*This is for the Sidereal Zodiac, not your Western tropical sign; click here to find out your sidereal chart. Read this from either your lagna (ascendant) signs or your moon signs.
*Lahiri ayanamsha; Mean Node; EST Time zone.
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This month we have a lot of intense energy, and being that it is close to six months away from the Eclipse of the Century on December 26, we are getting a foreshadowing of what’s to come. This is not only a time of transformation, but transmutation. We have both the New and Full Moons taking place in Mars’ signs of Aries and Scorpio; time to burn off the old and make room for the new! What defines transformation is slow growth; it’s like the butterfly going through its three distinct phases of the caterpillar, the chrysalis, and the butterfly. Transmutation is quite different; it is the sudden jolt of change that only poison can bring. It is the snakebite that injects poison into the blood and you either survive it or you don’t. Both forms of change are valid, but this month we will be experiencing Snake medicine.
May 2nd-Saturn conjunct Ketu/oppose Rahu at 26 degrees of Sagittarius
Attacks and social uprising will be happening with this conjunction as things that were hidden will now be revealed. We will be made aware of the corruption in our world and all leaders will be made responsible for their actions. Our personal beliefs will be brought into focus; we will be asking ourselves “how do you know what you know?” We must question our reality; what are we missing because we have given up our sovereignty? Who do you give up your authority to and why? We will be asked to transform our philosophies and look at things in a new way.
May 4th-Mercury goes into Aries
Mercury has been debilitated in Pisces, and not able to communicate effectively, and now he will be going into Aries and finding his tongue again. Watch out! You will find your words again but try not to say things too hastily lest you hurt someone’s feelings. We must think before we speak always, but especially when Mercury transits through Aries, and conjunct the Sun. Fighting words when not backed up can get us into hot water. It’s not always good to say what’s on your mind; use discernment with speech. Uranus has been in Aries for months now and having Mercury there can mean that sudden accidents involving fire in Mercury’s realm of the air can mean airplane problems, and disasters involving cars, as well. See what house in your chart is in the sign of Aries to see where this energy will play out.
May 4th-New Moon: 6:46pm; 20 degrees Aries, Bharani
This May New Moon is in the sign of Aries and the nakshatra of Bharani, which is from 13.20 to 26.40 degrees of Aries. Bharani means “the bearer” of new life, and its symbol is the yoni, the female organ for reproduction. Venus is the ruler of this nakshatra. The deity is Yama, the god of death or dharma. The star that corresponds to this nakshatra is Almach, a binary star in the left foot of Andromeda; it gives honor and artistic ability. Another star that is associated with this nakshatra is Menkar, which is in the jaw of the Whale; it indicates disgrace, dishonor and trouble with legacies. This part of the sky was called “Apabharani”, which means “the waters that carry things away” and refers to all of the souls that transit here when they die. Yama is like Pluto in that he carries the dead to the Other World. Yama was the first to come to Earth, and hence the first to die here. This nakshatra is known as the “star of restraint”, and when prominent in a chart shows struggles, but if obstacles are overcome it leads to personal breakthroughs and transformations. It is representative of the birthing process and shows where one has outgrown their present circumstances and must go through the pain of birthing a new life. As Yama was the first to come to Earth this nakshatra denotes individuals who are pioneers in their fields; social reformers, activists, and philosophers are found here. When in a natal chart this nakshatra can lead to jealousy, and often others are jealous of those with Bharani nakshatra. These people feel oppressed by restrictive laws and want to rebel; fanaticism and intolerance of different opinions is the negative side of this nakshatra as they want to oppress others, as well as imbalances in sexuality.
