Your April 2023 Horoscopes Are All About Focusing On Your Intentions & Investing In Self
April is a spark of new energy that we all need right now. This is the month when new beginnings are happening, whether you’ve prepared for them or not, and there is something truly impactful about this month. The energy is there to experience some real breakthroughs in April, and the more you are willing to be inspired by life and its natural changes and cycles, the more you can experience the joy of this month. Although Mercury will be going retrograde in April at the end of the month, there are still a lot of opportunities for success this month.
On April 6th, there is a Full Moon in Libra, and this Full Moon is the Pink Moon of the year and is facilitating love, clarity, and healing. This Full Moon is about letting go of relationship challenges and moving closer to personal growth and love. Culminations are appearing, and love is having its say. On April 11th Venus enters Gemini, and Venus in Gemini is exciting, adventurous, curious, and a little chaotic. Venus in Gemini is hard to keep grounded, and relationship dramas are more likely this month. Venus in Gemini overall is here to bring some more fun into life but also to address what needs to be addressed within relationships and create an open atmosphere for communication.
The day Taurus Season begins, April 20th, is also the day when a New Moon Solar Eclipse will be happening in Aries, and this is when things start getting moving. Clarity is hard to miss during this time, and new doors are opening. As a rule of thumb, you don’t want to make any important decisions the week before, during, or after an Eclipse. However, overall moving toward the end of April is about taking note of what is truly inspiring you and lighting up your life right now. On April 3rd, Mercury moves into Taurus, and on April 21st, Mercury goes retrograde here until May 14th.
This Mercury retrograde transit will highlight where you have been investing your time and energy and what the payoff looks like right now. Re-strategizing, replanning, and learning from past mistakes is what Mercury retrogrades are all about.
With Taurus being an earth sign, a lot of these matters will have to do with finance, the reality you are seeing right now, and your sense of stability. Things can feel shaky with this Mercury retrograde. However, growth is often necessary. Overall, April is the month to focus on your intentions, move forward toward the healthiest path for yourself, and take your passions and happiness more seriously.
ARIES
AriesKyra Jay for xoNecoleYour season is here, and it’s time to shine, Aries! April 2023, for you, is all about personal growth, self-love, and community. You are coming to some important revelations this month and feeling in tune with all that is. This is your month to move forward, gain the clarity you have needed, and believe in yourself. With the Sun in your sign until the 20th, the power is truly in your hands right now, and you have doors opening for you to not only meet success but enjoy your time in it as well.
The most significant transit happening for you this month is the New Moon Solar Eclipse in your sign on April 20th. This is a time when major transitions are happening for you and when you are experiencing a personal breakthrough. An Eclipse in your own sign is impactful, and this time is all about getting excited about where life is headed for you right now.
TAURUS
TaurusKyra Jay for xoNecoleApril is an emotional month for you and a month where your heart gets to breathe, Taurus. You are feeling renewed emotionally, physically, and spiritually this month, and life is moving you into clearer waters. A lot of the energy begins to move into your sign in April, and you are claiming your blessings this month. On April 3rd, Mercury enters Taurus, and communication is especially important to you this month. You are experiencing a bridging of a gap this month and connecting with others more deeply.
Taurus Season officially begins on April 20th, and this is when things get really interesting for you. This Taurus Season is influenced by Mercury's retrograde, however, as Mercury will be retrograde in Taurus from April 21st until May 14th. While Mercury is in retrograde through your sign, you will be learning more about yourself and how you communicate that to others. This is a time of self-discovery, and something about April wants you to open your heart to the magic of life.
GEMINI
GeminiKyra Jay for xoNecoleApril brings in new beginnings in love for you, Gemini. This is an important month of growth in your life and the start of something new in many ways. You are feeling inspired and are directing your emotions to create the life you dream of. Venus is in your sign for most of the month, and love is flowing your way effortlessly. Who you are today is worthy of love, and that’s what this month is reminding you of.
