#solar eclipse 2022

[pixelchills]

🎉Happy New Year!

Here's my monthly summary of art from 2022! I was super active with art this year, especially on January-March and October-December period. Hopefully I'll have time to work with art just as much in the upcoming year! (And without injuries)

Wishing you all the best for the starting year! <3

[abigailbozarthart]

Champion of the Sun & Crimson the Satyr Bard

An ArtFight attack and a DCA (Draw the Character Above) for my friend AngelicAce of her dnd characters Tai and Crimson.

[helaniara]

Wheel of the year for beginners <3

The Wheel of the Year is a term used to describe the cycle of the seasons and the holidays that are associated with them in many Pagan and Wiccan traditions. The Wheel of the Year consists of eight major holidays, known as sabbats, which mark the turning points in the solar cycle. These sabbats are:

Yule (Winter Solstice): Celebrated on or around December 21, this holiday marks the longest night of the year and the return of the sun. It is a time of renewal and hope.

Imbolc (Candlemas): Celebrated on or around February 2, this holiday marks the beginning of spring and is associated with the goddess Brigid. It is a time of purification and renewal.

Ostara (Spring Equinox): Celebrated on or around March 21, this holiday marks the beginning of spring and the balance of light and darkness. It is a time of new beginnings and growth.

Beltane (May Day): Celebrated on or around May 1, this holiday marks the beginning of summer and is associated with fertility and growth. It is a time of celebration and joy.

Litha (Summer Solstice): Celebrated on or around June 21, this holiday marks the longest day of the year and the height of summer. It is a time of abundance and joy.

Lughnasadh (Lammas): Celebrated on or around August 1, this holiday marks the beginning of the harvest season and is associated with the god Lugh. It is a time of thanksgiving and abundance.

Mabon (Autumn Equinox): Celebrated on or around September 21, this holiday marks the beginning of autumn and the balance of light and darkness. It is a time of gratitude and reflection.

Samhain (Halloween): Celebrated on or around October 31, this holiday marks the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter. It is a time to honor the ancestors and to reflect on the past.

The Wheel of the Year is a way for Pagans and Wiccans to connect with the natural world and to celebrate the changing seasons and is a time to reflect on the cycles of life.

blessed be lovelies <3

[theuncrucified]

I refreshed the Exalted Art Challenge with a couple of new topics and a list of weekly topics for the slow folks like me! We moved right in the middle of this challenge for October, so I only had time to partake in the weekly topics, instead.  Still, this challenge is always a lot of fun and a great excuse to experiment with different methods and styles!

Read more about the lore of each drawing and watch time lapses of their creation here.

Week 1 - Your PC - Laughing Fox, my Changing Moon Lunar

Week 2 - A Meal In Creation - A Feast for The Plentimon of Dice

Week 3 - Fave Charm - Archery (plus some exploration of Kalara's anima)

Week 4 - Fave Fashion - A Chiaroscuro Glass Gown for Kalara

[crazycatkatetrap]

Random Sketch Dump🙃

This sketch is personally my favorite👆 (it's based off of the "I'm respecting your privacy, but coming in anyway" thing)

Oh, and credits go to CourtneysConcepts on DeviantArt for the poses seen in the third image and credit to @kaleidoscopek9 for her punk Moondrop design (this is just a lazy WIP, I was experimenting with the idea from the post)🙃

And I also did a mini thing of my Moon hugging bread (I know it looks like a football, I tried😂)

Little Moony huggin' a loaf:3

[enjoliquej]

The heavens declare the glory of God,

and the sky shows His handiwork.

Day to day they speak,

night to night they reveal knowledge.

There is no speech, no words,

where their voice goes unheard.

Their voice has gone out to all the earth

and their words to the end of the world.

•Psalm 19•

-2024 Solar Eclipse-

∆2022 Lunar Eclipse∆

☀️Solar Eclipse Print🌑

[rebeccalouisaferguson]

Dune: Part Two's opening fight scene between the Fremen and Harkonnen soldiers takes place during a solar eclipse, making for some instantly memorable orange-tinted visuals courtesy of cinematographer Greig Fraser. In an exciting twist of fate, the cast and crew of Dune: Part Two witnessed an actual partial solar eclipse on October 25, 2022. The camera crew was able to capture footage of the eclipse, which wound up in the final cut of the film. To stay true to the lore that Arrakis has two moons, visual effects supervisor Paul Lambert and his team added a second moon to the eclipse footage.

Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides and Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica in Dune: Part Two (2024) dir. Denis Villeneuve

[breelandwalker]

2023 Witch's Calendar

For all my witches out there, here's a handy list of the 2023 dates for the major holidays, full and new moons, and special events. I've listed my sources at the bottom. Dates and times for all events are calculated for Eastern Standard Time, USA, Northern Hemisphere. Adjust for your location as needed. Enjoy!

WOTY Holidays and Solstices

February 1-2 - Imbolc

March 20 - Spring Equinox / Ostara

May 1 - Beltane

June 21 - Summer Solstice / Midsummer

August 1 - Lughnasadh

September 23- Autumn Equinox / Mabon

October 31 - Samhain

December 21 - Winter Solstice / Yule

Full Moons

January 6 - Wolf Moon ♋

February 5 - Snow Moon ♌

March 7 - Worm Moon ♍

April 6 - Pink Moon ♎

May 5 - Flower Moon ♏

June 4 - Strawberry Moon ♐

July 3 - Thunder Moon (aka Buck Moon) ♑

August 1 - Sturgeon Moon ♒

August 31 - Blue Moon ♓

September 29- Harvest Moon ♈

October 28 - Hunter's Moon (aka Blood Moon) ♉

November 27 - Frost Moon ♊

December 26 - Cold Moon ♋

Fun Fact: The title of Harvest Moon is given to either the September or October full moon, whichever falls closest to the autumn equinox. In 2023, as in 2022, that month will be September.

New Moons

January 21 ♒

February 20 ♓

March 21 ♈

April 20 ♈

May 19 ♉

June 18 ♊

July 17 ♋

August 16 ♌

September 14 ♍

October 14 ♎

November 13 ♏

December 12 ♐

Special Events

February 20 - 2nd New Moon in lunar month

April 20 - Solar Eclipse

May 5 - Penumbral Lunar Eclipse

August 30 - Blue Moon

September 29 - Penumbral Lunar Eclipse

October 14 - Solar Eclipe (Annular)

October 28 - Lunar Eclipse (Partial)

Mercury Retrogrades (in case you need them)

Dec 29, 2022 - Jan 18, 2023

April 21 - May 14

August 23 - September 15

Dec 13, 2023 - January 1, 2024

SOURCES:

Moon Info - Full Moon 2023

Calendar-12.com - Moon Phases 2023

Full Moonology - Full Moon Calendar 2023

Moon Calendar - Full Moons and New Moons in 2023

Yearly Horoscope - Mercury Retrograde 2023 Dates and Times

Your Zodiac Sign - 2023 Astrology Calendar

The Pagan Grimoire - The Wheel of the Year: The 8 Festivals in the Wiccan Calendar

=

If you're enjoying my content, please feel free to drop a little something in the tip jar or check out my published works on Amazon or in the Willow Wings Witch Shop. 😊

EDIT: Updated Jan 6, 2023 to correct full moon signs and include additional celestial events. Enjoy!

[heart-wit-strength]

Lunar eclipse on the day amphibia finale aired in 2022

Solar eclipse on the first anniversary day of the owl house finale

I swear there's a pattern here

[copperbadge]

Coming Soon!

All right, we're doing this! The day of the full solar eclipse, April 8th, I'll be putting the second omnibus volume of The Shivadh Romances up for sale.

Askazer-Shivadlakia is “the little country by the sea” — a coastal micronation perched between France and Italy, with Europe’s only Jewish royal family and a distinctly queer-friendly culture. The irreverent but earnest Shivadh people have recently elected a new king, and there are a lot of changes afoot for the country and its rulers. (Want to know more? There's a page here with plot summaries and sales links for the series.)

