May 2009: Understanding How to Maintain Control in Your Life

Throughout the month of May, there is a tight conjunction between Jupiter, Neptune, and Chiron which leads to a conjunction between Jupiter and Neptune near the end of the month. This conjunction, called a stellium, is important because it represents the desire to find healing in a world where changes keep occurring and not all the information is readily available. The reason that it’s not available is that people who are responsible for changes don’t really understand the implications of the steps they’re taking. If you who have planets near 26º of a fixed sign (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, or Aquarius), this stellium will indicate important changes are occurring in your life. The specific areas of change will be indicated by our own chart. Whatever the changes are, you’ll find yourself viewing the world from a new perspective: One where you need to unite with others and learn that doing things alone can’t always bring the success you need.

The month of May begins with Venus forming a square to Pluto retrograde on May 2nd. This square indicates that there is tension between what you value and what you need to do to succeed in the world. There is a sense that your life is being controlled by outside forces. At the same time, you want to find ways to bring passion into your life. The tension comes from within, although you can point to external forces, such as a shaky stock market or employment situation. It’s really time to think of ways where you can regain control of your life.

On May 7th, Mercury in Gemini turns retrograde. Mercury entered Gemini on April 30, 2009, but it only made it to the first degree of Gemini. You may have thought that you had all the facts you needed to make decisions, but in actuality, important information was withheld. Therefore, this is not the time to sign new contracts or implement any new ideas even though you want to do something that shows you’re not controlled by others.

The full Moon which occurs on May 9th is an interesting full Moon. The Sun in Taurus is just past the trine to Saturn retrograde while the Moon in Scorpio is approaching a trine to Uranus. This means that you need to look at the structures you created in life and open your mind to the possibility that there are better ways to do things. It also indicates that people in your life really want to help you and it’s all right to accept their help.

At the same time, this full Moon forms a square to the stellium created by Jupiter, Chiron, and Neptune. As you open your mind to new possibilities and accept support from your friends, maintain awareness that the world is changing around you and that very few individuals really understand what those changes will mean in the long run. Over the next year there will be technological changes which can assist individuals with illnesses. There will also be changes in various financial institutions.

It’s interesting that in many ways Jupiter, Chiron, and Neptune all represent another aspect of the same psychic energy. Both Jupiter and Neptune rule the twelfth house. Jupiter rules both the ninth and twelfth houses. Chiron is said to be symbolized by the Centaur which is also the symbol for Sagittarius, one of the signs that Jupiter rules.

During this full Moon you may feel a struggle between the need to be open and honest and the need to maintain privacy and secrets. Scandals with corporations involved in the financial or health industries will be revealed. Also watch for any innovations or inventions mentioned; they will have an impact on the future.

But the most important energy of this full Moon is in understanding who you really are: both the good and the bad. Understand your weaknesses and you’ll know your strengths. Accept who you are and you’ll find increased love from others in your life. With such honesty you’ll be able to focus during this time of confusion.

The day following the full Moon, Ceres forms a trine to Pluto retrograde. This can help you understand how important it is not to hold on to secrets. Ceres and Pluto have a symbiotic relationship. Without Pluto, Ceres would not have gained strength: This is true in both mythology as well as in astronomy. In mythology, Ceres gained her strength through the compromise she made with Zeus to have her daughter, Persephone, returned from Pluto’s realm of darkness. In astronomy, Pluto was demoted from a full planet to a dwarf planet as Ceres was elevated from an asteroid to a dwarf planet. So, today it means that you may need to compromise with various people, especially those who can hold some control over your life. But, through that compromise you will get what you want.

May 11th will not be the easiest day for compromise because Mars forms a quincunx to Saturn retrograde. However, this aspect may create enough tension that any negotiations may actually open the door to honest discussions. Various concepts will be discussed. You may find that you shift positions. While you don’t want to make a final decision today, it is a good day for bringing up different sides of the matter so that you can analyze the entire subject over the next few days.

Mercury re-enters Taurus on May 13th. This is important because Mercury is returning to form a square to Jupiter, Chiron, and Neptune. When Mercury was in direct motion, the square occurred between April 22nd and April 25th, just around the time of the new Moon on April 24th. Because Mercury is returning to a point that it reached at the end of last month, it’s important for you to consider what actions you may have taken at that time. If you had incomplete business, you’ll need to finish it during the days that Mercury retrograde forms the square to the conjunction created by Jupiter, Chiron, and Neptune.

Some people feel that Mercury is not as comfortable in Taurus because the mind (Mercury) likes to move quickly while the energy of Taurus wants to understand just how things are valued internally before moving externally. It’s possible that you tried to do some things when Mercury was initially in Taurus and you didn’t really have everything in order for it to succeed. It’s also possible that the retrograde of Mercury now will let you go back and correct those errors or omissions which were made.

With Saturn turning direct on May 16th, you’ll find it easier to set goals. You’ll have a better sense of what you need to do in life. And, the key for success starts with thinking about the needs of your family as well as your own personal needs.

