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THURSDAY MAY 1. May Day, a day of the celebration of spring, and the marking of Labor celebrations, is also the day of the Taurus New Moon. New Moon occurs at 11 Taurus at 8:15 a.m. EDT.

The New Moon chart features a retrograde Mercury conjunct Earth Mother Ceres at 20 Taurus, the degree of the U.S. Vesta. This shows that the U.S. is providing or needs to provide material care. The question is, is it care to Iraqis and to the U.S. military, as well as to corporations?

The potential for the entire month of May is laid out in the planets today. Notice how this day goes. This is Labor’s Day worldwide, and it is certain that many marches and demonstrations for workers’ rights will take place. Ceres also relates to labor—for labor is needed to bring earth’s goodies to the table. With Mercury retrograde, labor will be vocal about correcting abuses of workers. (It is certain that in the U.S. media, we will be hearing little about this.)

A grand fixed cross rules May’s skies. Who is crucified?

There is a close grand fixed cross in the heavens. Such a configuration can feel like one is backed against the wall, with no place to turn. Or like one is in a pressure cooker, needing to let out steam. With the fixed signs, it’s all about power. And with Taurus, it’s about resources and money as power. It may be necessary to give up one form of power in order to secure another, and this we are reluctant to do. Change is mandated, and yet all of the fixed signs hate to change, and generally need a crisis situation to push them into making changes. Not to worry. Whatever necessary changes we are loathe to make now, eclipses will push us into.

The exact square now is Juno at 14 Scorpio square Neptune at 14 Aquarius. Any Neptune square indicates a high potential for confusion, sabotage, idealism, and ultimate disillusionment. Juno in Scorpio is looking for power through relationships, and she is likely instead to find abuse and victimization. With Neptune clouding her perception, she may not know what hit her. This is the central aspect of the month, around which the fixed signs revolve.

Neptune is the planet of the month.

STAY AWARE! There may be tendencies to indulge in drugs, alcohol, TV, or addiction of some kind. Turn instead to your spiritual tools, teachers, and practices. Work to stay clear and centered. Use Crystal’s meditations.

Later today, Taurus Moon will oppose Juno, and on Saturday, Sun will oppose Juno. On May 7, Jupiter in Leo squares Juno, and on May 10, Mars in Aquarius squares Juno. In the meantime, around the same degrees, and participating in the Juno-Neptune dynamic, we have a Mars-Jupiter-Neptune dance, which finishes on May 31 with Jupiter opposing Neptune, a configuration which is idealistic, but is apt have overblown expectations.

We will probably feel stressed this month.

Later in the month, Mercury and Venus in Taurus both join this dance of power. Thus seven of the ten major planets and one asteroid, Juno, are busy making stressful and challenging connections during May, all in fixed signs. This means that we humans will be making stressful connections. Each of us needs to make time to simply relax, and to still our minds.

In the chart set for Washington DC, New Moon is in the twelfth house of hidden things. In fact, the four arms of the fixed cross are all in behind-the-scenes houses. There will be much underground maneuvering for power positions. Since Neptune rules oil, it looks like much jockeying for position to cash in on Iraq’s oil, jockeying to which the public is not privy.

In Washington, each of the expressive chart angles contains a planet of power, thus re-emphasizing power conflicts. Uranus in the midheaven shows independent action and isolation. Pluto on the Descendant shows power struggles in relationships, Saturn on the ascendant shows steadfast personal authority, and Transpluto in Leo on the nadir shows a rebirth into a command position.

Moon and Pluto are parallel in declination. This is similar to a conjunction, and means that people themselves will undergo transformation. This is underscored by Moon’s first aspect being an opposition to Juno in Pluto’s sign of Scorpio. Some people will surely suffer through this month’s actions.

This is a difficult month, but all is not obstacles. We do have some trines and sextiles to ease our progress. Jupiter in Leo trine Venus in Aries harnesses the two "benefic" planets in active fire signs at this New Moon. We can know what we want, and go after it successfully, despite all the roadblocks.

