Outlaws
When you drive, do you ever exceed the speed limit? When you fill out your tax return, do you include the $50 bill you found on the sidewalk one day? Did you ever taste an alcoholic beverage before you’d reached the age of consent?
Probably, each and every one of us has broken the law at some point, even if only in relatively small ways. And as Mars continues its journey through feisty Aries, there is a spirit of the Wild West in the air. But as Mars squares Jupiter (May 4, 2026, 7:08 pm PDT), the wild west outlaw comes face to face with the judge. And whether it’s the letter of the law or our personal sense of right and wrong, we have to reckon with – and justify – our actions and beliefs.
When people are free, or wish to be, conflicts arise. Sometimes, it’s because the law no longer accurately reflects the way society has agreed to live. Sometimes, it’s because society itself is divided about the best way to live.
Meeting Your Troll
There are shadowy, nasty impulses lurking inside each of us. They are where Pluto lives, like trolls under a bridge. And if we can understand them, we can overcome them.
While transiting Mercury squares Pluto (May 5, 2026, 3:08 pm PDT, 5º30′ Taurus-Aquarius), we meet one of these trolls along the road. Something we read, some conversation we have, awakens an ugly thought; it might be jealousy, or contempt, or an illicit idea you’d never act upon. Don’t be afraid of these thoughts. They’re just Mercury’s way of introducing you to one of your trolls, so you can make friends with it – and then it will lose its power over you.
As in a fairy tale, each of these encounters requires you to give your name and answer a question correctly before you can pass. The trick is, we call ourselves by many names – not just the one on our government ID, but also titles like Mother, Father, Husband, Wife, Best Friend. The key is to find the name that’s called by this encounter, and then you’ll have no trouble answering the question that’s asked of you.
Whistling Past the Graveyard
Pluto is retrograde for half of each year, but we mostly feel its heft on the days when it changes direction, as it will this week.
A Pluto station day (turning retrograde on May 6, 2026, 8:34 am PDT at 5º30’ Aquarius, through October 15) can feel downright haunted. It’s as though a large Plutonian boulder has been overturned, revealing all the squirming, slimy things that were living underneath.
Uneasiness is part of the Pluto journey. I don’t intend to rush, whistling past the graveyard, desperately seeking comfort, redemption, or even wisdom. Instead, I’ll pull up a low, hard bench in the middle of the cemetery. I’ll listen to a cool wind in the trees, rustling the tall grass of panic, confusion, grief, and rage.
I could as easily watch a horror movie or read a ghost story. These are ways of letting the gremlins out to play, projecting our fears onto a blank screen or page where they feel manageable. So are dressing as a goth, devouring vampire books, or having a picnic in a cemetery. Flirting with death at a cool, ironic remove is cathartic, Pluto kabuki theater.
But every now and then, life makes it impossible to keep fear at a safe, rational, sanitary distance. Boulders get overturned, and long-buried compost is revealed. We find that what’s been long buried is rolling over in a shallow grave, begging for release.
Come sit next to me. We’ll listen carefully; we’ll watch for what comes next.
Lonely Out on the Prairie
At the Aquarius Last Quarter Moon (May 9, 2026, 2:10 pm PDT, 19º14’ Aquarius-Taurus, we might be craving a sense of belonging, and longing for social connections that feel significant and impactful. The Aries overload of recent weeks has emphasized an individualist approach to things, and perhaps you’re beginning to feel a little lonely out on the prairie alone.
This Last Quarter Moon in sociable Aquarius completes the monthly cycle that began with the April 17 Aries New Moon. Aries is a sign that prefers to act alone, and our New Moon goals might reflect that. But the conviviality of Aquarius, and the Moon’s precise trine to Venus in Gemini, suggest that the key to meeting our Aries New Moon goals lies in getting out and connecting with others. How might we work effectively with others to fulfill a promise we made to ourselves at the New Moon?
Contemplating a Detour
There is an allure to knowing exactly what you want and how you want to go about getting it. It feels clean, unequivocal. But what if there’s an opportunity to have something more, something you might never have thought of, if you’re willing to take a detour?
Let’s say you’ve decided to take a trip to Rome. You’ve determined the perfect time to go, evaluated the flights, and investigated hotels. Over coffee, you tell a friend about your plans. “Oh, I’m planning a trip there two weeks later!” she says. “Wouldn’t it have been super to share a room and take some day trips together!”
Well, as a matter of fact… You actually could go a couple of weeks later. You haven’t yet booked anything or put in for vacation time from work. And while you love traveling on your own, this person is good company, makes friends easily, and even speaks some Italian.
Should you suggest traveling together? If you don’t, there’s no harm done; your friend will never know you entertained the idea. But if you do, you might just have a lot more fun.
The nature of a sextile aspect is that it’s an opportunity – you can choose to say yes to it, or let it pass by. When the Sun sextiles Jupiter (May 10, 2026, 7:14 pm PDT, 20°25’ Taurus-Cancer), it could be a case of the more, the merrier. And if you choose to go on your own, singular path, that’ll be fine, too. The choice is yours.
Writing and images © 2017-2026 by April Elliott Kent
