This Month in Astrology – May 2017

Where you felt constricted in April, you have a strong sense of liberation and forward movement in May, dear Aries. You are in particularly good shape with studies, communications, and ideas this month. Venus has now returned to your sign in direct motion. Even though you can be journeying along already-traveled ground until the middle of the month, you nevertheless feel that you are getting a second chance to get things right, and this is comforting.

People want to be around you - they like and seek out your company. From the 3rd, Mercury turns direct in your sign, reinforcing a sense that key areas of your life are no longer stuck or, at the very least, turning the corner.

Furthermore, your ruler, Mars, is working in harmony with your sign all of May, reinvigorating motivation to pursue personal interests and studies and to enjoy more movement and interaction with your neighborhood. It's an excellent time to make connections - with others and mental connections. This improves even further from the 21st when the Sun enters the picture. Until the 15th, Mercury and Mars are in mutual reception, supporting one another. Your communications, teachings, ideas, and writing go over exceptionally well, even if you can be a little hasty with them at times. Even better, you're satisfied with them.

Saturn and Uranus form an alliance once again, and projects begun towards the end of 2016 can enjoy a revival. Or, you work wholeheartedly on plans that bring both security and progress to your life. Following all the rules to the letter is not typically your cup of tea, but you also see the value of more structure and definition in your life. In fact, at this time, you’ll make the most progress by honoring some tried and true traditions, even if this seems counterintuitive. In May, getting ahead requires special attention to rules and order.

When planets move through Aries this year, they oppose Jupiter, and this is always a signal that you have to make accommodations for others even when you’re attending to personal plans. This month it’s related to love, communication, and mental space - work with others, and you'll advance more satisfyingly. 

Another emphasis in your solar chart this month involves your second house of resources. Even though you’re returning to some new starts or beginnings, this is also a great time to develop projects and focus on building and development. Life is supporting your talents, finding good use for them. You are working smartly now, finding ways to do what you need to do without impinging too much on your personal time. 

Very little is holding you back right now, so take advantage. It’s a great month for initiating, building, developing, and learning. Gathering information can be a big focus. Your powers of attraction are super as Venus spends the entire month in your sign. 

Key dates are the 9-10 when you can make exciting discoveries and come to wonderful epiphanies related to money, business, reputation, and intimate relationships. It’s a superb time to release a burden or to handle a problem that's been hanging over your head for way too long. The 11-12 is tricky as disillusionment is possible, but out of disappointment comes a new and exciting project or vision. The 16-17 is similarly tricky, but not as immediately advantageous - adjustments need to be made to your expectations, past problems may resurface in relationships, and legal or business obstacles may be part of the picture for some of you. The 24-25 can be a time for taking on an all-new attitude or plan to get your daily life in order. You shine on the 30-31 in oh so many ways, not the least of which relates to your writing, studies, or communications.

May is a month of personal power for you, dear Taurus, and this year, you'll carry forward some of this empowering energy into June as well. There is a robust and active focus on personality development, finances, work, health, and talents. On many levels, you can feel revitalized. People notice you for who you are not only what you do. You're getting ahead because of your fabulous personality more than other assets in May.

While Venus, your lovely ruling planet, spends the entire month in your privacy sector, it’s moving direct all month, and there is a sense of forward movement nonetheless. You’re still in an incubation stage when it comes to your love life and affections - there are things to process and perhaps some healing to do before you’re clear. However, if this was agonizing at times in April, it’s a much smoother process in May. Venus will enter your sign in June, and you’ll be raring to go, but for now, laying low makes sense. Sorting things out will serve you very well now. In fact, you may need to deemphasize your love life to take advantage of other opportunities.

Pay attention to serendipities in May that relate to love, health, and work. You’ll be tuned into levels that you may normally miss, and hunches can be mighty compelling now.

Partnership matters may reach a turning point around the 9-11. You’ll come into strong touch with your feelings related to a negotiation, commitment, or one-to-one relationship. The month is outstanding for doing some ruminating and digging. You might find some real gems from old projects or ideas or recover lost valuables. From the 16th, you’re speaking up more often and making executive decisions.

