April
Keep calm and carrion
I can tell you’re all absolutely chomping at the bit of more fire, more speed, more action, more things on fire in the sky. So without further ado: here comes a brand new month, and with it an Easter themed (sort of) AstroTerica newsletter!
This week we’ve got a New Sphinx(?!) Fireballs in the Sky, Orbs, Lady-watch, Mystical Ravens, NASA’s April Fool, Saturn x Pluto the cosmic grumpy old men about to piss on our collective chips, AND… a massive pile up in Aries.
But first up [deep breath] a lovely, big, pink, full, Libra Moon, currently waxing to the max as we tread gingerly into the territory we commonly referred to as…
…April.
Tomorrow, a Full ‘Pink’ Moon in Libra will illuminate the night sky.
It falls on the 1st or 2nd (depending on your time zone) at 12 degrees of Libra within 1 degree of fixed star Algorab – the ‘wing of the raven’. Algorab lies in the Corvus constellation situated between 10 and 17 degrees of Libra.
What’s it all about?
This lunation invites us to deal with any outstanding Libran matters concerning balance, harmony, and partnership. So we might well find ourselves reaching a culmination point in terms of personal relationships, or having to confront the need to find equilibrium in the archetypal Libran struggle of ‘Me vs We’.
Can we balance our needs and those of others?
Librans, I’m talking to you. If you’re still in your people pleasing era – or you’ve been sweeping off-kilter relationship habits under the carpet, you might find that the light of this full moon illuminates the gunk below the surface.
Full moons generally uncork pent up feelings, but if emotions bubble upwards it might be a good time to let everyone know how you’re feeling and put yourself first (for once!)
The moon is conjunct an intriguing celestial data point Algorab - the raven or crow, which as Jamie Partridge, Astrology King explains, has malefic properties: (Oh good.)
It’s a Mars-Saturn star and can indeed show up the more troublesome side of Libra, a variation on the truth when an excuse looks to be safer, but is not always found to be so.
Now, we are probably all familiar with the shadow side of Libra through some key world leaders and nation states making trouble at the moment – and many of us have enountered our own personal ‘Libra Gone Bad’ situ.
Perhaps we should acknowledge that it’s not all peace, love and understanding, and the diplomatic harmony merchant can actually be a right arsehole force to be reckoned with when push comes to shove.
Poor old Algorab the Raven’s story, is that she was sent by Apollo to fetch water for Jupiter (had he run out of water?) but got distracted by a tantalising almost ripe fig tree on the way. (Relatable.) She sat in the tree, waited for the figs to ripen so she could stuff her little beak silly.
Worrying that she’d angered Apollo, Algorab gets her claws into some random snake (Hydra) on the way back, then concocts some tall tale about the snake stopping her from fetching the water in a timely fashion.
Apollo wasn’t having any of it, and what with Jupiter (presumably by now very dehydrated), punished the Raven with the sentence of never being able to tdrink ‘so long as figs were not ripe’. (?)
Plus she got plastered all over the heavens together with a cup and snake in the heavens as a warning to anyone else who might dilly-dally while on an errand for the Gods.
So what can we take from that slightly story, readers? Is it ‘don’t get distracted on your mission’? ‘Keep your eyes on the prize, then go enjoy your figs?’
Or can we infer that this is a signpost to something more literal. Given some of the themes of the current Iran /US conflict – is this April lunation all about water? Or lack of it?
Unfortunately, as Astrology King points out - in mundane astrology, the Corvus constellation relates to terrorism, terrorist attacks, bombings, hostage-taking, military attacks, missiles, assassinations, blockades, and military transport vehicles such as tanks and armoured personnel carriers.
Algorab in particular was highlighted during the 1981 assassination of Egyptian leader, Anwar Sadat, the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center, and the first plane hitting the World Trade Center on September 11th 2001.
A slight correction to the plethora of viral content concerning Twin Towers owner Larry Silverstein who is now the proud owner of the tallest skyscraper in Downtown Los Angeles - he actually bought it back in 2021.
