Starting right out with the Full Moon in Libra, this week is the beginning of a critical period of saying goodbye to what is comfortable, familiar … and totally not working.

It’s a truth universally accepted in astrology that the fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius) are the most likely to fight change. Regardless of whether you’re predominantly fixed, cardinal, or mutable, you are a human being, and our brains are wired to stick with what we know. Sure, your Venus in Gemini might go for a different hairstyle every day of the week, but you know what I’m talking about.

Many of you have written to me in the past couple of years complaining that you’re stuck in a boring, dead-end job but don’t want to break out. A couple of readers have admitted outright that they never would make the same kind of money in a more interesting profession. Many of you are stuck in dead-end relationships but can’t let go.

On some level, you may want to stay where you are — better the devil you know than the one you don’t know. But I also know that many of us fit my analogy of flies beating against the glass. They can see the light out there but just don’t know how to get there. Their fly brains don’t understand the concept of glass. The only way they get out is with the help of a higher being, one that is sympathetic enough to free them rather than swatting them dead.

Those higher forces are kicking in now, thanks to the increasing intensity of the cardinal T-square, which peaks at various times between now and 2012. Today’s Full Moon in Libra is a stepping stone to the next turbulence zone, which occurs around the Full Moon lunar eclipse on June 26.

Remember, cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn) are characterized by initiating change. They are the movers and shakers of the zodiac, the pioneers, the drill sergeant screaming, “Move your ass!” We might not like it, but that’s how we get stronger and more confident … if the stress doesn’t kill us first!

This week, I reckon we’ll all come to the conclusion that we’re not dead, despite seriously scary g-forces. Literally, I’ve been struggling just to stay standing since my back injury a year ago, but with a new and very talented therapist, I’m beginning to see some light at the end of the tunnel.

I won’t elaborate on the Full Moon here, since I posted a detailed report on Saturday. The rest of the week should be fairly calm by comparison, allowing us to catch our breath. Mars is picking up speed, too, which is helping us to get the energy and motivation we need to accomplish all the tasks we’ve let fall by the wayside since the beginning of the year.

Better still, Venus leaves Aries on Wednesday and enters Taurus. You’ll immediately feel the difference as the planet of love and symbol of the divine feminine goes from the sign of her detriment to the sign she rules. It’s time for chocolate, roses, good food, good wine, and every other sensual pleasure known to humanity. I sometimes joke that the only reason to incarnate on the material plane is for sex and chocolate. Otherwise, I’d be happy as a disembodied being of light in another quadrant of the universe.

Thursday is April Fool’s Day and time for some much-needed laughs. Just take care that you don’t joke at someone else’s expense. With Mercury square Chiron that day, there’s a high risk of hurting someone’s feelings, and that defeats the whole purpose of this light-hearted tradition.

Mercury joins Venus in Taurus on Friday, and the weekend could be somewhat tense as both Venus and Mercury square Mars, with Venus trine Pluto just as the planetary symbol of underworld forces is stationed to go retrograde. If you’re romantically involved with someone, expect to experience a conflict between sexual attraction and emotional disconnection. Pluto typically gets what he wants, so you’ll probably give in to the physical urges. That’s OK, as long as you address your emotional needs when conditions are more favorable.

Even in non-romantic relationships, you may feel an emotional tug-of-war beneath the surface. I’m usually in favor of being open and direct, but this weekend, hold back a bit and wait for a more suitable time to talk. With Pluto turning retrograde, the potential for deep insight is very high. My best advice to you is to let go of attachment to any particular outcome, because what you get instead could be vastly superior.

Wishing you all much love and courage,
Pat