May 2023

We come into May with a few booms and blasts, communication disruptions and necessary maintenance or repairs.

May 1st has Pluto turning retrograde [1:09 PM EDT] and the Sun conjunct Mercury. Whenever Pluto changes direction, whether from direct to retrograde motion or from retrograde to direct motion, there is a liability of blasts, bombings, explosions and intense bursts of energy. Things can occur unexpectedly, and we have to avoid second guessing ourselves as to whether we can cope with the changing landscape. We just need to acknowledge that we’re not always privy to what is really going on, much less unanticipated situations that are impossible to prepare for.

Increasingly, we shall need to use critical thinking, in-depth analysis and not take anything at face value for us to see beyond the illusions, the delusions and hype, and become fully aware of the content and substance behind the appearance. We have been subjected to ‘newspeak’, a narrative doled out by the powers-that-be with little information except what we are told to think or how we are to view the world. The veil of Maya is being torn down, but people need to be vigilant and draw upon their intelligence and consciousness and no longer accept at face value what is being presented. There is no alternative but for us to be cautious, skeptical and engage our own serious consideration of significant matters that have both a direct effect and indirect influence on our personal lives.

The 4th of May has Venus square Neptune. Although we would prefer to see the potential in other people, often that potential is a mask that covers hucksters, people who are so self-involved and narcissistic that morals and ethics go out the window, replaced by shady and self-serving behavior. Social media have created the monsters of people projecting themselves as something other than who they really are. Tricksters are on the loose, and we have to avoid being taken in by smarmy characters who express a real interest in our personal well-being, which can turn out to be but a ruse for their own devilish machinations. This is a time when we need to avoid giving people the benefit of the doubt, but instead have people prove their worth before we give them our trust.

Although mindfulness and caution are important characteristics to employ during these accelerated and turbulent times, we can easily be snookered by a liability for us to believe what we want to believe. The energies on the 5th of May provide such an example of distractions and diversions. The two ‘good guys’ of the planetary realm, Venus and Jupiter, are sextile one another. It is also the day of the Scorpio Full Moon [1:34 PM EDT] with the Sun opposed the Moon and a Lunar Eclipse. And it is also the day when all of us are Mexican as we celebrate Cinco de Mayo in honor of a battle fought that stopped the French from advancing into Mexico beyond the town of Puebla. Despite the fact that most people are unaware of this initial victory of the Mexicans over the French, Cinco de Mayo is celebrated with tequila, cerveza, nachos and other Mexican food favorites. Gotta love a party and any excuse for indulgence. If we are easily distracted, we could negate what’s going on in the world and how minute specifics are liable to have potentially negative effects on our personal realm.

Venus exits Gemini and enters Cancer on the 7th of May [10:25 AM EDT]. Much of our interest in running around could be further toned down as we look to spend time at home with family and friends. Fixing things up in our environment and creating a sense of sanctuary can provide a healing space, a refuge from the maddening world, and a base of operations that might even be all encompassing of our life activities.

The 9th of May has the Sun conjunct Uranus in the second decanate [Virgo] of Taurus. We can accomplish a great deal, attend to varied activities, all while working smarter rather than harder. Things may fit neatly together in an appealing manner. We might even consider alternate trajectories and streamlined methodology by which we could get more done in a shorter period of time. This is one of those times when we are likely to find ourselves in the right place at the right time.

The 12th of May gives us Mercury in Taurus sextile Saturn in Pisces, and Mercury sextile Venus in Cancer. Taking the time to devise our course of action today may provide us with a best practices approach whereby we can be effective and productive with the intent to close out the week in order to enjoy a family weekend with Mother’s Day in the US on Sunday. Although there can be hiccups early in the day with expenses being more than we might have anticipated, having direction in mind and itinerary in hand might make any hiccups minor and unlikely to throw us off course. Later in the day, we could reconnect for an enjoyable evening with family and friends in person, by text or by phone. This Friday is a day of right action and right connection despite any unexpected mix-ups along the way.

From Friday the 12th of May through Mother’s Day on Sunday the 14th much of our focus can be on home and family matters. The 13th has Venus trine Saturn. Whether we are traveling to visit Mom for Mother’s Day tomorrow or spending time at home fixing up our homestead and preparing for Mother’s Day celebrations tomorrow, this weekend is likely to be replete with memories of where we have been and with whom we have been journeying through our life experience. While one can say that many of our holiday celebrations are thanks to Hallmark and the consumer goods sector of the economy, holidays often trigger recapitulations and walks down Memory Lane. While we concentrate on the present in honoring mom, we also recall past incidents in our journey along the way. Apart from any travel difficulties, this Mother’s Day should be more on a positive note than a day of recriminations.

Mother’s Day is likely to be pleasant, but our travels later in the day could prove convoluted as Mercury turns direct [11:17 PM EDT]. Whenever Mercury turns direction, whether from direct to retrograde motion or from retrograde to direct motion, things can get squirrely with travel difficulties, communication problems, and computer issues. The energy late in the day on the 14th may demand that we add on extra time in our actions and have contingency plans in mind.

Although we are coming off the Mercury retrograde, we shall still be in its shadow until the 31st of May. Caution continues to be advised regarding our finances and the particulars of various matters.

The 15th of May starts this week and the second half of May in high gear as Mars trines Neptune. As though guided, we could put our spirit into action and have a determination to get as much done as humanly, and divinely, possible. We may feel inspired with a sense that we are fulfilling our personal destiny.

