A Scorpio Lunar Eclipse facing heavy opposition highlights the first half of May. We also have Mercury turning direct, Pluto retrograde, and — believe it or not — 10 aspect patterns!

This forecast covers this half-month’s most important astrological events. Also check out my award-winning This Week in Astrology audio podcast and YouTube video forecasts!

Click astrology graphics to see larger images. Some resource links may occur more than once. This is because many people link to a specific day’s forecast from social media, and might not see an important resource link elsewhere on this page.

As of May 1 …

• The Moon is waning (there was an Aries Solar Eclipse on 4/20).

• Mercury is retrograde thru 5/14

• A Vesta-Pluto-Lunar Nodes T-Square peaks on 4/20 and continues through 5/8
• A Venus-Ceres-Neptune T-Square peaks on 5/3 and continues through 5/10
• A Jupiter Pluto Lunar Nodes T-Square peaks on 5/24 and continues through 7/2

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5/1 (Mon)

Pluto Retrograde

Pluto turns retrograde at 1:08 pm EDT (0°21′ Aquarius). More than five months will pass before the ruler of death and rebirth turns direct again on 10/10 (27°53′ Capricorn).

All retrogrades aren’t created equal. The closer a planet is to the Sun, the more we tend to feel its retrograde effects. Pluto retrograde doesn’t usually stir as much interest as the retrogrades of Mercury, Venus, and Mars.

Then again, Pluto’s squarely in the spotlight this year because of his initial foray into Aquarius. He entered Aquarius on 3/23, and will bounce between Capricorn and Aquarius for the next year and a half. For more on Pluto’s transition into Aquarius, the most important astrological event of 2023, click here.

With that noted, any Pluto retrograde is a good time to reflect on this planet’s core themes. As it happens, they’re exactly the same as the Scorpio themes I discuss in my 5/5 lunar eclipse forecast. So I’m going to steal some thunder from that interpretation and list them here:

• Personal transformation
• Death and rebirth processes
• Shadow work
• Occult practices
• Intimate energetic connection
• Insurance, taxes and inheritance
• Shared resources of all kinds

Retrogrades and lunar eclipses both invite introspection and inner work. So, both invite you to delve deeply into these areas.

If you need some encouragement, most people find that emotional healing – whether you call it psychological, shamanic, or spiritual – is the fastest road to spiritual awakening!

Planets are most powerful when they change directions. Pluto will powerfully catalyze any sensitive points in your chart at or after 27° cardinal (Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn), or between 0° and 3° fixed (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius).

Among his effects as a transiting planet, Pluto encourages release or transformation in areas that aren’t optimized. He also offers power and wealth where you’ve properly set the stage!

5/3 (Wed)

Three Aspect Patterns Start on the Same Day!

I’ve been writing astrology forecasts for almost 20 years. But I don’t think I’ve ever seen three unique aspect patterns all begin on the same day!

Are you ready? Let’s dive in!

T-Square: Mars-Jupiter-Pluto

Today’s most important aspect pattern is a T-Square with Mars, Jupiter, and Pluto. It starts today (5/3), peaks on 5/20, and ends on 6/6.

However, the heart of this aspect pattern lasts almost twice as long! The square between Jupiter and Pluto came into orb (close enough to be felt) on 4/18, peaks on 5/17, and leaves orb on 6/17.

Let’s start with this Jupiter-Pluto square before we bring in Mars.

Pluto can bring death, transformation, and (eventually) rebirth. Jupiter, our solar system’s biggest gas giant, is all about expansion. So he can take whatever Pluto’s doing and make it gargantuan!

Renn Butler masterfully lays out these Jupiter-Pluto possibilities in his wonderful book, The Archetypal Universe: Astrological Patterns in Human Culture, Thought, Emotion and Dreams. I’m grateful that I can borrow from Renn’s masterwork on planetary combinations, with his permission, to share these archetypal possibilities.