The Sabian Symbol for 11 Taurus is:

"A WOMAN WATERING FLOWERS IN HER GARDEN. Development of the powers of the mind on which ego-consciousness is based. The psycho-mental nature of a human being takes form out of the fulfillment and transcendence of biological functions and drives, much as the bud appears as the sap rises, and bursts forth into bloom. "As the roots, so the flowers," is an old axiom. The consciousness attaches itself to this wonderful efflorescence; it lavishes its attention upon it, its love—alas, usually a possessive kind of love ("This is my garden!’). Thus the ego develops. It may develop in a negative, resentful way if a belated frost destroys the buds. This series refers to the overall situation of the ego. The keyword is CULTIVATION.

This New Moon rises through western United States and Mexico. It’s on the midheaven through the UK, Spain, and western Africa, and it sets through China and India.

Rebellious Uranus runs through Latin America, Europe, Africa, China, southeast Asia, and Indonesia.

Powerful Pluto runs through Japan, Korea, the Philippines, and Indonesia. Pluto is on the nadir, the place of total regeneration, through Moscow, Turkey, Israel, Cairo, and eastern Africa. Pluto descendant runs through Brazil.

FRIDAY MAY 2. Moon is VOC in Taurus for the entire day. Taurus is a receptive sign, and we have time to assimilate yesterday’s powerful energies. Tonight Moon passes over its North Node in Taurus, and we can sense the month’s direction. Moon enters Gemini at 11:27 p.m. EDT.

SATURDAY MAY 3. Moon is in busy Gemini, encouraging us to send messages hither and yon. This morning Sun opposes Juno, and this afternoon it squares Neptune, thus vitalizing the potentially debilitating Juno-Neptune combo. I think, "Be careful what you ask for; you might get it." Consequences are not clearly in mind now. Staying conscious will help us navigate treacherous waters. Energy will move easily today. Tonight is perfect for music, or a good movie.

SUNDAY MAY 4. Moon continues in Gemini, and we do have an urge to communicate. However, this is not a light day. Important subjects and ideas grab us. People may be celebrating or preparing to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, and it will surely include calls for social justice. We may want to discuss something dear to our hearts, but difficult to talk about. Or we may want to write or study today.

This is the birthday of Palestine’s autonomy.

MONDAY MAY 5. Moon in Cancer makes a lovely trine to Uranus in Pisces. Emotions flow freely. We may be able to express things which have been long inside of us, and someone may listen. Or else we may make a work of art from our feelings. Feelings do want out today. Perhaps we express them by caring for others. This is Cinco de Mayo, but rather than celebrating, grieving for millions of suffering people seems more appropriate. For Mexicans themselves, they are apt to be protesting another imperialism—NAFTA. This is a food day, and food can give us not only nourishment, but also comfort.

TUESDAY MAY 6. This is another loving, family-oriented Moon in Cancer day.

Energy flows very well, and we want to tend to things dear to our hearts. There is tension, however, probably between the establishment and people fighting for their freedom. It shows in the building Mars-Jupiter opposition, which is exact on Thursday. The status quo shows to be under attack in another way as well. Morning Star Venus, now energetic in Aries, challenges Chiron in Capricorn. Warrior and hero combine here, and it is the U.S. warrior Chiron which is brought into high relief now. So is GW’s Libra Jupiter, ruler of his South Node of "undoing."

WEDNESDAY MAY 7. Today we experience VOC moon in Cancer. We are exceptionally sensitive, and may be easily distracted. In the sky there is a unique phenomenon early this morning.

Mercury transits over the disk of the sun as it moves retrograde. This is a five-hour process, with the whole transit visible in Asia, and in most of Europe and Africa. On average, 13 transits of Mercury occur each century, and the next one takes place on November 8, 2006.

A very close conjunction of any planet with the sun weakens the other planet, because the strength of the sun blots it out. This is a super-conjunction of Mercury with sun, and the implications are that rational thinking will be obliterated. Mercury will be put entirely at the service of the ego, represented by the sun. This is already a huge problem of the U.S. Administration, and it will be exacerbated.