Moving further into April, your ruling planet Mercury goes retrograde on April 12th and will be retrograde in an area of your chart having to do with endings, culminations, healing, and the unknown. Some new information will be coming to the surface for you during this time, but remember to take your time to process everything and not jump to conclusions. This month is overall about listening to your intuition and trusting your heart to make the right decisions for yourself.
CANCER
CancerKyra Jay for xoNecoleThe Wheel of Fortune is turning, and it is moving in your favor this month, Cancer. This is a month of personal freedom, excitement, and a little bit of luck. You are moving into new territory in April and are feeling on top of it all. You have a good flow right now, and your day-to-day is moving with more ease than it has been. This month for you is all about knowing that you deserve all the good things in life and letting them come to you.
You are ruled by the Moon, and whatever the Moon is doing is influential for you, especially when it comes to your emotional world. With a Solar Eclipse happening at the end of the month, April is game-changing for you and a time when you are breaking through and showing up. This Eclipse will be happening in your 10th house, which rules your career, and you can expect some shake-ups happening here this month. Take things day by day, and expect the best for yourself.
LEO
LeoKyra Jay for xoNecoleApril is coming together for you, Leo. You are experiencing the joy of life coming full circle and the fruition of your intentions blooming this month. The month begins with a Full Moon on April 6th, and this Full Moon for you is when a lot of important developments will be taking place. You have your support system around you and are feeling the support and nourishment in your life.
On April 20th, there is a New Moon Eclipse in fellow fire sign Aries, and this New Moon is lighting a spark in you when it comes to your sense of adventure in life. You are seeing the possibilities and the full scope of things right now, and during the Eclipse, the light bulbs are going off for you. Before the month ends, Mercury goes retrograde, and this time for you is all about replanning and restructuring your career and professional goals.
VIRGO
VirgoKyra Jay for xoNecoleApril is all about patience, love, and contentment, Virgo. This is a month where you are feeling the love in your life and when you are happy with where things are and aren’t needing to rush anything. This month is about new life blooming for you and about recognizing your strength as the creator of your life. This is a beautiful month of emotional nourishment, and you are feeling in tune with all that is.
Some important astrological transits that are happening for you this month are the New Moon Eclipse on April 20th, happening in your 8th house of intimacy, and Mercury going retrograde the following day and moving into your 9th house of travel and adventure. With the New Moon, you can see the possibilities for deeper connection and intimacy with others, and it’s about remaining open to that. Mercury retrograde’s transit may cause some travel delays for the time being and is ultimately a time for you to refocus your energy and plan your next steps intentionally.
LIBRA
LibraKyra Jay for xoNecoleApril, for you, is all about taking care of your health and your mental well-being and making decisions for yourself that are based on love. Your well-being should be the priority, and inner peace is more important to you now than ever. The developments that are taking place this month are helping you address what’s within, what needs healing, and where it’s necessary to let go.
A Full Moon is happening in your sign at the beginning of the month on April 6th, and this is when you are experiencing a letting go in your life. This has to do with letting go of what doesn’t resonate with you or people who see you in a light you don’t want to be in. This month is giving you the strength to overcome the downfalls you have been moving through and to ultimately choose self-love at the end of the day, Libra.
SCORPIO
ScorpioKyra Jay for xoNecoleIn April, you are claiming your peace, Scorpio. This month is about slowing down, going within, and understanding some new perspectives. You have been on a journey of the soul, developing from within and understanding yourself and your purpose better, and this month is about giving yourself time to process and plan your next steps ahead. You are more in a retreat mode this month and will be focused on your personal growth and development.
With Mercury going retrograde in your opposite sign Taurus in April, your relationships are going to be a strong focus for you over the next month and will be an area of your life with the most lessons to learn. Mercury retrograde is showing you what is causing any emotional friction or misunderstanding and how to strengthen your relationships through strengthening your understanding of self and how you go about them. This month is about getting on the right track and figuring out what that means and looks like for you.