Let’s start with some positive Jupiter-Pluto potentials:

• great resources and potential
• titanic evolutionary forces
• the capacity for enormous success
• empowerment through education
• intensive urges to improve
• the recognition that power either benefits all or none
• an ethic of “right makes might” (as opposed to “might makes right”)
• dramatic opportunities for regeneration and transformation
• beneficial destruction
• heavy experiences with a positive outcome
• the long trip into and through the underworld of the psyche
• triumph through facing death
• intense idealism
• the faith to move mountains
• empowered activism or philanthropy
• the urge to share one’s transformative experiences with the larger culture
• the power of truth

Obviously, this Jupiter-Pluto square has plenty of upside potential! But we’re also wise to stay alert to its darker possibilities:

• extreme material or spiritual ambition
• a tendency to feel high and mighty, which threatens those in authority
• an obsession with glory and greatness
• political drama
• delusions of superiority
• opportunities to abuse power
• runaway power trips
• inclinations to act as a law unto yourself
• the power elite
• plutocracy
• obsessive righteousness, fanaticism and overkill
• misplaced moral urgency
• religious or other dogma
• ideals of betterment and progress as a reason to dominate other people and nature
• stupendous waste of shared resources

So, this Jupiter-Pluto square can be used for good or ill. Earth is a free will zone, so we each get to make our choices.

Back to the T-Square

Now, let’s discuss the Mars-Jupiter-Pluto T-Square.

The first effect of adding Mars is to make the Jupiter-Pluto effects even stronger! Mars encourages you to take assertive action toward any of the Jupiter-Pluto possibilities you choose to focus on.

Jupiter and Pluto also ramp up the natal meanings of Mars. They can supercharge your activities as a warrior, pioneer, entrepreneur or sexual being.

With Mars moving from Cancer to Leo halfway through this T-Square, you can further fine-tune how you work with it.

With Mars in Cancer through 5/20, you can energize the themes of family, home, security, emotions, and shadow work.

With Mars in Leo 5/21 through the rest of the T-Square (and beyond), you can boost your activities as a leader or entertainer to the next level.

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Thanks for staying with me for that T-Square deep dive! Fortunately, it won’t take nearly as long to discuss the two other aspect patterns starting today. We’ll begin with …

Mystic Rectangle: Mars-Ceres-Neptune-Pluto

Two of the planets in this aspect pattern are also in the T-Square we just looked at. But Mars and Pluto have a softer tone in this partnership with Ceres and Neptune.

This three-week Mystic Rectangle starts on 5/3, peaks on 5/15, and ends on 5/25. Mars is in Cancer for most of this aspect pattern, including its peak, so we’ll interpret it accordingly.

This Mystic Rectangle could increase your empathic sensitivity. Mars in Cancer can fire up your emotional sensitivity, while Neptune can dissolve the energetic boundary between you and other beings.

This can open you to the full range of emotional possibilities. But with Pluto and Ceres also present – both associated with emotional trauma and shadow work – don’t be surprised if you feel more of other people’s pain. This could trigger your unprocessed trauma.

Since this is a fundamentally harmonious aspect pattern, you can process this heavy energy more easily and harmoniously.

If you don’t already have a technique that let you do this quickly and easily, I recommend my free Healing Invocation. It delegates the healing work to your higher self, which can do it far more capably than your ego ever could! The Healing Invocation has helped thousands of people, and might help you too.

This Mystic Rectangle can also help you take definitive action to manifest your dreams and visions. Mars represents action, while Cancer revs up the emotional power that can potentize manifestation. Neptune and Pisces, the sign it’s in, represent imagination and visualization. Finally, both Pluto and Ceres represent abundance and wealth. This is an awesome Law of Attraction setup!

Additionally, this Mystic Rectangle can support bold, heartfelt action in the areas of sacred sex, spiritual awakening, and the expression of your inspired creativity.

Kite: Venus-Saturn-Lunar Nodes

The third and final aspect pattern starting today (5/3) is a two-week Kite with Venus, Saturn, and the Lunar Nodes. It peaks on 5/12 and ends on 5/18.

First off, this harmonious aspect pattern can help you manifest any of the core meanings of Venus: relationships, creativity, and money. With Venus in Cancer, let your heart show you where to focus. And, since the North Node is this aspect pattern’s focal point, ask if your activities align with your life purpose.

Additional uses for this aspect pattern include practical relationships and creative productivity.

T-Square Peaks: Venus-Ceres-Neptune

As if three aspect patterns starting in one day wasn’t enough, we have a fourth — but it’s peaking! Since its planets are also in today’s new aspect patterns, you’ll recognize many repeating themes.

What are your money, relationship, and artistic fantasies? A peaking T-Square can help you manifest your inner visions. It includes Venus, Ceres, and Neptune. It started on 4/26, peaks today (5/3), and ends on 5/10.

Venus, at the T-Square’s focal point, potentiates the themes of finance, creativity, and relationships. Venus is also in Gemini, which represents the mental focus you’ll use to make these visions real.