At this time, transiting Jupiter in Leo is already conjoining Bush’s Mercury-Pluto conjunction in Leo, giving him super-grandiose thoughts of power. And Mars is opposing Bush’s Mercury-Pluto, making him look for enemies.

The transit itself occurs at 17 Taurus. It exactly conjoins the Total Eclipse of the Moon coming up on November 8-9, and the effects of the two together within a six-month period will be gigantic. August is an apt time for manifestation

This Mercury over Sun transit also occurs at the degree of Black Hole Eurydice, a vortex of transformation. It was Eurydice whom her husband, Orpheus, went to rescue in Hades, and lost because, contrary to instructions, he looked back. According to Black Hole expert Alex Miller-Mignone, one of her dramatic recent interventions occurred when the Sun opposed her on election day in November 1994. That was when Congress went from a solid Democratic majority to a Republican stronghold overnight.

This Mercury-Sun transit is close to the U.S. Vesta, guardian of the treasury. It can be seen over Asia, so let us look at the chart for North Korea. The transit (and next November’s Eclipse) squares North Korea’s Pluto at 16 Leo, an ominous sign. Pluto rules nuclear energy. In the transit chart, Mercury-Sun now quincunx Pluto. This is an aspect which often accompanies "accidents."

The Sabian Symbol for 17 Taurus is:

"A SYMBOLICAL BATTLE BETWEEN SWORDS AND TORCHES. Refusing to depend on the past, the seeker turns warrior, fighting anew the eternal "Great War." The spiritual light within the greater Soul must struggle against the ego-will that only knows how to use the powers of this material and intellectual world. There is no possibility of escape; it is the energy that arises out of the present moment—the inescapable NOW—that the daring individual has to use in the struggle. This is the dharma of this stage of human evolution: a stage of POLARIZATION OF VALUES."

THURSDAY MAY 8. Finally, after a week’s buildup, Mars and Jupiter have their exact opposition today. Moon in Leo conjoins Jupiter, and enthusiasm and optimism are very high. Ambition, enterprise, and creative power are strong, and associated with fortunate intuition. This is, in fact, good energy for successful enterprises and agreements. Even so, it is best to postpone signing contracts until after Mercury turns direct, on May 20. With Mercury retrograde plus yesterday’s transit of Sun by Mercury plus the foggy Neptunian influence now, there are apt to be unknown or unforeseen obstacles to contracts signed now. However, today’s energy does ask us to be active, positive, and goal-oriented. Tonight is great for making music or having a party.

FRIDAY MAY 9. First Quarter Moon at 19 Leo occurs at 7:53 a.m. EDT. First quarters open a week of action pushing towards full moon fulfillment. During this month of Taurus, our work is with our resources. We are tending our personal gardens. Taurus uses caution to grow and maintain its garden. Fiery Leo moves in and says that to win anything you must take chances.

Sun still conjoins the U.S. Vesta, and Moon now conjoins Bush’s Leo group on his ascendant, and sextiles his Jupiter, making him both ready to jump and optimistic. We know that the garden which he assiduously tends is that of big corporations.

The wheel of this Quarter Moon chart is identical to that of the New Moon chart. This shows us that today’s actions will clearly further our New Moon aims. Sun is again in the hidden twelfth house, but Moon now is in the third house of communication. The active Mars-Jupiter opposition is in the third and ninth houses. This is a mental polarity, and helps us to peer into the distant future. It also refers to foreign adventures. Pluto on the seventh house cusp shows power relations with others.

Sun and Moon both aspect powerful, transformative Pluto.

The degree of this Moon is the same as the degree of the powerful Eclipse of August 11, 1999, which ran from New York across the Atlantic through the UK, Europe, Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, and into India. Saturn at that eclipse was where Sun is now. All in all, right now we have a huge cluster of events revolving around and on the U.S. Vesta, Goddess of the Hearth, keeper of security.