May 20th will be a very intense day. Mercury retrograde forms a square to Neptune, Chiron, and Jupiter. Therefore, the energy you experienced at the end of April 2009 really comes to your conscious awareness. On the same day, Venus forms a quincunx to Saturn and the Sun enters Gemini.

First, things will be revealed to you that were operating under the surface. You may have suspected something was going to occur, but now you have the information. Next, you need to use this information carefully. If you were worried about something, it’s possible that hearing the information may cause you some pain. Perhaps you weren’t really ready to deal with it. At the same time, you will also experience relief because it’s good to have that information out in the open. If it deals with personal relationships, you may find this a healing experience. Finally, learning about this information will enable you to make adjustments in life so that you can move forward and left go of any pain.

On a more global level, this is a day when the media will have more information about the economy and how it’s impacting the lives of individuals throughout the world. The employment situation will be the greatest concern. It’s possible that some treaties or agreements can be worked out between leaders of various countries between May 21st and May 23rd, when Mercury retrograde forms a sextile to Uranus and Chiron forms a conjunction to Jupiter. If you need to negotiate anything, these are good days for negotiations and compromise.

The new Moon which occurs on May 24th is one that indicates discussions are important because both the Sun and Moon are in Gemini. In some ways you don’t totally understand what’s going on in the world. At the same time, talking about your concerns or even fears could help you understand your own emotions.

You may feel out of sorts. Perhaps you feel that other people are controlling your life. Or, perhaps you feel that it’s difficult to negotiate with people. Somehow it’s important to draw out your personal power. It’s also very important to be involved with your family and take their needs into consideration.

On May 27th, Jupiter forms a conjunction to Neptune. Before that happens, Mars forms a sextile to Chiron, Jupiter, and Neptune on both May 26th and May 27th. Sextiles indicate opportunities. The opportunity may be to take action. Mars is in its own sign and there’s a desire to do something. Yet it’s important not to move too quickly or else you may alienate your friends. The more important part of this stellium is to take steps for healing any conflicts so that you can move forward with your dreams.

When Jupiter forms a conjunction to Neptune, a 12-year cycle is emphasized. This conjunction will occur three times in this 12-year cycle: May 27, July 10, and December 21, 2009. Conjunctions always indicate a connection between two planets. In this case the connection is stronger than normal. While Jupiter rules Sagittarius, both Jupiter and Neptune rule Pisces. Jupiter can indicate expansion, yet Neptune can indicate confusion. Both planets represent your dreams, but in different ways. The dreams that are indicated by Jupiter focus on long-term goals and achievement of those goals. They represent your desire to see beyond the normal rules society implements. Neptune represents dreams motivated by spiritual desire. These dreams represent your need to fulfill some sort of mission which harmonizes with your soul.

Both these planets can represent fears that you don’t understand. Or, perhaps you understand where your fear comes from but you don’t truly understand how to get those fears under control. Even historically there is a desire to control a situation without really understanding how that control may impact future outcomes. The strongest examples of trying to control things and not understanding the impacts are found in the economic area: Richard Nixon placed a 90-day freeze on wage and prices in 1971 as part of his Phase I economic plan. The first one appeared to work. But when he placed a second 90-day freeze on prices, many cattlemen preferred to slaughter their beef rather than bringing it to market at low prices. At the end of World War I, Germany signed the Versailles Treaty and agreed to pay for all war reparations. However, this led to hyperinflation as Germany could not meet the payments.

Translate this into your personal life and it means that you need to try your best to understand how the actions you take at this time will impact your future. It’s a balancing act between taking care of your family today and taking actions that improve your family’s life in the future. If you’re not totally sure of the long-term impact of your actions, you may want to wait a while. Governments will attempt various wage and price controls at this time. Retailers will try to lower prices to stimulate spending. However credit, especially for consumers and small business owners, will still be difficult to get.

On a more positive note, technological advances during this cycle can bring many benefits to individuals with disability, especially those with neurological disorders. In the movie, “The Lord of the Rings,” motion capture technology was used to capture the character and movements of a main protagonist, Gollum. The actor who played this role had computer sensors attached to his body which “captured his motion.” By capturing his motion, computers were able to transfer an image to screen. The company, Organic Motion, is taking this technology even further. They are creating an environment which senses human movement and inputs this movement into a computer. The founders’ vision for its use, in addition to movie special effects, is helping people suffering from neuromuscular disorders. They intent to develop computer technology which can sense when an individual is in the house and do things such as turn on the lights. For individuals bound to a wheel chair, this sensing device can improve their lives by turning on not only electrical lights, but also other appliances and items in their home. For those of you who are not in wheel chairs, this technology will also make life easier for you.

As the month of May ends, there are several directional changes: On May 29th, Neptune turns retrograde. On May 30th, Chiron turns retrograde and Mercury turns direct. This sense that you don’t know all the facts and may not have as much control in your life is very strong because in many ways leaders of various nations really don’t understand all the ramifications of changes they are proposing. But, as you hear or read more information, you’ll be able to start making sense of things in your personal life. You’ll be able to make some adjustments which give you a feeling that you’re regaining control. The most important thing to remember is that you need to keep communicating with your family and friends so that you don’t need to go through life trying to do everything on your own.