Your Stars May 2019

There have been several articles in newspapers on both sides of the Atlantic reporting a surge in the popularity of astrology among the young. ‘The most unlikely hipster trend to date,’ reckons the UK Times while The New York Times claims that astrology ‘has shed its psychedelic stigma for modern Instagrammy witch vibes’ (whatever that means), going on to detail silicon valley’s interest in astrology apps and the money that is pouring into a 2 billion dollar ‘mystical services’ market.

The Sanctuary app, for example (launched March 20 this year) is described as ‘an Uber for astrological readings’, and besides free daily forecasts offers upgrades at $19.99 a month or $199 a year that allow you one-to-one chat with a real-life astrologer. Another app, Co-Star, which has been downloaded 3 million times, is free, but if you want to compare your chart with that of a non-member you pay $2.99. Co-Star claims it ‘allows irrationality to invade our techno-rationalist ways of living’ with ‘hyper-personalised astrology”.

Naturally your astrologer wishes these enterprises well, although searching their sites suggests the hype is some way ahead of the substance. There are, after all, scores of sites that will already deliver you a free natal chart, daily ‘scopes, weekly ‘scopes, monthly ‘scopes, astro-commentary on current events and more. What is different is the technology – we live in appy days – and the focus on the millennial generation. And when you strip those away what you are left with is the same old astrology, give or take an asteroid or two. It may be ‘hyper personalised’ (whatever that means), but you are nonetheless left with assessing what Mars in opposition might mean for Sagittarians, and there are already lots of us willing to suggest an answer.

May’s horoscopes feature exactly that conundrum, among others. The planetary picture in the season of May is centred on earth and water signs – slow down, enjoy the flowers, assess your finances – although the month of Gemini, starting on May 21, offers a racier scenario. Before then comes a fertile new Moon in Taurus on May 4, and a drama-prone full Moon in Scorpio on the weekend of May 18.

A happy Mayday to all my readers. As the old song says, Hail, hail the first of May..

Taurus

Happy to stay on cruise control, or looking for adventure? Your birthday stars offer you options – well, most of you, Bulls born around April 21-27 may find their hand forced over coming months (if not already), though not necessarily in a bad way. An offer you can’t refuse or a passion you must requite both come under the aegis of planet Prometheus, which has just begun its long, seven year haul through your skies. The astrological Bull is not easily moved, however, making the main requirement to stay open to the idea of change; a litany of ‘Yes but…’ responses to difficult circumstances and other people’s suggestions leads nowhere but to the existing status quo.

The same-old same-old, of course, may suit many Taureans just fine. You can trot along at a merry pace, especially after the new Moon of May 4, and while messenger Mercury speeds through skies between May 7 and May 21. The arrival of your totem planet, fair Venus, on May 16 (until June 9), signals a perfect time for all Taurean passions, be they cream cakes, economic summits, falling in love afresh (even with your main squeeze) or touring a few art galleries.

For those looking for exploration and excitement, the 8th and the 18th, when  Mercury and Venus respectively pass Prometheus, are dates with which to conjure, especially as the full Moon is also in play over the weekend of the 18th, a promising recipe for a liaison dangereuse (or a monster showdown with you know who). A few days before, the Taurus sun aligns with Saturn and Pluto in your fellow earth sign of Capricorn. That pair of planets recently went into (apparent) reverse, making this a good time to assess your dealings with property, profession, elders and other weighty issues. In between birthday parties, cakes and high jinks, do some long term planning, ready for Saturn’s return to action in autumn.

In the last couple of says ruler Venus aligns sweetly with Neptune, a fleeting aspect that’s perfect for making music, getting soppy or getting tipsy. Happy birthday.

Gemini

gemini 2018The social whirl, dashing around looking up old and new chums, a blitz of texts, the desire to eke out every scrap of experience from each day…that part of your horoscope, much in evidence recently, gradually subsides in the early part of May, ready to be revived come your birthday month, which starts promptly on May 21st, when the Sun reaches your skies alongside ruler Mercury.

Until then, however, the Sun is in Taurus and somewhat behind the scenes with the accompanying lunation – new Moon on May 4, full Moon on May 18 – likewise emphasising the hidden parts of your personal agenda. A little down-time, self-examination and planning are all in order.

