May feels a lot more like spring: we are finally starting to wake up...
This month sees a lot of astro-action. This is one of the most epic months of 2022, because we have the first 2 eclipses of the year, and a lot of energy shifts. Planets start rolling from Pisces into Aries, which feels a lot like "birthing", "sprouting" or "waking up". We are fully pregnant with inspiration, dreams and divine connection after Pisces season, and now comes the time to disrupt that peaceful womb-home that has gotten small and tight, to wake up, open our eyes, and face reality (Aries).
Pretty late spring, but we're getting there!
Solar Eclipse / New Moon in Taurus: Seeds of Big Change
For whatever reason, during eclipses a lot of things tend to happen. It is interesting to me though how we bring in those energies ourselves. As humans, we long for change, we ask for it and attract it. Then we wait, impatiently wondering when will it come to us.
When eclipse season arrives, whatever was due to expire, expires. That way, new space is created and new beginnings can take form.
Eclipses are perfect alignments of Sun, Earth and Moon that mark big chapters of our lives. That which emerges during a time like now, is likely to be the early paragraphs of a new chapter in the book of our lives.
Should I be worried about these eclipses?
Never be worried about eclipses, they happen pretty frequently (we have 4-7 eclipses a year). But let's look at them a bit closer.
The degree of intensity of an eclipse will depend a lot on whether the eclipse is partial or total. The one on April 30th was a partial solar eclipse. However, it did have some intensity to it for other reasons (we will explore this).
Also, not all eclipses hit you the same way. Fortunately, each one of us comes with a distinct cosmic blueprint (aka natal chart), which can tell us how big of a deal a specific eclipse is for us, and what is it about in our particular lives. Sometimes we have an inner storm, sometimes the stom is in our relationships, or in our work, or elsewhere in life. Getting a reading can clarify this for you.
This time, those of us with a clear fixed sign signature will feel it more strongly (fixed signs are: Taurus, Scorpio, Leo and Aquarius). If these are important signs for you, be excited! What is being purged out of your life right now, really has to go in order for you to step up into a more authentic and empowered version of yourself.
Observe what is leaving your life now and how that makes you feel. Observe what is emerging, and how does that make you feel. Sad but also relieved of that which is passing away? Allow yourself space to grieve the old life. Excited but also confused about the new? Allow yourself some time to adjust to the idea, daydream it, write it out.
Solar eclipse on the North Node + Uranus
I talk about new beginnings because this new moon in Taurus (April 30th) was a North Node Solar Eclipse, happening very close to the planet of change, Uranus. Uranus infuses these new seeds with a desire for freedom, innovation and the possibility for quantum leaps.
On the other hand, the North Node of the Moon is the symbol of that which we are collectively growing towards. That makes this eclipse a forward moving kind of moment.
With the North Node in Taurus, we are collectively learning the Taurus lessons of:
patience
perseverance
rest
pleasure
self-care
self-centeredness
improving our water/food supplies
improving our money management
securing our money/values
learning how to invest
connecting to our body rythms and sensuality
beauty
grounding
nature communion
silence
peacefulness
holding steady
breathing
being in and enjoying the present moment
material abundance in all its shapes and forms
This new moon plants seeds of change and progress towards Taurus, and towards the Taurus area/house in your natal chart.
So pay attention to what is emerging around those themes for you!
The Taurus Area of Your Life
The Taurus area of your life has already been going through a lot of change, innovation and (many times liberating) de-stabilization since 2018, the year Uranus entered Taurus.
Taurus is about basic security. Taurus season is the moment of young baby plants. Their main concern is to secure a reliable source of water and to grow roots there. They do not want to be moved around because they are focused on trying to secure their food so that they can grow taller once their roots have settled well enough. The Taurus attitude is self-centered because that is the only way to ensure survival in this vulnerable phase of life. This is the essential motivation of Taurus: to secure life in order to live in peace.
During these 8 years of Uranus in Taurus (2018-2026), we are being uprooted. This uprooting has only one objective: to set you free from previous constraints and allow space for more authenticity and sovereignty in your life.
Keep in mind that eclipses in Taurus/Scorpio have only just begun. They will continue until October 2023. After then, you may notice clearly visible new sprouts in the areas that are being revamped right now. For now, just know that the soil is being tilled and fertilized, and that new seeds have already been selected.
