WOODRUFF ON ASTROLOGY - SPRING 2025


QUARTERLY HOROSCOPE
BY FREDERICK WOODRUFF

Frederick Woodruff is an astrologer and Corridor correspondent from Vashon Island in Puget Sound. Here is his forecast for the spring.


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Frederick Woodruff’s career as a professional astrologer spans four decades. Artists, writers, and creatively motivated folks consult with him regularly to better comprehend the cycles that define their unique narratives.


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Seasonal changes are a big deal in astrology. Why? Well, think about times in your past when you’ve experienced a sudden perspectival shift amidst what seemed to be the usual flow of time. This transition could have been about your job. Your health. Your home life or your relationships with others. Or your relationship with yourself.


Perspectival shifts are why people consult with counselors or therapists—or astrologers—individuals who help us see things differently and assist in a smooth adjustment to disruptions.


The arrival of winter, spring, summer, and fall offers us a cosmic shift in perspective. As Earthlings, we are placed into a different alignment with the Sun, which can facilitate a subtle but significant transformation in our inner life or psychological scenery. New ways of thinking, feeling, and responding to our world. This is why the solstices and equinoxes are celebrated worldwide in astrology and all facets of life. People know that a new season is an opportunity to start fresh or bring closure into their lives. Come spring, something has got to give either way.

We celebrate Spring on the vernal equinox when the sign Aries dominates. Aries moves us beyond two of nature’s most intense quarters—the freeze of winter (in the north) or the overpowering heat of summer (in the south). It introduces us to new life: seeds split to release turgid sprouts. Or new death: leaves from trees, having served their function, fall back to Earth, to their origin.


The vernal equinox is the equivalent of New Year's Day. This is the start of the new astrological year, and how the planets are arranged on that day will give us clues as to what we might expect throughout the year. Pictured here are the most dramatic components of the equinox chart for 2025.


Pluto on the ascendant in the chart for the US. Power and how power is expressed, constructively or destructively, is the central theme of 2025. Pluto, as a force in the solar system, aligns us with the core components that make society and culture churn, and of course, that always involves authority and money.

The Moon is entangled with Jupiter in opposition; this highlights the tension between reason and revelation. Reason involves us with laws and facts, and revelation involves a noumenal plane of the mind where visions and inspiration arise. Between the Moon in Sagittarius and Jupiter in Gemini, there will be an inordinate focus on moral themes. Continued debates about how religion is entwined with government will dominate the news. And for individuals, the effort to find a balance between responsibility and impulse will be predominant. Try to mix things up for yourself so that you do not become locked into one way of thinking. The world needs more nuance now; see if you can find and express varying shades of meaning instead of doubling down into stubborn positions. Doing so will guarantee momentum.

Because Saturn (reality) and Neptune (unreality) are still locked in conjunction in Pisces, the struggle for clarity, for separating what’s false from what’s true, will be paramount in 2025. For those attempting new business ventures, this can be a frustrating aspect, as the population in general, feels trapped between two stools. This aspect’s core message involves sobriety, growing up, and facing hard truths. Fantasy and escapism have the tendency to become problematic this year. In April, this conjunction will shift signs, into Aries, and a clearer, more specific type of positivity will gain the upper hand. But be mindful of what, exactly, that new force begins to promote. Again, finding nuance will support discretion and clearsightedness.

Success is promised to those who ride the vibes of the Mars-Saturn trine that’s in effect during the equinox. Because this occurs in the water signs, it involves the source of creative expression and inspiration. Find ways to work with your unconscious desires (or fears). Keep a dream journal, and track the type of revelations that arise nocturnally. Arrange a schedule for yourself that keeps your motivation on track and does not devolve into distraction. The promise from this trine involves Saturn, championing compassion and empathy—not just to others but to ourselves as well—will ensure success.


One of the biggest misconceptions in astrology involves the concept of retrograde planets. As I've written before, the apparent backward motion of planets is based on perception, not fact. Meaning that planets never move backward in their orbit around the Sun. But when the Earth bypasses a planet in its orbit, it appears that a planet is retrograde.

