Hodesh Nissan 5780 (March 26 – April 24, 2020)
Why is this Nissan different from all others that have come before it? It’s the first time since the original Nissan, during which the Israelites experienced the 10 Plagues from the safety of their dwellings, that we’ve huddled indoors, either alone or with our families, praying that the Angel of Death will pass over us.
The celestial cycles have spoken: the Saturn-Pluto conjunction of January 12 kicked off these traumatic times. April 4 will see the first of 2020’s three Jupiter-Pluto conjunctions triggering larger and larger waves of powerful paranoia, doubt and fear. Government crackdowns on personal freedoms during times of great global pandemics may trigger rebellious reactions by those whose trust in our societal structures and institutions have already been eroded by the untrustworthy actions of those institutions themselves.
Nissan is the month in which we remember and reenact the deliverance that seemed impossible by human standards, and yet came anyway. The full Libra “super” moon of Passover Eve on April 8 brings hope as we recall how the burden of Egyptian slavery was rolled away in a single night – the night we hid ourselves indoors. The last quarter moon in Capricorn with the Sun square Pluto on April 14 on the eve of the seventh day of Passover reveals the impotence of top-down structural solutions to a crisis that can only be addressed from the bottom up.
Individual responsibility rather than governmental caretaking or corporate culpability turns out to be the defining difference between life and death. The Sun/Saturn square April 20 reveals the uselessness of an “us vs them” mentality. The decisions you make today determine your own future as well as those you’ve never met. The virus of contagious collective fear must be battled by individual faith. Choose wisely and choose life while you still can!
ARIES / TALEH
Planetary ruler Mars/Ma’adim in progressive Aquarius during April blends the courageous leadership of Aries’s Judah energy, with Asher/Aquarius, bringer of bounty and brotherhood. The power to do good is in your hand. Jupiter/Tzedek conjunct Pluto in Capricorn April 4 asks you to use your resources for the greater good while navigating between profitability and idealism. The super full moon in solar opposite Libra at Passover is the cosmic connection of Judah and Ephraim, the balance of beauty and bravery, harmony and heroism. With Mercury in Aries after April 10, balance on the tightrope spans persuasion and coercion April 20-21.
TAURUS / SHOR
Venus/Noga in Zebulun’s sign Gemini after April 3 encourages widening of the social circle diversifying your connections. Mars/Ma’adim square Uranus/Oron in Taurus on the super full moon in Venus-ruled Libra April 7 inspires you to fight to protect what belongs to you even as you build momentum toward a revolution against forces you feel are trying to control your choices. The last Quarter moon in Capricorn April 14 at the Jupiter-Pluto conjunction point supplies you with sources, proofs and factual foundations to bolster your upgraded consciousness. Don’t let the calm that reemerges when the Sun enters Taurus April 19, followed by the Taurus new moon April 22 and Mercury April 27 disintegrate into complacency.
GEMINI / TEOMIM
Check your belief-bias when planetary ruler Mercury/Kochav meets Neptune/Rahav in Pisces April 3. Whom can you trust when facts don’t match your preconceived notions? The new reality demands a new kind of perception. The Jupiter/Pluto conjunction in Capricorn April 4 touches on sensitivities around shared resources; you’re uncomfortable with drama, power plays and jockeying for position. Tribal ruler Zebulun didn’t compete for assets: he sailed off to find fresh sources of bounty to share with others. Mercury in Aries April 10-27 empowers courageous words and bold statements, especially in defense of the weak or disadvantaged. Be someone’s superhero April 11-12.
CANCER / SARTAN
Recalibrate plans even as you chafe against current conditions at the first quarter moon in Cancer April 1, squaring Sun in Aries. The Jupiter-Pluto conjunction in Capricorn April 4 supersizes control issues and power plays within partnerships of every kind. The full “super” Libra moon of Passover April 9 reveals which relationships are fertile and which are barren. Last quarter moon in Capricorn April 14 with the Sun’s square to Pluto finalizes decisions you’ve made around the new reality. New Taurus moon April 22 falls on Earth Day, planting hope in an open heart for a regenerative, fecund future.
LEO / ARYEH
Your natural heroic instincts are triggered by our current collective trauma, especially around the full “super” moon of Passover April 9. Sun in Aries through April 18 gives your inner superhero momentum; but beware of burnout. Your mind-body connection is crucial now: the Jupiter-Pluto conjunction April 4 and the Sun’s square to Jupiter April 15 urgently beg you to protect your own well-being. Channel tribal ruler Simeon’s tremendous outrage against local situations where you can make an actual difference rather than wasting your tremendous vital energy on advancing or defending ideological stances. Avoid conflicts around home/family issues April 20-21.
