gal-dem horoscopes: Aries season shows us that life’s messiness is unavoidable and necessary

When we move forward on a mission, we might have an idea of where we want to go, but the actual logistics of that journey remain untold. There is no way we can ever fathom what the future holds in its total. No matter how much Virgo-esque planning we do and Capricorn meticulousness we contribute to a task, life happens. That’s why Aries is the fast-paced, bounce-back fire sign we all love and need sometimes. Aries energy helps us reject hegemonic structures by taking the (often wild) events that happen to us in stride and focusing on moving through a moment rather than deeping the difficulty they present.

Aries is both action and reaction. Impulse and intuition.

Aries season calls us into forward movement at all costs this year. It asks us to save looking back for Taurus season’s terrain that finds us on 20 April. This is when life will slow, retrogrades will return, and there’s space for us to settle into the sun’s warm rays. However, in this moment, we’re meant to make clunky, blunted statements about ideas we might not know enough about and mistake our way through increasing social interactions with each other.

This April I want you to remember that the cornerstone of most great stories is an unexpected twist we’re all waiting for. A moment where we’re enthralled in what our narrator is telling us because it makes the shapes of something we couldn’t fathom on our own. Every twist in a story is Aries energy jumping out at us and exciting the naive child within that wants the best bedtime story possible.

With this in mind, here are my thoughts for each sign this April!

HOROSCOPES

Aries & Aries Rising

Happy solar return, Aries! April is bringing you the space you need in order to find yourself again. Self-expression is a non-negotiable and your sense of aesthetics are on point.

Your month begins with Mercury moving from the watery depths of the neighbouring Pisces into your sign. As this planet of communication enters a zone of your sky that allows you to speak clearly and from the heart, you’re finally able to articulate some of the more sensitive issues that Pisces season brought to the surface. Be sure to trust your charisma when communicating your perspective to others. The new moon in Aries wipes the slate of your sky clean on 11 April with a burst of refreshing energy. Remember that new moons are about emotional transformation and intention setting. This one strikes you at your core and creates space for you to recalibrate your desires for the year ahead. Journal and speak the intention you set into existence!

On 23 April energetic planet Mars moves into the watery depths of Cancer and offsets the intensity of conflict occurring in your familial bonds lately. This is not to say that those conflicts have gone away, but the subdued nature of Cancer’s flow is bringing more of a side-eyeing approach to conflict rather than a head-on battle. The full moon in Scorpio on 27 April exposes some secrets that you’ve been holding onto for a long time now. You owe it to yourself (and maybe some of the people around you) to release them and create space for new life-defining experiences. Naming what hurt you can be scary, but bearing a heavy burden can wear away at you without you realising it.

Taurus & Taurus Rising

April is your incubation period, Taurus. Are you ready to put your head down and do some inner work?

The Aries new moon on 11 April occurs in a zone of your sky that translates to a deep sense of exhaustion, dear Taurus. Be sure not to push yourself to socialise beyond what you have capacity for. Focus on the type of renewal you seek in your spiritual world and bodily form. Hold space for your own rest and respite above all else, and stay conscious of your boundaries.

A few days later on 14 April, your ruling planet Venus moves into your sign and fills your life with a renewed connection to pleasure and appreciation for aesthetics. Use this cosmic boost to improve matters related to any big fiscal decisions you need to make (especially before Mercury retrograde occurs next month). It also might be time to buy yourself a new tracksuit and a haircut! Venus loves being in your sign, so your decadent side is ready to show.

The sun moves into Taurus on 20 April and marks the beginning of Taurus season! Following close behind is communication planet Mercury, who makes its transition into Taurus on the same day. This brings a flood of energy into a zone of your sky that rules selfhood and your awareness of your physical presence. Be honest about who you are not only with yourself, but in the way you narrate your story to people you meet, too. The full moon in Scorpio on 27 April occurs in a zone of your sky that focuses on relationships and the roles you play in partnerships. This is a great time to either solidify or release a romantic relationship from your life! Full moons bring endings and celebration, and Scorpio energy is an “all or nothing” vibe, so don’t compromise on a wishy washy solution when there’s a clear answer in front of you.

Gemini & Gemini Rising

April is full of distractions in the best way possible, Gemini. Ready to move quickly through your networks of peers and friends?

Mercury follows the sun into ever-intense Aries on 3 April, and sets a spicy tone to your month by activating your already social nature! Expect your urge to blow up people’s phone’s to skyrocket, as well as a need for transformative talks about the future. Enter these conversations with confidence; just be weary of speaking over your comrades!

