Current Transits for May 2014 Current Transits for May 2014Here's some of the important astrological news this month ...
Jupiter Trine Chiron, 5-14
Full Moon at 23Sc54, 5-14
Pallas enters Virgo, 5-16
Mars Direct Station at 9Li01, 5-19
Jupiter Trine Saturn, 5-24
Vesta Direct Station at 16Li24, 5-27
New Moon at 7Gm21, 5-28
An online ephemeris for the month is available.
It's been a long time coming, but there is finally some relief on the horizon from the Grand Cross energies that have been following us since the beginning of the year. We eek out a storm or two yet in May, but the last half of the month is eerily quiet in comparison to what we've been experiencing the last 4 months. This sounds like a big break from all the planetary activity that has been driving people crazy, which it is, but it has its downsides as well. According to "Donna's Law", when the storm breaks, the energies we've been surfing and relying on for support in our daily lives dissipate, leaving a chaotic situation behind for us to navigate on our own. You've been warned. On the plus side, Mars ends his retrograde cycle on the 19th, so it becomes easier to wield your personal power and get things done, just as the larger pattern is falling apart. We are entering a period the next few months when the outer planet patterns are in flux, a planetary game of musical chairs. All the big stories we've gotten used to this year are changing and fading away, while new patterns and themes start to build up in their place. Already, Jupiter is outpacing the rest of his Grand Cross partners (Mars, Uranus, Pluto), having more to do with the likes of Saturn and Neptune for a change. Mars will have one more dalliance with Uranus and Pluto in June and July and then he moves out as well. The events of April will likely have long term consequences down the road for us to clean up, but we're through the worst of the immediate crises and the situation this summer looks much different. It's a good time to wrap up any projects you've been working on while you still have a tailwind at your back, especially if it involves mental work. Mercury, the thinking mind, is slowing down towards the end of May and goes retrograde Jun 7 until Jul 1, making it harder to think straight for awhile. This is all small stuff compared to the big cosmic stories we've weathered so far in 2014. And as they say, don't sweat the small stuff. Get some R&R, if life permits.
There's not much news in May. We have a pair of "big aspects" and a couple of direct stations to consider. There's also the sign change situation for Pallas.
Jupiter is trine Chiron on the 14th, the last of 3 such contacts. The previous contacts were on 2013-8-21 and Feb 5 of this year. Jupiter represents our interactions with other people around us and how we all benefit from combining forces and working together. This involves a "buying into the game" at some level in order to make these contacts go smoothly and predictably. We fall into habitual patterns of behavior, taking on roles that define our places in society and in our relationships. Despite the enormous benefits of this kind of collaboration, it has its downsides if we take these roles and masks too seriously. These personae make life go easily with others, but it tends to suck the life and spontaneity out of your inner life over the years. Some people identify with these masks so completely they forget their unique nature and become a hollow shell of themselves eventually. With luck, you take the road instead of examining this inner void later in life and striving to rediscover your hidden self. Chiron is all about finding this self that's been hidden away in a dark closet since childhood and reclaiming all the quirkiness that you were born with. This is a trine aspect, which makes this reconciliation much easier to grasp, especially if you approach the task consciously and with determination. This has been a difficult road for Jupiter to tread, since he's been in the company of other outer planets (namely Uranus and Pluto) that operate on a much deeper level than he's used to handling. Face it, Jupiter is a bit of a light weight character, while these other planets push us to very deep levels of our being, particularly unconscious levels that lie just beyond our normal awareness. It's almost as if Jupiter finds he's wearing not just one mask, but an endless series of them. Discovering your inner self is a spiritual task that is never done. There are always more layers of the psyche to peel away, more mysteries to explore. Step by step, we are called to work at higher levels than we can imagine. Keep searching.
This is the full moon following the solar eclipse of Apr 29 , so it's a time to check in and see how we're handling those influences. The Grand Cross pattern (Uranus / Venus, Jupiter, Mars, Pluto, with help from Mercury) is still active, but showing signs of wear and tear. Venus grows ever closer to Uranus, which really turns the emotional world upside down. The Sun and Moon are only loosely connected to the rest of the planets, with only a Sun trioctile Mars later today to anchor this contact. The Moon is just past a conjunction with Saturn in Scorpio, which along with Jupiter and Chiron forms a Grand Trine. There's much going on in this chart, but it also feels like we're a bit "cut off" from the world at some level.
