With so much happening in May, I decided to narrow things down and share the six major planetary aspects that I personally feel pack the most punch. We start with Mercury entering Gemini at the beginning of the month – which is the sign that he rules. This planetary aspect is followed by a New Moon in Taurus. The next event is the Sun entering Gemini, followed by two planetary retrogrades and one Eclipse. What an amazing line-up to start off the summer season.
When a planet enters the sign that it rules, that planet feels very much at home and has all the resources it needs to operate at its best. This is what is happening when Mercury enters Gemini from May 3rd until July 11th. Mercury is master of his domain and has the ability to fully express himself and to use all resources available to him. Mercury is known as the “Messenger of the Gods.” He symbolizes all things related to communication. This includes our ideas, private thoughts and opinions. Mercury’s role is to gather the information needed by Gemini to develop intellectually, satisfy bountiful curiosity, and then apply it toward personal development.
During this 2 ½ month time period, there will be a heightened state of awareness. Your mind may feel like a bumblebee buzzing among all of the wildflowers, without settling on the nectar of just one. You’ll be interested in and curious about most any subject that crosses your path. There’s an excitement to teach others everything you are learning or taking in, and you will definitely need a creative outlet for all of your mental energy.
This transit will affect each individual differently depending on the house that Mercury moves through in your chart. For instance, if Mercury is moving through your 12th House, your thought processes will turn inward. Although you will have many ideas or thoughts, you will tend to be private about them. In fact, you will come up with your best ideas when you are alone. This is the house of the collective unconscious, so be prepared to connect with your intuition and spirituality, and to feel compelled to teach the mysteries of the hidden realm to others.
However, if Mercury in Gemini is transiting your 3rd House, your need to outwardly communicate will be vital. All intellectual activities will be intensified, and you may feel a constant need for mental stimulation, being energetically committed to learning and acquiring knowledge of all kinds. Any information you obtain will be enhanced when there is social involvement associated with it. You will want to interact with others and meet new people in order to learn from them and be inspired by new ideas. Whether with friends, associates, or neighbors, you’ll be interested in anyone you can trade stories with.
On May 11th, the New Moon is in the sign of Taurus. With all of the mental energy of Mercury, ask yourself what you would like to manifest during this New Moon and where you would like to plant your seeds for the future. First, make a conscious effort to slow your mind down during this phase. Let the energy of Taurus help get you on solid ground. Remember what is of value to you and what you are worth. The Moon loves to be in this sign and appreciates the stability that Taurus brings. This is a wonderful time to build the foundation for what you most desire. It’s all about having something of substance and permanence in your life.
The Sun changes sign and enters Gemini on May 20th. We will now officially be in Gemini Season, so expect your life to get a whole lot more interesting. With the Sun moving into Gemini, it is time to prepare for spring to merge into summer. Life will seem to take on a faster, more energetic pace. The vibe is upbeat, sociable and active, so keep a calendar handy to stay on track.
May also ushers in 2 major retrogrades. As a reminder about retrogrades from the Earth’s viewpoint, the planet appears to be moving backwards. This occurs because the speed at which the planet is orbiting the Sun is different to the speed at which Earth orbits the Sun. This is only a visual illusion. It’s like a train passing a moving car. The passengers on the train feel as if the car is moving backward due to the speed at which the train is moving. Make no mistake, retrograde planets operate with powerful strength. They are closer to Earth than at any other time in their orbit around the Sun. Because of the close proximity to Earth, the planet has the power to create confusion and difficulties when directing their energies and integrating their functions properly.
The first planet to go retrograde this month is Saturn. This will commence on May 23rd and leaves retrograde on October 11th. Saturn is the planet that teaches us that the purpose of life is growth through experience. He teaches us our most difficult lessons, forcing us to grow by recognizing our own limitations and boundaries. Saturn is strict. The authority figure who pushes us to achieve the most we can, ruling through self-discipline, restriction, and authority.
When Saturn is direct, it can help us find our way and steer us on the right path on our journey. However, when it goes retrograde, we may feel anxiety and limitation. It is important to remember that the purpose of this retrograde is to assess the important things in our life and make any necessary changes. Re-evaluating our personal ambitions, and professional and social decisions, are important during this period so that we can restructure and rebuild the things that are no longer serving us. It is a time when we can slow down and decide if our activities are working in our best interest or if we should change direction. Saturn also rules Karma, so it is a good time to take a look at our past behavior and see what comes to light. We can bring our actions into balance and make things right in our world.
