Overview for May 2013

By Leigh Oswald

Importantly this month the planet Uranus moves to exactly square Pluto, particularly in the second half, reflecting a similar mood in the air to last summer. When Uranus squares Pluto, which is a rare event, it usually implies some upheaval, chaos and rebellion against the powers that be, not only confined to African or Middle Eastern countries. It could also be evident in Europe, especially England, which is a Capricorn with Aries rising country, and Pluto is currently in Capricorn and Uranus is in Aries. The populace will not be too happy but of course, because England is such a conservative country, any anti establishment rebellion will be civilised and low key. Uranus is effectively intermittently squaring Pluto for another approximately 2 years.

There is a great schism developing between Plutonic oligarchs, dictators, or hugely wealthy, powerful international commercial corporations, (who often have governments in their pockets to a greater or lesser degree with their powerful lobbying and financial influence) and the rest of us (Uranus).

Also interestingly, Saturn in Scorpio moves in the second half of the month to trine Neptune in Pisces and remains so configured till late August, which augurs well generally for the ability to work very hard to make some ideals and dreams practical and manifest, both socio-politically, environmentally and indeed creatively. The real/practical and the ideal can somehow blend.

The power of earthy Taurus this month is strong, with the Sun, Mercury and Venus occupying that sign for part of the month and Mars also in Taurus for all of the month. A note of intractable stubbornness will be in the air.

The Sun remains conjunct to Mars, (the planet of war) as it has been since early April and will be powerfully so until the 12^th of May. This is therefore a protracted period for risk of a war-like mood on the planet during this first half of the month and a mindless resistance to rationality, note well North Korea and Syria and the 1^st and 2^nd of the month are particularly tense in this respect, as Mars is then opposing Saturn.

Positive days are the 26^th and 28^th when Jupiter is in conjunction with Mercury and Venus respectively and these dates are protective, lucky and enhancing of energies. The 5^th and 6^th, when Mars aligns harmoniously with Pluto gives the courage and determination to create a transformative success somehow, somewhere in global affairs.

The solar eclipse occurs on the 9^th/10^th at 19° of Taurus. The solar eclipse falls when the moon conjuncts the Sun and when the Moon also interposes itself between the Earth and the light of the Sun. This potentially represents a breakthrough or new start as the positive overrules the negative. By contrast, the lunar eclipse falls on the 24^th/25^th at 4° of Sagittarius. The lunar eclipse happens when the Moon is full i.e., is opposing the Sun; and also the Earth is interposing itself between the light of the Sun and the Moon. This equates to a rather powerful eruption of negative (repressed) forces that have been brewing in the collective unconscious, individually and collectively and often therefore triggers quite explosive and unexpected endings of chapters.

 The Moon represents the unconscious, whilst the Sun represents the conscious and when the Sun is opposed by the Moon, the power of the unconscious challenges our consciousness, so surprise eruptions from deep within, that have been brewing, often erupt

The word lunatic, (which alludes to the power of the lunar body; i.e. the Moon), was misguidedly used in medieval times to describe people very affected by the full Moon. Cancer is as a sign ruled by the moon and indeed those with Cancer suns or who have Cancer rising (ascending) are often very conscious of and are indeed often more than averagely affected by the Moon, especially when full, as indeed are those born at the time of a full Moon (certainly not lunatics!!). Indeed we are all so affected to some degree. The Moon has a very significant and measurable effect on the tides and on aquatic life and therefore, subtly, or not, affects all life on earth as do indeed all the planets. Astrologers observe this constantly. As to whether this is a causative or a correlative phenomenon; the jury is still out.