May slowly unravels into a positive month. The first week we are still dealing with the heaviness of Saturn retrograde, and the intensified, gandanta position of Jupiter. Then, we settle into a promising month, which gradually becomes better and better.
Saturn & Ketu in a Close Embrace
On April 29, Saturn began his retrograde phase which will take us through the summer, ending on September 18. This period of time sees Saturn and Ketu joining around 26° Sagittarius and then moving together in retrograde motion back to 20° Sagittarius where Saturn then stations into direct motion and resumes forward motion.
During the entire transit, April 29-September 18, both Saturn and Ketu are traveling within two degrees in a close embrace. By May 9, Ketu slips into Purva Ashada, and we then get the benefit of the watery influence of Venus, who happens to rule Purva Ashada. This should balance the combination of fire and air of Ketu and Saturn.
Sagittarius represents places of worship, including temples, churches, mosques, as well as religion, and institutions of higher education. Among Saturn’s significations are fundamentalist ideals, rigid social structures, and traditional values. Ketu brings the energy of blind faith and mindlessly (and at its best, intuitively) following a path. With the right fuel, this conjunction could bring a spectrum of results ranging from hate-driven mass shootings in temples to inspired efforts to clean up corruption from the educational and religious organisations.
On an individual level, where this Saturn and Ketu conjunction falls in your birth chart may be an area of life where you feel extreme pressure that leads to some breaking point. For example, if you are a Gemini lagna, this takes place in your 7th house of relationship, where you may be faced with enforcing personal boundaries (Saturn) which could lead to a reversal in the flow of the relationship (Ketu). In this case, 8th lord Saturn brings transformation and 6th house ruler Ketu represents health matters. Saturn may force the transformation in relationship in an effort to eliminate factors which may adversely affect the health.
There are three signs being affected: Scorpio (co-lorded by Ketu, currently occupied by Jupiter); Sagittarius (lorded by Jupiter, currently occupied by Ketu and Saturn); and Capricorn (lorded by Saturn). The houses that these signs occupy in your chart will be the ones to watch during this period of time. If you have any planets situated around the 20-30 degree mark, you will feel this intensified energy the most. As well, if you are Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, and Aquarius, you will also feel the impact directly. Saturn’s role is to facilitate events that help to alleviate karmic debt but Ketu has a fiery temperament and wishes to give up everything, regardless of the consequences, and so this can lead to destructive actions, as Ketu is the stronger force in the conjunction.
As touched upon last month, remember the powerful nature of the exchange of signs between Jupiter and Ketu. This makes every difficulty that arises in the next four months into a powerful transformational opportunity. Jupiter and Ketu are leading us toward a deeper divine connection that liberates us from worldly suffering so the letting go that takes place (albeit destructive) can ultimately result in a feeling of liberation. Another balance to the intensity of the Saturn/Ketu conjunction in Sagittarius is the exalted Rahu in Gemini. Use the brilliant inspiration of Rahu in Gemini to think outside the box.
As I mentioned in my video on the gandanta Jupiter transit, we have to be vigilant when the moon transits through the sign of Gemini and even more so, Sagittarius. As the Moon begins to wane, it moves out of Scorpio and into Sagittarius, joining the Saturn and Ketu pairing on Wednesday, May 22 at 26º Sagittarius. Until November 4, when Jupiter once again enters his own sign, the only other visitor to Sagittarius will be the monthly visit of the Moon.
During the two days per month that the Moon passes through Saturn/Ketu in Sagittarius, and for the months of June/July, when it passes through Gemini, you may want to plan some quiet time /retreat that allows your mind to find some stillness.
Mercury zips through Aries & Taurus
Mercury finally leaves a challenging transit which lasted for weeks, and enters Aries on May 3. Life’s pace will speed up now. This is a supportive transit for advancing projects that require some of Mercury’s skills – networking, marketing, gathering resources and analysing data. Mercury zips through Mars’ sign and reaches its friend, Venus’ sign by May 18, remaining there till June 1. Here, he receives the aspect of Jupiter, albeit in an unconventional way, due to the retrograde motion of Jupiter. This puts Mercury and Jupiter into an opposition relationship for the latter part of May, which could signal a good time to renew relationships or revisit unfinished studies.
While Saturn, Jupiter and Ketu are forcing us to re-consider infrastructural changes, we still must keep business as usual running as smoothly as possible. The helpers here are Venus, Mercury and Mars, who are all well placed and able to keep things moving for now.
New Moon in Aries, in Bharani nakshatra, on May 4
The Sun and Moon will connect at 20 degrees Aries on May 4 at nearly midnight, in the nakshatra of Bharani, ruled by Venus. This puts the Sun at his peak of exaltation, and again we are seeing a fiery planet in a fiery sign but in a Venus-ruled nakshatra. Venus is well placed in Pisces. Sun, Moon and Mercury occupy Aries, ruled by Mars, placed in the next adjacent sign, Taurus, also supporting the trio in Aries.
