April 2024: Astrological Musings + My Current Favorites
Mercury Retrograde, Eclipses and My Favorite Tools to Help Me Get Through It All.
April 2024 | Astrological Musings
Happy April, friends!
I’m beginning to feel spring in the air 🌺, how about you? In the past few weeks, I’ve felt the tempo quickening and I’ve had bursts of feeling lighter as the days have been getting sunnier and warmer. With more daylight to pack things in, we’re definitely moving into a busier season in general— but astrologically there’s a lot happening, too. ✨
Astrology is a science that the yogi’s have utilized regularly for thousands of years. Just like the moon has a great influence over the ocean, a human body contains over 75% water— so it makes sense that the moon, stars and planets in the cosmos would have an effect on us as well. The Vedic (Indian) calendar is based on the lunar cycle rather than solar cycle— Indian seers found it be more precise and attuned to the natural rhythms of mother nature. So when it comes to holy days, looking for auspicious days to start new ventures, get married, move into a new house, etc, or if one is just needing a little insight on a life situation, yogis and the Indian culture turn to the lunar calendar and astrology for guidance.
It’s Not You, It’s Mercury (Retrograde)
One of my favorite cards I was given many years ago says, “It’s not you, it’s Mercury (Retrograde) 🙂. The beauty of astrology is that it’s a very interesting science made up of patterns in the sky. For instance, the pattern of mercury retrograde is known to impact communication. Its classic signature is creating a period of time filled with miscommunications, slow downs, mix-ups, mechanical breakdowns, technical glitches, delays and cancellations. And that’s why Vedically, astrologers rarely recommend starting something new or auspicious things during this period of time. This knowledge is helpful because it provides insight (and a good reminder for all those perfectionists out there, INCLUDING ME), that it’s not always about something we’ve done wrong—rather, there are a lot of forces at work that are often out of our control. And that’s why surrender + detachment play a big role in spiritual development.
In my family, whenever any of us happen to be traveling during a mercury retro period, we joke that we’re going to likely encounter delays or cancellations. The thing is, even though we may be joking, subtly we’re reminding ourselves that we know the effects that Mercury retro can bring, so if we do then run into those obstacles, it’s easier to surrender in the moment than get frustrated at the divine nature of life and how things ultimately unfold.
Current Astrology
Currently, there’s a lot of astrological things happening in the sky ✨. Not only did Mercury go retrograde this week, April 1-25 🙃, but we’re also in the middle of two eclipses! The first eclipse in this series was a lunar eclipse that happened on Sun, Mar 25, 2024 and the next one taking place is a solar eclipse on Mon, April 8, 2024. The April 8 eclipse is a big one since it’s a total solar eclipse going over the entire United States, along with Mexico and parts of Canada. The last total eclipse we had was in 2017 and the next one we’re going to have is in 2044! That’s a long time between now and the next one.
The Energetics of Eclipses
Historically, eclipses are not seen as a good omen. They’re known for being harbingers of change. The type of change that has the power to close one door and eventually open another door— often shifting timetables and priorities faster than normal and bringing new opportunities out of the blue. They’re also known to be signs that indicate potential upcoming upheaval. Every eclipse is different as it depends on the conjunction of other planets and how they’re all positioned at the time of the eclipse in relation to the different parts of the world.
Environmentally it can indicate potential hurricanes, earthquakes or other natural disasters. Globally eclipses can warn about famine, war, pandemics, etc. And, personally — depending on the conjunction of other planets and how that relates to one’s personal birth chart— it can signal the end or beginning of a job, marriage, living situation or a family member. I want to emphasize, every eclipse does not affect everyone. Every eclipse brings together a different constellation of planets and stars — and every person (as does a country, organization, etc) has their own unique birth chart. So how these different astrological events affect people can drastically vary. But generally, you can see overarching patterns and themes that emerge.
Since astrology is something I had the good fortunate to grow up with. My parents had birth charts made for both my sister and I. Astrological birth charts are amazing. They have a unique way of providing a loose blueprint of a person — characteristics and tendencies, as well as clues to understanding one’s personal journey. Ancient seers also identified that the one wildcard that can impact a chart are the actions one takes on their spiritual journey. Spiritual practices like seva (self-less giving/ volunteer work), charity, meditation and prayer are things that can influence how potentially challenging events can unfold with more ease and grace.
The one good thing about eclipses is that they’re an extra charged time for spiritual growth. Unlike most of the world that tries so hard to catch a glimpse of this natural phenomenon, basking in the rays of the eclipse— traditional yogis do quite the opposite. They opt to stay indoors and immerse themselves is meditation and prayer. A few years ago I shared a post with more specifics on these ancient practices.
How All This Impact Us
The period leading up to eclipses, between eclipses (like this week) and for a few weeks after — can feel extra emotionally and energetically charged. I’ve personally noticed an increase in my energy levels, which has been great during the day, but has made it a little harder to fall asleep at night. I’ve also felt more reflective — wanting to really take stock of my priorities — where I’m at and where I want go. Often following these thought provoking reflections, emotions have a way of not being too far behind 🙂🧐😔😡😯.
Key Take Away: Be Gentle w/ Yourself
My sharing of all this is simply for one reason — to remind you (and myself) to be gentle with yourself —especially this month :). There’s a lot going on out there, that’s beyond our control. Surrender, detachment, compassion, kindness and laughter are our friends.
In the spirit of being gentle with ourselves, I thought this this month, I’d tailor my Current Favorites to my Go-To Astrological Favorites. I hope one, some or all of these tools helps you along this month!