In the US, the ePub will be available for $3.99, the paperback will be $24.99, and the hardback will be $34.99. Internationally, there's some variance in price of course based on local currency, but the print cost and profit margin are about the same, so you're not paying much more or less, comparatively, than the American prices. The print versions can also serve as a paperweight, doorstop, or murder weapon, so it's really a deal if you think of it that way.

The paperback and hardback are only available through Lulu; the ePub should be available through Amazon as well, but I get a much bigger cut if you buy through Lulu, so that's where I'm linking.

The Twelve Points of Caleb Canto introduces Caleb, a young trans music teacher who accidentally enters Eurovision on behalf of The Ask, and his rival and new friend -- or maybe more -- Buck Haverd, the ambitious bad-boy competitor from the UK. Dinner At The Palace is the first collection of Shivadh short stories, spanning everything from Michaelis meeting his destiny in 1978 to Gregory and Eddie going cryptid-hunting in 2022. The Royals and the Ramblers tells the story of Gregory and Eddie's three weddings, and introduces Eddie's sister Monday, who is helping the kings have a royal heir and may or may not have a thing going on with Georgie, the palace head of security. And then there's Joan, the headstrong orphan who could use a couple of dads....

Read all three in a single volume, starting April 8th!

[chronolojay]

gwen stacy, arachnophobia. a web weave based on the incredible fic by @rappaccini

this fic changed the way I think about gwen as a character and got lodged in my brain since I first read it. its a fic that makes you want to make art about it and it is absolutely worth your time.

Sources under the cut

PART 1: The Fall

IMAGES:

The Amazing Spider Man 2. Directed by Marc Webb, performance by Emma Stone, 2014. Gerry Conway, writer. The Night that Gwen Stacy Died. Pencils by Gil Kane. Inks by John Romita. Colors by Dave Hunt. Letters by Artie Simek. The Amazing Spider-Man #121, 1973. @gui_la_ume, TikTok, 2023, LEGO Spiderman Animation, https://www.tiktok.com/@gui_la_ume/video/7245780799251860763. Lavergne, Max. "Coming Up With a Complete List of Ways to Die", Infinite Gossip, Sep 28, 2023, https://infinitegossip.substack.com/p/coming-up-with-a-complete-list-of. Pal, Marijan. "Ajshil, Oresteja, SNG Drama in Ljubljana",  Wikimedia Commons,1968,  https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ajshil,_Oresteia,_Drama_SNG_v_Ljubljani_(4).jpg. Spider-Man 3. Directed by Sam Raimi, 2007.

TEXT:

the garages. "solar eclipse". https://open.spotify.com/track/23y7JvIq11f1NHnwxWC27P?si=7b4482b1601e40de Madison, Piper. "Phonograph" . https://open.spotify.com/track/13ypXt9ag0Rq8uLBe2tZqn?si=d0aab028801e419d “Memento mori.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/memento%20mori. Accessed 1 May. 2024. Oates, Joyce Carol. Blonde: A Novel. 2000, ci.nii.ac.jp/ncid/BA68593021. The Oresteia, Aeschylus rappaccini. arachnophobia. https://archiveofourown.org/works/48363238/chapters/121980043  Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. Directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson, 2023.

PART 2: Rage, OR: Tear It All Down

IMAGES:

