Thank you, one and all, for your patience, understanding, and support while I’ve taken this hiatus to deal with my father’s estate. I think things are beginning slow down a little bit, but my time is still very limited. Forgive me if my Moon Updates are briefer than usual for the time being. But the skies are so active right now and the time around this Taurus New Moon is so important astrologically that I just have to try to keep everyone a little informed.
In the Pacific Time Zone, the New Moon will occur at 4:47 a.m. on Tuesday, May 15. This New Moon finds the Moon and Sun in conjunction (0°) at 25° of Taurus. To further clarify how this New Moon will impact you on a personal level, locate 25° of Taurus in your birth/natal chart. The issues associated with that house are going to be most influenced by this New Moon’s presence.
There are three major astrological events occurring between May 15-16. This means that the impact of each one is amplified.
- New Moons always provide us with opportunities for new emotional starts and a time to set new intentions and goals in the areas associated with the sign involved. New Moons in Taurus are typically known as peaceful times, but this one is far from that! Everything that is associated with Taurus will be very important . . . responsibility, resourcefulness, dependability, reliability, loyalty, patience, and material possessions. This is an excellent time to get down to work and do what is needed to manifest what we want in our lives.
- Also on Tuesday, May 15, Uranus is moving into Taurus. This is a big deal! The last time Uranus was in this sign was 1942, and it only changes signs every 7 years. And with Uranus, any change in sign often coincides with some pretty major events on or around the time it enters the new sign. This could involve sudden changes on a personal and/or societal level that then play out over the next seven years. As we’ve discussed before, whenever the energy of Uranus is involved, it’s hard to predict exactly what the changes will entail. We sometimes see them coming; but other times, they can feel like they come “out of the blue.” However, given Uranus is moving into the earthy sign of Taurus, any changes are likely going to be stabilizing in nature. Any “revolution” will likely be related to how we are dealing with the material world around us, including our finances, our definition of beauty, and what we value or find enjoyable. As a society, we will be looking at how we are using our resources and interacting with the environment.
- On Wednesday, May 16, Mars moves into the sign of Aquarius. Mars usually stays in a sign for about 7 weeks. However, this time it will remain in Aquarius for 6 months due to a retrograde period. Mars in Aquarius may cause our actions to become impulsive or unpredictable. We will likely feel drawn to actively use our “idiosyncratic whackiness” (Aquarius!) in the world around us to serve others in a responsible, humanitarian way. We will want to be innovative, and our minds will likely be very active. Team efforts are enjoyable, but leaders will need to prove that they are worthy of our trust and respect.
But that’s not all! Mars is entering Aquarius, and Uranus is the ruler of Aquarius. And Mars and Uranus will be in a square (90°) to each other for basically the rest of the year (about 6 months). If you are sensing excitement on my part, you are right. We are entering a very powerful time in our lives, and this Mars-Uranus square is the spark that ignites the flame of restlessness. If we have been considering making some changes, this is the time! We may feel driven to try things we never dreamed would be possible for us. We are more willing to take risks, and we may crave unique experiences that express our individuality in powerful ways, especially if it brings more freedom into our lives.
NOTE: For those with a more advanced understanding of astrology, look to see if you have any planets in your natal chart in the first nine degrees of Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, or Aquarius (the fixes signs). If you do, it is likely that you will be more strongly influenced over the next 6 months by what’s going on between Uranus and Mars because they will be forming squares (90°) and oppositions (180°) to your natal planets. Overall, this dance between Uranus and Mars will likely move you forward on your path in profound ways.
Put all of this together, and the time of the Taurus New Moon is an excellent time for us to manifest what we want in our lives. Taurus provides a focused, stable, nurturing, determined energy. There are quite a few planets in fixed signs, which means we won’t want to stop until we complete whatever we are working on. Our commitment and determination may be higher now than at any other time this year. Consciously choose to use this energy! And with Uranus being in conjunction (0°) with Mercury at the time of the New Moon, we are ready to think about things differently. The 6-month square (90°) between Uranus in Taurus and Mars in Aquarius will likely increase our desire for adventure, exploration, and moving forward. This is a wonderful time for manifesting. However, it’s important that we not get stuck in our ways and try to force outcomes. Yes, we have an amazing opportunity to focus our energy (if we consciously decide to use it), but we also need to stay relaxed, flexible, and light-hearted due to the powerful influence of Uranus’s energy right now.
However, before we decide to make any radical changes in our lives (or in society), we may need to go through several periods of introspection. Why? Because for the majority of this summer, five out of ten planets will be in retrograde. Now please remember, RETROGADES ARE NOT TO BE FEARED! Society as done such a disservice to the field of astrology by villainizing Mercury retrograde periods. Retrogrades are very important! They are times when we turn inward in relation to the qualities of the planet involved, and inward searching is critical to our success. Without these periods of time when we review where we have been and reevaluating where we want to go, our efforts may not be successful in the long-run. Without them, we might find ourselves either someplace we really don’t want to be, unhappy with the situation we are in, or working on something that isn’t sustainable in the long-term.
