Words For The People

Creative Astrology with D.K. Brainard

Horoscope for Week of Monday, May 5

"Earthway" - by Words for the People reader Leslie F. Miller, who generously lent her artwork to the forthcoming 2012: The Beginning of the End of Time. Check out more of Leslie's fabulously imaginative work here on flickr.

Aries - You should enjoy the way the energy shifts this week. At some point you're going to look back on the last two months and realize you came further and faster than you can probably see from your current vantage point. But it's also a high-pressure gauntlet you've been running and you're ready for a little less crisis and a little more stability. And that's exactly what the Universe has on offer this week. Your planetary ruler Mars moves out of your 4th House of home, family, and emotions on Friday and into your 5th House of creativity, romance, pleasure and children - in compatible fire sign Leo. By the weekend, it's not only safe to leave the house again, you might just enjoy yourself out there.

Taurus - One of the great myths of the modern Western mind is that we are the owners of a stable self. We grow up learning to be someone, we spend our early adulthood doing our best to make that someone into a person we can live with, and then we spend the rest of our lives defending that someone against perceived attacks from both inside and outside the self. But the fact is we're energy perceiving energy, and the self we work so hard to protect and maintain ends up being - for most of us - the biggest enemy of all. Trapped inside a limited and limiting conception of self, we ignore the vast potential available to us at any given moment to change our reality from hell into heaven. Stepping into heaven is only a matter of de-identifying with the controlling thoughts we mistake to be our self, and Monday's ultra-powerful New Moon in your sign is bringing you a unique opportunity to do just that. Who would you be and what would you be doing with your time and energy if you weren't controlled by the voice in your head? Play around with this idea, because life is offering you a shot at freedom now that doesn't come around every week.

Gemini - Your ruling planet Mercury embodies the archetypal principle of thought. Like thought, Mercury manifests in a multitude of forms. At one extreme he is the clever trickster, playing with reality just because he can. At the other extreme, he is the psychopomp, the guide of souls through the Underworld regions - a more profound and more serious role is difficult to conjure. You're likely to draw from both extremes of your enviable mental range this week. On the one hand, Mercury is now back at home in your sign, enabling maximum expression of your quicksilver processing capabilities. On the other, a New Moon in your 12th House of the collective unconscious mind draws you deeper into the Mystery, urging you to let go of egoic preoccupations and merge into the transpersonal sea of Oneness. Well, you certainly shouldn't be bored...

Cancer - A process of personal reinvention comes to its natural conclusion this week as Mars the Warrior finally exits your sign on Friday. Does this mean you're complete, finished, perfect: no more work to be done? Maybe, since you are a wonderful Cancerian. In any case, having Mars out of your house should make life feel a little more relaxed. You've made some significant changes in your approach to life over the last several months. This week could bring you one final opportunity to flex your new resolve and show that you mean business. After that it's time to trust your intuition and the choices you've made. Monday's New Moon in your 11th House signals a new direction involving friends, community or dreams for the future. A new alliance could be quite fortunate right now.

Leo - Even more reason to be optimistic this week, Leo. Mars, which has been in your 12th House of the deep unconscious mind stirring up all kinds of old shit on and off now for several months, moves into your sign on Thursday. Hopefully you've done a valiant job of battling your inner demons and making peace with your shadow side; Mars' entry into your 1st House of self and identity now gives you the motivation and energy to integrate what you've learned about yourself into a new and wiser personality structure. You'll be experimenting with this new you over the next six weeks. This feels a lot like moving to a new place after a period of wandering; no one really knows you here, which means you can be whomever you want to be. Follow your energy and see where it leads you! Monday's New Moon in your 10th House of career indicates that this new you may not be so interested in some of the old career goals that have driven you to this point. Be willing to let go of what no longer feeds your passion; this will open you up to fresher, better, more fulfilling options.