Energy today is intense, and moves well. The day is not finished until 11:13 p.m. EDT.

SATURDAY MAY 10. Early this morning, Moon in down-to-earth Virgo opposes inventive Uranus in imaginative Pisces. Virgo might feel that it’s a bit too much disruption for her orderly soul. Independence is the day’s theme. Mars squares Juno, encouraging arguments and fights—and also sex—between people. Bush’s steamroller power complex continues to roll, in hock to U.S. financial interests (which likely feel very threatened by the global financial mess).

SUNDAY MAY 11. We mark Mother’s Day with Moon in Virgo, the sign of the Great Goddess. Energy this morning is intense, and we could use it to call on her to help us to heal our hearts, our souls, and our bodies as well. Afternoon can be harmonious and earthy. We would enjoy time in nature, or some special cooking project. Barbecues will certainly be in use. A stationary Neptune, dreamy and visionary, begins a two-week dance with a very slow Mercury as well as with the feisty Jupiter-Mars combo. Music and dancing would be a lovely use of this inspired combination. These next two weeks are very creative. Part of that creative expression will be award-winning propaganda. Don’t take anything at face value. Be careful in thought, speech, and action. Mars-Mercury can cause trouble through impulsiveness.

MONDAY MAY 12. Moon is in Libra, and we look for harmony, especially with Neptune’s rosy vibes covering everything now. Imagination and intuition are powerful, but at the same time we tend not to see things for what they are. We may feel a restlessness, perhaps a spiritual restlessness. Compassion is strong, but so is deception. Promises may not be kept, and people may find themselves undermined, often without knowing why. Today’s Mars-Mercury can just sweep action right along, like magic. (This aspect is in the Bush Inauguration chart.) Remember the advice for the month: BE AWARE...

TUESDAY MAY 13. Moon continues in sociable Libra. Today we are apt to discuss something important, but we are also apt to get into an argument about it. Remember that with the strong Neptunian influence, none of us is seeing clearly. If you need help in negotiating through confusion, call on your Higher Self or the Angel of Truth. Help from the other side is near at hand now. But do it quickly, because Mars doesn’t wait.

WEDNESDAY MAY 14. All month Mars has been creeping towards Neptune, and today they meet at 14 Aquarius, square to a retrograde Mercury in Taurus, from whom they have both just received messages about some needed repairs to the resource situation. Many plans may be made now, but they are apt to be unrealizable. Don’t count on Neptune’s promises. Spiritual endeavors are another matter. They can thrive.

This is Israel’s birthday, and she is caught in the fixed cross for the next year.

THURSDAY MAY 15. Full Moon at 25 Scorpio occurs at 11:36 p.m. EDT. This is the Beltane power gate, where Taurus earth power is stabilized. It is a sacred festival for many, a time to celebrate earth’s re-awakened powers of transformation. The Buddhists call it the Wesak Moon, and they celebrate it with abundant food and prayer.

This is a Total Lunar Eclipse. Lunar eclipses catalyze physical changes, thus supporting the Taurus-Scorpio energy. It is a South Nodal eclipse, which means it closes out the past.

The complete transit of Moon through Earth’s shadow lasts for about five hours. It is visible wherever the sky is dark and the night is clear. This eclipse is visible in the western hemisphere. However, for western United States the moon is already in partial eclipse when it rises, and for Washington State it is in total eclipse at rising. Western Europe will see the moon set shortly after totality ends. Totality begins at 11:14 p.m. EDT, is midway at 11:40 p.m., and finishes at 12:07 a.m.

Look in the southeast sky for the eclipse. Just below it is the constellation of Scorpio, with the scorpion’s claws reaching for the eclipsed moon. The orangey Mars look-alike and act-alike star Antares is in Scorpio, below the eclipse. Eclipse shades vary, from yellow through to a deep deep russet, depending on what part of the shadow the moon passes through. This time the moon passes through the northern part of the shadow, and thus the upper part of the eclipse, where the shadow is not as intense, will probably be lighter.

