Molly's Astrology for May 2008
May 2008 astrological forecast for all signs
May’s most important astrological event is Jupiter sextile Uranus. This alignment appears twice in 14 years and pairs growth and optimism (Jupiter) with change, experimentation, and freedom (Uranus).
Jupiter sextile Uranus signals opportunity, a lucky chance, desire for knowledge, and a quick grasp of new ideas. Jupiter represents growth and freedom. Jupiter is in Capricorn, where we grow and liberate ourselves through discipline, hard work, and building trust. Explore and have fun, but do the work, too. Make sure you follow through, and don’t lose sight of your goals. You could uncover secret or hidden information that proves very helpful as Jupiter sextiles Uranus in Pisces— a sign whose intuitive talent balances and enhances the rock solid practicality of Capricorn. Both Jupiter and Uranus are forward thinking and visionary, so it’s a great month to make plans for the future.
Writers, artists, and other creative types— get that first draft down on paper this month. You can then use the Mercury retrograde period that begins on May 26 to review and revise your work. You may be working on an idea or concept that first came your way in March, during the first pass of the Jupiter-Uranus sextile. Now we are in the second pass, when the idea gestates and percolates.
May 1-4
Happy May Day! May 1 is great for handling financial affairs, for shared efforts and responsibilities, for starting a new job or making a commitment, as Venus in Taurus forms a trine— an interplanetary “kiss”— with trustworthy and stable Saturn in hardworking Virgo.
Venus is the love and beauty vibe. She is very strong in her home sign Taurus until May 24. Taurus symbolizes luxury, money, and earthy beauty. When Venus is happy, it’s a good time to socialize, build or cement a relationship, create art, and make money.
As of May 2, we’ll have another planet in its home sign as Mercury enters intelligent and fast-moving Gemini. But the first couple of days are rough, as Mercury will immediately form a square with Saturn in Virgo. Gemini and Virgo are both very intelligent and versatile. But together they can become worrywarts— pessimistic, restless and prone to worry and fretting. It’s easy to get caught up in negative thinking or unimportant details and lose sight of the big picture. So Friday isn’t the day to present your big idea to the boss. Saturday isn’t, either. Wait for a new Moon, a new perspective, on Monday morning.
May 5-8
Meanwhile, Saturn has finished his 5-month long retrograde and has started moving forward again. You may not notice anything, unless a planet in your chart is around 1 or 2 degrees of mutable signs. In this case, a situation that has been stuck for several weeks or months may turn a corner. A retrograde planet is symbolic of a process of incubating or internalizing something— an idea, an opportunity, a relationship— that came to you previously. When a retrograde planet goes direct, we take what we have been doing on an internal level and turn it outward. Decisions are made, and deals are done.
With this in mind, Monday’s Taurus New Moon is an interesting one. The New Moon kicks off the Lunar cycle, and as such, it’s a potent time for new beginnings and for setting intentions for your future. In New Moon Astrology, Jan Spiller advises us to make wishes concerning material well-being, pleasure, self-worth, cultivating patience, and releasing stubbornness. It’s also good for creative handling of your money and resources. You may discover a new use for an old item or skill. This New Moon sextiles Uranus, planet of sudden insights and breakthroughs, in sympathetic and sensitive Pisces. So pay attention to dreams. The answer to your prayers comes in a form you weren’t expecting.
May 9-12
Of all the astrological events in May, this is the one that has me singing the Hallelujah Chorus: Mars entering Leo on May 9.
Hallelujah Chorus uploaded by 
gautam
Because he retrograded late last year, Mars, the soldier of the Zodiac, has made two long trips through sensitive Cancer, a sign where expression of his basic energy is difficult— in other words, he’s uncomfortable. I think of planets as actors and signs as the roles they play, the costumes they wear. Mars in Cancer has to wear his underwear a couple of sizes too small. You can see how this is a problem! When Mars is unhappy, we tend to be more reactive, sometimes overreactive. We take things personally, and we’re defensive and crabby (Cancer) cranky and irritable (unhappy Mars). And this is where we have been since early March.
But Mars in Leo, that’s another story. Plenty of room in this pair of jockeys! Leo is bossy, dramatic, warm, fun, creative, confident, and proud— a much better fit for the fiery energy of Mars. And when Mars is happy, our collective biorhythm tends to run higher. We’re less easily offended and more easily amused. We have more energy and creativity, we’re more robust and inclined to take decisive action. Sound good to you? Then join me in rolling out the red carpet for Mars in Leo!
Step lightly on Friday and Saturday as Mars forms an inconjunct with Pluto. Impatient or uncompromising attitudes rule the day. We need to remain flexible and ready to work around obstacles and changing plans, even though we don’t want to.
