Starwatch, (May 1998)

StarWatch
by James Jarvis, M.A.
By adding the universal year 1998 (1+9+9+8 =27) to the fifth month of May (27+5=32), we come up with the vibration of 32/5 (3+2=5). The 32/5 month is about communication and dissemination of information. This month, the challenge is to combine our desire for self-expression (3) with our ability to work with others in a cooperative way (2). It’s a particularly good month to focus on creative projects that involve communicating information to others such as writing, speaking, teaching, lecturing, or consulting. Through the medium of communication, you can create new opportunities for change and growth.
May 3 Venus enters Aries Venus moves into the sign of Aries on May 3 and then trines Pluto from May 8-10, and sextiles Uranus May 13-15. This is passion city time! Take a look at how passion figures into your life during this transit. What do you get passionate about? The positive pole of passion is self-actualization, heightened awareness, and being intensely alive. What can you do now that increases your sense of aliveness?
Needless to say, this is a great time to renew the passion in your relationships, too! With Venus conjunct Saturn in Aries from May 27-29, it is also time to take constructive action on what you value or are passionate about. Try to be guided by your heart rather than your mind at this time. By tapping into your passion you also tap into your dharma, that sense of mission or purpose that will give your life increased meaning and joy!
May 4 Neptune retrograde Neptune in Aquarius goes retrograde for the next five months, starting on May 4, until October 11 when it goes direct again at 29 degrees Capricorn. With Neptune retrograde, we have an opportunity to see how deeply connected we are to being guided by spirit. Do you feel connected to some form of guidance that informs and gives direction and meaning to your life, or are you drifting on the current of life, rudderless, without a direction?
Neptune retrogrades call us to open ourselves up to receive guidance. Through meditation, imagery work, visualization, journaling, and breathwork, we can awaken the sixth chakra between the eyes, the center of intuition. As this center opens, we become more aware of the subtle energy of Neptune that can give us guidance on our journey.
Since Neptune will be moving from Aquarius back into the sign of Capricorn on August 22, this Neptune retrograde is particularly important for those born at the end of Aries (April 18-23), Cancer (July 18 to 23), Libra (October 18-23), and Capricorn (January 18-23) as transiting Neptune will be either conjuncting (Capricorn), opposing (Cancer), or squaring (Aries and Libra) their natal sun positions. This is the penultimate transit of surrender, as Neptune is asking them to surrender the ego so that they can open more fully to being guided by spirit. It is also a call for anyone with planets located at the end of these four signs to begin to embody spiritual and transcendent energies into the essence of who they are.
The reason that it is so important to do this work now is that on November 27, Neptune will be moving into the sign of Aquarius continuously for approximately 13 more years. With Neptune in Aquarius, we will have an incredible opportunity to integrate higher consciousness energies into our being, but only if we are able to open up, surrender, and ground these new energies.
Use this retrograde period and the time before November 27 to really ground your spiritual practice, whether that is through meditation, concentration and visualization, breathing practices, internal martial arts, yoga, tantric sexuality, earth-based ritual, or movement. We are moving into a new era where the focus is on embodied spirituality. In order to fully embody these higher energies we must create a strong, grounded vehicle that is capable of running increased energy, light, and consciousness.
May 11 Full moon in Scorpio The moon is full at 20 degrees Scorpio on May 11 at 7:30 a.m. For this month, the emphasis is on experiencing a deep and primary bond with loved ones. The moon in Scorpio calls us to move deeply into our desire for intimate merging with the beloved. The challenge this month is to acknowledge this need to others, even though you might feel extremely vulnerable and fear that your beloved might reject or abandon you if you look too needy. The full moon in Scorpio is asking us to communicate to others the depth of who we are and what it is that we need to feel bonded emotionally and physically.
May 14 Mercury enters Taurus With Mercury moving into Taurus on May 14 until June 1, this is an incredible opportunity to put our words into productive action. Use Mercury in Taurus this month to help you formulate what it is that you value and then construct a plan for implementing these values into your life. For thinking- and sensate-type personalities this is pretty easy; you can make endless lists of things to do and then prioritize them. For the more intuitive and feeler types, try brainstorming all the things that you are passionate about. Let your intuition and imagination take over so you can gradually build a road map on how to get to your destination. Thinking/sensate types might want to try this method too; it’s fun!
