Your April 2023 Horoscope Rewards Confidence

You know how, after the high school years, your favorite CW shows would keep replacing cast members, until, by the time you were watching season eight, the show was nearly unrecognizable? Well, in terms of the cosmic moment, we’re still in Tree Hill, but Chad Michael Murray has long ago vacated the premises. March rearranged the planetary furniture significantly: Mars recently ended a half-year tour of Gemini and entered Cancer; Saturn has launched its three year Pisces saga; and Pluto has dipped to zero degrees Aquarius. Spring has sprung, and the astrological new year is indeed newer than ever.

Mars will continue its tour of Cancer through May 20, where it successfully recruits the crab’s willpower, drive, and fetish for hard work. With Jupiter still in Aries, the first half of the month promises to be unusually propulsive. On the 11th, the sun aligns with Jupiter in Aries, unleashing a torrent of libidinous activation. Mail out your portfolio to everyone you’re afraid of, go bungee jumping, and get laid. We know that the advent of Taurus season on the 20th, followed immediately by a Mercury retrograde, will set in a lazy stupor. Remind yourself what it’s like to be alive — right now.

There’s more to April than blusterous, boisterous independence. In Cancer, Mars thrives on constructive friction, as seen when Elaine Stritch and Stephen Sondheim butt heads recording “The Ladies Who Lunch.” On April 5 and 6, the full moon goes bright in Libra, the sign of partnership, as Jews retell the Passover story, and its explosive bromance between Moses and Pharoah. Then, on the 11th, Venus, the planet of love, enters Gemini, the sign of duality. With so much relational activation in Cancer, Libra, and Gemini, you should pay attention to what others in your life have to say. Invite your friends to read your manuscript and share their honest opinions. Tell your parents exactly how you need help — and when they should mind their business. Seek advice, accountability, and perspective from the people in your life. Encourage them to challenge you, and let the discomfort spark reinvention.

Themes of self-accountability come to a breaking point on April 20, with the hybrid new moon solar eclipse in Aries. Enter the Aries-Libra eclipse saga, which promises to create a new sexual and social language for the Age of Aquarius. Who are you, and how are you seen? Start with the small stuff, namely: How have you changed? What do you represent when you step out into the world? And who in your life has your back for what comes next?

Following the eclipse, the sun enters Taurus, squaring Pluto in Aquarius. Then, on the 21st, Mercury retrogrades in the bull’s domain. You’ll be hearing plenty about how this retrograde will likely affect money, but with the influence of Pluto in Aquarius, it’s a bit more psychedelic than another overdraft alert from your bank. After Aries season inspires conversations around self-worth, Taurus will immediately put that inner value to gold and silver. What does your money do? Where does it go? How does it represent you, serve you, and even sabotage you? We know that come mid-May, Jupiter enters Taurus, and the summer explodes. Spend this retrograde, from April 21 through May 14, contemplating the karmic dimensions of solvency. The party of the century is coming. Make sure you can afford admission — and have the confidence to get past the door.

Though horoscopes apply to sun signs, we advise that you read the horoscope based on your rising.

ARIES & ARIES RISING

Next month, Jupiter leaves your home sign. Now’s the time to celebrate. Take the Libra full moon on April 6 to gather the people who reflect your best attributes. Let yourself see what they see. On the 11th, the sun aligns with Jupiter in Aries, producing an explosion of productive firepower. Go off! It’s essential that you dig in this Aries season, because, come the 20th, we’re due for a new moon solar eclipse in your home sign, followed by a Mercury retrograde in Taurus in your second house of earning. The last third of the month will call for some grounding, review, and revision. Enjoy some late nights out before you have to buckle down.

TAURUS & TAURUS RISING

And you thought the karmic spin cycle was over! Through June, Pluto sits at 0 degrees of Aquarius, in your tenth house of career and public glory. As the planets cross through your home sign, they’ll make a 90 degree square to Pluto, setting off some sort of check-in with the fates. This is a crossroads, a shedding of old expectations which keep you from embodiment and presence. Taurus season launches on the 20th, followed by a Taurus Mercury retrograde from April 21 through May 14. You’ll have plenty of time to consolidate your public drives with your interior reality. But if some old future feels dead, let it go now.

GEMINI & GEMINI RISING

From August through March, Mars was burning hot in your home sign, activating fire, ferocity, and no shortage of frustration. The fire planet only recently moved on, and in its place arrives Venus, planet of artistry and splendor, on April 11. We now shift from propulsion to promotion, as the goddess of form and beauty works to hone your self-presentation. For the next three years, Saturn in Pisces lays down a total career redefinition. But for now, you should embrace experimentation, play, and pleasure in your public exploits. Embrace all the things you like doing, and let the world affirm what’s working. No need to reinvent the “plan” when you’re already on a roll.

CANCER & CANCER RISING

The Aries surge in your career arena comes to a peak this month, as the sun hits Jupiter on April 11 and your public profile goes supernova. In your home sign, Mars arms you with the raw courage needed to put yourself out there. Take the Libra full moon on the sixth, in your fourth house of home, to reground before returning to the fray. Aries season ends on the 20th, with a new moon solar eclipse, followed by a Mercury retrograde in Taurus, in your 11th house of ethos and legacy. You’ll have time, in the back chapter of the month, to reconfigure the purpose and people your work is intended for. But for the first three weeks, you better ride hard, and not question your right to claim space.