Not too much navel-gazing, however! Venus continues to navigate the networking sector of your ‘scope, and to elide the border between friendship and romance for those of you attuned to such things. More pertinent still is the bi-annual transit of Mars through your skies until May 15. As pointed out last month, Mars equals energy, but of an indiscriminate sort. Apply finesse when driving or handling machinery, apply even more finesse when dealing with significant (or even random) others. Hot-headed Mars opposite swaggering Jupiter make the weekend of May 4-6  a potentially stormy few days. What you are looking for is bold alliances built on shared ideals, not daggers-drawn encounters.

The few days between Mars’ exit and the Sun’s arrival are (depending on whether your personal birth chart has planets in Taurus) the most down-timey of the month. Best not be tardy about celebrating your birthday month – multiple parties are quite in order! – as ruler Mercury sprints through your sign and is gone by June 5. Even without a party you need to do your Twins’ trick of bi-location, treading lightly over the last two days of May, when Mercury opposes Jupiter (big ideas, big arguments, close encounters). Enjoy it all, you’re on a roll!

Cancer

Cancer FotoliaYou remain on high profile alert both in your professional life and in the more informal world of networking. Pose, charm, flirt, flatter, dash between get-togethers and enjoy yourself, even if you are currently skint and obliged to show up in the rags you bought from the charity shop two seasons back. Affluence gets easier to find as the spring and summer proceed, now that Saturn in opposition has eased its grip until autumn.

The big questions Saturn, along with Pluto, have been posing you these last fifteen months – property, profession, the old folks at home, how to pay the dentist’s bill – are not about to vanish, but you have a respite over the summer in which to come up with solutions. With a little luck you can postpone them until your birthday (when you really do need a long term plan!).

May, with planets in Aries and Taurus, is for the most part wildly outgoing, with especially favourable dates between the 6th and 10th, and 17th -18th, the latter a full Moon weekend with Luna, your ruler, rampant in the party zone of your ‘scope – a sure signal to leave the house!

Plus, and it’s no small addition, Mars arrives in your skies on May 16th for its bi-annual, six week stay to fire you up and in the mood to contest. No need to get oppositional this month, however – Mars makes easy and helpful aspects to the planetary action in Taurus, where the newly installed planet Prometheus is keen to introduce you to folks outside your normal circle. Stay open. Relations with existing partners and significant others enter a more testing phase next month when Mars opposes Saturn and Pluto and if you’re unsure about a current partnership, push likely comes to shove. Meanwhile, enjoy the oddballs and provocateurs that roll down the highway.

Leo

Leo by FotoliaSome apparently intractable problems can now be put on hold, thanks to Saturn and Pluto turning to reverse mode, but don’t imagine they have therefore vanished. Property and the tangle of obligations you have acquired in respect of debt, mortgages, insurance, alimony etc – not to mention moneys owing to you from ex’s and other flakes – remain problems to face. Your birthday month looks helpful in that regard, but postpone solutions no longer than that.

The planetary action in May is of a different order, highlighting firstly your professional profile, and how you can talk, charm and bluff your way into greater regard. The new Moon of May 4 and accompanying planets near the peak of your solar ‘scope are helpful but call for active input from yourself, including ownership of your CV and its accompanying narrative. Bigging up your story – no false modesty required, you’re good at it – is one of this spring’s demands.

What’s new is the presence of planet Prometheus at the peak of your ‘scope, promising some changes in the hierarchy at work – here’s the new boss, not quite the same as the old boss – and plenty of churn among your fellow wage-slaves. Engage willingly in the process.

Mercury and Venus meeting Prometheus on the 8th and 18th respectively are both dates when your professional life can take an unexpected turn. The weekend of the 11th, when the Moon is passing through Leo’s skies, may turn up a surprise on a more personal level.

The month of Gemini, starting on May 21, is invariably a fillip for the Lion – air to feed your fires, and this year your Sun ruler arrives in the Twins with Mercury alongside to speed up your business affairs. If you are a political animal – small or large ‘p’ – then you are in business. Canvass away.

