cos·mos

/ˈkɒz.mɒs/  noun  the universe seen as a well-ordered whole; a system of thought that regards the universe as an orderly, harmonious entity

/ˈkɒz.mɒs/  noun  a garden flower with long, slender stems and colorful, daisy-like petals; easy to grow and popular for its bright, cheerful blooms

Let’s talk about the cosmos…not just the endless, star-splattered sky above us, although that’s definitely part of it. 

I’m talking about the cosmos as the universe—a wild, intricate, beautifully ordered whole that somehow makes room for both chaos and harmony. 

But I’m also thinking about the cosmos flowers, which will start blooming this summer…bright, stubborn, and always reaching for the sun.

Lately, I’ve been feeling the universe’s energy in every direction. I suspect it's the astrological soup that March and April ushered in that has probably left us all craving some stability in the midst of the chaos. 

Regardless, I keep coming back to this idea—how we use and experience energy, the power of living right here, right now, and why it’s so much better to feed the light than to waste our days fighting whatever we fear might be lurking in the shadows.

March rolled in with a total lunar eclipse in Virgo, and if you felt the urge to clean house—emotionally, physically, or spiritually—you weren’t alone. Virgo is all about finding order in the chaos, about sorting through what matters and what doesn’t. 

Eclipses, though? They don’t ask for permission. They just show up, shake things up, and leave us stunned, blinking in the new light. It’s uncomfortable, but it’s also a cosmic invitation to let go of what’s weighing us down.

By the end of March, the universe was ready for another plot twist: a New Moon Solar Eclipse in Aries. 

That’s pure, unfiltered “let’s do this” energy. 

Aries doesn’t wait for the green light—it is the green light. Suddenly, it felt like the universe was daring us to start fresh, to step out of our comfort zones, to be bold even if we didn’t have all the answers. 

If you felt the itch to reinvent yourself or to finally chase that wild idea, you were right on time.

As if that wasn’t enough, Neptune drifted into Aries, blending the dreamer’s vision with the warrior’s courage. Neptune in Aries is all about turning what we imagine into what we actually do. 

It’s the quiet nudge that says, “Stop waiting for the perfect moment—go out and create it.” 

But just as we started to get comfortable with all this forward motion, Mercury and Venus decided to go retrograde, and suddenly, everything slowed down. 

Retrogrades get a bad rap because, honestly, they’re a gift in disguise. 

They force us to pause, to look back, to rethink the stories we tell ourselves and the connections we nurture…or neglect. 

Growth doesn’t happen when we’re rushing ahead; sometimes we need to stop, check the map, and make sure we’re still heading to a place we actually want to go.

April brought a shift that is still underway.

Mercury and Venus both turned direct, and it felt like someone finally opened the windows and let the fresh air in. 

Conversations got easier. Relationships found their rhythm again. The energy moved from “wait and see” to “go and grow.” 

Mercury has already zipped into Aries, today Mars bursts into Leo, and the Sun is getting ready to settle into Taurus, which will hopefully ground all that fiery momentum with a little bit of steady, earthy appreciation. 

Venus, never one to miss a party, will enter Aries at the end of the month, reminding us that passion and joy are worth pursuing. But she likes her sultry Piscean energy way more than the chaos of Aries, so don’t expect her to be super cheerful at the planet party.

All of this—the eclipses, the retrogrades, the planetary moves—it’s alot.

Which is why we should never underestimate the importance of appreciating Mother Nature’s gifts, including the cosmos (or if you are out and about in the Midwest right now, the tulips and daffodils).

They don’t waste time fighting for space in the shade. They turn toward the light, soak it up, and bloom like beautiful flowers so often do.

What if we did the same? 

What if, instead of wrestling with our shadows, we chose to feed the light—our joy, our curiosity, our capacity for connection and growth?

The truth is, the cosmos isn’t just out there, spinning galaxies and growing flowers. 

It’s in us too. We’re made of the same stardust, and possess the same ability to bloom. 

The astrological rollercoaster of this season is a reminder that order and chaos aren’t enemies—they’re partners in this dance of becoming. Every cosmic event is an invitation to realign, to choose growth over fear, to become a little more aligned with our authentic selves.

So what do we do with all this cosmic energy?

We live in the moment. 

We trust the process, even when it’s messy.

We feed the light—ours and each other’s.

We remember that, like the flowers, we’re meant to bloom where we’re planted—unapologetically bright and beautifully real.

There’s a quiet kind of magic in turning your face to the sun and breathing in the sweetness of what’s blooming (even though your allergies might make you pay for it later)—proof that, in the end, joy is found in the light we nurture, not in the battles we leave behind.

April 18, 2025

Mars in Leo is pure main-character energy: it’s the thrill of chasing what lights you up, sharing your spark with the world, and celebrating every unapologetic moment together. But don’t get too comfy, Pluto is about to mess some stuff up.