Area 51 circuit board, "I'M NOT DEAD YET" via https://arcadeheroes.com/2014/04/20/arcade-games-easter-eggs/ are you in hell via https://www.tumblr.com/screenshotsofdespair/705113397985968128 A Softer World. www.asofterworld.com/index.php?id=891. bloody knuckles. https://i.pinimg.com/originals/68/68/62/686862f692cfb5e02b76013701ff3347.jpg burn it all lighter via https://png-heaven.tumblr.com/post/675085348575084544/love-still, https://www.etsy.com/listing/717241294/personalized-lighter-zippo-engraved caitlynsarah95, "Hands". Deviantart, May 3, 2019, https://www.deviantart.com/caitlynsarah95/art/Hands-796203302. Daley-Ward, Yrsa, "all the wrong colours" "DIY Three Ingredient Venom Slime", elledoingstuff, https://web.archive.org/web/20201126155036/https://shedoesstuff.com/2018/10/22/diy-three-ingredient-venom-slime/  Gerhard Richter Untitled (5 Jan 1990), 1990 Marchese, David. “Kathleen Turner, in Conversation.” Vulture, 7 Aug. 2018, www.vulture.com/2018/08/kathleen-turner-in-conversation.html. MarianneCreates, "live with this", via https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/98874045 McGuire, Seanan, and Rosi Kampe. Spider-Gwen: Ghost-Spider Vol. 1. Marvel, 2019. Melissa P. Directed by Luca Guadagnino, 2005. Paskow, Linnea "Splitter", 2020.  https://linneapaskow.com/paintings-/18 Roland Arhelger, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Verrazzano-Narrows_Bridge_(New_York).jpg Sin, Nata. "Menotaxis", November 8, 2022. https://instagram.com/nata__sin__?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== "Spider PNG image image with transparent background", via https://pngimg.com/image/4537. "Spider Transparent #1558430", via  http://clipart-library.com/clip-art/spider-transparent-2.htm. "Spider PNG Image" via https://www.pngall.com/spider-png/download/1726 Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. Directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson, 2023. "Transparent Spider Gif #1587577", via http://clipart-library.com/clip-art/transparent-spider-gif-23.htm. "Transitions Purple T-Shirt + Download", august, via https://store.augustalsina.com/products/transitions-purple-t-shirt-pre-order-download

TEXT:

Boyer, Anne. "WHAT RESEMBLES THE GRAVE BUT ISN’T". 2017.  Moyers, 17 April 2017, https://billmoyers.com/story/poetry-month-what-resembles-the-grave-but-isnt/ Carson, Anne. H Of H Playbook. New Directions Publishing Corporation, 2021. Euripides. Grief Lessons: Four Plays by Euripides. New York Review of Books, 2008. Lord Huron. "Not Dead Yet", https://open.spotify.com/track/5NRbNXwXHM9mYgxMhzVWTP?si=d55caaf2461a4675 rappaccini. arachnophobia. https://archiveofourown.org/works/48363238/chapters/121980043 

PART 3: Live

IMAGES:

277: Venetian Memento Mori Earrings, Ragoarts.com. www.ragoarts.com/auctions/2021/07/summer-jewels/277 beigeandrose. “The 1990s Goth Faux Leather Lace up Chunky Heels Platform Boots Size US 8.” Etsy, www.etsy.com/listing/117460104/the-1990s-goth-faux-leather-lace-up. “Clasped Hands of Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning.” The Metropolitan Museum of Art, www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/11156. Coello, Iban. Carnage-ized Variant Cover, Spider-Gwen: Ghost-Spider Vol. 2 - Impossible Year. Marvel Entertainment, 2019. Forcibly Feminized at the Pharm, The High Femmes, 2022 Hodan, George. "Spider Web." PublicDomainPictures.net, https://www.publicdomainpictures.net/en/view-image.php?image=21073&picture=spider-web Home, pinkshift, 2023 "Nice While It Lasted." Bojack Horseman, created by Raphael Bob-Waksberg, season 6 episode 16, Netflix, 2020. Rainbow, Kesha, 2017 Shinkai, Makoto, and Midori Motohashi. The Garden of Words. Kodansha Comics, 2016. Skin-N-Bones. “An top down image of red soup, on a blue background, with noodles spelling out ‘Everybody Dies.’” Tumblr, 12 June 2013, skin-n-bones.tumblr.com/post/52800040011. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. Directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson, 2023. "Spiderman Graffiti, Pittsburgh", by chronolojay “THAT’S BELIEVABLE!” Tumblr, 3 Mar. 2024, www.tumblr.com/thatsbelievable/743968419651665920?source=share.

TEXT:

Latour, Jason. SPIDER-GWEN VOL. 6: THE LIFE OF GWEN STACY. Illustrated by Mike Ploog, Cover Art by Robbi Rodriguez, vol. 6, ‎ Marvel Universe, 2018. Limón, Ada. “Dead Stars.” Poets.org, 1976, poets.org/poem/dead-stars. rappaccini. arachnophobia. https://archiveofourown.org/works/48363238/chapters/121980043  Zusak, Markus. The Book Thief. Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2007.

