Welcome to your May forecast!   Click on “read article” and scroll down til you find your sign of the zodiac….

TAURUS (APR 20-MAY 20) Oh honey! This month gets the prize for most chock-full-of-intense planetary combinations, including your favorite thing, Mercury retrograde… But let me start at the beginning. The month starts off with a few days of a Mercury- Venus aspect, making for a very satisfying exchange of ideas as we head into the Scorpio full moon on the 3^rd . And what a full moon it is! The Sun squares Jupiter for the entire first week of May, so the Jupiter influence is very strong on the full moon. Jupiter exaggerates that part of full moon energy which is about culmination and fulfillment. Something big is coming to a head – especially if your birthday is between the 3^rd and 7^th. Jupiter also represents the turning of the wheel of fate, so there is a sense of endings with this planet, natural endings, a feeling that something is finished, completed. It is time to move on. The Scorpio full moon will shine a light on the unwillingness to let go. Jeez, Scorpio – and Taurus too—loves to dig its heels in. So there may be some grieving you have to do about plans and relationships whose time is up. Let yourself grieve –and then move on. By May 8^th, Mercury in Gemini squares Neptune in Pisces, so get ready for a few days of spaciness. Use the creative inspiration of this transit for writing or art—otherwise it’s a few days on the couch binge-watching The Food Network. Mars enters Gemini late on the 11^th and quickly opposes Saturn for almost a week. If you are working on a project that requires intense focus – especially an intellectual one—this is the week for it. Crack those books, put your nose to the grindstone, honey. But that week isn’t all work – Venus in Cancer squares the North Lunar Node between the 16^th and 18^th so take enough of a break in grading papers or whatever grind you’re working on to enjoy intimacy…Then there is a gorgeous new moon in Taurus on the 18^th, a nice gift from the universe. If your birthday is on the 18^th the year is all about new beginnings. Enjoy! Mercury goes retrograde in Gemini late in the evening of the 18^th. Get ready to lose your keys and for your laptop’s hard drive to melt down. As we approach the end of Taurus and the Sun enters Gemini on the 21^st, the Saturn-Pluto aspects kick in. The world will be a big disaster—probably on the climate change front. You’ll be feeling pretty stressed, but then you’re easily distracted, thank God, when Mars in Gemini squares Neptune from the 24^th – 29^th. Hang out at the beach or allow yourself to enter some kind of other-worldly reality…Go outside and talk to the trees and rocks.

GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20) The month begins with a very pleasant Mercury-Venus aspect in Gemini, no less. You’ll be at your Gemini best, making connections and chatting up a storm. The Sun squares Jupiter for the first week of the month, bringing up issues of fulfillment. In fact, the May 3^rd full moon in Scorpio has Jupiter’s influence all over it, so you will be grappling with endings and beginnings. Remember that Taurus and Scorpio are fixed signs, and no one can be as attached to things as those two signs. This full moon has something to teach you about what you need to let go of….On the 8^th Mercury in Gemini squares Neptune for a few days. You’ll be extra dreamy and intuitive, especially if you were born around May 30/31. Mars enters Gemini late on the 11^th and immediately opposes Saturn, bringing a good solid week of hard work and headaches. You will be stressed out, especially if you are an early Gemini, born in the first few days of the sign. Pluto is also in the Mars-Saturn picture, so be careful of power struggles and of feeling like you are wrestling with your demons. In fact, it’s a good time to wrestle with those annoying little things. There is a gorgeous new moon at the end of Taurus on the 18^th. Enjoy it – focus on making new plans. Late in the day on that same day your ruling planet Mercury goes retrograde. It spends its entire retrograde pass in Gemini. Oy! You’ll feel this one!   You may want to just go to the beach and not leave for 3 weeks…The Sun enters Gemini on the 21^st and it too moves into an opposition to Saturn and half-square to Pluto. If your birthday is in the first few days of Gemini you will have the Saturnian tools to transform your life this year as long as you have the moxie to look at your shadow…. By the 24^th the dominant planet is Neptune, as Mars squares it for a few days and then at the end of the month, the Sun squares Neptune. It’s dreamtime, honey! Between Neptune and Mercury retrograde you will be a complete space cadet— but your creative inspiration should be over the top!