This theme of fire holding water which holds more fire is repeating. The junctures between the water and fire signs are gandanta points, indicating challenges and struggles for the planets placed in those zones. The relationship between Mars and Venus brings up similar themes. There is no natural affinity between the two, but there is a passionate attraction that often results in a dance of compromise and power. The energy of Bharani supports the birthing of new things. Aries is a sign of initiation and driving forward. Take this moment to choose a new path, project or undertaking.
On May 7, we celebrate “akshaya tritya,” when the Sun is exalted in Aries and the Moon is also exalted in Taurus. Here we see the power of the Sun and Moon shine in their most glorious of settings, which are lorded by the powerful, masculine Mars and the radiant, feminine Venus. This is an auspicious day to start any new ventures, ushering in good luck and success. Another auspicious feature of akshaya tritya on May 7 is that Venus will also be reaching its exact degree of exaltation at 27° Pisces on that day. This further bolsters the power of the exalted Moon, transiting Taurus, whose ruler is also exalted.
Mars Transits Gemini May 6 – June 22
In the midst of akshaya tritya, Mars moves from Taurus into Gemini, creating a powerful exchange with Mercury from May 6 – 18. While Mercury and Mars aren’t traditionally seen as friendly in the relationship scheme between the planets, in practice they are quite a good team when it comes to getting things done that require both communication and calculation.
Mercury’s air sign, Gemini, provides a background of fluid motion, intellectual enthusiasm and energetic ability to Mars, who brings the power, the planning and the execution. Rahu is also present in Gemini, his place of exaltation. Here we are adding spontaneity, impulse, intelligence and desire to the mix, which could create some moments when all the pieces align just right. Although since Rahu can create some instability, pay attention, slow down and take time for risk assessment.
Venus Transits Aries May 10 – June 3
Venus begins May by transiting through the final degrees of its sign of exaltation, Pisces. By May 10, Venus will be pushing through the gandanta that lies between Pisces and Aries, joining Sun and Mercury, creating a lot of fire energy.
We recall that when Venus enters Aries, the parivartana (exchange of signs) between Mercury and Mars is in full swing. The introduction of Venus here brings a bit more aesthetic and diplomatic potential to any projects or situations that are clicking along with the momentum created by Mars and Mercury.
Sun Transits Taurus May 15 – June 15
The Sun in Aries will help us become clear about our purpose and direction during the first half of May. When the Sun moves to Taurus on May 15, this may not only help to cool and soften the strong individuality promotion that the Sun brings in Aries, but also to cool the collective fiery energy a bit.
Sun in Taurus will also be receiving the positive aspect of Jupiter, currently moving in retrograde motion through the late degrees of Scorpio. By May 9, Jupiter will have moved out of the challenging gandanta zone between Scorpio and Sagittarius. The signs that receive the aspect of the great Guru will benefit – Scorpio, Pisces, Cancer, and Taurus – through November 4, 2019.
While Aries is a sign of initiation, Taurus is a sign of building and growth. Here we are into our projects and focusing on the creative process. The sensual enjoyment found in Taurus is the focus when Sun transits here. Venus, the ruler of Taurus, fosters rejuvenation and enjoyment of the gifts of nature, especially in the form of natural, clean and beautiful food, sights and sounds. Whereas, the Sun teaches us how to have a steady pace, one day at a time.
Full Moon in Scorpio, in the nakshatra of Anuradha, on May 18
The Moon waxes into fullness on Saturday, May 18 at 3º Scorpio, around 10 pm UTC, opposite the Sun at 3º Taurus. The Moon is strong when full, but this month the full Moon occupies its degree of debilitation, in contrast to the new Moon earlier in the month, when the Sun was in its degree of exaltation.
Debilitated planets should not be dreaded. With the dignity of debilitation comes the opportunity for excellent growth that comes when intense effort is required. This full Moon reaches fullness at the very beginning of Anuradha nakshatra, which helps us stay on course and work through challenges. Anuradha is ruled by the planet Saturn and Scorpio is co-ruled by Mars and Ketu.
The full Moon also joins retrograde Jupiter in Scorpio as they oppose the Sun and Mercury in Taurus. These signs are fixed in nature, implying sustenance, building, and holding. We also have the outer planet, Pluto, making a harmonious aspect with the full moon, suggesting infinite power to create and all actions now will bear fruit in the future. As well, the outer planet, Uranus is making a conjunction with Venus. This could bring surprises in relationships, money, and indeed a feeling of love at first sight. We can also find a new way of being in relationship with each other. Our connections with close ones will alter over the next few weeks.