Jupiter, the presidential planet, remains gloriously sited in the zone of creativity, courtship and self-aggrandisement  (playful showing off if you prefer). The giant planet is in retreat until your birthday, but still works in your favour; August birthdays (especially the 12th) take note.

Virgo

Ideally, you are currently on point on all fronts, fighting your professional cause in the big bad world, basking in a rewarding love life, casting your mind into new and stimulating interests and digging out extra funds from secret sources. This is pretty much the outlook for May, though even Virgos are not perfect all the time. Compromise may be necessary.

One reason the astrological palette is currently so varied is because your ruler – fussy, detailed Mercury – is now moving at top speed. The messenger planet arrives in your fellow earth sign Taurus on May 6, just after a new Moon there, and immediately encounters Prometheus, planet of surprise. Having your wits about you, remaining open to fresh interests and oddball newcomers is part of the story here, one repeated when Venus arrives in Taurus on May 15. It’s a good time to stretch your intellect and skills set, and to travel.

By May 21 Mercury has reached the peak of your chart and enters Gemini – your zone of fame (and infamy!) – alongside the Sun. Mars has been here for the past month, obliging some of you to do battle in the workplace and otherwise pump energy into maintaining your reputation as achiever. Now Mercury and the Sun ask you to do much the same, a demand repeated next month. Business as usual, then.

Mars’ shift into water sign Cancer on May 16 makes for a less combative atmosphere at work, however. The red planet’s new position is all for networking, mutual back-scratching, wheeling and dealing.

Any chance of basking in a rewarding love life? Neptune remains in opposition to promise as much, especially for birthdays circa September 10, but Neptune is a notoriously unreliable energy, sometimes spelling enchantment, sometimes deception. This spring many Virgos have had a taste of both (cast your mind back to March). A splendid but fleeting alignment between Venus and Neptune at the very end of May emphasises enchantment but do exercise Virgo caution.

Libra

Spring is often a juggling act for Librans, with assorted planets in opposition calling for you to refine relationships – the chance of a blunder is never far away – and for some, to decide who exactly it is you fancy. Or not. Mercury in opposition for the first week of May certainly suggests there is plenty of negotiating to do with significant others. More pressingly, Venus in opposition until May 15 pushes you to clarify your feelings, both to yourself and to other parties with whom you may be mixed up. Or with whom you would like to be mixed up. Maybe. Or simply to smooth things over between you and your main squeeze.

That a stationary Saturn is part of the picture adds weight to your considerations, notably around the 8th when it squares Venus and puts you on the back foot. A light touch is called for.

The season of Taurus also adds a little heft to your emotional situation. You share a ruling planet with the Bull, and with Venus in Taurus and conjunct wild-card Prometheus at the full Moon of the 18th, an unusually lively (perhaps torrid) weekend is on the cards.

For light relief comes your fellow air sign Gemini. Mars is in the Twins until May 15, encouraging travel and curiosity (nosiness even), while the Sun’s move into Gemini alongside Mercury on the 21stb likewise speeds your progress, especially that of any creative or educational projects on your agenda.

Mars moving across the roof of your ‘scope in the latter half of the month may prove a nuisance, especially for September birthdays, with the workplace the most likely place for a Martian spat. Nothing you can’t handle of course, but don’t let disputes escalate. Keep your Sales in balance.

Scorpio

Bing Bong Bing Bong…Those are the chimes sounding the halfway point in your personal year, six months since and before your birthday, a time when the Sun and other planets are in opposition and your annual Scorpio full Moon arrives. This year, as we shall see, it comes supercharged.

Planets in opposition represent other people, or rather, your relationship with them, and the new Moon on May 4 is a fine point for a make-over of an existing partnership or a brand new one arriving over the horizon, especially if you were born circa October 27. It’s followed by Mercury (on May 7) and Venus (on May 15), both of which may put you on the backfoot, either because significant others get pushy or because you find yourself enthralled by someone. The scenarios surrounding planet Prometheus in opposition were explored last month. Suffice to say it’s a planet that springs surprises, in terms of both giddy new encounters and overdue endings.

The full Moon in your skies over the weekend of the 17th and 18th may prove a case in point, with Venus conjunct the Sun adding a frisson of romantic excitement. Find a party, perhaps find a lover. Venus in opposition until early June should keep you busy thereafter, whether pursuing pleasure or burying the hatchet with anyone you have upset in the past.