The emotional undercurrents the next two weeks are probably the biggest obstacle to handle. Between Saturn and the Moon together in Scorpio and Venus conjunct Uranus in Aries, people feel either threatened and defensive or else hot headed and jumpy. Considering that the Moon is also octile Mars, egos are bruised, making us likely to lash out at each other. The cosmic joke here (how the universe loves irony!) is that the underlying reasons for all this distress are not likely to be obvious to the people involved. We keep fighting and we don't even know why. That Grand Trine in water signs points to a lot of emotional impact from our daily interactions with others, laced with an unhealthy dose of shame and guilt when we get out of line. Uranus and Pluto, still acting out their square that keeps giving for 3 years straight, bring in even deeper levels of the psyche, mostly beyond the sight of our everyday awareness. We are continually being tripped up by parts of our character that lie in our own blind spots -- we literally don't know what's affecting us. These two planets have been breaking down old, outworn behavior patterns and beliefs for several years now, allowing new and unsuspected traits to arise in their place. The effect is disruptive, chaotic, confusing and sometimes shocking. So much so at times, we still refuse to accept our own behavior as coming from ourselves. It must be the fault of somebody or something outside of ourselves. It may sound strange, but I've found after decades of watching how these outer planets influence people that this notion of things being completely outside of or independent of us is mostly a delusion, and that much of what we "see" in the outside world is really a reflection of our inner selves. Collectively, when large groups of people let their inner turmoil flow out into the world, we create any of the many earthly hells you see featured on the evening news (and there's been a lot of them lately!). The punch line to the cosmic joke is we don't have to do this anymore. Living with the outer planets requires that you operate at a higher, more conscious level, with more love and sensitivity than you feel you can handle -- if you don't want things to crash and burn. Perhaps this is what all this Grand Cross energy of the last 5 months has been about. It's been fascinating to watch other people recently. The anxiety and paranoia has been intense; people are cracking under the stress. It takes a very big Zen Stick up the side of the head to get some people to wake up and Pluto's got one of the biggest sticks around. Settle down, don't get distracted by your freaking out, look at the bigger picture. After all, the Sun is in slow and steady Taurus. We've still got another year of the Uranus-Pluto square and who knows what other outer planet patterns to weather. It's life. Don't fight it so hard...
Pallas moves into Virgo again on the 16th. This is one of those complicated retrograde dances back and forth across the Leo-Virgo border, starting last fall. She first entered Leo on 2013-9-11, moving into Virgo on 2013-11-9. After going retrograde on Jan 6 this winter, she backed into Leo one more time on Mar 5. Her stay in this sign was short lived, since she went direct on Apr 8 and is now returning to Virgo, where she will stay until moving into Libra on the Aug 10. Asteroid influences can often be subtle and hard to notice, especially when they are dragged out as long as this one has been. Retrograde cycles typically signal a time when you need to pay extra attention to that planet's role in your psyche and take it to the next level. Pallas often deals with planning, with looking at a situation, sizing it up, seeing where it's going in the future and figuring out how to get the results you desire. Obviously, if the approach you take to accomplish your goals isn't working for you, you should stand back and reexamine your methods. Pallas came through Leo first, a sign of the young ego finding his niche in life. It's tempting to want to slide by on charm and an exaggerated sense of your importance, but that only gets you so far. Virgo says to put your pride aside, improve your knowledge and skills, and make your mark based on substance rather than bluster. As she started backing up, this phase of learning became serious, a kind of cosmic apprenticeship, until she backed into Leo once more. Hopefully, you've progressed some by now, the youthful ego giving up his folly and taking on a deeper, more serious sense of self. It's time to take these lessons, internalize them, make them your own. It's only when you become your wisdom that you truly know it. Yet again, this phase has passed as Pallas returns to Virgo. Knowledge and skill can proceed to new heights undreamed of during your earlier struggles. Let your previous limitations fall away as you move to the next level. As I said, the effect is subtle and you may not notice that much is changing for you, but it's worth your while to make the effort anyway.
Mars is at his direct station of 9Li01 on the 19th. This ends a retrograde cycle that began back on Mar 1, when he went into reverse gear at 27Li31. Mars is your will power, the ability to make your desires real, the strength, stamina and chutzpah to change the world around you to your bidding. Since early March, Mars has had two strikes against him. First of all, he's hanging out in Libra, a sign that emphasizes relationships, diplomacy and cooperating with others for common goals, all qualities that are foreign to Mars' normal behavior. The other issue is his retrograde cycle which forces a person to reassess how they are using their Warrior God in daily life. It produces a tendency to step on other people's toes, creating tension and conflict. If you've found yourself butting heads with those around you lately, you probably didn't get the memo about this placement. Working with others is not a crime, while unconstrained ego rarely gets good results. As Mars goes direct, some of this conflict and restriction may lift a bit. It becomes easier to put your plans into action without annoying people around you. Mars has been a big player in the Grand Cross pattern this year, part of the reason it's been so harsh on us. It's ironic that as Mars resumes normal motion, the Cross and the support it provides is falling apart. There may still be a rude shock or two to face in coming weeks, so don't get too cocky. Otherwise, if you want to get something done, you're increasingly on your own. That's actually the way Mars prefers it. Recall that Russia celebrated the retrograde station last March by invading the Crimea and annexing it, followed by threats and belligerence in eastern Ukraine since then. The two sides are way beyond seeing eye to eye in these matters and Putin shows no signs of backing down. International condemnation and a series of economic sanctions that are harming the Russian economy in the long run have made no difference so far. This is an excellent example of how not to handle a retrograde Mars. Maybe there will be a shift in this standoff, now that Mars is resuming normal motion...