On November 8-9, there will be a complementary Total Lunar Eclipse, also visible in the western hemisphere. That one will occur at 16 Taurus, with Sun in Scorpio. That degree, remember, is the degree of Mercury’s transit over Sun on May 7. May is the month which will demonstrate the meaning of this potent pair of lunar eclipses.

The Scorpio full moon during the Taurus cycle packs the greatest power of any of the year’s full moons, even without an eclipse. Second is the Taurus Full Moon during the Scorpio cycle. These two eclipses together, then, are very powerful, and will catalyze very large changes. (Read my article in the April-May Mountain Astrologer for an overview of the action of the 2003 eclipses.)

These May and November lunar eclipses impact the dynamic Taurus-Scorpio opposition in Bush’s Inauguration chart, which include Saturn, Pallas Athena, and Mars. Inauguration Saturn at 24 Taurus conjoins the Jupiter-Saturn conjunction of May 2000, which set in motion the last of the 20-year earth sign cycles. The promise of Bush’s presidency, as completing the 200-year earth cycle in grand style, is being fulfilled this year.

(After 2020, we will begin 200 years of air sign emphasis. Ideas and ideals instead of goods will begin to dominate the ethers. People not profits can become a reality in the future.)

Taurus-Scorpio is the resource axis. Tangible, concrete resources, such as homes, food, money, minerals, and military weapons are now in the change hopper. Changes which have been happening in those areas will move ahead. Surely the U.S. campaign to rearrange the resources of the world to put U.S. corporations in charge is a major movement now occurring. At the same time the destruction of U.S. resources, both environmental and human, is moving so quickly that it’s hard to keep up with. Neptune is prominent now, showing that oil is undoubtedly the major resource concern.

This is a Mercury retrograde eclipse. This means, on the one hand, redoing the past. On the other hand, events begun now will have problems which won’t be corrected until another Mercury retrograde period, usually the similar one eight years from now.

Earth Mother Ceres is the major player in this eclipse, for she very closely conjoins Sun. This puts the subject of nurturing and caring for others right out front. Every step in the process of getting food on the table, so to speak, and providing material security is highlighted. This includes the food crops themselves, the earth from which they spring, and the labor and the marketing which brings them to us.

This eclipse also closely squares Transpluto in Leo. Transpluto is the energy of alchemy, of transubstantiation. My friend Nina calls it a larger edition of Pluto. It may mean that right now life as we know it is hanging in the balance. Ceres is certainly making a big statement now about the importance of taking care of life.

May, the month of the Taurus moon cycle, is the natural time to grow our gardens anyway.

The Sabian Symbol for 25 Scorpio is:

"AN X-RAY PHOTOGRAPH. The capacity to acquire a knowledge of the structural factors in all existence. This is STRUCTURAL KNOWLEDGE in contrast to existential knowledge."

FRIDAY MAY 16 and SATURDAY MAY 17. Moon is in Sagittarius, and it’s time to have fun. We tend to feel buoyant and optimistic when moon is traveling in Sag, and ready for adventure—physical or mental. Friday night is great for parties, and Saturday night is more serious. In fact, we may need to catch up on our sleep then after a couple of high-energy days.

SUNDAY MAY 18. This is a serious and loving day—a wonderful time for people to connect with family and old friends. Harmony begins early, and flows until late.

MONDAY MAY 19. We can return to work all ready to tackle a project. Mercury has its retrograde square to Jupiter today, and we can think big. We can also put past and future together. Mercury had its first direct square to Jupiter on April 10, when the U.S. occupied Baghdad. Mercury plus Jupiter also relate to writing and publishing, and it was on that square in April that the U.S. fired at the off-limits foreign journalists’ hotel in Baghdad, killing one Reuters correspondent and injuring others. This combination can be quick on the trigger.

