The May 2021 astrological weather is jam-packed: time to tune into a new broadcast!
May 2021 is a super-charged month! With a Blood Moon Total Lunar Eclipse Supermoon in Sagittarius coming up on May 26th, if things have felt rather intense of late it’s because we are already in eclipse season! And by the Taurus New Moon MicroMoon of May 11th, you’ll be ready to plant the seeds for some powerful manifestations down the line.
Jupiter enters Pisces on May 13th, having practically raced through Aquarius in the past four months. Pisces is ruled by Jupiter, making the lucky planet stronger till July 29th, a welcome break.
Saturn is also in his sign of rulership, Aquarius, frozen on the spot all month long until... Saturn finally stations retrograde on May 24th.
That’s sure to make everything seem excruciatingly real this month! These are high stakes, allowing you to laser in on what matters most.
And, all that, just as the most dramatic Blood Moon Supermoon Total Lunar Eclipse of the year makes an appearance!
To make matters yet more extraordinary, all three personal planets - Mercury, Venus and Mars - are ‘out of bounds’ this month, that is, outside the Sun’s normalising rays.
Mars, Mercury and Venus are all operating on a higher frequency, giving rise to pure unadulterated impulses, allowing your inner world to come alive.
With three planets out of bounds, May is a month to think, act and live outside your ‘normal’ range, whatever that is for you.
And that’s not all... Mercury goes retrograde on May 29th in Gemini, his sign of rulership, making for a breathtaking end to May.
By June, with Mercury retrograde going over old ground, you’ll be ready to step back and review all the crazy stuff you’ve done, heard and seen this month.
For now, what’s important is to raise your antennae, tune in and let a cosmic influx of ideas and impressions flow in. You see, the North Node is in Gemini for 2021 and really strong this month. And that’s where the Cosmic Dragon hungers for new experience!
The Gemini North Node invites you to be like a child, rediscovering the world through direct experience, with fresh eyes and ears. It’s time to change the channel, zap and see what else is on!
Don’t be afraid of confusing and contradictory voices. Only in the midst of the worst cacophony can you finally learn to tune out the noise, listen to your own inner voice and discern what's real.
Look for ideas that are so unfamiliar, they shake your belief system to its very core. The whole of May is a truly revolutionary month, when what gives your life meaning could radically shift.
So, let’s briefly run through the most important astrological events of May 2021. You can read all about May’s events here and head over to your May 2021 Star Sign Horoscope for zodiac forecasts!
Mercury, Venus, Mars ‘Out of Bounds’: March to Your Own tune!
We have all three personal planets, Mercury, Venus and Mars ‘out of bounds’ this month. A planet goes ‘out of bounds’ when it veers too far north or south of the ecliptic (the apparent path of the sun) - and that’s when it’s observed to do as it pleases, to become eccentric, to operate outside the ‘normalising’ bandwidth of our central sun.
Mars has already been out of bounds since the Spring Equinox, acting on his own initiative and refusing to cow-tow to anyone.
You can read more about that in your March horoscope. Mercury now joins Mars on May 7th - and all the way till May 30th just as Mercury stations retrograde!
With Mercury out of bounds too, May 7-30 is an intellectually intense period, raising the frequency of your mind, freeing it to fly high above its usual patterns of thought.
Time to think outside your box (there is no “the” box, we all have one).
Lover Venus is the last to join the rebel gang on May 21st, marking a brief window 21-24 May 2021 (leading up to the Blood Supermoon of May 26th), where all three planets are OOB all at once. Whoah!
Get ready for all your thoughts, your feelings, your desires to become super-real, super-heightened, hard to ignore, as we hit May 21st-24th and into June.
Your every faculty is coming alive this month, giving you the freedom to make a different choice, to select a new function.
Mars, now in Cancer since April 23rd, returns into the socially acceptable behavioural fold on May 24th (i.e. is no longer OOB) and Mercury does so too on May 30th. But Venus (planet of love, pleasure and cooperation) will continue dancing to her own tune till the Summer Solstice. Perhaps that’s a good thing - bringing fresh life into our relationships. Watch this space!
New MicroMoon in Taurus 11th May: Trust Your (Extra) Senses!
