May 2021

The proverb ‘April showers bring May flowers’ could be no more valid than this year when we burst into May with a thrust of energy and a sense that all is right in our own personal world.

The 2nd of May has Mercury trine Pluto and Venus sextile Neptune. Both our professional world and our personal world can be humming nicely along. Our mind is sharp, perceptive and determined to accomplish our goals without dropping a stitch or neglecting any significant particular. Not only are we truly adept at what we are doing. We are also presenting ourselves in an impeccable manner, appreciative of those special people in our life, and cognizant of the beauty of living often reflected in masterful artwork, inspiring nature, and the perfection of nature. We are likely to acknowledge that we truly are lucky to be alive, fully alive.

Unfortunately, in astrology as in life itself, things do not always stay the same. On the contrary, life is about change, sometimes subtle, often dramatic. Staying the same could become stagnant, whereas change allows the dynamism of growth, development and transformation.

The beauty and perfection of the 2nd changes on the 3rd. To paraphrase from Longfellow ‘when it’s good, it’s very, very good, and when it’s bad, it’s horrid.’

From the sublime of the 2nd, we could flip into the ridiculous of the 3rd as Mercury squares Jupiter, and the Sun squares Saturn.

Blind faith and wild optimism could have us glossing over matters with the assumption that what we want we can have with little effort on our part. This cavalier attitude with unfavorable results might have us either needing to rework and redo certain matters or feeling totally defeated as if the wind has been knocked out of our sails.

On the 3rd, Mercury exits Taurus to enter its own Sign of Gemini [10:49 PM EDT]. Instead of focus and concentration, our thoughts and our mind can entertain a vast number of ideas and possibilities, a myriad of glimpses but without a great deal of depth. We may have the gift of gab but it’s more likely being able to talk the talk but without being able to walk the talk.

The 6th of May gives us Venus trine Pluto. With a common purpose, we might experience people being collaborative with an ability together to virtually move mountains. Not only could our relationships improve. Our presentations can be passionate and appealing, and make our goals seeming to be easily attainable.

As the saying goes “No good deed goes unpunished.”

No matter how productive we are on the 6th, the 8th gives license to carelessness and over confidence. The two “good guys” of the planetary realm, Venus and Jupiter, are in square aspect inciting excess and indulgence and a general sloppiness. We might seem to care less about how we approach matters with a belief that things will work out in our favor. Nice concept but an attitude that might lead us to extremes with little positive return.

Venus exits its own Sign of Taurus on the 8th, ending the Stellium in the Fixed Earth Sign, and Venus enters Gemini [10:01 PM EDT]. Interactions with other people may be glib and brief encounters. We would rather do the dance with many numbers of people rather than focus on that special person or those special people. A revolving door of people coming and going can be exciting but also superficial and shallow. But we are in the springtime throes of going here, there and everywhere with this person, that person, and some other person.

The Taurus New Moon on the 11th of May [3:00 PM EDT] has the Sun Moon conjunction with a sextile to Neptune and a wide orb trine to Pluto. Complementing this seed planting time is Mars sextile Uranus. We are entering a two-week phase when we may be looking at home projects, fixing things up around our home, all with the intention of the outdoor activities of spring and summer. Changing things up to be more effective with less expenditure of energy, all the while that we are establishing our home environment as an idyllic sanctuary, may be the hallmark of this next two-week period.

The 12th of May has Mercury trine Saturn. Our bundle of ideas can filter into greater focus. We could crystallize our thoughts into a plan of action to best realize our goals with input from a trusted confidante, detached from our process but knowledgeable in our interest of endeavor. We may contact people with whom we haven’t spoken for some time, and reunions may be planned for social get-togethers.

The 13th has the Sun sextile Neptune and Jupiter exiting Aquarius to enter Pisces [6:36 PM EDT] for a two and a half months brief prelude to Jupiter’s year-long transit of the Mutable Water Sign next year.

In traditional astrology, the ancient planets each ruled two Signs, one masculine, one feminine. Jupiter rules Sagittarius, a masculine Sign, and traditionally Jupiter also ruled Pisces, a feminine Sign. With Jupiter and Neptune both in Pisces, there can be a greater spiritual awakening occurring in the populace. Perhaps people will see the craziness of human antics, feel the disturbances of mother nature, and determine that it is time to increase awareness and enhance personal awakening into a greater spiritual perspective. The time is ripe, and the time is NOW.