TUESDAY MAY 20. Tah dah! Mercury turns direct early this morning. Moon is still in serious Capricorn, and just after the direct turn of Mercury, Moon makes a grand trine with those earthy goddesses, Ceres and Vesta, to bring abundance into manifestation. Moon finishes its Capricorn journey by trining Sun at the tail end of Taurus to create a truly grand finale for Taurus. One advantage to the many squares this month is that they give retrograde Mercury a lot of material to review. Now, as Mercury turns direct, we can revise much of our life in terms of our changed values and priorities, especially its practical facets.

Mercury now is very dynamic, and ready to set out on new journeys. Thoughts of revolution and change dominate, for Mercury is in the process of receiving the powerful opposition of Jupiter in Leo with Neptune-Mars in Aquarius which has been demonstrating in various guises all month, and will be continuing to manifest through June 11. At that time there will be a climax to this activity which deals with power bases and the transformation of energy.

Moon enters Aquarius at 11:01 a.m. EDT. After that, move ahead now with your projects. However, the month’s warnings still hold: BE AWARE and cautious. Watch out for blind or rash action.

WEDNESDAY MAY 21. This is get-together and talk day. Moon is in discussion-oriented Aquarius, and Sun enters the communication sign of Gemini this morning. Moon in Aquarius stimulates the fixed cross, with emphasis on idealism and reform. This is a fast-moving day, particularly in the realm of ideas. By tomorrow noon we will have accomplished some goal.

THURSDAY MAY 22. The morning is very constructive. Moon goes VOC at 2:49 p.m., and then enters mystical Pisces at 5:41 p.m. Pisces is immediately tested as it squares Sun at Last Quarter Moon at 8:31 p.m. EDT. Moon is now at 2 Pisces, and Sun is at 2 Gemini. They are both just getting their feet wet in their respective signs, and yet last quarter brings in a time of completion.

This is a Uranus moon. It is really the opening act of Uranus freshly into Pisces. This means possible enlightenment, and certain surprise and sudden turn of events. With fourth quarter, and something important will be released.

Venus opposing Juno also indicates the potential of a break, or of opposition. Here we are still working with the Taurus-Scorpio polarity of resources. This opposition indicates conflicts between love—or desire—and relationships. Money and priorities will be the issues, now with the field of communication particularly involved.

With Gemini and Pisces, mind and emotion may be at odds now.

Mercury, the planet of communication, still squares Jupiter. This spreads big ideas, and ideas of grandness. Often expectations are overblown. Further, Mercury will square Neptune on May 27, who thinks even bigger. Mercury is apt to develop unrealistic expectations.

This is a good time to meditate and to ask for clarity, and for help in combining your head and your heart.

The Sabian Symbol for 2 Pisces is:

"A SQUIRREL HIDING FROM HUNTERS. The individual’s need both to ensure his/her future subsistence, and to protect the self from aggressive social elements. Social processes always cast strong shadows. The individual is never certain of being safe among his fellow humans, once the process of individualization—with its negative aspects, competition, social aggressivity and greed—forces the breakdown of the organic tribal state. Violence is a possibility never to be dismissed. The need for SELF-PROTECTION and caution is ever present."

We are apt to be wakeful tonight until after Moon conjoins Uranus at 10:51 p.m. Our vibratory level is being raised now.

FRIDAY MAY 23. This is a Venusian day, and it does feel good. It’s a great day for creative manifestation, and for writing and communication in general, especially for spreading the word. Mercury had a powerful square with Jupiter just before it turned direct, on May 19. Now it has its direct square, completing and resolving a process of widespread communication begun then. This communication may be shocking.

SATURDAY MAY 24. The disruptive energy of this Uranian last quarter moon manifests strongly today (and last night). Plan to bring something new into your life at the same time as you release something old. Moon continues in Pisces, and the energy today could be confusing. Make sure all communication is really clear. This is a good day to spend time alone, and to center yourself in nature. Mercury continues to square Jupiter, helping us to plan big. But there is at the same time resistance. Perhaps today there is a breakthrough. We may be wakeful tonight, perhaps working.

SUNDAY MAY 25. Moon is in energetic Aries today, and it may feel like reaching the peak, and breathing the clear mountain air after a difficult climb. Take a breather from difficult decisions, and just do what feels good. Today and tomorrow are excellent for honoring Memorial Day weekend. We do, in fact, have many dead to remember.

