MONTHLY OVERVIEW:
April is a fun, social month—a time to reward yourself for all the hard work you did in March. Let your hair down for the first three weeks, while the Sun visits Aries, your eleventh house of friendship and networking. The people you meet now could become key players in the coming months, so get out and schmooze. You’ll accomplish more on the dance floor or at a cocktail fundraiser than by logging late hours at the office. When your ruler Mercury goes retrograde (backward) on the 18th, old friends—even an old flame—could come through with powerful opportunities.

On April 20th, the Sun moves into Taurus, your sleepy twelfth house. Make like Cinderella and leave the ball before midnight. You’ll need the extra shuteye because the demands may pile up again, zapping your reserves. This is the end of your annual cycle, so focus on completing projects and gaining closure on personal issues. Finish these pressing obligations in time for your birthday, so you can make a fresh start for the next year of your life.

LOVE & ROMANCE:
It’s time to clean house and let go of the past. Venus spends most of April in Taurus, your twelfth house of closure. Even if your love life looks fairy-tale perfect, check the corners—there may be a cobweb or two clinging for dear life. Wrapped in those gossamer threads: old hurts from an ex, subconscious self-doubt formed in earlier days, anger at a parent, even a little leftover victim consciousness. These are all barriers blocking your full expression of love. This month, grab a feather duster and gently sweep these painful remnants into oblivion. You can’t create pure, honest love on top of fear. This is an excellent time for individual or couples therapy, even a workshop retreat to dismantle these limiting beliefs.

Your wakeup call may also come through the return of an ex, a former heartbreaker or “the one that got away.” From April 18-May 11, your ruling planet Mercury takes a backspin through Taurus, a notorious time for past lovers or “difficult people” to resurface. Hear this person out with much skepticism, and don’t get swept away by champagne promises that sound too good to be true. Most likely, s/he’s a messenger, here to remind you where you still need to grow and heal. Look for the lesson, not the fairy-tale ending.

Your first inclination will be to idealize this person, perhaps even comparing your current partner to him/her unfavorably. Not so fast, Gemini. With transformational Pluto retrograde in your intimacy sector from April 6th until September, your own demons around sex, attraction and trust are having a small field day of their own. Bottom line: on some level, you’re totally freaked out by getting so close to another person. Why? True intimacy requires a symbolic death of the self—at least, the self you’ve always known. To truly merge into “we,” you must shed a few facets of your single-and-separate identity. It’s okay to struggle with that—in fact, it’s perfectly human. Pluto’s trial by fire could result in a more fulfilling closeness than you ever imagined. The key: don’t run. Even if you lace up your sneakers and wrap your fist over the doorknob, turn around, walk back, and embrace what life is teaching you about real, lasting love.

MONEY & CAREER:
Last month brought massive triumphs to many Gemini careers, but the celebration isn’t over yet. While the Sun is in Aries until the 20th, you attract a flood of energizing people, many of them valuable new contacts for business and future opportunities. The April 14th Aries new moon is a powerful day for meeting people or initiating a team project.

On April 6th, Pluto goes retrograde in your wealth sector until mid-September, igniting old fears about money, power and status. Are you too attached to the external trappings of wealth? You don’t need that McMansion, status bag or luxury car to prove anything, especially if you’re struggling to pay for it. Pluto stirs up deep emotions from the unconscious, so you may need to actually mourn the loss of a former lifestyle, or to make profound changes in the way you deal with money—especially taxes, credit cards, investments and borrowed funds. There could be family feuds over property or an inheritance during this cycle, exposing the ugly side of relatives. Do your best not to sink to these lows.

At the April 28th full moon, you may be slammed with work, or a project that feels overwhelming and endless. If you’re drowning in details, don’t be afraid to ask for help or to say, “I don’t know.” Your inner perfectionist will want to prove that you know everything, but that’s not really necessary. It’s only you who’s putting that pressure on yourself. Let go of your pride and let others support you. This full moon is also an excellent time for service, so seek out volunteer opportunities where you can make a difference.

HEALTH: MIND, BODY & SOUL:
Domestic drama returns for one final round of resolution. From April 7-May 31, tough Saturn backs into Virgo, your home and family sector. This is Saturn’s last visit here for another 30 years, and a last chance to establish your personal life on a truly solid foundation. During this cycle, old family dynamics or challenges around your living situation could arise. Address them with maturity and thoughtfulness, not impulsive reactions. If you’ve had a rift with your mother, daughter or a female relative, extend the olive branch and act as the “bigger person.”

With your ruler Mercury retrograde from April 18-May 11, be careful whom you confide in. Rumors can leak and come back to haunt you, especially if you spread them in email. Chill with the Cindy Adams/Page Six routine and steer talk away from other people’s business. This is not a favorable time to move either, and if you have a home on the market, the offers will be weak. Patience, Gemini.

The April 28th Scorpio full moon is a great day to focus on your overall health. If you’ve fallen off the wellness wagon, perhaps you need a more realistic plan that suits your busy lifestyle. Watch a tendency to eat or drink mindlessly, especially when you’re stressed. This year, you’ll be spending a great deal of time at work or in the public, but you don’t have to end a late night at the fast-food drive-thru. Stock up on healthy snacks you can munch on all day, like celery sticks, trail mix and dried fruit.