Tuesday is April Fool’s Day, and while this week is anything but funny, the role of the iconic fool is curiously appropriate for the epic planetary alignment of our time and the concurrent madness here on Earth.

In a Tarot reading a few days ago, I drew The Fool. The usual interpretation of The Fool involves having faith that if you’re on the right path, the universe will support you. Knowing that gives one the courage to take risks and move forward despite uncertainty.

That’s not a bad image for this week’s tumultuous aspects. The winds are picking up as we head straight into the storm, and playing it safe isn’t an option. We’re being forced into new territory where few have gone before. The world is changing – socially, culturally, technologically, and politically – and we’re all explorers and pioneers.

Although the conventional interpretation was relevant, I wasn’t satisfied, so I consulted some alternative sources. One of my go-to references is A Dictionary of Symbols, by J.E. Cirlot (who, incidentally, was an Aries). In his entry on The Fool in the Tarot, Cirlot discusses the mystic symbolism of the Fool archetype, including his role in healing rituals:

In their medicinal ceremonies and rites, doctor and patient ‘act mad,’ and through frenzied dancing and ‘extravagances,’ they try to invert the prevailing evil order. The logic of the process is clear enough: When the normal or conscious appears to become infirm or perverted, in order to regain health and goodness it becomes necessary to turn to the dangerous, the unconscious, and the abnormal.

The current order, if you can call it that, is rotten to the core. It needs to be broken down so it can be rebuilt in a way that is sustainable, and to be sustainable, it must revere the goodness in humanity and bring us to a state of wholeness. Breakdown is accelerated under the Uranus-Pluto square, and yes, it’s dangerous territory. We’re tapping into the collective unconscious, unleashing the demons of the past.

Cirlot’s entry on alchemy further speaks to the danger of this process. For consciousness to evolve, you must “analyse all the elements in yourself, dissolve all that is inferior in you, even though you may break in doing so; then, with the strength acquired from the preceding operation, congeal.” In alchemical terms, this process is known as Solve et Coagula. I apply it not only to individuals, but to the collective. We are indeed in a dangerous phase. Until a new order is established, chaos and madness reign. But if Cirlot is right, then our collective madness is a good sign.

In astrology, Uranus blasts apart, but it’s also the planet of breakthroughs. Pluto is the planet of death and transformation – breaking down to release energy for new growth. Jupiter is the planet of growth and expansion. Meanwhile, Neptune, which I haven’t addressed much lately, is the dissolver. He’s currently placed in his own sign of Pisces, making his energy particularly strong.

Jupiter, Uranus, and Pluto are moving toward alignment in a T-square configuration, which will be exact April 20-21, between eclipses on April 15 and April 29. By that time, retrograde Mars in Libra also will be in the mix. It’s going to get wild and crazy, and the best reassurance I can offer is to repeat that the madness is part of a dangerous but necessary process for humanity as a whole.

We begin this week in the wake of the New Moon in Aries conjunct Uranus at the apex of the T-square. We call it a “cardinal” T-square because it involves the cardinal signs – Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn – which represent initiating change. With Uranus in the mix, some of the changes ahead will be sudden and will catch us totally off guard. That said, we could get some clues this week as the Sun squares Jupiter on Tuesday, conjoins Uranus on Wednesday, and squares Pluto on Thursday. As usual, watch the news headlines. Also, pay attention to unusual or highly significant events in your own life, especially those connected to a challenge you’ve been struggling with since last summer or all the way back to the summer of 2010.

Another day to watch for hints of what’s coming is Sunday (April 6), when the Moon in Cancer trines Neptune, conjoins Jupiter, squares Uranus, and opposes Pluto.

On Saturday, Venus enters Pisces, the sign of her exaltation. We can connect on a deep level, perhaps without conscious awareness that it’s happening. Have you ever had a discussion with someone, perhaps even a casual chat, and felt that another, more important “conversation” was taking place beneath the surface? Probably the most common instance of this kind of communication is between two people who are attracted to one another – what we call “chemistry.” You may have just met, and maybe you’re just talking about the weather, but the deeper communication is unmistakable. Another common example is an unspoken but clearly felt power struggle between two people.

That’s all I have for this week. Hang in there, everyone, and meet your challenges head-on. Be brave, take risks. Don’t fear breakdowns. It’s all part of the process.

Wishing you all much love and unlimited courage,
Pat

© Pat Paquette, RealAstrologers.com, 2014.