Let’s face it. Things just ain’t like they used to be. April, once known as the “cruelest month” (T.S. Eliot thought so, anyway) could well live up to its billing. But that’s only if you let the pundits, the prognosticators, the professors (doom and gloom) get you down. I say “ignore them all” and put your best face forward: the face of optimism. This month, either things are getting better or we’re getting used to it.
For the future, I prefer to look to a happier quote: April showers bring May flowers. So apprapro as we work our way though this awful economic mess on our way to the Promised (Recovery) Land.
Aries: Your bold face needs to keep that bravado in mind during April as situations, bad and good, roll out like a carpet at a movie premier. Part of April is like your own personal horror flick; chop,chop,cut, cut, slice and dice - at least where it concerns work and your personal spending. But once that segment ends (thankfully),and you have swept away all that is unnecessary, you enter Disney World (not literally; we’re talking movies here). I’m seeing live-action Herbie movies (from 1969’s “The Love Bug” and 3 different Herbie sequels). Nothing too frivolous or animated yet. But the Disney imprint means you’ve just gone through the worst of it. Remain hopeful.
Taurus: Dog-faced and dog-eared, you’ve been bearing the brunt of other people’s problems and worries lately. You are not yourself - that’s why you wear a hang-dog look instead of that of the brute-strong look of the Bull. This month, you must remember you are still The Bull. And even while the bears tear up the stock market, you must patiently wait for the better time to re-appear. It will come, just not right away. There’s still mass confusion (and some hysteria) this month, especially where it regards stocks and certain other investments. But keep in mind, there is money sitting on the sidelines, waiting for the right moment, to come back in the market and invest. The mattress is not any sort of long-term plan. So take heart, Taurus. Practice patience.
Gemini: Two-faced, but not in a bad way, Oh Sign of Twins. Your moods and emotions have bounced back and forth between hope and despair in the recent past. St. Patty’s Day didn’t seem like such a fun time, but you look forward to coloring Easter eggs. It’s pick and choose time for you this month, Gemini, as you come down to earth (Air Signs always find that tricky). Do I stay or do I go? Does s/he stay or do they go? Whatever choice you make it, base it on your gut. Since you are the Sign of Duality you can always take the other side of any argument. But this is no time to argue with yourself over matters of import. Go strictly with your One on One intuition.
Cancer/Moon Child: I’ve Seen Your Face Before. The soon-to-be- coming-around-again Grace Jones sang this Tango in the 1980s. The lyric is about recognizing what and who is going on around you. And it’s meant for you this month, Moon Child. Are you seeing the same archetypes enter your life, over and over again? What lessons do you learn from them? Some of these archetypes are shadowy figures (like those in the song), but the very good news, this month, is that you are now recognizing the dough faces quickly and showing them to the door. The wool-pulling days are over now, Moon Child. Look strangers straight in the eye. If they blink, pass them by without a second thought.
Leo: “Face Up to the Blunt Truth”. Those are the words of Diogenes (412-323 BC) and they were strong back then and strong today. Leos like to get right to the point; no fancy dancing, no 10-letter words. They want to hear it like it is, tell it like it is, and press on. So you’ve been doing a lot of facing-up lately. I see you’ve lost weight and more than a few nights sleep. April brings you some respite (and some needed R&R) as you re-group, re-formulate and re-charge. You are still in a leadership role, or will soon be. When it comes to implementing some one’s plan (see Aquarius) nobody does it better. So keep leading the Truth Leader charge. You will make a lasting difference and be rewarded for it.
Virgo: You need a Face Lift. Not literally (although that could work), but figuratively. You’ve been grumbling and groaning about some business plans gone awry (or about to). And your whole face and demeanor shows it. Failure is not a word in your vocabulary, especially since you work so hard and are so darned practical. But sometimes hard work and practicality are just not enough to foot the bill. This is hard for you to see, because you’ve put so much work into your work. And hard for you to accept, because it’s never happened to you before - at least not quite like this. You need to lift your spirits (and your face) by focusing your practical mind on how you can put the pieces back together again. You can, you know, rethink and re-do. As Nike (the Company, not the goddess) once said, “Just do it.”
Libra: About Face. You’ve changed direction, and not a moment too soon. As an air sign, you can tell which way the wind is blowing; you don’t need to be a weatherman; you just know. It may seem odd, but this is an oddly auspicious time for you. Libra is one of the most comforting and soothing of all the Signs, and so many of us still need soothing and comforting. This is a great time for you to re-invent; to put your creativity and benevolence to work together to create a concept that is both timely and desirable (which you understand better than most Signs). Recognize what’s needed and rise to meet the demand this month.
