5.15.23 Moon Tracks
A hopeful, spirited, and optimistic Moon in Pisces that plunged into Neptune’s waters, shifts terrain, swimming up to Aries. Coming off her meeting with Poseidon, Luna now meets with Hades, through a sextile, pleasing aspect to Pluto. Brothers presiding over the seas and the world below, consult with the Moon on their brother Zeus’ next steps.
Book XV of Homer’s poem The Iliad explains the rulership, “We were three brothers whom Rhea bore to Cronus - Zeus, myself and Hades who rules the world below. Heaven and earth were divided into three parts, and each of us was to have an equal share. When we cast lots, it fell to me to have my dwelling in the sea forevermore. Hades took the darkness of the realms under the earth, while air and sky and clouds were the portion that fell to Zeus; but earth and great Olympus are the common property of all.”
Sky, sea, and the underworld seek to understand the story on earth.
Mars, represented by Ares (Zeus’ son) in Cancer speaks with Neptune in Pisces through a trine, it is a pleasant conversation, but emotional. Both are in water signs, Poseidon’s lot, but Zeus still has a powerful, legislative domain in both. The deep spirited emotions that have been stirred and soothed with Venus’ assistance find a spirited path forward. Perhaps there has been fervent prayer in place, and under this transit miracles can happen. Initiative strikes, conversations are fruitful and hearts can mend.
Jupiter, Zeus, enters the earthly terrain of Taurus on May 16th, where all of us terrestrial creatures dwell. What exactly are we all up to, what kind of trouble are we getting into? Jupiter, the lawmaker, the wise magistrate, enters to set things straight. Big daddy Zeus, staff in hand walks into this fixed, earth sign with the intentions of getting everyone back in line. Jupiter seeks to expand, and this can be challenging if your focusing on the wrong outputs.
Are you falling off course, confusing goals, misinterperting the story line? Jupiter’s entrance into Taurus will help usher in wisdom, guidance. Jupiter can be the life coach, plotting, seeding and weeding the garden we are growing.
Taurus is the sign of the bull, a Venus ruled temple. This sign can be known to be resistant to change, stubborn, and yet fiercly enduring. With Jupiter’s arrival be cautious of what you are persistent on, but also know this planets arrival is good insurance of growing valuable skills and wishes.
Jupiter will remain in the sign of Taurus for an entire year. This is a beautiful position for the most fortunate of planets. Jupiter seeks to expand good fortune, encourage alignment, deliver on wishes. Look to the house Jupiter falls in your birth chart, you will be certain to see those particular themes highlighted, expanded and leveled up in the next year.
Jupiter is assisted when Luna herself enters Taurus on May 17th, shortly after a square to Mars. She brings in a helping exalted hand to the situation, and her influence only expands with her conjunction to Jupiter. This conjunction shadows the New Moon theme that will assume on May 19th at the 28 degree of Taurus.
The New Moon in Taurus at the final degrees of this earth sign, is ruled by Venus. Venus is currently in Cancer, there is a mutual reception between Venus and the Moon for this new lunar cycle. The fixidity of this earth sign, where the Moon finds exaltation, revolves around lasting value. There is a level of emotional care built into this cycle, and this can be a period of real healing for matters of the heart and matters of the land. This New Moon reminds me of the care we may give to the fixed earth we live on, environmental issues, healing solutions, breakthroughs on legislation or technology, a more concerted focus on personal care for Mother Earth and for personal relationships alike. If you have a garden, you may be ready to transplant eager seedlings and find this as a good point to harden them off and get them ready for the early summer season.
Venus is also saying goodbye to Mars in Cancer, freeing up those more inflamed insecurities in the Cancer aspect of your chart. Nourishing yourself, nourishing others feels lighter.
On the 20th, Mars enters Leo and immediately opposes Pluto in Capricorn. A stand-off of tensions arises between warrior Ares and cathartic, intense Hades. Leo is a yang fire sign, and with Mars arrival there the dry heat is turned up. Mars in Leo alone is a great placement for getting things done, increasing physical activity and approaching goals with immense courage. When Mars opposes Pluto this can be a real battle of will power, and can result in pushing too hard oneself or ideas on to another.
Mars pressing on Pluto can stir up subterranean will, desires, and secrets. It can feel almost invasive the tension that builds under this transit. On a collective or personal level, this can be a disclosure of hidden transgressions or malfeasances that surface. News stories around sexual offenses or wrongdoings,may also come to light under this transit. Heightened war is a real possiblity when these two meet in challenging aspects. Inflammation of underlying tensions is at play. Zeus is in the mix here in an applying square to both planets from the sign of Taurus. Zeus’ interjection is what keeps the pressure-cooker dial from turning all the way up to 10. Stuck in the middle of this intense will to dominate, expose and expel, Jupiter is the legislation, seeking righting the wrongs. Jupiter will continue to square off with just Mars next week, so this will be an ongoing dialogue and a longer transit.
On Sunday, May 21st the Sun enters Gemini and trines Pluto in Aquarius. Minds are lifted and progressive conversation overcomes our emotional sides. The Sun’s shift into an air sign ruled by Mercury is more focused on the details and working out the snags in any process. This is a Jupiter ruled decan, and though Jupiter does not do great in Mercury’s temple, I could see this next period of ten days as one focused on correcting systems or processes that are blocked from flow. Mercury is now direct and present with Jupiter in Taurus. This can be a really opportune time to look deeper into any aspect whether it is work or a relationship, and if there is not clear communication or understanding of how things are expected to work and flow, clearer solutions can be discovered. What has fallen away is the emotional component that can cloud clarity and expectations.
The Moon returns to her temple and takes a rest on Sunday, after overseeing all the busy planetary action. There in Cancer she finds restoration and nourishment, cohabiting with Venus only. The other great luminary the Sun aspects Mars through sextile just before midnight. Both whisper goodnight to this week’s relocation of planets and oscilating transits. Overall, this week seems to emphasis Zeus’ heavier hand amongst this sublunar land. Yet it takes the assistance of all his brothers to bring the picture into clearer vision.
What comes up for you this week, pay attention. The New Moon cycle coupled with Pluto and Mars in aspect to Jupiter, can highlight what we are determined to invest in and may ask us if we wish to keep feeding it our valuable resources. As above, so below; as below, so above.