In Persian astrology different planets are associated with each star depending on what part of the constellation they are in. For Bharani we have:
Menkar-Mars, Saturn, Mercury
Almach-Mars
We use these planetary affiliations to see what transits we should pay attention to. As you can see Mars is the common denominator, and Mars rules Aries, the sign this New Moon is in. Mars is in the final degrees of Taurus, which is ruled by Venus. Bharani nakshatra is ruled by Venus, so the transit position is important. Venus is in the sign of Pisces at 23 degrees; when she gets to 26.40 degrees of Pisces she will be gandanta, or drowning until 3.20 degrees of Aries. Pisces is ruled by Jupiter, and on this New Moon transit Jupiter is retrograde and gandanta in Scorpio, ruled by Mars! So here we are, back at Mars. What is Mars? War, strife, battle, real estate, sports, and in Bharani, the MidWife. We are birthing a new consciousness on this planet, and it’s painful. Transit Mars is in Taurus in opposition to gandanta Jupiter, so we will be sure to see fiery explosions, either in nature, or with people’s tempers; two days after the New Moon this opposition will be exact on the 6th,. On the 7th Mars goes into Gemini, so Mars is definitely an important planet during this time.
Saturn and Mercury are also associated with these stars and we see transit Saturn is retrograde in the sign of Sagittarius and conjunct Ketu and Pluto retrograde. This has been a hot spot in the sky since last summer, and now that the nodes have shifted and Ketu is there it is activating this conjunction even more intensely. Since Mars is the indicator of this New Moon we see that he is making the difficult 8th aspect to Saturn/Ketu/Pluto. This produces fear, and particularly religious inspired fear. Try not to let anxiety get ahold of you at this time; if you are living in the past or the future you will experience anxiety and depression. Be Here Now.
Mercury is the last planet indicated by the star Menkar. Mercury is conjunct Uranus with the New Moon in Aries. Last month we saw when the Sun entered Aries and sat with Uranus we had the massive catastrophic fire at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. Uranus brings sudden things, either disasters or breakthroughs. Having Mercury there will make communications happen at lightning speed, and breakdowns and breakthroughs in the areas of media, the internet, mail, and the mind. As the Moon with Mercury and Uranus can bring eureka moments, there is also the tendency to have obsessive thoughts and dwell on the past. Face your fears and let them go on this New Moon. Jupiter is aspecting these places with the difficult 6/8 quincunx aspect, so sudden accidents involving water will be an issue; there may be a rise in oil prices at this time.
March 15th to May 6th-Jupiter in Gandanta
Jupiter has been doing this tap dance between Scorpio and Sagittarius for some time, and he is back in Scorpio until November. We will see a rise in oil prices, flooding and lots of rain, but the flowers love it! Notice that the day that Jupiter was at zero degrees Sagittarius the Cathedral of Notre Dame burned! When he’s in Sagittarius gandanta we see accidents involving fire; now that he’s back in Scorpio it will be concerning water.
May 6th-Mars oppose Jupiter in Gandanta
As Jupiter has gone back into Scorpio on this day he will be at the end of his gandanta zone and opposite to Mars at the end of Taurus. This will expand the fear factor present in our subconscious. Accidents involving fire and water will also be a result of this opposition. Look to what house in your chart is ruled by the signs of Scorpio and Taurus to see where this tension will be taking place in your life.
May 7th-Mars goes into Gemini
After the tenuous opposition of Mars and Jupiter, we now have Mars going into the sign of Gemini and making a dangerous conjunction with Rahu. Mars will also be making an opposition to Saturn retrograde, Pluto retrograde and Ketu all in Sagittarius. Yikes! Watch out. The fear factor will be amplified now, so be careful not to let it ricochet around you and make you spiral downwards into anxiety and depression. It’s a good idea to see what house in your birthchart the eclipses are happening in this year, so take a look at my Rahu and Ketu Through the 12 Signs blog post to see how this energy will play out for you. Social injustices come up for healing; the demise of political leaders; real estate prices decline; oil prices rise. These are all things that can happen with this aspect on a global scale.
Mars will also be exchanging signs with Mercury in Aries from the 7th-18th; this is called a Parivartana Yoga, where two planets are in each other’s signs. I feel this is the last bit of good vibes we will get as Mars is approaching Rahu. At the end of the month we have the Saturn-Ketu conjunction, so take advantage of this exchange energy of these two planets, and look to what houses in your chart are in the signs of Aries and Gemini to see what areas of your life will be affected.