CANCER (JUNE 21- JUL 21) This month is kind of intense. The first week of May has the Sun in Taurus squaring Jupiter and a big full moon in Scorpio on the 3rd. This is a huge time of transition for people, you included. You are bringing something to a close, and with Jupiter’s help it is a natural and timely ending as well as beginning. The Taurus/Scorpio full moon can bring up lots of feelings and a desire to hang on to things. Trust Jupiter – it’s time. Then around the 8^th Mercury in Gemini squares Neptune which is excellent for inspiration. If you are writing or doing something creative, let it all come to the surface. In fact there are so many planets moving into Gemini this month that you will be able to really organize your projects and accomplish them, especially when Mars enters Gemini on the 11^th and immediately opposes Saturn for a week. That will be a good week for editing or organizing or doing some nudgy, detail-oriented work.   Use the beautiful new moon in Taurus on the 18^th to make plans and to indulge your body. Get a massage or go to the steambath. The Sun enters Gemini on the 21^st and we have a few days of intense Sun-Saturn-Pluto action. Beware of power struggles. It’s a good time for transformation and perceiving the shadow side of things. The Neptune takes over for the rest of the month and you need to get to the ocean for some zoning out.

LEO (JUL 22-AUG 21) This month brings personal and political challenges for us all, I’m afraid….But there are some bright spots too. May begins with the Sun in Taurus squaring Jupiter in Leo, and the May 3rd full moon emphasizes Jupiter’s influence. Jupiter is all about completion, the completing of one cycle and the beginning of another. But endings and beginnings can be hard, and all this fixed-sign energy makes you want to hang on to the old. Ah well, you can’t.   It’s time to let go. Mars enters Gemini on the 11^th and immediately opposes Saturn for a week of hard, focused work. Put your nose to the grindstone but take some time out to enjoy Venus-North Node closeness with loved ones. There is a beautiful new moon in Taurus on the 18^th and you should use it to generate new plans and set new goals. Later on that same day, Mercury goes retrograde til June 11^th. So go with the flow and don’t expect those newly laid Taurean plans to gel immediately! The Sun enters Gemini on the 21^st and joins up with Saturn and Pluto for some heavy political and ecological events… on a personal level it’s time for transformation. Saturn gives you the concrete tools for making changes in your life. Then be sure to give yourself some down time at the ocean at the end of the month.

VIRGO (AUG 22- SEPT 21)  The Sun is in Taurus, a fellow earth sign, so you’re feeling like you can get things done. The start of the month brings a Sun-Jupiter square and the May 3^rd full moon in Scorpio highlights Jupiter’s influence.   Jupiter is about fulfillment. This is a good time for you to be bringing a piece of work to completion. This is a time of change and transition. The full moon in Scorpio will illuminate your feelings of attachment to what you’re about to leave behind. It’s okay to weep but try not to get bogged down by it. The rest of the month is wild and not without its stresses. Mars enters Gemini on the 11^th and quickly opposes Saturn. You will have a good solid week of hard work and focus, and although the task may feel insurmountable you will get a lot done. There is a wonderful new moon in Taurus on the 18^th so use it to generate new ideas and plans. Later that same day Mercury turns retrograde in Gemini. Remember, Mercury is your ruling planet so be prepared to feel a bit vertutzt for the three weeks that follow… You know the drill: no big decisions, just let information and knowledge bubble up from your unconscious. And expect a certain amount of technological and planning difficulties…   The Sun enters Gemini on the 21^st and aspects Saturn and Pluto in some heavy worldwide drama. Stay calm. It’s a good time for transformation, followed by Neptunian inspiration at the end of the month.

