Greetings Space Cadets.

MAYDAY, MAYDAY!! welcome to May and the season when life seems to be exploding in its full glory and the days are growing longer at least for those denizens living in the Northern hemisphere for our friends in Oz and elsewhere in the Southern Hemisphere we welcome you to autumn, and the time of rest and renewal that signals winter approaching, and the wet season for those is Oz, Patagonia, and South Africa. Traditionally on the pagan calendar this would also signal the holiday or high Sabbat of Beltane, a predominately Celtic holiday marking the end of winter and celebrated with the lighting of fires as the word beltane itself may have stemmed from a gaelic word meaning bright fire. It remains one of the only pagan holidays that did not undergo Christianization during the rise of the religion of the fish, and retains its cultural integrity to this day with modern day celebrations all throughout the UK, Ireland, Scotland and the British Isles.

An interesting corollary emerges at least for those of us living in the contemporary nation of the United States As many of my readers know I am very adamant about pointing out that the legacies of outer planet transits are with us long after those transits have ceased (which is not to say it is the transits or planets that compel human events, what they represent are salient metaphors for the social and economic changes that human societies undergo due to innovation and an advancement of moral reasoning). The energies of these massive movements are with us long after the direct orb of influence has passed. The Uranus-Pluto-Square energies have manifested contemporaneously it seems in this season of fire it seems that the events that have signaled spring in the Northern Hemisphere have followed in the wake of some much needed cultural uprising It is in recognition of a moral failing of a system based in fairness which has systematically oppressed and disenfranchised vast swaths of people, a reality particularly salient in the U.S. A long legacy of systematic racism, sexism, and homophobia have made it necessary in some instances for desperate measures to be taken to redirect a system intent on destroying the lives of those who do not fit its limited scope. A kind of cultural blindness has set in and masked the eyes of the masses to the real suffering our system in its current manifestation is causing those who have been effectively disenfranchised from it.  The event I refer to is of course the Baltimore riots.  Riots incited in part by escalating police violence against black men, but more a response to a systemic failing that has enslaved entire classes of people to a cultural erasure that has made their lives of little value.

The riots hardly come as surprise and are a result of the other cultural shoe dropping, what is surprising has been the response, the condemnation of this tactic even though historically it has been the one that has been highly effective, and oddly metaphoric of Uranus-Pluto square energies.  It is the epitome of hypocrisy that so many of a civil rights bent from GLBTQ individuals through to, those historically who have been the most disenfranchised are speaking out against rioting as a tactic to advance a much needed redressing of social imbalance. It is a desperate measure for sure but one that is indeed sometimes necessary to stop the wheels of a social machine that is systematically killing people through a thousand cuts.

Further no real advancement in human rights issues has ever in the historical lexicon ever come without revolution or the occasional rioting. Are we so blind to our own collective history that we have forgotten this? If it weren’t for the French revolution than the idea of the divine right of kings would never have been destroyed and we would not have the systems of democratic politics that we have today, nor would we enjoy many of the liberties we take for granted in our post-enlightenment era.

Further those in the U.S. must be historical amnesiacs How easily we forget that it was a number of riots and revolutionary actions that have advanced the social conscience of our culture. A cursory look into our history is demonstrative of this: The Boston Tea Party which took place on May 10^th, 1773 (a seminal event in the American Revolution), involved the violent overthrow of an English vessel in the Boston Harbor in which the tea was summarily dropped into the water, it was done in response, to opposition to the British Monarchies imposition of the Tea Act which became a form of taxation without representation it would ultimately become an original action that would shape a new nation. Following a little more than a century later was the Haymarket affair that occurred in Chicago Illinois on Tuesday May 4^th, 1886, in this a riot broke out after a peaceful worker’s strike advocating the 8-hour workday and in response to police violence that led to the deaths of several workers days prior at police hands. (Sound Familiar? Ala Michael Brown). Interesting to note that a correlation between the relative dates of Beltane falling into the same time period as these revolutions, it is a mere coincidence but a meaningful one, perhaps the renewed vigor we see in nature is reflected in cultural evolution with needed acts of rebellion to advance the social paradigm forward. It would also seem to be symbolic of Uranus-Pluto energies in that these acts of rebellion against the status quo ultimately lead to deep and abiding transformations of the cultural landscape whose implications are felt long after the initial shock wave. Perhaps Beltane can become not only a holiday celebrating the renewed vigor of life that comes with Spring but could also be a cultural marker of great social transformations.