But recent intelligence reports about possible ‘Iranian’ (yeah right) plans to attack US shores, and the fact that Larry now owns real estate on the West Coast too certainly triggers any keen observer’s well worn pattern recognition mechanisms.
Let’s hope Mrs Silverstein hasn’t booked him another dermatologist appointment. (In fact - someone should probably check his diary.)
Saturn x Pluto - OH GOD, WHAT NOW?!
The other big news making astrological headlines is the start of a new plot point in the Saturn-Pluto cycle which kicked off proceedings in January 2020.
These two miserable old buggers have managed to work themselves up into a sextile, which (sorry dear reader) is nowhere near as titillating as it sounds.
The sextile actually became exact last weekend on the 28th March but stays relevant throughout the month of April.
The conjunction in 2020 was defined as the clarion call announcing this long awaited new world order malarkey. Its location in Capricorn promised a re-structuring of society and governanace, on a profound level.
The good news is that sextiles are generally seen as co-operative and fortuitous aspects, at least in personal charts. The jury’s still out on whether this latest installment will mirror or build something more positive out of what is a fairly new cycle.
Saturn - Pluto, what can we expect?
There could be an echo of themes we faced in 2020.
In the UK there was a short-lived but alarming hark back to Covid-era paranoia after a deadly meningitis B outbreak at a nearby University. News media was full of reports featuring images of thousands of local students and school children queueing for antibiotics and vaccines.
It is also possible given the rising costs of fuel and the resultant impact on prices and energy supply, that there could be a return to the energy of lockdowns with state imposed restrictions on travel and utilities. Neptune has just begun its journey in Aries and it represents both oil and pharma.
Perhaps the positive associations of a sextile means that whatever next phase of global governance is thrown at us, we can deal with it better? Resolve it quicker? Perhaps not respond with fear, but with a ‘been here before’ sanguine wisdom? (Idk – just trying to put a positive spin on it!)
Everything in Aries all at once
How are my Aries doing? Anecdotally, my many Aries chums seem to be pretty chipper right now, and indeed what other sign could be this chuffed with having so many celestial bodies all to themselces for the next few weeks?
The planetary conga though Aries this April, consists of (currently) Neptune, Saturn, and the Sun, soon to be joined by Mercury and Mars later in the month. Also, let’s include lovely old Chiron who is making his way in the final degrees of the sign, for some much needed healing salve upon this otherwise inflammatory stellium.
This heightened energy peaks on the 17th April when the new moon decides to join the party. That will make a whopping seven planets (!) clustering round the blazing Aries bbq! And in a Fire Horse year! I’m sure it’s no biggie but perhaps acquaint yourself with the location of all available exits and fire extinguishers, just to be on the safe side.
What does it all mean?
Basically, ‘Action action action!’ and ‘Hold onto your hats’!
If you’ve been feeling stuck, you’re likely going to see things start to move quicker than a ferret up a trouser leg during the month of April.
Even the Algorab tinged vibe of this Libra Full Moon is associated with the Chinese Astrological motif of one of the 28 Lunar Mansions, ‘Zhen’ represented by The Chariot, which fans of the Tarot know means… ‘let’s f***ing go!’
The recent epoch defining Saturn / Neptune conjunction at 0 Aries, the reset point, and the Saturn Pluto Sextile tell us that whatever happens in April means real structural change rather than just the continuation of the shit-show. So, could this be… a good thing?!
Which signs are most affected?
Cardinals – it’s time to bust this Conclave wide open.
Aries - this is all over your natal Sun, so to quote the great McFly (noughties UK boyband) it’s.. ‘All About You’ (naturally). Careful you don’t get so ‘Peak Aries’ you actually turn into Libra.
Libra - it’s all opposing your Sun. And so to quote the great Norman Finkelstein ‘Let’s burn that bridge when we come to it.’ Just kidding! Take it easy, and resist the temptation to lob grenades at all-comers.
