Headlines
An uncharacteristically jovial Scorpio Full Moon is one of the highlights of the May-June 2015 forecast. Venus reinvigorates the Uranus-Pluto square, Saturn retreats back into Scorpio, and Mercury turns retrograde.
Saturn and Uranus set competing agendas, Mars and Pluto make a potentially volatile aspect, and a Mars-Saturn opposition offers still more challenge.
A Jupiter-Pluto quincunx offers wealth expansion, a Grand Trine offers easy expansion of feminine assertiveness, and a Jupiter-Uranus trine beckons us to the road less traveled. We also have Taurus and Gemini New Moons, a Sagittarius Full Moon, and the Summer Solstice as the Sun enters Cancer.
- 5/3. Scorpio Full Moon
- 5/4. Saturn-Uranus sesquiquadrate
- 5/4. Mars-Pluto sesquiquadrate
- 5/15. Mars-Saturn opposition
- 5/18. Taurus New Moon
- 5/18. Mercury retrograde
- 5/21. Sun enters Gemini
- 5/21. Jupiter-Pluto quincunx
- 5/24. T-square peaks: Venus-Uranus-Pluto
- 6/2. Sagittarius Full Moon
- 6/11. Mercury direct
- 6/14. Saturn enters Scorpio
- 6/16. Gemini New Moon
- 6/19. Grand Trine peaks: Jupiter-Pallas Athena-Uranus
- 6/21. Summer Solstice / Sun enters Cancer
- 6/22. Jupiter-Uranus trine
The Story So Far
As May opens, we have three retrograde planets: Saturn thru 8/2, Pallas Athena thru 8/3, and Pluto thru 9/25. And the pervasive energies of revolutionary transformation (a Uranus-Pluto square), as well as universal love, compassion and spiritual awakening (Neptune in Pisces), remain powerful for years to come!
Concise Overview
This section contains forecasts for the most important astrological events in May and June. Be sure to also check out the forecasts in my semimonthly email newsletter, which include graphics and cover many additional events!
Scorpio Full Moon
A Full Moon (13°22′ Scorpio) illuminates the sky on 5/3 at 11:42 PM US Eastern time. Scorpio Full Moons are ideal for adjustment or release in areas such as intimate relationships, occult practices and psychology. Additional themes include research, investigation, sacred sexuality and all types of transformational practices.
Aspects
A very tight square from Jupiter strongly amplifies the power of this Full Moon, and also adds hope, joy and humor into the mix. A tight square from Juno expands the effects of this lunation to all committed partnerships.
A trine from Pluto to the Moon doubles down on all the effects described in the first paragraph of this interpretation, since Scorpio and Pluto carry the same archetypal meaning. And a loose sextile from Neptune adds a welcome measure of divine grace. This sextile also amplifies a constant flow of intuitive guidance to assist you in making the best of this New Moon’s energies.
Sabian Symbol
At first glance, this Full Moon’s Sabian Symbol – “Holly and mistletoe bring Christmas spirit to a home” — seems out of place in a May forecast. But a little Scorpionic detective work reveals its relevance.
As already noted, intimate relationships and committed partnership are significant themes in this lunation. This is also true for mistletoe, a parasitic plant that draws on the energy of its host tree for survival.
But mistletoe also gives back generously. According to Wikipedia, “Mistletoe was often considered a pest that kills trees and devalues natural habitats, but was recently recognized as an ecological keystone species, an organism that has a disproportionately pervasive influence over its community…areas with greater mistletoe densities support higher diversities of animals. Thus, rather than being a pest, mistletoe can have a positive effect on biodiversity, providing high quality food and habitat for a broad range of animals in forests and woodlands worldwide.”
The wide variety of holly species also give as good as they get. To quote Wikipedia again, “They are extremely important food for numerous species of birds, and also are eaten by other wild animals…During winter storms, birds often take refuge in hollies, which provide shelter, protection from predators (by the spiny leaves), and food.”
