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May - 2008

Whatever your sun sign, this forecast will help you choose how to best use each month’s astrological energies! Events are most powerful on the dates listed. However, their influence will be active for at least several days before and after. All dates and times are in the U.S. eastern time zone.

While everyone is affected by these global transits, you will be most powerfully impacted when moving planets activate natal planets and other sensitive points in your birth chart. 

VOID-OF-COURSE MOONS. It’s best to avoid starting important new projects or making major purchases during these times. “Business as usual” is the best strategy for these periods, which occur when the Moon has made its last major Ptolemaic aspect but has not yet moved into the next sign. 

5/2, 5:35 am - 6:52 am (Aries)
5/4, 3:16 am - 7:59 am (Taurus)
5/6, 4:22 am - 7:18 am (Gemini)
5/7, 9:37 pm – 5/8, 7:02 am (Cancer)
5/9, 8:07 pm – 5/10, 9:11 am (Leo)
5/12, 4:09 am - 2:49 pm (Virgo)
5/14, 12:39 pm - 11:47 (Libra)
5/16, 11:29 pm – 5/17, 11:00 am (Scorpio)
5/19, 10:12 pm - 11:19 pm          (Sagittarius)
5/22, 12:20 am - 11:56 am          (Capricorn)
5/24, 6:53 pm - 11:52 pm (Aquarius)
5/26, 10:50 pm – 5/27, 9:39 am (Pisces)
5/29, 2:23 am - 3:53 pm (Aries)
5/31, 8:54 am - 6:19 pm (Taurus)

5/1 (Thu). Today is when the third and final incarnation (active 4/27-5/6) of the GRAND TRINE that dominated April peaks. This time Venus is in the musical chair recently vacated by Mercury and the Sun. Please read the 4/18 entry for the Grand Trine’s basic meaning, but what's different now is that – since Venus rules Taurus, and Taurus is a money sign – the business and financial possibilities are especially strong. You can also use this energy to empower and stabilize relationships and creative expression. 

5/2 (Fri). Mercury enters Gemini today through -- July 11? That's right. The messenger’s stay in its home sign will be unusually long because its next retrograde, which starts on the 26th, will take place entirely within Gemini. Therefore, opportunities for communication and learning will be amplified during this time.

SATURN DIRECT. Saturn, which has been retrograde since December 19, turns direct today at 2° Virgo. This can help give new forward momentum to business ventures and other accomplishments requiring persistent effort. This is a great time to shift from "planning your work" to "working your plan." Don't expect your efforts to be instantly rewarded -- Saturn always requires hard work before he ponies up -- but at least you're no longer tacking against a headwind! 

5/3 (Sat). Mercury is doubly challenged today, with a quincunx to Pluto and a square to Saturn. Watch for challenges to your self-expression and freedom of thought. Or you can proactively harness these energies by diving into psychological or research work or speaking out as an authority. 

5/4 (Sun). Mercury’s quintile to Uranus makes it much happier today, opening the rational mind to flashes of creative inspiration from Divine Mind. 

5/5 (Mon). May's NEW MOON is at 8:18 a.m. at 15°22' Taurus. Since one of Taurus’ mottos is "I have," and since the Sign of the Bull relates to what you value, you can use this New Moon to make new beginnings in the areas of finance and material security. New starts in the areas of sensuality and immersion into nature are also well supported.

The Sabian Symbol for this New Moon is, "An old teacher fails to interest his pupils in traditional knowledge." The symbol's keynote is, "the inadequacy of past knowledge in time of crisis," and relates to the principle of "creative frustration."* So even though this New Moon is in Taurus, the sign which most loves to dig itself into a comfortable groove, its Sabian symbol urges us to break out of our comfort zone and try something new. Perhaps this is in response to a new and unprecedented situation -- since Taurus is the sign that most relates to the natural world, the global climate crisis springs inevitably to mind. Following the principle of "Think Globally, Act Locally," identify the biggest sea change in your own life and think outside the box to come up with the best response.

Thinking outside the box -- along with every imaginable flavor of creative expression and divine connection -- is also supported by today’s Venus-Neptune quintile. 

5/9 (Fri). JUPITER RETROGRADE. Jupiter begins a four-month retrograde today, backpedaling from 22° to 13° Capricorn before turning direct on 9/8. In a way, it hardly seems fair: Saturn, the planet of sweat equity, only went direct a week ago and has just started to build some momentum. Now Jupiter has to go and slow things down by putting its expansive energies into reverse in Capricorn, the sign which represents the same accomplishment-oriented ethos as Saturn. This pulls some energy away from "work your plan" and back into "plan your work."