At the start of its retrograde orbit, the planet is closer to the Earth, so in a literal way, we could say that the planet’s function becomes more emphatic within the Earth’s atmosphere. As Mercury and Venus are in Aries and retrograde in the equinox chart, there is a pressure to connect with and express our courage and activism. When our minds (Mercury) are aligned with our hearts (Venus), a kind of trust opens up, as we aren’t divided within ourselves. You could call this, literally, the power of positive (Venus) thinking (Mercury). Find ways to express this union by taking mercurial actions like writing, researching, editing, publishing, and sharing with others what you love most about your life, about being alive, and about having this time on Earth to experience everything you’re experiencing. Take time off from doom-scrolling and count your blessings.


These are exciting but demanding times, but when things get tough, as the corny saying goes, the tough get going. Do so with intelligence, heart, and discrimination, and you’ll be in tune with this new astrological year optimally.



SPRING 2025 HOROSCOPES


ARIES (MAR 21-APR 20): Pause periodically and check in on the forces pushing you forward. You’ll discover that the world of dreams is compelling all of your present-day plans and aims. This is a fascinating insight into how the past influences the future.


TAURUS (APR 21-MAY 21): You’ve reached a place of surrender, maybe even deep inner peace. Consider spiritual practices like meditation or contemplation to release you from the tension of trying to control and predict events in your environment. Use this carefree condition to rejuvenate your spirit for the remainder of the year.


GEMINI (MAY 22-JUN 21): Friction in your environment is providing you with a wake-up call. If there seem to be too many options before you, learn to cull the unnecessary. You’re being challenged to set aside your rational approach and explore what are typically considered irrational dimensions of life. Take the dare.


CANCER (JUN 22-JUL 22): All of the water sign planetary placements increase your imagination's volume. Comfort can rejuvenate only after you’ve invested energy into an effort that demands all your mental and emotional force—and you now have a surfeit of both.


LEO (JUL 23-AUG 213):  What surprising tactic can you employ to reach your long-term objectives? Let this question guide you through the year. Think outside of the box. You need to be on top of your game in the originality department. Do the opposite of what’s considered the easiest path.


VIRGO (AUG 24-SEP 23):  You’ll need to embrace irrational ideas or approaches to succeed with your desires this year. Don’t be shy about trying alternative methods or methods. And if you need to consult with experts or mavens, make that part of your game plan as well.


LIBRA (SEP 24-OCT 23):  Your mind is working overtime, trying to parse your options and decide where you’ll focus your energy this year. It’s great to have variety, but you’ll gain better mileage by choosing just one or two key projects to commit to. Less becomes more, in a literal way.


SCORPIO (OCT 24-NOV 20):  The path forward doesn’t involve answers but questions. What are you most curious about now? Formulate a straightforward inquiry. The answer or solution will be equal to your lucidity. You’re an expert at exploring the esoteric side of life—focus on doing just that this year.


SAGITTARIUS (NOV 23-DEC 21):  Character and destiny are intertwined in hidden ways. How we express our creativity influences the way our life evolves. Finetune what you want to express now. The more faithful you are to your muse, the more authentic you feel.


CAPRICORN (DEC 22-JAN 20):  Your attention keeps bouncing between trust and doubt. How do you resolve the confusion? Keep your attention on the significant aspects of your career and achievements. You’re a classic disciplinarian; stick to the schedule you devise, and you’ll win.


AQUARIUS (JAN 21-FEB 19):  You’re receiving transmissions from what some spiritual schools call ‘the higher self.’ What do the insights from this novel realm have to tell you? Here’s a hint: it involves establishing harmony and understanding between contrasting parts of your nature.


PISCES (FEB 20-MAR 20):  The remainder of the year highlights your ability to ground the fantastical into real-world happenings. Invest time into understanding the narratives and messages from your dream realm. Guidance arrives from the liminal, more than what’s right before you.


 

Corridor 2025