The Astrology of May is Verdant and Fulfilling
Move over, you malefic planets; the benefics are taking the reins for May, and they want to help us embody our ideal selves.
What is happening?!
Too much is happening, honestly, and we could give ourselves massive depression and anxiety trying to keep up with every aspect of insanity here in the Anthropocene age, so let’s not. Instead, we’ll focus on the big, fun astrological scuffles and their influence here on Terra.
We are closing out an intense April, one which contained a total solar eclipse in Aries, a rare Taurus conjunction involving our planet of expansion and our planet of upheaval, a very stern Mercury retrograde, and a downright unsettling full moon in Scorpio. We’re now smack dab in the middle of Taurus season, where in the PNW of the United States, hellebore, rosemary, cherry trees, and phlox are bravely opening their buds only to have raindrops the size of saucers plopped on their heads. The community airwaves are alight with the horror of famine, a smug parody of justice, and some strained, hopeful notes of civil disobedience.
Worldwide, 2024 Beltane is a cautious mix of optimism and depression, oppression and liberation, warmth and icy sleet. Here in Seattle, the buttery sun peaks through 68 degree clouds for an hour or so only to be followed up with a grey hush of chilly rain for a solid 12 hours, soaking the insufficiently covered feet of our citizenry.* Nothing is sacred and nothing is normal, but when you have cherry blossoms in which to frolic, the idea of continuing on this farce of a globe doesn’t seem so bad.
*The unspoken rule out here should be that if the weatherman tells you how to dress for the day, wear something completely oppositional - it’s almost like they’re daring Mother Nature to prove them wrong by making predictions at all, the bastards, so why do we keep paying them?! Defund weathermen, too, goddammit.
Before we look at the week and month ahead for signs of irritating bullshit, let’s review April’s astrology and the collective response here on Earth.
Solar Eclipse in Aries on 4.8.24 - This Mars-ruled eclipse descended upon us to signal massive transformation, forming a sextile with lucky duck Jupiter as he moved toward Uranus. Recent eclipse seasons are occurring on the Aries/Libra axis until 2025, which means they’ve been highlighting the tension between individualism and collectivism, as well as conflict and consensus. Other astrologers have pointed out the weird overlap between the path of totality and the location of many colleges where anti-war protests first sprouted since April 8th, and it is a bit uncanny. Is this what it feels like to see Jesus in the face of a tortilla when it’s really just cooked flour? No one knows for certain, but I continue to investigate.
Another powerful player in this eclipse cycle was Chiron, that bummer of an asteroid who exemplifies old, unhealed wounds of both the psychic and physical nature. Chiron conjoined the sun in Aries exactly as the Aries moon passed in front of everything and cast a now contentious swath of the United States in surreal shadow, and suddenly, everything old is new again in a painful, tragic way.
Chiron was forming a sextile with Venus fifty-four years ago on May 4th, 1970, when the National Guard decided that opening fire on American students who were peacefully protesting a long war was a perfectly chill idea. As I write this, snipers are stationed on top of college buildings in multiple states, despite the recommendation from President Nixon’s 1970 Scranton Commission that, “The Kent State tragedy must mark the last time that, as a matter of course, loaded rifles are issued to guardsmen confronting student demonstrators.” Clearly, the tension between state power and the rights of our citizens is a karmic wound at which Chiron has been scratching, leaving us to wonder at the shape of the impending, uniquely American scab. Is this rift something that we can heal in 2024, or is this the hill that the god-stars want us to push rocks up for eternity? Must we do this every century?
Jupiter + Uranus conjunction in Taurus on 4.20.24 - This rare, Venus-ruled aspect last occurred in 1941, and it combines the expansion, abundance, and ‘go-getter’ spirit of Zeus with the Uranian love of upheaval, renewal, and revolution. Outdated systems may be broken or drastically remade beneath the celestial glow of this particular aspect, and Jupiters involvement puts luck squarely on the side of change instigators. Well, would you look at that! In addition to college student protests and community protests gaining traction, we also saw the U.A.W. successfully unionize a Volkswagen plant below the Mason-Dixon Line, which delineates a part of America notoriously hostile to labor rights. Remember that Venus rules art, femmes, and money, making this conjunction a very effective umbrella under which major financial paradigm shifts are eminently possible.
Intense Scorpio Full Moon on 4.23.24 - Any eclipse issues we managed to escape at the beginning of the month probably crept up behind us again, like little serial killers, during the three days of our moon in Scorpio. This zodiac sign likes to dig at issues and pull them apart until they are completely exposed, then push our face in them as though we are naughty pets in need of discipline. “Do you get it NOW?", Scorpio seemed to ask, eyes like lasers and hands curled into clawed fists. Unsurprisingly, much of the social unrest we’re witnessing across the globe intensified with this Mars-ruled moon, and because Mars is a combative asshole, we’ll likely stay in the thick of conflict until the new moon in Taurus.