My Go-To Astrological Favorites
📕READING: a little insight to help make sense of the interesting times we live in
Susan Miller - Astrologyzone
Since college, I’ve devoutly read my monthly horoscope by Susan Miller like clockwork. At the time she was really the only astrologer on the internet, so she became my go to. Since then she’s grown by leaps and bounds, but she also has the flare for dramatics on X (Twitter) when it comes getting her monthly forecasts done. Now, it’s more just habit to pop by to see what she’s forecasting each month.
Since then, I’ve widened my astrological repertoire to include:
James Kelleher - Vedic Astrologer + Teacher
He’s a highly sought after teacher of vedic astrology. His monthly newsletter is short, but often goes more into the stories and myths behind certain patterns. He also definitely provides more in-depth insight into geo-political forecasts. You can feel the teacher in him through his forecasts. His monthly newsletter is a great one to subscribe to if you enjoy learning about the science of astrology.
Pam Younghous - North Point Journal
A long-time W.S. reader introduced me to North Point Journal. Pam has a short, weekly newsletter that shows up right in my inbox. It’s a helpful weekly guide on what patterns I can keep an eye out during the week.
Micheal Bulley - Vedic Astrologer
Lastly, my current go-to astrologer for my personal readings is, Micheal Bulley. He’s a kind and talented astrologer that provides insight and remedies on how one can navigate the current patterns showing up in your personal chart. Every few years I try to get a reading for my husband and I. It’s helpful to get a general sense of what patterns are on the horizon and how they could potentially impact us. Really it’s a birds eye view of things — how things will actually manifest — that only the divine knows. 😊
🩵 SELF-CARE TOOLS: things that help me stay grounded
Meditation 🧘🏽♀️- This is always my number go-to tool for taking care of myself. It’s invaluable tool that can calm the mind, rejuvenate the body and soothe the soul— all at once. If you haven’t tried it— that would be my number one recommendation. Here’s a short video my teachers made on Instructions for Meditation.
Eclipse Practices ☀️🌙🌎 - A few years back, I wrote a post specifically on Vedic Eclipse Practices that yogis still practice today. I’ll definitely be utilizing those this April 8.
Nourishing Sleep + Sleep Aids 😴💤
A Nourishing Sleep Routine - With big shifts — personally and globally— getting good, deep rest helps us show up from a more grounded place rather from a tired, on edge place. A few years back, I wrote a post on 5 Easy Ways to Calm Your Sense To Help you Sleep Better. This post is a great starting place for crafting an evening routine that can help you unwind and hopefully sleep more deeply.
Sleep Aids- If you already have a nourishing bedtime routine but are struggling with sleep, my two favorites sleep aids are: Celestial Seasoning’s Sleepytime Tea w/ Valerian and Hyland’s Calms Forte (a natural, homeopathic remedy that gentle yet effective). Both are 100% natural and I’ve never had any side effects with them.
Movement - Lastly, getting in movement — whether through yoga or your favorite workout— is an easy and fun way to get bottled up energy out and to help the body relax.
🍎 FOOD: fresh & easy, with the goal of no leftovers
Since we are what we eat, the Vedas also share a few practices around food + eclipses.
Prior to an eclipse, it is suggested that you use up or dispose of any leftovers. The rays emitted during an eclipse are considered to be negatively charged, therefore, it is believed that cooked foods can also absorb that energy.
And, it’s recommended to avoid eating during eclipses. Basically, because of the same above reasoning— the food absorbs the negatively charged energy emitted from the rays— ideally not something you want to ingest.
So, this week I’ll be focusing on quick, fresh and easy recipes that I rarely have leftovers of.
Golden Spiced Tofu - This recipe is great to have on hand to serve with veggie and rice or add to salads.
Fudgy PB + Chocolate Black Bean Cookies — My emotions seem to love chocolate :). This recipe is my newest experiment for a low fat, protein rich sweet source. So far these cookies go pretty quickly in our household. However, I still need to make it one last time before I share with you all :). So stay tuned later this month for the recipe.
🎥 TV/ MOVIE: something light + uplifting
So with the “interesting” astrology forecasted for this month, my movie pick for April is:
Bank of Dave - I found this movie to be heartwarming and inspiring. It’s based on the true-life experiences of a self-made millionaire on a mission to set up a community bank. What I loved most about this movie is that it was filled with hope and a timely reminder that there are still good people trying to make a difference in the world by helping those around them. 💕
Wrapping things up…
Last but not least, my trip to Virginia last month was awesome! I got to connect and catch up with a lot of family and friends. I baked over a 100 cupcakes (don’t ask how many went to “taste testing” 😋). I got to take in the Cherry Blossoms in DC with a lot of my family that was in town. Enjoyed many delicious meals. And, most importantly, I got support my sister,
at her book launch party for her first published book, Tell Me My Story. Happy to report all went beautifully! If you haven’t had a chance to check out her book — I would highly recommend it. The memoir part is a page-turner and the manifesto is an invaluable resource for humanitarians—anyone in service of helping alleviate the pain of others. Which I do believe is a lot of my Wholesome Soul readers! 🩵As always, please add to the conversation!
If you have questions or thoughts that come up while reading this post or any others that I linked to, our subscriber-only chat is a great way to connect and chat in safe space with like-minded readers. 🥰
Hope to hear from more of you this month!
Wishing you an April filled with delightful surprises, obstacle-free days, restful sleep and deep love.
xo ✌🏽❤️,
Kajal
Love your newsletter this week. So timely and wonderful reminders. Thank you!! ✨