The second planet to transit retrograde is our friend Mercury. Mercury in retrograde will occur from May 29th until June 22nd. Most people are more aware of this planetary retrograde since it gets a lot of coverage. Because Mercury is the planet of communication, when this planet retrogrades everything in our world can seem to get thrown off. There are miscommunications between people, we may be more forgetful than usual, important details are missed, travel plans can get totally snarled, perhaps even the car breaks down. There can be contract mishaps, computer systems crash, your electronics can act up. Pretty much anything can go haywire. Symbolically, Mercury has gone into overload and needs to rest. This should tell us that we also need to take a break. We are being encouraged to take care of things that we have ignored or not handled as well as we should have.
The last major event of the month is the Full Moon Eclipse on May 26th. What this means is that this will be an especially intense Full Moon. You will feel this Full Moon times ten. The energetic effects can last for about 6 months or more, instead of a couple of weeks. A Lunar Eclipse occurs only during a Full Moon when the Moon passes into the shadow of the Earth. The Sun, Earth, and the Moon are in perfect alignment with each other, with the Sun and Moon on opposite sides of the Earth. Because this Full Moon is a Total Lunar Eclipse, we should see a striking, vibrant red colored moon.
Eclipses represent transformation, forcing us to confront the darker side of our personal subconscious. Change doesn’t always occur on the exact date of the eclipse, usually it is weeks or even months after the eclipse that something truly transformative happens.
This Lunar Eclipse will be in the sign of Sagittarius, a Fire Sign ruled by Jupiter, causing the moon to highlight the energies and talents of this sign and planet. This eclipse has us reflecting back on our past to find our truth, to search for enlightenment, and to be honest with ourselves. It is an extremely powerful time for cleansing, growth and transformation. It is time to recognize what needs to change so that we can move forward with independence and freedom into the future.
SATURN RETROGRADE HOROSCOPE HOW TO WORK CONSTRUCTIVELY WITH THIS TRANSIT
Since the retrograde period for Saturn will last for all of the summer into the fall, let’s take a look at how this will affect each sign for the next 4 ½ months. In doing so, we can identify the area of life that will be demanding attention, take stock of whatever situations need to be dealt with responsibly and with discipline. By the time Saturn goes direct in October, we hopefully will have learned valuable lessons and come to terms with the relevant issues and be ready for the next phase.
ARIES – March 21 – April 19
Re-examine your personal goals or visions and look outside yourself to find what excites you on a societal level. There may be challenges or frustrations within your existing friendships or associations as they may no longer be in harmony with where you are going in life. During this time period, redefine the social issues or causes that are important to you and provide a structure for creating a network of meaningful friendships and group associations. You will have to release old conventional attitudes, get in touch with what you truly value, and establish your own personal authority in order to move on to new ideas for the greater good of society.
TAURUS – April 20 – May 20
Re-evaluating your career or your role within your profession is being highlighted during this transit. During this time, it will be important to define what success means to you. Clearly outline your mission and strategies by putting new work structures in place to achieve your professional goals. This period is about proving yourself and rising to the challenge of coming into your own professionally. It is a time to test your abilities and aspirations to see if they work and decide if you’ll need to make any changes in the direction or approach you have been taking moving into the future.
GEMINI – May 21 – June 20
The challenge is figuring out what you truly believe in and what you really stand for. You’ll find yourself re-examining your religious, philosophical and political beliefs. It may be uncomfortable at times, but it is important to be open to new and diverse ways of thinking and to expose yourself to a different way of viewing the world. You will only be prepared to take advantage of future opportunities if you look beyond your own limits and embrace mind-expanding experiences through education, cultural travel or investigation of new ideals and principles.
CANCER – JUNE 21 – JULY 22
This time period challenges you at your deepest and most intimate level. You will be called to re-examine your inner most being, exploring your thoughts and feelings regarding deeply personal issues and how you use your emotional power. This transit is all about working through emotional death and rebirth transformational issues. What are the old attachments, obsessions and emotional patterns that are holding you back from moving forward on your life path? How have you used your emotional power in regard to relationships? At the end of this transit, the goal is to have released those old stories so that something new can come to life within you.