There are many more that mark the more modern history of civil rights issues in the U.S. The Stonewall Riots of June 28^th, 1969, at the Christopher Street watering hole known as The Stonewall Inn, a three day riot in resistance against police raids that led to the establishment of the Gay Liberation movement, euphemistically remembered in the simple quote, “remember the first gay pride celebration was a riot”. In August of 1966 in the Tenderloin district the transgendered members of Vanguard one of the world’s first ever gay youth organizations, were involved in a riot once again against a police raid on Compton’s Cafeteria on 101 Taylor Street. At the time it was one of the few places that transgendered individuals were welcome to congregate in public as they were not welcome in the gay bars. Cross-dressing was illegal at this time so police often used this as a pretext to raiding a place and then shutting it down, of course these fierce queens were not having any of it so they fought back and gave rise to the modern transgender equality movement. On August 11^th 1965, a six day riot was incited by racial tensions in the Watts section of Los Angeles after Marquetta Frye was arrested for suspicion of driving while intoxicated, the arresting officer was Caucasian and it stoked existing tensions in the neighborhood, it would ultimately become one of the more iconic moments in the Civil Right Era. The point is this we have no right to condemn the actions of desperate persons in response to systemic oppressions or to criticize the tactics they choose, otherwise we forfeit our own heritage, and fail to recognize that no great rights struggle comes without some agitation and aggression.

What does this all have to do with May’s Astrological relationships well it would seems that they could be deeply symbolic of the revolution continuing that began in the 1960’s and continues to unfold, let’s examine those now:

Of note in particular is that Neptune will remain in the ultimate sign of rebellion Aquarius, whose M.O. is to stir the pot in the hopes that it will lead to a collective liberation and betterment for all humankind. Along those lines the prevailing energy of the era will reflect this so we can expect to see technological upheaval adding innovative novelty to our culture will exacerbate existing social tensions to such as extent that more rebellions will occur until we collectively address the status quo and realize that we must change or face the continuing social divisions that could tear us asunder we can no longer afford the cost of living in such a stratified society any longer that is the core message here  To add to this mixture is that Uranus is in Pisces in  mutual reception adding it’s revolutionary energy to the mix with this is mind it becomes the spiritual impetus behind the liberation of humanity from suffering, oddly enough reflected in the philosophical underpinnings of Buddhism one of the world’s major faiths. Pluto continues it’s trip through Sagittarius ensuring that these movements will have a global reach, all that in mind here are the configurations that will flavor the month:

May 3^rd: Mercury opposition to Saturn: Speaking truth to power. There is great power in speaking the truth about what is really going in the cultural sphere, and it won’t be surprising if in this rare moment we see more demonstrations of this. For it is moment when the normally silent voices of the erased minorities are given a chance to address the collective power inherent in society and demand that they be heard and concessions made to address long standing imbalances in power, whether it is racism in society or the great same sex marriage debate raging in the Supreme Court whose ruling will be out in June, we are living in interesting times.

May 4^th: Sun Square Jupiter: Challenging tradition. If sometimes social conventions can feel like a wet blanket wrapped all around us stifling innovation and progress then perhaps now would be a metaphor for using the light of freedom to dry out the blanket and create the needed friction to break its fibrous bonds.  The most common logical fallacy the argument from tradition will increasingly hold no water, even though traditional forces will attempt to impose their outmoded ideas onto the rest of us there is the impetus for continued rebellion against this fallacy and for a collective turning away from oppressive patterns disguised as traditional wisdom, because it just doesn’t pass muster any longer. Today also marks the 129^th anniversary of the Haymarket affair that led to better working conditions for the masses. Oddly enough we are living in a time when those protections are threatened so now more than ever this becomes a salient consideration.

May 6^th: Sun Trine Pluto: Freedom goes Global: so one very possible feature of this transit is the possibility that these movements for liberation and legitimacy could go global and lo, they have! It seems there is a continuing concerted effort with movements such as Black Lives Matter and others movements for freedoms stemming from events during the Uranus-Pluto square years. It seems the clarion call everywhere is freedom and technologies are conspiring to make this possible, today marks a moment when it seems the energy points to this vector and a good day to launch any pioneering efforts towards this angle.

May 9^th: Mercury Square Neptune: Silent Dreaming: It can sometimes be very hard to articulate what the grand vision is, language being the culturally constrained device that it is makes it difficult to communicate a deeper meaning or articulate the intangible ideas. Liberation is one of those hard to narrow down concepts as it will tend to get eviscerated in the reducing valve of words. It is advised at this time to allow for solitude so dreams can solidify into working concepts, and it can be the hardest thing to act when the outcome is uncertain and the idea being worked towards is vague, in time it will become clearer, for the meantime it is wise to dream silently and act thoughtfully and with conviction even though there is no certainty that the actions will be no more meaningful than symbolic gestures which at times is all we have.

May 14^th: The Sun will pass out of the Aries cipher, the astrological Instigator and pass into the Venusian sign of the Bull Taurus, whatever is begun under the auspices of the pioneering energies of Aries will reach fruition in the fertile ground of Taurus and take root and become the enduring structure of the brave new world.

May 15^th: Mars opposition Saturn: Riots not Diets: Here now is a chance in , an opening for concerted and enduring action to be taken to address the collective delusion that has disempowered so many of us, and made waste to too many lives for too long, don’t back down be firm and act with courage and thoughtfulness and know somehow that it matters because it signals a change.

