Seismic Stations + Eclipse Activations: 5/22 - 6/7/2022
Galactic Greetings,
While the two eclipses of the season are technically behind us, we remain in the afterglow of the “baleful rays” (note my opinionated Twitter thread here). As the lunar eclipse conjoined my natal Moon in Scorpio, I somewhat unintentionally pulled back from writing my forecast, freeing up space to be with my family. I found myself craving more closeness with them over the past two weeks, especially as we celebrated my daughter’s 2nd birthday! I truly cannot believe how big she is getting.
On the night of the eclipse, I wanted to tap into the eerie Scorpio vibes by watching a movie. We chose, Old, and M. Night Shayamalan film about a family who rapidly ages on a beach. Without spoiling the film, it reminded me of how precious our time is together, and how much I want to soak up this beautiful chapter of our life. Life is full of different chapters. We owe it to ourselves to cherish the good ones.
But this week, the writing bug has returned, so let’s jump in!
Astrology Watch:
Mercury re-enters Taurus 5/22
Mars enters Aries, 5/24
Mercury trine Pluto, 5/25
Venus square Pluto, 5/27
Venus enters Taurus, 5/28
Mars conjoins Jupiter, 5/29
Gemini New Moon, 5/30
Mercury Stations Direct, 6/3
Saturn stations retrograde, 6/4
Mercury retrogrades back into Taurus, 5/22
Calming the clatter, retrograde Mercury ducks out of the cocktail party and sneaks into the back yard hammock under a tapestry of green whispering trees. Mercury, the planet of communication, will chill out here until 6/13/22, where they will eventually station direct on 6/3 at 26°05’ in a conjunction with the Medusa star, Algol.
Full of inspiration and new ideas, but feeling a bit scattered, Mercury returns to serene, methodical Taurus to steady the mind and firm up the new plans. One day after the cazimi, where pivotal insights dropped in, we are ready to slow it down, smell the roses and refocus.
Mercury in Taurus reminds us to practice the pause. Resilient and loving, Mercury in Taurus is a thoughtful, engaging listener who gently provides sound advice. Mercury in Taurus helps us to become present, holding solid space for whatever arises. Quality over quantity, make the space for what is already on your plate.
Mars enters Aries, 5/24 – 7/4-7/5
Sharpen your swords! The warrior planet Mars exits the sage arena of Pisces and advances swiftly into Aries, eyes ablaze upon a new target. Impulsive and passionate, Mars is quite at home in Aries, an arena where Mars’ fierceness can shine. Indeed, a domiciled planet is not always a “good” thing. Like the enraged Achilles, Mars in Aries is impatient, quick to flare, hot-tempered and boils over easily.
We have plenty to be mad about right now. Mars in Aries will heat up the tensions. And the demonstrations.
On the plus, Mars in Aries is swift, tackling tasks with a “just do it” energy. Confident and fearless AF, Mars in Aries invites us to respond to our primal impulses – the instinct to protect what is sacred to us.
What’s striking about the eventual egress from Aries into Taurus on Independence Day is that this same astrological signature occurred during the Capitol insurrection. Very auspicious indeed… especially during our Pluto return.
Mercury trine Pluto, 5/25 - 6/10
Similar to the last time Mercury stationed direct, Mercury will retain a relationship with Pluto for a solid two weeks. Mercury held a conjunction with Pluto at the end of January through the beginning of February, concentrating and inviting necessary developments to the surface. I remember reporting that aspect was akin to having “the big talk” within a significant relationship, or diving deep into a big decision-making period.
Here, Mercury holds a flowing trine with Pluto, reflecting a flattering mirror of how February’s critical turning point has played out. Mercury’s extended trine to Pluto could also invite increased intimacy, potent research, and revelations of obscured subtexts.
During this period, both Mercury and Saturn activate the eclipse degree from 5/15. This period should feel supercharged, indeed.
Venus in Aries square Pluto, 5/27
Unafraid of taking charge, Venus in Aries represents self-love, independence and wild, untamable passion for what ignites her. Venus in Aries is unapologetic about who she is; this could create some tension with Pluto, a planet often associated with obsession and control.
This Roe situation is out of control. Venus’ square to Pluto reflects this infringement on female bodies and those with uteruses.
Too often this aspect can reflect the tension between the need for independence and the desire for closeness. This dynamic can show up in relationships, or even within one’s psyche. Venus in Aries’s square to Pluto is raw, revealing and unapologetic about what we need.
On the plus side, embracing our truth is liberating. Realness is hot. Realness weeds out the saccharine connections and helps us prioritize the nectar. And its good that we are having this conversation because Venus will soon move into Taurus where we’d like to get a lot more comfortable!
Venus enters Taurus, 5/28 – 6/22
Emerging from oceanic, exalted Pisces, Venus survives her sprint across the sun-soaked sands of Aries and plops down upon an inviting bed of moss within the lush forests of Taurus. Venus has made it home to her domicile. At last, it’s time to relax, have a nourishing meal and enjoy the scenery.
