As we enter the month of May, we are now entering the “crossing the threshold” phase of the Hero’s journey. This is where we are ready to act on the call to adventure and truly begin our quest. Very appropriate for where the sentiment in most areas of the world is with respect to the restrictions (thank you Jupiter in Capricorn and Saturn in Aquarius) placed up on us because of COVID-19. I dare say that we are still in this strange, heavy feeling energy for quite some time. However, some places are beginning to lift restrictions and this can give us some form of hope. As the main character of our lives, we may willingly begin our quest or feel forced to take some sort of action. This action is a signal of our commitment to the journey itself. I doubt many of us will complain about getting back out into the world after such a long period of isolation. However, the fears or at least intimidation of exposing ourselves to the illness will continue to be in our bones, and could create a victim mentality or desire to escape reality and indulge in guilty pleasures with expectations of solid results (Venus retrograde in Gemini Square Neptune in Pisces). The gift of May will be the fun loving, youthful energy that Gemini brings.
This leads us into the overarching theme for the entire month of May….Venus. Our planet of love, values, finances, giving and receiving will be moving retrograde on the 12th and squaring off with Neptune all month. This theme will dominate, while we have Jupiter and Saturn also stationing and moving retrograde days after Venus’s slow down. I can hear you holding your breath. Please exhale. The invitation this month is to continue to breathe into the inner wisdom and fortitude that we all possess, and exhale/take action for the sake of experience itself. We have to maintain a healthy realism to what is going on in the world and in our own lives, and use escape through fantasy and imagination as a tool for creating an “in the moment” experience. If we believe that the experience we create is going to look and feel the same when Venus moves direct at the end of June, we may be sadly disappointed or left feeling duped. On the other hand, the experiences we may have this month as we begin to return to connection with life and others, could offer us all a chance to communicate something we have been forced to hold close to our chest or wait for the right time to reveal. The trick to working with this Venus retrograde is to allow yourself to take your time with long-term plans, especially with Jupiter retrograding back towards Pluto (exact conjunction in June). We also have some powerful eclipses in June that I will talk about next month.
Speaking of eclipses, the set up for a new set of eclipses begins on the 5th of the month when the nodes of the Moon change signs from Cancer/Capricorn to Gemini/Sagittarius. We will be in for a new 18 month theme where education, travel, transportation, communication, writing, teaching, siblings, and neighbors all come into the spotlight. Quite interesting based on current events, especially as we are under so much restriction regarding traveling, social distancing in place, and look what is happening in our educational system. I do believe that we are slowly getting a taste of what our future will look like, as we will have the Sun, Mercury and Uranus canoodling in Taurus on May 4th, and we are going to be starting a new 200 year cycle at the end of the year with our Jupiter/Saturn in Aquarius theme. More on that later. But do pay attention to how we continue to approach these systems now that will impact the future. I believe we will get an announcement or two of pioneers introducing new age science and technology innovations that will give these systems a complete overhaul.
Falling right on the heels of our powerful canoodling and nodal changes is a deep, intense, and powerful full moon. This full moon may leave us feeling a bit hungover the next day as she starts her transit squaring off with Saturn…a stand off between intellect and intuition, followed by a brief opposition to Uranus, where a breakthrough moment could provide the insight needed to get to the truth of something. This set up for the Moon to oppose the Sun at 17 degrees may have us diving under a rock for cover or under the covers with our lover. Could go either way depending on the picture painted by Mercury sextile Neptune at this time. This could be a time when sexual tension ramps up as the Moon then squares off with Mars demanding a release of energy in some way. If you ever felt that you needed to express yourself in some unique way and stake your claim in your personal or professional world, this is the time to do it. In matters of romance, it is a wonderful time to declare yourself to another with the desire to form strong emotional bonds. It could be the end of your old status and the beginning of something beautiful.
The following week is the activity or rather beginning of retrograde season for three powerful planets. On the 11th of May, Saturn stations and begins its retrograde period back through the first degrees of Aquarius before stepping back into Capricorn in June until he moves into Aquarius for a 2 ½ year period in December. We aren’t finished with the Capricorn theme that we have been in since December 2017. Be prepared to revisit similar themes from the beginning of the year. There is an indication that we aren’t done with this pandemic yet in some way. With Saturn retrograde we may look inside of ourselves for authority on this topic and many others. We may even find more self-discipline and ways that we can master our emotions to deal with what is happening in the world. I believe to be a much needed tool as we find ourselves at our wits end or to the brink of a breakdown from exhaustion during these times. This is where the Hero’s Journey begins to get real. We can actually use this time of Saturn retrograde to revisit certain issues we didn’t get to deal with in a real and tangible way before.