SAGITTARIUS
SagittariusKyra Jay for xoNecoleThis is an inspiring and passionate month for you, Sagittarius. With the Sun in a fire sign for most of the month, you are flowing well with the energies of April, and new doors are opening up for you that you have been looking out for for a while. This is a time when inspiration is peaked, and nothing is stopping you from reaching your successes. Remember to think as much as you are acting this month, however, but ultimately enjoy the fact that things are happening for you right now.
On April 20th, there is a New Moon Solar Eclipse in your 5th house of romance, and this New Moon is an exciting time for you, and new revelations in love are appearing. Although Eclipses’ aren’t the time to manifest or pursue new beginnings, they are a time that shows you what’s possible for you, and it’s all about feeling things through this month. April is a month of enlightenment for you and a time when you are standing in your self-empowerment.
CAPRICORN
CapricornKyra Jay for xoNecoleLove is in the air for you this month, Capricorn. Relationships, connection, and emotional harmony are the vibe of April for you, and you are feeling the love from within to without. This month is all about focusing more on all the things that are going right rather than focusing more on the things that need to be changed. Some things you can’t force, and the more you allow things to unfold in their own timing, the better this month.
With Mercury going retrograde in Taurus this month, this is influential for your love life, creativity, and sense of happiness. At the end of the month, you are moving through a new journey of understanding what brings you happiness and how it may look different now than it did before. April is reminding you that you deserve to be happy, and you deserve to pursue what you love. Make health decisions from the heart, and flow with the new currents of life.
AQUARIUS
AquariusKyra Jay for xoNecoleHappy outcomes are in store for you this month, Aquarius. This is a month of joy, living in your truth, and experiencing bliss. You are feeling the pure joy that comes from receiving everything you’ve wanted and feeling the empowerment of knowing anything is possible for you in this life. With a Full Moon in Libra at the beginning of the month happening in your 9th house, what’s culminating and leaving your life is what you have been looking to release. You are feeling a weight off your shoulders moving into April, and there is a sense of freedom in that.
The New Moon Solar Eclipse happening later in the month is all about communicating effectively and showing up. Don’t be afraid to take up space and use your voice this month, and there will be plenty to say around this Eclipse. Before the month ends, Mercury goes retrograde in your 4th house of home and family, and this is the time to spend some more time at home and take care of what needs tending to right now. Remember that independence is healthy, but that loved ones and support systems are what fuel you in life as well.
PISCES
April is a fresh start for you, Pisces. You are starting from square one this month and are ready to move forward into your new beginning. Although the path ahead may still feel a little blurry, know that you will see more of what you need to and gain the clarity necessary the more you take those first steps. Baby steps are okay; just make sure you are making that effort and not getting stuck in what could have been.
With Venus moving through your house of home, family, inner foundations, and sense of stability most of this month- home is where the heart is for you in April. You find more emotional harmony in your safe spaces right now and are finding the balance between what’s new and what you are already used to. There is a New Moon Eclipse happening before the month ends, and this New Moon is about finding new ways to invest in yourself and lift yourself up no matter what is going on around you.
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Featured image by Kyra Jay for xoNecole
Tayler Barakat is a Mystic who has studied Astrology for over a decade. She does intuitive astrology and tarot readings for people all over the world, and her work focuses on healing and empowering individuals. Follow her on Instagram @taylerbarakat_ and check out her website www.listentothevirgo.com.
The Mecca Of Fashion: The Top Street Style Moments At Howard Homecoming
Outfits were planned, bags were packed, and cameras were ready to capture Howard University's collegiate spirit during its centennial Homecoming celebration. Not only does it hold the number one ranking as the most elite Historically Black College and University or its top performing academics, diversity of students and alumni, but the HBCU also leaves a legacy of style and grace.
The essence of effortless poise and refinement shines bright through the iconic university colors of indigo blue, red, and white. Every October, Howard University students, alumni, staff, and friends gather on the prestigious campus in Washington, D.C. to take part in time-honored traditions and events, which is Homecoming. This year's theme, “The Meccaverse,” was a week-long celebration of Howard University’s heritage, including the Homecoming football game and Bison Pep Rally, the Fashion Show, Greek Life Step Show, Homecoming Day of Service, Lavender Reception, and the iconic Yard Fest Concert.
