Newsletter: May 2023

Newsletter: May 2023

MONTHLY SINCE 1999
ISSUE # 286

May 2023

Note: All aspects are most powerful and effective as they apply. Once the transit has completed, its force is lessened. The further it separates the weaker it becomes.

If you’re interested in a personal reading please click here or contact me directly through email at mitchastro@aol.com

If you follow me on Facebook or on my website blog you will see that I update these transits as they come close. I suggest that you do so to keep up with the added information I am posting on each. This newsletter is a template for the coming month.

I am doing a series of podcasts and webinars for Astrology Hub covering 2023. The first was released in January. The second was released in March and is available. You can purchase them at www.Astrologyhub.com as well as the webinar from last year. It is a 2 hour video with a follow-up Q&A of 2 1/2 hours. 

AUTHOR’S NOTES:

This will be an exciting month; though how you define that will be important. We have a pair of Eclipses coming at us. They will demand our attention, but if you go into them with awareness it shouldn’t be a problem. Mercury will retrograde on April 21st and go direct on May 14th, so as always the usual warnings are in place. Because this retrograde occurs entirely in Taurus our values, money issues, and partnerships will be the focus of our attention. Pluto will retrograde, sending some hidden agendas back into the unconscious, where they will brood and fester until the autumn. And Jupiter leaves Aries and enters Taurus, which might imply a surge in the equities. All in all it will be a very busy and interesting month. Make the most of it.

NEW MOON IN ARIES:

The New Moon falls on Thursday April 20th at 12:13 A.M. EDT at 29 degrees Aries 50 minutes, & it’s a Solar Eclipse. This will be a funky New Moon. It’s the 2nd New Moon in a row in Aries. The last one on March 21st was a zero degrees Aries 50 minutes. This one is at the very last few minutes of the sign, and offers us a chance to complete some issues that may still be lingering. Look over your projects, relationships and goals and see which are realistic, and which aren’t. You can change direction more easily than usual, and with the energy of Aries supporting you, you should be able to redirect your force where it can do you the most good.

Because this is a Solar Eclipse it will have the power to confuse, misdirect, and take things down an unexpected path. Eclipses block out the light, both physically and spiritually, and you need to pay close attention to what you’re doing. It’s easy to be led astray in the shadow of the solar-lunar energy. You can’t completely trust what you see and hear. There could be false signals in your personal life, the markets, and on the world stage. I wouldn’t be surprised by a sudden event throwing us all for a loop. Politics is, as usual, rearing its ugly head and we may see some surprises on that front as well. Don’t rush to judgment. Take your time and look things over carefully. When the Full Moon Lunar Eclipse completes on Friday May 5th at 14 degrees Scorpio 58 minutes, we will be better able to see where the energy is heading. But because the Full Moon is not in the sign opposite the New Moon, there will be even more surprises the second half of the month.

Today we will also see the Sun enter Taurus, and square Pluto. This is a day of changes, some subtle and some obvious.  It certainly implies the ending of many things, and with endings there are always new beginnings. Be optimistic and hopeful. Not everything will go as you planned, but that’s the fun of life. Even if you don’t know what to expect, around the next corner could be something fabulous that hadn’t even crossed your mind. Eclipses force us to do things we may not wish to do. Assuming you know the outcome is arrogant and a fool’s errand. Open your consciousness to what might be, not what you think will be.

THE SUN ENTERS TAURUS & SQUARES PLUTO:

On Thursday April 20th at 4:14 A.M. EDT we enter the fixed earth season. Spring will be in full bloom and people will tend to be more stubborn and set in their ways. Taurus is a very loyal and sensual sign. It likes “stuff”, including money, nice possessions, good food and a comfortable home. But most of that just makes the bull feel secure and stable. Taurus also need strong, solid relationships and its well-earned stubborn nature has as much to do with wanting to keep the status quo. They don’t really like change, and are known to stay the course through the most arduous challenges. You can rely on them to be there when needed, and to keep a solid footing. This month is an opportunity for us all to embrace that concept and to keep our aim steady and unbending. Mercury will retrograde tomorrow possibly throwing another monkey-wrench into the mix.

 

THE SUN SQUARES PLUTO:

On Thursday April 20th at 12:27 P.M. EDT this harsh energy will test us all. Expect others (and you) to be unyielding and demanding. What’s behind that attitude is what matters. Are you just being stubborn for effect or for ego, or are there things that you know you can change and are getting ready to roll up your sleeves and take on the task of putting those changes into play? The unyielding energy of Pluto and the relentless approach to your problems and issues will tend to add to the overwhelming Taurus energy and keep you on an unbending and obsessive road. The challenge is to be focused and clear in your choices while still keeping an open mind. If you can do that, this will be a very productive period. With Mercury about to retrograde for the next 3 weeks in Taurus it will be hard to redirect your footsteps. And Pluto’s influence will make it all that much more difficult.