So this Sabian Symbol highlights a point that the natural world never forgets, but that we humans must be reminded of: we are interdependent with the world around us. To live in harmony with our planet (including our fellow humans), we must only take as much as we truly need, and give back generously to that which supports us. We must never forget that we humans are in committed partnership with planet Earth. Because of our inescapable interconnectedness, how we treat her is ultimately how we treat ourselves.
The true Christmas spirit is about peace on earth and generosity to our fellow beings. These are ideas that we would do well to live by every day of the year!
Saturn and Uranus are not natural bedfellows. Respectively, they represent conservatism and radicalism, tradition and rebellion, structure and chaos, playing by the rules and following your intuitive flashes.
On 5/4, As Saturn and Uranus connect with a sesquiquadrate, a 135° minor hard aspect (2°59′ Sagittarius-17°59′ Aries), observe how these contrasting impulses are arising within you. Can you harmonize them by letting your Uranian intuitive flashes set the agenda, then using Saturn’s love of structure to map out the implementation of your inspirations? Can you use Saturnian focus and discipline to structure a life that supports your optimal individuation, and your service to the collective with your special gifts?
There’s no denying the volatility of a 135° sesquiquadrate between Mars and Pluto (0°23′ Gemini-15°23′ Capricorn) on 5/12. Mars-Pluto aspects have been linked to violence, impulsive behavior and out of control sexuality.
But when well-managed, these fiery planets can fuel powerful leadership, ecstatic sacred sexuality, striving for a worthy cause and enhanced athletic performance. With Mars in Gemini, you can learn more quickly and communicate with greater passion and persuasive power. This Mars-Pluto sesquiquadrate will want to express in your life somehow, so take it to the high side!
Focusing on mentoring and healing as part of your service to a higher cause is supported by a Chiron-Vesta conjunction (20°47′ Pisces) on 5/13.
Create a clear plan for what you want to accomplish, then start working your way through the steps. This will help transform a Mars-Saturn opposition (2°13′ Gemini-Sagittarius) on 5/15 from a frustrating roadblock to a brisk wind in your sails!
How are your committed partnerships going? Whether they’re romantic, platonic or business relationships, a Jupiter-Juno conjunction (14°46′ Leo) on 5/16 can bring both strengths and challenges into the spotlight. If significant issues are present, decide whether healing or release of the relationship is the best strategy.
Taurus New Moon
May’s New Moon occurs on 5/18 at 12:13 AM US Eastern time (26°55′ Taurus). This supports new energies directed toward resource accumulation, improvement of self-esteem and enjoyment of the five senses. Taurus energy is also good for working at a steady, relaxed pace and letting yourself “just be.”
Aspects
The Sun and Moon are loosely conjunct Mars, which embodies the same initiatory energy as any New Moon. Mars can also add an energy of warriorship, exploration and sexuality.
Saturn’s opposition to the luminaries might indicate obstacles to be overcome in the achievement of your New Moon goals. If challenges arise, a Saturnian approach can be helpful. Amp up your discipline, maturity, responsibility and time management skills!
This lunation’s tightest aspect is a quincunx to Pallas Athena. Make the required adjustments to step more fully into feminine assertiveness, strategic planning and/or practical creativity.
Sabian Symbol
This New Moon’s Sabian Symbol is, “An old Indian woman selling beads and trinkets.” It’s easy for this image to bring up a sense of poverty and scraping by, of someone who has lost connection with the dignity of her native culture.
Taurus rules resources gained through your own efforts. Do the circumstances of this Indian woman resonate in your own life? Are you working at something unconnected to your passion just to get by?
At some point, a life spent “selling beads and trinkets” can become profoundly unsatisfying. Are you already experiencing those gnawing seeds of dissatisfaction? Is it time to start working toward making your life purpose and your livelihood the same thing?
At the spiritual level, most of us have lost connection with our “native culture”: the awareness of the absolute peace that we are at the core. Some time spent with the Taurean idea of “just being” can help remedy this. (You may also find these free Heal and Awaken Invocations helpful.)