MONDAY MAY 26. Moon’s march through Aries begins early this morning, and may awaken us. Mercury is retrograde in the earthy sign of Taurus as I write, and I am remembering waking early in the sunny spring morning, happy with expectations for a special day, feeling the delicious wet green grass under my bare feet, and putting out the American flag on its standard in our yard.. After breakfast we would go to the local greenhouse, buy flowering plants to plant on our grandparents’ graves, and then go to their respective cemeteries to pay our respects to the ancestors.

This day has many aspects, which means much action.

Venus is featured for the next three days, and in general this means that love, beauty, harmony, and pleasure prevail. This is especially true for Venus in Taurus, which is where she is traveling now. Venus in Taurus appreciates the good life, and can become greedy for goodies. Indulgence can be strong now.

Tonight Mercury and Venus conjoin exactly at 14 Taurus to begin a new 20-month cycle of evaluating and acquiring what we want. It is likely to be something solid, like a home or property. Investments can also be in our line of sight. With the strong Neptune, we may aim for the home of our dreams. Or land with oil. Or a houseboat as home. All planets in Taurus, and fixed sign planets at 14 degrees are particularly affected.

Next November’s Lunar Eclipse, opposing this conjunction degree, will catalyze its action.

TUESDAY MAY 27. Moon continues in Aries, and we find ourselves visualizing new projects. A strong Neptune today stirs our imaginations. This is a perfect day for creating a treasure map, a roadmap to our desires. Crystal Pomeroy’s column has had instructions for this creative endeavor which can be a magical help for manifestation.

Moon goes VOC at 2:41 p.m., and enters Taurus at 4:32 p.m. EDT. Energy is productive for the remainder of the day.

WEDNESDAY MAY 28. Moon in Taurus catalyzes the fixed cross, and we are likely to feel conflicting pressures from different directions. Tonight Moon crosses over our brand-new Venus-Mercury conjunction, and it eclipses Venus at 16 Taurus. This indicates that our Venusian desires are in some way changed or thwarted. The November Lunar Eclipse continues to enter into this May picture.

Remember that on May 7, Mercury transited the Sun—at the degree of the November Lunar Eclipse, and close to the degree of the Venus-Mercury conjunction. And now Moon eclipses Venus at that same degree.

Something very strange is afoot with this Venus-Mercury conjunction and its eclipses, without even mentioning that it squares confusing Neptune. With Taurus, we are dealing with land, material resources, and money.

This conjunction is on the North Node of Israel, its destiny point, and also squares Israel’s Pluto-Saturn conjunction (5-14-48). It conjoins the Sun of autonomous Palestine (5-4-94).

The conjunction squares the Pluto-Saturn of both India and Pakistan (8-15-47).

It is close to the U.S. Vesta, guardian of the Hearth.

The Astro*Carto*Graphy map for the preceding Full Moon shows Venus and Mercury through the East Coast of North America, Cuba, and Latin America. Those lines also run through Europe, Africa, China, southeast Asia, and Indonesia.

This could be another late night.

THURSDAY MAY 29. Moon in Taurus likes to be productive, but we are now at the end of a moon cycle, and preparing for a Solar Eclipse tomorrow night. Simply relax and assimilate, especially as we close this strange energy week. Moon becomes VOC at 11:53 a.m. to add to the day’s laissez faire effect.

FRIDAY MAY 30. Moon enters talkative Gemini early this morning. Just afterwards it joins Ceres, and trines Vesta, freshly into Libra. The ladies in the air signs have the floor for the moment, and they may speak up this morning. Towards noon, Moon squares Uranus in Pisces to jolt us into readiness for tonight’s Solar Eclipse.