Mercury slowed to a standstill and prepared to go direct 4.24.24 - There is an irritating shadow period after planetary retrogrades, because even a loquacious speed demon like Mercury takes a second to get situated and gain speed in the proper direction. We won’t be completely free of snafus and glitches until mid-May, but this retrograde seemed more focussed on re-litigating past communication than crossing streams in the present. One of the things I noticed about media and communication this past month was the focus on social posts from the past that have relevance for the future, especially when they were generated by public officials, military commanders, and other authority figures.
There is real scrutiny being directed at state power in 2024, and much of the evidence we’re uncovering is direct testimony from the authorities themselves. There has also been a sneaky, revisionist approach to words and their definitions by institutional power this past month, as evidenced by the public conflict over the true meaning of terms like ‘genocide’, ‘Zionism’, ‘feminism’, and ‘embryo’, and whether or not they apply to the present in exactly the way humanity has applied them to the past. The lesson here is to keep an eye on Mercury - mythologically, Hermes relayed messages for all of Olympia, but their closest relationship was arguably with Hades, and Pluto is crafting some hard lessons for Earth over the next twenty years.
Why would this affect me?
Looking back at April with a longer lens, I’m struck by the tug of war between Mars and Venus, those cliched personal planets that self-help gurus like to use as genital avatars. Women and men are not concretely aligned with one planet or another, obviously, but the archetypes that humans often categorize as ‘feminine’ or ‘masculine’ still have important things to teach us about our time on this planet (for fluid and non-binary folks, no worries, Mercury has got you.)
Mars was the ruler for the solar eclipse on April 8th and the full moon on the 23rd, lending a combative, maybe even aggressive quality to the transitions we were all experiencing. There was a feeling in the air that we had to change something, we had to change it fast, and it felt very consequence driven. Conversely, Venus was the ruler for our Jupiter/Uranus conjunction, which will release its influence far more slowly, like a flower bud unfurling new petals. Venus is more concerned with natural, leisurely pleasure, and Mars cares more about achieving goals by any means necessary, violence included. Complicating things further, both planets were in debilitating signs during all this April hullaballoo, causing stickiness and uncertainty throughout the entire month. Venus is not comfortable in Aries, her home for most of April, because it’s Mars’ personal chariot and it probably smells like the locker room below The Coliseum. The Jupiter/Uranus conjunction was powerful for new artistic and financial endeavors, but it wasn’t even expressing its fullest power because our goddess was uncomfortable and trying not to touch anything (who KNOWS when the last time Mars cleaned was?) In a moment of true and hilarious celestial equality, Mars was also debilitated in April because he was stuck in Pisces, the domicile of generous, rule-loving Jupiter, with whom Mars has some justifiable daddy issues. Mostly, Mars felt constricted last month - he wasn’t able to move fast or break things because he was in his buzzkill father’s house.
This explains the friction many of us observed between the Aries eclipse and the Taurus conjunction; we could feel the need for massive transformation, but the path forward seemed muddy and uncertain. Collectively, many important developments occurred haltingly, only to be retracted, then doubled-down upon and enacted with gusto. Israel was immediately invading Rafah, then it wasn’t, but now it will. Arizona banned all abortions, then the government agreed it should be repealed…until they didn’t. Do workers strike, or don’t we? Are we in a recession or not? Are women people with full citizenship and bodily autonomy, or nah? Do Americans believe in free speech, or do they only believe in the right kind of speech?
These contentious questions have multiple answers, and global citizens can’t seem to reach consensus with the government, ruling class, or each other. So where does that leave us for May? In a weird fucking place.
Before succumbing to despair, let’s look at the new influences beaming down from the heavens, because they are far more beneficial and will enact change with greater ease than the aspects of April.
This week, Venus will ingress into Taurus and Mars will ingress into Aries, meaning both planets will be in their chariots; they know exactly where the drinks are kept, where the softest spot on the couch hides, and what the Netflix login is, which means both of these planets will be turned up for May. Are we not our wackiest, most free, most unencumbered selves in when we’re in our own house, doing the dishes and singing?
This confidence could result in an entrenchment of sorts - Venusian issues like art, beauty, peace and prosperity will take priority for some of us, while martial issues like conflict, desire, ego, and forcefulness will be the focus for others, resulting in continuing friction that has no end in sight. War v.s. peace, form v.s. function, and empathy v.s. enmity have been key topics of conversation since January, but there are a couple astrological events in May that give a little bit of hope to the idea of some sort of unification occurring, if only briefly.