Gemini, where your Mars ruler stays until May 15, is also a place of passion in your solar ‘scope, and a place where you can regenerate your physical and spiritual energies, and with the Sun taking over here from Mars on the 21st, a preoccupation with your personal life is appropriate and hopefully rewarding. Mars moves onto your fellow water sign Cancer in the second half of May and will be here throughout June, during which time your attention promises to be drawn steadily outward from the personal into the impersonal world.

Sagittarius

May’s stars present you with a mixed bag. The season of slow, earthy Taurus, which dominates, isn’t the Centaur’s thing and in your solar ‘scope corresponds with the zone of sensible routine and goody-two-shoes behaviour – you can do both, of course, and this month must (an element of drudgery seems unavoidable), but it isn’t the stuff to set your pulses racing.

Mars in opposition, however, can do just that. The red planet is midway through its six weeks in opposition from Gemini so expect more of April’s action in the first half of May; a mixture of provocation and irritability from partners and close chums, plus the odd thrilling encounter with a passing warrior (of whatever gender). A full-on fight with an enemy of choice is another option.

You have more action from both of these signs in the month ahead, but first consider fellow fire sign Aries, where the presence of fair Venus until May 15 continues to favour your most creative, romance-stricken and fun-loving tendencies. Favoured dates include May 9 and 10, when Venus and Jupiter (still in your skies remember), align to make whoopee.

Things spark up again once the mighty Sun moves into your complimentary sign of Gemini on May 21st, with Mercury alongside. This is an annual event so you should by now what to expect: a bit of an energy drop, plus the need to co-operate with partners of all stripes – spouse, friends, business associates – to forge effective alliances. The Centaur’s go-it-alone tendencies are not best favoured. Listen hard to what others are articulating; Mercury in Gemini is a potent, if at times maddening voice.

Your professional life remains on cruise control (frustratingly, with Saturn static in your cash zone, so does the income therefrom) while the interminable crawl of Neptune through your fourth house of home and hearth  is unlikely to solve any domestic fuddles for most of you, though birthdays circa December 10 may get some traction next month, when the Neptune’s foggy energies square op to your Jupiter ruler.

Capricorn

At this point in the year, much depends on your birthday; those of you born between December 10 and 15 have two of the solar system’s most demanding planets to contend with – Saturn and Pluto both in your sign – and while their retrograde phase over the summer eases pressure and allows you to tussle with the demands and experiences they have ushered in this year, you may currently need all your legendary Mountain Goat fortitude.

On the other hand, here’s the season of Taurus, a fellow earth sign, and a time when your heart should be singing with joy at the fertility and splendour of spring. The new Moon of May 4 is a boon for you all, though especially for January 5 birthdays, while the arrival of Mercury and Venus in the Bull – on May 7 and 15 respectively – lightens the mood and should transform the flintiest Mountain Goat into the sensuous, fish-tailed Sea Goat.

As noted in the last two months’ forecasts, the maverick element in the mix this year is planet Prometheus – awakener of unfulfilled desires, illuminator of unsuspected truths – which has a prominent part to play in May, not least around the full Moon of the 18th, when said planet is conjoined by Venus (Christmas birthdays take note). Luna in your skies – May 21-23 – is almost equally rosy.

The shift of warrior Mars into your opposite but complementary sign of Cancer on May 16 is another livener, at best bringing zest into your partnerships, and encouraging you to dump relationships that have outworn their purpose, at worst  making enemies of pals and partners, and turning enmities into savage feuds. Tread lightly around people with whom you disagree, right through to the end of June.

Aquarius

aquarius-fotoliaYour sign is an often a contradictory mixture of conservatism and eccentricity, stubbornness and bravado, scientific orthodoxy and artistic daring. Just now it’s the more adventurous side of the Aquarian character that is being called upon. Planets in fiery Aries and fellow air sign Gemini favour the artists and romantics among you and promise a busy month on the social front. For the Urn Bearer, Aries, where Mercury and Venus remain until the 7th and 15th respectively, is about communication, skills and education (whether as student or teacher) and also about your immediate friendship circle. These are transits that offer solutions rather than pose problems.

