May 2023Painful Endings, Amidst Promising Beginnings
Dear Agents of Evolution,
How are you faring through this time of intensity?
May brings with it, radical change. Sometimes intensity is the result of the all-at-onceness of things, and we may feel a bit of that this month too – many big changes, all at once. Extra kindness to all experiencing that intensity – especially the young people.
My nephew is graduating high school this month! I am so proud of him and his older brother who graduated last year! (They grow up so fast...) Someday, I hope career counselors work with vedic astrologers to help support high school and college graduates toward giving their greatest gifts to the world. For the month of May, I'm offering one hour "Dharma Readings" for people below the age of 25, especially those graduating high school or college, for $135. (Hint: It's an excellent graduation gift.) Please just reply to this email if you're interested and we'll get that ball rolling.
I am very honored to tell you I was accepted into a program on "Kincentric Leadership," and will be traveling during the second half of May for an in-person retreat that kicks off this 18-month cohort. I wrote a bit more about this in my Substack newsletter, in case you want to hop over there and check that out.
I'm bringing back 1/2 hour quickie readings for two days in May, in order to see as many people who want to get a "tune-up" this month before I am on retreat and traveling between May 22 - 31. You can book that here. You can also, always schedule full length (75 min.) follow-ups, here.
May Astro Weather Highlights
Fri., Apr. 21 - Sun., May 14
Mercury Retrograde
Rethink
Three times a year we get Mercury retrograde, which is a great time to review and course correct. Be more mindful about contracts, payments, communications, travels. Go through the details more than once to double check yourself.
This is a great time to overhaul – your plans, your space, anything that needs it.
May 1
Pluto turns retrograde until Oct. 11, 2023
Reactions to change
"The People" are more vocal about protesting decrees from on high.
May 5
Full Moon Lunar Eclipse in Vishakha
The fine line between perceptions of success and failure
What is success to you? Is the life you're living one that is arising from deep within you? Or something you were told you should want? Are the goals you are pursuing something you swallowed hook, line, and sinker from our culture? Or ones that are deeply meaningful to you? This lunar eclipse gets us to review how we measure success for ourselves. Though there can be significant outer events accompanying eclipses, the true movement can be very subtle, inner work. Best to have space and time on and around this day to let the inner movements happen easily.
I will offer a more detailed summary of this full moon lunar eclipse on Instagram.
May 9
Sun conjunct Uranus
Thinking outside the box; shocking discoveries about ourselves
Developments for ChatGPT 4.
Unrestrained risk doing an about-face in a rare moment of introspection.
Sudden, unexpected declarations of "truth."
Displays of brilliance in legal battles.
Artificial intelligence sends a pulse through modern language.
Krista Tippett, podcast host of the On Being podcast made a statement I think beautifully summarizes the feeling tone of this transit: "The bedrock fact – lost in all the spectacle and speculation – is that what we are marveling at, when we marvel at ChatGPT4, is ourselves. It is a student of, a mirror on, all the kinds of intelligence we possess – good, bad, and ugly – and all the ways we interact. I believe that this technology is going to confront us with the human condition as nothing has before, and invite us at its best to grow that up."
May 17
Jupiter square Pluto
Bold moves
We know change is necessary. Three years ago when Jupiter was conjunct Pluto, in April 2020, we were beginning to realize the necessity for change. Big change. Bold change.
At this first quarter square, we get our first real challenge to those big, needed changes. Individually and collectively, bold moves are made.
May 18-21
Jupiter hits solar eclipse degree
Spiritual help arriving on the scene
For the deeply broken-hearted, both reactivation of the wound, and the potential for healing, co-arise.
May 19
New Moon in Krittika
Digesting our experiences
A focus on food system stability
The beginning of this lunar month has tons of intensity to it, but more stability, more solidity, and a saner pace, than the lunar month that preceded it. This new moon helps us get crystal clear about our goals, by examining our motivations.
I will offer a more detailed summary of this New Moon on Instagram.
May 20/21
Mars opposite Pluto
Power plays + possible excessive uses of force
A good weekend to avoid battles of will with others. Change may come hard and fast this weekend, for the world, and for ourselves.
May 21
Mars, Jupiter, Pluto t-square
Big collective movements require letting go on an epic scale
This is some of the biggest energy we'll have all year.
Ruthlessness, mercilessness, in the pursuit of empowerment. Continued, bold power plays.
World Astrology Predictions
A Review of April Predictions:
Around the April 20 solar eclipse, U.S. political alliances experience aggressive shifts.
President Biden's meeting with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol this week avows aggressive assistance to deter North Korea from using nuclear weapons against the South.
According to an NYT article, "...American officials say, Mr. Biden's most vivid commitment to Mr. Yoon will focus on what arms control experts call 'extended deterrence,' renewing a vow that American's nuclear arsenal will be used, if necessary, to dissuade or respond to a North Korean nuclear attack on the South."
Around the April 20 solar eclipse, something happens with the U.S. stock market. (Though there is a more likely, and more significant shift in the overall U.S. economy around September 2023.)
I'm thinking the most significant thing in this ballpark is the faltering of First Republic Bank, on the heels of SVB and Signature Bank. Though this isn't directly the stock market, knock on effects to the stock market are likely, given the relationship between the stock market, banks, the FDIC, the Fed, and the overall economy. Since I saw this in the chart for the US Stock Market, I think we'll see effects there over the next six months while this eclipse is in play.
At the time of the writing of this newsletter, a WSJ article reports on the developments with the First Republic bank: "A seizure and sale of First Republic could come as soon as this weekend," noting that JP Morgan and PNC were bidding to buy the bank, in an FDIC takeover.
As part of the solar eclipse "not reacting quickly enough" theme, it is interesting to witness the Fed being critical of its own oversight of Silicon Valley in reaction to the March bank failures. (Here's a NYT article on that.)
I'll recommend a two hour Frontline documentary called "The Age of Easy Money" released on March 14, 2023 that might interest you – on the Fed, banks, the economy, inflation, and the threat of recession.
Around the April 20 solar eclipse, President Biden and his family have an emotional setback. Perhaps involving the First Lady. Or perhaps there's a change in health for one of the First Pets. Or for the president himself.
President Biden announced his running for re-election on April 25. I was predicting an emotional setback or health event because of the solar eclipse's proximity to Pres. Biden's Moon. But Pres. Biden's Moon is also an indicator of his relationship with the public. What may be the most obvious result currently, (we have six months to see how this fully pans out,) is the low profile Biden is keeping, doing fewer press conferences per year than any president since Reagan. [NYT]
May Predictions:
Around the May 5 lunar eclipse, the Federal Reserve is not able to achieve what it tries to achieve, and public confidence in the central bank and the FDIC is at an all time low.
Let's see what happens...
I'll review May's predictions in next month's newsletter.
Note:
I'm including links, for reference. My apologies in advance if these articles are behind a paywall and you're not able to access them.
Wishing you deep wells of Joy to draw from...
