Leo, April 2016

March brought your favorite thing: drama. Just kidding, drama isn't your favorite thing—you're actually really not into stress, and, obviously, your favorite topic is yourself. Being that that's the case, the retrogrades that are coming up at the end of this month (Mars, Pluto, and Mercury) probably won't annoy you as much as they annoy other people; any chance you get to review yourself, your life, your thoughts, and your feelings is totally fine in your eyes. What better thing to do with your time than spend it in self-examination? Let's look at your April, Leo:

April starts strong with the Sun in Aries trine (a super easy astrological aspect) serious Saturn in Sagittarius on April 5. This is a very stabilizing energy! If you're looking for security, you'll find it, especially around your creative goals, romance (yay!), travel, and also school.

Also on April 5, we have two planets changing signs: Venus enters Aries and Mercury enters Taurus. Aries is the first sign in the zodiac, the baby. With lovely Venus in this sign, you'll be looking at love in a fresh way, and you'll be excited to have new experiences. Venus will also be activating the travel and education sector of your chart, so you'll feel big blessings in that arena of your life. If you're hoping for a fresh start around any of these themes, the new moon in Aries on April 7 will bring it.

Logical Mercury in practical Earth sign Taurus will be highlighting the part of your chart that rules over career, success, and popularity. Important talks could be going down in your professional or public life! Mercury will turn retrograde on April 28, which will find you rethinking your goals a lot. Take note of what happens during April around fame and fortune, because you will be revisiting these themes in May.

Also: Mercury retrograde is not the best time to plan travel (watch out for delays!), buy electronics, sign contracts, or make big decisions. Watch out: You'll likely run into colleagues from the past! This could be a fabulous thing because they may give you information you previously missed that you could use now. Or maybe you'll run into them because the universe wants to show you how far you've come.

One of the tensest days this month is April 6, when the Sun in energetic Aries challenges Pluto in mature, Earth sign Capricorn. Watch out for delays and obstacles on this day. You might feel suspicious of people screwing with you at work or school. The best way to work with obsessive, sneaky Pluto is to bring in a third party—if you're having communication issues with someone, bring in a trusted person who can mediate the issue before it gets too deep.

The wildest day this month is April 9, when the Sun meets electric, sometime chaotic Uranus in Aries. Watch out for impulsive behavior today! Things you say could unexpectedly reach a wide audience, so be careful what you tweet—it could go viral. If you're feeling pent up or boxed in, today is the day you will break free. No one can hold you down anymore, Leo!

Things slow down on April 17, when warrior Mars begins its retrograde in fellow Fire sign Sagittarius. Mars is Sag has actually been slowing its gallop since February—think back to the experiences you've had in your romantic and creative life since then. This Mars retrograde is all about reviewing those themes. Mars is a warrior planet, and retreating is not something warriors are into doing, but taking a step back to rest and rethink the battle plan is never a horrible idea. If you feel like things are moving too slowly during this time, remember that they're supposed to.

Another retrograde kicks off on April 18: Pluto, which takes place in solid, hardworking Earth sign Capricorn. This retrograde will intensify issues in your everyday work life and responsibilities. If you feel like someone is taking advantage of your time and energy, this will be an important time to take back your power. Taking control of your health and habits is also an extremely positive way to work the energy of this retrograde.

On April 19, the Sun enters Taurus, shining its warm, bright light on the fame and fortune sector of your chart—the same one that will be stimulated later this month by the Mercury retrograde. Fame is a theme deeply tied to Leo's soul purpose, but I don't want you to fear this Mercury retrograde. Instead, use it as a time to really review if you're doing what you want to be doing professionally, if you like the people you work with, or if you're expressing yourself effectively enough around these themes. When the Sun enters Taurus on April 19, it will begin to highlight all the things you'll need to focus on, so don't get too anxious about it until then!

Your home and personal life will also come up for examination during the full moon in private, mysterious Scorpio on April 22. Expect to reconnect with your roots and your family during this time. Full moons call for balance, and so much of April is about your public life, so spending time at home, enjoying peace, privacy, and your fam is definitely called for. This is also a powerful full moon for holding a ritual around creating boundaries and strengthening your sense of security—intense, protective Scorpio doesn't fuck around!

On April 29, sexy, sweet Venus enters Taurus, bringing more good vibes to that career and popularity sector of your chart! You've been working so hard at your goals, Leo, and things are really beginning to pay off, even though I know it will feel like things are going so slowly, due to the retrogrades. Again, things are supposed to be slow now. And this is the time for you to really reconnect with yourself, your dreams, and desires. Are you really happy? Really healthy? Really having fun? These are the questions Mars, Pluto, and Mercury want you to ask.

Anyway, Venus is of course all about love, beauty, and harmony, so expect to find a little of all these things are work. Perhaps you'll develop a crush on someone who's in a similar field? If you're forever in sweatpants, Venus in Taurus will find a way to make you look perfectly polished and professional. Perhaps you'll find your perfect "look" for meeting and greeting with the public or going to the office. Best of all, Venus is kind and cooperative—people will be easy to get along with at work, and people are going to find you charming!

Leo is the superstar of the zodiac, so being in the public eye feels natural for you, but by the end of April—and definitely by the end of the Mercury retrograde in May—you'll have learned a tremendous amount about what fame and success means to you. See you next month!