There is powerful energy with you for breaking down long-standing problems or blocks. You receive great cosmic support this month for efforts to sort out financial and emotional predicaments as well as putting bad habits behind you. There can be breakthroughs happening now. More stability in your career can figure strongly.

Other key dates include the 11-12 when you feel the confidence to take charge of work or money-related matters. This can be about increasing your income or levels of work satisfaction. For some, getting healthy is a passion. The 16-17 may involve the letting go of false expectations or outdated projects and dreams. A situation related to work and friendship is not mixing well now, and adjustments may be necessary. Personal freedom feels a little limited due to a close relationship or commitment. New beginnings with finances are likely after the 25th, but first you need to sort out tricky matters related to outstanding debts, support, or old commitments. The 30-31 is excellent for making travel or educational plans, legal outcomes, or publishing or idea sharing.

The first three weeks of May is typically a period of tying up loose ends and living life under the radar, dear Gemini. To some degree, it's the case this May, but you’re also living quite spiritedly! Your ruler, Mercury, ends its retrograde period on the 3rd, for one, and you begin to catch up to speed. Mars is not only in your sign all month, it’s in mutual reception with your ruler, bolstering up your energy and giving you further power to assert yourself and courage to pursue your desires. Routes to satisfaction are becoming clearer and clearer. While April had its fair share of roadblocks, May feels more energizing and supportive overall.

People tend to follow or respond positively to you as you seem to be where the action and energy are at this month! You are getting support from friends, associates, groups, or even your community. You enjoy working independently, and you can have many (or one or two fabulous) ideas for a start-up. The month is particularly supportive of your efforts to connect harmoniously with others. Areas of life that tend to fare best are friendships, partnerships, education, and financial life. Relationships can be both committed and open or both steady and exciting. You are combining progressive and traditional elements quite seamlessly now in your relationships, or you may be rewriting some of the rules for the better with friends and partners. Partnering or teaming up can be very advantageous for achieving your goals, so even though you do have a strong independent streak in May, open yourself up to the possibility of enlisting others' help or getting active with friends.

The Full Moon on the 9-10 is eye-opening and warm. While this is a time ripe for discovery and blooming, it can also be a time for keeping things under wraps, deliciously private, or simply strategic. Intimate matters, work, and health may thrive now, reaching a turning point. Surprises are likely related to platonic relationships.

The 16-17 requires some adjustments. A lack of direction or unclear responsibilities can seem to get in the way of your pursuits. Either find ways to accept ambiguities or attempt to define your goals and commitments more satisfyingly. People may be calling you out on promises or expecting far too much of you when you need some personal space. The Sun is in your sign from the 21st forward, launching your month-long personal power period. The New Moon on the 25th kickstarts new beginnings, but you may need to get over a hurdle first. Around the 28th, a significant person may seem to be blocking you. For some, it’s about circumstances getting in the way of your plans, or a sense that others, in general, are cooling off, conservative, unsympathetic, or unsupportive. The last two days of the month play more in your favor, especially related to resolving problems, getting back into the swing of things, developing new or picking up old interests, studies or other “busy work”, and a stronger feeling that you're on track.

You’ll see encouraging forward movement and clarity regarding long-term goals, career, and life direction in May, dear Cancer. Where things seemed blocked, delayed, or unclear in April, you're likely to see advances and resolutions this month. Friendships, networking, group connections, and your social life are in focus.

Despite all of this, there is much going on behind the scenes and on an emotional level as you deal with loose ends and prepare for a personal new year. Some may be taking some form of time-out or period of repose or recuperation. This is a time for considering what you want to take with you into the new solar year the begins around your birthday. This is about doing a spring cleaning in your psyche.

You receive real cosmic support for making updates rather than radically change areas of your life. Stability is important for you as a Cancer, but change is something that you need particularly on a professional or reputation/image level, and this way you can have both! Work, career, health, and partnership are areas for making important updates and adding a little more order and structure. You might begin a slow but steady lifestyle change or line of work. Work can have just the right mix of routine and gentle challenge and interest.

May is an excellent time for professional appeal or for making friends through your career or business. It's a good time for polishing up your image or bringing more personal appeal and a creative touch to your work. There can be second chances to make an impression.

