Astrological Forecasts

Heads Up!

The Writer’s Astrological Almanac

By Kathy Watts

May 2016

(all times PDT)

May! We are in the incredible heart of spring. Five planets are retrograde now, including Mercury, but that won’t last. If life has been hectic, here’s our chance to shift into a slightly lower gear.

Sun May 01 the Moon is void of course in Aquarius when the Sun makes a sextile with Neptune. That can give a boost to dreams and inspiration. Later in the morning the Moon moves into Pisces. Enjoy the dreamy atmosphere but don’t float away.

Mon May 02 the Moon conjoins Neptune in Pisces. The mental fog may thicken, but you can work through, and even with, it. If you’re feeling weepy, blot those eyes and keep writing.

Tue May 03 the Moon is void of course in Pisces when the Sun trines Jupiter (which is still retrograde, by the way). Take on a big project or chip the corner off a big work in progress. There’s no rush. The Moon enters Aries in the late morning. Let your motivation heat up and see how much you can get done.

Wed May 04 the Moon is in Aries all day. Take your vitamins, work hard, and blast away. At 9:17 pm the Moon conjoins Uranus and goes void of course. The Moon may still be in Aries, but the evening should be less hyper, crazy or surprising perhaps but less hyper.

Thu May 05 the Moon enters Taurus at 10:10 am. Work habits can get steadier. Take pleasure in your work all day, as the Moon conjoins Venus at 10:12 pm. Happy Cinco de Mayo! Maybe I should say Heads Up. It’s also the day before the New Moon. Definitely Heads Up! Play it safe and smart.

Fri May 06 is the New Moon in 16 Tau at 12:30 pm. Have a productive and profitable month just by doing what comes naturally (that’s often what we do best anyway). At 7:10 pm the Moon conjoins Mercury retrograde and goes void of course. You don’t need to manically write through the evening, but you might.

Sat May 07 the Moon leaves Taurus at 9:35 am and enters the gloriously creative and infinitely curious sign of Gemini. We have from now until Monday morning to be our most mercurial (in the good sense), conversational, and constructive selves. Do good things!

Sun May 08 the Moon is in Gemini all day. Are you still reading, writing, and socializing? Take mental notes.

Mon May 09 the Moon is void of course in Gemini when Jupiter goes stationary direct at 5:14 am. Heads Up for luck (and other good things) to be on the gradual increase (or at least become more evident again in the world). At 8:12 am the Sun conjoins Mercury retrograde in Taurus. Heads Up. There may be a short period when nothing makes much sense and you don’t care, but that will swiftly pass. At 10:24 am the Moon enters its home sign of Cancer. Spend the day getting comfortable in your own skin, your own home, and your own work environment.

Tue May 10 the Moon is in Cancer when Venus makes a trine with Jupiter. Pamper yourself by doing some self-indulgent work on a pet project. Tidy it up later, if ever. Regardless, enjoy the work.

Wed May 11 the Moon enters Leo in the afternoon. If you’re not fired up in the morning, you may be by the afternoon. Be proud of what you do, but don’t necessarily show it to the world right away.

Fri May 13 the Moon is void of course in Leo when Mercury retrograde and Venus form a conjunction in Taurus. Know what you want to do and figure out how to do it. No big deal.

Sun May 15 the Moon conjoins Jupiter in Virgo. Work on something small and have a big good feeling about it all.

Wed May 18 the Moon is in Libra for virtually the whole day. Are you part of a writer’s group or do you have a partner? Do good stuff today, even if it’s mostly having discussions or sharing constructing critiques. We can all use another pair of eyes. At 11:29 pm the Moon enters Scorpio. Go to bed tired and sleep well. We are having a month of Wednesdays with the Moon in Cardinal signs, with a touch of Fixed (Leo and Scorpio) tossed in for good measure. It’s the thirty-sixth anniversary of the eruption of Mt. St. Helens.

Thu May 19 the Moon is in Scorpio all day. More notably (no offense to Scorpio) is that it’s the last day of the year that the Sun spends in the sign of Taurus. You know what’s coming next. Tomorrow the world may seem faster, more youthful and mischievous, and more suited for writing (unless socializing and “enrichment day” field trips interfere). Heads Up!

Fri May 20 the Moon is in Scorpio when the Sun leaves Taurus and enters the sign of Gemini. Heads Up all month long for an active mind and a lot more communication and cleverness in all their myriad forms. Heads Up!

Sat May 21 the Moon enters Sagittarius at 11:48 am, and moves on until at 2:14 pm we have the Full Moon at 01 Sag. Heads Up for a vibrant, expansive month. Get out more and mix, then come back in and write. At 3:43 pm the Moon conjoins Mars retrograde in Sagittarius. Yes, you have the energy for all of this. Lastly, today is the last day that Mercury is retrograde in Taurus. Don’t loosen your grip on what you need for your work. Heads Up.

Sun May 22 the Moon is in Sagittarius when at 4:17 am the Sun opposes Mars retrograde. Mars is at its brightest and most golden now, and is high in the southern sky around midnight for the next few nights. Take a look if you can. Heads Up and be more selective about where you want to put your strongest efforts. About two hours later, at 6:20 am, Mercury turns stationary direct. Heads Up. Relax but don’t let your work ethic slip. At 3:20 pm the Moon conjoins Saturn in Sagittarius. (Saturn is retrograde all month long, by the way.) Those careful, more skillful work habits you may have discovered during the Mercury retrograde are all still there for you.

Tue May 24 the Moon is in Capricorn when at 2:45 am Venus changes signs, leaves her home sign Taurus and enters Gemini. Work may take on a more delicately lovely feel. Your efforts may also become more vibrant and perhaps even whimsical. Heads Up. At 7:38 pm Venus opposes Mars. Heads Up. You may think you know where your passions lie, but you might just change your mind.

Wed May 25 the Moon is in Capricorn all day. At 7:21 am the Moon conjoins Pluto. It may be a good day to keep the head down and take refuge in your work.

Thu May 26 the Moon is void of course in Capricorn when Jupiter and Saturn make an exact square. Be willing to work hard and do those nagging little necessary things. This keeps Saturn happy, and sets you up for a more orderly, successful future.

Fri May 27 the Moon is in Aquarius when Mars retrograde slips out of Sagittarius and reenters its traditional home sign of Scorpio. Heads Up. You know what’s most important to you. Play it straight. Do it.

Sun May 29 the Moon conjoins Neptune in Pisces, for the second time this month. Don’t you love these 31-day long months?

Mon May 30 the Moon makes a trine with Mars retrograde and goes void of course in Pisces. By 6:09 pm the Moon will have entered Aries. At 8:09 pm Mercury trines Pluto. Ready for a surprise? or for launching one? Happy Memorial Day (in the US).

We’ve seen astrologically nuttier months. We started with five retrograde planets and conclude with three. The Mars opposition keeps enthusiasm high, and honest. You control the horizontal and the vertical in your life, and especially in your work. In a month when Taurus and Scorpio exert so much influence, sparks can fly if you get careless and let something get out of control, because it will. You know what you want to do, even if you need to experiment a little to figure out exactly how. Take your time, but take it! Be brilliant and write on!