Cancer & Capricorn: you might be about to face a major turning points in career / public image (Cancer), and home life (Capricorn) so best of luck with all that! :)
Wherefore art thou, Lady?
If you’re not up to speed with the Chris Bledsoe story, what the heck have you been doing with yourself? You can read my article here, or catch up with him on every podcast out there at the moment.
For all of my seasoned Lady-watchers – we are nearing her anticipated ETA of Easter, and so our eyes naturally turn skywards, and of course, Sphinx-wards.
Here’s an update on anything that might constitute a Lady-worthy event.
It’s Fireball Season!
Appropriately enough, Aries season coincides with FIREBALL SEASON! Did you even know there was such a thing?
NASA says Fireball Season occurs between February and April each year, but 2026 has significantly exceeded the usual amount. (No shit!)
In the past few weeks, there has been a massive surge of flaming lumps of space rock hurtling across the skies – with this footage from a Texas baseball game having gone viral.
Both the US and Europe have seen an unusual surge in fireball events with a huge increase in XXL fireballs – big enough to create sonic booms!
Fireballs of note:
17th March: a 7-ton, 6-foot-wide asteroid exploded over Lake Erie, creating a massive sonic boom heard across the Northeast.
21st March: Houston, a one-ton space rock exploded with the energy of 26 tons of TNT. Part of it crashed through the roof of a residential home in North Houston. Imagine!
22–23 March Actual green fireballs (I’m sorry what now?) were spotted over California, Oregon, and Washington, with some reports reaching as far east as Nevada!
A lot of these originate from the seasonal Lyrid meteor shower, and some of them (the Ohio one) potentially originate from Asteroid Vesta.
In astrology, asteroid Vesta represents the idea of an inner flame – think of it as the little votive candle within.
Vesta evokes the spiritual devotee, and vigilance over one’s spiritual hygiene and dedication.
So, is it any wonder she’s popping off atm?
Given the timing, this is an interesting alignment of divine feminine archetypes, right?!
I mean…not to sound like a cliché-sound-bath-facilitator-hosting-a-womb-healing-circle…
…but with the unhealed Aries-inspired Masculine currently launching hyper-ballistic missiles in every direction in the Middle East, is it any wonder that The Lady, The Mother, The Earth or Vesta, might start to spout off a bit?
It’s Orb Season!
Who am I kidding, it’s always Orb Season. But they do seem to be increasing in number and appearing to just about anyone, not just Chris Bledsoe.
Even Instagram Influencer, Substacker and MAGA’s very own ‘Leni Riefenstahl for the Brainrot generation’, Jessica Reed Kraus aka @houseinhabit, has been spotting them from her home in Laguna Beach, California.
What we can learn from this I’m not sure. But the US government recently purchased what will likely be their disclosure url ‘aliens.gov.’
Other than that, the orbs seem now to be getting wildly indiscriminate in who they appear to. We’ve degenerated from St. Francis of Assisi to a woman famous for sporting a ‘Free Ghislaine Maxwell’ t-shirt.
So my question is……ORBS WHAT YOU PLAYING AT?!!
JK - I’m just annoyed I haven’t seen one yet!
A Second Sphinx
Also I promised you some Sphinx news. Okay well I didn’t, some Italian boffins (and the Lady) did!
But I’m happy to report that there is a bit of a buzz and regeneration of the idea that there may well be a Sphinx Twin, buried somewhere on the Giza Plateau. Hurray!
There’s been a mini media storm brewing in the past few days, after Filippo Biondi’s appearance on the Matt Beall podcast, in which he revealed that they have detected a similar subterranean structure on the plateau - using SAR scanning technology plus his own not yet peer reviewed analytics programme.
It centres on a mound of sand / rubbish which was piled North East of the original Sphinx, after various excavations which has created a definite Sphinxy shaped mound.
According to Biondi - scans show vertical shafts and horizontal passages that mirror those he is claiming to have found under the Great Sphinx.
