EMERGING FROM THE NEPTUNIAN FOG

We've been discussing how we won't fully hit our stride until the end of April. Until then, we're navigating a murky, watery Neptunian fog. As planets move from Pisces into Aries, they must encounter Neptune, which sits at the zero point of Aries like a checkpoint. This meeting asks us to go deeper, to sit with the unknown, and to examine where we might be falling into illusion or not being truly honest with ourselves.

NEPTUNE THRESHOLD

This week begins with Neptunian influence as we integrate what surfaced with the Full Moon in Libra. Both Venus and Mercury are now direct, but they remain in Pisces until April 16th when Mercury enters Aries. We're covering familiar ground, though it might look different this time around. The hazy, foggy feeling persists—things may not be forming or taking shape as you'd hoped.

We're still in a period of anticipation, waiting for what's to be birthed as we move into May, June, and July when things really pick up speed (before slowing again toward the end of summer and early fall). This is the natural dance of life. contraction and expansion, forward and backward movement. Our journey isn't linear, and we must remember the importance of integration.

The first few days of this week give us space to integrate, observe, and pay attention. After an intense month, we're landing on the other side and will begin to gain momentum. Things will start to sprout and take shape, but we remain in this shadowy Neptunian fog, resting and integrating from all the transformation that's taken place.

FIRE IN THE SKY

This week is significant because both Mercury and Mars enter fire signs, moving from water to fire. Neither planet particularly enjoys being in water signs, where they feel confused, muted, and muffled. like trying to speak or move underwater.

Key transitions this week:

April 16th: Mercury enters Aries, immediately conjoining Neptune at 0° Aries

April 18th: Mars enters Leo

April 19th: The Sun enters Taurus

We have a small flame beginning to build, but the wood might still be wet and steamy. The heat is building, and there will be fire. we just need to be patient.

TAURUS SEASON

The Sun's move into Taurus on April 19th brings a welcome shift. Taurus season is one of the most beautiful times of year. Venus embodied and integrated on the physical plane. It feels grounding, solid, firm, safe, and dependable.

Taurus is a somatic sign connected to the earth, the material plane, the body, and our senses. It's about feeling and experiencing the world through stability, dependability, structure, and consistency. These qualities can be deeply resourcing for our physical bodies.

While our consciousness is airy. limitless, expansive, and boundaryless. we still inhabit physical bodies with nervous systems that crave containment, orientation, and security. The balance is to tend to the physical so that our consciousness can reach beyond it.

What I've noticed in my somatic work is that we expand more rapidly when we tend to the physical—when we're able to be with our experiences and emotions, create resourcing and regulating spaces, and nourish ourselves with supportive content and materials. When we do this, we grow, expand, and move beyond previous limitations.

Taurus season invites us to ground, to root, to tend to our physical vessels, and to welcome nourishment and resources that truly align with what our bodies and hearts desire. It's supportive to slow down, to be present, to ask questions, and to let your body speak to you. It's amazing what comes through when our systems feel safe—safe to open, expand, uncoil, and receive.

MERCURY IN ARIES

On April 16th, Mercury enters Aries. As the messenger, Mercury governs communication, thoughts, and ideas. Its retrograde began on March 15th at 9° Aries, moved back to 26° Pisces, and went direct on April 7th. Now, as it moves through its shadow, it finally returns to the fire of Aries.

Mercury in Aries is direct and straightforward. clarity becomes kindness. It seeks resolution, directness, and clearing the air with passion and assertiveness. However, in its shadow, it can become reactive, overly confrontational, impulsive, or aggressive, potentially getting too heated.

With Mercury conjoining Neptune at 0° Aries on the 17th, we might encounter some "steam" conflicts or confusing conversations where clarity remains elusive. As Mercury was retrograding in Pisces, it was difficult to discern what was real, especially with Venus also retrograde there. We've been diving deep, sorting through our internal experiences, and noticing when we're overthinking or living in illusion.

As Mercury moves into Aries, clarity may not come immediately because of Neptune's influence. However, we'll start to see glimmers of understanding. It's still not an ideal time for big decisions, signing contracts, or jumping into commitments without thorough consideration.

This Mercury-Neptune conjunction gives us a glimpse into what we can expect over the next few years. What happens when we mix impulsivity with misinformation? This is a time for clarity and crystallization, and you might receive important realizations and revelations this week. Pay attention to your dreams and to what's beneath the surface. the subtle hints from the universe might not hit you over the head but rather come as a glimpse, a scent, or something that breezes by.

MARS IN LEO - AWAKENING

On April 18th, Mars enters Leo. Mars has been in its shadow since October 2024. a long haul that's finally nearing its end. Things that have felt stagnant, blocked, or slow will begin to emerge and wake from their slumber. You might feel the wheels starting to turn as Mars moves from Cancer, where it's been since January, into the fire of Leo.

Mars doesn't fully exit its shadow until May 2nd. It began its retrograde journey in December 2024 at 6° Leo. Look at where you have 17° Cancer to 6° Leo in your chart. this is where you might have felt blocked, stagnant, or frustrated.

The beginning of this year has been intentionally slow, designed to bring up our frustrations and test how we respond when things don't go our way. The Mars retrograde journey through Cancer and Leo has been about dealing with pivots and reroutes beyond our control. It's also been a powerful time to rewire our heart space, tending to the heart walls and blocks that keep us from giving and receiving love.

HEART WALLS VS. BOUNDARIES

Mars in Cancer has forced us inward to reckon with what we avoid feeling when moving quickly through life. It's compelled us to acknowledge what our hearts are asking us to witness. grief, anger, resentment, fear. all that needs to be tended to, felt, and integrated.

Life has literally slowed down for six months since Mars entered its shadow in early October, giving us time to examine where we avoid feeling and connection. This transit has brought attention to our heart walls. calcified layers that protect us when we need extra safety but didn't receive it, often in childhood.

These heart walls become impenetrable, preventing us from giving and receiving love fully. They create patterns of loneliness, grief, regret, and attracting emotionally unavailable people. Heart walls dissolve when we create safety within ourselves to tend to stored emotions and old grief.

Present emotional triggers often resonate with old, unprocessed emotions. This is why we avoid feeling things in the present. subconsciously, we know it will activate not just current feelings but all the times we've felt similar emotions but couldn't fully process them.

It's important to distinguish between boundaries and heart walls. Boundaries are essential for healthy relationships, creating safety and security. But in our modern world, boundary work can be misunderstood:

Walls are impenetrable, often activated by our internal heart walls and fear of feeling. They come from avoidance and don't allow for transformation.

Boundaries come from self-worth, higher knowing, and self-respect. They allow for connection while restructuring dynamics. Boundaries are set out of love—for yourself and the other person.

A key difference: boundaries allow you to still love someone even if you need to limit contact. Walls originate from wounds and can prevent growth. When you notice yourself walling up, it's valuable to examine what's being activated within you and tend to that part of yourself.

MOVING FORWARD WITH COURAGE

As Mars moves further into Leo and out of its shadow on May 2nd, we'll be challenged to take risks and move from the heart. Use these final weeks of this transit to examine where you hold fear in your heart, where you're afraid to love, and where you avoid moving beyond your comfort zone.

Leo represents healthy ego and identity, but in its shadow, it can become exaggerated. Ask yourself: Are you truly moving from the heart, or from a wound? This inner examination ensures that the path you're on is truly the path of the heart.

Tune into the latest episode of my podcast, soul archaeology for a full energetic download. available on all platforms.