Here we are in the merry month of May. The merriment, however, may be more the welcoming warmth of Spring than our own sense of personal contentment. We may all be champing at the bit, wanting to get on with it but wondering in which direction to go and what the ‘it’ might actually be.
This is a paradoxical month with the beginning having a strong earthy flavor of planting seeds and putting down roots, the latter part of the month encouraging us to sample this, try that without a great deal of commitment to any of it.
May also has the second of this year’s three Mercury retrogrades and this one retrograding through Mercury’s own Sign of Gemini. Anyone call for a mad hatter? Similar to the neurological damage that caused confused speech and distorted vision from the mercury fumes during the hat making process, we too might find ourselves during this Mercury retrograde process bewildered by the world around us and when wondering what is going on in the world may exclaim like Alice’s Hatter: “I haven’t the slightest idea”.
May begins with Mercury just having entered its own Sign of Gemini on the 30th of April, 1st of May. Our thoughts may be energized with all options and considerations taken into account. The gift of gab might be evident with us and with other people. Talk and talk and more talk as we consider all sorts of ideas, share our thoughts and chatter away.
This entry of Mercury into Gemini will also trigger the Mutable Sign T-Square with Mercury opposed Saturn on the 3rd of May just prior to the Scorpio Full Moon and Mercury square Neptune on the 9th of May.
While the Jupiter transit of Leo for close to a year has indulged us with optimism, confidence and a sense of all things starting to go right, evidenced by equity markets’ recent highs, this Scorpio Full Moon on the 3rd of May could take the bloom off the rose. Although much of the euphoria and the hype of good times by the powers-that-be have been seductive, there could also have been a case of illusionary or downright delusionary influences. This Full Moon with Mercury opposed Saturn at the same time may force us to address the possible liabilities, problems and issues that have been covered over and barely addressed in recent times.
This is a time when we might view the half glass of water no longer as half full but more as half empty. It is important during any mood swings in the downward dog position that we keep in mind the acronym for FEAR [False Evidence Appearing Real].
We are living in a bombardment of stimuli, a kaleidoscope of sights, sounds, colors, images and appearances that spark various emotional reactions but may be merely presenting one facet of what is going on. The caroming from one crisis to another seems to be the game plan of living in today’s world.
But the question as to how some of these crises impact us directly and personally is one we should often ask ourselves. Among the recent crisis points, in no particular order, have been: Ebola virus, Paris terrorist attacks, police shootings and mishandlings, Ukraine coup, measles outbreak, protests devolving into looting and destruction, earthquake and volcanic activity, intense storm systems, and on and on.
These times call for us to inoculate ourselves from the fear mongering of the media and the powers-that-be who seek to manipulate and control.
In this Spring period as first Venus, then Mercury, then Mars and later the Sun transit Gemini, we shall experience the Mutable Sign T-Square with the Gemini-transiting planets opposing Saturn and then squaring Neptune. Let’s keep in mind when our emotions swoon into the negative territory the acronym of fear — false evidence appearing real.
While this Spring period can be one of high nervous energy, our juggling any number of things, addressing past issues and wondering whether we are done with outstanding matters, we shall also have some healthy respites, somewhat like a welcome oasis in the midst of a barren desert.
The 4th of May has the Taurus Sun square Jupiter. Extravagance may know no bounds, whether that extravagance be our financial expenditures, our self-confidence or a tendency to forfeit outside advice and advance our interests ‘come hell or high water’.
Fortunately, the Taurus-transiting planets and their squares to Jupiter are followed by trines to Pluto, such as the Sun trine Pluto on the 6th of May. Whatever excess we engage can be whittled down to the essence, the substance of the situation. We can strip away the indulgences and focus on the truly meaningful. And this Sun Pluto trine on the 6th allows us to consider what the quality of life means to each one of us. What are our priorities? What is truly important to us? What are we doing with our lives?