Ceres, the grain goddess, energizes harvest and abundance. She’s in Virgo, which can help you develop a detailed manifestation strategy and implement it systematically.

The third corner of this T-Square is Neptune in Pisces. The planet and sign both represent visualization and imagination. They also represent the divine inspiration that might have kindled your visions in the first place.

This T-Square also holds a more challenging possibility. A challenging relationship interaction might trigger an old trauma. Neptune’s darker potentials might be involved.

One possibility involves gaslighting or deception. This could involve someone lying to you now, or an older prevarication tied to an unhealed trauma.

If this is happening, Ceres represents the old emotional wound, while Venus represents the interaction that triggers it. As previously mentioned, my free Healing Invocation might help you quickly heal any such challenges that arise.

5/5 (Fri)

Scorpio Lunar Eclipse Faces Heavy Opposition

There’s a Lunar Eclipse at 1:34 pm EDT (14°58′ Scorpio). Most of its aspects are directly across the circle from the Moon, inspiring the headline’s reference to “heavy opposition.”

A Lunar Eclipse is a turbocharged Full Moon, whose effects last at least six months. Like any Scorpio Full Moon, this eclipse is great for release or adjustment in the following areas:

• Personal transformation
• Death and rebirth processes
• Shadow work
• Occult practices
• Intimate energetic connection
• Insurance, taxes and inheritance
• Shared resources of all kinds

The Moon is about nine degrees from the South Node. The distance from the luminaries to the Lunar Nodes is one of several factors that determine the strength of an eclipse. Since the nodes can be about 18 degrees away during an eclipse, this distance creates a moderately strong effect.

Astronomy

According to timeanddate.com, this is a penumbral lunar eclipse. This takes place when the Moon moves through the faint, outer part of Earth’s shadow called the penumbra. This is less dramatic than other types of lunar eclipses, and is often mistaken for a regular Full Moon.

This eclipse won’t be visible in the Americas. Regions seeing at least some parts of the eclipse include Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, and Antarctica.

Learn more about the astronomy of this eclipse.

Aspects

As I’ve already mentioned, most of this eclipse’s aspects are oppositions to the Moon. The opposing planets are all in Taurus.

Uranus

Apart from the Sun, the Moon’s tightest opposition is to Uranus. The orb (exactness) of this aspect is about four degrees.

Uranus encourages you to embrace what’s unique and different about yourself, and share it with others as appropriate. Uranus rules intuitive hits – the most reliable guidance there is – so follow this inner wisdom as much as possible. Finally, Uranus would love you to serve others using your unique gifts and talents you most love to use!

The low side of Uranus can express as anxiety, nervousness, or irritability. If you feel such symptoms, redirect this Uranian energy to its higher expressions!

Other Oppositions

The Moon’s opposition to Taurean Mercury encourages you to reconsider any ideas you’ve been stubbornly clinging to, but which don’t serve your highest good. But if a particular form of ideation, learning, or communication is in alignment, stick with it!

The Moon-Vesta opposition asks what release or adjustment would serve highest good regarding any higher causes you’re selflessly supporting.

Other Aspects

This eclipse’s tightest aspect (apart from the exact Sun-Moon opposition), with a two-degree orb, is a 135° Venus sesquare. What changes would improve your relationships, creative expression, or finances?

The Moon is loosely trine Mars, but their connection is stronger than it might seem. This is because these two planets are in “mutual reception.” This simply means that they’re in signs that are ruled by each other. (Mars is in Cancer, which is ruled by the Moon. And the Moon is in Scorpio, which has Mars as its ancient ruler.)

This trine adds flowing, harmonious vitality to your Full Moon goals. It can also energize your ability to feel your emotions more deeply. This can encompass the entire emotional spectrum, from joyful to challenging. (If you’re feeling challenging emotions from an old trauma, my free Healing Invocation could help you clear it once and for all.)

Challenging emotions could also be catalyzed by this Lunar Eclipse’s final aspect: a loose Moon-Chiron quincunx. But, if you make the right adjustment, this aspect could also help you step more fully into your role as a healer or wisdom giver!

5/8 (Mon)

Augmented Kite: Mercury-Venus-Saturn-Lunar Nodes.

As noted above, a Kite started on 5/3 with Venus, Saturn, and the Lunar Nodes. Today Mercury joins the Kite, conjunct the North Node in Taurus. Mercury remains part of the Kite until it ends on 5/18.