As 2024 marked the 100th anniversary of the Howard Bison trek back to The Mecca and after two years of virtual events due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this was to be a celebration of a lifetime. We enlisted HU alumnus Sharmaine Harris, a luxury retail buyer, as she revisited her alma mater as eyes on the yard for fashion-forward outfits mixed with personal style and campus pride for the weeklong celebration.
Before we get to the looks, discover how attending Howard University impacted her career in fashion and her day-to-day style:
Credit: Sharmaine and Friends
xoNecole: Describe your personal style. Did attending Howard have any impact on developing it?
Sharmaine: Howard taught me that there’s no such thing as being TOO dressed. There’s always a reason to “put it on” and look presentable, even if it’s just for a day of classes. Standing out was celebrated and encouraged with my peers embracing the opportunity, giving me the confidence to try new styles and trends.
xoNecole: How did Howard shape your career as a luxury buyer?
Sharmaine: I studied Fashion Merchandising, through which I was fortunate to have professors who were very connected to the industry and able to give first-hand accounts of opportunities and what to expect post-college. I was also able to build a network through my peers and other Howard Alum, which has opened doors to endless possibilities both within fashion as well as daily life.
The same confidence instilled in me through my style has also been rooted deeply within me as I step into any role or project I’m faced with throughout my career.
xoNecole: This year marked Howard’s 100th-anniversary Homecoming celebration. Can you describe what the weekend looked and felt like?
Sharmaine: I’ve gone to many Howard Homecomings since graduating, but this year’s 100th anniversary felt like a huge family reunion filled with nothing but love. It was beautiful to see so many Bison return home looking great and radiating joy. It was beautiful!
xoNecole: What makes Howard fashion different from other HBCUs?
Sharmaine: Being that Howard is The Mecca, we have such a diverse population with each individual having their own spin on fashion. Getting dressed is second nature for us, but the layered confidence is our secret ingredient to make any look come together. Through that comfortability to push barriers, we have a legacy of setting trends, as indicated by the many alumni we have in the fashion and entertainment industry.
Keep scrolling for the top street style moments from The Mecca's Homecoming weekend:
Credit: Lacey Gallagher
Credit: Alan Henderson
Credit: JaLynn Davis
Credit: Dylan Davis
Credit: Caleb Smith
Credit: Kendall W.
Credit: Jordyn Finney
Credit: Vanessa Nneoma
Credit: Dr. Mariah Sankey-Thomas
Credit: Caleb MacBruce
Credit: Tiffany Battle
Credit: Teniola
Credit: Ilahi Creary
Credit: Nicolas Ryan Grant
Credit: Dylan Davis
Join us in celebrating HBCU excellence! Check out our Best In Class hub for inspiring stories, empowering resources, and everything you need to embrace the HBCU experience.
Featured image courtesy of Sharmaine Harris
Message From A Mad Black Woman: Y’all Keep The Blue Bracelets, We’ll Take Our Rest.
Mere hours after the 2024 presidential election results made it clear that the United States would need to gird its loins for a second Trump presidency, a gaggle of women ran over to social media to announce that blue bracelets would serve as a new sign of solidarity. A safe space, if you will.
This declaration came about in response to Black women openly voicing their disappointment in both the election results and exit poll data that showed that not just white people, but Latinos and women of “all other races” had played a surprising role in the now President-Elect, Donald Trump’s reelection.
These exit polls quickly became the object of Black women’s attention and ultimate disappointment. Because while Black women went out and reliably voted for Vice President Kamala Harris to the tune of 91%, white women handed Trump 53% of their collective vote, Latino women 36%, and women of “other races” 46%.
On the night of November 5, 2024, Black women were left in shock. This shock would morph into disappointment, and the disappointment was a consequence of what, some would begin to argue, felt like, well, betrayal.
