As the month opens, with four heavenly bodies crowd into your twelfth sector of privacy, you will need rest. You've been operating at record speed, and it's time to slow down and think about your birthday year ahead. What would you like to accomplish by this time next year, dear Taurus? The ancient astrologers always spoke of the wisdom of taking the time to think about all you'd like to do.

The new moon of April 7 in Aries 18 degrees will set off a trend of encouraging you to look ahead, as well as inside - both! Look inward to decide what would satisfy you and then choose one area to make changes in that part of your life. You'll be quite creative in your thinking, as Uranus will be conjunct the Sun and be friendly to the new moon, sparking original ideas that never before occurred to you. This new moon will be in perfect angle to Saturn, a stabilizing, comforting influence. Saturn's presence also suggests that the decisions you make now will stay in place a long time, and that's a good sign. This is important - your actions will have weight.

Also at the new moon of April 7, Pluto will be cranky to the Sun and new moon (in exact degree, mathematically), so someone may push an idea on you that you aren't thrilled about accepting. Or, you may have difficulty with a media project in the days following the new moon, or with academic matter related to plans to go to college or graduate school. Legal maneuvers won't go as planned without push-back from the other side. I feel you can outwit any obstacle, because the ruler of Aries, Mars, will be within a ten-degree angle to the new moon, which is a little far, but still within orb. This tells me the outcome of Pluto's pressures will be positive.

A new moon is always powerful for 10 days, and the actions you take, and the conditions that come up, always have an influence of six months, until the full moon comes by to put a final punctuation mark on that new moon. The full moon in Aries is due October 15.

Your living situation may reach a nice stage at the new moon April 7 too. Saturn will be in perfect angle to the Sun (ruling your fourth house of home and family) on April 6, a great day to look at and choose from several contractors' estimates. You can look at a new rental apartments and sign papers for one you like and find suitable, browse shops for furniture, make a bid on a house or condo apartment, or decide to make needed repairs. You may also sell property this month too, near in the days spanning April 7-14.

Uranus will also be very active at the April 7 full moon, with the Sun conjunct Uranus to be exact on Saturday, April 9. This is a day when you could see a sudden home-related breakthrough. You will have that new moon helping you too, so that'll give you double the cosmic help you need. If you were concerned about a family member who you would like to help though any situation, this would be the day you find the answer about how to do it.

Get plans done early in the month, for Mercury will go retrograde from April 28 to May 22. You won't want to sign any papers during that time, nor should you. Don't buy any electronic items either, so no shopping for a computer, smart phone, flat screen TV, camera, headphones, and don't buy a new kitchen appliance or other item that runs on electricity. Do that early in April, not near April 28 and certainly not in May.

One of your happy days of the month will be when your darling ruler, Venus, will receive a golden beam from Mars, on April 12. This is a warm and sexy vibration, and you can tell, for you might know that Venus rules love, and when with her lover Mars, sparks are always there. The transiting moon will be in Cancer, setting the stage for a fine emotional environment. On this day, if single, you may meet someone special if you have a blind date. Let's not forget that Jupiter, the giver of gifts and luck, is still transiting your fifth house of true love for the first time in twelve years. This trend started August 11, 2015 and will continue to September 9, 2016 and can have you finding your one true love this year! Pluto and Mars are nicely situated, so venture out! If you are attached, you can flirt with your sweetheart like when you first met.

Another highly romantic day will be April 22, when Venus and Uranus will work together to cook up surprising, sudden romantic opportunity. This also happens to also be the date of the full moon in your seventh house of committed relationships, a double sign that when it comes to love, Cupid and his little fleet of angels will be working hard for you. Single or attached, this Friday night is for you!

Let's go back to earlier in the month, to April 14, when Mercury and Jupiter will be working in "trine" position of heavenly harmony. This day would be ideal for signing papers, to have a meeting or presentation that will lead to accord, and to travel near or far. Mercury is the natural ruler (solar) of your second house of money, so your actions should lead to profit. This is also a wildly creative day, so if you are working on a project, be sure to clear your calendar and hunker down to work - you will be pleased with the results.

Now we get to an important point of the month. Mars will go retrograde on April 17 until June 29, a situation that will stall your plans and almost force you to apply more energy to any venture or relationship that is new and just starting up. You won't have Mars' energetic help, so you will have to supply the elbow grease. Mars is the planet that provides courage, determination, and drive. If you want to win in any specific competitive situation, you would need Mars behind you to win. In that case, either launch you initiative early in April or wait until July or August, or better yet, October.

If you have elective surgery coming up, wait until July or August, as Mars rules sharp instruments, including the surgeon's implements. However if you need surgery, do it now! I once had earthshattering operation on an eclipse (never a good idea but it was an emergency ) and although it was a harrowing operation that required 17 blood transfusions and two years to recover from, I did well. You won't have anything like that! Don't worry! My point is, if you need the surgery, have it! We can't control all events in life!