Mercury Retrograde
Mercury turns retrograde on 5/18 at 9:49 PM US Eastern time (13°8′ Gemini). It will turn direct again on 6/11 at 6:33 PM (4°33′ Gemini).
Mercury retrograde seems to have a bad reputation, but there’s nothing inherently negative about it. When a planet appears to move backwards in the sky, it can simply indicate a time for deeper reflection around its archetypal themes.
Mercury rules learning and communication. So Mercury retrograde can be a great time to spend less energy transmitting information, and more time learning, absorbing and reflecting. Perhaps it’s Western society’s imbalanced emphasis on activity and doing that gives Mercury retrograde a bad rap.
General principles to follow during any Mercury retrograde include not signing major contracts or making large purchases. Doing so increases the likelihood that corrections or repairs may be required, since Mercury has an ancient association with commerce.
Mercury also rules local travel. With routine air travel, “local” now covers a whole lot more distance than it did in the ancient world! So it’s good to double-check travel arrangements.
Mercury retrograde also supports certain activities. These include completing projects already started and making repairs.
This Mercury retrograde occurs entirely within Gemini, so reflect on how you learn and communicate.
The Sun enters Gemini on 5/21 at 4:44 AM US Eastern time. The energies of learning, communication, variety and playfulness are boosted for the next month.
Jupiter-Pluto Quincunx
The expansion of wealth is one possible outcome of a Jupiter-Pluto quincunx (15°15′ Leo-Capricorn) on 5/21. But the quincunx, a 150° aspect, indicates that an adjustment is required.
For many people, this adjustment is needed first and foremost in their own minds. The universe seems quite solid, but is really an ingenious hologram created in real time by our collective thoughts. Your particular thoughts most powerfully shape the part of the world you personally interact with.
This Jupiter-Pluto quincunx empowers the use of the Law of Attraction to call in wealth. In financial manifestations, remember to specify the exact amount (net after taxes!) and the date by which it has arrived. Don’t just visualize the amount of your bank account balance – see the lifestyle that you’ll be living once you have this much money.
Remember also that wealth empowers philanthropy. If calling for wealth makes you feel greedy or selfish, remember that you can earmark as much of your bounty as you wish for the benefit of others.
Other archetypal possibilities of this Jupiter-Pluto quincunx include: getting deeper insight into the meaning of life, juicing up your performances, and behaving more confidently in positions of leadership.
T-square: Venus-Uranus-Pluto
What revolutionary changes would you like to see in your relationships, finances or creativity? Be sure to visualize them during the Venus-Uranus-Pluto T-square that begins 5/18, peaks 5/24 and ends 5/29.
With Venus in Cancer, this aspect pattern can specifically support positive changes in family relationships and family finances. Remember as always that you have more control over the outcome of any astrological alignment when you work with it consciously!
Positive paradigm shifts in committed partnerships of all kinds are empowered with Uranus trine Juno (19°17′ Aries-Leo) on 5/31.
Sagittarius Full Moon
A Full Moon shines forth on 6/2 at 12:19 PM US Eastern time (11°49′ Sagittarius). How “full-filled” are you in the areas of adventurousness, philosophy and religion? What releases or adjustments would be helpful in these areas, as well as in the areas of foreign travel and integrating concepts from foreign cultures?
Aspects
There’s something unusual about this Full Moon’s aspects: they form two distinct aspect patterns. Rather than taking the aspects one at a time, we’ll consider them in the context of these larger configurations.
T-square: Moon-Sun-Mercury-Mars-Neptune
With Neptune squaring four personal planets — the Moon, the Sun, Mercury and Mars – be careful not to get caught up in Neptune’s more challenging possibilities. Substance abuse tops the list, with excessive escapism right behind it. Escapist examples include overindulging in TV, food, sex, games or anything else to the point where it interferes with your responsibilities. These Neptune squares can also encourage playing the victim in relationships, or drifting aimlessly in a Sargasso Sea of ennui.
These negative possibilities can be avoided by focusing on Neptune’s high side expressions. These include cultivating a deeper connection with your own divine consciousness and expressing your creative inspirations into the world.
