Calendar Page
Special Days and Aspects for April 2005
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Welcome to April! Click on a date in the calendar to see the current aspects and events for that day.
April 1, 2005
April Fool’s Day: Sorry, but there are no holidays of any kind this month. April Fool! This day for playing tricks on friends by getting them to believe false information (at least momentarily) dates to the adoption of the Gregorian calendar in 1582. New Year’s Day was moved to January 1 from its more natural occurrence near the vernal equinox. People who continued to celebrate the old form of the new year and to make new year’s visits to loved ones in late March and early April were mocked as April Fools. In the French version of the day, the fool is a fish, the poisson d’avril, and the prankster’s goal is to pin a paper fish on the back of someone’s shirt without getting caught.
April 2, 2005
Happy Birthday to
Ariel!
Moon Phase
Last-quarter Moon in Capricorn, 00:50 Universal Time.
Venus at 14 degrees Aries opposed retrograde Jupiter in Libra
The Venus-Jupiter opposition is a classic transit of pleasure and indulgence, although Venus’ rather uncomfortable positioning in Aries and Jupiter’s retrograde motion might put a damper on all-out luxuriating.
International Children’s Book Day: Hans Christian Andersen’s birthday was chosen by the International Board on Books for Young People as the day to celebrate children’s literature.
Florida State Day: Explorer Ponce de Leσn landed in Florida around Easter time in 1513 and called the land “Easter Full of Flowers” — Pascua Florida. The Florida Legislature proclaimed April 2 a state holiday in commemoration of the landing.
April 3, 2005
Sun at 13 degrees Aries opposed retrograde Jupiter in Libra
A cheery, positive and confident quality prevails, but try to avoid self-righteousness.
Daylight-Saving Time begins: Crank those clocks forward by an hour if you live in a zone that likes to have its population rise in darkness in order to save an hour of daylight for evening time.
April 4, 2005
Megalesia: An ancient Roman festival, Megalesia honored the Great Mother, a goddess called Cybele. The cult of Cybele was introduced to Rome by the Phrygian people about 200 B.C. Beginning about 200 A.D., Cybele’s festival became the first day of a series of annual days devoted to pleasure and recreation, days during which business must cease for fear of offending the gods. The Ludi Mengalenses lasted from April 4-10 and were followed by two other sets of spring games.
Feast of San Isidro de Seville: The Spanish saint, who was bishop of Seville, founded many schools in late sixth- and early seventh-century Spain and brought together all the scholarly knowledge of the time into a 20-volume encyclopedia, the Etymologies. Latin American countries, as well as Spain, celebrate this holiday.
Qing Ming Jie: Variously celebrated on April 4, 5 or 6, about two weeks after the vernal equinox, the celebration of Qing Ming Jie — Clear Bright Day — is one of a few Chinese festivals recognizing the solar calendar, rather than the culture’s more prominent lunar calendar. In ancient times it was more of a celebration of spring and new life. These days it is also known as “Tomb Sweeping Day,” a day to honor the ancestors.
April 5, 2005
Venus at 17 degrees Aries sextile Neptune in Aquarius
Creative, romantic and dreamy, this is a transit that could be put to good use in a love relationship or artistic project.
April 6, 2005
Sun at 17 degrees Aries sextile Neptune in Aquarius
The Sun adds its illuminating quality to the creative sextile that Venus is making with Neptune. Sensitivity and receptivity between people is increased, and it’s easy to get along and understand one another.
Chakri Day: This national holiday in Thailand honors the establishment of the Chakri dynasty, which has been in power since 1782, although the absolute power of the monarchy ended with reforms in 1932. The holiday marks the enthronement of Chao Phraya Chakri, a general who assumed the throne after a coup. After his death he became known as Rama I.
Founding of the Mormon Church: The birthday of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is generally a formal observance by church officials, who hold their annual conference at their Salt Lake City, Utah, headquarters at this time. The church’s founding prophet, Joseph Smith, established the church on April 6, 1830, in Fayette, New York.
April 7, 2005
Happy Birthday to
CRAZY DAISY!
April 8, 2005
Moon Phase
New Moon in Aries, 20:32 Universal Time.
Mars at 13 degrees Aquarius trine retrograde Jupiter in Libra
Spunky and robust energy predominates. Sports-playing, physical activity and business ventures undertaken in this transit will have a naturally strong quality, and engaging in these activities you’ll get that feeling that you’re “on a roll.”
Venus at 20 degrees Aries square Saturn in Cancer
With this somewhat isolating transit lending its influence to the day, the accomplishments you strive for under the day’s Mars-Jupiter transit are likely to emphasize your own independent initiative.