Venus in Aries: Bold and Decisive Goddess
The Goddess of Love, ruler of Taurus and Libra, exits her favorite "by-the-sea vacation residence" in Pisces to enter the action oriented sign of Aries. This is a very significant change of energy, one that can begin to set some things into motion.
Venus comes out of her blissful time in communion with divine presence, charged with inspiration, dreams, healing and guidance. It is time to come out now, and wake back up into life. Venus in Aries finds social challenges exciting and may bolden up and try socializing as a new self, with new heart longings to attract.
Venus in Aries can playfully begin to take the initiative to share her dreams and inspiration with others. That which was sown during the new moon eclipse can see some initial action.
Aries is a fire sign, ruled by the warrior Mars, and as such, it can be a harsh place to be for wavy and pleasant Venus. Perhaps luckily for her though, Mars is still in Pisces until May 24th. This can soften the energy of warrior Aries for Venus.
Mars in Pisces: the Spiritual Warrior
Mars energy is our vitality, desire, and courage. Mars represents our inner warrior, who learns to face the scariest battles, bringing forth courage when the desire to attain the goal is greater than the fear.
In Pisces, we can imagine a “water warrior”:
sensitive to subtle movements
aware of energy changes
flexible and adaptable
in a spiritual kind of battle
fighting energies
using energies as weapons
Picture an exorcist, using talismans or other kinds of spiritual symbols or rituals to fight off evil spirits, calling on ancestors or divinities for support.
This warrior, although excelling in these sublte arts, can be quite disconnected from the physical reality. His energy is focused and being spent in the spiritual realm. You may have experienced this kind of purely energetic exhaustion. Healers experience this frequently and require time, sleep, energy practices, and nourishing foods to recover.
Mars in Pisces can feel and look like low physical stamina, low physical defenses and lack of drive or direction. But also, there can be a greater desire for intuitive guidance, and an actually stronger connection to Spirit for those who have found a way that allows their inner warrior to "be led by God".
Most of us though, have not reached such elevated Mars expressions and probably have a lot of ego attachments to release. That is why we may feel tired. Low stamina forces us to stop and surrender. Please take it easy, or your body may get sick (so that you finally surrender).
This will be especially noticeable between May 8th and 24th, particularly when Mars meets Neptune (May 18th) right before leaving Pisces. Mars and Neptune together is a time when it is best to not act. Decisions and actions can be blurry and confused, so it is best to wait until this influence passes before making definitive decisions. Also, Mercury retrograde.
Make note of this, because the impulse to act will be strong with the increasing Aries energy through May. However, Mars in Pisces and especially conjunct Neptune, asks us to surrender our weapons, and have the courage to rely on spiritual forces instead of our own. Avoid yourself some frustrations by knowing this in advance.
Jupiter in Aries
On May 10th, Jupiter enters Aries for the first time since 2011. He will stay in Aries until October 28th. Then, he will go back into Piscis for a couple months, and return to Aries on December 20th, where he will stay until May 16th 2023.
Our inner philosopher has gone through a wild spiritual experience between March and April. We may have been having lots of dreams, channelled guidance, and beautiful synchronicities. We may also have had to surrender a lot of what we thought was true.
Spiritual experiences are many times undescribable. Jupiter attempts to create a worldview for us that incorporates the experiences that have given us a new sense of the meaning of life.
In Aries, our inner Seeker (Jupiter) can feel a surge of optimism and vitality. Jupiter comes out of the Piscean caves of meditation and deep insightful divine connection, and begins to feel a renewed sense of happiness to be alive. Life itself is meaningful and worth fighting for. However, we may have a decreased sensitivity to other people's truth, as we find ourselves fascinated by our own recent spiritual journey and discoveries.
Jupiter in Aries can feel excited to get things going faster. But don´t forget about Mercury retrograde!
Mercury retrograde: Time to Reflect
The same day that Jupiter enters feisty Aries, Mercury goes retrograde. But we have been experiencing glitches already since April 26th.
Here are some important dates about Mercury and its retrograde journey for you to keep in mind:
Pre-retrograde shadow: April 26th - May 9th
Retrograde: May 10th - June 2nd
Mercury meets the Sun: May 21st
Post-retrograde shadow: June 3rd - June 18th
The pre-retrograde shadow is where we are now, and it is the time when Mercury starts slowing down more and more until he fully stops and turns retrograde. This can feel like a lot of difficulty in all kinds of communication/technological things.
