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• New Moon: Taurus, 8 May

• Full Moon: Sagittarius, 23 May (Sun in Gemini)

May will probably feel like a recovery/clean-up period from April. While we’ve crested the big Jupiter-Uranus astro-event of the year, things are still mighty unsettled. Some of our foundations have been knocked about and ‘building collapse’ is still in the cards. April ripped an opening, now we begin the tentative process of sifting through the rubble. Remember: the point of this chaos is to bring us into more freedom and authenticity, so don’t despair. The emptiness of loss is a gift.

The month begins with a Venus-Pluto square. Sometimes our shadows can only be seen if we project them directly onto others. Try to stay curious, even when it hurts. Own what you can. Though Mercury went direct at the end of April, it is still in its retro-shade period until May 13, so take it slow. Mars is feeling pretty angsty, but rushing to get on with things (and away from our discomfort) will not be as beneficial as bravely holding our egos in check and being powerfully deliberate with our words and deeds. There are still heavy Taurus and Aries energies at play, meaning we can play “rush and grab” letting fear rule or we can choose to build a better tomorrow, by moving slow and closely tending our fire to burn hot and clean.

With the New Moon highlighting Taurus season there will be a sense of taking a deep breath. Most of May will offer a calm space for us to take advantage of. With so many planets in Taurus (Venus, Moon, Sun, Jupiter, Uranus) it is very much a time to slow down and feel into our own bodies. Taurus energy is tactile and animal. It wants what it wants because it smells good, tastes good, feels good to our bodies – which is very different than our minds or even our hearts. With Jupiter here we can over indulge or be overly optimistic, but I want to emphasize this idea of keeping our awareness that this is a period of time to gather and reflect, the whirlwind is far from over, so its less about celebrating and more about taking a beat to feed yourself for the next round. This Taurus New Moon has Venus in rulership, but she is combust so there is definitely a lot was are not seeing, particularly within the realm of relationships, money, finances, power and pleasure. Another good reason to TAKE IT SLOW.

With Mars finally moving into Aries and Mercury direct but creeping out of its retro-shade and Jupiter moving into sextile with Neptune we can allow fantasy and optimism call us into to rash and spontaneous behavior, but again remember that Venus square with Pluto at the start of the month – she was combust then too, there is a lot that is subtle and shifting and much of it has to do with deeper psychological underpinnings.

This theme of things not quite being what they seem only continues later in the month, when Jupiter and Venus conjoin to sextile Neptune for the Full Moon in Sagittarius. This is definitely it is a time where we are supposed to dream big and be inspired with capital letter ideals like Truth. Allowing ourselves to sink into the optimism and comfort available is necessary for we cannot manifest a better tomorrow if we can’t envision it and Neptune really helps open the doors of possibility for our dreaming selves. The point of Neptune aspects is to help us to step into new paradigms. If we keep our hearts open and tune into our higher self, we can begin to embody bigger and more wholesome dreams for ourselves. But ‘Trickster-Neptune’ also, always offers us easy ways to check out and escape into sheer fantasy.

This Full Moon is also has the Moon sextiling retrograde Pluto (which means the Sun trines). Sextiles energize and trines support. Having our shadow and our unconscious wounding energized and supported may not be all that helpful despite whatever optimism we happen to be riding. We humans are not the sharpest knives in the drawer, and our fears and pains often make us real stupid, so its not always easy to tell the high road from the low one. ‘Teacher-Neptune’ asks that we ground in compassion – for self and others. If that is the foot we step off with, then even if the high road is not where we thought it was, our angels can usually throw us a lasso of silver lining to get us where we need to be. Think Taurus – slow and steady. Ask your guts. Be in your body. Aim to be deliberate and center love and honesty this month.

While Venus is combust all month and so not necessarily going to seem as powerful as she usually appears while in Taurus, because she is in her sign of rulership she has a special dignity the ancients called Chariot or being in her Chariot. She is protected and so while she may not be visible, her powers are guiding us behind the scenes. If we work WITH or in the interests of Venus at this time it can be have long term stable rewards. Mars is also powerful in his ruling sign and so lets not forget him. Mid month he conjoins the North Node and by months end conjoins Chiron. This combo of Venus in her Chariot and Mars dancing with our karmic medicine and our wounded stories speaks to me of VALOR. We are being called. It will be subtle and quiet, but the question remains – are you bold enough, courageous enough to answer the call when you hear it? Let us all grow a bit more quiet and turn our attention to that what really matters to us. Let us hear our own abandoned heart and the parts of our true nature that we have turned away from. Let us trust what made us and recognize that we are here at this time, in this body, in this place, in this set of circumstances – and it is no coincidence.

By month’s end Mercury will have cleared its retro-shade, and Jupiter along with the Sun and Venus will move into speedy Gemini. So take the time offered you now, for over the next 12+ months, Jupiter in Gemini will not only grow our curiosity, expanding our pace, speeding up communications and increase our flexibility to put our foot in all kinds of Mercury places where it might not belong– particularly around themes of the Gemini houses in our charts. Gemini is ruled by Mercury, and so Jupiter will also be activating our Mercury and those house themes as well. Jupiter in Gemini dares us into philosophical parkour. So use May to stretch, to sift, to work some knots and kinks out of your body and your routines, take the time to bring your attention to your loves to be in gratitude and right relationship.