This photo of Neptune was taken on August 31st 1989 around 17:00 UTC by Voyager 2’s narrow angle camera. Source: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Kevin M. Gill
Narrated by Pam Younghans.
Watch video version on InnerSelf.com or watch on YouTube.
Current and previous weeks' astrological overviews
Astrological Overview: April 11 - 17, 2022
Astrologer Pam Younghans writes this weekly astrological journal based on planetary influences, and offers perspectives and insights to assist you in making the best use of current energies. This column is not intended as prediction. Your own experience will be more specifically defined by transits to your personal chart.
Aspects of Note this Week:
All times listed are Pacific Daylight Time. (For Eastern Time, add 3 hours; For Greenwich Mean Time, add 7 hours.)
MON: Saturn square nodal axis
TUE: Mars semisquare Chiron, Jupiter conjunct Neptune, Sun sextile Saturn
WED: Sun semisquare Venus
THU: Sun conjunct Eris, Mars enters Pisces
FRI: Mercury semisquare Neptune, Mercury semisquare Jupiter
SAT: Full Moon 11:55 a.m. PDT
SUN: Mercury sextile Venus, Venus semisquare Pluto, Mercury conjunct Uranus
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JUPITER AND NEPTUNE will align in Pisces this week, for the first time in 166 years. These two planets actually conjoin more often than that, in a different zodiac sign every 12.7 years. But their rendezvous in the sign of The Fishes is significant because both Jupiter and Neptune are considered "rulers" of the twelfth sign; this simply means they have a strong affinity for the qualities of Pisces, and naturally strengthen and amplify those traits.
Anticipation and excitement about this alignment have been building for many weeks, clearly demonstrating the energies of the planets themselves. Neptune represents our capacity to idealize and visualize, as well as our potential to use our spiritual senses and creative imagination. Jupiter, as the largest of the known planets in our solar system, magnifies whatever it touches -- and thus is currently augmenting the high ideals of Neptune and the qualities of Pisces.
THE HIGH-VIBRATIONAL expression of Pisces manifests as a wide array of admirable and desirable traits, especially for those who are spiritual seekers or creative visionaries. Pisces is the sign of transcendence, enabling us to rise above the dramas of physical life through calming the mind and accessing other planes of reality, often through meditation. It is the sign of oneness, selflessness, and unconditional love, helping us feel a deep compassion for all life. It is the sign of intuition, dreams, and the imagination, opening our consciousness to idealistic possibilities. It is the sign that encourages us to go with the flow rather than controlling our lives at every turn. It is the sign that allows us to become so immersed in a creative endeavor that we completely lose track of time.
The Fishes are most at home in the unbounded and vast ocean. This is where individual drops of water merge together and become one. With Pisces energies enhanced, there is less separation between dimensional states. This can allow us to experience higher states of awareness more readily, and to be in more direct communication with our nonphysical guides.
ALL OF THESE lovely Piscean qualities are magnified throughout the month of April, as Jupiter and Neptune travel within two degrees of each other. Their exact conjunction, when their combined influence is the strongest, occurs on Tuesday, April 12, when both planets are at 23°58´ Pisces. This Jupiter-Neptune conjunction encourages us to experience new levels of spiritual awakening and heart opening. For some, it may awaken or strengthen their psychic senses and enable new or enhanced spiritual awareness. The imagination and visualization abilities are heightened, expanding meditations and artistic expression.
However, like all zodiac signs, Pisces also has a shadow side, which manifests when the positive qualities are taken to an extreme. An unmonitored desire for transcendence can lead to avoidance, escapism, and substance abuse. Unbridled idealism can turn into disillusionment if an outcome or a person disappoints us once the rose-colored glasses we were wearing are shattered. Dreams that invade the consciousness unbidden are labeled as hallucinations and mental instability. Selfless action can become self-denial or servitude. Martyrdom and rescuing can take the place of true compassion and unconditional love. A desire to become one with another can lead to a loss of identity and unhealthy relationships. And those who are already emotionally or psychically sensitive may find it especially hard to maintain strong boundaries.
I'M SURE that most of us are hoping to experience the most elevated potentials of this month's Jupiter-Neptune conjunction! How do we make that possible, and even likely?
It may be helpful to remember that the glyph for Pisces shows one fish jumping out of the water, and the second fish jumping into the water. This is a demonstration of the perspective we need to maintain when working with Pisces energies. This sign calls us to always find a balance between practical and the ideal, between the earthly and the divine. Healthy Pisces requires that we accept the realities of living in a physical dimension while also opening ourselves to the unlimited possibilities of nonphysical realms.
THUS, we set aside time to meditate so that we might gain access to the higher dimensions of peace and oneness. And then we integrate those frequencies into our personalities so that our daily lives become demonstrations of the divine in action. We express compassion for others but also remember the importance of boundaries, knowing that self-sacrifice does not serve the whole. We love ourselves and others equally, as we deeply understand the truth that all are one. We allow ourselves great creative flights of fancy, and then find ways to bring that vision into form for all to enjoy and gain benefit. We expect the highest good of ourselves and others, while also accepting and forgiving imperfections. We even have faith that those things we view as negative may indeed be serving a higher purpose.
These choices of attitude and intention are what enable us to go higher in our own vibrational experience. These choices, and the expansion into higher realms of love and light, are supported by this week's Jupiter-Neptune conjunction.
THE LAST TIME Jupiter and Neptune aligned in Pisces was in 1856. A quick review of history reveals a list of events that strongly represent the energies of the Jupiter-Neptune collaboration:
- This was the height of the "spiritualism movement." Seances were extremely popular. Among the true mediums who could bring through messages from the Beyond were a few charlatans, causing disillusionment for some of the faithful.