MERCURY RETROGRADES:

On Friday April 21st at 4:35 A.M. EDT until May 14th at 11:17 P.M. EDT all this pent up energy from the Eclipse, the Sun’s ingress into Taurus, and its square to Pluto will become even more discombobulating and there will be mistakes, misdirection and all the goodies we expect when Mercury turns around. But this may be a pretty difficult retrograde. Because it takes place entirely in Taurus you will find it hard to convince people to change their minds, and once a decision has been made, no matter how obviously wrong it might be, many will stay the course throughout the Rx motion. Try your best not to be so stubborn. Keep an open mind, and don’t be afraid to alter your path.

We will see secrets revealed, surprises, and many turnarounds. For example, we already have seen the Fox News law suit settled before going to court, and that was during the “shadow-phase” of the retrograde. The war in Ukraine is gearing up for a new offensive and counter-offensive, and the outcome may be very retrograde in its atmosphere and results. Some political situations, including the ongoing saga of our ex-president could become confusing and hard to follow. The Mickey Mouse – Ron DeSantis battle may take an unexpected turn. As Elon Musk tried to send up the biggest rocket ever put into space, it crashed! Rx Mercury anyone? Is this a real turnabout for Musk, or just a speed bump? Much has to do with whether or not he has an astrologer on his staff. If he does, he should fire them and get a good one! LOL

In your personal lives you need to be more vigilant than usual. While we all are used to this energy, if we are students of the celestial arts, with so much Pisces energy circling around us, and with the Eclipse season upon is, Pluto going into retrograde, and Jupiter changing signs just as Mercury changes direction, there is a lot of conflicting and malleable forces at play. Step carefully into this mine field and don’t rush to judgment.

MERCURY SEXTILES MARS:

On Sunday April 23rd at 11:19 P.M. EDT there will be a lot of useful mental energy that can help us deal with the beginning of the retrograde Mercury. People will have a lot to say, and because this is a positive sextile they should be able to get their point across. But the first few days of any retrograde can be quite difficult so continue to keep your eyes and ears open. This is a good day to discuss important matters as long as you keep in mind the underlying energy and double check all facts.

THE SUN SEXTILES SATURN:

On Tuesday April 25th at 6:48 A.M. EDT we will all have a desire to get our work done. This can be a very useful and productive day or two. Don’t waste time on frivolous things. Aim your attention where it will do you the most good. Finish any paperwork, emails, and important conversations. Pluto will retrograde in a few days, and this is a chance to put things in order beforehand. Look over your budget, your plans, and your goals and see where they have a solid foundation and where they are sitting on quicksand. This is a good day for a reality check, so take advantage of it.

 

PLUTO RETROGRADES:

On Monday May 1st at 1:09 P.M. EDT our distant cousin reverses direction and many things will become cloudy, while other become much clearer. This is a yearly event that often has an oversized effect for such a tiny planet (yes, Pluto is still a planet no matter what some stuffed shirts say!) Some hidden agendas and buried attitudes and anger will be buried even deeper, only to arise with the reversal of Pluto in October. While this planet is retrograde our deepest resentments will be internalized, and while that can take some pressure off the collective for a while, it will still seep out of the cracks and become more difficult to confront directly. The stocks will have a hard time finding their direction this spring and summer. Are we heading into a recession or not? That’s the big question. While it is possible that we could dip our toes into a reversal in the markets, I don’t see a full blown recession. I think the skittishness that investors have shown lately will continue. But the consumer, who makes up about 70% of our economy, continues to spend, and that is creating an unsure financial atmosphere that will continue through the 3rd quarter.

