gal-dem horoscopes: Harness your power this Aries season

Welcome to a new astrological year.

Let’s start April with this reminder: love cannot exist without power. When you fear the power someone holds over you, you fear love. Also, to have power and wield it are two different things.

Someone may hold the world in their hands, but many folks never asked for this. It’s the action one takes from this position that begins any conversation around character and morality. Keep this in mind for the full moon in Libra on 16 April, when Pluto tries to tip the scales and forces you to question the fabric of your own ethos.

Our month begins amidst Aries season, which continues until 19 April. For better or worse, Aries is unafraid of wielding power. Aries’ way of living is in a constant, playful battle of giving and taking with whoever enters your psyche in a meaningful way. How dare you inspire any emotion within them? Aries embodies the vengeful stance of a misunderstood supervillain, stretching their arms up towards the sky as they realise their next plan of attack – one which is rooted in a revenge scheme we can be sympathetic towards, but perhaps disagree with in their means of executing ‘justice’.

“Love cannot exist without power”

This is not to say that Aries energy has to be embodied by a villain. In fact, our classic protagonist requires a healthy dose of Aries’ fiery qualities. We see the most beautiful and honest aspects of an Aries when they jump to the rescue of others without thinking twice; blissfully unaware of the level of courage they exemplify. When we witness their value in letting ethos live through muscle memory. Aries is our perfect picture of the first responder.

“We see the most beautiful and honest aspects of an Aries when they jump to the rescue of others without thinking twice; blissfully unaware of the level of courage they exemplify”

On 1 April, the new moon in Aries invites us to evaluate the aspects of our lives that we need to begin taking an active role in. The places where we need to shift from the back seat to the driver’s seat with our foot pushed firmly on the gas. New moons are about starting over, and carving out space for rituals and patterns we want to integrate into our daily lives.

At the same time, there’s a gentle push and pull between the lingering watery influence of Pisces energy in the sky as Venus floats into their waters on 5 April, and Mars follows on 14 April. These celestial bodies are embracing a more subdued appraoch to romance and sex; lust and war. They keep us tender while we feel the burn of Aries’ energy blazing through us.

Taurus season begins on 19 April and provides us with a moment to collect our thoughts after the buzz of Aries season. As the sun soaks slower, steady vibes into the emerging summer in the northern hemisphere, lean back into the aspects of life that centre sensuality. Absorb your environment with intention.

We then round off April with a bang and crash of surprising events when the solar eclipse in Taurus occurs on 30 April. This eclipse happens in the same position as spontaneous (and often erratic) Uranus as well; infusing an already chaotic lunar event with even more unpredictability. Expect the unexpected, and keep your grounding techniques at the ready.

Remember that eclipses aren’t the time for manifesting or trying to control your path — they’re about surrender and holding your own as life happens to you. Keep this in mind as the Taurus energy of this lunation will rub up against our abilities to release control and challenge our need for consistency.

Question to ask yourself in April:

What has helped you become resilient, and what allows you to sustain resilience?
How do you handle your own reactiveness?
What ways do you want to be more assertive, creative, and bold?
What’s the most courageous thing you’ve ever done?
Do you fear the power of love?

Aries & Aries Rising

Happy solar return, Aries. What do you rest your construction of self on? There’s a distinct shedding that happens in your relationships this April.

You’re continually put in a position where the option to stop defining yourself in relation to the people you have to frequently interact with is available to you. Are you willing to accept it? Authenticity and authorship is yours to write and rewrite. Take your epiphanies seriously, and salvage only what reinforces you feeling whole.

Taurus & Taurus Rising

Is your body chasing your mind, or mind chasing your body? April instils a restlessness into your sky, and it’s hard to run away from. What techniques do you use to maintain your steady tempo amidst a loud echo chamber?

Protecting your peace is a nuanced task, and this month, it requires a refresher with some of your more spiritually grounding practices. Let rituals guide you, music support you, and don’t stop paying attention to what your physical body is asking for.

Gemini & Gemini Rising

April is a socially exciting time for you, Gemini. The bustle of fiery, adventurous thoughts stimulates the theories that have been laying latent in your head; reigniting the conversations surrounding community and ethos that you didn’t have time or energy for last month. Who are your main interlocutors?