LEO – July 23 – August 22
Spend these next few months re-evaluating your significant personal relationships and partnerships (marriage, business, best friends). You’ll be questioning the purpose of these relationships and whether you are moving together in the same direction or drifting apart. This transit can help you build new foundations in this area so that the partnership can continue to thrive and not become stagnant. This is the time for you to get to know yourself through the eyes of others close to you. You will want to create responsible boundaries, design realistic expectations in what you want and need in a relationship and be objective in figuring out the best way forward.
VIRGO – August 23 – September 22
Saturn will go retrograde in the area of life where you need to do something meaningful through service and hard work. You are being challenged to reorganize and improve on the ways you have been managing your life both at work and at home. Take responsibility for how you operate on a daily basis and also how you relate to and use your body. You will want to do things like, reassess your morning routine for greater productivity in starting your day, take a second look at your calendar system to ensure that it is up-to-date and in sync with your to-do lists, and develop discipline in making good choices regarding your health. The goal is to build solid personal foundations during this time so that you can better serve yourself and others in the future.
LIBRA – September 23 – October 22
Schedule some time for creativity and the things that bring you joy. Saturn wants to teach you to have discipline and do something meaningful with your talents. Your approach to creative projects now must be serious and responsible so that they can actually become something worthwhile. You will be forced to think more deeply about your gifts and what you’re trying to create. This retrograde also wants you to learn about responsibility in love and romance. Now is the time to confront any fears and bad habits that may have caused problems in past romances and learn how to decide if a romantic partner is solid or just a short-lived passion.
SCORPIO – October 23 – November 21
During this retrograde, the spotlight will be on home, family, security, and your emotional foundation. Old memories of your childhood may surface during this time which has you re-examining thoughts and behaviors that are limiting you and are no longer important. You will need to face the things that were told to you as a child that may no longer hold true and reassess how that still affects you as an adult. Reevaluate your family values, reflect on all those old stories and make peace with your past. You will be forced to look at your home and decide what you need to do to make it your emotional base so that it is compatible with your future needs.
SAGITTARIUS – November 22 – December 21
Saturn retrograde will be moving through your 3rd House. During this time period, you will discover where you need to improve your communication skills. Reevaluate how you learn and how you express yourself. Spend more time reorganizing your ideas and restructuring how you communicate those ideas to other people. It is a great time for reading, studying and putting pen to paper in order to discover new techniques that will help you increase your mental focus and assist you in expressing yourself with more depth and intelligence. This transit is about building self-knowledge and taking the time to develop positive mental habits that will improve your life.
CAPRICORN – December 22 – January 19
It is time to redefine your values and self-worth, including your finances and resources. Resources can be material, psychological, spiritual, or all of these. Use this period to reassess how you’re using the assets you have and whether you’re making the most of your skills and talents. Saturn’s message is for you to build for your future and develop more long-term security for yourself. Find responsible solutions for any financial issues you may be experiencing. If you have been unhappy with the way your money is working for you, it’s time to start reanalyzing your financial habits and goals. Reframe your spending habits and take inventory of what you own so that you do not spend money unwisely. This retrograde will help you discover what your true self-worth is by forcing you to regulate how you use all of your personal resources.
AQUARIUS – January 20 – February 18
This retrograde period will be helping you to redefine who you are and what you are projecting to others. This marks the start of becoming more self-directed and self-sufficient. Refocus on your inner self and the changes you would like to incorporate once Saturn goes direct. Reevaluate everything, beginning with your physical body and the way you dress, to the way you present yourself as a personality. This period will be about planting seeds for a new cycle of growth since the ambitious energy of Saturn is in the house of new beginnings. He wants you to be responsible for yourself, build self-confidence and do whatever is necessary to identify your own power and create a life that reflects the real you.
PISCES – February 19 – March 20
During this retrograde you will face the ghosts of your past. It is time to completely reevaluate the purpose of your life’s path through deep, inner soul searching. In order to move into a new cycle or phase of your life, you will need to release those things that are no longer important to your growth. It is an important period of self-discovery, which can bring many inspirational and powerful insights from past experiences. This is an opportunity for you to achieve closure on whatever regrets or disappointments are still bothering you. Be introspective and face your subconscious. Make time for peace and quiet. If you do the inner work that is necessary, you will feel a weight lifted from your shoulders by the time Saturn moves direct again. Meditation, prayer, therapy and journaling will serve you well at this time.