The Aries new moon occurs about a week later on 11 April and joins the party of planets collecting in this zone of your sky. The energy of this new moon is a visionary, optimistic one. Hold this as a way to broaden your dreams and expand the range of what your future aspirations are. This is a great time to ask the universe for nearly anything! Be unabashed and bold when dreaming up what you imagine your future to be.

Taurus season begins on 20 April, marking the movement of the sun into this steadfast earth sign. On the same day, communication planet Mercury makes its move into Taurus too! For you, Gemini this means that your usual chatty nature is going to be shrouded in mystic vibes and slow, intense energy. Don’t freak out if you can’t move your wit at the usual rapid pace that you like to. Rather, embrace hearing what other people have to say for a change. Let them finish your sentences if you can bear it! The full moon in Scorpio lights up a work oriented zone of your sky on 27 April; bringing you some serious business to attend to! Watch out for an opportunity that could be coming your way, or a shift to occur in the way you work on a daily basis! Scheduling is also interwoven into the theme of this moon, so pay attention to how you’re spending your time.

Cancer & Cancer Rising

Aries season is plunging you into the spotlight, Cancer. What are you keen to be noticed for?

On 11 April, the new moon in Aries darkens a career oriented zone of your sky; asking you to make some serious choices when it comes to your work life and reputation within it. Questions of visibility arise, as well as how you contribute to the network of peers in similar fields. Let this be a moment for you to reflect and reconsider what you want to swim forward in, and how. A few days later on 14 April, Venus, planet of aesthetics and where we place value, makes a move into earth sign Taurus. For you, this means that you’re ready to inject a huge dose of love into your community. Your social batteries get activated in a very dinner party-esque way. Embrace extending care to others in a way that feels comfortable and easy to you. Everyone loves it when you organise the cookout anyway!

23 April brings an exciting energetic moment for you to relish – Mars enters your sign! Mars is a planet of action and power, so with it now moving through your zone of selfhood and individuality, you’re ready to let people know exactly who you are. When in doubt, channel this through investing in yourself. The full moon in Scorpio occurs on 27 April in a zone of your sky that rules your creative energy! Full moons are a time for celebration and letting things come to their completion, so channel this cosmic power into artistic projects that you have underway. It’s a great moment to launch something forward into the world where you’ve taken an unconventional, authentic approach.

Leo & Leo Rising

New knowledge is coming your way this Aries season, Leo. Are you keeping yourself open enough to hear it?

Learning new information is innately an act of confessing what you don’t already know, Leo. The new moon in Aries on 11 April is the first new moon of the astrological new year, and a prime moment for you to embrace change. To accept new realities and figure out what ethical path you’re choosing to walk down simply by way of your daily choices. Keep your mind and heart open to hearing others out during this time. There’s something to be said for exploring ways of living you’ve never considered before.Taurus season begins on 20 April, marking the day when the sun enters this steadfast earth sign. On the same day, communication planet Mercury makes a move into Taurus as well! This activates a zone of your sky that rules your career and public facing life, and encourages you to get things moving in that sector. Take some new press shots, and hype people up to the projects you have underway.

A few days later on 23 April marks Mars’s movement into water sign Cancer, where your anger gets expressed in a much more indirect way. Watch out for an inclination to subdue your feelings too much though; dishonesty about how you’re feeling isn’t sustainable! Sacrificing expressing yourself doesn’t make you a martyr. The full moon in Scorpio on 27 April brings you a moment where you’re meant to embrace quiet and seek spaces where you feel a solid sense of belonging. This is a deep, ancestral moon for you where it’s essential to save your energy for people in your life who occupy an intimate role. There’s a good chance that someone close to you is ready to make their exit from your life/this world generally, too. Don’t fight them on their way out.

Virgo & Virgo Rising

Aries season is asking you to cut ties with what no longer serves you, Virgo. Are you ready to let go?

The heaviness of the Aries new moon on 11 April sets a serious tone to your month, Virgo. This lunation activates a cycle of death and rebirth in some of your long-standing relationships; especially ones where financial ties are involved. Remember that falling out with someone and/or breaking up isn’t you ‘failing’, it’s often a reflection of your transitional journey forward. While your earth sign nature might be to persevere through something, there’s value in knowing when to let go. Just a few days later, on 14 April, loving Venus moves into fellow earth sign Taurus. Venus is happy as it moves through the steady terrain of Taurus energy and helps you to open your mind to new types of love (both romantic and platonic). This is also the type of energy that helps you start a new hobby or passion! Dig into the research-oriented part of your life and figure out what stimulates your mind at the moment.

