Put your plans in action.
By Lilly Roddy
May is the month to put as many of your plans into action as you can. This is because Mars, planet of action, will be going retrograde from June 1 through September 30. The upcoming Mars retrograde is not good for scheduling surgery, starting new projects, pushing yourself too hard on your gym workouts, contacting new clients, or opening new areas for sales. While Mars is retrograde, reconnect with all of the people you’ve made contact with during May to make good use of that four-month retrograde. Good days this month are the 5th, 6th, 8th, 9th, 11th, 18th, 22nd, 23rd, and 25th. Days to stay in bed are the 7th, 12th, 13th, 16th, and 26th.
ARIES (March 21–April 19). Career and long-term security continues to be at the top of your list. This is a very good month to look for a better position, start your own business, or, if you are older, to consider retiring. You are more direct than usual this month, especially around the 11th, 12th, and 13th. Relationships can also be more tense, as you are opening up and expressing your feelings about the future of your partnership. You are looking for immediate change and improvement. In the last part of the month, you are drawn to more social groups and business associations. Don’t be afraid to take a leadership role there! Finances are the other major theme this month. You are definitely looking for new ways to free yourself from economic oppression.
TAURUS (April 20–May 20). Happy Birthday to the Bulls and Cows. This is your personal yearly cycle of review and renewal! This is also a big month for you, Taureans, as Uranus (the planet of feeling trapped and bored and needing to reinvent yourself) enters your sign on the 15th for an approximately seven-year visit. The last time Uranus was in Taurus was about 83 years ago! However, you had some contact with Uranus about 20 years ago when you made some major changes. You will again make some changes over the next few years, as you may feel restless, bored, and not well-rested while this planet is in your sign. By midmonth, you are more focused on your career and getting ahead.
GEMINI (May 21–June 21). As this month opens, you are trying to find some time to get away for a quiet retreat. While your social activities will keep you busy in the early part of the month, you should be able to find some quiet time after the 13th. You are continuing to get your financial affairs in order, as well as paying more attention to your health, diet, and exercise regimen. Relationships, both business and personal, require some serious attention. You are dealing with trust issues. We all know communication is the key, but opening up about yourself and your fears is not easy for you. A neutral party such as a therapist, minister, or good friend could act as your referee and help open those lines of communication. Act in your own best self-interest, and it will be easy to know what to do!
CANCER (June 22–July 22). Career and relationships are the main topics for May. Last month, Mercury was retrograde in your career sector and you were able to look back and assess where you have been. May is the month to put those new ideas and plans into action. Part of that new plan is to be more open to those who want to help and support you in business and personal relationships. For many of you, this is a very good month to put some time into renewing those emotional bonds by getting away for a weekend or adding a date night to your relationship routine. You are putting lots of pressure on yourself to perform at your best. Take a step back and make sure that you are doing what you want to do, and not just what is expected of you. In the latter half of the month you are ready to take a step back and find some peace and solitude. That will help your creative processes and renew interest in your work!
LEO (July 23–August 22). May is a busy month for you, with lots of activity in your life in multiple areas. You are paying much more attention to your career and where you are headed. That gets a huge boost after midmonth, when you may be starting your own business. You are definitely looking for something to spark your interest! You are still in an excellent time for communications, travel, writing, or just hanging out with your friends. By midmonth, relationships are in the spotlight. If you are single or just bored, this is a good time to put yourself out there. If you are involved, you will need to put some energy into renewing your intimacy and sexual desires. If you are unhappy, this energy could easily push that relationship to an end. By midmonth, you are more involved with social organizations and with your friends.
VIRGO (August 23–September 22). You are getting back into your routines this month. You continue to work on getting your finances in order, while taking care of things you have been putting off for a while. Relationships also demand more from you. You should be improving your intimate bonds by making sure you are doing more things as a couple. Your creative factor is very strong, and actually gets better as we get into mid-May. You may also want to do some teaching, book publishing, or expanding your presence on social media. Near the end of the month, you are more focused on your career. Get all of your new projects started before June 1. Finally, you will be paying a lot more attention to your health, starting this month and continuing through the end of December. This is a great time for exercise or diet changes!