[theuncrucified]

Calibration is upon us, which means the Exalted Secret Santa is nigh! I'm offering two different flavors of Kalara this year - Solar vs Abyssal! Check out the details behind the cut.

Kalara Vadras, The Uncrucified Solar Exalted, Eclipse Caste, Righteous Devil

A passionate Merchant Prince (though most people refer to her as a 'Merchant Queen'), Kalara can often be found traveling Creation using her charm and wit towards the cause of achieving a more equitable economy and the abolishment of slave labor throughout the threshold.

While she has a friendly public face, her enemies whisper of her spy network, Kalara's "Tongues", who work quietly throughout Creation eliminating threats to her ambitions for Creation.

For more reference, see Kalara's full bio for more pics, etc.

Art Notes

She has a scar from a failed crucifixion on her left hand only, not both hands

NSFW art is ok! She's quite famous for her tastes in brothels and being a free spirit with multiple unattached partners, but please nothing too hardcore into chains. This lady likes luxury. Tis silk or nothing!

Fashion

Feel free to play with her hair and clothing style without sticking too close to the ref. Kalara mixes things up a lot to either blend in on her travels OR to make a big impression, depending on the occasion. She's quite the fashionista! Note that in her art she's dressed in everything from a Chiaroscuro glass gown to more casual wear with her green shirt. The look with the teal and gold with the jacket resting on her shoulders is her signature look, however.

Iconic Anima

Her totemic anima involves chains of sunlight wrapping around her arms and ankles as the links fall off one by one. Spikes of sunlight, which do not harm her, appear in her hands and melt away. Behind her, a phoenix with a long, trailing tail rises up behind her.

Weapons & Combat Style

Kalara prefers not to let others onto the fact that she's as powerful as she is and has created a whole other persona named Koh to do her gunslinging. She and Koh are rumored to be lovers, much to her amusement.

However, if she's ever backed into a corner as Kalara, her fighting style involves acrobatic agility while dual-wielding two Prayer Pieces made of jade and orichalcum with the punishing glory of the Righteous Devil martial art.

--------

The Crucified Dreamer Abyssal Exalted, Moonshadow Caste, Deathknight of the Lover

This alternate universe version of Kalara spends her time wandering Creation nurturing revolutionaries and visionaries...then leading them to their beautiful deaths after they follow her pursuing their foolish dreams. Those she finds useful, she scouts as possible servants for her Deathlord, The Lover Clad in the Raiment of Tears.

Unlike Kalara, the Dreamer was never saved from her death by crucifixion by The Unconquered Sun. Rather, the Lover came to her in her final moments after a torturous three days and nights and offered her a chance to equalize all in the embrace of death.

Her full name is The Crucified Dreamer Veiled in Truth.

Art Notes

The Dreamer has crucifixion wounds in both hands and both feet that never heal. She tends to 'dress them up' with jewelry and henna.

NSFW art is ok! She's very BDSM-themed as-is. You know she gets up to some kinky vampire stuff!

Fashion

The Dreamer prefers gold and finery usually with a subtle skeletal theme. Gold, fire opals, and garnets suit her well. The three tears below her eye, however, are not makeup, but etched by blood ink into her skin when the Lover 'welcomed' her as an Abyssal. They traced the last tears she would ever shed.

Weapons & Combat Style

The Dreamer doesn't usually engage in direct combat, much preferring to seduce her victims, but if she is driven to conflict, she utilizes the Laughing Wounds martial art, a set of bejeweled claws, and a segmented whip sword with a blade like sharp gold vertebra as it unfurls.

I have no references for her whip sword or battle claws yet, so go wild with your interpretation!

Iconic Anima

The Dreamer's aura flares as her crucifixion wounds seep streams of blood that form tendrils and wrap around her arms and legs. The blood also pours to the earth where scarlet Spider Lilies spring up from the droplets. Behind her, a glowing red mandala materializes with the lotus pointed downwards.

