You long to socialize, relax, enjoy romance, and maybe even take a trip, but everything this month – and I mean everything – seems to hinge on money and current cash flow. Just recently, a matter involving a friend, or a big event that put you in the middle of many happy people, was brought to fullness by the full moon, March 31, that fell just one day prior to April. If nothing happened on March 31, you may still see something occur in the first four days of April.

That full moon of March 31 was flawed. Saturn and Mars in Capricorn at 8 degrees sent an angry shot at the full moon in Libra 10 degrees, and at the same time, the Sun in Aries across the sky. Saturn is the judge and the teacher, while Mars is the planet of action and energy, and both are currently based in your second house of earned income, fees, and salary. As you see, money is at the core of all the problems. You keep asking yourself, can I afford this? Mars has recently forced up your expenses ever since he entered Capricorn on March 17. If you are feeling a bit alarmed at the rate money is leaving your checking account, know that this will calm down after May 15 when Mars leaves Capricorn and enters Aquarius.

Saturn and Mars are both in your second house, and orbiting shoulder to shoulder. They are an odd pair, and on April 2 they will conjoin in precise mathematical degree. Mars is a hot, fiery planet, and Saturn is an icy, cold one. Mars wants you to act quickly, forcefully, and decisively, while Saturn will pull you back and have you reconsider every move. You may temporarily feel a little frozen, unsure of which way to turn. This will pass soon.

A side effect of this aspect of Saturn conjunct Mars on April 2 is that it is a classic aspect for injury through falls and through other means, so you need to protect bones, particularly your knees, and also your teeth. If a tooth feels a little weird, especially after you eat something hot, then you need to see the dentist immediately before things get too far along. Also on or near this day, do not sign any contracts or give a verbal agreement to any new deal in the first part of April. There is another reason I say that.

Mercury will be retrograde this month in Aries, until April 15, a trend that started on March 22. This may bring a variety of little outcomes. In love, you may have miscommunications, or mixed messages from the person you are dating or with one of your children. If you are doing an expensive in vitro medical procedure to conceive a baby, it might be better to do in late April on April 23 when Mars and your ruler Jupiter are in sync. Or, do it next month, but of course, only if your doctor agrees and your cycle allows this kind of timing.

In matters involving a creative project that is dear to your heart, you may encounter delays, redesigns, and other tweaks, but you are likely to be able to untangle those fairly quickly. The frustrating part of Mercury retrograde for you, dear Sagittarius, is that Mercury rules your career – your tenth house of fame – so until Mercury goes direct on April 15, you may feel that progress is too slow for your liking. This will change, so keep the faith.

More emphasis on your creative work will come up on the April 15 new moon and the weeks that follow. A new moon creates a long trend and you must have a plan by the time this new moon arrives, for it will set the tone for six months. Here is what makes this particular new moon so hard to predict – the new moon will be conjunct Uranus, the planet of sudden unanticipated developments that come out of blue, and it’s impossible to say if you will like the surprises or not.

I will admit this new moon is not perfect – Pluto will be within five degrees of a hard angle to Uranus, but fortunately, Pluto and Uranus are what we call separating – they are not due to come together anymore, so their years of disagreement that caused such stress on everyone of every sign from 2011 onward is finally on the way out. A separating aspect is never as strong as one that astrologers call applying – in other words, building in strength as they prepare to come together in conjunction.

Still, and I am not sure about what I am about to say, you might have a pushy banker, creditor, investor, or other person from the financial field who will want his money pronto, or demand that you make a profit from his investment just after April 15. Looking at the date, this could be about taxes. You might be able to forge a payment plan if you owe a sum. Still, this new moon is better than the full moon that I just spoke about and that happened March 31. We are making progress here.

There are other strong, positive aspects that will jump in and help you and bring balance to this new moon of April 15. The ruler of your sign, Sagittarius, is Jupiter, so we always have to look to see if Jupiter is making any important aspects each month. Jupiter is making a very beautiful one, on April 23, when Jupiter will reach out to Mars in your second house of earned income. This tells me after Mercury is moving direct (after April 15), you may get a big assignment that will calm any fears that you may run out of cash. Indeed, April 23 will be a golden day and my favorite of the month.

    On April 23, good fortune Jupiter will reach out to action Mars in your second house of earned income. This tells me that after Mercury moves direct (after April 15) you may get a big assignment that will calm any fears that you may run out of cash. Indeed, April 23 will be a golden day for you!

