VIRGO

August 23 through September 22

April 2011

MONTHLY OVERVIEW:
A tidal wave of transformation sweeps through your life in April. For starters, a stunning seven planets will visit Aries, your intimate and intense eighth house. Everything feels extreme, black-and-white, now-or-never. In many ways, this is a good thing, Virgo. You tend to suffer from “analysis paralysis,” and the intensity of this month’s lineup pushes you off the fence and into action. The eighth house rules joint finances, birth, death, marriage, real estate, taxes, and loans—quite a lineup—and you may be dealing with any of these subjects in April. A large financial windfall could land in your lap or a payment could come due, especially near the April 3rd new moon and the April 17th full moon.

Just as you’re forging ahead, two planets slip into retrograde (backward) motion: communicator Mercury (your ruler) and Pluto, which governs the unconscious. Pluto is retrograde in your passionate fifth house from April 9-September 15, making you reexamine the deeper meaning of a romance or a creative project. You might feel like a musician who holes up in a recording studio, pouring every ounce of pain and emotion into that album of a lifetime. The discoveries about yourself are coming fast and furious, and while it may be jarring to take such a close look at your shadow side, you’ll rise like a phoenix when the process is done.

Special note: in April, expansive Jupiter will be opposite restrictive Saturn. We will all feel a push-pull between risk and caution. If you plan to take a leap of faith, make sure you look both ways before diving off the cliff. You may want to wait until Mercury ends its retrograde on April 23rd before implementing any big life changes.

LOVE & ROMANCE:
The emotional pot is being stirred this month, and it’s quite a heady stew. Nearly all the planets visit sectors of your chart related to love, partnership, and intimacy—quite an unusual occurrence. For starters, seven planets visit Aries, your eighth house of intimacy. Traipsing through this intense zone of your chart is expansive Jupiter, surprising Uranus, passionate Mars, communicator Mercury, the Sun, romantic Venus, and the April 3rd new moon. Out of nowhere, Virgos could be engaged, pregnant, in love (or lust), cutting someone off, or all manner of extremes. Relationships of all kinds can reach a make-it-or-break-it point, and if you’re both willing to do the hard work, they can be born anew.

Behind this is a deeper desire for intimacy, and even the stirrings of a sexual revolution. This began last month, when Uranus “the great awakener” began a seven-year transit through Aries. In spite of your sign’s virginal reputation, you’re actually a sensual (and even lusty) earth sign. In fact, you have strong sexual energy that you’re sometimes embarrassed about. Check out Pamela Madsen’s book Shameless, a fascinating memoir of an “ordinary” woman’s foray into the world of sacred intimacy. (Don’t worry—we had no idea what that was before reading the book, either.) Happily married, yet disconnected from any pleasure beyond binge eating, Madsen explored her desires by working with erotic healers. Her journey to integrate this new world into her life as a successful career woman, wife, and mother is eye-opening; her story touches upon the shame so many people feel around voicing their need for intimacy.

Speaking up is essential now in your closest relationships. Neptune, planet of healing and illusions, begins a thirteen-year trek through Pisces on April 4th, which rules your partnership sector. You can swing one of two ways, Virgo. Either you’ll become accommodating to the point of being a martyr (not recommended), or you’ll soften up and allow yourself to receive love and support from your partner. While you naturally enjoy giving, it can also be a way of maintaining control. Single Virgos will want to make more conscious choices in your love life now, too.

It’s essential to have healthy boundaries with people you love. You’re reminded of this while shadowy Pluto is retrograde (backward) in your love sector from April 9-September 15. Old dramas could flare up, along with latent bursts of anger. If you’ve been suppressing your passion and desire, Pluto retrograde pushes you to turn inward and explore. A domineering ex could resurface, so be careful about getting involved with this person, charismatic and sexy though s/he may be. Trying to save a tortured soul with the power of love is like crack cocaine to you, Virgo. No good can come of chasing an unhealthy and fleeting high.

MONEY & CAREER:
F is for funding—as in sponsorships, grants, loans, or big chunks of cashola. It’s time to add a few zeros to the end of your financial goals and start playing the game of wealth, not just paychecks. Seven planets visit Aries this month, your eighth house of joint finance, investments, and property. Do you have a fabulous project in need of some angel investment? Now is the time to write that grant proposal or launch that Kickstarter video to solicit outside financing. The April 3rd Aries new moon is joined by go-getter Mars, lucky Jupiter, communication planet Mercury, and revolutionary Uranus—infusing you with extraordinary chutzpah and positive money karma. As your fellow Virgo Charlie Sheen would say: winning!

A real estate matter may figure into events this April. You could move, buy a second home, sell your place, or begin a renovation. A surprise tax refund could be larger than expected, or an unexpected tax bill could come without warning. If the news is unpleasant, stay positive and know that you can work things out. Be sure that you’ve written off everything possible and scored every possible tax advantage. A good accountant can help. With Mercury retrograde until April 23rd, you may need to go over back taxes or deal with red tape around receipts and expense tracking. Grrr. This is one time you don’t want to cut corners, though—especially because you could be leaving money on the table.

If you’re looking for a career change, the Libra full moon on April 17th could bring job news or a chance to make some extra cash. You’re completing a six-month cycle around your work. Make a dedicated effort to wrap up a project at this date. It’s also a perfect time to release a product you’ve been developing for a while, even if it’s just a “soft launch.”

HEALTH: MIND, BODY & SOUL:
With seven planets in Aries this month, your focus turns decidedly inward. The April 3rd Aries new moon is a great time for a spring detox or a decluttering. Make a dedicated effort to release the past lovingly but permanently. Anything that no longer serves you is just taking up extra space. You may need to say goodbye or to deal with the repercussions of a loss. Focus on renewal and moving forward.

Your health improves when murky Neptune leaves Aquarius from April 4-August 4. Neptune’s been stirring up quite a mind-body connection since 2003, when it first entered Aquarius, ruler of your health and fitness house. While you’ve been forced to get more in tune with you well-being, your sign also has a high tendency to stress. With foggy Neptune here, you may have suffered ailments or flare-ups related to perfectionism, internalized anger, misplaced guilt, body dysmorphia, or being stuck in victim consciousness. Healing from any health breakdowns required you to also make an emotional and mental shift.

The only way you could tap into Neptune’s healing powers over the last seven years was to ask for support. That’s been tough for the average “I’ve got it handled” Virgo. Once you allowed yourself to receive, though, you were probably flooded with generous people willing to offer their services (just as you have to them.) Neptune will make a brief return to Aquarius in August until February 2012, and then it won’t visit again in your lifetime. Prepare in advance by keeping stress levels low and making sure you’ve got a great support system for all areas of your life.

Lucky Days: 6, 16
Money Days: 9, 18
Love Days: 2, 24, 29
Off Days: 14, 27
Filed under: Monthly Horoscopes, Virgo Monthly