Buddha Day: There are different celebrations of Buddha’s birthday on other dates, but in the northern tradition, his birth is celebrated April 8. The Buddha was born about 563 B.C. as Prince Siddhartha Gautama in Nepal. He renounced his royal privileges at age 29 and became a wandering ascetic. Meditating under a ficus tree, now called the Bodhi Tree, he achieved enlightenment at age 35 and went on to teach ethics and work against the caste system. The core of the religion he established teaches that one must free oneself of worldly fetters to attain the enlightened state of Nirvana, freedom from sorrow and selfish desire.
Hana Matsuri: Japan’s celebration of Buddha’s birthday is known as the Flower Festival. In a custom dating to the seventh century, people use a special sweet tea, made of hydrangea leaves, to anoint a small statue of the Buddha, which stands in an open lotus flower.
April 9, 2005
Happy Birthday to
WychOfAvalon!
Linda Goodman’s Birthday: On this day, probably in 1925, author and astrologer Linda Goodman was born. She died in 1995.
Appomattox Day: The American Civil War ended on this day in 1865 in the Virginia village of Appomattox Court House. The surrendering Confederate soldiers were allowed to keep their horses and return home.
Chandraman Ugadi: A Hindu Lunar New Year celebration in Andhra Pradesh in India. This New Year’s observance, determined by the New Moon, is also celebrated in Maharastra, India, as Gudi Padwa.
April 10, 2005
Sun at 20 degrees Aries square Saturn in Cancer
Issues over one’s duty to one’s self versus duty to others are brought into focus under this transit, often in a somewhat uncomfortable manner.
April 11, 2005
Venus at 24 degrees Aries trine retrograde Pluto in Sagittarius
Relationships intensify and emotions are strong, perhaps prompting situations that reveal deep inner workings of relationships of which you were previously not aware.
Uganda Liberation Day: The anniversary of the 1979 overthrow of dictator Idi Amin, accomplished with the help of Tanzanian fighters, is a national holiday in Uganda.
April 12, 2005
Happy Birthday to Aries!
Happy Birthday to Starrie!
Mercury goes direct at 1 degree Aries
Communications clear and technical glitches get ironed out as that rascal Mercury returns to direct motion and untangles the wires crossed during the latest retrograde.
Ramakrishna Jayanti: Hindu celebration of the birthday of Sri Ramakrishna, a saint and teacher seen as an incarnation of Lord Krishna.
Songkran: A three-day festival in Thailand, April 12-14, celebrating the traditional New Year. The public holiday includes Buddhist services and the custom of people splashing each other with water.
April 13, 2005
Happy Birthday to
Blas!
Mars conjunct Neptune at 17 degrees Aquarius
Under this transit, it’s normal to feel strange and unsure of one’s self. This is the ego (Mars) and the egoless void (Neptune) meeting in mid-air. Don’t go nuts. You will get over it.
Baisakhi: This New Year’s celebration is a major festival in Punjab, India. For the Sikh population it also has religious meaning, commemorating the date of the founding of the Khalsa brotherhood.
Thomas Jefferson’s Birthday: The author of the American Declaration of Independence was born this day in 1743. Founder of the University of Virginia and co-founder of the Democratic Party, Jefferson was a philosopher, linguist, engineer and farmer in addition to being an American president and political writer.
April 14, 2005
Sun at 24 degrees Aries trine retrograde Pluto in Sagittarius
Keep your eyes open today for new insights into the way things really are in the world. This is a great transit for investigation and acquiring knowledge and broad insights.
Ambedkar Jayanti: Birthday of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, also called the architect of the Indian Constitution. Ambedkar led the committee that wrote India’s Constitution after India achieved independence from Britain in 1947. He was a lawyer who belonged to the class of Hindus called Dalits (the untouchables in older, more intolerant times). He was a firebrand activist who fought for Dalit rights.
New Year in parts of India: Traditional New Year holidays are celebrated in many Indian states. The holidays go by various names in various regions.
April 15, 2005
Venus enters Taurus
Venus, patroness to the arts and the planet of beauty and love, plants her feet
in one of her two ruling signs today. Venus in Taurus is all about the lush, fecund
splendour that is slowly unveiled throughout the spring. We open windows wide
while we clean and beautify our homes, stale from being shut for the long
winter months. We emerge into warmer days and longer evenings and gather convivially
with friends and neighbours. This is a time for decadent pleasure as the earthly
Taurean energy delights all our senses.
April 16, 2005
Happy Birthday to
WriteOn!
Moon Phase
First-quarter Moon in Cancer, 14:37 Universal Time.