Why another Sphinx though, you might ask?
The hypothesis of there being a twin, is an old one and is largely inspired by a host of Egyptian art and carvings portraying a duo of Sphinxes, most notably the ‘Dream Stele,’ an ancient tablet located between the paws of the Great Sphinx. The ‘stele’ depicts two sphinxes facing away from each other.
There has long been a debate about whether this points to the Sphinx actually having a sibling, or whether it simply relates to Hermetic / Egyptian concept of duality blah di blah. I. mean … clearly there’s another Sphinx in there somewhere! We’ve just got to start digging.
Researcher Damiano Piras just published a book on the topic, and several possible sites for a second Sphinx have been investigated over the years although no actual digging has been carried out yet.
Trevor Grassi covered this news recently and did a walk through of the area around the mound. It’s located near one of several cemeteries on the plateau which came later, and is positioned next to a group of deep, vertical shafts which do NOT look like the typical burial units used by the Dynastic Egyptians.
This led him to suggest that they could well be air / light vents for an underground structure.
Unless someone starts clearing the sand and garbage blocking this tunnel system and sends cameras (and ideally people) down there, we’re not going to get a definitive answer one way or the other.
It’s all just speculation at the moment, intriguing SAR scans notwithstanding.
Worryingly the Mailonline reported that Biondi and Khafre colleague Armando Mei have actually fallen out over it. This is very sad if true.
This reminds me of the moment in Peter Jackons’s ‘Get Back’ when John turns up to the studio after a dinner with Stones Manager Allen Klein. No disrespect to Yoko, but it always felt to me like this was the key moment when the fracture between Lennon and McCartney became irreparable.
Khafre Project, if you’re reading this - let’s get the band back together. In the spirit. of Easter, come on now lads!
In other news….
We can’t commence April without a bit of foolishness. And that brings me to NASA and the Artemis II mission.
Yup - we’re going (back) to the Moon, people!
Well not exactly back to the Moon. They’re going round it, and then back. Not landing on it, of course. What a silly idea that would be!
But I’m sure it’s all great and that the April 1st launch date is merely a cheeky little NASA Easter Egg. (Shame there’s no 33rd of the month, amirite?!)
Despite our personal opinions of NASA, we wish this plucky band of adventurers well. The mission sounds super interesting, if ‘surviving in space’ is your jam.
The astronauts will conduct a variety of experiments about how the human body and other vital organisms will fare in space during the course of their eleven day mission.
They’ll be carrying out tests on radiation and human tissue (yum), and on things like ‘Yeast in Space’. (All I can hear now is ‘PIGS. IN. SPACE!!)
The mission is set to gather data ahead of the inevitable Musk-led exodus to Mars, which it seems even NASA now realises will be a disaster if they can’t fix up a sandwich once they get there.
So Godspeed, dear Artemis. Have fun and get home safely.
PS - don’t pay too much attention to the dark side of the moon as you slingshot round it, lest you come home with drink problems and mental health issues like Apollo 11.
If you want to get into the Moon-Mad spirit this week; required viewing for all AstroTerica viewers is the series of Moon-themed Why Files episodes, handily compiled in this bumper edition:
If you manage to watch it, let me know what your favourite Moon theory is in the comments below!
What’s in a name?
As astrology nerds we tend to interpret the mythological significance of the classical names bestowed on anything space-related, and Artemis the Huntress interestingly, was the ‘protector’ of young girls.
Which would be ironic if this ‘feel-good’ space-force story was (like the current Iran War) a distraction from the Epstein Files.
Which I’m sure it isn’t.
Have a wonderful Easter break if you’re celebrating.
Let’s check in afterwards and see if The Lady made good on her promise, or if she’s pushed things back to October.
Until next time!
It’s all happening innit!!! Says an Aries woman. Also do you think the original moon landing was faked? I must watch Get Back. Thanks for a highly entertaining run down of April. And yes. Yes I am more chipper. But dear god Jan-March has been BRUTAL X