Everyone of every sign will feel the slowdown, for the universe will be telling us to look back on relationships, projects, and conditions of the past and to find ways to improve them. It's not the time to look forward to begin new ventures, to launch them, or to forge new relationships. For that, hold off until July or August. If it's REALLY important and you have the choice, put off to October.

If you are in sales or are self-employed, for example, you can go back to review your client list. As it has been said, you get 80 percent of your business from 20 percent of your list. Reactivate past clients who always loved you and who you feel would want to work with you again. You will do well - those clients will be happy to hear from you.

Mars is transiting your eighth house of investments, so do review their performance, but don't make radical, impulsive changes. Plot them out carefully with the help of a financial advisor. April is a month when many people in the US contribute a sum of money to a retirement account before filing taxes, this year on April 18. You can invest, but do your homework on those investments and be conservative. Of course, in any actions, I prefer to act well in advance of April 17, before Mars goes retrograde. The earlier in the month you act, the better. You never want to work too closely to the onset date of a retrograde planet, or in the several days after a planet goes direct. Give space of days - as many as you can muster.

The full moon this month on April 21 will fall in Scorpio, 2 degrees, in your seventh house of partnerships and marriage. The person you love and hope to marry, or have already married, may now bring you news that you will want to hear. Or, you may be planning something big together - you may get engaged or married. It seems that whatever you are discussing will inspire you deeply because Neptune will be so beautifully angled to that full moon. You may be going to a party or celebration, and if so, it should be quite enchanting.

The seventh house also covers all business collaborations, such as with a business partner, manager, agent, publicist, or even with your lawyer. Anyone who is in your life that you feel is a professional and who works in a one-on-one way with you (even a doctor would fit this category) would be covered by the seventh house, the area lit up for you now. For example, if you are a publicist or a lawyer, then the talent or person you represent would come under this full moon - one is likely to be on your mind, and you may finish up a big project together or make an important decision.

This will be a low-key month where you will have time to reflect on how 2016 has proceeded so far, and where you'd like to drive your life in the future. Planets in Aries, filling the last house of your horoscope, will have you craving privacy and rest. If you have a secret that you need to hide from others, be careful, for when the buildup of heavenly bodies migrate into your first house at month's end, your confidence may come out in the open.

Venus, your ruling planet, will be among the planets in your twelfth house of privacy, suggesting you are not quite ready to show a project you've been working on, but you will be at the end of next month. The problem may be that your timing could be off now and even next month. Here is why.

Mercury, the planet that covers negotiation, commerce, communication, and contracts, will go retrograde from April 28 until May 22. Additionally, and perhaps even more concerning, is that action and energy planet Mars will also retrograde, in his case from April 17 to June 29. In the case of any retrograde planet, progress slows to a crawl. Furthermore, neither planet will be energetic the instant it turns direct but instead will take a lackadaisical path for weeks until it ramps up to former speed. Work hard on your project early in April, and get as much done as possible. As you go along, get feedback from your boss, and if you are self-employed, from your clients for ways to improve your array of goods or services.

The new moon, April 7, will put in motion all you need to do behind the scenes to get your project polished and in top-notch condition. Pluto will be in hard angle to Uranus, so you may have problems with travel, shipments held up in customs, or a relationship abroad. Alternatively, an incident involving academia may come up that you find frustrating, or you may face an obstacle in a legal or media project. News will come up suddenly, but because Pluto is in Capricorn, an earth sign that is in harmony with your Taurus Sun, you can find a way to unlock the problem by being resourceful and refusing to give up. Once you have your plan, set a meeting for one of your best days for a happy result - April 14 when Mercury (which rules your money earned) will be in gorgeous angle to generous good fortune planet Jupiter.

Mars began a long, nearly seven-month tour of your eighth house of other people's money last month when Mars entered Sagittarius on March 5, so it appears you will continue to be focused on money (and insurance, as well as other money matters) in months ahead whether funds you need are for the purchase of a house, business venture capital, a surgery, vacation, or to materialize another dream. It is also likely money owed to you, say, as an insurance payout, or back child support, may be on your mind. However, Mars' long tour of Sagittarius, not to end until September 27, suggests the matter may take months to fully settle. You may reorganize your investments or renegotiate financial arrangements too if you feel you can get a better return on those investments. April will be a fine time to check in with your financial advisor to plot a plan. Be conservative with your choices.

The full moon on April 21 will brighten your seventh house of marriage and business partnerships. You appear to be attending a social occasion with your partner within four days of this date. Neptune will send glittering, silvery beams to this full moon from your house of friends and fun, so the weekend of April 23-24 may mark a highly romantic social event. Be out seeing friends in the days circling April 22, and because this will be a special moment of the year, get your wardrobe ready!

Additionally, three is another reason April 22 should sparkle, for Venus and Uranus will conjoin, setting off sparks of love. Venus is your ruler, so this day should rate a "10" for you. If single, love may strike like a thunderbolt. If you are attached, your partner may thrill you in ways you can't quite yet imagine.