Around the Full Moon on the 9-10, you are in excellent shape for excitement in your social or romantic life as feelings come into full bloom. There can be powerful epiphanies and a significant turning point in a relationship or with a project dear to your heart.

The 16-17 can be a little tricky and adjustments are necessary. Work and social life are not mixing well now. You may find yourself torn between playing it safe and seeking out a bit of adventure. Another potentially tricky time is the 28th when a Mars-Saturn challenge tends to enforce slowing down or taking a break. This is a time for making sure you don't overload. There can be a sense that others are leaning on you too much or taking the credit for your hard work, and this can reach a boiling point.

Discussions with friends or ideas generated through your networks can be truly inspiring and useful, particularly from mid-month forward. 

The last two days of May are excellent for relationship advances and practical affairs. Meaningful conversations may occur now, and a sense that you're making broad, long-lasting changes is empowering. There can be the reveal of valuable information or resources. Somebody has your back.

May can be quite excellent for broadening your horizons and branching out, dear Leo, through an expansion of your audience, travel, or studies. A personal philosophy or belief system comes into stronger focus and more clarity for some of you. Where April was bumpy, blocks clear in May. You're also in a good position to take charge of your work, manage others, take the lead, and make great strides towards your larger goals in May. You're willing to put in the legwork and just the right amount of extra effort to shine or even outshine.

You're taking a very well-rounded approach to life this month, which may very well be the key to your overall success. Activities with others keep you busy and motivated. Learning with study groups can be beneficial, or you might acquire new knowledge or gain inspiration from groups you connect with now.

There can be valuable epiphanies around the 9-10. Home and family matters assume larger importance to you now. You might discover or connect with compelling feelings about your living arrangements or family situation. This can be a wonderful time for reaching out to or spending extra time with family. It can also be a time for significant memories that help you make decisions in the present.

On the 11th and 16-17, watch for your recreational or romantic life mixing poorly with your work or reputation. Hasty communications should also be avoided. The desire to take on new projects, studies, and interests is strong, but you may need to work out matters of finances and support before going forward. Ambiguities slow you down, so look for ways to cement the details.

Saturn and Uranus harmonize again this month - this is the second of three exact aspects. This is a period for making meaningful changes in your life without entirely overturning existing structures. It's a great time for building something exciting! It's also useful for making updates, which can feel good even if the process is slow. You may find ways to combine adventuresome activities with practical accomplishment. Teaching can be useful now as it motivates you to update your skills to keep up to date.

There can be the chance to start fresh on a social level after the New Moon on the 25th, but you may need to clear some hurdles to get the ball rolling. Disagreements, blocks, or absence and distance with friends or lovers can be an issue in the last week of May. You may have been wrapped up in a relationship or a passion project recently, and tensions in a friendship or with a group can reach a head now. Make sure your responses are careful and considered and aim to reach a compromise for best results.

The last two days of the month support new interests and friendships, or a new lease on an old friendship. Your enthusiasm wins others over, and your unique qualities and perspective give your personality extra sparkle.

Mars brings extra muscle and motivation to your career, image, status, and responsibilities this month, dear Virgo. You are more ambitious than usual and quite focused on accomplishment. You're not in any mood to be told what to do, preferring to lead the way yourself in May. Mars and your ruler, Mercury, are in mutual reception until mid-month, and Mercury turns direct on the 3rd, making the 4-15 quite excellent for getting things done. You're certainly standing out, and while this is a special power period, it's the case in a general sense for the entirety of May.

Even so, a lot is going on under the hood this month with your intimate life and/or with money matters and support. Where there was much waiting around, delays, backtracking with these issues in April, doors are opening to you in May. The chances of smoothing over a disagreement or attracting the support you need are high.

The 9-10 is fantastic for opening up the lines of communication or for making connections, reaching out, putting the word out, and making your ideas known. Mind you, there can be a rush to get something done and a harried pace, but this can also be an exciting time for discovering a passion or new interest.

On the 16-17, try not to rush decisions related to friends, projects, and money. This is a time for slowing down if you've been pushing too hard, or for navigating speed bumps, likely related to family matters and partnerships.

