Mayday! Mayday! And now we have already quick-zipped one-third of the way thru the greatly anticipated year 2012, eyes wide and hair flying behind us. How are you doing now? I’m seeing a few moving forward step by mindful, gentle step, but far more are in some sort of spiritual crisis of self-identity, values, disillusionment, breakthrough and a lot of good old WTF??? The various carnival arenas where said crises are playing out continue to be regarding relationships, finances, health, work – spiritual, honing in on values, priorities, and self-worth and identity. More are stirring to question and remember who they are, and what they are here for. Do that, please.
May is another month with a few significant highlights in the astrological skies, beginning with Venus, which entered talkative and fickle Gemini in early April, after Mars finally turned direct after his back-stepping retrograde (Rx) in Virgo. Venus prepares to follow suit with her own retrograde two-stepping phase which will keep her in Gemini until August. But the lovely coy little planet has no intention whatsoever of being at all subtle about it. Venus starts the month of May waaaaaay out of bounds, much further north in the sky than she or any planet usually ever gets, screaming look at meeeee!!! Wheeee! And she is bright, and dazzling.
When a planet is out of bounds (OOB) that means that it has moved farther north or south than the Sun ever does, so this is “up and down,” not the usual east-west of longitude that gives us the zodiacal degrees. (more terms to follow, and there will be a quiz!) (ok, maybe not) Planets that are out of bounds do not stay within ordinary, societally accepted parameters. A great phrase to describe out of bounds planets (with a nod to my trainer) is that they defy limitations. So, as Venus dazzles us from so very far north in the sky in early May, people are defying limitations concerning relationships, values, finances, self-esteem, art and creativity. Sometimes this is brilliant and innovative and breaking free of old, now obsolete patterns and behaviors, and sometimes it’s people violating boundaries with a reckless and willful sense of self-entitlement. Some may buy art or jewelry that is more extreme or budget-breakingly expensive than they would ordinarily allow. Others may do something to move way out of their comfort zone of personal expression or identity. I’ve also been seeing a few situations where someone is predatory and even parasitic of someone else’s energy. Don’t go there, please. That’s against the rules. Defy limitations, but respect boundaries. This out of bounds prelude of Venus to her retrograde phase beginning mid-May is further a prelude to a rare occultation of the Sun in early June – more info about that next month.
While Venus continues to bedazzle farther north in the sky, the full Scorpio Moon on May 5th is also dazzling, as this is a perigee “super moon,” per NASA, as much as 14% bigger and 30% brighter than other full Moons of 2012. Perigee means that the Moon is at her closest point to Earth. “Super Moon” is the term for when the perigee happens at the time of the full Moon. Cool, huh? That said, full Moons are always emotionally intense, and none more so that the full Moon in intense, passionate, deep Scorpio. And about that “cool,” the astrometeorologists, or astromets – those who do longterm weather prediction (very well, I might add) by using astrology are predicting a cooler, often wetter May than usual for much of the world. Let’s watch to see if they are right. Maybe it’s time to chill? Considering that the Sun has been more turbulent than usual, causing much disturbance, this watery chill factor may provide a good balancing effect.
I would say yes to that, as this full Moon is on the Aries point/universal axis, giving an added kick, and opposes the Sun in Taurus very tightly conjunct Black Moon Lilith – the Moon’s apogee, or point furthest from the Earth. This calls for shadow work, looking below the surface within and without, doing inner psychological “roots work.” Add asteroids Daedalus (‘the artful dodger’), Admete (compression, slow, specialization) and Tantalus (‘almost’ or ‘near miss’) and we are in for some tricky terrain. The Moon is conjunct the asteroid Requiem, which tells us ‘let it be.’ Know what is yours to deal with, and what is not.
This full Moon also has action-oriented Mars still in discerning, analytical Virgo tightly squaring the nodes of the Moon. There will be a lot of emotional reactiveness, some impatience and agitation, hopefully some discernment, clearing and boundary setting as well. Mercury, planet of communications and travel, is in impulsive Aries exactly opposing stern, disciplinarian Saturn Rx in Libra, wanting to push the limits. Be mindful that there may be people and situations around that are in hair-trigger reaction mode. Drive mindfully and carefully.
There is a quick burst of activity over several days as the Sun conjuncts abundant Jupiter, but also ‘dwarf planet’ Sedna, named for the Inuit undersea shaman goddess, in the farthest out, most remote and cold region of the solar system in Venus’ sign Taurus on May 13th, seeking expansion and risk taking, but with caution of possible consequences, please! The next day messenger Mercury makes a flowing trine to intense Pluto, great for research, and depth of understanding. Venus makes her stop to turn retrograde then on May 15th, just before Mars trines Pluto, for intense focus and manifestation. Be sure to be aligned with higher source here, not personal ego drives.
This aspect lineup shakes us up to be ready (hopefully) for the first eclipse of 2012, a solar new Moon eclipse at zero degrees of Gemini, conjunct the “seven sisters” constellation Pleiades. More specifically, conjunct the fixed star Alcyone in the Pleiades. The Pleiades are associated with wisdom and magic, also turbulence and floods, sorrow and tears. The closest aspect to the eclipse is a square to watery Neptune in its own watery sign of Pisces. Neptune is idealistic, spiritual, also prone to illusion, deception, addiction. I hope you are noticing a recurrent theme of water throughout the month here – lots of water! There may be rains and flooding, also a great deal of emotion, creativity, activation of the unconscious, sexual yearnings and energy, the unknown, and cleansing, clearing. Do you have old emotional hurts ripe to release through tears? Can you move through challenges with fluidity and flexible adaptation? (that would be a great response to the full Moon in fixed Scorpio!) Passions and creativity, also lifeforce energy arises. If you have placements in your chart in the last degrees of fixed signs or early degrees of mutable signs, be ready for ch-ch-ch-changes!
There is a feeling of renewal to all this, which is fitting as our dear Earth continues in her rapid evolutionary process. Breathe…. Ground, release, and breathe… be willing to go still deeper into the truth of Who We Are and Why we are here, on this awakening protostar of a planet during her tender but ferociously dynamic and joyous rebirth. Witness gently, but with clear presence, with courage and humility. Be real with yourself, with your loved ones, with those who challenge you. Move inward and forward with courage and humility, compassion and gratitude, with fearless Love. As always, heartful, radiant warrior blessings to all.
www.rubymala.com Previous monthly forecasts on my blog at http://blog.rubymala.com/