In addition to this season of retrogrades, very important planetary shifts have recently happened or will be happening over the coming months. This is such an active time! Here is an overview (much of which will be explored in more detail in upcoming Moon Updates):
- Back in March, Jupiter in Scorpio began its annual 4-month retrograde period, which won’t end until early July. This means that we are all doing some internal reevaluation of our values/ethics, how we use (or abuse) power in our lives, and what brings us (or interferes with our) happiness.
- Beginning on April 17, Chiron (the wounded healer) moved out of Pisces and into Aries. Chiron is an asteroid that travels between Saturn and Uranus. It only changes signs about every 8 years, and the last time Chiron was in Aries was back in 1977, which was a very volatile time in the world. While Chiron was moving through Pisces, we were likely basing our healing on intuitive inklings and might have been taking a passive role in our healing process. When Chiron enters Aries, we are being asked to take active role in our own healing, and we may begin to take new steps toward healing very old wounds (i.e., mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and/or physically).
- Also on April 17, Saturn in Capricorn began its annual 5-month retrograde period. Although some of us have already started to make some changes in our lives, we may be encountering obstacles or challenges in our path. These aren’t meant to discourage us. They are designed to get us to take care of some unfinished business that will result in a stronger foundation to our new project(s). Our challenge is to learn to see the lessons embedded in the blocks in our progress and to learn patience and discipline.
- On April 22, Pluto in Capricorn began its annual retrograde period, which will last for 5 months. Pluto’s influence is both subtle and powerful. We will likely be engaged in an internal (perhaps even subconscious) exploration of what it means to use power (versus force) in our lives and possibly re-evaluate our relationship with the concept of authority (both our own internal authority and also authority figures in our lives).
- As discussed above, on May 15 and 16 we have the New Moon in Taurus, Uranus moving into the sign of this New Moon (which means all-things-Taurean will be emphasized), and Mars moving into Aquarius.
- Looking ahead:
- In June, we will have both Mars and Neptune going retrograde, which means that until early July, we will have 5 planets in retrograde.
- Once Jupiter turns direct in mid-July, we will only have 4 planets in retrograde, but toward the end of July, we’ll be back to having 5 planets in retrograde as we begin our next retrograde period for Mercury (July 26-August 19).
- Then in early August, Uranus will go retrograde, so even after Mercury goes direct in mid-August, we’ll still have 5 planets in retrograde through early September.
So what does all of this mean? In general, the summer months (and even into the fall months) are likely going to be a time when we may feel ready to make some changes (perhaps major changes) in our lives. However, it will be very important to make sure we have periods of time when we can turn inward to evaluate where we are going and how we are doing. Make sure to consciously schedule in time for activities such as meditation, prayer, and getting out into nature. Given the strong Uranus and Mars influence, it will be particularly helpful to get in adequate exercise or focused/directed energy, especially if you are feeling that your body is vibrating at too high a level. Learning new things is also emphasized, so don’t hesitate to explore what interests you by taking a class or working with a coach or mentor.
Overall, this is such an important time. Remember, none of this is to be feared. When studying astrology, we have the advantage that others don’t have of being forewarned and therefore forearmed. Without reiterating what was previously stated, this is a time when there will be much internal searching, reevaluating, revamping, redefining, and even rediscovering. Retrograde periods are all about the re- words! If you do the internal work indicated above during the retrograde periods, many of us will be ready to make important decisions that could even change the course of our lives. But there may be times when what is changing is going on below the surface, and sometimes even below our level of consciousness. However, change is pretty much inevitable over the next six months and even into 2019. We have some very powerful astrological events coming up in 2020, and what is going on now is preparing us for this time period. Planetary patterns during 2020 will be similar to what happened 500 years ago during the Reformation when society was transformed in miraculous ways. Luckily, we currently have a great deal of earth energy present during this time (Saturn, Uranus, & Pluto), which will help us ground all of our inner work and our external goals. Be excited about what is happening. Use your astrological knowledge to visualize what you want so you can draw it to you in powerful ways. The phrase from Star Wars, “May the force be with you,” applies beautifully right now. May you choose to use the force wisely.
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THIS BLOG POST WAS WRITTEN BY
- Anne Reith, Ph.D. (AnneReith.com)
- For information about Dr. Reith’s downloadable ebooks and meditations, feel free to visit her online Store
SOME INFORMATION TAKEN FROM
- The Mountain Astrologer (magazine)
- Various online sources (e.g., www.cafeastrology.com)
REMINDER
- New Moons and Full Moons often influence us for the 3 days before and 3 days after the actual event.
NEW MOON
New Moon at 25° of Taurus
- Tuesday, May 15, 2018, 4:47 a.m. PDT
- Tuesday, May 15, 2018, 7:47 a.m. EDT
- Tuesday, May 15, 2018, 11:47, a.m. GMT