LIBRA (SEPT 22-OCT21) The start of the month brings quickly moving but stimulating Venus-Mercury aspects — good for writing and talking. The entire first week of May has strong Jupiter influences since the Sun in Taurus squares Jupiter and the May 3^rd Scorpio full moon highlights Jupiter as well. It’s all about ch-ch-ch-ch-changes. (You gotta love David Bowie.) Yours and everyone else’s.   This is a huge time of transition, and the full moon makes your feelings of attachment to what you’re leaving kind of visible. You should allow yourself to feel them and then move on. You know – one door closes and another opens. Mars enters Gemini on May 11^th and opposes Saturn for a week of very intense and very focused work. You’ll get a lot done, but be sure to take time out for fun and intimacy when Venus in Cancer squares the North Lunar Node in Libra in the middle of that week. There is a gorgeous new moon in Taurus on the 18^th – use it for planning, but do it early since later that evening Mercury goes retrograde. Mercury retrograde in linear old Gemini definitely has the potential to mess with our dearly beloved iPads and iPhones and such… Just go with the flow.   The Sun enters Gemini on the 21^st and makes heavy aspects to Saturn and Pluto.   The world will be a mess and everyone will be cranky. Watch out for power struggles, then head for the ocean for the last week of May and soak up the Neptunian dreaminess.

SCORPIO (OCT 22-NOV 21) Oh honey, what a month! For the first week of May the Sun in Taurus – your opposite sign—squares Jupiter, highlighting issues of completion and transition. Something big is ending, and something new is beginning. The full moon on May 3^rd falls right in the middle of Scorpio and puts the focus on these Jupiterian changes. You will be a mess of feelings — attachment to what you’re leaving behind and excitement and trepidation about the new path ahead. Let yourself feel the feelings and then move on. Mars enters Gemini on the 11^th and quickly opposes Saturn for a solid week. This is a great aspect for hard work, for focus, and building. If there are details you need to handle, this is the week. Be sure to take time out to enjoy loved ones in the midst of it. Then the Taurus new moon on the 18^th is a powerful one for generating new ideas and plans. Just be aware that Mercury goes retrograde the evening of the 18^th, so the plans may not materialize exactly the way you thought!   This Mercury retrograde may wreak particular havoc with technology and travel, so be aware of that… The Sun enters Gemini on the 21^st , joining with Saturn and Pluto to bring crises to the fore. It is a good time for transformation, for facing your own hidden impulses.

SAGITTARIUS (NOV 22- DEC 21) This is a very intense month, since Saturn is retrograding back into the very early degrees of Sagittarius…but I am getting ahead of myself. Let’s get back to the beginning: the month starts with strong Jupiter influences of completion and change. You are ending one cycle and beginning another. The May 3^rd full moon in Scorpio makes you very aware of your attachments.   It’s time to let go, honey. Things are changing as they are meant to do and you need to go with the flow. Get out the Kleenex, have a good cry, and then move on to the part you like best — the future.   Mars enters Gemini, your opposite sign, on the 11^th and it immediately makes an opposition to Saturn. You have a good solid week of very hard work and intense focus. You may feel stuck but things are actually moving. Trust that. Use the gorgeous new moon in Taurus on the 18^th to make new plans and set goals. Remember that Mercury in Gemini goes retrograde late on the 18^th, so we will have 3 weeks of Mercury’s lovely inspiration … Since it’s in your opposite sign of Gemini expect some frustration in the detail and technology department. Then the Sun enters Gemini and joins up with Saturn and Pluto in a very intense set of angles that are all about power and transformation. It’s time to take your rightful place – there may be some push-back but it’s nothing you can’t handle! 

CAPRICORN (Dec 21-Jan19)   You love all of the earthy Taurean energy this month which is so compatible with your own. But May is all about change and transition – and completion. May begins with a week of the Sun in Taurus squaring Jupiter, which puts the focus on this issue of cycles, of things coming to a close and new things beginning. The May 3^rd Scorpio full moon highlights your attachment to the things you’re leaving behind… Not a bad thing, but it does bring up a lot of feelings. Let yourself grieve a bit and then but it all behind you. Mars enters Gemini on the 11^th and immediately opposes Saturn, giving you a week of very hard work. If there is a nudgy task you need to complete, do it this week. There is a beautiful new moon in Taurus on the 18^th so use it for making plans and nurturing your body. But watch out—Mercury in Gemini goes retrograde late that same day!   Three weeks of Merc retrograde in Gemini may really mess with your best-laid travel plans and with your beloved laptop and smartphone! Be prepared! The Sun enters Gemini on the 21^st and joins a train wreck of Saturn and Pluto. Oy! The world will be a mess and lots of people will be speaking truth to power. You may be just a bit stressed. Be sure to go to the ocean or get some R and R somehow at the end of the month…