Mother’s Day is one of the brightest spots of the month. The Sun will touch Jupiter and Uranus. This combines the earthy, practical, and artistic nature of the Taurus Sun with the optimistic and unconventional Jupiter-Uranus sextile that’s building in power. Shake things up a little— give Mom something to talk about on Monday! The astrology this weekend is especially good for singers, artists, crafty people, designers, and decorators, as well as accountants and financial planners. This also signals benefit from persons in authority (Jupiter in Capricorn). Have you received your “stimulus” check yet?
May 13-18
Once, when I was around 10 years old, I was making something with lots of salt in it. Homemade play-dough, I think. Salt, flour, and food coloring. I had measured out a cup of salt for this project, and, having the typical short attention span of an Aries child, I left it and started doing something else.
Later on, my mom, thinking the cup of salt was a cup of sugar, poured it back into the sugar bin on the counter. We realized the mistake when someone made Kool-aid using the salted sugar. Yuck! I’m telling you this story because snafu’s like this can happen easily under a Sun-Neptune square like this one on Tuesday and Wednesday. It’s confusing and foggy. Many things are not what they seem to be (like my cup of salt), and you’re less likely to get the answers and/or resources you need. Save your most important business for Thursday and Friday if you can.
This weekend, put on your boogie shoes. Venus will sextile Uranus and trine Jupiter— people are feeling sociable and in the mood to mingle. Energetically, it’s similar to last weekend when the Sun contacted these two planets. A little more subdued and emotionally charged. But it still looks like a good party.
May 19-24
A Full Moon in intense Scorpio on Monday night raises the emotional barometer to peak levels. ER nurses will tell you that the emergency room fills up on Full Moon nights. But you don’t have to be in that crowd. Just understand that this intense Lunar energy brings buried emotions to the surface. And be there for yourself in a loving way. Relationships are in a weird place as Venus squares Neptune. Don’t let that distract you from the big picture— as the Jupiter Uranus kiss reaches peak power, the time is right for breakaways, breakouts, breakthroughs, and lucky breaks. Keep your eyes on the prize: truth. The truth will set you free. Leave the past behind.
Thursday, as the Sun squares heavy, pessimistic Saturn, take it easy. Sun-Saturn aspects challenge our vitality and self-confidence. It’s a glass half empty day when it’s easier to see problems than solutions.
And Mercury retrograde begins on Monday. You can often feel it coming on a few days before it actually starts. Mercury retrograde is Murphy’s Law time— anything that can go wrong, goes wrong during Mercury rx. Technical glitches, miscommunication, travel and traffic problems, and scheduling snafus are more likely between now and June 19. It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do anything— but you do need to leave extra room in your schedule for unexpected delays, and double-check all written work before it leaves your office. Any software upgrades or system maintenance on your computer or network should be done before Mercury retrograde begins.
There’s no doubt it is a pain in the rear-end at times, but it does have an upside. As Mercury backtracks, so can you. It’s a great time to review the past— what worked, what didn’t, and how you can improve your methods in the future. I closed on my house and bought my car during Mercury retrograde periods, and both turned out well. The trick is to check everything out carefully and write contingencies into the contract. In both cases, there were minor things that needed to be taken care of after the contract signing. And in both cases, I was very careful— I read the fine print, asked tons of questions, took the car to my mechanic, and watched transits of Mercury to other planets in the sky, and to my chart. (If you don’t know how to do this for yourself, an astrologer can help you. Good timing does make a difference.)
May 25-31
Memorial Day, Venus squares Saturn. When the love goddess links up with the god of limitations, burdens, and time, there’s a serious tone to the day. Perhaps someone is feeling needy or insecure. Don’t be stingy with your affection if that’s the case! And be careful on the trip home.
There are no major planetary contacts through the end of the month. It may help you to know we are in the last quarter of the Lunar cycle, a quiet time well-suited for clearing the decks and preparing for a new beginning. It’s a good time to get ready for the big new thing, but save the “ta-da” moment for the New Moon (June 3) if you can.
Interesting links
Ken’s weather forecast for May
Lynn Koiner’s article on Mars in Leo
Lance Ferguson on the economy in the next few years
Mark your calendar!
The best days for your top priority plans are May 1, 4, 5, 11, 12, 17-21, 30, 31.
Take it easy on May 3, 9, 10, 14, 22, 26, 27.
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Molly Cliborne
Charlottesville, Va.
(434) 244-0012
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Thanks..
love your column ! I loved you Hallelujah track !! how true, enough of this mars in Cancer..it’s been going on for too long ! what date in May would you pick to finally move in with your boyfriend ? I am Leo, Cancer asc, he is Aquarius , Aries asc,
be well
Louise :)
Can you tell me when the last Uranus sextile Jupiter was?
Thank you for your GREAT work!