May 7th-Akshaya Tritiya
Today the Sun is exalted in Aries, and the Moon is exalted in Taurus; this is Akshaya Tritiya, one of the most popular festivals in India, celebrated by the Hindus and Jain every year. It is an auspicious day because Lord Parasurama was born on the day. The Hindu community considers it a lucky day and believes that any venture began now will be auspicious. It is considered the golden day of the year because the word ‘Akshaya’ stands for ‘Eternal’, or that which never diminishes; many Hindus purchase gold on this day because it brings a good fortune. We also have Venus gandanta, or drowning, in her sign of exaltation, Pisces; normally this would denote incliment weather, and it still may, but I see a flood of wealth, as Venus represents great luxurious wealth. Not to be left out, we have Jupiter out of his dangerous gandanta zone in Scorpio, so the Guru will be lending his grace to this day. If you are able to invest in some kind of building, real estate property, or gold stocks go for it! You have the planets blessing today. Weddings and births are also bestowed grace upon by this golden moment.
May 9th to June 7th-Mercury is combust the Sun
The corona of the Sun is so bright that any planet within about 8° of the Sun will not be seen at all. This is called being ‘combust’. Even beyond that point and up to about 17° away the brightness of the Sun is still overpowering and the planet is faint. This is called being ‘under the sunbeams’. If a planet is right at the core of the Sun, within 0° 17′, then it is utterly consumed and this is called being ‘cazimi’. As Mercury is closest to the Sun he is often combust in the same sign as the Sun. When a planet becomes non-visible because of the Sun’s light it becomes less physical and more astral in focus. While this is not a major transit, if you have Mercury as a personal planet in your chart you may feel the effects more than others. It will be hard to be objective right now, and Racing Brain Syndrome will be more prevalent, so do things to calm your mind.
May 10th-Venus goes into Aries
A hot planet in a hot sign can be a hot mess. We just came away from the Venus gandanta in Pisces, the karmic knot; notice the saying “tying the knot” is getting married, a very Venusian activity. Venus leaves Pisces her sign of exaltation and selfless love to go into Aries, the sign of the Self. Venus in Aries can get married impulsively then regret it later. She is uncomfortable here, as it is hard for Venus to love herself in this sign, but rather she relishes in the false ego; giving unconditionally to others is a challenge unless she is championing a cause. Aries is the warrior and loves to defend the underdog, the defenseless, and the wronged. Venus is what we value, so fighting for our values is a positive outcome, but violence is the negative outcome. See what house is ruled by Aries in your chart to see where you can apply some healthy self-love; remember, it’s only selfish behavior if you only focus on yourself the majority of time. Use this time to do some self-care and know that you cannot give to others from an empty well. From the 11th to the 15th Venus will be conjunct the Sun, also not one of her favorite placements. Planets get “burnt up” by being close to the Sun, and he always outshines them. Venus hates to be outshined, but when they are in exact conjunction this is a special aspect called Cazimi; unfortunately this will not be happening as their transit degrees are too far apart now, so Venus will just be hot and bothered until the Sun moves away.
May 15th-18th-Sun and Mercury go into Taurus
The Sun leaves the sign of Aries on the 15th his sign of exaltation and goes into Taurus along with Mercury on the 18th. As Mercury is exalted in Virgo, another Earth sign, he does well in Taurus, as it forces him to slow down and think before he speaks. This also means that the Sun and Mercury will be in opposition to Jupiter in Scorpio. As Jupiter is leaving the gandanta zone we have some light (Sun) shed on the communication and media (Gemini) concerning religions and their leaders (Jupiter).
