May is a “4” Universal Month [5 (May) + 8 (2024) = 13 = 1+3 = 4] in an “8” Universal Year. “4” months are about shoring things up and creating structure. We were put through the wringer during April’s intense total solar eclipse and Mercury retrograde cycle, and now we are tasked with picking up the pieces and making something out of what is left.
The Set Up
May is a “4” Universal Month [5 (May) + 8 (2024) = 13 = 1+3 = 4] in an “8” Universal Year. “4” months are about shoring things up and creating structure. We were put through the wringer during April’s intense total solar eclipse and Mercury retrograde cycle, and now we are tasked with picking up the pieces and making something out of what is left.
The Set Up
We begin the mo
We begin the month of May with the Sun, Venus, Jupiter, and Uranus in Taurus; Mercury and Mars in Aries, Saturn and Neptune in Pisces, and Pluto in Aquarius. This continues our pile-up of planets which have now been in a sequence of conjoining signs for several months. This indicates that this area of life – stretching from Aquarius and Pisces (the last two signs in the horoscope wheel) through to Aries and Taurus (the first two signs) – needs all of our attention. Something is ending and something is beginning but we are still mid-process.
By month’s end, the Sun, Venus, and Jupiter will have entered Gemini and Mercury will enter Taurus. Additionally, Pluto will have stationed retrograde.
The Nitty Gritty
When I say that “4” months have a certain feel, I want to point to May 2024 as a prime example. April was challenging for many people (I hesitate to say most but I think it might be headed in that direction) and it has left a big mess in its wake. It may take some time to gather ourselves enough to pick up the pieces, but May, with both its transits and its 4 energy, will offer us every opportunity to do so. The thing is, “4” energy isn’t something that just happens, you need to work for it.
In this, often-lazy Taurus isn’t doing us any favors but we are getting quite a bit of support from Mars in its home sign of Aries and Saturn in Pisces. This month’s big flex will be to get up daily and put one foot in front of the other. Show up for yourself. There are a couple of potential windfalls towards the end of the month but they will be much more beneficial for those that have put in the work beforehand.
The month begins with a bit of an ending as Venus in Taurus meets up in a fixed square with Pluto in Aquarius. There are a couple of things in play here. The first is that Pluto retrogrades the next day; during this retrograde, it will move backward into Capricorn for the last time later this year. The second is that this is part of an ongoing interplay between Venus and Pluto that stretches back to Venus’s retrograde in January of 2022 which was directly conjunct with Pluto in Capricorn.
We are in an ongoing cycle that involves the evolution of relationships (highlighted by our lunar node’s transits through Aries and Libra) with a marked push towards valuing the individual over the system as a whole. Venus, through her rulership of our relationship-loving sign Libra, has been in the hot seat for a while now. Now she is in her other ruling sign, Taurus, a sign that can be equally as unwilling to make a change. The problem is that Pluto isn’t a planet that can be reasoned with – as one of our outer planets, it is far beyond our control and immune to our influence.
When given the choice to bend or break, Taurus rarely chooses to bend. That will be a problem all month long as our personal planets all move through the sign of the bull and are forced to butt heads up against the inevitability that Pluto brings to the table.
Mars is in play here, too. At the end of April, Venus and Mars entered their home signs which is generally a positive indication for relationships of all kinds. Unfortunately, it brings both into immediate contact with Pluto. This could be a boon for relationships that are future-focused and committed to changing in ways that benefit all people involved. But it will be part of the ongoing stressor for those that are not. This is your cosmic reminder that the North Node in Aries demands independence for all parties during this time; avoid that at your peril.
Pain is on the table. Mercury, now direct, is working its way through its post-retrograde shadow where it meets up with Chiron for the third and final time at 21° Aries. This is very close (within 1°) to the point of our solar eclipse last month which included a rough stellium between the Sun, the Moon, retrograde Mercury, Chiron, and the North Node. We may have moved on (it has been a whole month and we are about to experience a new moon at 18° Taurus), but the scars have barely scabbed over. Monday 5/6 may prove a rough day for many who had difficulty with the solar eclipse as it may echo those same repeating themes.