A Saturn-Uranus aspect is strong this month and is quite excellent for making significant updates and changes that don't feel destabilizing. You'll feel this mostly with family, finances (debts), and in your intimate relationships. This can be an improved time for children or creative projects as well. A relationship that is both stable and exciting may figure strongly for some of you. Making conditions work for you with loved ones may involve accepting non-traditional setups with new rules, for example. Steady changes to update your home can be in focus.

After the New Moon on the 25th, you get the opportunity to start fresh with your image or career, but you may need to get past an obstacle first. Around the 28th, family matters or responsibilities compete with your ambitions to succeed. Indeed this interferes with the pace you prefer to keep with your work or projects, but you may need to slow down before you move ahead. The 30-31 brings lovely support for your ideas, learning, travel, and career aspirations.

Where you may have felt stuck, in limbo, or delayed in April, dear Libra, more clarity arrives in May. This month is strong for a sense that you’re getting back on track. Relationships smooth over. Your stellar ability to compromise, negotiate, and bring balance to your life is back up to par, and then some! Relationships, finances, passion, intimacy, education, and adventure make up the larger themes of May and are areas of increased focus and opportunity. Learning and exploring with a partner or good buddy can be very beneficial now. Meeting people through your personal interests, studies, or travels is gratifying.

Even so, in many ways this is a month for doing some soul-searching, digging, and investigating. You may be doing a lot of observing and planning, and you're inclined to pour quite a bit of energy into engrossing projects and interests.

On the 9-10, you’re in particularly good shape for making financial discoveries and adjustments. This is a time for recognizing your worth or value and seeking out your rightful share. A conversation or news arrives now that nudges you towards these epiphanies. A business deal or project might come to full bloom now.

All month, you’re looking to break out of the mold or routine in various ways through what you learn and where you go. You're more courageous and motivated to try new things.

The 11th and the 16-17 can be tricky to navigate but will work to your advantage if you slow down, reconsider, and make adjustments. Be particularly mindful of your communications (you may come off as insensitive or uninterested) and watch for poor decisions resulting from restlessness on these dates. If your daily affairs are out of whack (and with Neptune a long-time guest in your sector of work and routines, this is quite likely), you may be suffering now as your situation prevents you from grabbing opportunities. Make it a priority to tidy up your life so that this doesn't keep happening.

Coming into stronger power this month is a Saturn-Uranus influence that began in December, and that will lift this coming November, supporting improvements and updates. Areas of your life that benefit from new rules or constructive changes include your relationships, home life, projects, and studies. Alternative relationships, routines, courses of study, or living arrangements and setups that have been difficult to integrate into your life in the past now may work well for you with new rules. There can be an excellent balance of tradition and innovation.

The last week of the month has its highs and its lows, but you come out a winner. You may be dealing with a frustrating responsibility or delays and breakdowns with communication or transportation, and this prevents you from getting where you want to go, either literally or figuratively (or both!). Some of you can be bogged down by mundane activities, the correction of errors, errands, chores, and other responsibilities that you hadn’t anticipated or put out of your mind. If you’ve been neglecting problem areas, they may demand your attention now. Travel or educational plans may be delayed. Try not to stress over differences of opinion or bumps in the road. Once over this hump, you’ll be in prime shape for enjoying the opportunities of the 30-31 related to education, publishing, connecting, and traveling. You’re excited about expanding a business, relationship -- or your mind and experiences.

Where there were delays, confusion, and irritations in April, you’ll enjoy forward movement, corrected courses, and clarifications in May, dear Scorpio. For you, areas most affected by slowdowns have been relationships, work, routines, and health. Clarity comes to these areas of life in May, and perhaps some second chances to work things out. May not only eases you forward, it also features some very supportive influences for your practical affairs and partnerships.

After the first week of the month, you’re in particularly good shape for sorting out your duties, organizing your personal and work space, and researching your options.

The 9-10 can be an especially illuminating period when projects come to bloom, and you come into touch with your true feelings on a matter. What you’ve been brushing to the side can no longer be ignored! This can be a magical time for relationships but also for self-discovery. Your intuitive “feelers” are on double duty.

May can also be a significant money month, not necessarily for windfalls but for getting good deals or gaining support more effortlessly. You don’t shy away from dealing with imbalances of power or from tricky, taboo topics this month, and you’re ready to take charge in your intimate life.

