over the world. For readings and spiritual counseling by Skype, phone or email, contact her directly. She can be reached at erin@erinreese.com.