As a culture, we are taught to ignore our pains but Chiron calls for us to stand up and look at them in the eyes. To know them and where they come from. This isn’t the easy path and it can require help (professional or otherwise). All aspects to Chiron support shadow work and healing of all kinds. With Mercury involved, you may want to talk it through or write it out.
This will still be in play for our New Moon at 18° Taurus on late Tuesday night (5/7) or early Wednesday morning (5/8) depending on your time zone. This lunar conjunction is in a strong sextile with Saturn in Pisces. Saturn can be a hard taskmaster, but that is necessary here – after a rough month, we are tasked with picking up the pieces and moving on. This is our first new moon since our eclipse cycle and our first chance to set intentions or to set things right. Taurus can be a very self-indulgent sign, so do your work and get yourself a little treat afterward for morale.
Small consistent steps are the name of the game all month long. Saturn can help us here. Things may feel hopeless (especially if you were rocked by eclipse season or Mercury retrograde) but Saturn reminds us that time changes all things. Today is the first day of the rest of your life, you might as well get going and do something about it.
After that, we sit for almost a full week without any non-lunar aspects. This is always a sign that we need to think about what we’ve done. This doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Keep moving. If today is hard, wake up tomorrow and start all over again. Taurus has a lot of staying power, you just need to tap into it.
5/13 will be a big turning point in the energy of the month. Venus in Taurus will sextile Saturn (another chance to work, I guess?) and Mercury will finally exit their post-retrograde shadow. Additionally, our Sun will conjunct Uranus at 23° Taurus – this starts a major Taurus stellium between the Sun, Venus, Jupiter, and Uranus that won’t complete until Venus conjunctions Jupiter at 28° on 5/23.
Ten days to get some shit done, that’s nothing to snaggle about. This energy will go from intense to more fruitful. I’d stay very aware and out of the fire on 5/13 (Uranus rules unexpected disasters) – don’t handle explosives if you don’t have to, physically or metaphorically. Uranian energy is uncontrollable at best, so step out of the way if you need to. But it does tend to encourage change and, with both the Sun and Jupiter involved, we can use this to our advantage.
On 5/15, Mercury finally enters Taurus after its ten-week tour of Aries. This was a really long time to experience our planet of communication in the fiery cardinal sign of the ram. It’s been a rough go all around with seemingly everybody having opinions about things they know nothing about. May the know-it-alls fall back into the shadows where they belong. Mercury in Taurus can be a bit bullheaded, but, for the most part, will think before they speak which is a major win. Depending on how your April went, you might need to apologize for a few things you said or fights you picked. Own up now because Mercury will meet up in sextile with Saturn soon enough. (Saturn rules consequence and repercussions)
In fact, Mercury makes an immediate square with retrograde Pluto in Aquarius. Pluto, like Uranus (who is very much still in play in that major Taurus stellium), acts upon us as an otherworldly presence. We don’t get to control how the planet of death and transformation shows up in our lives; the best we can do is adapt to these overarching inevitabilities. Neither Taurus nor Aquarius is particularly adaptable, so this may be a tough day – thankfully, Mercury transits pass quickly.
5/18 is our first benificent day of the month: our Sun is conjunct to Jupiter which brings great opportunities for luck and expansion (especially in the abundant, fertile sign of Taurus), Venus is conjunct to Uranus so chance is on the table, and Mars is conjunct to the North Node in Aries. If you need a change of pace, this is your day. If you are looking for luck, love, or money, this is also your day. I would work firstly with the Sun, then with Jupiter, and finally with Venus. Together this trifecta can pull in the power of otherworldly Uranus and our lunar nodes.
