Beyond the familiar
Dates and times are given for U.S. Pacific Time zone. Click them to see the date and time where you are.
Cleaning house
An aspect between the Sun and Pluto always sounds a bit ominous, but at least the one that begins this week is a trine. Pluto always speaks of releasing what isn’t viable and what isn’t working in your life, whether or not you’re ready to let it go. The Sun trine Pluto (May 13, 8:07 pm) sets up the idea of housecleaning – deep, emotional cleaning – that, having been taken care of, makes it easier to set your house in order.
It’s easy to forget that the Moon’s First Quarter Phase – which begins with the conflict and crisis of the Moon’s opening square to the Sun – always eventually resolves to a trine. This week, the Moon in Virgo trines the Sun in Taurus (May 14, 0:29 am PDT). The energy of last week’s First Quarter phase is still present – we must do or die – but the trine to the Sun suggests that the wind is at our backs, at least. A First Quarter Moon in Virgo favors practical action in the service of goals related to security and life’s simple pleasures (Sun in Taurus). Particularly with energetic Mars entering Cancer (May 15, 8:09 pm), this is a good time to clean your house to make it more pleasant. Update your passwords to keep your systems more secure. Catch up on financial paperwork.
None of this sounds very sexy. But one secret to real luxury, wealth, and stability lies in the details of daily life – organizing things in such a way that they can be easily retrieved, that bills are paid on time with no late penalties, that you don’t run out of cream for the morning coffee. This week, look deep – then expend energy in the direction of small things, and watch your life improve accordingly.
Enter the unexpected
Usually, we wouldn’t get too excited about a sextile. It’s a nice aspect (one of my favorites), but it tends to signify opportunity rather than crisis (like a square), enlightenment (like an opposition), or serendipity (like a trine). This week’s sextile between Venus and Mars (May 14, 6:58 am PDT) is noteworthy, though, because it comes just before Venus enters its ruling sign, Taurus (May 15, 2:46 am) and makes its annual conjunction to Uranus (May 18, 9:17 am PDT). And Venus at the sextile is actually very close to the degree of last year’s Venus/Uranus conjunction in late Aries.
All of this combines to paint a picture in my imagination – of the opportunity to get to know someone a little better, maybe someone you met a long time ago but who, at the time, didn’t make that compelling of an impression. And now, if you make the effort to connect, there is the possibility of it really paying off, with that electrifying feeling of having met someone who could change your life.
Now, this may literally be the case for you, or it might not. But pay attention this week to offers and introductions, particularly those involving romance or financial opportunities. They won’t all be winners, but Venus – strong in her own sign, Taurus – coming together with unpredictable Uranus can always bring something interesting and unexpected. Not always positive, however; unlikely expenses areas possible as windfalls.
Expanding the domain
The Sabian Symbol for the degree of this Full Moon (May 18, 2:11 pm) is one of my favorites: 28 Scorpio, The king of the fairies approaches his domain. He’s the king, all right, but his kingdom is an ethereal and insubstantial one. As he enters it, perhaps after a time spent amongst those who roll their eyes and snicker behind his back, he must feel such comfort, such a restoration of morale.
I make my living in a profession that most people don’t take too seriously. It’s rough for someone like me, with Saturn in serious Capricorn and a handful of Virgo planets, to realize that even if I were at the very top of my profession I’d still get eyerolls at a cocktail party when someone asks me what I do for a living.
But the only way to expand one’s “kingdom” is to step out of the comfort zone and risk the eyerolls and indifference of strangers. The Sun’s Sabian Symbol at the Full Moon is, A woman pursued by mature romance– a reminder that it’s never too late to have a grand passion, whether romantic or otherwise. But it is more likely to find you if you step out beyond the familiar.
©2019 April Elliott Kent