These Neptune squares can also significantly increase your energetic sensitivity to the people and environments around you. Don’t be surprised if you feel other people’s emotions more vividly, or have a general sense of merging with everything around you. Neptune tends to dissolve boundaries, helping us experience the unity that underlies the illusion of separation in the physical world. One way to think about the physical universe is that it’s just God entertaining itself by pretending to be separate people and things!
This T-square also features a Sun-Mercury-Mars triple conjunction in Gemini. This energizes projects that involve learning, writing or communication.
Mystic Rectangle: Moon-Sun-Mars-Ceres-Jupiter
This flowing aspect pattern is comprised of two trines, two sextiles and two oppositions. It can support abundance, learning, communication, stepping into the spotlight and celebration!
Sabian Symbol
This Full Moon’s Sabian Symbol is quite the shape-shifter: “A flag turns into an eagle; the eagle into a chanticleer saluting the dawn.” This picks up on the Neptunian idea just discussed: that the oneness at the root of all things can adopt whatever form it desires. There’s also a strong tone of optimism in this symbol, from the eagle (a proud symbol of the USA) to the chanticleer (a rooster) heralding a new day full of fresh possibilities.
Taking enthusiastic action toward positive transformation can lead to new hope under a Mars-Jupiter-Pluto Yod. This aspect pattern begins on 5/29, peaks on 6/3 and ends on 6/6.
The Mercury retrograde that started on 5/18 ends on 6/11 at 6:33 PM (4°33′ Gemini). But even with Mercury direct, the timing is not yet optimal to begin major new projects. New ventures fare better when initiated under a waxing moon, so wait at least until the New Moon on 6/16 if you can.
There are many women who have not yet stepped fully into their feminine assertiveness. This issue may get triggered under the Mars-Pallas Athena-Chiron T-square that begins on 6/2, peaks on 6/11 and ends on 6/19. This can be a great time to step more fully into the power of the asteroid goddess who can kick butt and take names!
Saturn retrogrades from Sagittarius back into Scorpio on 6/14, where it will remain until returning into Sagittarius on 9/17. Saturn’s three-month encore visit into the Sign of the Phoenix rekindles the theme it started working in the fall of 2012: the transformation or destruction of structures that have outlived their usefulness, and the arising of new structures whose time has come.
Gemini New Moon
There’s a New Moon on 6/16 at 10:06 AM US Eastern time (25°7′ Gemini). New beginnings in learning, communication, variety and playfulness are supported.
Aspects
This New Moon’s strongest aspect is a very tight conjunction to Mars. This amplifies the New Moon’s inherent initiatory energy, and also puts the energies of the warrior, pioneer, sexual being and leader on offer.
With Chiron square the luminaries, an experience of wounding is possible on some level. The square can also support you in stepping more fully into your power as a healer or mentor.
Two very different asteroid goddesses also aspect this New Moon: Pallas Athena opposes the luminaries, while Juno sextiles them. Pallas is assertive and does as she will, while Juno’s first impulse can be to stand by her partner.
Whether you’re male or female, the energy of this New Moon can help you examine where you stand on this spectrum. Would any adjustments in your behavior be appropriate?
Sabian Symbol
This New Moon’s Sabian Symbol is, “Winter frost in the woods.” At first blush, this symbol seems completely inappropriate as we transition from spring into summer. But it’s a good reminder that you can experience different cycles of change at the same time.
Nature is largely dormant during the winter, holding its energy in reserve so that it can burst forth with new growth the following spring. Even now, during the last week of spring, is a part of you in its dormant phase? Is there a part of your life where the best strategy is to wait, biding your time until the optimal moment for action arrives?
Grand Trine: Jupiter-Pallas Athena-Uranus
An easy expansion of feminine assertiveness is indicated by a Jupiter-Pallas Athena-Uranus Grand Trine. The presence of Uranus asks you to embody your authentic, one-of-a-kind human identity as you step into your feminine power. This Grand Trine begins on 5/30, peaks on 6/19 and ends on 7/5.
