Virgo, April 2016

March was mayhem. April is way chiller by comparison! However, it does have its own drama in the form of three retrogrades: Mars, Pluto, and Mercury. You're a perfectionist, Virgo, so once you do something, it rarely needs to be redone, and oftentimes retrogrades can feel like do-overs. But a little review never hurt anyone—and you might discover something new when the planets retrace their steps in the zodiac! But before the retrogrades hit, we have some planets changing signs, so let's start there:

On April 5, sexy Venus enters fierce Aries, lighting up a very intimate and intense sector of your chart. Issues around sex will certainly come up for examination, and hot encounters are extremely likely. The psychic connection between you and your partners will be lit at this time. Venus will also bring blessings around some tricky financial issues you've been working out—perhaps your taxes, some debts or even inheritances.

Hoping for a fresh start about these themes? If your sex life or the financial relationships you share with others need a reboot, the new moon in Aries on April 7 is the perfect time to hold a ritual around these themes.

Aries is the first sign in the zodiac. It's fierce and independent, yet innocent and trusting. Aries is a sincere AF energy, so having the new moon in Aries energize one of the most intense, intimate, even scary sectors of your chart is a beautiful thing.

Also on April 5, Mercury, the planet of the mind, enters fellow Earth sign Taurus—where it will be for quite a while, thanks to the retrograde that's coming up on April 28. You know the drill already about Mercury retrograde: Don't buy electronics, expect delays, and be careful about signing contracts during this time, because people don't know what the fuck they are talking about.

Mercury in Taurus will be activating a very philosophical sector of your chart, and you're going to be in the mood to explore. Get your exploring in before the retrograde begins!

Try not to plan trips—this will super hard, because Mercury in Taurus is lighting up the travel section of your chart, and you're really itching to get out of town. Do what you can to escape Virgo, but triple-check your itinerary (not that you wouldn't obsessively do this on your own, without my advice or Mercury being retrograde, anyway).

Friends from the past may pop up—especially people you have gone to school or shared deep learning experiences with. Mercury retrograde is all about reviewing our thoughts and decisions, and Mercury would not be doing its job if it didn't bring you interesting people to bounce ideas off of.

Speaking of communication and getting along with others, on April 14 chatty Mercury will trine (an easy astrological aspect) lucky Jupiter, which happens to be in your sign! This could lead to all kinds of good stuff: profound, productive conversations, as well as fantastic opportunities to publish or promote your ideas to a huge audience!

More good vibes come on April 17, when Mercury trines power planet Pluto, also in a fellow Earth sign, Capricorn. This will be fantastic for connecting with your romantic and creative partners. This will be a really fun day for a date, Virgo—especially if the date is to an exciting, exotic place, like a neighborhood neither you nor your date ever visits or a foreign film. If you're able to show off any VIP status, this is the day to do it. But, as you know, nothing in this world is perfect: Mars retrograde also starts on this day! (That said, please go on the date, Virgo. Don't overthink it, and have fun! It's just astrology!)

Mars is a warrior, so going retrograde is a major bummer for it. Warriors want to charge ahead, not retreat! This Mars retrograde will be in Sagittarius, and it will intensify issues going on in your life concerning home and family. Issues that you haven't resolved on this front will come up for examination. Next month, Mars will retrograde back into Scorpio, which will find you working out some communication issues, too.

The next day, April 18, Pluto also goes retrograde in Capricorn. Creative projects that you've put on the back burner might get a chance to see the light of day— or you may ignore them, worried about your day job and "real" responsibilities. If you choose to ignore your creative side, or the part of you that wants to have fun, expect it to start nagging at you in a deeper way than usual.

Also during the Pluto retrograde, you'll notice that jealousies in your relationships may intensify or that suspicions will flare up. This is the dark side of obsessive Pluto. Pluto can also be very transformative, and, of course, sexy: You may find that passion heightens during this time, too.

On April 19, the Sun enters Taurus, highlighting that same philosophical sector of your chart that Mercury's hanging out in and again pushing you to branch out and explore the world. But don't forget about your local neighborhood, too: The full moon in Scorpio on April 22 will find you making discoveries and realizations about the world you're already familiar with. If you have siblings, this full moon could connect you to them. Important conversations will also go down during this full moon—Scorpio is the sign of depth and emotional intimacy, so expect things to get super deep (and detailed! Juicy secrets and gossip will also come your way).

On April 29, Venus enters Taurus, bringing blessings to the sector of you chart that will be affected by the Mercury retrograde. Venus in sensual, luxurious Taurus will find you being bored with the norm—bigger is totally better to you at this time. Expensive, exotic things are on your brain: Not a bad way to end the month! See you in May, Virgo!