Satellite of Love: Queer Horoscopes for April 2016

I hope y’all out there are ready for a change — this is an eventful month! With some fiery Aries energy and a few aspects to Uranus this month (planet of revolution, upheaval, and queerness), you’ll have a few chances to let go of whatever’s been holding you back, and start fresh. Letting go isn’t always a bad thing (my Taurus Moon heart always hates to let go of anything or anyone), and it doesn’t have to mean breaking up or other relationship tragedies. It could mean releasing your fear of being naked in front of your friends; embracing your desire to have a cheap, meaningless one-night stand; welcoming a new phase of intimacy where you and your partner are less scared to be honest and independent. It could mean coming out, or coming out again, or fighting to create a world where no one has to come out because there is NO MORE ASSUMING THAT ANY OF US WERE EVER IN. I’m writing this as the state of North Carolina, where I’m living, has just passed a law that encourages discrimination and endangers the lives of LGBTQ adults and children. These horoscopes will focus, as always, on your romantic lives for the month ahead, but part of queer love for me is the love we have for our entire community — and the ways we fight to protect one another. May the revolutionary, courageous aspects lining up for us this month help us all spread that love.

The Aries New Moon on the 7th ushers in a new emotional year for us, and is quickly followed by a Sun-Uranus conjunction on the 9th. Anything you want to be completely rid of, this is the week to let it go. Anything you’ve been afraid to try, this is the week to take that leap. Ride this fearless, adventurous, rebellious energy through the middle of the month when a Grand Trine in Earth will stabilize our efforts and help us ground that fire into something real, tangible, and longlasting. If you and your boo have been hesitant about any kind of commitment, this week will help you both understand what’s real between you (and not just what’s dreamy or possible).

Our collective energy will take a deep inhale and slowly release it as Mars goes retrograde on the 17th, an event that only happens every two years and signals a slowing down, reassessing, and reconsidering of how we run our energy. Sexual desires and impulses may be up for review, as will how we handle conflict. This retrograde lasts until June 29th, but we’ll feel the shadow effects until August 22nd. And finally, the Scorpio Full Moon on the 22nd will coincide with a conjunction between Venus and Uranus. What does this mean for us? Full Moons amp up our feelings, and in Scorpio they shed light on what lays hidden in our hearts. Venus is our impulse to connect and relate; when joined with Uranus we are full of strange longings — or rather, we give ourselves permission to openly love what appears strange to others, or in ways that others don’t understand (queerness and polyamory are both linked to Venus-Uranus aspects).

Expect the end of the month to open even more questions than the beginning… and if you’re curious about your personal love forecast this month, or how things are looking between you and your boo, get in touch for a reading. If you can’t get enough of geeking out on astrology and want to take it to the next level, check out my Astrology 101 Class. The astro-literate can read their Moon and Venus signs first, and all of y’all can take what you need from these ‘scopes and liberate your selves from anything that doesn’t resonate!


Aries

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Okay honey, repeat after me: You’ve got this. You’re not alone. You’re not losing everything. Since the eclipse in your sign last month, you’re in a brand new world. There are plenty of new opportunities, but you may be a little shaken up still. Take advantage of Mars (your ruling planet) going retrograde on the 17th to slow down your merry-go-round. If you’re not a little scared, you’re not doing it right. Even so, as you ask your friendships and romances to become more honest, and to hold you (and hold you accountable) in new ways — remember not everything has to change all at once.


Taurus

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This month begins with all kinds of fireworks going off where you can’t quite see them. The animal in you might need some kind of Thundershirt or a quiet, dark room and a some consistent hugging. As Mercury in your sign moves into a Grand Trine with Jupiter and Pluto on the 14th, you’ll be able to see more clearly what to do about all the new energy you’ve noticed earlier in the month. This might mean you and your lovers need to make some changes, but it would be best to finalize the details mid-month, once your new insights have time to simmer down and integrate with your daily life. Enjoy the opportunity for security and growth with friends and partners this month, and buckle up for the Scorpio Moon that will particularly highlight any problem areas in your partnerships — and with the Venus-Uranus combo thrown in, could either inspire “aha” moments about how to solve these problems, or the urge to chuck it all and start over! Trust the impulses that come up for you on the 22nd, and remember you’re a little too prone to holding on to relationship forms that don’t fit you anymore.