Like Rome, though, this heart-wrenching disappointment wasn’t built in a day.
Screenshot from "2024 Exit Polls," NBC News, accessed Nov. 12, 2024.
The Set-Up
On Sunday, July 21, President Joe Biden announced that he would not be seeking reelection - a decision that followed the disastrous one-and-done debate against former president Donald Trump, the subsequent wavering of major donors, and growing calls for a new candidate to run on the Democrat’s ticket. Hours after Biden’s announcement, Vice President Kamala Harris would send Beyoncé's internet into a frenzy by announcing that she would seek the party’s nomination.
That July night, 44,000 Black women assembled via Zoom to stress test the limits of the meeting app, break historical fundraising records, and strategize - subsequently setting into motion a series of virtual meet-ups. As a result, more Zoom meetings cropped up, bringing together attendees connected through countless combinations of backgrounds, orientations, and genders.
One said meeting was held by and for 164,000 “White Women for Kamala” who’d come together to publicly declare that they’d regretted not doing more in 2016 and were ready to use their privilege for the sake of advocacy and allyship.
A woman wearing an anti-Trump button as she listens to Democratic presidential nominee VP Kamala Harris speak at a campaign event on Oct. 18, 2024.
Bill Pugliano/Getty Images
For months, white women made it a point to convince Black women that they were on board - ensuring us that they were ready to seize their second chance at pushing back on the pillars of the patriarchy. The same group who’d failed to answer the call of rejecting Trump’s racist, sexist, and xenophobic antics before swore, for months, that they’d seen the error of their ways and were looking for redemption. The alleged fix? Betting better. Doing more. Voting differently.
While there was an understanding undertone of apprehension from Black women, the rhetoric began to lend itself to hope — with some going so far as to lift the moratorium on cookout invites. There seemed to be a collective sigh. A brief moment of unity.
The Let-Down
Little did Black women know, they were about to be played like a fiddle by the same group who, like in 2016 and 2020, were more interested in their own self-preservation than in actual change. This short-lived hope was dashed on Nov. 5 as the true nature of performative allyship became evident.
Turns out, the Black women who’d served at the helm of the movement, bless their hearts, had been bamboozled. Hoodwinked. Swindled. Like a modern-day Boo Boo the Fool. Believing the hook, line, and sinker, it was almost cute, in a tragic sort of way. They saw the potential, the hope, and the promise, drinking the red Kool-Aid, so to speak, eagerly awaiting the revolution.
The excessive blue hearts and social media commentary pledging solidarity had turned out to be performative or had over-indexed the voices of the 44% who were actually in solidarity. Either way, the seemingly overwhelming allyship wasn’t there, reminding Black women that while they are constantly expected to stand on the front lines for so many, rarely is there any ally who will actually show up for them.
A History of Short-Lived, Self-Serving Allyship
The 2024 election wasn’t the first time we’d seen this type of performative allyship, though. While a noble concept in theory, the kinds of allyship that have been displayed in many movements across The States have far too often missed the actual point. In fact, throughout U.S. history, allyship has actually been used more as a tool to bolster a single group’s positioning in the social hierarchy rather than genuinely advocating for the progression of marginalized groups.
Think back to 2020. Just months after the COVID-19 pandemic forced much of the country into isolation, remote work, the acknowledgment of essential workers as, well, essential, and, for some reason, bread-making. For 9 minutes and 29 seconds, the world watched, helplessly, as a powerless George Floyd was slowly pulled away from the world, drained by Officer Derek Chauvin's knee to his nape. In a traumatic 8 minutes and 46 seconds, the world seemingly changed.
Ira L. Black/Corbis via Getty Images
Protests quickly spread across the globe, and along with it, a wave of “allyship” swept across America. Large corporations, scrambling to answer the calls of Black employees, consumers, and investors demanding that they use their financial prowess to do more to prevent the next Floyd, almost instantly began releasing statements of solidarity, pledging donations to “racial justice” causes, and promising to promote more Black employees.