Much can be accomplished as we begin the week of May 17th. The Sun trines Pluto, and we have the opportunity of advancing our interests, resolving various matters, and attending to important details. It would be wise for us to do so, since we are about to move into a time when our involvements might shift from focused intent into sporadic juggling of any number of events. We may recognize the transformation that each of us has gone through with an appreciation of our having prioritized the most significant activities. We can push forward with an indomitable will to accomplish successful results.

The 19th of May has Venus trine Saturn. Solid connections with someone may prove a great advocacy for our future endeavors. We might feel as though we can fully rely on a trusted confidante both for their friendship and their wise critique of our plans. As Lee Iacocca indicated: “…that when you die, if you’ve got five real friends, then you’ve had a great life.” We might realize the truth to that statement with someone fully stepping up to provide us their love, support and comfort. This is a time for us to embrace and express our true friendships.

The Sun exits Taurus on the 20th and enters Gemini [3:37 PM EDT], triggering a Stellium in the Mutable Air Sign as the Sun joins Venus and Mercury in the Mercury-ruled Sign. A determined but plodding pace flips into a more frenetic rhythm whereby we are more interested in juggling any number of things and going from one thing to another to yet another without much interest in experiencing the substance or the depth of the situation but rather the variety and the limitlessness.

Spring has truly sprung with our interests turning to being out and about and like a butterfly alighting briefly on one adventure before flying off to the next.

This shift in energy can open the door to too much, as we are liable to experience on the 21st when the Sun squares Jupiter. We might feel that nothing is too much, and we may engage any number of activities, propose all sorts of plans, and be more interested in a wide range of possibilities rather than filtering our participations to a select few.

A broad palette of possible engagements can be overwhelming and confusing. On the 22nd with Mercury square Neptune we are liable to be seduced by the exciting, the sparkly, and the shining. Due diligence may be lost to the thrill of the moment and could lead us down a garden path of thorns and brambles.

This weekend of the 21st through the 23rd of May is one when we might choose to spread our wings, get out of town to explore unfamiliar terrain, but without direction or itinerary in hand. Braking action may be necessary and could be provided on Sunday the 23rd when Saturn turns retrograde [5:21 AM EDT].

With Saturn retrograde, and this Saturn retrograde cycle going on into mid-October, things can take longer than we might like. There are continual braking actions that slow us down, likely to frustrate us, and delay our forward movement. Especially during this end of May and through much of June, the Saturn retrograde combined with the Gemini insistence to get going can have us feeling like we are champing at the bit. We might have the sense that our actions are a start – stop movement. Let’s not get frustrated by the delays but rather see them as opportunities to re-evaluate and tweak our actions instead of just rushing full bore ahead.

The end of May could prove a little tricky. Venus squares Neptune on the 27th. Relationships may be interesting infatuations, but we have to be wary of doing the dance with the trickster, someone appearing one way, the reality being something other. Specious promises and presentations of idyllic possibilities may entangle us. This is a time to pull back the curtain on the Wizard of Oz screen to see who is really punching the buttons. Let’s avoid being seduced by appearance and hype and not fall for preening flattery.

The 29th of May has Mercury conjunct Venus just before Mercury turns retrograde [6:34 PM EDT]. Being Memorial Day weekend in the US, the unofficial start to the summer season, we are likely to engage in social get-togethers, get to the mountains or the shore and look forward to just enjoying ourselves.

With Mercury turning retrograde, let’s keep in mind that Murphy’s Law is in effect where ‘whatever can go wrong could go wrong’. This Mercury retrograde, which lasts until the beginning of summer, is going through its own Sign of Gemini and liable to ratchet up some of the craziness we are liable to encounter. Communications, travel plans, computer problems are some of the issues that may daunt us over the next three weeks. Add to the Mercury retrograde the Saturn retrograde, and we could find ourselves applying the accelerator while our transmission is lodged in neutral, and with us winding up by spinning our wheels. It would be wise for us to add extra time for whatever we are doing and continually remember almost mantram-like ‘not to rush the river’.

The month of May ends on the 31st, Memorial Day in the US, with Mars trine Neptune. We may be up for a grand adventure especially if it takes us onto or into the water. A great day to unofficially start the summer season with a burst of energy and a sense that everything will in deed work out in the end.

May 2021… ratcheting up…