Practise what it means to balance your conversations between deep debate, and playful exploration. When things get heated between you and a peer or lover, use your favourite diffusion techniques to keep the vibe productive and amicable (at least)!

Cancer & Cancer Rising

Do you stop yourself from ‘going for it’ for fear of failure or critique? Stepping into a leadership role isn’t natural to your sensibilities in a group or community, but this has no bearing on whether or not you’d be perfect for that role!

This April, you’re called into the spotlight, Cancer. It’s time to come out of your shell and raise your claws in excitement; pointing your peers in the right direction. Draw on wisdom you’ve accumulated over the years and dare to share it with others. People want to hear (and learn from) your story.

Leo & Leo Rising

You might not know where you’re going this April, but you’re going there with confidence, dear Leo! Your wanderlust is fired up and pushes you towards horizons that are obscure, yet stimulate a specific type of intrigue you’re keen to satisfy.

Are you seeking chances to be a student, or teacher? Be sure that your ethical sensitivities are turned on before you cross any border. Your good intentions and determination might not translate to the places you transit through if you haven’t done your research first.

Virgo & Virgo Rising

You’re no stranger to playing the long game, Virgo. When you invest energy into something (or someone) you know that the most satisfying results don’t always come immediately. This April, the fruits of your labour are ripe from seeds you sowed last year.

When you’re presented with the truth of how your contributions to a relationship or cause have unfolded, be wary of an imposter lens that will try to creep into your vision. If the final result doesn’t bring you joy, it’s okay to burn it down and start again. Embrace your own timescale.

Libra & Libra Rising

Being told you’re wrong is never a nice feeling, Libra. When you experience upset or anger towards a partner or lover, how does that pain manifest differently than if someone else were to contest your narrative?

Relationship boundaries and ultimatums surface for you in the month of April; especially in the realms of communication that matter to you most. While you’re a sensitive soul, you also are always keen to understand someone’s whole story. Don’t be self-conscious of the desire you may have to over communicate. Take an active role in working towards mutual understanding.

Scorpio & Scorpio Rising

April is like synesthesia, my Scorpio. Everything is turned on loud, and you can feel it all in your body.

Your challenge is to remember what your most successful routines look and feel like while still indulging your desire to get swept away in the riptides. Perhaps you’re ready to go head-down and hustle through a creative project you’ve finally found motivation for? Or establish a consistency in your relationship? Be obsessive, but self-aware of the toxic tendencies that could create.

Sagittarius & Sagittarius Rising

You’re reaching peak levels of mischievous, sexy behaviour this month, Sagittarius. Whose buttons are you pushing, and what are the reactions you’re looking for?

Your desire to coax people out of their ‘boring’ normal thoughts manifests in playful ways. Just remember to stay wary of their boundaries when it comes to those edgy topics. Getting someone out of their comfort zone often requires discomfort on their part, and consent is key. No one wants a play-partner who isn’t in the mood to be teased!

Capricorn & Capricorn Rising

What life circumstances have caused your chosen family to form? April is a deep moment for you, Capricorn. It carries you into realities about who your most trusted comrades are, and what makes you feel safe in a space and relationship.

Invest energy into your closest this month. Your already strong boundaries are ready to be reinforced with people who haven’t shown you they’d show up in a meaningful way when you call on them. Carry them home with you.

Aquarius & Aquarius Rising

New friendships emerge around every corner in April this month, Aquarius. Is it exciting or overwhelming? Perhaps it’s both, but the most important energy to embrace amidst it all is one of openness.

When you enter a new dynamic with someone, your ideas and values quite naturally become challenged. Use these fresh bonds as a chance to practise learning new information, and staying accepting of what the reality of others is.

Pisces & Pisces Rising

Your relationship to the material rapidly changes as April progresses, dear Pisces. Can you keep up with your own evolving taste and desire for physical objects?

As the tempo of cosmic energies picks up, hold onto talismans and amulets for protection and steadiness. Explore the value of embracing someone, or something when you feel the world spinning around you. Whether it’s your softest pillow or the smooth surface of a boulder in the forest, learn to self-soothe.