First Quarter Moon, 12 Cancer 59, April 2, 10:34 am EDT
The "crisis of action" phase has arrived, and with it (on April 4) the retrograde station of Pluto in the 3rd degree of Capricorn. Pluto's transformative energy has been prominently seen in world world events since its entrance into Capricorn, the sign most associated with big business and government. Stations, either direct or retrograde, often reflect intensified events in whatever may be the general theme of the sign the planet is transiting. If you have personal planets in the early degrees of Capricorn, Cancer, Aries or Libra, you are likely already very aware of what in your life is undergoing transformation during this Pluto transit.

Moon in Cancer suggests that part of the action for all of us durng this phase needs to be some house cleaning, or work-space cleaning, as the case may be. Clear away all the clutter that isn't pertinent to your primary goal. Improve your ability to move forward with tomorrow's Leo Moon fire. Energy flows on Friday, so take advantage of it. Resistance may be felt on the weekend, with Pluto turning retrograde, and Mars opposing Saturn. Sunday is not a day to push, so be a little easy then, on yourself and others.

Gibbous Moon, 1 Virgo 23, April 5 at 10:34 am EDT
Monday again, with work to be done. Virgo energy can help. Make a list, pay attention to details and maintain focus. This is the time within this cycle when a significant part our New Moon goal can be within reach and realized during this steadily waxing phase toward the mid-week Full Moon.

Full Moon, 19 Libra 53, April 9 at 10:56 am EDT
This Full Moon, the first after Spring Equinox, is therefore Passover. Easter Sunday is always timed as the first Sunday after the first Full Moon after Spring Equinox. For many, then, the days from now through the weekend will involve family activities, both fun with the Easter Bunny, and in spiritual ceremonies of the season that are in their core symbolism quite similar in theme to the Pagan celebraton of Spring Equinox itself, called by various Goddess names such as Ostara or Eostar. These names rather obviously are root to the name Easter. They all refer to the eastern rising of the waxing light of Earth's very special star, our Sun.

At this time of year, when the forest of trees that surround where I live still have bare branches, I can stand in the center of my stone circle garden and see the Sun rise over the tall east stone. It's good to have a physical point of reference for observaton of our changing sky. Sky and Earth proclaim the resurrection of life...and after the longest and toughest winter in most people's memory, we in the New England states are especially celebrating all visible signs of Spring!

When I left for my visit to San Diego a little over a week ago, my stone circle garden was still so covered with snow that one could not even see where the center stone fire pit was. There's still snow out there, but at least now enough of it has melted into the ground so the fire pit is now visible again, as are several fairly large patches of ground. Today I poked around in the wet leaves and found my crocus and and other bulb plants sprouting. Yeah!!

Ritual for Full Moon in Libra
Full Moon is a time to view results from the initiatives begun in the past, at the most recent New Moon, perhaps. Long term goals, of course, may take many Moons to achieve, but there are many stages within any process that can include both small successes or minor setbacks. Full Moon is a time to celebrate what has been achieved, and also to evaluate progress toward a longer term goal and set our intent for how we'll continue forward on it. But, at the same time as we aim for an ultimate goal, we all have other obligations and needs in life that can't be ignored, but do consume energy. Somehow we have to achieve a workable balance.

Libra's symbol is the Scales of Balance. Let's "weigh" the state of our lives and goal to see the state of our balance. When we are in balance, life tends to flow quite easily. When we're out of balance, things feel difficult. Each of us, if we're honest with ourselves, can identify some area of life that could benefit from better balance. Examples of potential opposites that need balance in order to be fair to both are how we share life with a significant other, or in how we manage our various obligations of work and personal life, or in how we reconcile our desires/wishes with what is appropriate and possible.

This ritual can be a solitary meditation or it could be part of a group ritual among trusted friends in which each person may benefit from the observations of others. Work with small tokens or notes on little paper squares to represent each of the various aspects of what, in your life, needs better balance. If you can find an actual balance scales to use, that would be great. But this process can also work by just creating two areas with two fabric scraps or cardboard onto which you can place your tokens or notes. Honesty with self (or perhaps nudged by friends within a group ritual) ought to make it obvious which of your two opposing areas needs more or less "weight" to balance with the other. Gather your tools, play some background music to assist meditative focus, create sacred space and begin. The object will be to name, then sort and weigh until you feel within that you've achieved a more workable balance.

Conclude by anointing, blessing and lighting a light blue candle, as you resolve to act on the insights you've received from the balancing rite. If with a group, you could pass the candle from one to the other, as each states his or her intents toward achieving balance. State your intent with these words, or those of your own:

As I gaze at this candle light, I focus on true balance within, knowing that as I find it within myself, my energy flows outward for greater balance in my world, for...

As above, so below; as within, so without
As the Universe, so the soul!

Place the candle in a metal holder in a very safe place (such as fireplace hearth or center of a shower stall, and allow it to burn all the way down.

Disseminating Moon, 8 Sagittarius 39, April 13 at 6:53 am EDT
With Moon in fiery Sag square Saturn today and then squaring both Mars and Uranus tomorrow, and then Mars conjunct Uranus on the 15th, this phase may be a test. Can you maintain your Full Moon balance through this phase that calls for demonstrating what you've learned and achieved? Yes you can! Focus. Mars-Uranus energy can be tense, impulsive, rebellious, but it can also reflect innovative creative work. Take charge of how YOU will express the energy...and err on the side of caution and consideration if tempted to RE-act to someone else's negative expression of it.

Last Quarter Moon, 27 Capricorn 40, April 17 at 9:36 am EDT
Venus, retrograde since March 6, turns direct today. Venus rules the signs & houses associated with relationships and finance, so the retrograde period may have been a time of deep thought on the state of personal relationships for some. Certainly it has been a time when most everyone has been rethinking all kinds of financial matters. This phase is the "crisis of consciousness," an introspective time when we may recognize a need to rethink or revise. If your New Moon goal is a long-term one, then you could benefit from a little "down time" now, to think through how next and best to proceed. Or you may just find you're interrupted by some other obligation that has to be handled. Capricorn calls for practical thinking and actions.

Balsamic Moon, 16 Pisces 34, April 21 at 9:28 pm EDT
Our final phase begins in the last sign of the zodiac—Crone's Moon in Pisces. Rise early just before sunrise and see the beautiful, thin waning crescent in the eastern sky. Invoke the wise Crone Goddess' blessing three times three:

Waning Moon, by three times three
A boon I ask be sent to me
Show me that which is to come
Release what's done, with harm to none
Crone beyond the veil doth see
Watery vision, come to me
As I do will, so shall it be!

Release whatever you perceive you should to the wise Crone Goddess. Raise your arms high and cup your hands loosely around the lovely Crescent and draw down her energy within. Then reach down to your toes, move your hands up over your body as you gather all that you wish to release and then toss it up to the Moon.

Repeat the invocation when you next sleep, now or later tonight, and keep a pad of paper and pen on your bed table, so that you can record the dream Crone Goddess may send you!