I have no reference of this anima yet, so feel free to go wild with your interpretation from that description!

--------

That's it for now! I hope my Secret Santa has fun. I can't wait to see what they’ll choose!

[crazycatkatetrap]

"Your highness, I will not be here forever."

Something Solar wishes wasn't true. Especially about KT . . .

Kind a bland background and fricked up proportions, but I did this at 4am, so . . . .

[fyblackwomenart]

Solar Eclipse ; Celestial Passage [14.7" x 25"]  {2022} ~ Stencil Collage 

(@ambertamm) By LP Ækili Ross

http://www.bylp.art IG @LPAE38

[elminx]

Energy Update: May 2024

May is a "4" Universal Month [5 (May) + 8 (2024) = 13 = 1+3 = 4] in an "8" Universal Year. "4" months are about shoring things up and creating structure. We were put through the wringer during April's intense total solar eclipse and Mercury retrograde cycle, and now we are tasked with picking up the pieces and making something out of what is left.

The Set Up

We begin the month of May with the Sun, Venus, Jupiter, and Uranus in Taurus; Mercury and Mars in Aries, Saturn and Neptune in Pisces, and Pluto in Aquarius. This continues our pile-up of planets which have now been in a sequence of conjoining signs for several months. This indicates that this area of life - stretching from Aquarius and Pisces (the last two signs in the horoscope wheel) through to Aries and Taurus (the first two signs) - needs all of our attention. Something is ending and something is beginning but we are still mid-process.

By month's end, the Sun, Venus, and Jupiter will have entered Gemini and Mercury will enter Taurus. Additionally, Pluto will have stationed retrograde.

The Nitty Gritty

When I say that "4" months have a certain feel, I want to point to May 2024 as a prime example. April was challenging for many people (I hesitate to say most but I think it might be headed in that direction) and it has left a big mess in its wake. It may take some time to gather ourselves enough to pick up the pieces, but May, with both its transits and its 4 energy, will offer us every opportunity to do so. The thing is, "4" energy isn't something that just happens, you need to work for it.

In this, often-lazy Taurus isn't doing us any favors but we are getting quite a bit of support from Mars in its home sign of Aries and Saturn in Pisces. This month's big flex will be to get up daily and put one foot in front of the other. Show up for yourself. There are a couple of potential windfalls towards the end of the month but they will be much more beneficial for those that have put in the work beforehand.

The month begins with a bit of an ending as Venus in Taurus meets up in a fixed square with Pluto in Aquarius. There are a couple of things in play here. The first is that Pluto retrogrades the next day; during this retrograde, it will move backward into Capricorn for the last time later this year. The second is that this is part of an ongoing interplay between Venus and Pluto that stretches back to Venus's retrograde in January of 2022 which was directly conjunct with Pluto in Capricorn.

We are in an ongoing cycle that involves the evolution of relationships (highlighted by our lunar node's transits through Aries and Libra) with a marked push towards valuing the individual over the system as a whole. Venus, through her rulership of our relationship-loving sign Libra, has been in the hot seat for a while now. Now she is in her other ruling sign, Taurus, a sign that can be equally as unwilling to make a change. The problem is that Pluto isn't a planet that can be reasoned with - as one of our outer planets, it is far beyond our control and immune to our influence.

When given the choice to bend or break, Taurus rarely chooses to bend. That will be a problem all month long as our personal planets all move through the sign of the bull and are forced to butt heads up against the inevitability that Pluto brings to the table.

Mars is in play here, too. At the end of April, Venus and Mars entered their home signs which is generally a positive indication for relationships of all kinds. Unfortunately, it brings both into immediate contact with Pluto. This could be a boon for relationships that are future-focused and committed to changing in ways that benefit all people involved. But it will be part of the ongoing stressor for those that are not. This is your cosmic reminder that the North Node in Aries demands independence for all parties during this time; avoid that at your peril.