Jupiter is trine Saturn on the 24th, the last of 3 such contacts. They met earlier on 2013-7-17 and 2013-12-12. Jupiter and Saturn are the "social planets", the ones that rule over how larger groups of people come together and work for the common good. Jupiter represents the benefits and rewards from this joint activity and pooling of resources, while Saturn is more the rules and responsibilities that bind us together in a kind of social contract with each other. Their influence is often felt more on the greater stage of society at large than in the lives of individuals, or at least it's more visible at that scale. You normally think of trine aspects as being all good luck and smooth sailing, but that doesn't seem to be the case with the current 20 year cycle for these planets. The last positive aspect between Jupiter and Saturn was their series of trines in 2007-8, about the time the housing bubble was popping and the economy was about to collapse. Since then, we've had a long series of difficult aspects for these two, a Great Recession and a long, weak recovery. We're due for some good news for a change, but apparently this current trine isn't it. The first contact last July was notable for being a tight Grand Trine configuration with Neptune. Again, it sounds really positive in theory, but the results have been very mixed. While Neptune is an idealist, aiming for the highest good, he's also impractical and often confused or deluded. This Grand Trine certainly did nothing on the level of government, with the twin fiascos of a federal shutdown and the botched rollout of the health care program giving everyone a black eye. Of course, as we reach the last contact this month, the federal government has fallen into total stagnation in honor of the coming fall elections. On the personal level, it's important to take responsibility for your own actions more, while opening up to others and cooperating more fully. People thrive best when they support each other and have each other's backs covered. You may not see tangible results of this until after Saturn goes direct on Jul 20. The next big aspect for Jupiter and Saturn is their upcoming square in 2015-6, just in time for the next presidential elections. It's going to be a rough time for the country and the world, given how little progress humanity is making now when the influences are so much easier.
Vesta goes direct at 16Li24 on the 27th. This ends a cycle that started with her retrograde station at 29Li59 back on Mar 1. Vesta is an introvert, so unless you have a similar attitude, you may not resonate well to her influence. Asteroid influences can be subtle anyway, so an extrovert may not even notice this event. But for a person like myself that is captivated by the inner world, her retrograde cycles can be quite powerful. Vesta is good at dealing with people, but she finds it somewhat draining emotionally and eventually needs to retreat to her castle for some solitude. When she goes retrograde, this need to retire from the world becomes quite compelling. Projects, ideas, art, etc. from the inner realms come calling, dragging your attention away from outer world concerns. It's an excellent time for pulling away from the same old, same old daily activities and indulging your inner Muse. The solitude recharges and feeds her soul. Unfortunately, this sometimes ruffles the feathers of the people around you. Retreat can look like rejection and pulling away to them, so Vesta is often faced with having to handle difficult social relationships when she most desires to be alone. Notice where in the zodiac this retrograde zone lies. Not only is it totally in Libra, the most social and other-centered sign, but the retrograde station back in March was at the last minute of the last degree of Libra! She almost escaped from people and was pulled back right at the last instant. The interpersonal element can't be avoided this time around. Now that she's at her direct station, the tug from within is somewhat lessened and Vesta is more inclined to come out of her shell. If you've been on a creative bender for the last few months, it's time to show off your work to others. Hopefully, this time alone will fortify you awhile so you can be out in the world and engaged again. Until next time, at least...
As you can tell by looking at the waveform, there's not much going on at the new moon. The Sun and Moon are square Neptune tightly and more widely trine Mars -- that's about it. Juno joins the Grand Trine (she's opposite Saturn), but Jupiter is already moving out of this Trine and has nothing ahead of him as he heads for the Leo border (Jul 16). Mercury and Venus are both curiously in the 29th degree of their signs (Gemini and Aries, resp.) and about to move into new placements. You can't even find the old Grand Cross in the waveform anymore.
To the extent that there's much energy here at all, there's a lot of relationship energy in this chart, with Sun, Moon and Mars all in air signs. Nothing intense or earth shattering, more a "let's hang out and chat" vibe. Mars is moving forward barely, so hopefully he's less ego and more sociable than before. The other planet in this group is Neptune, who tends to blanket the world in a fog of confusion and glamour. I've noticed over the years that aspects between Mars and Neptune rarely work out positively for Mars. Neptune seems to blunt his will power and focused urge to act, creating much lethargy and lack of ambition, especially with the challenging aspects. Actually, we have many reasons to feel lazy besides this aspect. The 29 degree situation is indicative of a big psychological transition about to happen over the next 15 hours. Mercury is in the process of switching over from a crisp rationalist to a sentimentalist dominated by the emotions. Venus is caught between a hot headed sign that doesn't flatter her at all and a sedate, sensual sign that happens to be one of her zodiacal homes. Neither planet really knows what it's doing right now. As for the former Grand Cross, all that energy is dormant and fading away eventually. In fact, Neptune is the strongest outer planet right now, a complete reversal from a few weeks ago. All the harsh catalysts of convulsive change are spent, letting the quiet Dreamer have the stage. Don't get me wrong -- Neptune causes profound change as well. It just happens to be imperceptible most of the time and often less disruptive. We head into June on a quiet note, more or less...