- This year marked the beginning of a two-year religious revival in the United States that became known as "the Fourth Great Awakening."
- The Church of the Brethren petitioned to be excused from bearing arms due to their pacifist beliefs.
- A new (short-lived) political party was formed in the U.S., called the "Know Nothing Party."
- Cocaine was isolated from the coca plant and given its modern name.
- The Second Opium War began between the British and China over opium trade.
What will the history books write about the spiritually expansive Jupiter-Neptune conjunction of 2022? What will we each write in our personal journals about the event? Time will tell.
ONE MORE NOTE about this alignment, which occurs at 23°58´ Pisces. The Sabian symbol for that degree reads:
"On a small island surrounded by the vast expanse of the sea,
people are seen living in close interaction."
Here is astrologer Dane Rudhyar's interpretation of this symbolic image:
"Every individualized person is a small island in the vast ocean of humankind ... The first duty of any person is to be truly what they are as an individual. But each individual has a particular dharma, a place and function in the vaster whole. The island's inhabitants get subsistence from the sea, and in time learn to navigate this sea and interact with other islanders – and all eventually will come to realize their oneness within the whole Earth, which includes everything."
A FULL MOON is also on the calendar this week. On Saturday, April 16, at 11:55 a.m. PDT, the Moon will be at 26°45´ Libra, exactly opposite the Sun at the same degree of Aries.
In general, people are more emotional around the time of a Full Moon, and with this lunation within a few days of the psychically sensitive Jupiter-Neptune conjunction, it will be very important to find ways to stay grounded. The Full Moon itself is in quincunx aspect to Jupiter and Neptune, indicating that it will take some effort to stay in emotional balance. With the Moon in other-oriented Libra, personal relationships may be in a place of flux as everyone accommodates to the new energies.
WE HAVE ASSISTANCE from Saturn during this Full Moon, since the Ringed Planet is in trine aspect to Luna. This trine can help provide some stability in otherwise uncertain conditions, as it helps us use maturity and wisdom in addressing issues that arise.
But, there is likely to be some drama at the time of the lunation, shown by the cardinal T-square that is formed between the Moon in Libra, the Sun conjunct Eris in Aries, and Pluto in Capricorn. This configuration, which has Pluto at the all-important "apex" position, indicates confrontations and power struggles. Uncomfortable situations compel us to draw on inner strengths that we may not have known we possessed, ultimately leading to greater self-empowerment.
DAY BY DAY, here are the planetary aspects we'll be working with this week:
Monday
Saturn square nodal axis: This aspect can bring up karmic issues that have been interfering with our ability to evolve. If old fears and patterns come to the surface, it is an opportunity to observe and release, realizing that we no longer need to be defined by the past.
Tuesday
Mars semisquare Chiron: A lack of self-confidence and latent insecurities may find expression in defensiveness and anger.
Jupiter conjunct Neptune: Today is well-suited for spending extra time in meditation or creative activities, or in finding ways to express your compassion for those in need. Some may be feeling very lightheaded with this energy, which can be unnerving. Be sure to take the time to ground into Mother Earth for greater stability.
Sun sextile Saturn: This aspect can help us feel more grounded, if we consciously tap into it.
Wednesday
Sun semisquare Venus: Relationships may be challenged when one partner puts their personal needs first or takes independent action.
Thursday
Sun conjunct Eris: Assertiveness and courage are strong, enabling forward motion. Be careful of a tendency to discount the needs of others.
Mars enters Pisces: Mars is moving very quickly now, and will transit Pisces in less than six weeks, from April 14 to May 24. While Mars is in the sign of The Fishes, actions are motivated by compassion and other higher-heart qualities. However, our individual course of action may be unclear during this time, since ego definition is not supported in the oneness of the Pisces ocean.
Friday
Mercury semisquare Neptune, semisquare Jupiter: Thinking and communications may be confused as our minds adjust to the energies represented by the Jupiter-Neptune alignment.
Saturday
Full Moon 11:55 a.m. PDT, 26°45´ Libra: Relationships, equality, fairness, and the justice system are themes that may arise during a Libra Full Moon.
Sunday
Mercury sextile Venus, Venus semisquare Pluto: Conversations with loved ones invite new depth and intimacy, which may not be comfortable for some.
Mercury conjunct Uranus: Unique, innovative ideas arise out of the blue as we more easily can access higher consciousness today. Inventions, inspirations, and channeling are supported.
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IF YOUR BIRTHDAY IS THIS WEEK: Your life and your core identity have been going through a major metamorphosis in this past year or two. This year, you continue to work with the external changes that must manifest as a result of the inner shifts that have occurred. You are learning how to be in relationships in a new way, and are also seeking stability in a larger community of like-minded others. (Solar Return Sun semisquare Venus, sextile Saturn, square Pluto, conjunct Eris)
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WEBINAR IN MAY! I'm excited to announce that my next webinar, which I'm calling "Metamorphosis," is set for Monday, May 9. Please see the class description. I hope you can join us!
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TRANSLATION and AUDIO/VIDEO VERSION: This weekly Journal is now recorded (in English) AND the text is transcribed into 30 languages! You'll see a row of flags under "Available Languages" in the upper right. And, there are options to listen to the audio (in English) or watch a video directly beneath the photo (see top of page).
The Journal entry is usually updated by Sunday evening, with the recordings appearing late Sunday or by Monday depending on your time zone. Please share this information with those who might benefit.
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For previous weeks of the Astrological Journal, click here.
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About the Author
Pam Younghans is a professional astrologer, editor, and writer. She lives in a log home northeast of Seattle, Washington with her beloved animal companions. She has been interpreting charts professionally for over 25 years. If you are interested in an astrology reading, e-mail
For more information about NorthPoint Astrology offerings, please visit northpointastrology.com or visit her Facebook page.