We have a deeply empowering New Moon MicroMoon in late Taurus at 19:59 BST, on May 11th!
This is a “micro” Moon because it’s taking place at the Moon’s apogee, i.e. its furthest point from the earth.
Taurus season has been rather brief this year with Mercury and Venus speeding through the sign in the latter half of April. By early May they’ve both moved on into Gemini leaving only the Sun, Moon and Uranus in Taurus - alongside Lilith, the so called ‘dark moon’. May’s New Moon conjuncts Uranus and Lilith and is also trine Pluto in Capricorn and square to Jupiter in the final degree of Aquarius.
This is a subversive Taurus New Moon, piercing through appearances and heightening your senses, allowing you to make a dynamic start with important changes and manifestations you want to see happen in your life.
This New Moon is at 21 degrees Taurus and Black Moon Lilith very close, at 22 Taurus. Lilith’s the invisible second centre in the Moon’s elliptical orbit around the earth (the earth itself being considered the first). Lilith can also be conceptualised as the Moon’s apogee - as the Moon is always conjunct Lilith when it reaches its apogee, its furthest point from the earth on the far side of its oval orbit.
Lilith is a bit of a wild card - subversive, mysterious, uncontrollable - the hidden natural force working to overturn things from within. And that's sure to add a bit of spice to this down-to-earth Taurus New Moon.
The square to Jupiter also emphasises this “wild card” quality of this New Moon. And that’s because Jupiter is in the ‘dregs’ of Aquarius - the very last anaretic 29th degree - often revealing a zodiac sign’s darkest shadow. With Aquarius, think dark side of ideology, science, technocracy, detachment and rationalisation - a sort of human hybris. And a lot of that is sure to be manifest now. But Jupiter in Aquarius’ last degree can also bring wisdom, a last chance to figure something out.
Jupiter in the ‘dregs’ of Aquarius distills all the sign’s essence, its progressive ideology, in a few potent drops of condensed experience - of hybris perhaps or wisdom from past mistakes - to imbue this Taurus New Moon.
Now, the ruler of this lunation is Venus, and she is in Gemini, conjunct Mercury and the North Node. This points to the importance of dialogue and an open exchange of views. It also indicates quite a lot of talk, media communications, movement and commotion.
It’s always useful to look at the Taurus New Moon Sabian Symbol for guidance here. And in this case we have A White Dove Flying Over Troubled Waters indicating “the spiritual inspiration that comes to an individual in the overcoming of crisis”. What a fantastic image to help tune into our inner guidance in the midst of madness! [**]
And remember, what you plant now will come to fruition around the Taurus Lunar Eclipse of November 2021 - and yep, the next Taurus lunation is an eclipse!
Mercury, Venus, Sun conjunct North Node: Tune in!
This is a month to be extra sensitive and open to ideas. And that’s because Mercury, Venus and the Sun all come to conjunct the North Node in Gemini, or Dragon’s Head, pointing true north!
The North and South Node, as they move through the zodiac, mark where the eclipses happen, where the great Dragon occasionally swallows and spits out the Sun and Moon. And the North Node, in particular, is the head o the dragon, where the future calls, where the eclipses call you into unfamiliar territory for new experience and growth.
In 2021, the North Node is in Gemini and all about welcoming multiple of points of view, allowing for a free-flow of ideas without judgment. It's about achieving total detachment as you sift and sort through the madness with no lust for answers.
The South Node in Sagittarius just wants all the answers right now so you can just stick to what you know and get on with it. But that’s not what 2021 is about. The Gemini North Node wants you to ask questions and stay with them, uncomfortable as that is.
The point is not to know or believe but to wonder. That’s the ultimate lesson of Gemini - that’s where growth lies in 2021 - and more so in May and June 2021.
Mercury enters Gemini on May 4th, Venus on May 9th and the Sun finally arrives on the 20th, each reaching the North Node in their own time. Chiron, the teacher of Asclepius, father of medicine, also harmonises with the Lunar Nodes this month, revealing your vulnerabilities and facilitating greater healing and understanding.