Gemini, where red-blooded Mars stays until May 16, isn’t about self-display as much as anything, accessing your inner Leo (all Aquarians have this beast) and going flat out in pursuit of any creative goal, romantic quarry or sporting triumph. All are subjects that come under further emphasis after May 21, when the Sun arrives in this zone alongside Mercury; move quickly and fearlessly!

In-between times there is the season of Taurus to contend with. Taurus represents home and hearth in your solar ‘scope, and with the maverick planet Prometheus now lodged here, you may find yourself being given a none too subtle nudge to relocate, change flatmates, and restructure your domestic set up, especially if you are a January birthday. Part of the excitement of Prometheus – a planet often posited as Aquarius’ modern ruler – is that you don’t know what or who is going to pitch up, and the full Moon of the 18th, when Venus joins Prometheus, is a weekend to expect developments, perhaps even on the romantic front.

Another ‘outer’ planet, Neptune, continues its crawl through your cash zone, though largely unaspected this month. The energies of Neptune can be misleading – funny money in this case. Keep a gimlet eye on your accounts, as June and July see the far-out planet under continued emphasis.

Pisces

piscesThis looks more like it. Your birthday month, drenched by a retrograde Mercury, has left a long trail to clear away. That Mercury is now moving at top speed is part of a more welcoming planetary picture, one that gathers pace as May progresses. Much of the action is in Taurus, the zone of bright ideas and quick time deals for you. The new Moon here on May 4, the arrival of Mercury here on May 6, and Venus showing up here on May 16 are all pace quickeners, and that these planets encounter Prometheus, now lodged in the Bull for the next seven years, adds a frisson of the unexpected and ingenious to the picture. It’s a time to run with your most novel and innovatory ideas, and likewise hang out with a crowd that appreciates them.

Helping you to get things done is Mars the red planet arriving here on the 16th in fellow water sign Cancer. This is a transit with which to show off, present your most ambitious face to the world and, if it’s your thing, chase glory and romance.  If you prefer, you can hum along quietly and industriously!

There will, of course, be a few bumps in the road. The season of Gemini, which starts with a jolt on May 21, may provide them, with the Sun and Mercury squaring your own Sun (February birthdays take note), but these are as much about keeping you moving as getting in your way.  The full Moon of the 18th, in watery Scorpio, may also give you pause for thought and delay, a weekend for enjoyment rather than pressing on with projects and work.

Neptune, the planet that seems to have been in your sign forever – though actually merely since 2011- inches forwards this month, to bring March 9 birthdays into its fuzzy embrace. Birthdays around then are best placed to take advantage of the sweet alignment between Venus and Neptune in the last days of the month. Your astrologer’s advice is to think song, dance, flowers and flirtation, but don’t get swept away downstream.

Aries

The first half of May promises a pleasant afterburn to your birthday month. Venus cruising through your sign until the 14th makes this the perfect time to throw a belated party, splash out on the gifts no-one bought you, and to nail a date with some unsuspecting lucky guy or gal. Get it while you can as the old song put it. That you also have messenger Mercury with you until May 6 is a bonus, plus both planets make an obliging aspect to ‘lucky’ Jupiter – the 8th looks swell for extravagance and romantic adventure.

Three weeks of Sun in Taurus, until the 21st, look straightforward enough. In your solar ‘scope the Bull is your zone of cash and value, and the new Moon of May 4 starts a promising few weeks for finding (and spending) more of the folding stuff. As much may not solve the bigger issues that some Rams are facing. As pointed out last month, Saturn grinding to a halt can bring weighty issues to a head, be it job, property or committed relationship. Birthdays circa April 12 (or anytime in 1990) can take special note. The rule with Saturn decisions is to think long term – at least seven years – and, very often, to choose the most challenging option. Saturn is in retreat until September, so you have a few month’s grace.

The month of Gemini, which begins promptly on May 21, works in your favour – air for your fire – and that ruler Mars is transiting the Twins until May 16 lends your ‘scope a busy, fast-moving quality; just your thing. Mars moves on to Cancer on the 17th to pull your attention to the upkeep of Castle Aries, though the real challenge and message from the red planet doesn’t arrive until mid-June. Cross that bridge when you reach it.