Hello you fancy creatures,
Hope everyone's weekend is wonderful so far. The Sun moves into Gemini today (5.20) and so things are about to get more active! Fire and air signs carry with them a more yang, masculine or external energy and water and earth signs carry with them a more yin, feminine or internal energy. In Taurus season, we were looking inward at our value system and self-esteem and now we're about to share that with those around us in Gemini season. Mercury moved into Taurus last week, so we are still holding in our logical minds what it is we value most. Mercury in Taurus is encouraging both Mars and now the Sun in Gemini to slow down and spend time on what it is we really want to do. For example, if it feeds your soul to try new cuisine or take an art class, Mercury in Taurus is showing us that so that the Sun and Mars in Gemini can take that and act.
There are still a few retrograde influences happening and in the not-so-distant future, Neptune in Pisces and Uranus in Aries will both be joining the stationing retrograde party. Currently though, Mercury and Venus are both out of shadow (and Venus is through with its opposition to Jupiter) so our relationship and communication highway have had all of the roadblocks lifted and now we're free to maybe step into new love or take a new job without worry of whether or not it isn't real. Risks are possible now. Pluto in Capricorn is still moving retrograde this week through Capricorn, forcefully causing our stuff to come up in reference to power dynamics and highlighting major systemic governmental issues. Saturn continues its retrograde motion through Sagittarius which allows us to really review and reorient ourselves to our present reality and reinforces the need for spiritual integrity in thought and belief. Jupiter retrograde in Libra recently opposed Venus in Aries, so we're revealing our true selves in the presence of the company we keep and it's important to stay present to the subtleties of others so you can really determine who is here for you as you are.
On Monday, May 22nd, the moon moves into Aries. Over the course of Monday and Tuesday, the moon will oppose Jupiter retrograde in Libra and travel over Venus in Aries. This is a time when we're called to pay attention to what it is that we individually want. Sometimes, what we want or need coincide with the people's wants and needs that we're relating with. Sometimes, it's really important to carve out that space for yourself and be selfish in a good way, which is something the Moon in Aries is the best at. Be selfish with your time and your heart, only share it with those who really deserve it and acknowledge you for who you are.
On Tuesday, this moon in Aries travels over Uranus in Aries. This is a very mentally restless conjunction, especially when the Sun just recently came into Gemini. It's important on this day to follow your curiosities about your environment and yourself both down to the very bottom and to let your intuition lead you wherever you most need to go - you won't be wrong.
On Wednesday, May 24th, the Moon gracefully steps into Taurus, which is the Moon's favorite place to be as Taurus is very stable and steady, focused on what the body needs and craves. The Moon will cross over Mercury in Taurus, allowing us to really think about ways that we can improve our environment for the sake of our emotions, like bringing some plants inside or maybe adding some new art or scents to your space. Mercury will square the North Node in Leo and the South Node in Aquarius, so make these changes from a place of heart and pay attention to karmic scenarios you find yourself in and what they mean for you. The North Node in Leo is also going to be making a quincunx aspect (150 degrees - when the two planets/luminaries/points are not able to see each other from where they sit in the sky) to Chiron in Pisces. This means that there may be a little bit of internal chaos or unsure energy - maybe there is a trigger that shows up for some, or a situation that shows up for others. There could be something that you can't really put your finger on that is making you feel hurt or anxious. This aspect will dissipate in a few days, so just be patient with yourself or spend time doing creative or meditative things to attempt some congruence between your inner child and your higher Self.
When I go through the astrology for the week, there's usually a day where the energy peaks quite a bit and it's like the nexus or the highlight of the week and Thursday, May 25th is going to be that. There's a new moon in Gemini (stay tuned for a blog post about how this effects the signs individually) as well as Venus, planet of relationships, sensuality, pleasure and money, at 19 degrees Aries making a square aspect (harsh, contentious energy that is very challenging to balance) to Pluto, symbolizing destruction, transformation and the neverending death/rebirth cycle in Capricorn at 19 degrees. The following is an excerpt from the book Inside Degrees from Ellias Lonsdale regarding these two degree points:
19 Degrees of Aries: Someone performing trephination - The head densely holds the patterns of the past as fixed routes. There are points along the journey where everything must be dropped and where all previous experience becomes no longer applicable. You are treated to a destiny-surge of power which obliterates the traces of petty limitation and habitual tracks. A radical departure into the infinite unknown becomes the only way to go. As the ego-mind no longer bears the authority to command and dictate and coerce, vision is released, awareness becomes visceral, everything lights up directly. And as the old carcass is removed, the universal life-force streams in, giving a much brighter angle and leaning to move with. Identity smashed to make room for totality in a fresh and uninhibited expression and embodiment of its call, and in its need for those who can drop everything and tune right in to what wants to emerge here, of itself.