Scorpio: Face the Music and Dance. Scorpio, you are so lithe and light on your feet. All the better to move around the dance floor, size up your competition and put yourself in the best position (that would be in the center, spotlight on you). Times are tough for you, Scorpio, but, just like Aries, the fellow-fire Sign, never count Scorpio down and out. Nobody knows how to play dead better than Scorpio - or how to quickly move from break-dance to twist to foxtrot to jitterbug (how appropriate) and back again. Just when you think Scorpio’s batteries have run out, surprise! Scorpio was just waiting for the right moment to make his/her point and regain some lost power. I see a Great April for you, Scorpio. Just one word to the wise: Watch whose feet you step on as you step it up.
Sagittarius: Love Your Funny Face. Actually, Audrey Hepburn’s face wasn’t all that funny; she was lovely anyway you looked at her. This movie, from 1957, was a comedy and that’s what April is about for you, Sag. I keep mentioning how important your cheery attitude is to all you know. You are one of the most-uplifting of all the Signs. Witty, jokey, pun-filled - if there’s a Sagittarius around, s/he is gently (or even not-so-gently) making you laugh, or at, the very least, smile. Sag has the greatest laugh, and like a smile, that’s equally contagious. If you’re in a crowded room or a movie theater, and you hear a loud, infectious he-haw, more than likely it’s coming from Sagittarius. So, while the Country, the World, and even You try to get back on a more even keel, find ways to stay cheery and to keep cheering others. Go searching for humor, if you must. There’s plenty around - on and off YouTube. April may not seem particularly funny to you (taxes, and all), but if there’s a silver lining to any dark clouds, you’ll find it. Spread the cheer and the silver lining all around and it will come back to you, many-fold.
Capricorn: The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face. Love is in the air for you (it’s April, after all). Hello, young lovers and even older ones (You may soon hum this Robert Flack song). This is a surprise for you, Cap. You actually haven’t given romance or love much thought. But life’s bag of tricks is full of unexpected treats - some of them in the form of love and romance. Just when you thought things couldn’t get much worse, you forgot to think about the healing power of love. A chance meeting, a reunion, or a match-up will introduce you to the dizzying delight of love. There is so much more in this life than money. Cap, you’re just about to find that out for yourself.
Aquarius: Making Faces. Actually, you’re doing a lot more than making faces this month, Aquarius; You’re creating, solving, re-inventing and even inventing. The most important part of your face is your forehead and your fertile brain/mind. The need to solve some of the problems facing this Planet have driven you to research, write and work, harder than ever, coming up with new ideas for these new, leaner times. Many great solutions to the toughest problems will come from Aquarius (also see Leo). So while you may be squinting and frowning more than usual, that’s only because you are so very hard in thought. Expect to come up with some creative,workable solutions to help (just like fellow-Aquarian FDR did in the 1930s).
Pisces: Facing Time. Pisces, you are one of the Signs who can work around the clock, if needed. Time seems to have a different meaning for you than the rest of us. Time changes seem to have little meaning or disturbance for you. Jet lag is not your problem. Because you can focus so strongly on your work or your passion, you sometimes lose track of time, which means you are anything but prompt. And unless you have a firm deadline, you rarely have a routine. Because you are so adverse to keeping time by wall clock or wrist watch, sometimes you miss some of the important clues or hints that exist, for the rest of us, in the here and now. Like reading your snail mail; paying your bills; responding to personal emails and so on. April has some important “times” for you - most especially the tax deadline ( I know, you can extend, if necessary), but also friends and family who could use some more of your time. I think, above all other Signs, you regard time as precious, so you hate wasting it. April will remind you of the value of spending time on people and projects that exist outside your focus. This could be a rude awakening, or one - just “in time”. (The importance Pisces places on time could lead in an opposite direction; to someone overly concerned with time - almost to the point of rigidity. This Piscean personality needs to awaken to the virtues of being more flexible).
Trend Analysis: Uncertainty about virtually all aspects of our lives (except our closest relationships) leads to a demand for simplicity and a rejection of excess. Some of this change of heart is based on personal finances and some on less desire for consumption; but another, deeper meaning attaches itself this month (Earth Day is April 22) as we realize how much our excesses and inattention have harmed the earth and its creatures. I see some sadness and grief over the loss of the good old days, but also a new determination emerging to tackle the hardest problems and challenges and to show our mettle and our skills. Many new, creative ideas are soon to emerge - again, new heroes will be scientists, medical researchers, economists and engineers. On the popular culture front, look for new interest in older artists like the androgynous David Bowie and Grace Jones (referenced above). Also a lot more interest in artists like photographer Cindy Sherman, whose many portraits astound and confound us. These futurists emerged way back in the 1970-80s, but their music, artistry and personna represent the way many people now see the world (especially the younger group). Today not everything is so black and white or as it seems.
Check out: T.S. Eliot (”The Wasteland”), Diogenes,“Herbie” movies (Disney live-action films circa 1969-70s), Grace Jones (Nightclubbing), David Bowie (”Ziggy Stardust“), “Funny Face” (1957 film, Audrey Hepburn and Fred Astaire), Franklin Delano Roosevelt (32nd U.S. President), Cindy Sherman (Untitled Film Stills), Earth Day (April 22, 2009)
3.11.09