Gemini

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The hottest thing you could be this month is a social justice warrior. Not that you’d be doing it for those reasons, but you’ll find your passions stirred by connecting with the collective spirit (or an actual collective) and striking some blows for freedom. Better yet, the Grand Earth Trine on the 14th gives you a chance to feel more connected to your heart and body — offering a break from that whirling mental energy that sometimes defines you. Spend some time mid-months with sweeties of all kinds who love up on your sensual self. And as your ruling planet of Mercury is a little slowed down in the sign of Taurus this month, you can use that energy to be more thorough and patient with anything you’re planning. Expect some buried feelings to come up around the Full Moon on the 22nd, and make use of the Mars retrograde period to take a hard, close look at patterns in partnerships that are draining you or blocking your native spark.


Cancer

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This is a vital time for you, when the choices you make will have long-ranging effects. With the Moon, your sign’s ruler, starting over in Aries this month, you have a chance to make a clean break with the past and move towards whatever’s making your heart flutter. Who would you like to be, not just in your relationships, but in the larger world? What kind of skills do you want to have and be known for? Coming into a truer sense of your calling will help you hold your ground in all your intimacies right now. Meanwhile, the Grand Earth Trine on the 14th offers some harmony and stability to your longterm intimacies. With the Moon doing her thing in two signs ruled by Mars this month, and Mars going retrograde on the 17th, you may be getting a big hit of information about gender, and how you can move between butch and femme energy, or even blend them. If there are questions you can’t resolve, at least let yourself ask them. And finally, during the Full Moon on the 22nd, take some time to process and internalize the new directions you’re headed.


Leo

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Here’s your mantra for the month, darling sparkly Leo beast: “It’s okay if my new crush hasn’t texted back yet. It’s okay if my poem didn’t get accepted for publication. It’s okay if my boo hasn’t dropped everything to hold me as soon as they got home from work. None of these is a crisis, and none of these reflects my worth.” Your dear, yearning heart can demand a lot from the world (and it’s okay, you give a lot!), but this month expect those hits of dopamine that come from being seen and accepted to come a little more slowly than usual. Let yourself be disappointed and practice some patience as Mars goes retrograde in your house of flirtation, creativity, and self-expression. Use this time to reassess what you’re putting out in the world (your art, your look, your game) and revise anything that doesn’t reflect your real self — who you are now, how you’ve grown into your self. Be extra tactful around the Full Moon on the 22nd, especially with domestic partners and housemates, and don’t be afraid to take a solo adventure if you need to shake things up. A time of slowness and self-reflection can set the stage for exciting developments to come.


Virgo

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You’re having an Alice in Wonderland moment — you’ve grown a lot, very quickly, and you may feel as though your relationships have shrunk. Maybe you’re surveying where all your various parts begin and end, and noticing that you don’t fit in the same old roles the way you used to. The upside is that you’ve been quietly growing incredibly strong and capable, behind the scenes, and you’re ready for experiences that match these new skills. Tap into the Grand Earth Trine on the 14th to manifest your heart’s desire, and get ready for the Full Moon to bring new meaning to all the gorgeous ways you merge your body with the world (and some lovely people in it). With your ruling planet Mercury in Taurus this month, you have permission to turn off your to-do lists and turn your thoughts to sensual pleasures.


Libra

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Get ready for some sudden sudden swerves in your relationships as the upheaval of this month happens in your 7th house of intimacy and partnership. Something may come at you out of left field — if that happens, pay close attention to how you respond. Do you immediately try to balance the energy around you? Like, if your boo has done something selfish, are you punishing her by being extra generous? As Mars goes retrograde on the 17th, take some time to not react, to have your own experience first before you share it. Use your energy to rewrite your own stories about what you want and what you have to offer, and make sure you’ve got exactly the words you need before you share them with anyone. Take extra good care of yourself this month, and use the Full Moon energy on the 22nd to love yourself up the way only you know how.


Scorpio

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What if you don’t actually need to change your body to feel that you are perfect in it? What if all you need to do is inhabit every inch of it, infusing it with your energy and your love? What would you try if you could let go of your insecurities — what kind of sex, what kind of love would you want to welcome into your life? Whatever you’ve been afraid to try, now’s the month to get out of your own way. Work what you’ve got, appreciate exactly what that is, and trust that whatever you can’t change is perfect the way it is. Especially when the Full Moon is in your sign on the 22nd — let yourself risk being seen, and showing yourself in your full freaky glory.


