Significant dates from folklore, lunar and meteorological activities this month in green
Selected Events (Harmony Healing and other events as notified) in black
Timings given are UK time (GMT+1), click here to convert to your time zone
As we progress into April, a theme emerges which venerates spring, renewal and fertility as well as nourishment. Known for April Fool’s Day and April Showers, the month often hosts Easter, as it does this year. In the forest, we start to see (and smell) the beautiful bluebells, a marker of ancient woodland, which reach their full splendour in May.
The month of April was supposedly named after the Roman Goddess Venus (leading to Her Veneralia festival on 1st April), originally named Aphrilis after her equivalent Greek Goddess Aphrodite (Aphros) or the Etruscan version Apru. To the Anglo-Saxons, April was called Easter-mōnaþ "Easter Month", "Month of the Goddess Ēostre". No prizes for guessing which Christian Festival took its name from this annual festival.
April begins with April Fool's Day plus the Roman Festivals of Veneralia & Fortuna Virilis, as well as an early New Moon, hence our Moon Alignment Programme runs for th entire month until the following New Moon on 30th. This New Moon sets the scene for Ramadan, whch runs throughout the month. Full Moon, which is the Easter Pink Moon, is on 16th April which is Easter Saturday. This year we have Easter 15th - 18th April, although Orthodox Easter is a week later culminating on 25th April. In the Roman calendar, April also hosted Magna Mater on the 4th & Floralia on 28th, widely believed to be connected to Beltane. April is also a month for some international awareness days including Autism Awareness Day on 2nd, World Health Day on the 7th and Earth Day on 22nd. In the UK, we celebrate St George's Day and Shakespeare's birthday on 23rd. For those who celebrate the chance to get outdoors, we have the Lyrids Meteor shower peaking, as usual 21st April, and we have a Forest Bathing event scheduled for the Sunday 24th April at Harry Edwards, near Shere (Surrey) which may feature some early bluebells, of which there are thousands at Harry Edwards.
We are also re-running the New Moon New Vision virtual course for a full lunar cycle. To assist with therapeutic and abundant alignment with the moon cycle, our next Lunar Alignment Programme commences with the New Moon on Friday 1st April and runs until Saturday 30th April. During this programme, we learn together how to take full advantage of energetic support from the moon cycle which assists manifestation when waxing and promotes release when waning.
For a more in-depth analysis of the listed festivals and spiritually significant days, such as April Fool's Day and Veneralia, I publish a blog post on the day in question. Or to receive the information to your mail inbox, sign-up for Blog update alerts.
Thursday 1st April is April Fool’s day.
A day for practical jokes, April Fools Day may originate from the move from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar.
This moved the start of the year almost three months, from the Spring Equinox to the start of January! Those who refused to recognise the new calendar and still saw April as the start of the year were labelled "April Fools".
Much about this in our specific Blog post on 1st April.
Thursday 1st April, in addition to being April Fool’s Day, is also the Roman celebration of Veneralia and Fortuna Virilis.
Both celebrations seem loosely connected with Venus who is honoured on this day and whose advice is sought on matters of love.
Friday 1st April @ 07.27 isthe New Moon.
The New Moon Abundance Ritual should be carried out within 24 hours after the New Moon. It needs to be after the New Moon because the moon should be waxing (getting bigger again) to carry the manifestation energy. There are video instructions on my Facebook Page or You Tube Page.
New Moon is a good time to work on your Vision Board for the rest of 2022.
Friday 1st April is the start of our New Moon New Vision; lunar cycle alignment programme, running until 30th April 2022. Cost is £155.
This lunar cycle applies the transformational properties of spiritual alchemy to help you feel rejuvenated and purposeful about the rest of the year, via the creation of a Vision Board.
It's a special one lunar month empowerment and attunement programme combining the solar & lunar balancing with various ceremonies throughout the month. The next Moon Alignment Programme begins with the New Moon on the 1st April and culminates with the New Moon on 30th May, which is also Beltane Eve.
Saturday 2nd April is United Nations-sanctioned World Autism Awareness Day. This year marks the 15th annual World Autism Awareness Day. This is a day when organisations around the world hold special events to raise funding and awareness of autism.
One of the ways that organisations have recognised Autism Day in the past, was to light their building blue, as part of the Autism Speaks "light it up blue" campaign. It was their way to shine a light on autism. Many famous buildings and structures were lit up blue, including the Empire State Building & Niagara Falls, USA, Christ the Redeemer statue, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), the CN Tower in Toronto, Canada, the Great Buddha in Japan and and the Sidney Opera House, Australia, .
For 2021 & 2022, the UN theme for World Autism Acceptance day is “Inclusion in the Workplace: Challenges and Opportunities in a Post-Pandemic World”. Find out more about resources for children at twinkl.co.uk
Apparently, there is an entire World Autism Acceptance Week, 28th March to 3rd April, which is recognised in the UK, see autism.org.uk for details.
Saturday 2nd April, Harmony in Nature, and Harmony Healing, have stands at the Harry Edwards Spring Fair. Come and meet us, chat about Forest Bathing and browse through Angela McGerr's angel books and cards.