Try to treat the 11th and 16-17 as times for making adjustments instead of pushing your plans forward. You might feel that delays encountered now break your momentum, but they don’t need to - in fact, corrections you make now can save you time in the long run. You’re in demand, but you also need time to yourself and don’t always feel prepared (Jupiter in your solar twelfth house can have this effect). Second-guessing plans or a significant other — and possibly even yourself — can figure strongly now, but consider this a test of strength. Take a break from the action to rethink a few things.

Fortunately, a Saturn-Uranus influence with you since December comes into strong power this month. You can benefit from updating and improving finances, work, health, studies, and home life. Changes that have been difficult to integrate into your life in recent years might now appear highly workable. Make new rules so that you can get alternative approaches to work, living conditions, or health working for you. You might enjoy more freedoms in your daily routine by making structural changes or a more stable income figures strongly now. Work can be both interesting and profitable.

Conversations that left you living with question marks or that led nowhere may be revisited this month, with the blanks filling in. The lines of communication open with a significant other or good buddy. You’re in particularly good light on the job, at the gym, or other activities related to your daily routines and health pursuits, leading to social or romantic opportunities, or simply more pleasure in your everyday life.

The last week of the month includes a New Moon in your intimacy and sharing sector, prompting the urge or need to start fresh. It also presents a challenge or block to your desires. Money and ownership matters can be at the root of conflicts. This can extend to non-material ownership, such as possessiveness or carelessness in relationships. A middle ground or compromise should be sought for both internal and interpersonal conflicts. The last two days of the month are particularly ripe for making exciting lifestyle changes and feeling very much on top of things.

You move beyond the blocks and delays of April, dear Sagittarius, and enjoy special attention, relationships, and improved routines in May. Problems straighten out and answers or news you've been waiting for arrive. Mars charges through your partnership sector, bringing relationships and interactions with others to life, while charming Venus spends the month in your romance and creativity sector. This is one of the most relationship-focused periods of the year. It's a time for making connections, meeting people, and becoming more active with friends, partners, and lovers. Conversations that left you stumped in April can start to make sense this month. Projects or endeavors related to work or health that stalled are now picked back up or picking up pace. 

The 4-15 when Mercury is direct and in mutual reception with Mars is quite excellent for setting things straight and building your relationships, whether these are love or business connections.

The 9-11 is a time for exciting interactions, personal appeal, and pleasant events, but also an unexpected moment of truth and a need to rest, reflect, and otherwise pull yourself together. This is not about getting clear or reliable answers from the outside but about clear, intuitive flashes and realizations within you. You can discover how you actually feel about someone or something, and it may be hard to explain what brought you to your conclusions. Your instincts and intuition are working overtime now. This is a time for recognizing your need to pay attention to mental and physical health. 

Take things slowly around the 11th and 16-17. This year's Jupiter-Neptune influence peaks now and can be disorienting at times, largely because you have troubles integrating your social life and family life, or satisfying your need for safety and your need to experiment. Decisions may be weak or painful to make due to lack of confidence and a feeling of being out of step. Avoid letting problems get you down and work on fixing things and making adjustments. Problems encountered now can break your momentum, but you're sure to build it up again once over these humps, this time more wisely or confidently.

A helpful influence in your life since December picks up power now and helps you to see areas of life that can use an update. You have more faith that your efforts are counting for something and responsibilities can be more satisfying and enjoyable as a result. You're able to work hard and play hard now, or simply enjoy a healthier balance between work and play. If you've had troubles adapting to certain elements of your life that have been unreliable, inconsistent, or unconventional, particularly related to children, time off, or romance, you're now finding ways to make these things work for you. Laying down some new rules may be at the core of this. 

While the New Moon on the 25th clears the path for new beginnings or a fresh approach to partnerships, you'll need to work through a block before you honestly feel you can begin anew. Saturn in your sign opposes Mars on the 28th, leading to a standoff or bringing a frustrating matter to a head. If someone's been too pushy with you or bringing chaos to your life, you'll want to do something about it now. Draw boundaries, but make an effort to compromise if need be. It's too easy to overreact or make a point when meeting someone halfway (if they deserve it!) is your best bet. The last two days of May are gorgeous for relationship and creative excitement and insights into money and work.