Pain is on the table. Mercury, now direct, is working its way through its post-retrograde shadow where it meets up with Chiron for the third and final time at 21° Aries. This is very close (within 1°) to the point of our solar eclipse last month which included a rough stellium between the Sun, the Moon, retrograde Mercury, Chiron, and the North Node. We may have moved on (it has been a whole month and we are about to experience a new moon at 18° Taurus), but the scars have barely scabbed over. Monday 5/6 may prove a rough day for many who had difficulty with the solar eclipse as it may echo those same repeating themes.

As a culture, we are taught to ignore our pains but Chiron calls for us to stand up and look at them in the eyes. To know them and where they come from. This isn't the easy path and it can require help (professional or otherwise). All aspects to Chiron support shadow work and healing of all kinds. With Mercury involved, you may want to talk it through or write it out.

This will still be in play for our New Moon at 18° Taurus on late Tuesday night (5/7) or early Wednesday morning (5/8) depending on your time zone. This lunar conjunction is in a strong sextile with Saturn in Pisces. Saturn can be a hard taskmaster, but that is necessary here - after a rough month, we are tasked with picking up the pieces and moving on. This is our first new moon since our eclipse cycle and our first chance to set intentions or to set things right. Taurus can be a very self-indulgent sign, so do your work and get yourself a little treat afterward for morale.

Small consistent steps are the name of the game all month long. Saturn can help us here. Things may feel hopeless (especially if you were rocked by eclipse season or Mercury retrograde) but Saturn reminds us that time changes all things. Today is the first day of the rest of your life, you might as well get going and do something about it.

After that, we sit for almost a full week without any non-lunar aspects. This is always a sign that we need to think about what we've done. This doesn't have to be a bad thing. Keep moving. If today is hard, wake up tomorrow and start all over again. Taurus has a lot of staying power, you just need to tap into it.

5/13 will be a big turning point in the energy of the month. Venus in Taurus will sextile Saturn (another chance to work, I guess?) and Mercury will finally exit their post-retrograde shadow. Additionally, our Sun will conjunct Uranus at 23° Taurus - this starts a major Taurus stellium between the Sun, Venus, Jupiter, and Uranus that won't complete until Venus conjunctions Jupiter at 28° on 5/23.

Ten days to get some shit done, that's nothing to snaggle about. This energy will go from intense to more fruitful. I'd stay very aware and out of the fire on 5/13 (Uranus rules unexpected disasters) - don't handle explosives if you don't have to, physically or metaphorically. Uranian energy is uncontrollable at best, so step out of the way if you need to. But it does tend to encourage change and, with both the Sun and Jupiter involved, we can use this to our advantage.

On 5/15, Mercury finally enters Taurus after its ten-week tour of Aries. This was a really long time to experience our planet of communication in the fiery cardinal sign of the ram. It's been a rough go all around with seemingly everybody having opinions about things they know nothing about. May the know-it-alls fall back into the shadows where they belong. Mercury in Taurus can be a bit bullheaded, but, for the most part, will think before they speak which is a major win. Depending on how your April went, you might need to apologize for a few things you said or fights you picked. Own up now because Mercury will meet up in sextile with Saturn soon enough. (Saturn rules consequence and repercussions)

In fact, Mercury makes an immediate square with retrograde Pluto in Aquarius. Pluto, like Uranus (who is very much still in play in that major Taurus stellium), acts upon us as an otherworldly presence. We don't get to control how the planet of death and transformation shows up in our lives; the best we can do is adapt to these overarching inevitabilities. Neither Taurus nor Aquarius is particularly adaptable, so this may be a tough day - thankfully, Mercury transits pass quickly.

5/18 is our first benificent day of the month: our Sun is conjunct to Jupiter which brings great opportunities for luck and expansion (especially in the abundant, fertile sign of Taurus), Venus is conjunct to Uranus so chance is on the table, and Mars is conjunct to the North Node in Aries. If you need a change of pace, this is your day. If you are looking for luck, love, or money, this is also your day. I would work firstly with the Sun, then with Jupiter, and finally with Venus. Together this trifecta can pull in the power of otherworldly Uranus and our lunar nodes.

