If you were expecting some kind of sun sign nonsense, forget it. This is real astrology. See the section above. Please note: this forecast is expressed in terms of Universal Time (UT).

April has only one fairly major planetary configuration in its own right; namely the square from Mars to Uranus which is exact on the 10th and within just a few degrees from the 5th through the 15th. Far more important are the leftovers (Pluto remaining within a half degree of its March 20th retrograde station) and the carryovers (Mars within a few degrees of its May 4 conjunction with Saturn from April 29 onward). That Pluto station back in March was within just a couple degrees of exact opposition to the May 4 Mars-Saturn alignment.

The Gemini-Sagittarius polarity of the Mars-Saturn alignment to Pluto is a clear sign of continued military and terrorist hostilities involving the US and the Arab world. The Arab-Israeli conflict which plainly escalated in the days following the March 20 Pluto station in Sagittarius, by this reckoning, can only get worse throughout April into May. Anyone who thinks this won't also mean terrorist attacks on American interests at home and abroad is unrealistic. The only thing that can prevent such bloodshed is good intelligence and a substantial measure of luck.

On a more personal level, the 5th through 15th and 29th onward are times to cultivate a cool, calm and collected outlook. Steer clear of trouble where possible, and be ready to handle it if avoidance is impractical. Be safety-conscious and alert, keep your eyes and ears open and your safety on (with a full clip and a round in the pipe).

While terrorist attacks on aircraft are bound to be much in the public mind at times like this, the greatest risks of this sort come during the first half of the month and again during the last couple days of April. Air travelers are not at risk solely due to terrorist plots; accidents are also likely to surge during the first couple weeks of April.

Fears fanned by rumors of war are bound to set off panics in commodities markets now and again throughout the month. That said, I don't see signs of huge downdraft in the equity markets this month. The normal ups and downs mostly in a trading range (but with a slight upward bias) seem to be the pattern for April . . . but May shapes up to be a bear.

With no SuperMoons or eclipses to serve as geophysical triggers in April, it looks like human beings are the greatest threat to the safety and welfare of our home planet this month. Still, I expect a brief round of headline grabbing storm and seismic action (including Richter 5+ quakes and possibly volcanic eruptions) April 3-5, surrounding the Moon reaching extreme southern declination on the 4th. Likewise the 9th through the 15th, what with the new moon on the 12th just a day after the lunar equatorial crossing. Another spate of weather and seismic disturbances is likely April 18-20, as the Moon reaches maximum northern declination. But the biggest weather and seismic action of the month appears most likely April 24-30, a period that includes both a lunar equatorial crossing and a lunar perigee (closest approach to Earth) as well as the full moon on the 27th.

  

SPECIAL FEATURE: This month's birthdays of the famous and infamous (with astrological birth charts)