However, as quickly as these gestures showed up, most were forgotten, with almost all proving to have provided minimal impact on the groups they’d pledged to help. While some companies, like Target, increased their spending on Black-owned businesses, others faced scrutiny for their lack of substantive change.
A study by Color Of Change found that only 17% of companies that pledged donations after Floyd's death had fulfilled their commitments. Data compiled by theWashington Post found that two years after America’s 50 largest publicly traded companies pledged a collective $50 billion to racial justice causes, just 37 had disbursed a collective $1.7 billion. What’s worse?
Ninety percent of the pledged amount - or $45.2 billion - had been allocated in the form of mortgages, loans, and investments that the companies themselves would more than likely benefit from. These companies said one thing and did another and still found a way to benefit from the delta.
Performative Allyship: Civil Rights & Women’s Liberation Movements
This type of allyship is new, though. It didn’t take long for powerful groups to figure out that the simple appearance of allyship was, for the most part, good for business and the bottom line. For decades, powerful entities have publicly supported movements only to be later found to have engaged in discriminatory practices, highlighting the consistent disconnect.
During the Civil Rights Movement, companies issued statements of solidarity and even donated to civil rights organizations, but behind the scenes, they continued to segregate their workforces and refuse to hire Black employees for higher-level positions. During the Women's Liberation Movement, advertisers capitalized on the feminist moment by incorporating imagery and slogans associated with women's empowerment into their campaigns, while the underlying message of many advertisements reinforced traditional gender roles and stereotypes.
The difference between what is said and what is done has time after time exposed the shallowness of allyship, highlighting how it has mostly served as a tool for public relations rather than a genuine commitment to social justice and to the marginalized groups who are most at risk by the upholding of the status quo.
For two election cycles straight, white women posed as allies and still voted in a way that upheld the power structure that they benefit from - with many understanding that the survival of white supremacy is of more value to them than sexism and misogyny is a threat. In 2016 and 2020, 52% and 55% of white women, respectively, decided that they’d rather keep their position of second place in the social hierarchy than risk dismantling it and being forced to find a new place in society.
Latino women and women of “all of the races” followed the trend - blatantly ignoring the warnings of the same Black women who have not only been on the front lines of social justice but who are often called into the lead movements in communities that are not there own - increasing their support for Trump between 2016 and 2025 by 13% and 15% respectively.
Screenshot from "2020 Exit Polls," NBC News, accessed Nov. 12, 2024.
The Blue Bracelets are Going to Be A “No”
On the night of Nov. 5, 2024, Black women watched their country look at a qualified, experienced, capable, and willing Black woman and say, “Nah, we good.” It was on this night that a group that had been denied democratic rights for centuries, but had still attempted to rescue American democracy far too many times, only to be let down, put away the warnings, and began issuing a new declaration - they were opting out.
Black women have decided to lean into rest and recuperation - uninterested in any additional work that will, more than likely, end in disappointment and betrayal. For many Black women, the suggestion to wear blue bracelets as a symbol of solidarity is patronizing and dismissive of a greater and more complex issue. It’s a way to absolve the women who let Black women down for failing to keep promises made while simultaneously positioning the wearer as morally superior.
It fails to address the historically deep betrayal that Black women have experienced at the hands of their country and, more specifically, their own countrywomen. The request reduces the fight for equality to a simple, superficial gesture when allyship isn’t aesthetic and Black women deserve more than a symbol.
While the blue bracelets may be the new fashion choice for white women attempting to set themselves apart, to symbolize that they were on the right side of history, for many Black women, it’ll always be difficult to trust. In fact, it may serve as a symbol of a hollow and fleeting promise for the Black women who have done the tireless and thankless work for justice and equality.
For now, Black women are choosing themselves. Anywhere between a few days and the next four years should be enough time to reset and recoup. And who knows, they may even find the excess capacity means energy to train as pilots, restart forgotten yoga practices, expand the business, or earn that second Ph.D.
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Featured illustration by nadia_bormotova/Getty Images