The month ahead is one of diverse themes, dear Capricorn, but perhaps most importantly, you’ll feel that you’re moving forward in May. This comes as a relief after the rather stuck, "in limbo" feel of April. May is a month of more clarity in your home life or with living conditions and arrangements, as well as your romantic life. There is a strong focus on both work and play this month. Recreation, romance, creativity, hobbies, and children can be sources of more pride nd involvement with these areas of life increases.

Mars rips through your sector of work and health all month, revving you up and motivating you to take care of business. This influence also brings more muscle to your health and wellness or self-care programs - if you’ve been putting off going for a check-up or slowing down on fitness, this is a time for getting back into action. You want to take charge. At times, the need to initiate, lead, and work independently can stir up competition or conflict with others, so do what you can to either tone things down a little or prepare yourself for a battle or two, depending on which you prefer!

The 9-10 can bring sudden or unexpected social activity and epiphanies. You may be liberated from a household responsibility, for example, or a friend appears almost out of nowhere wanting your company or help. Alternatively, this can be a time for discovering your feelings about a friendship or project. You’ve been quite preoccupied with your personal life and work these days, and now you're being pulled out of your routine, nudging you towards a better balance. The Full Moon now is a reminder that giving back is rewarding.

The 11th, 16-17, and 28th are more challenging dates that require you to muster up patience. You've been experiencing increased desires or prompts to communicate, connect more spontaneously and openly, and share your ideas, but there are times such as these where insecurity can undermine this. Do what you can to deal with possible fears of leaving yourself vulnerable. Toughening up on this level takes time and steady mini-challenges wherein you challenge yourself to face your fears on a small scale.

However, one of the year’s star influences peaks this month and involves your ruler, Saturn, which gets fantastic support from Uranus. You first met this aspect in December, and it will continue to back you up until November. This is a time for updates, steady progress, and improvements - changes that don’t destabilize you, in other words. There can be opportunities to make an alternative setup work, perhaps related to your home life as Uranus is a long-time guest in your home and family sector. Living conditions and family relationships improve with more steadiness and security, yet still manage to maintain a spirit of openness and progress. Money and health matters can also improve. Here is a chance to put structures or new rules into place that don’t entirely impinge upon your freedom In fact, with some buckling down, you'll better enjoy your free time.

The New Moon on the 25th brings power to your work and health sector (even more so) and encourages you to improve your habits and begin fresh with your routines. However, it occurs close to a Mars-Saturn opposition, exact on the 28th, and you’ll likely have to buckle down and make some compromises before you start brand new endeavors and strive towards your resolutions. Where you’ve been overdoing or pushing too hard, you now need to draw up limits and follow some rules. This aspect occurs along your health and service axis in the background of your chart. Aspects that are in the foreground are generally considered more challenging because of their in-your-face nature. However, background aspects such as this one can involve some suffering in silence, which can be just as if not more frustrating! Allow yourself the right to relax. While the world seems to be demanding a lot of work from you, and your own competitive or ambitious feelings can be at play as well, you need to slow things down before moving forward.

The 30-31 presents opportunities to get back into the game, ideally this time, well-rested! While work certainly benefits, this can also be a time for an edge in your romantic or personal life.

Where there were delays or extended periods of limbo in April, dear Aquarius, blocks lift in May (April showers bring May flowers?). Slowdowns for you primarily revolved around communications, transportation, house and home, love, and money. May is vibrant with themes, and while it promises some ups and downs, energy flows more smoothly than April overall. 

You are in a strong position for improving — and enjoying — your home life and family relationships. A fair part of you needs to recoup, regenerate, and decompress this month. However, you are also craving special attention, fun and games, romance, or hobbies and recreation. You want to shine! Mars moving through the sector of your chart ruling all of these things, and the Sun joining along from the 21st, ensures a lively, animated, energized period — at least some of the time. Ideally, you’re able to rest hard and play hard. If not, you’ll find time for these things, and your heart is certainly tied up here in May. (June and July will be more work-oriented). This is a fabulous time for pouring energies into a passion project or heartfelt pursuits, and a romance or getaway for some.