LEO & LEO RISING

The launch of Taurus season on April 20 is immediately followed by a Taurus Mercury retrograde on the 21st, going into mid-May. All this goes down in your tenth house of career and public glory. You’ve felt a build-up of confidence these past few months, a natural evolution into your destined role as leader of the pack. Now you get to make these changes permanent. Consider which relationships either support or detract from your growth. Spend the lead-up to Taurus season expanding your profile, launching projects, and putting your voice out into public. The retrograde offers an opportunity to reflect on how you’ve changed and where you want to go next. This isn’t a drop in your momentum, but a pause. Get in fighting shape; you’re not going back to anonymity any time soon.

VIRGO & VIRGO RISING

The Libra full moon drops gold into your second house of earning on April 6. Then, on the 11th, Venus waltzes into Gemini, in your tenth house of grand ambitions. Taurus season — that time when we celebrate our riches — launches on April 20. Your assignment: know your worth, and, if possible, flaunt it a little. Embrace Fran Fine’s flair for opulence when you step out; make outrageous demands when negotiating your salary; and do anything to show the world — and yourself — that you intend to enjoy the spoils of your hard work. On the 14th, Venus squares Saturn in Pisces, in your seventh house of relationships. Be sure that your collaborators, partners and spouses are willing to respect your new standards. Otherwise, you might forget how far you’ve come.

LIBRA & LIBRA RISING

Take stock of the new people in your life. With Jupiter in Aries, in your seventh house of relationships, you’ve honed your powers to attract and inspire the people around you. Now, you recruit them for what comes next. With Mars in Cancer, in your tenth house of career, you’re ready to attack your dreams like never before, and you’ve got the support to do it. Take the Libra full moon on the sixth, and the sun-Jupiter conjunction in Aries on the 11th, to invite friends over, seek advice, and ask for help. The new moon solar eclipse in Aries on the 20th reveals how far you’ve come in cultivating your relationships, and what blocks remain for you. Now’s the time to celebrate the community you’ve built.

SCORPIO & SCORPIO RISING

Pluto has just barely entered Aquarius, in your fourth house of family and early conditioning. As the planets cross through Taurus, in your seventh house of relationships, they’ll open a portal through time, awakening lost memories and repressed anger. Go easy on this one. On April 21, Mercury begins a retrograde in Taurus, offering you three weeks to explore the ways that your past has shaped (and distorted) the ways you relate to your loved ones now. This is a profound, psychedelic chance at releasing ancient familial karma. Recruit the people in your life to give you perspective, grace, and accountability, so that you can finally bury the demons of the past.

SAGITTARIUS & SAGITTARIUS RISING

On April 11, Venus enters Gemini, in your seventh house of lovers and collaborators, for a one-month residency. We know that you spent the last six months developing your interpersonal confidence and boundaries. Now, you get to cash in, with the goddess of social graces cheering you on. Make a list of everyone you dream of working with, and then have fun putting yourself in their field of vision. The Libra full moon on the 5th hits your 11th house of audience and network; see to it that you’re visible, discoverable, and delightful to engage with. You should be having fun, and letting them discover you in your element. Don’t overthink it. Just get out of the house, look hot, and let them come to you drooling.

CAPRICORN & CAPRICORN RISING

The Taurus retrograde begins on April 21, in your fifth house of creative expression. To navigate any upcoming creative blocks, double down on building a peaceful, solid home incubator. The Libra full moon goes down on the sixth, in your tenth house of career expansion. But that light is only reflected from Aries, in your fourth house of home. Invite friends over, invest in a next-level spring cleaning, and make your house the place where you want to f*ck, write novels, and watch Vanderpump Rules with the best people in your life. By securing yourself, you’ll open the way for a powerful creative output in the months to come.

AQUARIUS & AQUARIUS RISING

Pluto has only just begun its 20-year residency in your home sign, initiating a long-term spiritual metamorphosis of your identity. But for now, its focus is quite specific. What in your home life feels dead? What city, dwelling, or community are you ready to say goodbye to? As the planets enter Taurus, in your fourth house of home, family, and history, they square Pluto, revealing the dead zones you’re still inhabiting. Take the Taurus retrograde, from April 21 through May 14, to box up your unwanted possessions, sort through your diaries, and let go of outdated history.

PISCES & PISCES RISING

The astrological new year, and the Saturn in Pisces era, have only just begun. So let’s start simple. Mars is already in Cancer, in your fifth house of pleasure and romance. The Libra full moon hits your eighth house of transformation on April 6. Venus enters Gemini, in your fourth house of home, on the 11th. Taurus season kicks off on the 20th in your third house of daily life and rituals. No need to think big right now, but to get rooted in what feels good. Buy flowers for yourself, mop the floors, host a small dinner party, and ask someone hot to stay late and help you clean up. You’re building the new structure of what your life looks like, from the foundations up. Imbue the minute with delight, so that you feel guided through the coming renovations.