Disclaimer: I feel a bit torn over this month’s forecast. There are some larger shifts happening which could indicate a lessening/backing off of restrictions, but there is also some turmoil or disappointment associated with these placements, so I’m not sure how much of a good news story we actually have here. We’re probably on the right track, but things aren’t going to move nearly as quickly as we’d like.
This is the breakdown:
May 3 sees the first of three Venus-Neptune squares.
This usually indicates a bit of confusion around relationships. It’s not the best time for seeing yourself or others very clearly, or even your finances for that matter. This kind of opens—what I’m calling—a Venusian-confusion theme that dominates most of May right through to July. More about this when I discuss the upcoming Venus retrograde.
May 4, the Sun and Mercury are conjunct in the sign of Taurus.
This should be a good day for clear communications. Hopefully our leaders will tap into this energy and release some clearer messaging around next steps in the rebuilding process, but it might be too soon. So, you can use this energy to take an online webinar, investigate a topic, catch-up with friends online or even just read a book or do a puzzle.
On May 5, The Moon’s Nodes change from the Cancer-Capricorn access where they have been over the last couple of years to the Gemini-Sagittarius axis.
This is some good news and a step in the right direction for those with strong Cancer-Capricorn placements as you’ve been getting hammered lately. The Gemini-Sagittarius axis is about finding our place in the community at large; learning and communicating; taking small ideas and turning them into life lessons; socializing, travelling and having adventures so over the next two years, a lot of collective work will be done in these areas. The way we approach learning and socializing along with our beliefs about the world will be changing tremendously (no surprise here) and the Moon’s Nodal shift marks this shift.
May 7 sees a Full Moon in Scorpio.
Full Moons represent a culmination point in the monthly cycle—the peak of perfection in the waxing growth process. This particular Scorpio Moon can also indicate the end of a growth cycle and can signify a difficult time—that which was hidden can now be illuminated. Sometimes things are hidden for a reason and unearthing them can be a difficult pill to swallow.
May 10 is Mother’s Day, and it’s actually pretty nice.
There are a couple of nice aspects here to make the best out of our separations from our moms. With Mercury trine Pluto and Jupiter, this Mother’s Day, a great number of us will be putting into words just how much we miss our moms and how much they mean to us. While the usual gatherings won’t take place, there is a lot of gratitude easily expressed in this placement.
May 11 sees Saturn go retrograde.
Usually, when Saturn goes retrograde, oppressive forces seem to lift and we get a bit of a break. Look to this day for some further clarification and direction of where we may be heading. Saturn will be retrograde until the end of September. This retrograde motion can be associated with the lifting of isolation measures (until the planet resumes its forward motion again in the fall). This same day, Mercury enters Gemini—one of its favourite places to be—so we get a nice lift into clear communications as well.
On May 12, Mars, the planet ruling vitality, energy and assertion, enters Pisces.
So, the energy shifts from the nervous, frenetic (but social) vibes of Aquarius to a more escapist and sensitive place in the last sign of the zodiac. The good news is Mars and Saturn are now out of the same sign—Saturn moving in one direction and Mars moving in the other—but the shift into Pisces can indicate some further emotional turmoil and lethargy.
May 14 is the official start of Venus retrograde in the Eastern time zone.
A Venus retrograde gives us approximately forty days to rethink our relationships, finances and how we feel about beauty. Usually, a Venus retrograde turns the “outer world” focus of relationships and finances to more “inner world” territory. But given our global situation, who doesn’t feel that they have been stuck in an inner world for the last forty days already and want desperately to break out of it? So, this Venus retrograde feels a bit different.
First, the good news. These periods are notorious for reconnecting with old acquaintances (especially ex-partnerships/loves as you probably know by now with all the Venus retrograde memes in circulation). If Venus retrograde is about “reconnecting” with people, then this could be a wonderful use of this energy if the government proceeds down this path. The other good news story is that Venus retrogrades are terrible times to get married, so you can thank COVID-19 for cancelling your wedding if it was booked sometime between mid-May and late June; it actually did you a favour.
The more challenging side? Usually, relationships are bumpy during these periods, and people are doing some serious questioning. We often hear about very public break-ups during Venus retrogrades as partnerships’ difficulties often reach critical impasses. You’ve probably seen the memes about line-ups for divorce for the quarantine ends. Just try not to make any hasty decisions about your relationships over the next forty days (minimum). Financially, Venus retrogrades can signal some difficult times as well; there is a fundamental instability. Things you may invest in during a Venus retrograde could turn out to be not what you expected. (If you want to sell some used goods, sell them during a Venus retrograde because people are usually not seeing too clearly.) If hairstylists are not allowed back in business yet, we could also see some pretty frightening DIY hairstyles during this time.
If you have a prominent Venus (Taurus or Libra Ascendant) or a number of planets in the sign of Gemini, you will likely be affected more than others by this retrograde period.
My conflicted feelings about this month mainly come from this Venus retrograde period which I usually find to be quite difficult. If we are lightening up quarantine measures, then we should be feeling more positive, and a Venus retrograde period just doesn’t fit with what would be a more optimistic time.
May 15, the very next day, sees the other benefic planet, Jupiter, turn to go retrograde.
Saturn retrograde is kind of a nice break, but with Jupiter and Venus now heading backwards as well, there’s a sense of good things being held out or delayed a bit here. Perhaps this is people’s patience hitting its limits.
May 20 sees the Sun enter Gemini.
We turn from concerns about material and emotional security to an increasing need for socializing. Venus also squares Neptune the same day, so there is a sense that the speed at which we’re moving is just not enough. Look for this to be a difficult relationship/finance day. There’s one more of these set-ups in July, and then it’s done.
May 22 announces a New Moon in Gemini.
While, as predicted, the New Moon in Taurus last month marked a bit of a turning point in the ongoing dialogue about the virus, this New Moon will likely activate a whole bunch of Gemini activity including the Nodes and the Venus retrograde. Over the next few days, watch for some new directions and openings in the social realm.
The last notable feature of May is Mercury’s entrance into Cancer on May 28.
With Mars and Mercury now both in water signs, we’re getting a bit more sentimental—wearing our hearts on our sleeves—and losing a bit of objectivity and mental resilience. Stay strong! There’s a reprieve coming.
Leave a Reply