May starts with a shadow, as we are still amidst eclipse season, with a coming lunar eclipse. But also with Mercury transiting retrograde until the middle of the month, things will remain confusing and murky.

  • 01/05/2023 12:44 Pluto retrograde 06°11’02” Capricorn
  • 02/05/2023 04:19 Venus in Gemini
  • 05/05/2023 13:34 Lunar Eclipse in Libra 20°41′
  • 10/05/2023 04:19 Mars in Cancer
  • 14/05/2023 23:17 Mercury direct 11°40’08” Aries
    • 21/04/2023 04:34 Mercury retro 21°26’30” Aries
  • 15/05/2023 02:15 Sun in Taurus
  • 19/05/2023 11:53 New Moon in Taurus 04°14’36”
  • 30/05/2023 10:09 Venus in Cancer

On the eclipse front, we can always expect the unexpected in regards to them, but this one has a special focus on change as it opposes Uranus. The eclipse will happen on the nakshatra of Vishaka, a very goal oriented star, that deals with doing whatever it takes to achieve a desire. So a focus on this eclipse is changing and doing what is necessary to achieve what we want.

The big message of this lunar eclipse is about facing our fears and getting the courage to go after our desires. Major changes might be needed to achieve that, and we could be dealing with conflict. But again, it is all about getting over obstacles, and rising above them.

With Mercury retrograde, until May 14th, we could be dealing with slowdowns in communications, miscommunications, issues and technical problems. It is not the best time for presenting ideas or negotiating contracts, if you can delay something until after this date, it is a good idea. Major changes in computer systems (major updates, for instance) should also be delayed, if possible.

On the very first day of May, Pluto will turn retrograde, transiting like this until October. As planets are about to change motion from direct to retrograde, or vice versa, they get into a slower state called stationary. Stationary planets leave an intense mark, becoming a strong influence on us with their energy and affairs.

Pluto has been stationary since about April 20th and it will stay like this until around May 12th. So this late April and early May period has a strong Pluto influence around it.

Pluto represents: Power, control, manipulation, secrets, obsessions, revenge. Big money, big government, big powerful institutions. Sex, corruption. Related to the energies of Scorpio and the 8th house.

On a mundane level, this Pluto influence deals a lot with unhinged action by those in power. Aggression, quarrels, disagreement are all things on the table. Similarly, efforts of censorship and manipulation could intensify now.

On a personal level, the combined energy of Pluto and the coming lunar eclipse signals a key moment for dealing with power. Are we in control of our lives or are we letting others control us? This is a great moment for reassessing and taking control of your life and choices.

Later this month, Mars will enter the sign of Cancer, transiting there from May 10th until June 30th. This is the worst sign for Mars. Mars in Cancer deals with emotional action, lack of logic, impulsiveness, violence and weakness. With Mars transiting here, people could be prone to anger, violence or to acting out in general. So we should be careful not to provoke or cause conflict. In some levels, this is also a time to slow down and think before we act.

On May 19th, we will have a New Moon in Taurus, in the nakshatra of Krittika. This is a star related to secrecy and protection. So a big focus on this New Moon will be about sheltering and protecting the precious things in our lives, we could be thinking about something or someone dear that needs our care. We could also reveal something that has bothered us alone for a long time, this could be a time to share the load with others.

Overall, May will start with some slowdowns and it might deal with some surprises, as we are still dealing with the energies of the eclipses. Specially early in the month, we could be seeing or dealing with power plays, provocations or other obstacles. Whether we persevere over these problems, or we let them run our lives is the big question of early May. Later in the month, we get into the influence of Mars in Cancer, which will be with us until the end of June. This is not the best influence, although it signals a good time for a break or rest. June will share this Mars influence, and it will be another interesting month on itself.

On a mundane level, I believe May could show some turning points and issues on a global level. A lot of the energies this month (the lunar eclipse, Pluto emphasized and Mars) deal with power, so issues with politicians and those in power could become prominent now. Early in the month, with Mercury retrograde, issues with technology could appear. Things like data leaks, security exploits, or outages. Later in the month, with Mars in Cancer we could see intensified rhetoric and conflict around the world, exacerbating a lot of our issues. It is not an easy time, but making change is never easy.