April 17, 2005
Have a great day!
April 18, 2005
Happy Birthday to
WhiteFeather!
Mars at 21 degrees Aquarius inconjunct Saturn in Cancer
Ticked off about having to pay income tax? Or irritated by other instances where it seems that faceless authorities coerce you into compliance? Those feelings are likely to push to the forefront under this transit, and tempers tend to be short. Try not to take it out on others who are really in the same boat.
Ram Navami: The day celebrates the birthday of Lord Rama, who was the seventh of 10 reincarnations of the god Vishnu. Hindu temples fill with people chanting the name of Rama on this holiday, their prayers focused on gaining freedom from the reincarnational cycle of birth and death. The faithful also recite stories from the Ramayana, an epic poem with Rama as its hero.
April 19, 2005
Happy Birthday to
amykins!
Sun enters Taurus
A shift from the fiery and impetuous energy of the Sun in Aries to the quiet strength of the Bull. Earthy, fixed and ruled by Venus, Taurus is concerned with resources, and managing them in a stable and practical way. Material possessions and the practical creativity of home décor and gardening are highlighted during this time.
Ceralia: Festival in ancient Rome, a favorite of the common people, in honor of Ceres, goddess of grain and harvests.
April 20, 2005
Happy Birthday to
Pat!
April 21, 2005
Parilia: Ancient Roman observance honoring Pales, protector of shepherds and their flocks.
Ridvan begins: Technically beginning at sunset April 20, Ridvan is a 12-day festival of the Baha’i faith, which teaches the unity of all religions and all people. The faith’s founder, Baha’u’llah, stayed in a garden he called Ridvan, or Paradise, near Baghdad for 12 days in the spring of 1863 when he declared that he was God’s messenger for the age. Days 1, 9 and 12 of the period are holy days, when no work is to be done. Ridvan lasts until May 2.
First Day of Summer in Iceland: The Thursday between April 19 and 25 is a major holiday in Iceland, celebrating the end of winter. People exchange gifts and stage performances of drama and song.
April 22, 2005
Earth Day: A day for promoting environmental awareness, Earth Day has been celebrated in the United States since 1970 and has become popular in other countries since then. In some cities, it has become an occasion for interfaith religious services promoting responsible treatment of the Earth.
Eid-e-Milad: Also called Milad-ul-Nabi and Bara-Wafat. Solemn Muslim observance of the birthday and also the death anniversary of the Prophet Muhammad, founder of Islam. The prophet was born in Mecca in about A.D. 570 on the 12th day of the Islamic month of Rabi al-Awwal. According to Islamic belief, Muhammad, a shepherd and trader, began to have revelations from God at age 40 and went on to establish the religion that has unified most Arabs ever since. As the holiday also commemorates his death, the 12 days leading up to this day stand for the 12 days that the prophet was sick before he passed away.
April 23, 2005
Mars at 24 degrees Aquarius sextile retrograde Pluto in Sagittarius
Goals that have long simmered on the back burner could get a boost if you apply the energy of Mars with the positive power of Pluto in Sagittarius. Get thee back to the drawing board, figure out how to do what you want to do, and go for it!
Venus at 9 degrees Taurus sextile Uranus in Pisces
A stimulating transit, which, if worked in conjunction with the Mars-Pluto sextile, could really take you places.
The Lord’s Evening Meal: The major annual celebration for the Jehovah’s Witness faith, commemorating Jesus’ Last Supper, is celebrated on the 14th of the Hebrew month of Nisan, as Passover begins for the Jewish faith.
St. George’s Day: The patron saint of England is known in legend for converting a town to Christianity by vanquishing a threatening dragon. His day is celebrated with parades and fanfare in a number of European countries and even in Syria, where he is honored by both Christians and Moslems.
Shakespeare’s Birthday: The English town of Stratford-on-Avon, birthplace of William Shakespeare, hosts parades and pageants on this day in honor of the great poet and playwright. Controversy exists over whether Shakespeare wrote the prolific body of work published under his name or whether a nobleman was the author, using Shakespeare’s name to protect his anonymity. But the man known as Shakespeare, who was born in Stratford-on-Avon and buried there, gets the honor on this day. His actual date of birth is unknown, but he was baptized April 26, 1564 and died April 23, 1616.
April 24, 2005
Moon Phase
Full Moon in Scorpio, 10:06 Universal Time.
Hanuman Jayanti: Birthday of the Indian Monkey God, Hanuman, who was the greatest devotee of Rama (an incarnation of Lord Vishnu) and who helped rescue Rama’s wife, Sita (an incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi), who had been kidnapped by the demon king Ravana. This war to rescue Sita forms a major chunk of the Ramayana.
