Hope all is going well in your world. By now many of you are aware of this weird energy that’s in the air, much of it is being caused by the Sun’s magnetic field as it makes its way towards the earth and is affecting our moods and weather patterns. (Click on photo below for more on Sun’s magnetic field). This month we also have five planets that are in retrograde motion. The planets in backward motion are: Mercury (communication), Mars (action), Jupiter (philosophy), Saturn (lessons), and Pluto (transformation) that are all contributing to a slowdown so we could reflect upon our lives and sense of purpose. In May the planets are asking us to appreciate what we have, realize where we have been, resolve any issues from the past and reconnect with loved ones before moving forward once again. It’s a time to come back to our senses, and take stock. It's a retreat back to what's natural, like your true talents and values.  

 

 

We start off the month with the radiant Sun continuing to transit easy-going Taurus. This is the sign of all things material, physical, and financial and most commonly, our basic survival needs – food, shelter, sex, and such. Security and stability of these resources are associated with Taurus. Comfort and ease in obtaining these resources are also important considerations for Taurus. And of course, there’s the infamous bull-headed stubbornness and force that Taurus can have when its will is contested or when it wants its way. Taurus represents our lifestyle resources and needs. I use the term “lifestyle needs” because in truth, Taurus addresses the resources or desires we need to survive. It is the financial, material, and physical side of our lives, and having those resources in place is what has us individually and collectively feel safe, comfortable, secure, and at ease. We feel taken care of when our lifestyle needs are met.

This month we have a New Moon in Taurus on May 6th. The sign is ruled by the planet Venus, which governs our relationships, our appreciation of beauty and our sensuality, as well as our connection to Mother Earth and her abundant gifts. This lunation is asking us to take a look at how we can create more abundance, more beauty, more grace in our lives by going beyond the basic “fear and survival” mode…… how can we better sustain ourselves and our planet in the face of the constant fear of financial losses and material lack. If we are stubbornly holding onto to old bad habits, this New Moon enables us to see where we have been “stuck” and to move forward.

On May 9th, mighty Jupiter awakens from its retrograde helping to assemble information once again. Now that Jupiter is in forward motion in Virgo, we're in for a time of connecting up the dots we missed before. The difficulty here is that Jupiter really wants to look at things from a broader perspective, but Virgo is forcing that focus to be on the little pieces. Since Jupiter's energy is that of expansion, we just keep bringing in more and more bits and pieces, trying to see how they should fit together. And to a certain extent, we work at solving the puzzle just for the fun of solving it.

The energy shifts on May 20th when the Sun moves into the mutable, air sign of Gemini, which is ruled by the planet Mercury, its energy is flexible, quick, and filled with curiosity. When the life-giving forces of the Sun shine through Gemini, we get the incessant questions of the young child who wants to know everything there is to know, and whose mind soaks up the answers like a sponge. Gemini is about ideas: talking about them, thinking about them, swirling around in them. While the Sun, whose energy defines life itself, is traveling through this world, we really need those facts and figures and trivia. We thrive on variety and thirst for change.

On May 21st, a Full Moon occurs in the sign of Sagittarius, reminding us of the need to reach out beyond our usual routines, thought patterns, and neighborhood. The Full Moon in Sagittarius is a time of expansion, so we should be especially aware of what we'd like to promote at this time, trying to put aside or out of our minds those things that won't serve us well if blown out of proportion.  Messenger Mercury turns direct on May 22nd after a retrograde cycle that began on April 28th. It retraces its steps over the degrees of Taurus that it travelled while retrograde until June 7th. We slowly but surely regain clarity and decisiveness.

The following day, on the 23rd, Jupiter is square to Saturn. This aspect first occurred last summer, but in different signs (while Jupiter was in Leo and Saturn was in Scorpio), and then in March with Jupiter in Virgo and Saturn in Sagittarius, as they are now. This is the final perfection of this aspect. We may be forced to restructure our lives or plans now in accordance with rules, laws, limits, and the demands of reality. It is best to breathe new life into old plans rather than to strike out with a new plan altogether. We may need to cut back on something in order to grow in another area. It's important not to overextend ourselves at this time and to avoid attempting easy fixes or shortcuts. The need to adjust our expectations becomes obvious. On May 24th, lovely Venus leaves Taurus and enters the vocal world of Gemini. While Venus is in this talkative sign, we should all be able to let our loved ones know how much we really care about them. And everyone else we run into as well!

Mars is retrograde all month, mostly in the sign of Sagittarius, dipping back into Scorpio on May 27th. Mars turned retrograde on April 17th, and will remain retrograde until June 29th. We are now in the position to re-assess our current projects, our approach to getting what we want, and our desire nature. Mars energy is essentially turned inward--it's internalized, intensified, personalized, and perhaps pressurized. There can be passive-aggressive behavior during this cycle. We may be instigating problems or arguments rather than dealing with issues directly. However, this can be a good time to learn more about our inner motivations and desires, as well as to reconsider old projects and interests.