At the same time that Saturn retrogrades Mercury changes signs from Taurus into its home sign of Gemini. Our minds may be going a mile a minute, and if restrictions haven’t been lifted in a way that feels satisfactory to us, there may be quite a bit of protesting, rebellious gatherings, dancing in the streets and who knows what else. I will offer that we may find that music, laughter, and definitely a good joke or two will release tensions. Gemini is fun, youthful, and playful and wants to keep things light and airy. We may need that levity as Saturn’s heavier energy turns us inwards. The monkey mind may be on overdrive and will need a place to channel its energy. It is possible during this day and the couple of days following that some external information could help to clarify questions we have been asking ourselves. Doing a bit of fact checking will come in handy as well. Remember that Venus will be squaring off with Neptune so facts may be covered with illusion and we could get snagged with flattery or beautiful wording thinking it is true.
May 12th is a big day for Venus in Gemini as she stations retrograde for 6 weeks. The last time Venus was retrograde in Gemini was 2012. As I mentioned last month, play close attention to the theme from 8 years ago as it will be returning for us to work with in a different way. It could be that you were dealing with a particular relationship issue that resurfaces, and now you are able to respond differently. Themes associated with Venus in Gemini are witty conversations in order to win over affections or attention, diverse areas of interest, attracting more than one option to find solutions, endless curiosity can attract creative ideas and opportunities, and lightheartedness in love. When Venus is retrograde there is a good indication that someone or something from the past in regards to love, money, relationships, or values comes back to be revisited. There is little doubt many of us will spend time looking at the people and things in our lives and re-evaluating if they still line up with our value system. If a lover from your past comes back they may make you an offer you feel you can’t refuse or flatter you to come back to them. With Venus squaring off with Neptune most of the month, taking your time and keeping a foot in reality will keep you from waking up in 2 months and wondering how you could have gotten duped. Venus retrograde is really not the friendliest of times for those of you considering radical changes to your fashion or beauty statement or making extravagant purchases.
On May 13th, our warrior planet Mars ingresses into Pisces while at the same time Venus makes her official retrograde into Gemini. Spiritual Warriors unite! We will be ready to fight for ideals, values, and what we believe will lighten up the environment for us all. With Jupiter joining the retrograde party the following day, we may indulge in a bit of false hope that everything is finally going to start moving again. However, we may have a sober dose of reality again in the upcoming months when long-distance travel, foreign affairs, and border restrictions continue. We may see a massive shift in the monetary system, and work towards coming up with innovative ways to deal with the economic crisis. On a personal note, we could find ourselves seeking for truth inside of ourselves that justify our actions or attitudes. The caution here is that we are careful not to over inflate our sense of self or become so self-righteous that we alienate others. We can use this energy to revisit our long-term goals and confirm or transform the actions and resources we need to achieve them. We can question whether our values are still in alignment with these goals and where we might find additional resources to be included.
The new moon in Gemini on May 22nd will give us a chance to look inside of ourselves and begin anew with creating the reality we really want. With a harmonizing aspect to Saturn, we may feel that it is time to make concrete decisions about the people and things in our lives that are in alignment with our values, and with Mars squaring off with this new moon, we may be in a “take no prisoners” mode. I would dare say that this new moon could find us drawing some clear boundaries and communicating from the intellectual mindset more than the emotions. If a relationship ends or boundaries are defined, it will most likely feel as though “it is just the facts”, and there isn’t much room for compromise.
The Sun makes its monthly ingress from Taurus into Gemini. We will be energized by conversations, connections and new ideas. We may decide to do things just for the sake of play, and could find ourselves a lot chattier than usual. Many of us will be looking for more hope that our lives can actually start to get back to the “new normal” and give us inspiration that we can share with others. Pay close attention towards the end of the month when Mercury catches up with the North Node just before it moves into sensitive, mood swinging Cancer. There could be a moment when we are ready to talk and share about future plans and will be looking for anyone who will listen, or get in our vehicles or modes of transportation and connect with our friends and loved ones. We will be ready for forward movement. The trick to utilizing May’s energy is to remember the people and processes you have put in place over the last few months, and re-engage with the world from this new perspective. Many of the old ways are outdated and no longer serve. Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto in Capricorn have made sure of that. Yes it’s true. We need hope. We need lightness of mind, body and spirit. We need to play. Keep a foot in the world of reality while playing in your imagination and creativity, and you will find many little treasures that you will be able to enjoy for quite some time.