And so, every planet coming to converse with the Lunar Nodes this month also converses with Chiron. First up is Mercury, then Venus finally the Sun. Mercury conjuncts the North Node sextile Chiron on May 10th-11th.
Watch out for crucial information coming to light May 10th-11th, around the New Moon, as Mercury meets the North Node.
Next is Venus to cross the Nodes on May 17th-18th, helping heal relationship rifts and restore values. Last is the Sun, May 31st-June 1st, shining a light in the right direction and showing us our next steps.
The end of May offers important guidance - if we will only tune in - a call to the future and to new directions to be intensified with the Gemini Solar Eclipse of June 10th.
Jupiter in Pisces May 13th: Your Luck is Changing!
Soon after the Taurus New Moon, Jupiter enters Pisces on May 13th till July 29th, giving us a taster for 2022 when Jupiter will spend longer in Pisces. Jupiter rules Pisces and all the luck and benefits he brings are strong for the next couple of months!
Why not take advantage of this incredibly inspiring, beneficial time of Jupiter in Pisces from 13th May? You could get a feel for the kinds of doors it opens for you and be ready to walk right through them in 2022, when Jupiter returns to Pisces.
Now isn’t that a bit fast? Jupiter entered Aquarius barely five months ago and he has been racing through. What’s the hurry? Aquarius is the zodiac sign of innovation, science and technology. And we have seen exactly that - scientific innovation and implementation racing ahead, advancing in leaps and bounds in response to a major threat. But it’s worth remembering that Saturn is also in Aquarius, bringing up the rear - the long hard slog of science - until March 2023. And that is when we will know more about whether this great experiment has worked.
So Jupiter raced ahead and Saturn is still lagging behind. And for a moment this year (13th May - 29th July), we are left with Saturn in Aquarius all alone, slowing things down, scrutinising our choices, our communal policies and our progress. But Jupiter is not done yet. Jupiter will return at the end of July to pick up the pace again and help us make the most of this period of scientific growth until December 28th 2021.
Meanwhile, Jupiter in Pisces turns our attention to our feelings and our collective dreams. This is a time of greater fluidity and instability - Pisces is a mutable sign - when we will need to let go of our desire for control. That’s where the greatest benefit lies.
Jupiter in Pisces May 13-July 29th is a highly imaginative, spiritual time. It’s the ability to flow into lucky directions, to allow things you no longer need to pass out of your life so you can flow effortlessly into more lucrative and joyous circumstances.
Just open the energy portals and let luck flow in!
Saturn Retrograde May 24th: Hyper-Scrutiny!
Things heat up dangerously as we head to the latter part of the month. May 24th, when Saturn goes retrograde, is when you can really feel the tension! This is a big reality check on a global scale. Time to hunker down and review our progress. You can feel the seriousness of Saturn as soon as May 3rd when it squares the Sun. That’s a tough little day, requiring action on your part to steer things in the desired direction, as you get ready for the month ahead.
Saturn’s station retrograde on May 24th functions as a major pressure point on the world. Especially as Saturn is frozen on the spot all month long, at 13 degrees Aquarius, placing restrictions and scrutinising everything with a stern expression.
Science and technology are ruled by Aquarius, as are the collective communities we are part of and our social conscience. Saturn in Aquarius is all about developing social responsibility - and responsible science too. This latter is a very hot topic moving forward. And in May, Saturn is making sure that we’re not moving ahead too fast.
In your personal life, Saturn in Aquarius has been showing you where you still have lots to learn. He's been showing you where the going is hard and you need to keep plugging away at it to create the reality you prefer (you can get a taste of how this affects you in your 2021 horoscope).
Saturn in Aquarius has been corralling you into shape through non-negotiable external realities for the past five months. And now, it’s time to internalise these lessons. To make those changes to your inner architecture that will allow change to be eventually reflected outward in the shape you need.
May 24th is a moment of powerful realisation, of internalisation of lessons. And it is super-intense as it coincides with the Blood Moon Supermoon on May 26th - as well as the out-of-bound planets and, within a week, Mercury retrograde.
And so the last ten days of May bring a sort of super-awareness moment, reality on steroids! Time to turn inward. Big decisions hang in the balance.
Sagittarius Blood Moon Supermoon Total Lunar Eclipse May 26th: Change the Channel!