This aspect pattern was already about manifesting any of the core meanings of Venus – relationships, creativity, or money – that align with your life purpose. Happily, Mercury adds another important Law of Attraction element: mental focus.

Mercury’s placement in persevering Taurus can help you keep your mind centered on what you’re manifesting. Creative writing and speaking are also supported.

5/9 (Tue)

From T-Square to Grand Cross

I’ve already done an in-depth interpretation of the T-Square with Mars, Jupiter, and Pluto. But today this T-Square teams up with the Lunar Nodes. This expands this aspect pattern into astrology’s most potent aspect pattern: a Grand Cross!

Fortunately, everything I’ve already said about the T-Square also applies to this enhanced aspect pattern. The addition of the Lunar Nodes mainly encourages you to use the T-Square to support your life purpose. With the North Node in Taurus, it’s also a reminder to persevere where that serves your highest good.

As a reminder, the T-Square started on 5/3. This Grand Cross starts today (5/9), and remains merged with the T-Square until both call it a day on 6/6.

5/11 (Thu)

From Mystic Rectangle to Envelope

Can’t these aspect patterns leave well enough alone? Apparently not, since a third aspect pattern grows into something bigger today. The Mystic Rectangle that started on 5/3 blossoms into an Envelope!

The Mystic Rectangle started on 5/3, and includes Mars, Ceres, Neptune, and Pluto. The new kid in town is the Sun, which creates the aspect pattern’s focal point. It joins the other planets to form the Envelope today (5/11). Both aspect patterns end on 5/25.

As noted previously, the key themes of the Mystic Rectangle are empathic and emotional sensitivity, as well as healing emotional trauma. You can take definitive action to manifest your dreams and visions. And you can take bold, heartfelt action in the areas of sacred sex, spiritual awakening, and the expression of your inspired creativity.

So what does the Sun add to the party? If you want to do any of this in a more public way, it can help you step into the spotlight as a leader or entertainer. The Sun is in Taurus through May 20, helping you persevere and open more deeply to your five senses.

The Sun shifts to Gemini on 5/21, in the waning aspect pattern’s final days. This can help you focus your mind more precisely on what you’re manifesting with this Envelope.

5/12 (Fri)

Kite Peaks

The Venus-Saturn-Lunar Nodes Kite that started on 5/3 peaks today (5/12) and ends on 5/18.

5/14 (Sun)

Mercury Direct

Mercury turns direct today at 11:17 pm EDT (5°50′ Taurus). It went retrograde on 4/21 at 15°37′ Taurus.

Once Mercury turns direct, it’s usually a good time to start acting on the things you reflected on while it was retrograde. However, significant new action is best initiated during a waxing Moon. You might enjoy better initiation energy if you can wait five days for the New Moon on 5/19.

As a reminder, here are some things I suggested contemplating in my Mercury retrograde forecast.

This Mercury retrograde took place entirely within Taurus. So, this was a good time to contemplate your finances and possessions. How are money matters? Are there specific things you need for business or personal use, or are you in more of a downsizing phase?

Taurus excels at stubborn persistence. In which parts of your life does this serve your highest good? Are there areas where old patterns really should be revised or released?

Taurus rules the five senses, nature, and “just being.” Are you relishing the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and touch sensations available to you? Are you spending enough time soaking in the peacefulness and balance the natural world can give you? And are you letting yourself “just be” long enough to fully relax and recharge?

Aspects

Mercury aspected six planets as it turned retrograde: the Moon, Uranus, Juno, Mars, Saturn, and Chiron. If you’d like to take action based on any of those planetary themes, click here to learn more about them.

Enhanced Kite Peaks

The Mercury-Venus-Saturn-Lunar Nodes Kite that started on 5/8 peaks today (5/14) and ends on 5/18.

5/15 (Mon)

Mystic Rectangle Peaks

The Mars-Ceres-Neptune-Pluto Mystic Rectangle that started on 5/3 peaks today (5/15) and ends on 5/25.

Your Good-Vibes Consciousness Boost

Whatever your Sun Sign, my forecasts can help you make the best use of the current astrological energies.

All dates and times are in the U.S. eastern time zone. Events are most powerful on the dates listed, but their influence will be active for at least a week before and after.

Everyone is affected by these global transits. However, you’ll be most powerfully impacted when moving planets activate sensitive points in your natal chart. Discover how these transits will personally affect you by booking a session with me.

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