AQUARIUS (JAN 20-FEB 19)   Well, well. The month of May starts with a powerful Sun-Jupiter square, highlighting transitions and changes in your life. You are bringing an endeavor to fruition – or closure. The Scorpio full moon on May 3^rd has the Jupiter aspects all over it, and so you will be very aware of your feelings about this transition. You’re feeling some attachment to those plans and ideas you’re letting go of… Have a good cry and then move on. Mars enters Gemini on the 11^th, ushering in a week of intensely hard work due to the Mars-Saturn opposition. The task may feel insurmountable but you’ll get it done. There is a gorgeous new moon in Taurus on the 18^th – a great time to make plans and generate new ideas about building and renovation. Keep in mind that Mercury goes retrograde later that same day, so you may want to wait 3 weeks before you actually pick up that hammer…. Just sayin’! Mercury retrograde in Gemini may really mess with your travel plans and schedule. And technology. But otherwise it’s fun, right? The Sun enters Gemini on the 21^st and gets into a pileup with Saturn and Pluto. The world will be a mess. It’s your time to take your rightful place. It’s also an excellent time to look at your own shadow and your relationship to power. Enjoy the Neptunian influences at the end of the month – relax, go to the beach, buy some new shoes.

PISCES (FEB 20-MAR 19) This is quite a month for you, filled with a lot of Jupiterian transition. The first week of May brings a Sun-Jupiter square, and you are bringing something to fruition. You are ending one cycle and beginning another, and the Scorpio full moon on the 3^rd has you feeling quite poignantly about it all. You may feel some grief about what you’re leaving behind or letting go of…. But that’s all okay. Mars enters Gemini on the 11^th and ushers in a week of very hard work. If you have something to do that requires intense focus, this is the week to do it. But leave time for hanging out with loved ones – there are great aspects for that as well. Then there is a beautiful new moon in Taurus on the 18^th which is a excellent time to generate ideas and plans… Just be aware that Mercury goes retrograde later that same day so the plans may not go into effect for a while. Mercury retrograde in Gemini is likely to mess with the best-laid travel plans and other agendas. Expect it to mess with your technology as well. The Sun enters Gemini on the 21^st and immediately enters heavy seas with Saturn and Pluto. Everyone will be stressed and the world will be rockin’ and rollin’. On a personal level, this aspect is about transformation and stepping into one’s power.   Get to it! Then go to the ocean for the Neptunian aspects at the end of the month.

ARIES (MAR 20-APRIL19) This month is all about change and transition – yours as well as everyone else’s. The Sun in Taurus squares Jupiter for the first week of May, bringing something to completion and opening a new door. The Scorpio full moon on the 3^rd makes you aware of your resistance to change and your attraction to the unknown. Allow yourself to feel attached to things you have already let go of — in typical Aries fashion, you’re already across that threshold. Mars enters Gemini on the 11^th and there is a good solid week of very hard work since Mars opposes Saturn. If you have a bear of a project to complete, this is the week to do it. There is a beautiful new moon in Taurus on the 18^th which is wonderful for making plans and setting new goals. Be aware that Mercury goes retrograde later that same day. Mercury retrograde turns our linear reality into dreamtime which can be inspiring and wonderful. That Mercury is retrograde in Gemini in this round will challenge even the most non-linear among us when it comes to travel plans and technology . Your job is to go with the flow. And to stay calm the week of the 21^st, when the Sun enters Gemini and joins up with Saturn and Pluto to raise issues of power. It is a great time to look at your impulses and your shadow side. Then during the last week of May, surrender to Neptune and let your unconscious take you.