Here is the trick for every Mercury retrograde: Mercury retrograde is a time to reflect and reconsider, and perhaps re-structure plans and agreements. It is not a time to set decisions in stone, to sign contracts, or start new careers. And this is not to discourage you. It is only for you to consider that these decisions may change. Maybe they will only be slightly adjusted. The point is that the Mercury retrograde time is divinely designed for us to stop, and ponder.
Add to this the Mars in Pisces low stamina energy + being between eclipse "portals of change". All I'm saying is:
Be mindful of that in June a lot can look and feel different from now, so do yourself a favor and drop the stress of trying to have everything figured out now, or trying to get things moving faster. Instead, practice acting from your intuition, cultivating your connection to Spirit/God.
Retrograde Season is coming up
I hope you took advantage of the 2 months of no retrogrades. Now that time is over and we begin to gradually see most planets going retrograde in the upcoming months:
Pluto retrograde: April 29th
Mercury retrograde: May 10th
Saturn retrograde: June 4th
Neptune retrograde: June 28th
Jupiter retrograde: July 28th
Uranus retrograde: August 24th
Mercury retrograde: September 9th
Mars retrograde: October 30th
In October planets begin turning direct again... just in time for the next eclipse season!
What does this mean? Well, every year Mercury goes retrograde 3 times, while most planets do it once. Just like eclipses and everything else in astrology, how does this "hit" you depends on your chart.
Movements in nature happen in spiral. Retrogrades symbolize times when the spiral turns inward: our focus turns inward, so we seek answers within. BUT if we insist on operating as usual, we can experience more difficulty than if we flow with the natural current of the times.
Expect increasing inwardness towards October, and allow yourself time and space for reflection.
In the midst of Eclipse Season
May is eclipse season. We are currently experiencing the weird liminal space between eclipses. We just had a Partial Solar eclipse on April 30th, and next we will have a Total Lunar eclipse in Scorpio on May 15th.
This is a Full Moon eclipse at 25° Scorpio, where the Moon will be completely covered by the Earth's shadow, which will make her look red.
This eclipse can be very revealing. Whatever we are trying to reach in terms of abundance, wealth, wellbeing (Taurus), we will need to do the necessary purge in order to get there. We need to see it to release it. With this Full Moon eclipse in Scorpio, we get to feel fully the stagnated emotions that are in the way of us fully claiming that Taurus peaceful abundance.
End of May: Lots of Fire and Air
On May 20th the Sun enters Gemini, activating the energy of curiosity, learning, having fun conversations and story-telling. The day after, Mercury is fully reseted and renewed as he crosses the Sun during his retrograde motion. On May 22nd, Mercury enters Taurus again.
On May 24th, Mars finally enters Aries, which can feel like an important surge of Mars energy. Cake-cutting skills can reappear, even though Mercury remains retrograde. Independence and adventure longings flare up. A desire to conquer, compete and win emerges. Be wary of your aggression, and the aggression of other people.
On May 28th, Venus enters Taurus which can give more form to that which has started to emerge during the solar eclipse in Taurus on April 30th.
On May 29th, Jupiter and Mars meet, which can amp up the Aries "warrior" energy towards the end of May. Big conquering/war energy. Beware of being blind to others and their boundaries and needs. Always keep in mind that Mercury is still retrograde at this point.
On May 30th is the next new moon which will take place in Gemini, inaugurating the month of June where there can be a lot of information sharing and learning, especially as Mercury leaves his retrograde shadow around mid June.
In summary
This month, keep in mind:
We are in between eclipses: be patient with yourself, your life, and others. Changes are happening, but we still don't see them. They will develop in the next 18 months, and 18 years.
Mercury is retrograde. Decisions, ideas, plans may look different in June.
Aries energy increasing: it may be frustrating to have the fire to get going but not sure where to go. Use that warrior energy to strengthen your connection to Spirit/God.
Taurus energy IS self-focused. You and others may be feeling very self-centered and that is ok. June will bring more Gemini conversation and sharing of ideas.
May you enjoy Taurus season! <3
-Vanessa
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