The sun transitions from Aries to Taurus on 20 April, marking the beginning of Taurus season! On the same day, the communication planet Mercury moves into Taurus as well. This influx of earthy energy into your ninth house of cross-cultural learning and embracing new ethics helps you to embrace new perspectives being presented to you by your political peers. Then, the Scorpio full moon finds you on 27 April ready to cultivate new relationships in your local network! This is your queue to clear out your inbox and respond to everyone you’ve left hanging through your more hermit-like tendencies. Full moons are a moment for celebration, reflection, and completion. Use this moment to share what you’ve been up to with your mates, too. They’re keen to hear what you’ve been up to.

Libra & Libra Rising

April wants you to take a magnifying glass to your relationships, Libra. Are you ready to let yourself dig into the details of your partners and friendships?

The new moon in Aries on 11 April falls in a relationship-focused zone of your sky, dear Libra. This day becomes a reality check for you. A moment of self-awareness that you’ve needed for a while that helps you evaluate the flow in your partnerships and friendships. How has your circle of friends evolved in the last six months? How has your definition of what being a friend means evolved with it? Remember that new moons help you make space to welcome in a more intentionally calibrated version of the themes it surrounds. A few days later on 14 April, your ruling planet Venus moves into a zone of your sky that helps you solidify and deepen the bonds that you know you cherish. Venus loves flippant flings, but in the serious terrain of Taurus energy, this cosmic moment for you is about consistency and who you show up for (as well as who shows up for you!). Keep asking yourself who would return the favours do for them, and what the root of your relationships are.

The 20 April marks the beginning of Taurus season; when the sun enters a new sign and the tone shifts from exuberant Aries energy and into a more mellow and warm tone. This is a slow, pensive vibe that gives you space to turn a situation and/or idea over in your hand many times until you feel it out. On that same day, communication planet Mercury moves into Taurus as well, and helps you speak from a wise, ancestral place. The full moon in Scorpio illuminates your sky on 27 April and brings with it an important moment for you financially. There’s a serious tone to this lunation that’s decisive and cut-throat. It translates well into some money matters you’re handling at the moment, so trust your ability to know what you need and how it needs to happen. Remember that to get others to value your time and outputs, you have to value them first!

Scorpio & Scorpio Rising

Your body is more than just a vessel to connect you to the physical world, Scorpio. Are you ready to treat it with heightened care?

The new moon in Aries on 11 April helps you activate senses that your workrate has made you place on the backburner, Scorpio. It’s a lunation that asks you to think about your physical form, how it connects to your mind, then to find new ways of linking the two! Physical stagnance often leads to mental stagnance as well, so move into a new routine, even if in doing so you only make minute alterations. Then, come 20 April, the sun moves into Taurus at the same time that communication planet Mercury does, too! This brings in Taurus season in a solid force that asks you to put devoted energy into your partnerships and relationships. Be sure you’re communicating calmly and honestly with the ones you love.

23 April brings changes to the pace of your ruling planet! This is when that powerful planet Mars moves into Cancer. Here, Mars’s usual fire is cooled off by the indirect and gentle energy of this water sign. This moment becomes a great time for you to explore new ideas for travelling and generally expanding the horizons of your mind by looking into theories and ideas that are completely foreign to you. It’s also a crucial time for you to slow down and scrutinise your actions instead of barreling face-first into them. The full moon in Scorpio on 27 April is a major moment for you as well! This lunation is your full moon. It’s a time for you to interrogate how you define yourself, and what you’re looking to release from the patterns of thought you have, as well as negative self-talk you engage in. Treat it like a mini-new year for your emotional world.

Sagittarius & Sagittarius Rising

Aries season is more than just bursts of impulsive choices for you, Sagittarius. It’s a critical moment in your creative life.

The new moon in Aries finds you on 11 April and brings a creative boost! This takes the form of a fresh perspective on how you incorporate playfulness into your daily life. There’s beauty in not taking life too seriously and this lunation is a reminder to stay in that headspace through the rest of Aries season. Plan a new project that brings you joy (emphasis on the ‘joy’ part). Wander aimlessly to find those artistic strokes and inspiration. A few days later, on 14 April, Venus, planet of aesthetics and what we place value in, moves into a zone of your sky that rules your scheduling and daily routine. Here, Venus wants you to pay closer attention to the physical movements and rituals that construct your day, and then beautify them. Embellish your skincare routine, and treat yourself to some softer towels. Look for little improvements that on the wholescale will transform your whole day.

Taurus season begins on 20 April and brings with it Mercury following close behind! From this day, the sun and communication planet Mercury are both in Taurus’s terrain, bringing even more emphasis to how you maintain your routines and listen to your body! If Venus’s boost didn’t push you to think about them, the sun sure will. The full moon in Scorpio on 27 April is a quiet and pensive one for you, Sag. This lunation brings you deep into the recesses of your thoughts. It’s a space where feelings and urges take shape, but they often can’t be encapsulated through words. Don’t let anyone pressure you to express yourself verbally around this time. Instead, dance, paint, scream, cry and create as a few alternatives. It’s safest to go through this alone, but following your instinct is more important. Try and release any pent up anger around this time, too!