May 16^th: Venus Trine Neptune: The Collaboration: a chance for grassroots power to unite in a grand collaboration towards a new collective vision, justice yes! Liberation of suffering masses, yes but only if we work towards it, we are heartened by the dream of a better world, and can slog through the monstrous business of having to address the machine that makes this dream difficult to bring to life. What’s more is we have our moral reasoning, that ancient system native to our species evolution to guide us, to know that we contain a biological and cognitive system which longs for fairness harmony and beauty and reconciliation between all others, for truly there is no separation between us if only we could make this the cultural imperative.

May 21^st: Venus Opposition Pluto: Two tribes go to War: It can seem impossible at times to avoid the numbness that comes when the deepest held insights and longings for fairness and social harmony are so often evaporated before the onslaught of collective power and delusion, and this configuration often gives rise to schism and misunderstanding with violent implications, that said it does not have to be so, the self-fulfilling prophecy can be moved in another direction altogether the one that brings about an end to disenfranchisement, and the birth of new world, but it means radical departure and it means we will piss off the established powers, but without us they are nothing.

May 22^nd: The Sun Opposition Saturn: The Marathon: it can feel like an uphill battle to get the will of the people to those who are accountable the people. Often the efforts of the vox populi (popular voice) fall on deaf ears because we are not seen as important or valuable in the ultimate scheme of things, or the popular voice is the very one that so often erases the suffering experienced. It can be frustrating to realize that your actions are only symbolic gestures, the trick with this transit is not to lose heart or passion even when actions feel futile instead it is to keep muscling through because even against great collective resistance the voice of fairness wins out in the end and is always on the bright side of history, thus far.

May 25^th: Venus Square Uranus: Free Spirits win the Love Revolution: A free spirited energy tends to dominate the days when Venus and Uranus go into hard aspect to one another. The great news is that it also becomes effortless to break with convention and that is something that many more of us desperately need to do to address the many converging crises our civilization is currently on trajectory to confront, it is also needed to move the social justice project forward.

Mars Square Neptune: Hungry Ghosts: a metaphor fitting the current madness our society finds itself embroiled in. The obsessive impulse that becomes a bottomless pit, consume more, eat more, more, more, always more! A voracious appetite that no sensual or worldly thing can ever seem to satisfy. On the brighter side it also means a penchant for experimentation, a willingness to try on new sensations and worldviews and discard the ones that seem to hold the whole world back in the dark ages. The trick when this energy manifests is to stop keeping up with the Jones’, find the path of simplicity, and throw away preconceived notions, this is especially important in light of the world we find ourselves in, one in need of a new obsession, one that isn’t going to swallow us whole.

May 27^th: Mercury Conjunct Mars: We don’t mince words: In this age of clever deceptions it is always refreshing to encounter direct communication, honesty, and no holds barred fact based information that doesn’t mince words and doesn’t sugarcoat. Perhaps it is this quality personified in this transit that has made the activism of the last five years so powerful and effective, it has called out privilege, declared the erased minority report, and has stated that it will not back down which is exactly needed in an age when money talks and bullshit walks. #climatechangedenialism.

May 29^th: Mercury Square Neptune: White Rabbit: The ordinary can take on higher meanings and seem anything but ordinary in the strange light of the future. This transit is a metaphor for that experience when everyday reality undergoes a vanishing act and what has come to be expected is rudely awakened into a new phase state. What I am trying to say is that events could conspire in and around this time that will shake many of us out of complacency or at least get us to question more of consensus reality, how that pans out is uncertain but keep your ears to the ground.

May 30^th: Sun Conjunct Mercury: Internal Combustion Engine: When Mercury gets this close to the Sun it is said the two are combust and Mercury is burned up in the fiery embrace (metaphorically speaking), this is a bit of untruth as is more likely the qualities of the Sun simply become more defined, how this symbolizes our moment may go something like this: It will only become painfully clearer in the months and years ahead the definite and precise reasons why our society cannot continue on as it has, the problems will increasingly become visible and will not be made so easily transparent , take heed.

May 31^st: Sun Square Neptune: The Downtown Bullshit Machine: The media will continue to lie and beguile us with disinformation and the utter erasure of dissenting opinion, this is hardly surprising when dealing with a media largely in the hands of media moguls and their parent companies. The message here is this, state the truth as you see it, question everything you are told, believe none of what you see or read in the glossy phosphorescent screens, and always give amplified voice to the oppressed, they may be the only hope we have left out of our collective madness.

That wrap up the twister of month that May could be. To summarize as I often beleaguer we need a new way to live, a new definition of what It means to be human and only many of us individually choosing a new way and then working in collaboration will that truly happen and only when we stop buying into the messages that we are enveloped in that are lulling us into a kind of consensual stupor. Keep your eyes to the skies and your mind open.

I will see all of you lovely star cores next month!