May 17 Uranus retrograde Uranus goes retrograde at 12 degrees Aquarius on May 17, and won’t go direct again until October 18. The Uranus retrograde period is a time to deepen our attunement to the subtle and not-so-subtle energy that is constantly flowing through our bodies. Uranus speaks, in particular, of electromagnetic energy, which in different traditions is described as prana, chi, ki, kundalini, shakti, or life force. As Uranus progresses through its seven-year transit of the sign Aquarius, we are being awakened to the realization that we are truly energetic beings who are constantly enveloped by a universal energy field that is always available to us. Our job during Uranus’ retrograde is to see how open we are to receiving this energy.
The reason I mention the not-so-subtle aspect of Uranus’ energy is that many of the people with whom I work are experiencing tremendous increases of energy in their bodies at this time. This is particularly true of those with the sun in Aquarius, Taurus, Scorpio, or Leo, who have or will have transiting Uranus conjunct, square, or opposing their respective natal sun signs. We are being asked during the next seven years to remove the blocks that prevent universal energy from running in our bodies. Wherever there is resistance to increased energy, there is tension. This can manifest as excess nervous energy, impatience, irritability, anxiety, or muscular tension.
Even if you don’t have Uranus aspecting your sun at this time, the Uranus retrograde period is an excellent time to open to increased energy flow in your life. If you feel that your energy seems to be out of balance and you're manifesting some of the symptoms above, one of the best methods to deal with these symptoms is through breathing practices and bodywork. Breathing and bodywork helps open up the body so it can handle increased energy without being over-amped. In particular, any of the energetic approaches to the body such as Reiki, polarity, SHEN, Barbara Brennan’s "Hands of Light" work, cranial sacral, pranayama, kundalini or kriya yoga would all be appropriate methods of exploration at this time.
May 20 Sun enters Gemini The sun enters the sign of Gemini on May 20 at 11:05 p.m. In nature, the seedling is now secure (Taurus) and it can begin to branch out and interconnect with a complex root system (Gemini). The Gemini principle is driven by the compelling need to connect objects with one another to form ever-greater links. Our job in the sign of Gemini is to experience a diversity of sensations, thoughts, and encounters so that we can create systems or theories of knowledge that we can then disseminate to others.
May 25 New moon in Gemini On May 25 at 12:32 a.m. we start a new moon cycle at 4 degrees Gemini. With each new moon, we have an opportunity for a new quality to emerge into our consciousness. This month, the quality that is emerging is our ability to nurture ourselves through intellectual stimulation. This is a great time for taking in new information via classes, workshops, reading books, etc. It’s also a great time to get on the phone and re-establish connection with friends, relatives, and your social network of like-minded souls.
May 29 Venus enters Taurus Venus journeys through the sign of Taurus from May 29-June 24. With Venus in Taurus, the focus is on loving your body and appreciating your sensuality. Oftentimes it is difficult for us to really appreciate and inhabit our bodies because of all the mixed messages we get from our culture. At one point in our history, voluptuous bodies were highly regarded, and "thin" was definitely not in! Now thin is very in, and so are clothes that totally hide our form. We are also given messages about how we should curtail and suppress our sexuality on one hand, but on the other hand we are constantly being bombarded by "sexual" images by the media. What’s a body to do?
What you can do this month is be kind to your body. Give your body the gift of massage, a relaxing hot tub, or a great hug session with your beloved or with your friends. Open your heart to loving and accepting your body just the way it is. Find out what sensuality means to you and look at ways you can bring that more in your life. Learning to love our bodies is the fast road to high self-esteem. Make this a month of reacquainting yourself with your greatest and most supportive friend!
James Jarvis, M.A. is an intuitive counselor, professional astrologer, musician, and seminar leader. He is available for astrological and numerological LifePath readings and psychospiritual counseling for individuals and couples Mondays and Fridays at Bayside Center for Healing in Kirkland ([425] 821-3394) and Tuesdays and Thursdays at East West Bookshop in Seattle ([206] 523-3726). Join James and Karen Hunt, L.M.P. for their "Astrology of the Chakras" workshop at Breitenbush Hot Springs, June 14-16. For a brochure of his services, upcoming classes/workshops, or to schedule appointments please call (425) 774-4975 or e-mail <lifquest@gte.net>.