Celestial Notebook Overview May 2008
Until 20 May the sun, representing our sense of individuality and our essential values, is in Taurus: the ‘I am’ of Aries is given substance by the ‘I own’ of the first earth sign. Taurus represents what we value and hold most dear.
The main theme this month is thus reviewing our values and consequently our relationship with money, security and resources. With food and oil prices rocketing we are questioning our rate of consumption and the impact it is having on our environment. Taurus is about simplicity and it seems we are being asked to discover a simpler and more satisfying lifestyle. We are learning to do more with less and perhaps live a more peaceful and less pressurised life. It is time to redefine our priorities and focus on what is truly important.
Save for Mars that swaggers into Leo on 9 May and the Moon that changes signs every two-and-half days there are no planets in fire signs during May. There are a few planets in air but most attention will be brought to the earth element. Fear and contraction are the negative expressions of earth energy and if we have been exhausting our resources, we will be adjusting to the relative stringency of our new world.
The power of fire, released at the start of all processes, provides us with direction, idealism, enthusiasm, vision, imagination and intuition; it produces heat – physically and emotionally. The earth element on the other hand refers to solidity and solidarity – bringing form to what has been envisioned. Form is subject to earthly cycles and all forms, including our bodies, will one day dissolve. It is this knowing that spurs us on to discern what we give substance to and to relentlessly search for what truly matters.
No less than five celestial bodies are retrograde by the end of this month: Mercury (key to rewarding communication) in Gemini, Jupiter (key to expansion) in Capricorn, Neptune (key to illumination) in Aquarius, Pluto (key to self-mastery) in Capricorn and Chiron (key to the healing of self) in Aquarius.
Planets are channels for expression and as such their energy flows outward. When a planet turns retrograde a share of its vitality is directed away from the world, deeper into the mind toward the unconscious. For a while at least, the expression of that planet is insulated, shielded from most of the social programming so that we are able to pinpoint areas of our life that were either dealt with too superficially or misapplied and now need to be re-appraised before they can be used constructively in the real world.
During May we will become more attentive to our subjective world and become highly receptive to our inner currents. Matters represented by the planets involved will often be delayed from reaching fruition until we have deepened our awareness. We will tend to slow down our processes to ensure a more complete and thorough sense of comprehension. At the same time we will be adjusting to the limiting conditions that so many planets in earth signs may bring.
Saturn, The Eternal Taskmaster, turns direct on 3 May at 1° Virgo, the sign that is concerned with being of service to others by being productive and resourceful. As Saturn turns its energy outward, our creative ideas become a reality, but the progress will be hampered by delays and obstacles, compelling us to cultivate persistence and commitment.
There is nothing we need do except allow time for reflection and perhaps configure circumstances which help us to sustain focused awareness. Be ready for deep insights, new understanding, creative ideas and a wider view into the perfection of things as they are in our life. From this deep acceptance, new action becomes possible.