Another important conversation going on in the heavens involves Jupiter, the giver of gifts and luck, in ideal angle to Neptune, the planet of creativity, vision, the silver screen, and images. Neptune is currently in your home sector. This is a gorgeous aspect to brighten your private family life. Things should be very happy, and perhaps news will bring everyone closer, such as the move to a new house, the finishing of a renovation, or even the arrival of a new baby in the family. If you are the process of changing your decor, you will come up with gorgeous ideas, helped by these powerful planets. Neptune and Jupiter will be out of range by September, but in the meantime, you can really enjoy this outstandingly beautiful aspect.

The month ends with the best full moon – April 29, in Scorpio 10 degrees – falling in your house of privacy, rest, and also creative projects you work on out of view from others. You may be ready to show your idea to the world by this full moon, and it would be the right time to do so. The Sun will be trine (meaning in perfect harmony) with Saturn, ensuring what you do at this time will bring stability and a comforting sense of security. Saturn will also signal the moon from your second house of earned income, so your financial picture will brighten substantially, giving you a sigh of relief.

During this last weekend of April, plan to rest, or treat yourself to time to tinker with your favorite creative project. That full moon is within ten degrees of bountiful Jupiter in Scorpio, and although I wish these two were closer, they are what astrologers call within orb. So there you are – things are on the way to a better place.

One little warning is that on the full moon, April 29, Saturn in your financial house will be at odds with Mercury, a planet that rules your career. Do not agree to anything at month’s end. You need to get that agreement ready a week earlier, April 23.

Romantically, your chart is complex because you have Uranus, the planet of unplanned, unanticipated, surprising events, conjunct that new moon of April 15. I can never tell you what kind of message Uranus will bring. You may meet someone new and exciting, and if so, keep the relationship on a slow simmer until you get to know one another really well. This is a volatile new moon! The new moon may bring news about the person you are dating that does not please you or just the opposite, a surprise that thrills you. Life is always full of surprises, so we have to be open to whatever comes up.

If your birthday falls on December 17, plus or minus five days, you will more likely enjoy this new moon than not! The same is true if you have Sagittarius rising at 26 degrees, or have the natal moon at 26 degrees Sagittarius.

I will say that those Sagittarians who are attached have an edge, because if that is you, Venus will enter your marriage / established, committed relationship sector on April 24 to stay until May 19. If you are in a long-term relationship, you will find your interactions are likely to be silky smooth.

You seem to want to break free, but financial considerations have almost necessitated that you keep your eyes on the road and your forehead to the steering wheel. A social event will come up in the first week if it hadn’t in the last days of March, and your challenge will be to enjoy it without breaking the bank. You may feel you owe your friend full involvement – perhaps your friend is getting married at a destination wedding for example – but you feel badly that you can’t afford the expenses involved. This puts you in a quagmire, but be realistic about what you can afford and open up honestly with your friend. A real friend would never want you to suffer financially.

You will feel life is improved by mid-month, when the new moon and Sun (opportunity), Mercury (news), and Uranus (surprises) work together to jazz your love life. If you are single, this is great news, for it shows you circulating with friends to meet someone new who is right for you. Traveling near or far might bring an introduction, so if your sibling or friends suggest you take a trip soon, don’t wave off the idea – go. If you go overseas or to a distant point, which is very possible now, it will cause an energy shift in you, and you’ll return home refreshed with a new perspective and be eager to tackle all on your desk.

If you feel that you are spending too much time backtracking to fix present projects that you assumed were done, blame Mercury in retrograde. Mercury is the planet that naturally rules your tenth house of fame and honors, so when Mercury is out of phase, it’s hard for you to make good progress. It would be a mistake to take a new position in the first two weeks of April, so wait until the second half. Because travel is indicated in your chart, go in the first half when nothing earthshattering will happen at the office while you are away.

If you would like to learn more about Mercury retrograde, and why it is never wise to buy new electronic items during this phase, you might want to lo look at my article, “All You Need to Know About Mercury Retrograde,” on the lower left hand side of my website of Astrology Zone. Here is the link: http://bit.ly/2ny6INl

If you are reading my forecast on my premium paid version of my app, go to the menu, find Life Love + More, and then Susan’s Essays. You will find the same article with a different headline, “Mercury Retrograde and What It Means for You.” I am not sure why my tech team changed the name on my same essay.

Your creativity will be very high in the second half of April, so if you are charged with coming up with original ideas for a campaign or special project, you will want to shutter yourself inside to think, for you seem to be able to come up with ideas that just about everyone agrees are remarkable.

You’ll be happier at month’s end, for your work well done will begin to bring in a steady stream of money, showing you that your fear of being perpetually short of cash has been unfounded. You have an ace in your pocket, for Jupiter, your ruler, and powerhouse Pluto will be in fine conversation this year until September, a rare aspect, so you have the power to make a very dramatic change upward in your net worth. It will be gratifying to see your income rise, so have faith your hard work is leading you in precisely the right direction.