Passover (Pesach) begins: The week-long celebration of the Jewish exodus from slavery in Egypt is April 24-May 1 this year, although officially beginning at sundown the night before. The Egyptian Pharaoh’s refusal to allow Moses to lead the Hebrew people out of Egypt prompted God to send a series of plagues to the country, according to the Biblical book of Exodus. In the 10th plague, the Angel of Death visited every Egyptian household, but passed over the Jewish households, sparing those families from the tragedy. As the Egyptians mourned their dead, Moses roused his people to make their escape. The holiday period is celebrated with retellings of the story and with special meals, called Seders, incorporating many foods that symbolize the experiences of slavery and freedom.
Armenian Martyrs’ Day: One of this century’s holocausts, a genocide based on ethnic and religious differences, was the Turkish massacre of Armenians in 1915 and 1916, in which 1 million people — half the Armenian population in Turkey — were killed. The martyrs are memorialized on this day in Armenian communities and churches around the world.
April 25, 2005
Venus at 11 degrees Taurus inconjunct retrograde Jupiter in Libra
Relationships, especially partnerships, are under stress today as each side feels suspicious that the other may be taking advantage of them.
Secretaries Day: Established in 1952 by the trade organization Professional Secretaries International, the occasion provides an opportunity for employers to give their secretaries and office assistants special recognition.
Anzac Day: Australia and New Zealand’s memorial day for those who have died in the wars of this century is observed with veterans’ parades and religious services. The holiday is named for the Australia and New Zealand Army Corps (Anzac).
Sinai Day: This Egyptian holiday commemorates the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Sinai Peninsula in 1982 as promised in the 1978 Camp David agreement between the countries.
Italy’s Liberation Day: The anniversary of the Allies’ 1943 invasion, leading to the overthrow of Mussolini’s fascism, is a national holiday in Italy.
Liberty Day in Portugal: The Portuguese holiday celebrates a coup in 1974 that ousted a government with unpopular military policies.
River Kwai Bridge Memorial Day: The Kanchanaburi War Cemetery in Thailand holds services for the nearly 7,000 American, Australian, British and Dutch prisoners of war buried there who died while being forced by their Japanese captors to build a railroad through the jungle from Bangkok to Burma during World War II.
April 26, 2005
Audubon Day: The National Audubon Society, an American group dedicated to the conservation of wildlife, celebrates the birthday of John James Audubon, born in 1785. Audubon published 435 realistic paintings of birds of the New World in his book Birds of America. The Audubon Society, originally set up to study and protect birds, was founded by a George Bird Grinnell, a student of Audubon’s widow, Lucy, after the illustrator’s death.
April 27, 2005
Happy Birthday to
moonflower!
April 28, 2005
Mercury at 11 degrees Aries opposed retrograde Jupiter in Libra
Good for big-picture communication, this transit carries a warning about sloppiness with details. Feel free to proceed with plans, but do take care to check the details.
April 29, 2005
Orthodox Holy Friday: The somber day commemorating Jesus’ crucifixion, according to the Eastern Rite churches’ calendar.
Greenery Day: Celebrated with parades, costumes and fireworks, this Japanese holiday originally was established in honor of the birthday of Emperor Hirohito. The world’s longest ruling monarch, Hirohito led Japan during World War II. In 1946, he renounced the divinity the Japanese traditionally associated with the emperor and had a reduced role in post-war Japan’s parliamentary democracy. He died in 1989.
St. Catherine of Siena Day: Feast day of the revered mystic of 14th-century Italy, who dared to advise popes and also composed a book, the Dialogue, recording her mystical exchanges as conversations with Christ.
Ninth Day of Ridvan: A holy day, on which no work is to be done, within the 12-day Baha’i festival of Ridvan.
April 30, 2005
Happy Birthday to
Goddess!
Venus at 17 degrees Taurus square Neptune in Aquarius
Daydreaming and romance are highlighted. Take it easy and enjoy.
Sun at 9 degrees Taurus sextile Uranus in Pisces
Today is likely to be stimulating and fun.
St. James the Great Day: Orthodox Christian recognition of the martyrdom of the Apostle James the Great in 44 A.D.
Passover (Pesach) continues: The week-long celebration of the Jewish exodus from slavery in Egypt is April 24-May 1 this year.
Astrology by Maria Barron and Terri Smallwood
Holidays compiled by Maria Barron, Anindita Basu and Sucheta Shetty
Birthday graphics by Maria Barron for Metamorphosis
