Highlights for May 3-9, 2021: Emerging from a Chrysalis

Emerging from a Chrysalis

Dates and times are given for U.S. Pacific Time zone.

The finished form

We can get so focused on what’s in front of us – the tasks at hand – that the point of completion can sneak up on us. This week, Mercury squares Jupiter (May 3, 2021, 2:33 am PDT) on the Sabian symbol 29 Taurus, Two cobblers working at a table, and 29 Aquarius: Butterfly emerging from a chrysalis. If you’ve been working on something for awhile without much progress, this is the week when, all of the sudden, it reveals its finished form.

Entering a tunnel

When we are comfortable and well-fed, with a roof overhead and no immediate threats to our safety, it’s hard to find the motivation to save the world – or even just to think about the future. But Saturn’s ongoing journey through Aquarius insists that we do just that. As the Sun in comfortable Taurus squares Saturn this week (May 3, 2021, 3:01 am PDT), and the Moon joins with Saturn at the Last Quarter Moon in Aquarius (May 3, 2021, 12:50 pm PDT) we find out why our efforts to get comfy and enjoy the fine weather of this temperate season have been thwarted by limitations, obligations, and a nagging sense of unease. A changing landscape is calling us toward action, and the future can no longer be ignored.

The close conjunction of the Moon and Saturn at this Last Quarter Moon is on the Sabian symbol 14 Aquarius, A train entering a tunnel. Change is a locomotive that’s headed toward us, and there’s no room left in the tunnel to step out of its way. It’s time to stop stalling, get out of the comfort zone, and make some important decisions that will affect the future.

Lighten Your Load

A parent, noticing their child’s love of the written word, presents her with a fancy pencil set and a thick pad of paper. They’re dismayed when she picks up the paper and tears it into tiny pieces, then gleefully tosses it in the air.

As Mercury journeyed through Taurus, it gathered tools and supplies; as Mercury enters Gemini (May 3, 2021, 7:49 pm PDT), it enjoys writing things down, documenting thoughts and ideas – but it’s not all that attached to any of them. It’s enough to record them and then send them as a fluttering of confetti onto a fine spring breeze, reflecting the sunshine and reaching the obliging ear of the universe.

Lighten Your Load

Here’s why I love the desert: it’s so empty, and the sky is so big, that I feel free to do and be anything. I love my creature comforts, and my real life is filled with beloved possessions. But there’s no question that “stuff” weighs us down in many ways, as we pay for it, store it, and maintain it. It’s probably a common fantasy to think of chucking it all and starting over someplace new, with a big, empty slate and limitless possibilities.

There comes a time when even cherished possessions have outlived their usefulness. The emotional connections they represent may need to be released, or we may simply want to lighten our load for the journey ahead. As Venus trines Pluto (May 6, 2021, 4:24 am PDT) this week, don’t be surprised if you feel a sudden desire to get rid of things and create more space for yourself. Pluto is on the Sabian symbol 27 Capricorn, A mountain pilgrimage. It’s a lot easier to climb a mountain if you’re not weighed down by too much baggage.

The happiness curve

How much do we actually need in order to be happy? It varies from person to person, of course. But happiness studies have shown that beyond what is needed for necessary expenses, plus a little bit extra, more money doesn’t really bring more happiness. It can provide more pleasure and comfort, but that’s not really the same thing. Many people on their death bed who would give everything they own for a bit more time.

As Venus in luxury-loving Taurus squares Jupiter in Aquarius (May 8, 2021, 6:38 am PDT), take some time to consider how many hours of your life – the most precious commodity of all – are exchanged for things that don’t bring you much happiness. Jupiter in Aquarius shows a vision of the future that might just be alluring enough to get you to give up some of them.

Love thy neighbor

I‘ve lived in the same neighborhood for many years now. On my daily walk I encounter neighbors who are familiar, even if we don’t know one another by name. There’s the man with the knit cap and his cranky corgi; the quiet older woman who, I’m told, single-handedly remodeled her home; the pair of men with the adorable sheepdog who trade quips with me. At the supermarket, I pick the line for my favorite checker.

Gemini is the first of the three relational signs. Libra rules close relationships, Aquarius rules the way we relate as a society, and Gemini rules the casual conviviality of the neighborhood. Venus entering Gemini this week (May 8, 2021, 7:01 pm PDT) reminds us of the pleasure to be found in simple, pleasant interactions with those around us. During long periods of quarantine and social distancing, we’ve grown hungry for these connections; they are the social lubricant that keeps the gears of society moving comfortably. We won’t become close to every person we encounter in our daily lives, but a passing smile and a cheerful hello go a long way toward making us feel less alone.