Relationships in the spotlight: Week of 5/16 - 5/22

It’s all about love, right? Self-love, loving one another - and now that Jupiter is in Pisces, falling in love with life again! In case you missed it, I went live on Instagram earlier this week to tell you about Jupiter in Pisces through each sign of the zodiac, so be sure to check out that video to get a personalized forecast for your sun and rising signs! Moving ahead, Venus aligns with the north node of destiny this week, highlighting our personal and romantic connections - as well as pushing finances to the fore. Lots of relationships aspects to look forward to this week, so let’s dive in!

Astrology Watch:

Venus conjunct the North Node, 5/17

Sun conjunct Algol + Trine Pluto, 5/17

Mercury reaches longest elongation, 5/17

Venus Trine Saturn, 5/19

Sun enters Gemini, 5/20

Sun square Jupiter, 5/21

Mercury square Neptune, 5/22*

Venus conjunct the North Node, 5/17

Thinking about buying a new sofa after a year of eating, sleeping and working on your current one? Venus’s conjunction with the north node will temp us all to drop some serious cash. In whimsical Gemini, we’re seeing the increasing allure of splurging on things that look cool, but are inherently random and not very purposeful. It will be challenging to resist! And maybe you shouldn’t. Maybe you really do need that gold sequinned fanny pack with a bluetooth speaker in it. Rahu (the north node) is ravenous, so this transit may correspond with spending a lot of money in one fell swoop – or working your hustle magic to quicken that cash flow.

Also sizzling? Our relationships! Venus’ alignment with the north node will ignite our playful, flirty, and slightly mischievous side. This is an opportunity to breathe new life into our relationships – whether you and your quarantine partner finally escape and land on a patio out of doge somewhere, or you finally visit your bff in a new city to get a little wild – it's time to break out and try something new. Let boredom or curiousity be a motivator at this time!

Sun Trine Pluto, 5/17

The Sun conjoins fixed star Algol in simultaneous trine to Pluto. For me, this feels like justified or harnessed rage which can propel us forward somehow. Pluto is traveling in new territory (having only recently stationed retrograde) and nearing closer and closer to the United States’ offical Pluto return. Yes, there are several significant movements ongoing right now, totally upending society on a cultural and political level.

Algol is the Medusa star, or the blinking demon’s head. The symbolism of Medusa is incredibly rich with her mythology generously steeped in themes of injustice, violation and demonization. While it’s possible that Medusa and Poseidon were having a wild and consensual encounter, the widely accepted story tells us that Poseidon violated Medusa in Athena’s temple. Athena retaliated by transforming the beautiful maiden into a terrifying, enraged Gorgon. We know all to well the detrimental effects of both trauma and slutshaming. Why Athena did not vie for Medusa and punish her uncle instead is a critique of modern feminists. Was Athena a patriarchal sympathizer? Was she trying to be “one of the guys?” Or perhaps Athena, being a chaste warrior maiden herself denied her own capacity for pleasure, forever uninitiated into the sexual mysteries? Perhaps she demonized something she could not possibly understand? There are so many layers to this story, which we could spend all day musing about.

Algol, or al-ghoul, is where we get the word “alcohol.” Gives a whole new reframe to the term, “spirits!” And for real, who hasn’t seen someone “lose their head” after having one too many? Asclepius borrowed the blood from Medusa’s severed head to create healing elixirs, while Athena coveted the blood to pepper poisonous Scorpions over the desert. The blood of Medusa’s head is a pharmakon – a potent substance with equal power to harm or heal. Similarly, alcohol can open us up to a spiritual dimension, but it must be ingested mindfully and in moderation, or else it can do some serious damage.

I love this idea of potency and dosage when working with Algol. It’s true that Algol activations can indicate instances of folks “losing their heads,” mostly figuratively, but it’s also been known to correspond with feminine power and challenges to the patriarchal framework. When Queen Elizabeth’s progressed Sun conjoined Algol, she was coronated and continues to reign in her matriarchal legacy to this day. When Maya Angelou published, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” her progressed Sun was also conjunct Algol. 

