Many of us have found this particular cycle of Mercury retrograde to have been filled with more frustration than the usual Mercury retrograde because Mercury has been in the head-strong and fiery Aries. Mercury will be moving forward on May 22nd at approximately 9:15 a.m., eastern daylight time. This movement has the potential to lift some of the confusion and fogginess that often accompanies Mercury retrograde. Mercury will stay in Aries until he moves to Taurus on June 8th.
In addition to Mercury resuming direct motion there are other notable and somewhat challenging planetary patterns which are active at this time which indicate that this overly active energy is going to continue.
Because Saturn and Mars are still in the emotionally fiery sign of Scorpio the deep frustration of unfulfilled desires will be at the core of human angst as Saturn appears to be delaying favorable outcomes and Mars continues to chafe against the blocking action of Saturn. These feelings can be intense this weekend when the Moon enters the sign of Scorpio on 5/21 at approximately 3 a.m., Eastern Time and begins the approach to the Full Moon which will be exact later on in the day (6:15 p.m., eastern). Along with this Full Moon will be a conjunction with Mars in Scorpio. Venus will also be present in the sign of Taurus which is a good placement for Venus. Venus will lend a bit of patience along with creativity and points towards making an effort to be involved in creative projects along with enjoying music and lighthearted movies as an offset to the fiery energy of the weekend. The Moon will stay in Scorpio until 5/23 and will be conjunct Saturn on 5/22. A conjunction between the debilitated Moon in Scorpio and Saturn can cause heaviness to the energy and those with a tendency towards depression can experience difficulty during the conjunction. It is wise to not add to the negative energy by giving into the push towards anger and nastiness that will accompany this month’s Full Moon. By using the high energy of the 22nd for projects and even fun the Moon conjunct Saturn the following day can result in using Saturn’s energy for a slower day along with some well deserved rest.
The Sun and Venus will continue to interact with Mars and Saturn for the rest of the month of May. It is a time to use the objective mind for focus and to stay productive with few expectations of the mundane world. Scorpio is a deeply internal influence and one is best served by this energy by working on taking care of responsibilities while focusing on the truth that true happiness can only be achieved through inner peace and harmony. The New Moon of 6/3 will be the beginning of a new cycle as the planets begin their movement into the sign of Gemini. It is important to keep in mind that in addition to the nature of Saturn and Mars being uncomfortable sharing the same Scorpion home that part of the challenge lies in the fact that Scorpio and Taurus are very stubborn by nature and it is all to easy to give up peace in the quest for rightness.
Last month I attended the NAMA Conference (National Ayurvedic Medical Association – www.AyurvedaNAMA.org) as a representative of my own group CVA (Council of Vedic Astrology – www.councilvedicastrology.org). It was a wonderful conference on many levels. We are all living through a stressful time in history and as we move through it we can tend to try and succeed through the powers of our own minds and efforts. In our quest to stay on top of our own lives it is easy to forget that sometimes we need to take care of the physical as a first step towards being able to find peace within our own minds and lives. Living in such a stressful time can easily throw our own bodies out of balance and sometimes the first step towards restoring balance can be as simple as eating the right food and/or taking the right herbal formulas. It was positive for me to be reminded of the importance of the physical balance and to know that physical well-being does not always mean trying to fit in time to do more yoga, take another walk or cook an awesome meal. Sometimes it can be as easy as adding some ghee to rice or drinking a Pitta tea. Fortunately we do have the opportunity to look into systems like Ayurveda right through our own computers and to take an easy step towards better health and balance.
I’ve been in the world of Vedic Astrology and Yoga for decades while living the life of a householder. Householders around the world have been hard pressed during this particular time period and it is far too easy to get lost in our day to day lives. I’ve not taken many breaks from the daily grind for a long time and it was a nice to get away from it all by attending this conference. In addition to being reminded of the benefits of the Ayurvedic system of wellness it was very positive for me to see the growth of Ayurveda, Yoga and Jyotish. The conference was filled with professionals and young people all determined to find and promote more enlightened pathways to living with health, balance and peace.
Sometimes it can be difficult to see growth and progress in a world that seems to be getting crazier by the day. It is good to know that behind the media presentation of our world there are many more people moving forward with conscious knowledge working to make this world a better place. We just need to look for them and choose to take advantage of what is being offered.
annaicenter 