Full Moon in Libra April 17, 2011 - Pluto Retrograde April 9 to September 16, 2011 - Neptune in Pisces April 4 to August 4, 2011

Even though this moon is placed to bring light on relationship issues, the sun in Aries will bring the focus back to the self in everyone. While Aries is very self-oriented and assertive, Libra is receptive and focused on relationships. This period can be used to examine the power dynamics in our relationships to bring them more into balance. Libran energy provides more detachment so we can see both sides of an issue, along with a heightened sense of fairness and equality. As Libra is an air sign, communication will also be very important, as well as becoming aware of the spiritual forces that surround and assist us daily.

Pluto is one of the most unpredictable planets. At times, Pluto is a cosmic detective, determined to find the real story; other times Pluto is like an outspoken dinner guest who blurts out secrets and reveals hidden truths about everyone at the table. Pluto's backward shift makes us reflective. When Pluto goes retrograde, it forces us to focus on our own personal shadow sides -- specifically, the unpleasant parts of our personalities that we may not really like. Two big themes that Pluto likes to highlight are power and desire. With Pluto retrograde, we'll have to get honest with ourselves about how much we're motivated by a need for recognition, money and authority. We may have to confront the darker sides behind the reasons for wanting the things we want.

With Neptune moving into Pisces, there is the potential for tremendous spiritual transformation, but also mass delusion such as has never been seen before. The last time Neptune entered Pisces was in February 1848, shortly after its discovery in 1845. 1848 is the year that the gold rush began in California, leading one reporter to complain that everyone in the state was under the spell of gold fever. This kind of fever, or mass hysteria, is emblematic of Neptune in Pisces. Some astrologers are linking the publication of Karl Marx’s Communist Manifesto to Neptune entering Pisces, but we must not forget that Uranus and Pluto were conjunct in Aries during this same period.

This time around, Neptune will be in Pisces until August 4, 2011 when it will retrograde back into Aquarius until February 3, 2012 at which time it will move fully into Pisces and remain there until 2025. The transit of Neptune in Pisces this time around once again (as it did in 1848-1852) coincides with a strong aspect between Uranus and Pluto that inspires revolution and radical change and the destruction of the status quo. The Neptunian influence can cast a spell of delusion and the fever for revolution, or it can inspire us to greater change for all of humanity.

Neptune wants to inspire us to transcend ordinary reality, and its ideal expression is to seek this transcendence through a connection with the divine. As Neptune travels through Pisces we have an opportunity to more easily stretch ourselves beyond the limits of our intuition and conscious awareness. As we stand at the doorway of the Age of Aquarius, this passage of Neptune in Pisces represents a completion of sorts – a final test of our ability to rise above the urge to lose ourselves in unconscious urges and escapist behavior and instead achieve a higher level of conscious awareness in the elevation of our ideals and dreams. Neptune in Pisces offers opportunities for unparalleled creativity and imagination which can combine with the powerful Uranian influence for invention in ways that can create amazing things for the world of the future.

Pisces is said to be the sign of the saint and the sinner, the priest and the addict. It is our choice, as it always is, whether we will take the easy road of sleep and unconsciousness, or remain awake and utilize the powerful energy of change that is coming.