Saturn still has the upper hand, since slower planets tend to trump faster ones, and overall this is still a good time to get things done. Just be prepared to invest a little bit of extra energy!

Mars also enters Leo today through 7/1, heating up the energy of the entertainer, jester and royal leader in each of us. 

5/11 (Sun). Carrying around some buried anger, rage or frustration? Be wary of potential triggers for its eruption, courtesy of today's Mars-Pluto quincunx! To circumvent such unpleasantness, take advantage of Mars’ recent entry into Leo by making a dramatic new beginning of some kind instead.

The Sun is also square Chiron today, hinting that an unresolved childhood wound may lie at the core of any dark energies being stirred up within you. 

5/12 (Mon). Bright sunlight breaks through yesterday's storm clouds -- and not just metaphorically, since the Sun itself benefits from two favorable aspects today. The sextile from Uranus makes it easier to receive intuitive flashes, while the trine from Jupiter beams in the energy of joy and expansiveness. 

5/13 (Tue). The Sun is in the spotlight again today (okay, I guess it is the spotlight, but you get my drift). Its square to Neptune favors more etheric activities such as meditation, creative downloading, dreamwork and fantasizing. 

5/17 (Sat). Here are three ways to make good use of today's Venus-Chiron square: work through an old childhood wound in the context of a current relationship, refine your latest creative masterpiece, or engage in a breakthrough mentoring session. 

5/18 (Sun). If, in reading this month's column, you’re occasionally struck with a sense of déjà vu, it's not just your imagination. Venus starts May trailing the Sun by about 10°, then gradually closes most of that distance by month’s end. As a result, Venus plays copycat by making most of the same aspects as the light of our lives.

Today is a good case in point, as Venus sextiles Uranus and trines Jupiter (just as the Sun did on the 12th). But Venus’ involvement definitely changes the interpretation, bringing the energies of paradigm shift and expansion into the fields of relationship and creativity. So try something new with your sweetheart, and make time for your muse! 

5/19 (Mon). The creative juices are strong again today, as Venus and Mars (which can be either creative or procreative!) connect via the angle of creativity itself: the quintile. This is also a lovely energy for relationships.

Emotions will also be running strong for another reason: May’s FULL MOON, which achieves maximum brightness at 10:11 p.m. at 29°26’ Scorpio. As always with Full Moons, contemplate how "full-filled" you are -- in this case, with your shared resources. These could be financial (stocks, bonds, loans, etc.), relational (romantic or business partnerships) or occult (astrology, numerology, tarot, and such, in which you blend your personal energy with transpersonal forces).

The Sabian Symbol for this Full Moon is, "Children in Halloween costumes indulge in various pranks." Rudhyar further defines this symbol as, "The periodic outlets society furnishes within traditional limits to still-immature energies" and "creative relief from tension."* 

5/20 (Tue). Venus squares Neptune today (there’s that Venus/Sun déjà vu again), keeping the creative flow going strong. (Be aware, however, that deception and delusion in relationships are possible under this aspect.) Venus’ biquintile to Pluto empowers creativity even more.

The Sun enters Gemini (at high noon), bathing Earth with the energy of curiosity, communication and eclecticism through June 20.

Finally, a GOLDEN YOD, active 5/18-22, peaks today. With both members of a Mars-Venus quintile making biquintiles to Pluto, this magical aspect pattern inspires creative expression and helps it well up from a deep and powerful place. It can also do the same for relationships. 

5/21 (Wed). May's most powerful astrological event comes exact today as JUPITER SEXTILES URANUS. Aspects between slower planets have longer-term effects: these two really started connecting in mid-February, made another exact sextile on 3/28, and have had their energies powerfully linked ever since. In fact, their connection won't weaken until late June!

During this time, Uranus strives to revolutionize all things Jupiterian: religion, spirituality, philosophy, politics, foreign affairs, long-distance travel and higher education, to name the most obvious suspects. You would do well to act on any intuitive flashes you receive in these areas.

There’s also a Sun-Pluto quincunx today, challenging us to experience increased vitality by surrendering to whatever powerful transformation we've been resisting. 

5/22 (Thu). Vitality can be hard to come by with aspects like today's Sun-Saturn square. If you're feeling “heavy burdened”, there are two strategies you can try. One is to capitalize on Saturn's love of work by overcoming your inertia and forcing yourself to be productive: often, once you get the ball rolling, Saturn will reward you with endurance. If you're just not up for the front-end grunt work, you can retreat from effort entirely and play hermit. (Even workaholic Saturn needs an occasional rest!) 

