Thomas Canfield
For March, most of the time was consumed by a Mercury Retrograde. News and reports were often conflicted, and it seemed we could not get a straight story on what was happening. When is a war not a war? Does a war (or conflict) end when the enemy leader is dead? Can killing children be considered a war crime if war has not been officially declared, or is it plain mass murder? (This would help explain Trump’s fascination with Dr. Hannibal Lecter.)
For the month of April, Mercury will make up for lost time after being retrograde in Pisces. All of the half-truths or untruths in March may finally be clarified. Mercury will move swiftly through Aries and Taurus. The only planet it will not aspect is Venus, which has moved on further ahead. These Mercury aspects may reveal hidden truths or open up the secret halves of the half truths. No matter how much it is denounced as “fake news” people will focus on the reality of Mercury.
After Mercury went direct on March 20, its first aspect was a conjunction with the North Node. This may have prompted people to reconsider their values, especially the higher values of patriotism. Is it an act of patriotism to follow orders even if they result in war crimes? What was the strategic value of double bombing a girl’s school in Iran? If the campaign involves civilian atrocities, people may question the war’s plans and final outcome.
On April 3, Mercury will be trine Jupiter in Cancer. This might provide some good news for families, possibly that prices will not rise as high as expected. The aspect takes place on the same day as Venus square Pluto. Behind-the-scenes manipulations might be regulating the economy, and as long as the stock market remains high, no one will complain. On Easter Sunday, the Sun will be squaring Jupiter, and more information might be coming out to show that families are not doing as well as expected.
Mercury will leave its Shadow period on April 9, and the confusions and falsehoods of the Mercury Retrograde period will fade away. As Mercury prepares to leave Pisces, more work may be done investigating the hi-tech influence behind the war. On April 14, Mercury will be sextile Uranus, which could reveal the role Artificial Intelligence played in the war. Did AI target the Iranian girl’s school? Did AI track down the Ayatollah Khameini? Did AI create images of the Iranians dancing in the streets? Just after the sextile with Uranus, Mercury moves into Aries, increasing the intensity there.
On April 16, Mercury will conjunct Neptune. and the dreamy stories of Pisces may be giving way to the burning realities of Aries. Does the Navy control of the Persian Gulf? Will the Strait of Hormuz be a turning point in the war? Will the course of the war match anyone’s expectations? This assumes they had expectations to begin with. What was Pete Hegseth’s blood alcohol level when he advised going to war?
On April 18, Mercury will be sextile Pluto, which may be a time when the real casualty count from the war starts leaking out. There may be further leaks regarding the war plans and whether seizing the Iranian oil fields was a viable option. There could be revelations about more civilian casualties and whether those killed opposed the Revolutionary Guard.
Mercury’s big turning point may be on April 20, when it will conjunct Saturn, followed by a conjunction with Mars on the same day. Saturn rules discipline and organization, and Mercury may be revealing the secrets that there was neither discipline nor organization. The conjunction to Saturn will take place in the Twelfth House, which could be a time for revealing secrets and opening up the truth about the planning. Did Tulsi Gabbard consider herself to be a modern incarnation of Kali?
Mercury conjunct Mars may reveal the planning that went into the war. Threats had been made against Iran for decades. Whose plan for an attack was used? The USA plan? The Israeli plan? Saddam Hussein’s plan? We may find that in the rush to war, planning was insufficient, and a plan was hastily assembled from old files. Did such plans took into consideration modern developments, such as AI, or were they based on Bebe Netanyahu’s imagination?
After the Saturn conjunction, Mercury moves to a conjunction with Mars. War or rumors of war? It could be a case of post-war warmongering: inventing an excuse for the war after it has been fought. Watch for wild propaganda and rationalizations as to why the war should have been fought, and why it should not end. Did the motivation really come from Netanyahu or from Putin?
What is released on April 20 may be just the overture to a more dramatic opera on April 23. On that day, Venus is conjunct Uranus. It may be a time when suggestions of peace are broadcast around the world, and negotiations may begin once Venus enters Gemini the next day. If Russian brokers a peace agreement with Iran, should Putin get the Nobel Peace Prize?
Peace may be an elusive commodity as the Sun in Taurus squares Pluto in Aquarius on April 25. Resentment over the loss of life and property caused by the war may still linger. However, these ill-feelings may start fading as Uranus moves into Gemini the same day. Uranus in Gemini stands for the triumph of liberty. Past instances of Uranus in Gemini have witnessed the end of the Salem Witch Trials and the return of justice, the conclusion of the American Revolution and the start of a new nation, the end of the Civil War and the freeing of the slaves, and the defeat of fascism and the start of the United Nations following World War II. There may be a struggle for new justice regarding war and attacks leading to war. An international court like The Hague, may need to assess the damages.
On April 26, Mercury will square Jupiter, and by that time the full extent of the war costs may be known. It may not be limited to the war zone, the bombed buildings, or the loss of manpower, but also economic damage done around the world. It could be a wake-up call to the fact that war affects those even thousands of miles away. In addition, it leaves a historical scar for revenge and mindless retribution, leading to generations of suicide bombers or terrorist factions. On April 28, Venus will trine Pluto, and there may be sympathy for both sides’ losses.
There might be an attempt at more warmongering on April 30, when Mercury conjuncts Eris. Yet, the attempt at warmongering may backfire if it leads to calls for further bloodshed or unrealistic war goals. Eris may enhance Mercury’s logic and make people ask why they want to continue a war that no one wants. On May 1, Mercury will conjunct Chiron, the wounded healer, and the focus may shift to those wounded or whose lives have been shattered by the war. On May 2, Mercury enters Taurus, potentially drawing attention to the financial cost of the war. Mercury will square Pluto on May 5, again serving as a reminder of loss and upheaval.
After spending 18 days in Aries, Mercury will make a rapid movement through Taurus, remaining there for 15 days. During this period, there could be hurried reparations and reconstruction after the war. On May 12, Mercury will be sextile Jupiter, which could signify a time of agreement. May 14 could be the final day of settlement with the Sun conjunct Mercury, revealing the final agreement to the world. On May 17, Mercury enters Gemini and then forms a conjunction with Uranus. People around the world may witness the ending of hostilities and a new spirit of reason. Adding to this spirit may be Venus sextile Chiron, which offers care to the wounded ones.
Mercury’s later aspect may signal a mopping up of final events. Mercury sextile Neptune on May 18 could expose the illusions leading to war. Mercury trine Pluto on May 19 could show the end results of those illusions. Mercury sextile Saturn on May 22 may bring calls of judgement and international justice regarding the war. At the end of the month, Mercury will sextile Eris, and warmongering could emerge as a major theme. However, the month ends with Mercury sextile Chiron, and the imagery of the wounded may override the feelings of warmongering. It may not be “the war to end all wars,” but it could be a war that causes revulsion towards all wars. This year, Memorial Day might include memories of the innocents who suffered because of war. Mercury might make it a time to speak out when others prefer to forget.
