A sextile is perhaps the most underrated aspect in Astrology. Often treated like the trine's kid sister, a sextile is more conversational than unconditionally supportive. It acknowledges that every planet has its differences which is why it's always searching for ways for two planets to work together. It's something that will become abundantly clear on May 6th when a Venus/Pluto sextile shows you meeting with someone you don't see eye to eye with but who's in a position to help you get what you want. And sextiles being sextiles, it only stands to reason that you’re here to help this person get what they want too.

Pluto turning retrograde on May 4th promises to slow the wheels of progress. It won’t block your forward movement, but things will take longer than you thought they would to pan out. It’s important to work with planetary retrogrades even if they are devilishly frustrating and since you don't have much choice, it's wise to make the best of it because Pluto doesn't come out of retrograde until October 13th. Now that may seem a long ways off, but when you discover how things weren’t as ready as you thought they were, then you’ll be glad for the extra time to get your house in order.

The Sun/Pluto square on April 23d shows someone encroaching on your turf. It will be portrayed as an innocent oversight, but rest assured it's deliberate. But before you go full-on Hulk, take some time to research what's going on because what's happening may be bigger than you realize. There may be a regime change at work, a reshuffling of your department, or a major merger or acquisition taking place. You won't always be clear as to whether you should fight for what you have or accept a buyout while you can. In any case, you'll want to bird dog developments over the next few weeks.

Sometimes the reason a problem defies our best attempts to solve it is because it's not the right time. Maybe circumstances aren't conducive, your idea is too ahead of the curve, or things have to get worse before they can get better. What makes the Venus/Uranus sextile on April 20th more successful than the previous sextiles on January 26th and April 8th is that both planets are out of retrograde. They'll be working together instead of at cross purposes. Moreover Venus, ruler of the sextile and in Pisces (sign of her exaltation) ensures you'll produce a solution that meets with smiles instead of furrowed brows.

On April 8th you'll be approached by people who are certain that you – and only you – can salvage an unsalvageable situation. It's all very flattering and you'll be tempted to say “yes”, but this is a good time to remember that Ruling Planet Venus is still retrograde which means either the timing is off or the other parties aren't interested in making a deal right now. There's a reason why all the King's horses and all the King's men couldn't put Humpty-Dumpty back together again and that's because what they were looking at was an unholy mess. You might want to pass on this one.

It took a long time to get a certain someone to sit down with you, but now that you've got their attention you can expect things to proceed swiftly thanks to the Mars/Uranus sextile on April 4th. Sextiles are one of Astrology's most beneficent aspects because of their ability to alter the disposition of the planets. Neither Mars or Uranus is predisposed to being friendly much less agreeable, but thanks to the sextile you'll discover that the person you've been courting is much more receptive than you think and they will see that you're not quite the bull in the china shop that they imagined.

You like being the provider, but what you don’t like is feeling taken for granted. Yet what are you mad at really? You can’t set things up so that people are dependent on you and then in a moment of frustration tell them to pitch in. How are they supposed to know what you want them to do when you’ve been doing all the work? If you’re serious about asking them to help then delegate duties and responsibilities and be ready to relinquish some authority. It won’t be easy, but then a Solar Eclipse in Aries is all about facing a challenge rather than ducking it.

It doesn't matter if you walk behind your boss, defer to a supervisor, or credit your colleague – it's not going to work. Ruling Planet Venus retrograding past the Sun in Aries on March 22d shows that all eyes are on you. It's kind of like Princess Diana standing next to her husband Charles. Everyone could care less about the company you keep; they just want to hear from you. They want to know what you think, feel, and believe. Unfortunately it’s the wrong kind of attention at the most critical time. Expect to do a lot of bruised ego management in the days ahead.

The Lunar Eclipse on March 14th prompts you to ask questions like what happened to your love life, creativity and joy? Right now you feel like you’ve made all kinds of sacrifices while getting nothing in return. “What If?” scenarios are always strong when the Sun is traveling through the zodiac sign of Pisces which explains the longing and yearning. Perhaps the better question is what have you done to grow and nurture the love, joy, and creativity you want in life? Maybe you need to spend less time with your nose pressed to the grindstone and more time enjoying the fruits of your labor.

You’re receiving signs from a higher up that you’d be handsomely rewarded for performing a certain favor. It’s only natural you’d want to do everything you can to rise in a superior’s estimation, however the planets show you may be entering tricky territory. Not only are you putting yourself at risk, but it appears as if you’re being maneuvered into a position where this person can disavow any knowledge of your actions if something goes wrong. Only you can decide if it’s worth it, but should you choose to comply make sure to hold on to all emails, voicemails, and text messages. You may need them.