5/23 (Fri). Mercury trine Chiron is great for fine-tuning details or meetings with mentors. 

5/24 (Sat). Venus follows the Sun into Gemini today, where she will remain through 6/18. This is a great time to cultivate a variety of your most mentally stimulating relationships.

Venus will pass the Sun and Mercury on her way through the sign of the fleet-footed messenger. This STELLIUM (three or more planets in the same sign) means that Gemini will be the strongest sign in the zodiac through 6/18. 

5/25 (Sun). Ready to make the adjustments that will promote transformation in your relationships and your creativity? Then you’re all set for today’s Venus-Pluto quincunx! (With Venus in Gemini, be prepared to talk things through at the deepest level.)

It's not often that we experience THREE PLANETARY RETROGRADES WITHIN 18 HOURS. But, starting today, that's exactly what's happening! Retrogrades have the effect of encouraging reflection more than action, and can slow down whatever you’re doing that relates to the planets involved. Plus, planets are especially powerful when changing directions, which adds special intensity to these next couple of days.

CHIRON RETROGRADE. Chiron is the first of the three, and will stay in reverse for exactly five months -- retrograding at 21°9’ Aquarius and going direct at 16°2’ Aquarius. You can use its retrograde to reflect on your childhood wounds, consider how you should be giving and/or receiving mentoring, and work on becoming a "rainbow bridge" – an open channel for the transmission of transpersonal forces. 

5/26 (Mon). "Retrogrades R Us" kicks into high gear today, with Mercury and Neptune shifting into reverse just 27 minutes apart (Mercury at 11:48 a.m., Neptune at 12:15 p.m.)

MERCURY RETROGRADE is, of course, the badass of the bunch, infamous for throwing a monkey wrench into communications, technology and travel. (It retrogrades at 21°32’ Gemini, then goes direct again on June 19, 10:31 a.m. at 13° Gemini.) Since this retrograde is occurring entirely within Gemini, which Mercury rules, it could well be more powerful than usual. So make sure your communications are set up like you want them, back up your data, and triple-check your travel arrangements. (And don't schedule those airline connections too close together!) On the upside, Mercury retrograde is a wonderful time for introspective reflection and finishing up projects that were started prior to the retrograde.

By the way, it's worth noting that people experience Mercury Retrograde more or less powerfully depending on how major a player Mercury is in their natal chart.

NEPTUNE RETROGRADE will last much longer -- it won't go direct until 11/2, over five months from now -- but, for most people, will be much less noticeable. (The rule for retrogrades is that the faster the planet, the more we notice the effects of its retrogrades.) However, if you have a sensitive natal point on, opposing or square to Neptune’s retrograde path (it goes retrograde at 24°15’ Aquarius, and will go direct at 21°28’), you will definitely feel it doing its dissolving or spiritualizing work!

All three of these newly retrograde planets are in air signs, which relate to the intellect. So weed through your fixed ideas and concepts, and have the courage to revise or discard those which have outlived their usefulness.

As if all these retrogrades weren't enough to deal with, we’re also faced with a notoriously challenging relationship transit: Venus square Saturn. Yes, we all need the periodic reality checks that the stern taskmaster provides, but that doesn't make them any easier. Still, it's good to know when a relationship has run its course, and being willing to embark upon a little relationship renovation will make a good partnership stronger. 

5/28 (Wed). If yesterday's relationship challenges left you flustered, don't despair: today's Venus-Uranus quintile could provide you with the flash of insight you need to make things better. It can also provide creative types with the “Eureka!” moment they need to inspire their next masterpiece. 

5/29 (Thu). With Neptune trining Ceres, call upon Spirit to empower both your self-esteem and material prosperity. and today's Mercury-Chiron trine is just as good for fine-tuning details or meetings with mentors as it was on 5/23!

QUICK GLOSSARY OF ASTROLOGICAL ASPECTS

Conjunction.  Two planets in the same place (0° apart). Union; merging.
Opposition.  Two planets opposite each other (180º apart). Opposition; relationship.
Square.  90° angle.  Conflict; challenge for growth.
Trine.  120° angle. Easy, flowing connection.
Sextile.  60° angle. Flowing, high-energy connection.
Quincunx.  150° angle. Difficulty making connection; adjustment required.
Quintile.  72° angle. Inspiring, creative connection.
Biquintile.  144° angle. Like a quintile, but more subtle.