Hi Louise, I would probably pick Mother’s Day weekend as long as there are no big quacks to your chart or his.
Marinemom, the last Jupiter Uranus sextile was in March of 1999. Before that, November 1994. These were both one-pass transits. This year, we have the more powerful three-pass transit— the third pass being in November 2008, which is a good target date for completion or launch of new ideas, inventions and projects you’re working on in May.
Thank you both,
Hi, Molly!
Terrific report—especially your discussion of Mars! Re upcoming Mercury Rx, I’m scheduled to move on May 27. Given that I’ve already signed the lease, do you think the Rx will have any negative affects? Also, the apt. complex is one I decided to move to months ago, and I was only waiting for the lease to expire on the too-expensive renthouse I now live in. Thank you and fond regards, Juli
Hey Juli,
Moving is a complex affair with many moving parts (no pun intended), so in that way you are definitely subject to the slings and arrows of Mercury rx.
But I think you meant to ask if this adds a Mercury retro quality of some sort to your tenancy. I don’t think so. But to keep my bases covered, I might pick a “first entry” time. Make sure that at that time, Mercury is not in an angular house or ruling an angular house. That sets up a chart in which Mercury might be retrograde, but he has less power in the chart. It’s still kind of tricky because Mercury is the final dispositor of all the planets on that day. But, you know, we can’t move the planets to our liking. We do what we can.
I live in So. Indiana. We have had 24 + earthquakes in the last two weeks (beginning Friday, April 18th) registering between 4.2 and 5.5. I’ve only felt three of them, but I am quite concerned. Is there an astrological force at play contributing to these quakes?
P.S. Will get a reading from you soon. Need some “star” help!
hi molly ,
Hope your health has improved.
Iknow that you must look at the entire chart to judge how aspects effect an individual ,but if you only know that someone is a leo with mars in leo in the 8th house how would that person be effected by Mars going into leo?
8. Molly-Really great job of reading the planets. I do a little myself, but, I feel I’m bias, when I see any negative aspects forming in my chart, as I’d like to think the best, although, sometimes, its very stressful, before it gets any better.
My birthday falls on the Full Moon, and its always been a difficult day for me. I’ve never liked my birthdays for that reason. It seems to get better when planets move in Gemini. Thanks.
P.S. I’d be interested in how you answer “Joyce’s Question” regarding Mars in 8th house, with mars transiting, even more dramatic-maybe drastic, I have Pluto there also, and the Eclipse in August, will conjunct, the Pluto-Mars Leo conjunction in 8th/Mars exactly on 8th/9th cusp, square Mercury 5th house, Taurus. Astrologers aren’t suppose to predict “death”, yet, it does look “Scary”.
Mars has the power to move things and can be quite positive in Leo. It can be a positive transit if you’re willing to tackle the deeper issues. If you are avoiding them, it can bring them up in your face in a manner not of your choosing. I suggest you buy Planets in Transit by Rob Hand and read up on your transits if you often catch yourself making scary predictions.
And remember, Mars hits your Pluto every 2 years. You have survived it many times.
Molly-
My long distance boyfriend and I had a fight on April 5th which was due to serious miscommunication. We are still in really bad shape. What would be a good day to try to communicate with him? Efforts up to now have been fruitless. I am Virgo, he is Taurus
Thanks,
Karen
Molly: Thanks for pointing out the distinction in the possible effects! I think it’ll be OK, since I get the key on the 15th and will be moving in what I can on my own until the 27th. And since Gemini sits on my 8th-house cusp and rules the 3rd house, all will be well. Just have to head off any logistical foul-ups on the day the “real” movers take over my larger belongings. Phew! And thanks again!! I’ll get in touch via e-mail in early June. Regards!
Hello Molly, I found your website and really enjoyed reading it. I have been studying astrology myself since 1973.
I really don’t know what question to ask you?, but being a Virgo/ Virgo Rising/Venus & Mars in Virgo, I can tell you everything has been a struggle for me since last Sept.,
My moon in Taurus really softens me and I have been a slave to many people!
I was born 9-7-1955, and it took me many years to learn to say NO!
You will get a kick out of this, I am a avid Gardner & have had a Commercial Cleaning Co., for 21 years. And no, I don’t like to fly.
Also, when Mars is in Virgo, it is a trying time for me. Because my Mars is in Virgo? Thanks again for your writings!
A fan from Georgia
Very nice forecast.
Hope you’re doing swell.
Hugs…
Hi Cindy— You didn’t give me the degree of your ascendant, but if it’s in the late degrees of Virgo, then Mars is in your 12th house during the time he transits Virgo. Mars in the 12th is hard for just about everyone. Having the Sun and other planets in the 12th house is also an indication of someone who has trouble saying no. Just a guess!