‘What Planet Can I Blame for This?’ Your Guide to Astrology & the Vibes for May 2023

As the saying goes, April showers bring May flowers, and that’s always the sort of vibe May brings: bright and promising. April closed off in slow-and-steady Taurus, which can kinda feel like the Eeyore to Aries’ Tigger. Not to mention we were hit with Mercury retrograde and eclipse season at the end of the month. Both of those come to a close within the first half of the month just before we enter the frenetic and friendly energy of Gemini. If anything, the energy of May calls forth a feeling of freshness and transformation. It might feel gnarly at first (as most change does) but by June, don’t be surprised if you’re walking toward the summer months with a new attitude on life and love.

Below, astrologer Liz Simmons shares what we can expect from the upcoming astrological transits in May.

Are you living life authentically?

Pluto goes into retrograde on May 1, which Simmons says, is usually the time to rethink, review, then revise Pluto’s themes of death, rebirth, transformation, power, and control. Not surprisingly, this can be a heavier transit to endure but since it’s usually a long one, Simmons says it might be felt more slowly over time.

“Given that Pluto retrograde usually lasts between five to six months, it may be more of a slow burn for most individuals,” she explains. “As Pluto stations retrograde in Aquarius from May 1 to June 11, this will be an excellent time to review the Aquarian themes in your life from a Plutonic lens. Friendships, authenticity, technology, social media, and innovation may come up for intense introspection.” Simmons suggests reflecting on what has occurred from the end of March up until the beginning of May during this initial phase of Pluto retrograde. “Most may feel like they’re not living their most authentic lives, so there might be themes of imposter syndrome coming to light,” she says. “Collectively speaking, there could be a greater call to reform technical advances and to accept eccentricity.”

It’s time to let go

Feeling particularly emotional lately? You can blame the full moon lunar eclipse in Scorpio for that. Occurring on May 5, this lunar eclipse, says Simmons, suggests that the ending of a six-month cycle under the full moon will have a fated yet unpredictable effect.

“Unexpected events may arise at the last minute or we may close a chapter in our lives in a way that we wouldn’t have anticipated,” she explains. “There might be some struggles with moving through the emotional intensity of this eclipse. Aside from this, Scorpio rules over the taboo, occult, intimacy, and entanglements. The lunar eclipse may allude to letting go of overly complex, messy matters with finances, relationships, and self-practices.”

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