By Angel Lopez:
May welcomes a lot of energetic shifts into your life, as some new beginnings take greater form but in a way that allows you the time to also process and integrate your life’s recent changes. And changes are in the air, so there isn’t really any way to avoid them.
It’s best that you lean in to the directions your life is trying to take.
Also, old mentalities are coming up for review this month, and you don’t want to waste a good opportunity to move forward in a way that frees you into a new existence, sans old baggage. This month also gives you a sneak peek into some larger growth opportunities coming your way next year, so take stock of what doors are trying to open for you and start to plant some seeds for next year’s harvest now.
Though this month has us all in the thick of Taurus Season, it actually begins with an influx of Gemini excitement. Both Mercury and Venus shift into this mind-based sign, and with that comes a focus toward communication, ideas, and connection. Nothing great is accomplished alone, and Gemini knows that it needs others in order to work out its thoughts and make any progress on its goals. With this shift, you can open yourself more easily to integrating others’ opinions. You just have to make sure not to take any criticism personally. The focus should be on the outcome and not exactly who or what is helping you get there.
Mercury’s move toward Gemini also invites you to pay closer attention to the relationship you have with your own internal voice. How does it help or hurt you? Is it offering you any kind words of encouragement or simply spewing challenging words of judgment?
The voice you use for or against yourself is the same voice you use toward others, so it’s valuable to treat yourself with kindness so that the same energy can translate to others.
Gemini also wants to be playful, so it’s important to not get so hung up on anything heavy. If anything, the words that come through that don’t evoke fun or joy may not be helpful to anyone and should be up for examination right now. Mercury will be moving into its retrograde shadow on the 15th and will enter a retrograde phase on the 30th. Once that happens, you’ll have more time for self-inquiry and a deepening of awareness. But start that process now, even before the 15th, and begin to pay attention to how that mind and your words are operating so that the retrograde doesn’t surprise you.
On May 11th, there’s a Taurus New Moon that wants to help you manifest your dreams. New moons offer a beginning, but this feels like it’s a burst of fresh energy for something that’s already been in the works. You have a larger project, life change, or just a vision for yourself that you’ve probably been trying to accomplish for some time now and perhaps you’ve been putting more effort or energy toward it. If you have, then this moon brings a wave of momentum for you to jump into, bringing you steps closer toward the greater transformation you’ve been undergoing. If you haven’t been taking steps toward the dream, let this new moon sweep you into taking some tangible steps, even if it’s just doing research for that new city you’re pondering a move to or reaching out to someone in the field you’re curious about stepping into. Any step can become a leap.
Jupiter swings into Pisces on May 13th, where it will spend about two and half months. This really gives us all a glimpse into one of next year’s bigger stories when Jupiter will be in that sign for seven months. But starting this month, we get to see what growth and abundance Jupiter has in store for us when it moves through one of its favorite signs. Jupiter wants to expand anything it touches, and through the lens of Pisces, it has the soul’s needs in mind. So, you should see your deepest desires getting a rush of advancement. Jupiter also brings some luck and prosperity with it, so pay attention to where you see things going your way in the latter half of the month. Again, this is all laying the foundation for a greater story to come in the year ahead. But this “coming attractions” preview should be taken advantage of, planting the seeds for any bigger accomplishments that you’re trying to call in down the road.
On the 20th, The Sun joins Mercury and Venus in Gemini, bringing more communication and connection to the forefront. If you’ve only been able to have conversations with yourself up to this point, you’ll find it easier to speak your mind. However, Mercury will already be approaching its retrograde slowdown, which could minimize Gemini’s usual swift pace. Do your best to think twice before you speak. Also, know that everyone is going to be over-identifying with their minds but not everyone is going to be aware of Mercury’s slowing momentum. So, you should try to have patience with those who don’t know how to hold their tongue or forgive those who talk a good game without being able to back it up. They’re just clueless to the energies, but you don’t have to be, and you can try your best not to hold it against them.
Saturn is going to enter its retrograde phase on the 24th, where it will be through October. This retrograde has it backtracking all the way to the story it started in mid-February, so you may find yourself having to revisit some of the work you’ve done since then. This doesn’t have to be all bad. In Aquarius, it gives you a chance to regroup on projects and/or reassess the partners you’ve taken on. Who and what supports the more authentic version of you that is stepping into the forefront right now? You may find that you need to reintroduce yourself to the world in some way. You’ll also have this retrograde time to integrate any adjustments you need to make in how you approach your work so that you can be more productive moving forward.
Finally, May 26th brings the Sagittarius Full Moon, when you get a chance to release what you already think you know in exchange for what your life is trying to teach you right now.
This goes back to this month’s earlier lesson of over-identifying with your mind. It’s easy to get so attached to what personal experience has taught you in the past that you close off to new opportunities that look or feel similar. But sometimes, you just have to approach life from a present-day mentality to take on something you normally wouldn’t allow yourself to do. Yes, with this comes risk, but with risk comes beautiful reward.
It’s important to push yourself toward having faith and saying yes to something uncomfortable.
It can help you to grow in the long run, and it could be part of the garden that’s going to grow in the new year with help from Jupiter. And remember that Gemini Season is a good time to be curious, so be curious about what you’re capable of, which is most likely much more than you think.
Angel Lopez is a film producer, writer, astrologer, and co-host of the podcast, THE SPIRITUAL GAYZ alongside his husband, our Spiritual Guru Brandon Alter. Angel has been studying and working with both tarot and astrology for twenty years. He hosted the astrology web-series, ASTRO TALK WITH ANGEL, and writes the blog ASTROLOGY REALNESS. He has also had pieces published on Upworthy.com and The Huffington Post.
On the film side, Angel produced the Sundance Film Festival award winning film DEAR WHITE PEOPLE, as well as the features THE DINNER and STATE LIKE SLEEP. He also wrote and directed his own short film, I CAN’T WITH YOU, which had its premiere at the 2016 HollyShorts Film Festival, and he recently finished producing filmmaker Justin Simien’s second feature, BAD HAIR.