Astrology of May 2007 by Henry Seltzer (www.astrograph.com)

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The Astrology of May focuses on Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus, or joyous abandon and rugged practicality mixed with unexpected epiphany. Jupiter and Saturn remain in trine throughout May, signifying a time of increased and increasing social awareness. It is becoming fashionable to not only be concerned about the fate of the planet but to actually begin doing something about it. Innovation of all kinds is also in the air, as Jupiter squares Uranus once more this year, having initiated this phase of their dance last January. Saturn remains inconjunct to Uranus, indicating that adjustment to our thought process and the structure of our endeavors is required.

All through May and on into June, as Uranus enters into the planetary pattern with Jupiter and Saturn, it thereby brings a touch of crazy brilliance to our process of growth and restructuring that is on-going right now. Jupiter in square aspect with Uranus heralds the formation of novel ideas, new solutions to our pressing social problems, and in combination with Saturn, the shove that attempts to put aside the static and non-functioning elements of our personal and collective equations. Bob Dylan, with Jupiter and Uranus conjunct in his own chart, penned some of his most memorable lines during such a configuration, in the early sixties. Uranus in combination with Pluto was in fact the hallmark of that radical period. Since Uranus is coming into its square with Pluto over the next few years, the first dynamic interchange between them since that time, radical revolutionary transformation may be returning, none too soon for the sake of our planet and for all of us living together within its fragile bounty.

Dylan's words, still echoing down the corridors of time, neatly sum up the pressure of the new era that is once again dawning, and the collision of Saturn and Uranus taking place in the current skies:

Come mothers and fathers throughout the land
And don't criticize what you can't understand;
Your sons and your daughters are beyond your command,
Your old road is rapidly aging.
Please get out of the new one if you can't lend your hand
For the times they are a'changing

Transits to the U.S. Chart

As we wrote about last month, the New Moons lately have been extremely transformative regarding public opinion in this country, since they aspect transiting Pluto, which currently sextiles U.S. Moon, in March by square, and last month by trine. This month a more subtle inconjunct is formed, which also squares transiting Neptune. The middle of last month was indeed an important time of changing awareness for the American public. Revelations of public malfeasance have continued, with questions regarding deleted emails from presidential advisor and Assistant Chief of Staff Karl Rove, in connection with the issue of exactly who outed CIA covert agent Valerie Plame, which just won't go away. She is the wife of Joseph Wilson, who made remarks critical to the White House, regarding the use of trumped-up intelligence in the lead-up to the war. His comments appeared in early July 2003, and she was outed to the press, a felony in the case of a covert agent, just two weeks later. In my article The Ides of June, I have pointed out that transits to U.S. Chiron seem to reflect the national outrage regarding this action, in which the nation's leaders, the very ones that we expect to uphold the law, are actually in violation of the law. Since Saturn was moving into its opposition with Neptune at this time in trine and sextile to the U.S. Chiron position, the timing fits very well with these earlier observations. In fact, the Saturn / Neptune transiting midpoint at the time of the mid-April New Moon was within a few minutes of the same degree that U.S. Chiron occupies in Aries in the U.S. chart. This month and next, as this opposition draws closer, U.S. Chiron and its sextile with U.S. Mars, representing the military, is even more closely aspected.

Then, just on the eve of last month's New Moon, the Virginia Tech shooting once again brought home the reality of violence even within the safe haven of America. There were issues of neglected warning signs in this tragedy that reflect, in my view, the lack of emphasis on health and human services of this current political climate. It is an irony that so many young people died as a result of these policies of neglect, while one can't help thinking also about the young people dying every day in Iraq, both Arab and American, as a result of these same misguided priorities.

In the current month's transits, we might expect similar thought-provoking information to surface as the week of May 14th begins, with the mid-week New Moon of May 16th taking place again in aspect to transiting Neptune and Pluto. These revelations may perhaps again involve the myriad deceptions practiced in the run-up to the war, since the natal Neptune-Mars square in the U.S. chart is activated, as is once again the U.S. Moon position, representing public opinion. The calls for impeachment of the White House oil men might be getting louder and more insistent. The spiritual lesson for all of us at this time is to take our own authority, no matter what the cost, and in spite of any attempts to co-opt it, for only by changing ourselves can we truly change the world around us.

Current Configurations

The Taurus – Scorpio Full Moon that nearly begins the month, on Wednesday, May 2nd (), makes a square with Chiron in Aquarius. The Chiron / Neptune midpoint is also activated during the first part of May, being exactly opposed to Saturn in Leo. Since Mars conjuncts Uranus in Pisces, as it aspects Jupiter and Saturn, this is an active and enlightening time when anything can happen.

Then the Last Quarter Moon of the middle of the next week, taking place on Wednesday, May 9th (), is definitely a time of testing. This is traditionally the time of the "crisis in consciousness" that Dane Rudhyar spoke of so eloquently, when we have the gift of seeing what does and does not work for us, and gain the concomitant wisdom in evaluating our situation. In addition to the square of Sun to Moon, the Moon exactly conjuncts Chiron and Neptune, opposing Saturn, and therefore brings the polarity of the forming Saturn – Neptune opposition neatly into the picture. Jupiter meanwhile continues to square Uranus, and trines Saturn exactly, so that a very lively configuration is formed. We definitely will grow in our understanding as we make our way through this mid-week period.

The New Moon of Wednesday, May 16th (), of course represents a fresh start. Coming in late Taurus, at the 25 plus degree mark, this New Moon squares Neptune and is inconjunct to Pluto. Mars enters its own sign of Aries, while Venus in Cancer reflects universal love. Another powerfully transformative New Moon, in which the unworldly symbolism of Neptune is emphasized over the real-world expediency of Saturn, and yet undercut by that same practical energy.

The First Quarter Moon of the following week, taking place on Wednesday, May 23rd (), has the usual overtones of making something happen, or failing in that attempt, a "crisis in action," and comes with the usual tension in the mix between the luminAries. The Sun is newly entered into Gemini, so the element balance has shifted, with Fire and Air, or process and communication, emphasized. Also, a Yod to Venus from Chiron and Jupiter gives a new twist to our relationship energy, bringing up old patterns of relationship dysfunction and the possibility of healing these patterns.

The Full Moon of the very last day of the month (called a "Blue Moon" since it is the second Full Moon in May ) takes place in Gemini and Sagittarius. It follows the New Moon of the 16th and represents a flowering of that impulse for change. It also presages the Gemini New Moon of the middle of next month, which opposes Pluto and the Galactic Center. Since it conjuncts Jupiter and trines Mars in Aries, this is another active lunation that will continue to keep us on our toes. The Sabian Symbol for the Moon degree is mystical, "The path of realism in experience," something that is very much with us right now, in this time of contrast, as we transition toward June and the perfecting Saturn – Neptune opposition. We must continue to seek to find the real in the magical unreal or we lose one important side of the equation.