Under Pressure – Claire Berry

End of April 2025 / First half of May 2025

As April closed, the skies delivered a powerful charge: a tense Sun–Mars–Pluto alignment, culminating in the exact Mars–Pluto opposition on April 28^th. This is not an aspect associated with ease or serenity. Instead, it evokes violence —power struggles, military conflict, collective unrest, destruction, both human-made and natural. We may see echoes of this in conflict zones, political flare-ups, or environmental upheaval and natural disasters —especially earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and devastating fires.

This is the final act in a dramatic trilogy of Mars–Pluto oppositions: the first arrived in early November, the second in January (coinciding with devastating fires in Los Angeles), and now, spring 2025 brings the story to a close—at least until it returns in 2029.

On a personal level, this energy hits hardest the first decan of the fixed signs, i.e. for those born in the earliest days of Aquarius, Taurus, Leo, and Scorpio (born before the 24th–25^th). You may face a period of deep transformation, often emerging through intense internal conflict or external challenges.

Yet for those with early placements in Gemini, Libra, Aries, or Sagittarius (born before the 25th/26^th), this same energy can act as a breakthrough. You may indeed experience this energy as a catalyst for growth, leading to personal breakthroughs, renewed perspective, and a refreshed sense of direction. The world may look different—and so might you.

Even for the fixed signs mentioned earlier (Aquarius, Leo, Taurus, Scorpio), while the process may be more complex or demanding, the transformation can ultimately be profound and liberating.