Every May day is a passage into the next several years of transformation.
May 2012 is when the “tilt” begins—not in the axis of the Earth but in the routines of daily life, which include both the surface and the undercurrents of interactions, personal and collective.
May is not quite a planetary convergence (some might disagree, but I’m saving that moniker for June), but it is definitely a powerful threshold that clearly delineates a “that was then; this is now” point of reference. I don’t want to start (or contribute to) any panic, but there is just no easy way to say that the entire month—every single day—is a passage into what lies ahead for the next several years of intense transformation. What’s more, the world we are entering into is skewed in so many directions simultaneously that many of us are likely to get dizzy just figuring out how to enter it.
The good news is that standing on the threshold isn’t particularly dangerous; the only likely consequence is that once you finally make up your mind what you want to jump into, trying to find your place and position is likely to be as difficult as trying to find a seat on a spacecraft after it’s taken off. The key to safely navigating May’s maze is taking as much time as you need to adjust to the shifts, personal as well as collective, and as always, helping your fellow travelers to do the same.
What starts the tilt is the most important planetary configuration of the month, as well as the next several years: a square between Uranus and Pluto that tightens its grip all month long, in preparation for its first exact contact on June 24. This square will be exact seven times between June 2012 and March 2015, and over the course of the coming months and years, we will explore a multitude of meanings associated with its potent presence.
The Uranus/Pluto square signifies transformation, and its power is inexorable, especially its power to disrupt and disturb stagnant situations—attitudes, systems, structures, and habituations—that no longer serve a positive or useful purpose. Be aware, that does not necessarily mean those systems will evaporate or that their proponents will capitulate. Quite the contrary: We’re likely to be in for several years of agitation; squares symbolize friction, and we can expect even more sparks to fly from the resistance and hostility of clashing agendas, again, personal and political.
Uranus and Pluto signatures are always present in times of revolution and evolution. Last summer, as these two planetary change agents came within close range of each other, we were given a preview of one facet of their combined effect. Protest thrives under this influence, and as the next several months unfold we are certain to see an increase in dissent. Expect those demonstrations to have more than a collective intent; personal revolutions are just as likely as individuals to chafe from restraints, real or imagined.
We are also under the influence of a month-long Venus/Saturn trine. As the goddess of love forms a positive alliance with the principle that allows us to distill wisdom from experience, May provides the potential for a sober sense of reality. But this sobriety is not necessarily based on a harsh, judgmental perspective. Venus softens the hard edges of Saturn’s critical eye. What’s more, Venus is in Gemini, whose vast domain embraces all sorts of data; Saturn is in Libra, making its last pass in the sign of relating. As Venus and Saturn positively support each other, we have opportunities to do the same, especially where and when we are willing and able to incorporate important information into how we understand and approach our alliances. Anticipate relationship issues—of every denomination, from friends to family to lovers to co-workers—to be a priority.
On May 15, Venus, the goddess of true value, goes retrograde in Gemini. (Yes…I know, you thought we were finally out of the retro-zone). Venus starts to slow down on May 9, in preparation for her “course correction” and she’s retrograde until June 27. Venus personifies love and beauty, and as she retraces her path, she adds a deeper octave to the already ongoing relationship concentration of her trine to Saturn. Be prepared to revisit important partnerships, personal and/or professional. Because this retrospective occurs in Gemini, the sign of conversation, it’s likely that old lovers will be in touch and want to talk. The presence of Saturn will skew these exchanges toward the deep. Whether those tête-à-têtes fan old embers or spark new flames, what’s certain is that they will provide opportunities for insightful intimacy. Also be aware, Gemini is the sign of siblings and cousins, which means several of these conversation could take place with family members.
Also anticipate that some of those Venus retrograde conversations will be quite surprising. A solar eclipse on May 20 also occurs in Gemini. Eclipses always tend to reveal hidden knowledge, and Gemini just loves dispensing data; so be prepared to hear about things you might have suspected but never actually had any concrete way of verifying. During a solar eclipse, the New Moon overshadows the Sun. From an astrological perspective, this “reversal” of light can be interpreted as the power of the unconscious drives to overshadow conscious concerns, and previously withheld feelings, yours or others’, see the light of day. You may already be in the eclipse effect, given that the manifestations of an eclipse are often felt several weeks before or after the actual event.
On a completely different note, a Sun/Jupiter conjunction, in Taurus, from June 3-23 lightens May’s days just a bit, as it provides not just the potential to be successful at all endeavors, but also an optimistic attitude that can easily serve as a remedy for the tightening tensions of the month. The core of this idealist combination is joyous vitality.
That vitality is amplified by a Mars/Pluto trine that also operates for most of the month. This is a powerful alliance that has the potential to provide the necessary physical strength and stamina to accomplish any task. And May 11-16, Mercury, also in Taurus, joins the team as it trines both Pluto and Mars. This Grand Trine aligns minds, but be aware that its intensity can also overstimulate nervous systems.
Make the most of May by using it to tend your personal garden. Notice what patterns you’ve refused to surrender to a greater good. Bring awareness to your relationships—all your relationships, including your relationship with yourself. Be willing to stand in the truth of what you feel. While this honesty may be uncomfortable, it will build the necessary muscle for facing the changes that lie ahead. And most of all, keep in mind that all of us will be grappling with a similar intensity. It may not show itself in the same form or through the same responses, but that doesn’t matter, especially if we open our hearts to one another and learn to treat ourselves as well as our fellow travelers with greater applied compassion—something we are going to need to practice in preparation for the months and years ahead.