Venus in Taurus = pleasure embodied.
Energizing the connection with our 5 senses, Venus in Taurus invites us to drop into the beauty of aliveness. Soak it in!
Moving toward the north node in Taurus, this year’s Venus in Taurus transit may be more poignant than most. Contrasting with the abysmal state of the world (Scorpio south node), the Taurus north node invites us to find the counterbalance of simple pleasures which drop us back into the present moment. While the Scorpio south node emphasizes urgency, the north node in Taurus offers grounding, relief and sweetness amidst the struggle to remedy these larger-than-life issues.
Let Venus in Taurus remind us to treat ourselves and to drop into the simple (or even luxurious) delicacies whenever possible.
Read about what Venus in Taurus has in store for your sign here via POPSUGAR, featuring moi!
Mars conjoins Jupiter, 5/29
Some transits raise an eyebrow. Or two. Given the extreme and righteous tensions percolating at this time, the Mars-Jupiter conjunction in Aries is a lip-biter. Mars is our war planet, fearlessly primal in its home sign, while Jupiter in Aries is outspoken, opinionated, and prone to extremes.
Quoted from my foreshadowing article, Jupiter in Aries: Soveriegn Pathcarving, published on this past April:
Impassioned, brazen outspoken and unafraid to go rogue, Jupiter in Aries combined with Mars can produce radical acts infused with religious or moral undertones. I think we will see the conversation about gun violence really heat up around this time – especially as obtaining weaponry is an open freeway in contrast with the restrictions and control upon female and trans bodies.
Mutually empowering, Jupiter is well resourced by passionate, impulsive and trigger-happy Mars. Meanwhile, Jupiter gasses Mars up. This is a recipe for bold actions fueled by conviction. This is nerving and provocative on a global level with looming threats of nuclear wars and closer to home: systemic violence. The last time we saw Mars and Jupiter conjoin in Aries, Osama Bin Laden was reportedly killed by the US government. Two cycles prior, we were in the early stages of WWII.
This alignment is poignant on a personal level, where we can tap into a fierce inspiration to do something incredibly brave! Expect seismic developments in the Aries sector of your chart!
Gemini New Moon, 5/30
The Gemini New Moon draws our focus to the Gemini sector of our chart – an area that has been under construction since 2020 thanks to eclipses, venus and mercury retrogrades. Exact at 9°03’ Gemini, the new moon accentuates the upcoming Mars retrograde (10/30-1/17/23), where Mars will station direct at 8°08 Gemini. It’s as if this new moon serves as a foreshadowing over what we will be in process with next winter. It's a good idea to pay attention to what is coming up for you at this time, and it’s likely a combination of old news and new perspectives.
It’s as if to say, here’s a new beginning or a refocusing on this area of your chart/life, but it’s about to change in an even bigger way.
Ruled by a stationary Mercury, we cannot discuss the new moon without acknowledging the complex astrological landscape of early June. In a standoffish square, Mercury receives some difficult, though clarifying news from all-too-real Saturn. Both planets station direct within 1 day of each other, insinuating a major reversal (hint-hint) of some kind.
Saturn stationing retrograde in a square to the nodes speaks to the massive restructuring happening all over the globe – the re-drawing of national boundaries and alliances, down to redrawing voting districts across the country. Saturn stationing may also speak to a reversal of the unprecedented, Roe v Wade – a pinnacle of reproductive freedom.
Indeed, Mercury stations direct conjunct Algol, a primal snake goddess often associated with feminism, as well as the legacy of abuse we have endured. Algol has been in the crosshairs of two eclipses since November. I reckon that the fate of Roe will be directly tied to this double activation of these eclipse degrees.
Not only do Mercury and Saturn simultaneously station in a tense square, but they both activate the eclipse degree from 5/15/22. Saturn often represents tradition, constriction, control and limitation. Mercury here, will likely behave as Medusa’s megaphone.
Unfortunately, Saturn is a lot stronger in this scenario, holding domicile, triplicity, and term, while also pushing virtue on a peregrine Mercury. Know that while this looks grim, the fight for reproductive justice will never cease.
In other words, this will be a super charged Mercury station. Usually, Mercury direct stations can be incredibly clarifying, helping us to move forward with what’s been in limbo/redesign over the past few weeks. However, we can expect an extra spellbinding charge to this station, with strange twists of fate interlaced.
Special Announcement
Throughout this Mercury retrograde, I am in the process of restructuring my Patreon around educational offerings. Read more about the exciting shifts here!
I’d like to invite you to the reincarnation of MOONRISE - a monthly chart synthesis group designed for all levels of astrology, but with special focus toward beginners and intermediate practicioners. MOONRISE will be a space for budding astrologers to begin integrating their astrological techniques, gain confidence in reading charts, and grow increasingly comfortable discussing them.
Like CAULDRON, my monthly technical meet-up for intermediate astrologers, MOONRISE will be a supportive community to build relationships with other astrologers. Let’s face it, we need others to share this language with!