VENUS SQUARES NEPTUNE:

On Thursday May 4th at 1:40 P.M. EDT Love and money become even more confusing than usual. You need to look carefully at your resources, both financial and personal for a few days. This isn’t a bad or dangerous transit so much as a time when misdirection and mistakes can be made. You aren’t using logic as much as intuition and spirit. While that can result in some highly spiritual and deeply intuitive results, you may not even understand what your inner voice is telling you. Enjoy this energy and seek out the internal self for answers, but I would wait a few days before acting upon the information. If the results turn out to be real they will still be so once this passes. But if this is a momentary reaction to this combined energy and will disappear as a dream or smoke, then it was just an illusion. Even in the best of times we often don’t know the difference between what is solid and what is mystic. Enlightenment can come at any time in our lives, and it’s wise to always keep that window open. But buying a house because the address is the same as your dead dog’s birthday may not be the best advice. Hiring a assessor to examine the property can put a saturnine foundation beneath your plans. But betting on a horse that has the same name as your late four-footed friend can at times pay off in a big way. I’ve won huge amounts of money betting on Goldie’s Pal at Aqueduct, and similar gifts from the universe. So pick and choose your responses with some care. And do tell those you love how you feel about them. This square will loosen some of the restraints we usual put on ourselves.

 

VENUS SEXTILES JUPITER:

On Friday May 5th at 12:03 A.M. EDT this pleasant energy comes along just as the Lunar Eclipse is pulling the curtain back on its show. This is a lovely and sociable aspect, and it will create a subtle underlying atmosphere that can help soothe over some of the angst of this coming Full Moon, but a sextile isn’t as forceful as this eclipse, and it could lull you into a false sense of placidity. Still, I would try to plan a get together with a friend or a small group. If you can get out of town for a few hours, that would be a good way to use this energy. But remember, that you will be traveling on the Eclipse and you must pay attention.

 

FULL MOON ECLIPSE IN SCORPIO:

This month lunar peak occurs on Friday May 5th at 1:34 P.M. EDT at 14 degrees Scorpio 58 minutes and it’s a Lunar Eclipse! This is a time for caution and awareness. The eclipse season is upon us, and while I don’t tend to freak out over transits, and often find astrologers can blow things out of proportion, this is a moment that we should take seriously. No, I don’t think the world is coming to an end (yet). Nor do I believe that there will be a sudden nuclear attack anywhere in the world, still this is a Full Moon that needs to be watched. Scorpio has a well-earned reputation of seeing things in black or white, and it does tend to hold onto feelings, ideas, and issues that others may have already let go of. Don’t get too obsessive or allow your compulsive side to take over. You could get into a rift that would be difficult to get out of.

Relationships will be fraught with misunderstandings, temper tantrums and hidden anger. It would be wise to bring as much to the surface in a calm and direct manner as possible. Otherwise it will just fester and eventually could blow things out of proportion. Be wise, be calm, and be considerate. Most of us are going through stuff you know nothing about, and if you poke the bear with a stick you might get a reaction you haven’t expected. Because eclipses do block the light you might not be able to recognize what’s really going on, so tread gently.

 

VENUS ENTERS CANCER:

On Sunday May 7th at 10:25 A.M. EDT until June 5th at 9:46 A.M. EDT Venus will join up with this lunar-ruled sign and create a gentle atmosphere for relationships. There may be a tendency towards overly emotional responses, so don’t take everything at face value. It is a good time to engage with others, and as long as you are realistic about the feelings being expressed it will be a very positive month. This is a very loving and sensuous placement, and those born with this in their natal charts tend to be very caring. By transit it might hit some of us n an unexpected manner making us more receptive to our emotions than usual This isn’t a bad thing, and it just might loosen up some who have a hard time expressing themselves. But transits pass, and what we do or say under their influence can have a long lasting effect. So keep that in mind if you suddenly feel like telling someone how much you care, or offering them financial aid that you normally wouldn’t consider. Once this passes the commitment will still be there. But this is a sociable and people –oriented aspect, so take advantage of it and spend time with your closest peeps.

 

THE SUN CONJUNCTS URANUS:

On Tuesday May 9th at 3:56 P.M. EDT we face a force of energy that can seem like a team of wild horses with only a single thread to try and control them. As with all transits, this can be explosive or innovative. It all depends on how you approach it. If you aren’t paying attention, the Uranus energy can be chaotic and overwhelming. Sudden events might upset your plans and you could wind up in a conflict, accident or other unexpected problem. But with self-awareness you can use this erratic energy to take your thoughts and actions into what would otherwise be unconsidered directions. The freedom that this planet offers can be very liberating, or very disruptive. How are you dealing with it?

MERCURY GOES DIRECT:

On Sunday May 14th at 11:17 P.M. EDT Mercury turns around in Taurus and we will all be pushed to focus more on our values and financial security. With Jupiter about to enter Taurus on Tuesday May 16th we are in a period of extremes. Taurus is all over us, and it’s all about what we believe is most important. As always when Mercury turns around, expect to hear some surprises as things previously hidden come out in the public. This includes your personal life and the collective. Whatever has been delayed will move at a rapid pace. While errors are common during the retrograde, it is often during a reversal of direction in either way that mistakes often happen. Don’t rush to judgment, but don’t get caught waiting too long when the world is moving quickly. You need to be proactive and observant at the same time.