Capricorn & Capricorn Rising

Home is more than where you live, Capricorn. Aries season is pushing the boundaries of how you cultivate safety and care around you.

The new moon in Aries darkens a zone of your sky that relates to family matters and ancestral rooting on 11 April. This cosmic moment is serious and sentimental; intense yet transformative. This is a time for you to take a serious look at who and what your family is composed of, and make adjustments to how you relate to them. Remember that family always includes people you choose to love and cherish, too. A few days later on 14 April, Venus moves into fellow earth sign Taurus and brings a boost of creative energy into your sky! This is a great time to start new artistic endeavours. Build yourself the perfect playlist to bop around the house to or start a fresh sketchbook. Venus thrives when moving through Taurus, and this blessed moment could also help you bring in new romantic love if you’re looking for it! Just be wary of being too judgemental off the cuff.

The 23 April brings action-planet Mars’s movement into water sign Cancer. This adds a sentimental boost to your zone of relationships and partnerships, which is perfect for having some emotional moments with your besties/lovers. Don’t be afraid to get a bit sappy with how your heart-to-hearts go down, but more importantly, don’t avoid eye contact during sex! The full moon in Scorpio illuminates your zone of dreams for the future and community on 27 April. This lunation is a time for you to celebrate the comrades you’re surrounded by, and extend support to the people around you who are going through it. Just remember not to try and help everyone at once! Hone in on situations and folks where you can do your best to show up properly and be a solid support.

Aquarius & Aquarius Rising

There are times to speak, and times to listen. You often fall on the listening side, but Aries season is your moment to let people know what’s happening in your head, Aquarius.

The new moon in Aries blazes into your sky on 11 April and brings with it a type of mental stimulation that you’ve been craving for a while now, Aquarius! This dizzying energy has your mind moving a mile a minute. It’s great for conversations with friends and siblings, but also tests the limits of your social batteries. Make sure you’re doing soothing activities alongside the deep chats and transformative talks. Articulate new ideas in both written and verbal forms as well. A few days later on 14 April, Venus, planet of romance and artistic value, moves into a zone of your sky that focuses on ancestral rooting and family matters. This is an important moment to express love and care for the people you consider family in practical ways. Cooking for them, or helping them with banal tasks is a great example of this, and doesn’t involve you having to dig too far into verbal affirmation territory (although if you want to – go for it of course).

The 23 April marks Mars’s move into water sign Cancer! Mars is most at home in places where it can express its fiery, fast ways, so in Cancer, life starts to get slower and more intentional. Taurus season will have begun, too, so expect a more home-loving vibe to settle in. Try not to beat yourself up if you notice your work rate changing pace around this time. The full moon in Scorpio illuminates your sky on 27 April and brings you to an important moment in your career and public life! This lunation encourages you to show the world what you’ve been working on behind the scenes, and take some credit for your hard work. Your natural inclination to stay away from the spotlight isn’t going to cut it with this energy in your sky; just make sure you’re taking up that space for the right reasons to assuage your resistance towards cultivating ego-oriented activities.

Pisces & Pisces Rising

The way you value yourself and your time influences how other people value it too, Pisces. Aries season wants you to put facts and figures behind your outputs.

The new moon in fiery Aries on 11 April finds you asking yourself some important questions surrounding ethics and value. The monetary motives you have and ethos you uphold in your actions might be in conflict with one another, and it’s pushing you to problem solve in new ways! As you reflect on what it is that you truly seek in this lifetime, remember to connect it back to the physical resources you need to make it happen. Set intentions around material items you wish to manifest in the near future, too. A few days later on 14 April, Venus makes a move into steadfast Taurus and activates a zone of your sky that seeks connection and care amongst your friendships. It’s also a lush moment for learning some new skills! Let this gentle yet social vibe guide you into new social settings based around mutual loves of learning and sharing knowledge.

23 April brings action planet Mars’s move into fellow water sign Cancer – right where your zone of creativity lies! This movement activates an escapist moment for you to retreat into the studio and make the weirdest art possible. Don’t deny yourself access to creative resources during this time. If you get the urge to paint – just do it. The full moon in Scorpio finds you a few days later on 27 April ready to explore, investigate and unlearn lots of normative ways of living/being that you’ve been socialised to priorities! This is death and rebirth energy. Plan an escape for yourself; even if it’s just a weekend away six months from now. Surround yourself with people you can have esoteric chats around and question everything with.

Learn more about gal-dem’s monthly horoscopes