Sagittarius

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My brave friend, don’t fall into the shadows this month. With Saturn in your sign, you’re spending a few years working through the nitty-gritty details of adulthood that can be depressing and confining. As Mars goes retrograde through your sign on the 17th, you may feel a crisis of confidence — are you good enough? Do you deserve the love you want, much less the love you have (which may feel far from ideal right now)? Is following your desires irresponsible? What are your desires now, anyway? If all these doubts and questions are coming up for you, don’t despair. It’s not as bad as it seems. You’re learning that delicate business of adapting your desires to reality. Any disappointments you experience now will help you balance your passions and your plans in the future. The Grand Trine in Earth will help you feel a little more grounded in your body, your daily rituals, and your sense of purpose. Work steadily at something that helps you enjoy any or all of these on the 14th, and keep re-grounding through pleasure that stabilizes you.


Capricorn

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Whoever you make a home with — your partner, your poly triad, your ten cats, or assorted friends and needy small dogs, this month will shake up the ordinary relations between you and your chosen family. Maybe you’re needing to redefine yourself alone, or just wanting more peace and quiet, but the changes you’re itching for will help you redefine your sense of belonging to a larger world. The Grand Trine in Earth is especially powerful for you, as it eases the Pluto pressure you’ve been feeling (the pressure to let go of everything, to release and keep releasing) and helps you consciously reconnect to what you love about yourself and your sweethearts. Even so, there is an impatient energy coursing through your horoscope this month, and it will help to find constructive outlets for that restlessness. Use the Scorpio Full Moon on the 22nd to heal old wounds and rebuild any ties that need strengthening.


Aquarius

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If you’ve been feeling too shy to approach someone special, this month you’ll be able to find just the right words. A whirlwind of bold and inventive language is gusting about you right now, stirring up new ideas and new friendships. This breezy, curious energy is perfectly complemented by the Grand Earth Trine which can help you feel more grounded and stable in your emotional life. It may be easier now to integrate or release feelings that have been hovering around the edge of your consciousness, waiting for a chance to do their thing. The more you can use your body to release them, the better — think dancing, sweating, BDSM, or even crying and punching a pillow. And as Mars goes retrograde on the 17th, it’s time for you to reconsider the crews you run with, by choice or circumstance. Are you getting what you need from these groups? Are there power dynamics that need to shift? How do you recenter yourself in your own sense of agency?


Pisces

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April will present interesting challenges for you, as the name of the game is independence. Knowing what your boundaries are is a great start for you, which is essentially the same as knowing who you are and what you like — and trusting that those things matter. They matter even when your partner doesn’t like them, or likes it slightly better when you act another way… It’s a huge risk saying no to something you don’t want anymore, but it’s the only way you can start saying yes to what’s really going to make you happy. With the Grand Earth Trine drawing you out of your shell and out into the social scene, it’s a great time to flirt, collaborate, or brainstorm. Challenge yourself to do something that makes you uncomfortable this month, especially if it means taking a concrete step towards the kind of relationship you really want.

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Corina Dross

Corina Dross is an astrologer, artist, and writer who spends as much time as possible in libraries or under trees. They offer astrological consultations, intuitive guidance, and creative coaching to clients worldwide. Corina is also one-half of a sibling art collaboration, Abacus Corvus. You can learn about their current work and offerings at www.flaxandgold.com.

Corina has written 106 articles for us.

13 Comments

  1. I’ve never been big on horoscopes and the likes, but with your articles it’s like I can feel the time, energy and love you’ve put into this. And somehow that makes quite the difference for me as a reader. Thank you, it was an interesting article :-)

  2. Yikes, my partner’s a Taurus and I’m a Leo. Sounds like this month might be pretty rough on us! Thanks for the insight.

  3. This is the first time I’ve read Satellite of Love, and ouch, it cut so close to the core. Perfect.

  4. Really feeling this. The new moon in Aries is on my birthday and I’m so excited for a fresh start. Also love the part about Venus-Uranus because my partner and I are taking the plunge into poly this month.

  5. As always, your horoscopes are 300% spot on for what I’m feeling and what I can see coming… So thank you for helping me not avoid it anymore x)

  6. Going through a horrible slow-motion break-up, so none of this was new but things are really ending this time. It looks like I can trust myself to adapt to that this month. Thanks!

  7. “get out of your own way.” Much easier said than done, but it’s something I’m going to try and accomplish. I have so many big plans, and the only person that’s been telling me no is me.

    Thanks, these are always great.

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