“Decision” means to ‘cut off from’. And that’s what this Blood Moon Supermoon Total Lunar Eclipse at 5:25 Sagittarius on May 26th at 11:52am is all about.
The end of May brings major endings, big decisions - a "cutting off from", a total shift in consciousness allowing you to move on. This is a time when you realise that nothing is a given and everything is up for grabs!
If Full Moons are decisive moments of clarity, and Lunar Eclipses highly important such decisions, then Total Lunar Eclipses or Blood Moons are the most dramatic decisions of all! This is a Supermoon too - big and juicy - and a South Node Lunar Eclipse right there at the very tail of the Dragon, urging you to let go.
The May Blood Moon highlights beliefs that are old and stale, philosophical debris thrashing about at the Dragon’s Tail, destructive, urging you to let go. It's time to digest and eliminate all that old experience, ditch the same stale stories, reframe the past and see things in a whole new light. Change the broadcast.
Alas, we are all married to our beliefs so this is going to be a big dramatic moment. Made even more dramatic by the fact that the Sun and Moon are square to Jupiter in Pisces - and Jupiter is well known for blowing everything out of all proportion!
Blood Moons are not all that rare. But we haven’t had a Blood Moon South Node Eclipse in Sagittarius since 1946.
That’s nearly 80 years since we last had such a major reframe of our human story. Of who we are and why we are here, of what to believe and what principles to live by.
This is a recalibration of the fundamental concepts through which we filter and interpret life experience, which is what Sagittarius is all about. And the square to Jupiter is intensifying the very same themes: what are we truly justified in believing? Is it time to change our entire conception of ourselves and of the world? This Blood Moon is erasing limiting preconceptions to make space for a new paradigm.
May’s Blood Moon falls on the 6th degree of Sagittarius and the Sabian Symbol is A Game of Cricket, symbolising “the development of skill in group situations testing collective results.” [**] This is a very apt image in our current situation, as we try to respond to this Covid crisis.
This eclipse is very much about how we fit into the collective, how we come together to play by agreed rules, what our collective perceptions are and - importantly - “testing collecting results”, i.e. what the outcome is. It is a South Node eclipse so some sort of jettisoning of intellectual debris and reconceptualisation of what’s going on is in order.
As this Blood Moon is sextile stationary Saturn too, it's an opportunity to redress our inner ideological architecture - and outer social structures - and make key improvements. This is ultimately an opportunity for more stable structures in our life and our communities.
Mercury Retrograde in Gemini May 29th: Review and Retrace
At the end of all the May drama, it’s finally Mercury’s turn to, well, turn. On May 29th, Mercury stations retrograde and shuts shop for June.
Mercury stations retrograde on May 29th and you can finally stop, take a breath and sift and sort through your changing experience to help you decide your next steps. Venus in Gemini is right on top of Mercury, as he stations on the 29th, closing in and adding great weight to what’s going down. A lot is riding on this!
Perhaps it is an important relationship, a financial investment or a project of great value that is up for grabs. And you need to very carefully evaluate your options. Events are sure to touch you deeply as May comes to an end. Both Mercury and Venus are huddled together out of bounds, marching to their own tune and refusing to take advice from anyone. And the whole thing is square to Neptune too, lord of confusion and make-believe, lies and smokescreens.
There’s bound to be intensity as May closes - as well as mishaps in communications and travel - and it could affect your relationships and your finances too. Don't lose your head!
All the more reason to give things proper thought. You'll have all of June to think things over more carefully, come up with new ideas and try to clear the air.
Mercury retrograde in Gemini, May 29th-June 23rd, is all about revisiting information, reviewing data, sorting through it all and having some long overdue conversations.
Mercury enters his shadow retrograde period on May 16th. That’s when Mercury begins crossing uncertain zodiacal territory, taking tentative steps you’ll have to revisit down the line.
Keep a light schedule from mid-may onwards, and respond to what arises. It won’t be till the first week of July when you have the full picture.
[**] Dane Rudhyar, An Astrological Mandala, Random House (NY) 1974, pp.84 / 213.
Image by Ben Wicks [cropped] from Unsplash