JUPITER ENTERS TAURUS:

On Tuesday May 16th at 1:20 P.M. EDT Jupiter moves on after its travels through Aries. I often combine the transit of Jupiter through Aries and Taurus, at least when examining the financial markets. Aries is the beginning, the first step, while Taurus is often considered the values, money and possessions that follow that beginning. Taurus rules the 2ndhouse, often called the house of money. But that is an oversimplification that I go into in detail in my recent webinar onwww.astrologyhub.com. Historically when Jupiter enters Aries it usually creates a positive atmosphere for the equity markets. But the real financial growth often occurs when Jupiter enters Taurus. Can we expect that this time? Well, as much as astrologers like finite definitions and to see each transit recreate the exact same results each time it occurs, that isn’t the case. We are still in a shaky market. A recession is possible, although I have never thought we were heading into a deep one, and even if there is a downturn I believe it will be mild and short lived. The tech stocks have made a serious recovery from the downward spiral of the past 2 years. So I am optimistic that we may see an upswing and a bull market in the 2nd half of 2023. Taurus rules the 2nd house of money, and with Jupiter traveling here historically it is usually very good for the equities.

In your personal life, Jupiter’s ability to expand and create an optimistic and enthusiastic atmosphere should help in our relationships. This Venus ruled sign wants peace and harmony, and the combination of Venus and Jupiter is often a harbinger of good things and positive growth, both personally and collectively. We are sitting at the Dark of the Moon, with a New Moon in Taurus on Friday. It’s a time of completions and new beginnings. And Jupiter’s energy is just what we need right now.

DARK OF THE MOON:

The next New Moon falls on Friday May 19th at 11:53 A.M. EDT at 28 degrees Taurus 25 minutes. The day or two leading up to it will be a particularly low energy period. If you tend to be emotional this may be a very trying time each month. I have found that people with prominent moons or a Cancer Sun, Moon or ascendant respond to the lunar cycles more intensely than others. Spend this time finishing up anything that is incomplete, don’t try to initiate new projects on a waning moon, it just won’t work out. Once the New Moon hits you begin new projects or attempt a new approach to an existing problem. If you have been living in a situation or involved in a relationship that is intolerable or has outlived its usefulness this would be the proper time to move on with your life. If you have been working on a project that is almost complete but you seem to lack the energy for the finality, you must push during these low energy days to end the matter once and for all. If you don’t, when the New Moon arrives it will bring this “dead” energy along with it and conflict with the newer force being presented. Each month we are offered a chance to clean house, so to speak.

Below is a list of times this month when the Moon is Void of Course EDT and neither important decisions nor purchases should be made during these periods. The Void of Course Moon is a time when we should try to center ourselves and deal with spiritual matters not materialistic ones. Any decisions made on the VC Moon will not turn out the way we had expected.

The Moon is Void of Course from the time it makes its last major aspect in a sign until it enters the next sign. For example, if the Moon squares Mars at 27 degrees Aries and then has no more aspects until it enters Taurus it will be Void of Course for three degrees or about 6 hours. The aspects used are the conjunction, sextile, square, trine, and opposition. All times are Eastern Time:

April 20th at 12:13 A.M. – 9:30 A.M.

April 21st 11:41 P.M. – April 22nd 6:11 A.M. ***Moon is void 7 hours

April 24th 8:15 A.M. – 2:58 P.M. ***Moon is void 7 hours

April 26th 7:41 P.M. – April 27th 2:30 A.M. ***Moon is void 6 hours

April 29th 6:53 A.M. – 2:59 P.M. ***Moon is void 8 hours

May 1st 7:53 P.M. –  May 2nd 2:09 A.M. ***Moon is void 6 hours

May 4th 5:17 A.M. – 10:32 A.M.

May 6th 10:38 A.M. – 4:04 P.M.

May 8th 4:28 P.M. – 7:33 P.M.

May 10th 7:52 P.M. – 10:05 P.M.

May 12th 11:15 P.M. – May 13th 12:59 A.M.

May 14th 10:56 P.M. – May 15th 3:56 A.M.

May 17th 5:10 A.M. – 8:28 A.M.

May 19th 1:51 P.M. – 2:48 P.M.

May 21st 6:12 P.M. – 11:28 P.M.

May 24th 5:12 A.M. – 10:35 A.M.

April 2023

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