VIRGO / BETULAH
You’re headed for a showdown April 4 when the Jupiter-Pluto conjunction in Capricorn during moon in Virgo empowers analysis of power differentials and hierarchical roles. Mercury/Kochav in Pisces through April 10 prefers to swim around relationship issues, but when Mercury enters Aries April 10, confrontation is unavoidable. You’re both prosecutor and defense attorney at your relationship trial. Sun in Taurus April 19 eases anxieties around shared resources. Practical considerations take precedence over emotional ultimatums during this time of collective reevaluation of priorities. Acknowledge your own frail humanity as a reflection of the fragility, strength, and beauty of being alive.
LIBRA / MOZNAYIM
Libra is the Tribe of Ephraim and this month of Nissan, opposite Libra/Tishrei, is Judah. As the two sticks (Ephraim, which is Joseph, and Judah) become one in the hand of the prophet, it is your job this month to prophesy unity to those both close and afar. The super “full” Libra moon of Passover Eve April 7/8 is your annual personal full moon; your powers of diplomacy and charm are at their peak. Planetary ruler Venus/Noga in Gemini after April 3 makes information your stock in trade; use your knowledge with wise discretion to influence others for good.
SCORPIO / AKRAV
Scorpio’s powers of concentration and focus are enhanced by the transit of the Sun through Mars/Ma’adim-ruled Aries through April 19. The Jupiter-Pluto conjunction April 4 fortifies your sense of personal power, though the current zeitgeist, and our collective fears limit your ability to flex those muscles. Frustration peaks when Mars in Aquarius squares Uranus in Taurus on the full “super” Libra moon April 8. Beat the blues by burrowing deep within your endless wellspring of self-renewal to recreate yourself from scratch. Nobody will emerge from these trying times as transformed as you when you put your mind to it.
SAGITTARIUS / KASHAT
Jupiter/Tzedek is Sagittarius’s ruling planet, and the first of 2020’s three Jupiter-Pluto conjunctions in Capricorn April 4 relates to your financial bottom line. This is a significant power boost if you can pivot and adapt to the totally non-normative “new normal” during these unstable times. Flexibility facilitates making major inroads toward your material world goals. The “super” full Libra moon April 7 reveals that often it’s who you know rather than what you’ve accomplished that brings recognition and opportunity. Cultivating strategic relationships may have seemed less important than producing excellent work in the past; now the value of both.
CAPRICORN / G’DI
Saturn/Shabbtai in the beginning degrees of Aquarius this month brings a more universalist view while Jupiter/Tzedek-Pluto conjunction in Capricorn April 4 enlarges Capricorn’s power to initiate creative problem-solving. The explosive booms of Jupiter/Pluto, which repeat again in June and November, are the sounds of the barricades guarding the status quo crumbling and falling, while those guarding the old normal fight a losing battle against the inevitability of profound structural change. Tribal ruler Dan guarded Israel’s borders: guard your own just as fiercely. Don’t find yourself on the wrong side of the fight; survival means we’re all in this together.
AQUARIUS / D’LI
The smell in the air during April is that of revolutionary fever with classical ruler Saturn/Shabbtai and Mars/Maadim in Aquarius. Mars square modern planetary ruler Uranus/Oron in Taurus on the “super” full Libra moon April 7 forces radical confrontation between your humanitarian ideals and your deepest fears. Sun square Saturn April 20 is your chance to model how to think globally while acting locally: those around you need your leadership right now. Set the highest example April 15-16, because many eyes are upon you. In the face of draconian measures, you’ll insist ideals, ethics, standards and integrity still matter!
PISCES / DAGIM
Mercury/Kochav conjunct Neptune/Rahav April 3 energizes your highest aspirations, empowering you to create offerings of your wisdom, gifts and talents to share with others through unusually creative means. The conjunction of classical ruler Jupiter/Tzedek to Pluto in Capricorn April 4 enlarges the practical, powerfully useful assistance you’re able to offer your friends and community, both near and far. You’re one of the “helpers” others look to during troubled times. Full “super” Libra moon Passover Eve inspires creative coupling. The conjunction of the moon to Neptune and the Sun’s entrance into Taurus April 19 gives your imaginative ideas concrete form.
A version of this column originally appeared at jpost.com and is reprinted with permission.
A practicing, professional astrologer for over 30 years with an MA in Jewish studies from Berkeley’s Graduate Theological Union, the writer can be reached via email (lorelaikude@yahoo.com) or at her Kabbalah-flavored website, www.astrolojew.com