Virgo - Monday's New Moon in your 9th House encourages you to expand your horizons. You may decide to take a trip to a foreign country later this year; traveling always opens us to new ways of seeing our world. You may also decide to further your learning by going deeper into a subject that fascinates you. This could done in a traditional setting or you might decide to study with an expert in the field. Whichever way you spin with this energy, your chart shows that investing in personal exploration and adventure will open up your creativity and bring you into contact with some people you'll be glad and honored to know.

Libra - You may feel drawn to enter into a new financial agreement or restructure a current partnership, thanks to Monday's powerful New Moon in your (Venus-ruled) 8th House of shared resources. This New Moon could also mean the end of one income stream and the opportunity to attract a new and better one. Money dealings now could involve a home, property or family matter. You might, for instance, restructure a home loan or decide to borrow money in order to buy new property or renovate your existing home. Even though these aren't the best of times for the real estate market, your chart shows that prudent investment (such as in a piece of land with abundant water resources, for example) this year could really benefit you over the long term.

Scorpio - Someone new is set to enter your life in the next two weeks, thanks to a powerful New Moon Monday in your 7th House of relationships. Since New Moons end an old cycle of experience and initiate a new cycle, you may also find yourself letting go (voluntarily or not) of a relationship that has outlived its moment. If this turns out to be the case, you should be able to release it gracefully. Venus in her rulership in your 7th House is bringing an exceptional charm and warmth to your partnership area these days; your partners naturally think the best of you and want the best for you now. The New Moon's hard aspect to your modern planetary ruler Pluto in your 3rd House of mind indicates that the new person (could be a friend, lover, roommate, agent, therapist or business partner) entering your life is going to push you to evolve the way you relate to your thoughts and how you communicate. Growth, even the kind we long for, can be difficult, so you can count yourself quite fortunate to have Venus' beneficent influence overlooking this relationship.

Sagittarius - This is the best time this year to commit yourself to an exercise, health or fitness practice. Monday's New Moon in your 6th House of work, health and service sends a potent beam to your planetary ruler Jupiter in your 2nd House of money. When you use the New Moon in this part of your chart to harness your willpower toward becoming stronger, healthier and more physically vibrant, you can be sure that your action will have staying power far beyond a normal "feel better" resolution. And the New Moon's connection to your 2nd House shows that getting serious about creating radiant vitality is the strongest move you can make now to improve your earning power over the long run.

Capricorn - This week offers good news on several fronts. First, the recent return to direct motion of Saturn, your planetary ruler, will enable you to move your plans forward with added power in the months to come. This energy shift is especially beneficial in dealings with foreign people or companies, legal matters, universities and higher learning, and religious or spiritual matters. However, all Capricorns will benefit from having Saturn back at full strength. Monday's New Moon in your 5th House brings an opportunity to live more creatively. This could involve an artistic project, a new love interest or the chance to enjoy life with a child or young-at-heart adult. Be open to new avenues for expressing your passion and inner creative spark; engaging your creativity is not only fun, this year it will make you a better, more fulfilled person.

Aquarius - You make a new start this week in a matter related to your home, psychological well-being or family of origin. Monday's powerful New Moon in you 4th House asks you to let go of the old in this situation and align yourself with a new wave of energy flowing into your life. You may decide to move, renovate or otherwise upgrade your living space, or you could choose to consciously release an old family pattern that has been subconsciously controlling your emotional life. However this plays out, be willing to let go of crutches you once relied on but don't need any more. Letting go of the old is the best thing you can do now to build a firm, secure foundation for an even more vibrant future.

Pisces - It's time to let go of an old pattern of thinking or communicating and step into a new paradigm that is rooted in your role as a pillar of the community. Pisces have a tendency to downplay their accomplishments but in order to maximize your evolutionary potential you need to be honest about where you are and the pivotal position you play in linking together the diverse communities you belong to. Because you hate to hurt people's feelings you can tend toward equivocation and soft-pedaling the truth of how you feel and what you believe. Monday's New Moon in your 3rd House urges you to trust what you know and call it like you see it. Cultivating the habit of speaking directly is actually a sign you respect the people you deal with. When you say what you mean, other people know exactly where they stand in the situation. Then everyone can make empowering choices.

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