May 18th-Full Flower Moon: 5:12pm; 4 degrees Scorpio, Anuradha
This May Full Flower Moon take place at 4 degrees in the sign of Scorpio in the nakshatra of Anuradha. This spans from 3.20 to 16.40 degrees of Scorpio and means “the disciple of the divine spark”. The planetary ruler of Anuradha is Saturn. The symbol is a triumphal archway, or a lotus. The deity is Mitra as one of the Aditiyas who is responsible for friendship and partnership. The stars that rule this nakshatra are the three stars in the head and claws of the Scorpio. The star Isidis is situated in the right claw of the Scorpion, and gives shamelessness and immortality, and has mystical interests, such as astrology. In Persian astrology Isidis is ruled by the planet Mars. In the mythology Mitra was the god of friendship and promoted cooperation in humanity; any contracts were Mitra’s duty to protect, as he rules compassion, devotion and love. Radha (the cowherd maiden) was the friend and consort of Lord Krishna, and she was also Mitra’s devoted companion as a devotee follower. People with this nakshatra strong are great friends; they just have a natural talent for friendship and are the opposite of the elitist snob. As they have excellent organization and leadership skills they do very well with large groups of people, and as they are naturally friendly their cooperation can lead them to fame and recognition. Their gift is at adapting and accommodating themselves to others’ needs, which makes them very sensual, loving, and popular. The negative side of this nakshatra is jealousy and a need to control others, as they are very faithful; this can lead to depression and a brooding demeanor. It is said that those with this nakshatra prevalent in their chart will have difficult relationships with their mother, and they have been known to live far from their birth place, as they will have many opportunities to travel.
On this Full Moon day we have Jupiter conjunct the Moon; these two planets are friendly to each other, but Jupiter is retrograde and still gandanta. This will make our emotions go wild; as Mars is the ruler of Scorpio and he is in the nakshatra of Ardra at this time I could see how a flood of tears could be a possible expression of this energy, not to mention more flooding and inclement weather. Transit Mars is also conjunct Rahu which will intensify Mars; opposite this is Ketu, Saturn retrograde and Pluto retrograde, and the problematic 6/8 aspect to the Moon/Jupiter conjunction. Whew! The air is ripe for a conflict in the form of massive aggression such as war and terrorism. There could be an attack on spiritual and political leaders at this time; old institutions will disintegrate under this kind of aspect. This is the halfway point to the eclipse so this is a foreshadowing of what’s to come during the big eclipse of December 26th.
Opposite the Moon and Jupiter is the Sun and Mercury conjunction in Taurus. As Mercury rules communication and travel having it opposite a gandanta and retrograde Jupiter would mean that all forms of communication will be at risk to flooding of all kinds. This could take place as a “flood of information”, or planes and cars being affected by flood waters. Mercury is in the nakshatra of Krittika which indicates war and strife; the Sun is the ruler of Krittika and transit Sun is conjunct Mercury. The ruler of Taurus is Venus, and transit Venus is in Aries conjunct Uranus and they are both in the nakshatra of Ashwini; this indicates more Martian energy as Mars is the ruler of Aries. The planetary ruler of Ashwini is Ketu, so here we are back to the tenuous Ketu/Saturn/Pluto conjunction which is making the hard 6/8 quincunx aspect to the Sun/Mercury conjunction. There is bound to be some kind of battle that is karmically supposed to play out at this time.
We are being asked to discern who are our real friends and who are our “frenemies”. False friends will be exposed at this time, so it pays to live our life with integrity and not sneak around, as all false relationships will crumble under these influences. There will be fear on a massive scale, as we are being shook to our core and forced to find what is important in life.
May 21st-Sun and Mercury are conjunct
This is the day that these two planets are exactly conjunct which means that Mercury is completely combust and at the sensitive cazimi point. This is actually a good aspect as Mercury receives benefic energies from the Sun at this time. As Mercury rules communications we could receive a message that we’ve been waiting for now.
May 22nd/23rd-Moon is conjunct Saturn/Ketu/oppose Rahu
The Moon transiting here will add an emotional quality to the losses represented by the Saturn/Ketu/Pluto conjunction. It seems we will have our hearts on our sleeve at this time as memories and our subconscious are brought to the surface. Having Rahu, which is the eclipse point for this year, and Mars being opposed to the Moon could manifest as us getting a glimpse into what will transpire at the eclipses. Pay attention!
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