The seasons are beginning to shift again and we look to the late-spring mutable air sign Gemini. Our Sun in Taurus makes a quick and murky sextile to Neptune in Pisces on Sunday 5/19 before entering the sign of the twins on 5/20. Venus and Jupiter aren’t far behind which is a major boon to anybody with a strong Gemini element in their charts. But first, our Sun meets up with retrograde Pluto once again, this time in trine rather than last month’s square. The changes that need to be wrought this month are getting easier the further that we progress – Gemini, unlike Taurus, is open to bending in the ways needed to accommodate new things. That is, so long as they understand what they are bending for.
We’ve got a full moon for that! On Thursday, 5/23, Venus conjuncts Jupiter (so, so auspicious!) under the light of the full moon at 02° Sagittarius, the sign ruled by Jupiter. This is our second beneficent day of the month. Both Gemini and Sagittarius are inquisitive signs eager to learn and study. This is an auspicious day for all, but especially for scholars, students, artists, and writers. This is a great day to plan out your (artistic) year ahead, to apply to see your work published or in an art show, or simply to work with the magnanimous energy of Sagittarius to expand and grow. Set out some milk and cookies for Jupiter during this time (or maybe a good glass of scotch) and ask for some inspiration, it will be sure to follow. Later in the day, Venus enters Gemini.
On Saturday, 5/25, Jupiter joins Venus and the Sun in Gemini. Anytime our intermediate or outer planets change signs, the energy shifts substantially. We may find ourselves more interested in intellectual pursuits while Jupiter transits the airy sign of the twins, but we should be wary of Too Many Mind. Jupiter enbiggens everything it touches and Gemini is known for its chronic indecisiveness. Unlike some signs which can be too maudlin to see any options at all, Gemini’s indecision comes from seeing too many choices and a desire to explore them all. You may need to take concrete steps to stay on track. (unless you enjoy rabbit holes, I’m not judging)
With Jupiter in Gemini, Gemini season will happen fast and you can see that reflected in Mercury’s aspects. Mercury in Taurus makes a tougher aspect to Saturn in Pisces on 5/27 which is a reminder to keep a check on our thoughts during this airy season (always important) and then makes a major conjunction to Uranus at 24° Taurus. Uranus is the higher octave of Mercurial energy – where Mercury is thought, Uranus is pure inspiration, or, sometimes, madness. If you are prone to extreme flights of fancy or intense mania, this is a day to watch out for. If you need a good push to create or be bold, it can be used to your advantage.
Our last aspect for the month is a tough conjunction between Mars and Chiron at 22° Aries – this again is a reminder that when we are not paying attention to our actions, we can end up in some pretty rough places. Mars in Aries would rather run at full speed and is known for not looking where he is going. You might need to reign in some of your impulses as we get deeper into Gemini season, or else you end up sore muscled, and unable to move for a bit.
The Details
5/1 – Venus in Taurus square Pluto in Aquarius
5/2 – Pluto retrogrades 02° Aquarius
5/3 – Mars in Aries sextile Pluto in Aquarius
5/6 – Mercury conjunct Chiron 21° Aries
5/7 – New moon 18° Taurus (EDT, will be 5/8 for most of the US), Sun in Taurus sextile Saturn in Pisces
5/13 – Sun conjunct Uranus 23° Taurus, Mercury exits its post-retrograde shadow 27° Aries, Venus in Taurus sextile Saturn in Pisces
5/15 – Mercury enters Taurus
5/17 – Mercury in Taurus square retrograde Pluto in Aquarius
5/18 – Sun conjunct Jupiter 28° Taurus, Venus conjunct Uranus 23° Taurus, Mars conjunct North Node 13° Aries
5/19 – Sun in Taurus sextile Neptune in Pisces
5/20 – Sun enters Gemini
5/22 – Sun in Gemini trine retrograde Pluto in Aquarius
5/23 – Full Moon 02° Sagittarius, Venus conjunct Jupiter 29° Taurus, Venus and Jupiter in Taurus sextile Neptune in Pisces, Venus enters Gemini
5/25 – Jupiter enters Gemini
5/27 – Mercury in Taurus sextile Saturn in Pisces
5/29 – Mars conjunct Chiron 22° Aries
5/31 – Mercury conjunct Uranus 24° Taurus