The Summer Solstice arrives as the Sun enters Cancer on 6/21 at 12:38 PM US Eastern time. The longest day of the year (in the northern hemisphere) ushers in the energies of family, nurturing, security and home.
A Jupiter-Uranus trine (20°2′ Leo-Aries) is great for taking unconventional approaches to philosophy and religion, or for taking the road less traveled when visiting foreign countries. Intuitive flashes can pop in more frequently, and the desire to act in the world as your authentic self can be strongly amplified. It can even bring unexpected luck!
This trine is exact on 6/22, but is in effect for nearly seven months! It started on 1/12, peaks on 6/22 and ends on 8/4.
Challenges in committed partnerships can arise with Saturn square Juno (29°11′ Scorpio-Leo) on 6/28. Consider Saturn as an “adversarial ally.” He has come to show you the structural adjustments that will help your partnership stand on more solid ground. (Assuming, of course, that it serves the highest good of all for your connection to continue.)
There could be an increase in wounding events with Jupiter quincunx Chiron (21°32′ Leo-Pisces) on 6/30. If so, be proactive in using appropriate healing modalities. With focus, this quincunx can also help amplify your skills as a mentor and healer.
Void-of-Course Moons
It’s best to avoid starting important new projects or making major purchases during these times. “Business as usual” is the best strategy for these periods, which occur when the Moon has made its last major Ptolemaic aspect but has not yet moved into the next sign.
- 5/2, 10:03:16 am – 9:47:07 pm (Scorpio)
- 5/4, 9:49:17 pm – 5/5, 7:12:36 am (Sagittarius)
- 5/7, 1:51:21 pm – 2:16:16 pm (Capricorn)
- 5/9, 4:35:04 pm – 7:21:57 pm (Aquarius)
- 5/11, 6:36:05 am – 10:53:13 pm (Pisces)
- 5/13, 12:54:54 pm – 5/14, 1:13:24 am (Aries)
- 5/15, 8:03:31 am – 5/16, 3:02:09 am (Taurus)
- 5/18, 12:13:11 am – 5:27:00 am (Gemini)
- 5/19, 1:57:19 pm – 5/20, 9:55:35 am (Cancer)
- 5/21, 8:36:00 pm – 5/22, 5:42:05 pm (Leo)
- 5/24, 6:49:28 am – 5/25, 4:51:34 am (Virgo)
- 5/26, 10:21:13 pm – 5/27, 5:41:59 pm (Libra)
- 5/29, 4:20:19 pm – 5/30, 5:33:42 am (Scorpio)
- 6/3, 1:58:56 am – 8:50:23 pm (Capricorn)
- 6/5, 6:53:50 am – 6/6, 1:01:48 am (Aquarius)
- 6/7, 10:30:21 am – 6/8, 4:16:04 am (Pisces)
- 6/9, 2:08:01 pm – 6/10, 7:13:41 am (Aries)
- 6/11, 7:42:37 pm – 6/12, 10:16:02 am (Taurus)
- 6/13, 6:06:14 pm – 6/14, 1:50:46 pm (Gemini)
- 6/16, 10:05:17 am – 6:50:48 pm (Cancer)
- 6/19, 1:52:06 am – 2:22:28 am (Leo)
- 6/21, 12:09:23 pm – 12:58:44 pm (Virgo)
- 6/24, 1:12:03 am – 1:40:40 am (Libra)
- 6/25, 7:22:16 pm – 6/26, 1:56:38 pm (Scorpio)
- 6/28, 9:50:16 pm – 11:21:06 pm (Sagittarius)
- 6/30, 2:17:50 pm – 7/1, 5:10:57 am (Capricorn)
Semimonthly Forecasts
Check back around the 1st and 15th for updated forecasts.
Whatever your Sun Sign, Benjamin’s 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 several days before and after.
Everyone is affected by these global transits. However, you will be most powerfully impacted when moving planets activate sensitive points in your natal chart.
vicky chapman says
This is great
I could understand it. Thankyou so much it help me a lot. Angels an Dreams