It’s time to work the garden of our life. We’ve got some real decisions to make and real work to do to back those decisions as thoughtful Mercury and energized Sun, both in Taurus, oppose serious, structure-building Saturn. Life can feel hard, or like hard work, but if we bring our mature side forward (and add our own compassion and since of humor) this hard work can be powerfully productive.
Our work is cut out for us. Whether we’re rebuilding from last week’s tornadoes or building anew after more ephemeral crosswinds (from this spring’s ongoing and unsettling grand square) have rearranged some aspect of our lives, these Saturn transits can help us put one block on another, although our efforts may take longer than we’d planned. We may have to work within limits but we are not limited by this call to work.
But this week is not all hard work, a flirtatious spring fever can sets off sparks as Venus enters brave, ardent Mars-ruled Aries this weekend while Mars dances in Venus-ruled Libra. Venus and Mars will now be in mutual reception, each one in the sign the other one rules, an interesting and emotionally-stirring synergy that once us to put our heart and actions together.
Venus in Aries isn’t interested in feeling vulnerable; it speeds up our reaction time and encourages us to love what we love and to release what we don’t. It adds an active emotional torque to any place we love and hate. It adds fire to territorial conflicts like we see in the Ukraine, and brings a more reactive response to the stock market and other emotionally dependent indicators. Venus in Aries is the enemy of the fierce feminine and will catalyze fire around all women’s issues. May this help the several hundred girls kidnapped in Nigeria.
The volume turns up on our own raw experience, our emotional highs and low, but we can tap into that Aries bravery and take some personal and creative risk. The trick will be to balance our need for passionate self-expression stimulated by Venus in Aries, with our need for liberty, equality, and connection stirred up by Mars in relationship-prone Libra.
Nothing is simple or straightforward this year, everything is layered with conflicting interactions and ongoing historical shifts as Mars challenges Jupiter, Pluto, and Uranus throughout the season, but it helps to know what we love so we can find a healthy balance between our needs and the needs of others.
After a verbal Friday, the Moon enters domestic introverted and self-protective Cancer for a more cozy weekend then we’d planned. This Moon also tap dances on Mars’ ongoing grand square, so we need to keep an eye on long-range goals even as we have a personal life. On Monday the Moon enters stubborn, expressive Leo and while this can be great for romance it can be tough on politics as it adds extra egos spin and stubbornness.
We may be easily distractible as Mercury enters its own nervy, communicative sign of Gemini on Wednesday, but this fresh wave of mental activity can help us finish term papers or work on summer plans.
Friday, May 2: We may need to have a good talk and process our worries and concerns under a nervy Gemini Moon and as Venus works through the last degree of Pisces. Our minds are ready to tackle something serious, but can get stuck in a narrow, focused pattern or feel our style is cramped by limitations unless we keep our eye on the farther goal. Practice good judgment, but watch a judgmental edge as Mercury opposes Saturn. Here the whisper of depression, but don’t buy into it. Get substantial work done instead. Our feistiness picks up as Venus enters proactive Aries this evening; we say what we feel, but need to remember tact.
Saturday, May 3: This is a moody, comfort loving, cozy seeking day, but with a restless edge and potentially defensive action as the Cancer Moon squares Venus in Aries. So be a little tactful. We need people and we may not be too graceful about it. Mid-day our attention wanders and flexes as the Moon trines Neptune. Her mood improves if we get a chance to helps to hear our creative muse and act on it; imagine something, make it happen and don’t try to explain it until we’re done. This nonverbal creativity can help us process deeper feeling as the Sun trines Pluto tonight. If we hit a late-night cranky spell as the Moon squares Mars, let’s say less and sleep more.
Sunday, May 4: Overnight dreams work out our psyche but leave us with weird feelings; we dreamed more of the past than the future as the Moon opposed Pluto (while the Sun trine Pluto). So these churned images may leave us feeling haunted or moved, even if we don’t remember the dreams; they are not reflective of our future but can inspire us to respond in a good way. Mid-day, we ground more but may have to tend to strange and unexpected pragmatic problems. Or sort what to hold on to and what to let go as the Moon conjunct Jupiter and squares Uranus. Stress brings out our eccentricities, even with the wave of self-consciousness. Optimism increases with mutual collaboration and buoys our mood later on.
Monday, May 5: Although the morning may feel slow, sleepy or guarded, follow up an important lead from the past that can contribute to the future. Just don’t ask people to represent themselves or reach out until the Moon enters Leo this afternoon. People can get their back up later on if they feel ignored or underappreciated, stress can make us act out for attention, but we subside easily once we feel seen. Be emotionally generous tonight as the Moon trines Venus, and reap the rewards in return.
Tuesday, May 6: Enjoy today’s more enthusiastic mood, but watch a tendency to overshoot the mark or overstate the case as the Sun sextiles Jupiter. A breath of confidence or comradeship opens our options, but let’s not overstep our territory. Generosity is appreciated, invasiveness is resented. We may need to see our work from a different perspective, a change of venue and input from objective observers furthers late afternoon as the Leo Moon trines Uranus. Debate may be fun but keep it recreational, because it won’t resolve easily in any case tonight as the Moon and Sun square off in stubborn fixed signs.
Wednesday, May 7: Patience and humor further early this morning; frustration, aches, or age slow us down while the Moon squares Saturn. Yes, be the grown-up, but keep the heart warm also. But our joints limber up and words flow like a babbling brook by midday as Mercury enters nervy Gemini. A decision that seemed clear before may now produce a surfeit of options and confuse us, but it’s important to consider all sides. Make social calls today, because work keeps our nose to the grindstone for the next couple of days.
Thursday, May 8: With nervy critique cranked up, we edit other people’s work all too well. We can be harshly critical of our own voice also, but it’s important to not let that stop us. Keep intentions clear, and correct only enough to aid progress, because we all need encouragement under the nervy Virgo Moon. Small health issues need attention; the less time we have, the more we need to eat well. Take care of tools, body, connections. We may need to speak up clearly and succinctly if we really see a problem, just be ready for a defensive response. A moment of sleepiness, confusion or daydream at tea time can slow down our momentum, but allow us to get out of our heads and perceive with our hearts.
Starcodes 