The 7th of May has Venus exiting Gemini to enter Cancer. Our plans may begin to revolve around home and family. We might give thought to reunions, family gatherings and various springtime celebrations that occur on an annual basis — graduations, marriages, school reunions.
The 9th of May has Mercury finishing its Mutable Sign T-Square trigger point with Mercury square Neptune. We may be subject to a great deal of input, which could prove overwhelming and confusing. Whether we are making plans or considering decisions, it would be wise that we not rush to judgment. We might not have full information or we might misinterpret what is being presented to us. With so much commotion going on, we could easily be swayed by the person with the loudest voice or by the sparkly images being presented.
Mars exits Taurus on the 11th of May to enter Gemini and triggers the Mutable Sign T-Square, first with Mars opposed Saturn on the 15th and then Mars square Neptune on the 25th. The Mars opposed Saturn on the 15th can knock the wind out of our sails. Things can take longer than we would like, and we could get exhausted by all the things we need to do and want to do. It would be important that we not push ourselves, for the liability to back strain could be strong at this time.
Venus trines Neptune on the 16th and this weekend can be an especially pleasant time of social interactions. Family reconnections can be pleasant, and we might realize how important the people in our lives are. We may see people in a different light with greater compassion and empathy for the brambles others have encountered on the path of their journeying. There is a strong spiritual connection in our relationships on this weekend.
The Taurus New Moon on the 17th – 18th ushers in the three-week Mercury retrograde that begins on the 18th – 19th. This Mercury retrograde can be strengthened by the fact that Mercury will be retrograding through its own Sign of Gemini. Like any Mercury retrograde, but this one ever more so, communications can be off and we could experience miscues and misunderstandings. It will be important to engage brain before unleashing tongue, for the liability would be to say the wrong thing at the wrong time to the wrong person.
The Sun enters Gemini on the 21st of May and again we have the Mutable Sign T-Square triggered, first with the Sun opposed Saturn on the 22nd and later with the Sun square Neptune on the 31st of May.
The 21st has the Sun entering Gemini and Venus opposed Pluto, followed by the Sun opposed Saturn on the 22nd. A level of irritation can creep in, and we might not be operating on all eight cylinders. Not operating at our full potential, we might be hard pressed to maintain grace and charm. We may feel that we have so much on our plate or want to have more on our plate than we could possibly manage. And even if we look to other people to help us out, they may be too involved in their own situations to assist us.
The week of the 25th begins in the US with Memorial Day and the last day of the long holiday weekend that celebrates the unofficial start of Summer. The 25th has Venus square Uranus and Mars square Neptune. While there are various celebrations at this time and fun in the sun, some plans may go awry. Relationships could prove dicey as a result of people choosing to do what they want to do, and the liability to accidents and especially accidents in or on the water can add to the time being fraught with concern.
The retrograde Mercury conjuncts Mars on the 27th of May, and people can be forceful in their discussions. Like the old saying of a ‘strong offense is a good defense’, people may be belligerent, emphasizing their being right no matter how wrong they might be and with little substantiated evidence to back up their claims. This is a day to be wary of discussions turning into heated arguments or arm-twisting by reason of persistent persuasiveness.
The weekend of the 29th to end the month of May can prove stormy. Neptune is engaged by the Sun Mercury conjunction on the 30th with Mercury square Neptune on the 29th and the Sun square Neptune on the 31st. No matter what our intentions for this weekend might be, it could be stormy either weather-wise or in our interactions with other people. The level of confusion can be extreme. The tendency towards tuning out and escaping the mundane could prove seductive. With the strong combination of air and water, emotions can be ratcheted up and misunderstandings rampant. No one seems on the same page with a preference to nurse grievances or to play the passive-aggressive game. Why go there when there are no winners and only results in a lose-lose scenario?
This May could be a time for us to have our feet on the ground, deal with practical matters but as the month progresses we might be losing our grip and find ourselves floating in the air.
May 2015… a world of confusion?…