Enjoy a spring day in the beautiful surroundings of Harry Edwards Healing Sanctuary and Burrows Lea Country House.
Browse the many visiting stalls - Jewellery, candles, gifts, books, essential oils, skin care, therapies and much, much more.
Delicious homemade refreshments available.
Saturday 2nd April, Ramadan begins after midnight on the 1st April. Ramadan is the Islamic remembrance of the reception of the divine revelation by Muhammad as recorded in the Qur'an.
Complete fasting is observed from sunrise on 2nd April to sunset for 30 days, until Saturday 30th April.
Monday 4th April, this year, is also Magna Mater in the Roman calendar.
This is the festival of Cybele, Phrygian Great Earth Mother. Her priests took on female clothes and identities to commemorate her lover (or in siome sources her son) Attis, who was castrated and died of the wounds but was later resurrected.
Thursday 7th April is World Health Day. The message of World Health Day is simple: giving people access to healthcare without the prospect of financial hardship.
COVID-19 has highlighted, that our world is an unequal one, with access to healthcare being entirely dependent on the geographical location and conditions into which people are born, live, work, grow and age.
The theme for 20221 is 'Our Planet, Our Health'.
Sunday 10th April is Palm Sunday in the Christian Calendar this year. Palm Sunday, also known as Passion Sunday, is the 6th Sunday of Lent and the final Sunday before Easter.
Traditionally it marks the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem.
The name is believed to commemorate the placement of palm leaves on the road to soften the surface for the donkey on which he was riding.
Friday 15th April is the Christian Festival of Good Friday, which is a Bank Holiday in the UK as part of the Easter break.
This commemorates the day when Jesus was crucified. It was not called ‘Good Friday’ until 4th Century and may be a corruption of God’s Friday.
Saturday 16th April is Easter Saturday in the Christian Calendar.
Saturday 16th April is also Easter Pink Full Moon @ 19:57 UK time (GMT+1), we are holding our Full Moon Meditation tonight, see entry below. Between Full Moon and the next New Moon is considered as a good time energetically for detoxing the body.
For details of Full Moon timings for the year, as well as instructions for an Angela McGerr Angelic Meditation with Gabriel, see Harmony Healing Full Moon link.
Saturday 16th April, 7.30-9.30pm UK time (GMT+1) is our Full Moon Unity Consciousness Meditation.
During this session, we connect with other like-minded people and together we work through a mindful chakra balancing process using colours and etheric crystals, with the aim that all participants will experience a degree of unity consciousness. Participants all receive a deeply healing experience. Cost to participate is £20 by online BACS payment (£1 admin fee added for PayPal, concessions to RSE/VFoA graduates), book at the Harmony Shop.
This activity serves as a good taster of Joanna's work in general and the virtual format of our Zoom based programme. And, most importantly, it's a step towards making a difference to the global predicament. To find out how working on your own spiritual consciousness can help humanity and the planet by raising the overall human consciousness levels, see Joanna's You Tube explanation.
Sunday 17th April is Easter Sunday, which is generally taken to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus three days after his crucifixion. Intriguingly, Easter Sunday is not a set date but is calculated according to the Lunar cycle, so it can move around between 22nd March and 25th April. It's fixed as the Sunday following the first Full Moon after the Vernal (Spring) Equinox.
This points to the celebration being linked to an earlier Pagan celebration, which were all associated with seasons and moon cycles. The name Easter itself is derived from the Pagan God Eostre. the Easter Egg is reminiscent of the Pagan egg to symbolise fertility. And of course, the Easter Bunny, a strange addition to a crucifixion story, makes a lot more sense when viewed as a sign of spring, and possibly even a hare. Watch my YouTube presentation: Was Easter superimposed into an earlier Pagan Festival?
The Hare is another ancient symbol of fertility, with a 28 day gestation period very linked to the lunar cycle.
In Ancient Egypt the hare is a hieroglyph meaning ‘existence’.
Monday 18th April is Easter Monday, which is Bank holiday in the UK.
Thursday 21st (late) until dawn Friday 22nd April is the Lyrids Meteor Shower.
The Lyrids are an average shower, usually producing about 20 meteors per hour at their peak.
These meteors can produce bright dust trails that last for several seconds. This year the shower peaks on the night of April 21st/22nd, although some meteors can be visible from April 16th - 25th.
Look for meteors radiating from the constellation of Lyra after midnight, the later you view in the morning of the 22nd, less meteors will be below the horizon and therefore more will be visible but as sunrise approaches light pollution will hamper viewing.
However, the proximity of the Full Moon on the 16th April, means light pollution from the waning moon could be a hindrance. See rmg.org for more.
Friday 22nd April is Earth Day, which is heralded as a pivotal opportunity for people, corporations and governments to join together to create a global green economy.
The theme for 2022 is Invest in Our Planet, see more at earthday.org.
It is hoped that coordinated efforts now will be recognized by future generations as a turning point.
Saturday 23rd April is St George’s Day in England, celebrating England's patron saint, St George.
England's National Day is celebrated on the anniversary of his death, which is on April 23rd.
According to legend, St George was a soldier in the Roman army who killed a dragon and saved a princess.