SATURDAY MAY 31. New Moon at 10 Gemini occurs at 12:20 a.m. EDT. This is an annular eclipse, which means that Moon does not quite cover the sun, and a ring of light remains around the moon. The annular phase is visible at far northern latitudes, including Iceland, northern Scotland, and the far north within the Arctic circle. Its partial phases are visible in a wide area stretching from Europe through North Africa to Asia.

Gemini New Moon starts us on our new round of making connections. In Aries we stake out our new turf, in Taurus we secure it, and now in Gemini we make contact with the neighbors. For the next month we will be establishing our lines of communication. So far the Bush Administration is a model in following the zodiacal script.

This is an ongoing part of a Sagittarius-Gemini eclipse series which began December 14, 2001, very much in the orb of 9-11. Violence escalated sharply then in several theaters—Israel-Palestine, India-Kashmir, and the U.S. and the world. Tens of thousands demonstrated in Europe against corporate globalization, while at the same time China and Taiwan joined the WTO.

The Gemini-Sagittarius polarity refers to movement of people, products, and ideas. New information and ideas are broadcast. New groupings are made. Religion and politics become issues. This has been the current of the last two years, and it will continue for the remainder of this year. (Again, for historical context, read my article in the April-May issue of The Mountain Astrologer.)

This is an important polarity in the U.S. chart, and it is the change milieu into which GW stepped. It is his nodal polarity, as it was Clinton’s.

In the chart set for Washington, the North Node in Taurus, as well as the New Moon, is on the nadir, meaning a rebirth of security foundations for the U.S. Neptune, Mars, and Uranus are all rising in Washington, while Jupiter is setting. Since the eclipse conjoins the U.S. Uranus, these foundations are built on Uranian independence and technological savvy. This is also Mark Lerner’s degree of nuclear power. This is also the degree of fixed star Aldeberan, the "eye of the bull," in the constellation of Taurus. This is a reddish star, and like red Mars, confers aggressive qualities. In the sky, it is opposite Antares, which we saw close to the Lunar Eclipse.

We have two fixed stars which confer aggressive qualities, both prominent this month.

With Neptune rising in Washington, oil is obviously prominent. So are Neptune’s veils, and again we feature both inspiration and delusion.

The prominent Neptune-Jupiter opposition features Pallas Athena in Aries, who is both challenger and defender par excellence. Feisty is the word. This configuration indicates the avid pursuit of ideals in the service of humanity. Gemini is the sign of the Twins, and we are apt to see two points of view.

Saturn at the very end of Gemini is finishing its building process of the last two years. It completes something tangible now, especially in the field of communication. One likely manifestation is the FCC reorganization mentioned in the General Influences section.

Solar Eclipses run in cycles of 1280 years, with many concurrent cycles. The cycles are designated by Saros numbers, and I’ve seen at least two systems, maybe three, of numbering eclipses. According to Bernadette Brady (see book review this month), this eclipse is Saros Series 5 North. The original eclipse of this series also had a prominent Neptune and Mars. Bernadette describes the character of this eclipse series as "very unusual—hunches, visions and prophetic dreams are the essence of this series."

The Sabian Symbol for 10 Gemini is:

"AN AIRPLANE PERFORMING A NOSE DIVE. A superior ability to challenge nature and play with danger. Gravitation is the universal binding force of the material world. By challenging it, man prepares himself to pierce beyond the physical and to reach higher realms of existence. He may lose the struggle, but that prospect makes the effort more exciting. He might gain "immortality." This symbol has a strong sense of finality. No possibility of half measures exist. Man is committed irrevocably to success or failure. One may describe it as MIND VS. MATTER, or as man’s will against the fate that gravitation so aptly symbolizes."

Most of the world, with the exception of central Asia and the Middle East, is heavily stimulated now. Europe, and particularly the Balkans, shows the greatest activity. Africa is next, followed closely by southeast Asia.

Some of the highlighted cities are Minneapolis, New York, and Washington DC. In Latin America, we notice Caracas, Bogota, Lima, and Buenos Aires. Europe features London, Berlin, and Madrid. In Africa, we note Cairo. And in Asia, New Delhi, Beijing, Manila, and Jakarta are featured.