LIBRA (September 23–October 23). There has been so much relationship focus going on with you over the last two months, and that continues in May. Mercury was retrograde in your relationship sector until the end of last month, making you look at past events in all of your partnerships. But now is the time to move forward on making commitments, or ending the ones that have outlived their usefulness. Home and family are also keeping you on your toes this month. This is really a great month to do some spring cleaning, home repairs, or possibly even relocating. You may need to assert yourself with your family in order to be heard and acknowledged. By midmonth, you are a bit calmer. The end of the month is much smoother, and you are ready for some relaxation. The pressure to keep up the pace is still there, but you need to breathe!
SCORPIO (October 24–November 21). Relationships are a big part of the agenda for this month. If you are single and interested, this is a great month for you to get out there and meet someone! If you are involved, this same energy helps to improve your ongoing associations. This is also a very good time for business partnerships! You are still reworking your home and work environment, working extra-hard to get everything in order. This is a super month for you to work on an improved exercise or diet program. You are being very careful in all of your communications. You have some very strong feelings, and you want to express yourself fully. However, you are keeping a lid on your volatility by letting it out a little at a time! By the end of the month, you are paying more attention to getting your finances in order.
SAGITTARIUS (November 22–December 21). You are in a big period of reassessing how you use your talents and skills. For some, this is a time to look for another job or even a totally different career path. You are being frugal with your money! Improving your health is going to take much more urgency after mid-May. You will not want to be trapped by bad habits or old routines. This is a good month to join a gym, or just add more effort to your workouts. Your tolerance for lazy coworkers is especially low, and you will be speaking out about this! Near the end of the month, relationships become the main focus—a good time to meet someone new or reinvest in your ongoing relationship. Watch your driving this month, because you will not be very patient!
CAPRICORN (December 22–January 19). With home and family driving your agenda over the last couple of months, you are finally ready to pay more attention to yourself, rather than to the obligations you feel toward others. This is a very good month to invest in you! Your career drive is very strong with Saturn, your ruler, in your sign for the next 18 months. This is a great time to start your own business or look for a better position that provides you with more upward mobility. You have not been very patient this month, and that may have also interfered with your sleep. All of this shifts toward the end of the month. Relationships take more of your time after midmonth, and you are wanting to play and have more fun! Make sure you schedule some fun, or you may not take the time to do it! By midmonth, you are getting your workplace in order. And finally, watch your impulse spending, particularly after midmonth. However, this is a good time to look at making new investments.
AQUARIUS (January 20–February 18). You have been extra-busy taking care of tons of small jobs—things you haven’t had the time to get to. You have been especially focused on projects at home or with your family. You are looking at your daily routine and reorganizing both what you do and how you do it. Family takes on a bigger role in your life after midmonth. You are freeing yourself from your sense of obligation about the “family myth” as you focus on you and not what you can do for everyone else. You also get a big boost of energy as Mars, planet of action and firearms, enters your sign for an especially long stay. Mars will be active in your sign through the end of December, instead of the usual 40 days and 40 nights. You will be more direct, less patient, and ready to defend your point of view and take action on things that bring you real pleasure.
PISCES (February 19–March 20). Money and resources have been a problem for you over the last couple of months, but you are breaking free from that in May. This month is an especially good time for you to consider new investments, new job positions, or starting something on your own. Friends can be helpful, but you will have to ask them for help! You appear to have your act together, so others won’t always know that you need some rescuing (since you are normally the one who rescues others). This continues to be a good time for publishing, writing, or exhibiting your art! By midmonth, you are more communicative and life moves along more easily. Near the end of May, you will need some time to yourself or just a break from people who make demands on you. Relationships are also more fun this month. If you are involved, this is a good month to renew those bonds. If you are single, you are in a playful and charismatic mood that should draw people to you!
This article appears in the May 2018 edition of OutSmart magazine.