The English flag is the red Cross of St. George, which is widely displayed as a symbol of national identity.
It's also supposedly Shakespeare's birthday and deathday.
However, 23rd April is not a Bank Holiday.
Sunday 24th April,11am - 2pm, Forest Bathing+ in the grounds of Harry Edward's Healing Sanctuary, £35 (+ Paypal fee = £36.75).
Immerse yourself in the healing elements of nature and connect deeply with all your senses. Spend 3 hours in the woods mindfully connecting to your surroundings and living fully in the present moment, guided by me in simple sensory exercises and a treelaxtion. A deeply relaxing and rejuvenating experience, and which, despite the title forest bathing,does not involve any swimming!
Some of the scientifically proven benefits of spending time in woodland include reduced stress levels, stronger immune system response, and a stabilised cortisol cycle.
This 3-hour session which will take place in all weathers except 30+mph winds or electrical storms. Book via our the Harmony Healing shop or our Surrey Meetup. Email to go on our forest bathing mailing list.
Monday 25th April, in Egypt, is the ancient festival of Sham El Nassim (literally meaning "smelling of the breeze") which dates back to Pharaonic times (about 2700 BC) although it is celebrated on the Coptic Easter Monday, generally a week after our Easter Monday.
It's not seen as a religious festival as it's a National Holiday for both Egyptian Christians and Muslims.
Traditional activities include painting eggs, picnicking, and eating feseekh (fermented mullet).
Thursday 28th Aprilis the Roman fertility festival of flowers and crops called Floralia, that later developed into celebration of sexuality, and may have influenced the subsequent celebrations for Beltane and May Day.
Bright coloured clothes are worn (if any!), races and shows are performed.
Thursday 30th April, is the Pagan Eve of Beltane; celebrations begin with people dancing around the fire clockwise, singing. Sometimes two fires are set, and cattle are driven between the fires to purify them.
Dew gathered from the grass at dawn is used in potions for luck and indeed it is believed to be lucky to roll naked in the dew!!! On Beltane, it is traditional to drink from a well before sunrise.
Wash in the morning dew, and adorn yourself with greenery. Watch the sun come up, dance round the Maypole, and otherwise abandon yourself to the season.
Round Full Moon Cakes are eaten and blackberry, elderberry, dandelion wine or cider is drunk. Sacred springs are visited and healing water is drunk. .
Saturday 30th April @ 21:30 UK time (GMT+1) isthe New Moon. It's a Black Moon by the recent definition (2nd New Moon in the same calendar month) and a partial solar eclipse, see timeanddate.com
The New Moon Abundance Ritual should be carried out within 24 hours after the New Moon. It needs to be after the New Moon because the moon should be waxing (getting bigger again) to carry the manifestation energy.
There are video instructions on my Facebook Page or You Tube Page.
New Moon is a good time to work on your Vision Board for the rest of 2022.
This marks the end of our April New Moon New Vision Programme.
Acknowledgments
Celestial Forecast is compiled by Joanna Bristow-Watkins of Harmony Healing, the original is published at Joanna's Monthly Celestial Forecasts. It is created using many sources but notably the Moonwise Calendar and Lia Leendertz's 2022 Almanac. Whilst considerable effort is made to ensure accuracy, this is not an exact science and sources are sometimes contradictory!
These monthly Celestial Forecasts (CF) are generally uploaded to the Harmony Healing website and can be accessed via the drop-down box on the right. They are sent out to the main mailing list and CF subscribers a few days before the month starts.
To subscribe to the detailed Blog updates (headed with a title detailing the occasion/event so you can choose whether to open it or not), featuring New and Full Moon, meteor showers, eclipses and other meteorological events, interesting anniversaries, ancient festival dates plus notification of dates of numerological significance, sign up here. The nature of the Blog means that whenever there are several key dates in close succession, there will be frequent mailings.
If you would rather ONLY receive the monthly Celestial Forecast, select the appropriate subscription. You will receive occasional newsletters but this opts you out of the smart Blog which emails regular notifications as events occur.
Through Harmony Healing, Joanna utilises the philosophies of the Ancient Egyptians, in the form of Reyad Sekh Em® (RSE) Level 1 Egyptian Alchemy Healing. Featuring four online modules of Khemitology (Ancient Egyptology according to the indigenous oral traditions), Violet Flame of Amenti, Mindful Chakra Balancing & Essene Angelology. Missed sessions are fully recorded so that late registrations or are possible. Reyad Sekh Em (RSE) Level 1 costs £266 and run about three times a year. the individual modules are stand-alone and cost either £88 or £66, hence the RSE 1 package offers a cost saving.
These are interspersed by her one month Lunar Cycle Alignment Programmes. She is also an intuitive healer offering 1-2-1 distant healings and readings, plus MP3 recordings. She is a fully qualified Fotrest Bathing guide, offering Forest Bathing sessions in the Surrey Hills of England. Joanna acts as the retailer for her sister, Angela Mcgerr's, best selling angelogy books and angel card sets. The are mostly now out-of-print, but Joanna still has some unused copies as well as pre-used versions of many of the card sets, see the Harnony Shop for the full details.