Jupiter ends its transit of Aries on the 16th and enters Taurus. We lose the Fire as Jupiter moves out of the Cardinal Fire Sign. We will pick up the Fire later in the week when Mars enters the Fixed Fire Sign of Leo.

Jupiter entering Taurus adds further weight to the Fixed Earth Stellium as Jupiter joins the Sun, Mercury and Uranus in Taurus.

Although the banking system is proving precarious, thoughts of alternate stores of our personal finances may be considered. Whether we trust the various national governments and their fiat currency or we fear incompetency in the theoretical world of economists, we might become more interested in how we can best preserve our financial resources. Could recent financial banking contagion give rise to Central Bank Digital Currencies? Or will decentralized finance and the quantum financial system be introduced and hold sway? Only time will tell, although the movement of Pluto back into Capricorn can likely test the strength of the global financial system.

When Pluto first entered Capricorn in 2008, we had a major banking crisis with the liability of a global financial meltdown. It’s interesting to note that as Pluto was leaving Capricorn to enter Aquarius in March, we experienced the collapse of Signature Bank, Silicon Valley Bank, and other banks teetering on insolvency and only held up by the emergency infusion of funds. It did seem reminiscent of the shell game at the carnival with the mark trying to guess which one of the three shells contained the pea. What are we likely to see over the next two years as Pluto retrogrades back into Capricorn? Pluto retrogrades back into Capricorn on June 11th of this year, re-enters Aquarius on January 20th of 2024, retrogrades back into Capricorn on the 1st of September of 2024, and re-enters Aquarius on November 19th of 2024 to begin its full transit of Aquarius. Interesting times ahead.

The 19th of May has Mercury sextile Saturn and the Taurus New Moon [11:53 AM EDT] with the Sun Moon conjunction right on the cusp of Taurus Gemini. We have the opportunity of channeling our energy in strategic and well-considered ways. The New Moon configuration is in orb of a sextile to Mars and a sextile to Pluto. We are on the cutting edge of dramatic transformations. As the age-old nursery rhyme about Humpty Dumpty reminds us:
“Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the king’s horses and all the king’s men
couldn’t put Humpty together again.”

Shall we also experience dramatic transformations that change the landscape for us as we move forward?

Certainly, the sense of implosions and explosions could be evidenced on the 20th when Mars exits Cancer to enter Leo [11:31 AM EDT], followed that day by Mars opposed Pluto. The Mars entry into Leo gives us a dose of Fire, and we might seek outlets in which we can express our creative talents. Any adverse aspect of Mars Pluto demands extreme caution for the liability of violent actions, bomb blasts, and intense releases of energy often occur under a Mars Pluto adverse aspect. Like a volcano, we would need steam vents to release our pent-up energies in a positive, measured manner rather than in bursts of anger or self-assertion.

May 21st has the Sun exiting Taurus to enter Gemini. With a ‘world is our oyster’ attitude, we are likely to engage any number of activities with our interests varied but not necessarily in-depth. We could find ourselves going here, there and everywhere like a butterfly alighting on a flower briefly only to fly off to the next flower and on. Our brief alighting can be with great gusto both on the 21st as the Gemini Sun trines Pluto and on the 22nd when the Sun sextiles Mars.

Entertainment and expressing our own creative talents can be forefront in our mind. We may feel full of life, interested in exploring unfamiliar terrain with a sense of adventure and excitement. Spring is truly upon us with warm weather, outdoor activities, and the lushness of nature in full display.

May 21st and 22nd can have us running on high octane. Although we can be confident and optimistic, we have to be wary that we don’t push the envelope, try to take on too much too soon but rather harness our enthusiasm and be moderate in our movements, always evaluating and re-evaluating as we proceed, recognizing that circumstances and conditions during this paradigm shift can change dramatically and suddenly.

The liability of our extreme actions and overconfident moves could be evident on the 23rd when Mars squares Jupiter. It would be wise for us to have a budget regarding our finances, be judicious with our expenses, and avoid speculative ventures that seem to be too good to be true.

Even if we go far out on a limb under the influence of the various energy configurations between the 21st and 23rd of May, we can get a grip on the 26th when Venus sextiles Uranus. As if being offered a clue on a scavenger hunt, we could be surprised by some information that allows us to be more effective with less expenditure of energy. We might discover bargains that help us to streamline operations. A sense of the magic and miracles of these times could be apparent, where we feel that we are in the right place at the right time. We just need to be certain that we don’t get in the way of the natural unfolding.

One of the major challenges during these times is for us to rid ourselves of the conditioned belief that we are in control of our life’s circumstance. If the last few years taught us only one thing, it should be that conditions can dramatically change with the changes often not of our making but what we have to respond to. Life today is far different from the life we knew four years ago.

To be successful during this phase, it is essential that we be flexible and adaptable and that we not get in our own way but rather be aware and mindful of the shifting sands in order to effectively deal with the changes.

The 28th of May might have us reverting to an assumption that we are in total control of our life’s circumstance. The Sun squares Saturn on the 28th, and if we try too hard to enforce our will, we could experience a nasty pushback. Old issues or our old mindset might trip us up or delay our forward movement. We may feel as though we are constantly running up against situations that bedevil us, both past matters and relying upon old ways of doing things, once tried, no longer true.

May 2023… April showers bring May flowers…