Even lowly village astrologers can be swept away in the tsunami of modern life, so forgive me for truncating my forecast for May and June. I am deep in the throes of planning for the United Astrology Conference (UAC) being held in New Orleans in late May. I’ll resume my more detailed forecasts, including individual horoscopes for each sign, beginning in July. (If you are in the Southeast, UAC is the largest astrology conference in the world and held only every four years. This is your opportunity to see 165 speakers from all over the world, including moi!)
Aligning to Our Values
Well, here we are, at the end of the Mayan calendar and ready to tumble of the face of the dial. How are you feeling? Ready to skid off the edges of the flat earth?
When people ask me about the Mayan calendar, I tell them what I see in my mind’s eye: a tired scribe who thinks, “Yes. This is a good stopping point, right before the start of this next cycle.” (Or a carver who runs out of space on the dial…) But not the end of the world as we know it, unless you’re speaking metaphorically, rather than literally.
I do feel the upcoming Uranus square Pluto configuration beginning in June of this will be transforming our world in exciting and unexpected ways, just as the conjoining of these two planets in the late 60s kicked off a new era. More on that in June’s forecast. So, prepare for a trippy journey, but don’t give away all your possessions and wait for the clock to stop ticking.
Though with Mars trine Pluto this month, I doubt even the doomsdayers will be sitting around waiting for the clocks to stop. We’ll all be working hard and active, active, active through May 20th!
MAY 5th
May begins with a full moon in Scorpio opposite the Taurus sun at 16°. Taurus is content with what is. while Scorpio is interested in what’s missing. Taurus is the container of the zodiac, it holds onto what it receives, while Scorpio is the releaser. When these two energies combine, it’s time to think about what you’ve held onto too long and need to shed, be it emotionally, intellectually, spiritually, or materially.
Can you strip your values down to their essential core and then ask yourself what people, attitudes, situations, beliefs, and things in your life genuinely feed you? That’s what this moon desires.
Secondarily, if you have essential needs that aren’t getting met, don’t be surprised if emotions boil over the days leading up to the full moon. Where you find resentments and frustrations, you find a need unaddressed or a fear untended. If you find yourself seething, consider it an opportunity to air your discontent and gain clarity on your needs (versus what you simply want).
This tug of war may be particularly loud in interpersonal relationships where expectations, obligations, and desires often get muddied. Clarifying boundaries will help ease tensions.
Also examine where your faultfinder might thwart your dreamer. With Mars in Virgo opposite Neptune in Pisces and both squaring the moon’s nodes, there’s a need to let go of an old way of acting or behaving and a need to take a more imaginative and fluid approach. Where do you demand perfection from yourself? Where do you have codified routines? If you find yourself stuck and an old approach isn’t working, try surrendering the approach. Feel your way through. The phrase let go and let God/dess comes to mind.
MAY 8
Mercury moves into slow-moving Taurus on May 8th, calming the pace of our minds, asking us to tie down our thoughts and make them more concrete. Plans and ideas of the last two months can now be nailed down and put into practical action – if they’re pragmatic. If not, we’re likely to scrap them. Take a laid back approach when negotiating with others, as pushing for what you want will have you smacking head squarely against wall: people can get a bit stubborn – shall we say, bullheaded? – when Mercury travels through this sign.
MAY 15
Venus, planet of love of money, will seem to stop in the sky and then turn direction (retrograde) beginning May 15th until it turns direct on June 27th. Traditionally, this isn’t the best time to buy big ticket or luxury items (cars, jewelry) but a fantastic time to rediscover what you love, what you value, and what matters to you. It’s also a great time to revisit your finances to ensure you’re on sure footing.
An oddity of Venus retrograde periods is that they often bring people from your past out of the woodwork, so Facebook might be a flurry of activity this month, as old friends want to reconnect.
Mostly Venus retrograde allows us to discern what is of true value to us and evaluate the real worth of the people and situations in our life. We begin to notice when a relationship doesn’t really benefit us. Little frictions and disagreements appear to help us notice the differences or unresolved issues we have with others. However, it’s not time to act on our evaluations, but assess the severity and depth of issues, so we can work on them when Venus goes direct in June.
MAY 20
Sun moves into sunny, curious Gemini. Circulate, share ideas, and explore your community. Now is a good time to discover where you’ve boxed yourself in a bit too tight and bring in a bit of variety and change.
Now let’s complicate things a bit and make this new sun part of a new moon eclipse at 0° Gemini. This is a solar eclipse, so look to where your ideas – especially ideas that you hold true about yourself and your identity – are challenged or need revisioned. Communication and mental frameworks become a focus.
Signs and clues lie in your everyday life – the conversation with the local mail carrier that goes off the rails, the comment from your child’s teacher that challenges your ideas – to see where the revisioning will take place.
New moons are tied to new beginnings, but solar eclipses, especially those tied to the south node as this one is, also speak to the need for surrender and release. A question to live in this new moon: Is there some cherished idea about myself, my life, my past, or my purpose that needs relinquished in order to move forward? (Clue: if it’s ego-bound rather than value-driven, it may be slowing you down.)
The new moon’s stressful relationship to the Neptune may incline us to ignore a hard truth or refuse to acknowledge what we’d rather not see. It also can make us less clear of our direction, and less confident we know where we’re heading.
Saturn in a supportive trine to Venus can aid in mooring us when we feel uncertain. Use your core values as your guide. A Venus-Saturn compass might direct us by asking questions such as: What is lasting, of value, and important in the grand scheme of my life? Will [this direction, person, decision] strengthen my ability to connect in a meaningful way with others? Does it foster a sense of self-respect and self-worth?
Dreams worth pursuing in spite of the obstacles life provides are those aligned to the core principles and foundational values that emerge from this kind of questioning.
Have an amazing, magical month!
Gemstone recommendations for the month
Aries
Red coral, Carnelian, Bloodstone
Taurus
White Coral, Emerald, Amber
Gemini
Peridot, Jade, Moss Agate
Cancer
Natural Pearl, Moonstone, Smokey Quartz
Leo
Red Spinel, Rhodolite, Golden Topaz
Virgo
Citrine, Peridot, Jade
Libra
White Coral, Opal, Pyrite
Scorpio
Red Coral, Carnelian, Obsidian
Sagittarius
Topaz, Yellow Jasper, Serpentine
Capricorn
Amethyst, Garnet, Black Onyx
Aquarius
Amazonite, Moss Agate, Lapis Lazuli
Pisces
Aquamarine, Rock Crystal, Angelite