The 9-10 is an eye-opening period. You can make some exciting discoveries now, but you’re also likely to be called to action if you’ve been too heavily engrossed in your personal life. The Full (Flower) Moon occurring at the top of your solar chart plays a big role in this — you may be called to task, or simply required to fill a responsibility or take the lead now. It may be a time of a promotion, culmination or the turning point of a project, recognition, a new title, status change, or award. This is tied into exciting news or discoveries about your studies and personal interests.

Periods to hold back, reconsider, and slow down include the 11th, 16-17, and 28th. Your desire for new experiences, adventure, and intellectual excitement, while sometimes on the back burner, is always with you on some level this year, but it can clash with your security needs at these times. Challenges in your social life or responsibilities to friends and groups can also compete your increased need for down time or personal time. 

An influence involving your traditional and modern planetary rulers, Saturn and Uranus, that's been with you since late last year comes into stronger power in May. This influence has your back until November, and it supports your efforts to make workable updates and improvements to your life, particularly related to communications, studies, friendships, long-term goals, and personal initiative and image. You're coming across particularly well now. Your life feels a little more stable but not boring, either. You're able to work with the best of both the traditional and unconventional worlds. It's a great time for learning, sharing ideas, teamwork, and group connections. Increased enjoyment of your duties or work is likely now, and for some of you, this is because you're making a living from your hobbies or ventures that you love.

The New Moon on the 25th is an energizing, empowering one. However, it requires you to follow some rules or handle problem areas and excesses before you get the chance to begin fresh creatively and/or romantically. If you've been going a little too hard in the areas of recreation, personal interests, your love life, and leisure time, then you may need to tone things down, include others, or follow some rules. Once again, pacing yourself is necessary, and it requires patience. The 30-31 opens up excellent opportunities for sharing your creative work, romantic communications, or advances in your projects and hobbies.

Most of the slowdowns or confusing moments in April are behind you now, dear Pisces, as May promises you slow but steady forward motion. Clarifications and advances related to finances, business, studies, communications, and transportation figure strongly now. These things improve, flow naturally, and pick up momentum this month. Ideally, you've come into touch with what and who you value, and you're now ready to apply what you've learned. As a result, you're picking and choosing your projects more mindfully.

Mars charges through your home and family sector all month, and the Sun joins along from the 21st forward. This is action-oriented energy applied to your personal life. You're likely to get in touch with buried resentments that can frustrate you enough to make changes. You get the chance to work on or in the home. You may be defending, rallying for, or motivating family now. Your home life or inner life can be animated, colorful, and busy.

You can also be knee deep in studies, personal interests, writing, speaking, errand-running, and connecting this month. You can be very influential or persuasive in your communications, guidance, or teachings.

The 9-10 is a time for making epiphanies and personal discoveries, as well as for releasing and connecting with feelings that were previously held at bay or pushed down deep. Even though any Full Moon can feel heavy or draining, it can also be a time of release, liberation, announcements, and projects reaching a turning point. For you, there may be a culmination of studies, published works, or the need for travel or freedom to discover and explore things beyond your routine.

The 16-17 can require patience and foresight. Self-doubt is temporary and can have the useful function of slowing you down, potentially giving you the chance to see where you can make some changes or adjustments that will ultimately work very much in your favor. As much as you may seek an escape route right now, know that it will subtract from your confidence and energy levels. Responsibilities weigh heavily on you as they seem to pop up at the worst time. However, applying yourself now benefits you later.

A supportive influence that's been with you since December gains power this month, and it's helping you improve your work, image, reputation, self-esteem, and finances. You may be able to stabilize your work or income without sacrificing your freedom and independence. It's a good time for some Pisces to make a real go of self-employment, and for others to find more enjoyable ways to make a living. Alternative means of making money or doing business can work now with additional structure and more self-discipline.

The last week of the month brings a New Moon and the chance for a new beginning, with a few strings attached! You may need to pull out of yourself or your personal life and come up for air now. Responsibilities need your attention before you can really throw yourself into personal projects and ventures. This is a time for taming impulsiveness just enough to bring things into better balance. The 30-31 is excellent for personal influence and a competitive edge, as well as creative ways to improve your finances, security, and home life.