- So, judging by that, it seems like Venus has been through the ringer in its retrograde motion back through to the last few degrees of Pisces. We've been collectively trying to unlearn all of our old patterns and may have said goodbye to a part of our love nature or said goodbye to the love nature of someone else in the past few months. Now is the final time to release the old patterns of destructive behavior in relationships. When you tell yourself a story about how things usually are and the way things will always eventually add up, not only are you influencing your neuronal pathways in your brain, influencing your DNA, but you are also influencing your energetic field that surrounds you on all sides. Just remember that whenever you think something must work out as it always does, whenever you reinforce a negative thought form, the universe hears you and delivers upon that. In order to affirm your growth and purpose in relationships, use positive language in the present tense.
Onto 19 degrees of Capricorn -
A half-eaten piece of bread. Utilitarian considerations. Observing the self through objectified eyes. Conditioning and programming. Talking self and others into following the program. Astute wheeler-dealer. You're not there in it, picturing it as though it were something brutally obvious and commonplace. Decadence, barbarian tendencies. Sympathies with the consciousness of problems and issues, difficulties and struggles all-pervasive. Never content, always aware of what is not happening. The bitter perspective and relentless repetition of the litany of gloom and doom.
- This symbolic degree of Capricorn really represents to me the way we operate in relationships on autopilot when we're not working on ourselves. The way we can so easily slip back into anxious or avoiding love behaviors that don't serve us and ultimately create what we fear most... Pluto is here to say fuck all that noise. Pluto wants all of these old ways to die off so that you can invite real, new and true love into your life willingly and openly with little else holding you back.
On this new moon in Gemini, exact at 3:45 PM EST, make a promise to me that you will find some way to speak your truth. Take pen to paper, call a friend or family member or take to the streets with a megaphone if it feels good. I always think of Gemini as always having thoughts about to bubble over as if their brain is a bathtub and so to honor that we have to stand in our power and speak from the heart (to also simultaneously honor the North Node being in the sign of Leo). With my roommates, I am planning to have us all sit in a circle and devote five minutes to listening intently and openly to each others deepest truths. For ritual ideas, e-mail me at meredithsluckystars@gmail.com with "RITUAL" in the subject line.
On Friday, May 26th, the Moon in Gemini will cross over Mars and will sextile the North Node. The Moon in conjunction (where two planets are on top of each other) with Mars can be really agitated- even seething in anger. These placements both sextiling (air fans the flames of fire) the North Node in Leo to me paints a very interesting narrative. One where we may be really agitated and tempted to put our agitation into words and launch it at someone, especially with the Venus square to Pluto not so far behind us (if you don't let go of your stuff, it will come out in the form of projection onto someone else). However, the North Node is in Leo. We have to remain in an embodied, heart-centered place and not act from a place of frustration in the moment. This reminds me of a yoga teacher I've taken class from (her name is Tai Dorn, a Leo moon). Her style is bhakti, which infuses yoga with a devotion and a connection to the divine and to the heart. She brought the Sanskrit term "bodhichitta" to my awareness, which she said means the awakened heart or the enlightened heart. How things happen as we're out and about in the world to hurt our heart but that we come back to a state of openness, bliss and receptivity fairly quickly. Practicing this divine love and compassion really helped me to heal around my mistrust and skeptical nature when it came to other people and is something we can all practice more of to fully honor the transiting North Node making its way through Leo, ruler of the heart.
On Saturday, May 27th, Mercury in Taurus will be making a quincunx aspect (150 degrees/means that these placements can't really see each other from where they're located in the sky) to Jupiter in Libra. This is a day where it's good to expect not to get too much productive stuff done. Taurus and Libra can both work if they're passionate about something, but the combination really makes me want to laze around in bed and snuggle up and then maybe try to go out and be in the company of people that I love and care about. It's a great day for connection, relaxation and disconnecting from the high stress level of our mercurial world. Not such a great day for getting all the shit done or running errands.
On Sunday, May 28th, the moon will move into the sign of Cancer. Simultaneously, Mercury in Taurus will harmoniously aspect Neptune in Pisces. This is also a day where it's good not to try to be so productive. This energy is very conducive for a weekend that consists of growth and healing on the inside, but maybe little to show for it on the outside (which is more than okay). The Moon in Cancer in a natal chart can make someone a very naturally gifted healer and maternal figure, and the moon loves to be in Cancer, so it's a great time to fall into the womb of your imagination and allow the tides to wax and wane and express as you feel appropriate, with dreamy Neptune hitting creatively intelligent Mercury in Taurus.