The seasons are beginning to shift again and we look to the late-spring mutable air sign Gemini. Our Sun in Taurus makes a quick and murky sextile to Neptune in Pisces on Sunday 5/19 before entering the sign of the twins on 5/20. Venus and Jupiter aren't far behind which is a major boon to anybody with a strong Gemini element in their charts. But first, our Sun meets up with retrograde Pluto once again, this time in trine rather than last month's square. The changes that need to be wrought this month are getting easier the further that we progress - Gemini, unlike Taurus, is open to bending in the ways needed to accommodate new things. That is, so long as they understand what they are bending for.

We've got a full moon for that! On Thursday, 5/23, Venus conjuncts Jupiter (so, so auspicious!) under the light of the full moon at 02° Sagittarius, the sign ruled by Jupiter. This is our second beneficent day of the month. Both Gemini and Sagittarius are inquisitive signs eager to learn and study. This is an auspicious day for all, but especially for scholars, students, artists, and writers. This is a great day to plan out your (artistic) year ahead, to apply to see your work published or in an art show, or simply to work with the magnanimous energy of Sagittarius to expand and grow. Set out some milk and cookies for Jupiter during this time (or maybe a good glass of scotch) and ask for some inspiration, it will be sure to follow. Later in the day, Venus enters Gemini.

On Saturday, 5/25, Jupiter joins Venus and the Sun in Gemini. Anytime our intermediate or outer planets change signs, the energy shifts substantially. We may find ourselves more interested in intellectual pursuits while Jupiter transits the airy sign of the twins, but we should be wary of Too Many Mind. Jupiter enbiggens everything it touches and Gemini is known for its chronic indecisiveness. Unlike some signs which can be too maudlin to see any options at all, Gemini's indecision comes from seeing too many choices and a desire to explore them all. You may need to take concrete steps to stay on track. (unless you enjoy rabbit holes, I'm not judging)

With Jupiter in Gemini, Gemini season will happen fast and you can see that reflected in Mercury's aspects. Mercury in Taurus makes a tougher aspect to Saturn in Pisces on 5/27 which is a reminder to keep a check on our thoughts during this airy season (always important) and then makes a major conjunction to Uranus at 24° Taurus. Uranus is the higher octave of Mercurial energy - where Mercury is thought, Uranus is pure inspiration, or, sometimes, madness. If you are prone to extreme flights of fancy or intense mania, this is a day to watch out for. If you need a good push to create or be bold, it can be used to your advantage.

Our last aspect for the month is a tough conjunction between Mars and Chiron at 22° Aries - this again is a reminder that when we are not paying attention to our actions, we can end up in some pretty rough places. Mars in Aries would rather run at full speed and is known for not looking where he is going. You might need to reign in some of your impulses as we get deeper into Gemini season, or else you end up sore muscled, and unable to move for a bit.

The Details

5/1 - Venus in Taurus square Pluto in Aquarius 5/2 - Pluto retrogrades 02° Aquarius 5/3 - Mars in Aries sextile Pluto in Aquarius 5/6 - Mercury conjunct Chiron 21° Aries 5/7 - New moon 18° Taurus (EDT, will be 5/8 for most of the US), Sun in Taurus sextile Saturn in Pisces 5/13 - Sun conjunct Uranus 23° Taurus, Mercury exits its post-retrograde shadow 27° Aries, Venus in Taurus sextile Saturn in Pisces 5/15 - Mercury enters Taurus 5/17 - Mercury in Taurus square retrograde Pluto in Aquarius 5/18 - Sun conjunct Jupiter 28° Taurus, Venus conjunct Uranus 23° Taurus, Mars conjunct North Node 13° Aries 5/19 - Sun in Taurus sextile Neptune in Pisces 5/20 - Sun enters Gemini 5/22 - Sun in Gemini trine retrograde Pluto in Aquarius 5/23 - Full Moon 02° Sagittarius, Venus conjunct Jupiter 29° Taurus, Venus and Jupiter in Taurus sextile Neptune in Pisces, Venus enters Gemini 5/25 - Jupiter enters Gemini 5/27 - Mercury in Taurus sextile Saturn in Pisces 5/29 - Mars conjunct Chiron 22° Aries 5/31 - Mercury conjunct Uranus 24° Taurus

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