So as the Sun aligns with Algol and trines the Sun, this feels like a necessary and supportive outburst and a pushback against the oppresive order. Have you been quiet for too long? While chopping heads off might be unwaranted for you, the trine suggests ease and flow. There is a readiness for the chopping block and the necessary removal of dead weight.

Interested to spend more time with Medusa? On episode 5 of The Fallen Fruit Podcast, we dive deep into her mythos.

Venus Trine Saturn, 5/19

Relationships are certainly in cosmic focus this week! This time, we’ve got an organizing, clarifying pillar of support from Saturn in Aquarius. Venus and Saturn are definitely friends – sharing dignity in Libra, the sign of cooperation, balance and harmony. While Venus is fun and flirty and letting it fly in Gemini, the trine to Saturn feels like an accidental discovery, that hey! This random thing we tried really works for us! Venus in Gemini is down for anything – as long as it’s not too boring or too serious! This could be a transit where we state our expectations so that both parties are aware - or maybe we set some sort of boundary either within ourselves or with others, in order to keep the flow nice and breezy. There is a readiness and an ease when it comes to feeling supported in our relationships and how we mesh together. Eager to spread our creative and social wings even wider, Saturn in Aquarius can help us create playful goals for the future and implement new patterns which support a breezier way of life.

 

Sun enters Gemini, 5/20

GEMINI SEASON IS HERE! Officially tho. Mercury and Venus have already started the party in Gemini. In the northern hemisphere, Gemini season marks the time of year when spring turns into summer. The wind scatters pink blossom leaflets over the sidewalks, while bees and butterflies pollenate the gardens of the earth. It’s a season of stimulus, casual excitement and keeping your days as open as possible for serendipity to work its magic. Ruled by Mercury in its home sign of Gemini for the entire season, we get a rare and true brainy yet flirty Gemini season. Best advice I can give is to keep the schedule as light and playful as possible and always keep a book or two on standby!

Sun square Jupiter, 5/21

Ooh lala! The Sun makes its first aspect to Jupiter in Pisces. This should help to illuminate some of the themes we are going to be working with while Jupiter bounces through mystical Pisces. Jupiter has spent the last two years under the thumb of Saturn and by now, we’re all ready to see Jupiter shine again! As this aspect will still be in orb at the time of the lunar eclipse on 5/26, we can expect to see a sneak preview of events which will eventually climax on the world stage next week. There may be a story around “gain” developing here. With Venus conjunct the north node on 5/17 and Jupiter’s ingress activating crypto-king Bitcoin’s natal Venus, we could witness some sort of boom or bust here. The Sun’s square to Jupiter can often describe some sort of overdoing, wanting more-more-more. Whatever happens around this date will certainly be revealing! We’ll get a glimpse of both the eclipse story and the Jupiter in Pisces journey will officially begin to uncoil.

Mercury square Neptune, 5/22***

Magdiel Lopez

While this aspect is exact today, we will be feeling this one for a while – fortunately and unfortunately! Mercury will station retrograde in a square with Neptune, essentially holding this aspect for a solid 3 weeks, and then reconvening in early July for a final say (this time Neptune retrograde and Mercury direct!).

A positive? This is your ticket to check out from micromanaging your life. To me, a domiciled Mercury in a square to hazy Neptune paints this picture: you’re on the final stretch of writing a 20 page paper. You’ve got nothing left to give, so you crack open a beer to carry you through to the end. Inspiration strikes. You finish your paper (nevermind the leaping conclusions at the end). Will your professor get it? Will they even actually read the whole thing? Should you go back and make some changes to the body of your paper to make it more cohesive? Mercury in a square to Neptune will 100% create more questions than provide answers. Don’t stress about figuring it all out right now. Be ok with not knowing.

Mercury in Gemini is a bit of a trickster, and the square to Neptune gives Mercury license for all kinds of chaos and confusion, misunderstandings and beyond. It’s when we try to rush the magician to reveal the secret code that we can run into trouble. Mercury’s square to Neptune may ask that we surrender to the flow. Be open to messages that you might otherwise prefer to resist!

May the Stars Shine Generously upon you,

Catherine