When do I have to deal with this?
May is still 31 days long thanks to our adoration of the Roman senate, and many of those days will be packed with celestial shenanigans, but for now let’s focus on the most consequential aspects.
5.7.24 - A new moon perfects in Taurus that is packed to the absolute brim with generous, beneficial aspects, thanks to harmony between Venus and Jupiter. Too often the lunar cycles of 2024 have prompted astrologers to warn against observing the moons with any intent in mind, especially during eclipse season, otherwise chaos and madness will ensue, apparently (as a chaos practitioner, I have definitely done intention work during eclipses, and I have yet to be swallowed by a leviathan or whatever the hell they say will happen, but as always, do you.)
This moon, though…whoo, boy, we all need to manifest the shit out of this new moon in Taurus. This moon will conjunct BOTH benefic planets at once, which is like getting the mushroom in Super Mario Land; everything is bigger, better, prettier, and easier. Whatever your heart desires in the Taurean realm of things, e.g. housing, food, finances, love, and creation, could be positioned within your reach in the weeks following May 7th, so plot out your approach now. Spend this week vision questing, mood boarding, or drawing diagrams - whatever helps give your conscious mind a break while imprinting your subconscious with a path to success.
5.13.24 - On this day, our sun makes a conjunction with Uranus in Taurus, which bodes well for unusual financial endeavors as well as financial upheaval and revision.
5.15.24 - Mercury will ingress into Taurus on this day, the upside of which is that everyone might calm the fuck down when communicating in the public square, given the lugubrious nature of Taurus energy over Aries energy. The downside is that people might spend an entire month speaking only of food; what they ate, where they ate it, and whether or not they liked it. Don’t worry, Taurus will also provide pictures of this food, because it’s all they goddamn care about.
5.18.24 - Now the sun will conjunct Jupiter in Taurus, and opportunities will abound for expansion, prosperity, luck and joy. See? I told you this month would be better.
5.20.24 thru 5.30.24 - On 5.20, our sun enters Gemini and the world will get a whole lot chattier. On 5.22, our sun squares to Pluto in Aquarius and there could be strange, revolutionary ideas in chat rooms and on the news. By 5.23, Venus follows suit and enters Gemini, whereupon Jupiter, never a dude to miss a party, will join everyone in Gemini on 5.25. Finally, on 5.30, Mercury and Uranus form a conjunction in Taurus and all those revolutionary whispers might find footing in the real world.
Cool, what does the Tarot say about this?
More interesting parallels have shown up in the decks this week, starting with a sour faced Queen of Wands reversed on 4.29. This fiery court card typically indicates dogma, ego, and an inconsistent temper, qualities typical of a fire sign like Aries, Leo, or Sagittarius when they hew too closely to the dark side. News also broke on this day that Kristi Noem, the ghoulish Republican governor of South Dakota and possible V.P. candidate, ecstatically shot her 14 month old puppy dead when he misbehaved some years ago, sending pundits, media gadflies, and many American voters into a tizzy for the bulk of the day. The kicker? This rational, not remotely hot-headed harpy was born on 11.30.71…Sagittarius.
On Tuesday, 4.30, Cadejo from the Adorabyssal Oracle pops up to show us the pitfalls of black and white thinking, and on Wednesday, 5.1, the Agent of Wires unleashes all the pent up frustration and caged energy from April, turning it into action.
The Hierophant makes an obligatory, Taurus season stop on Thursday, 5.2, to remind us all that institutions can benefit society as long as progress points them in the right direction, but it may also indicate resistance to change.
Friday, 5.3 is the day of the friends, frenemies, and partnerships, going by both date and card pull. The 2 of Swords most strongly indicates an impasse, or temporary quieting of combat that gives everyone time to think about their choices.
Matters of the practical and financial variety take over this weekend, it would seem, with the 6 of Pentacles casting Saturday, 5.4 in a generous, charitable light that makes us feel like part of the community. Maybe everyone is hanging out at the neighbor’s garage sale? And if they aren’t, perhaps they should be - fortune seems to reverse on Sunday, 5.5, when the 9 of Pentacles reversed encourages financial caution. Don’t overspend or exaggerate identity markers like net worth, because a) that’s douche behavior, and b) our balance sheets might not be telling the whole story, and wealth, like democracy, has always been precarious.
Visit @alectochaos on IG for the full, wordy breakdown and video of each card pull. If you are into that sort of thing.