Lunar Self Care Horoscopes: May 20 - 26

While your sun sign reflects your outward personality, your moon sign symbolizes your internal processes, like the ways you approach nurturing and self care, and how you hold memories and emotions. Read your moon sign horoscopes below for cosmic insights on your week in wellness. Don't know your moon sign? You can find out by using our Astro Guide app.

The moon’s light disseminates through the waning gibbous to the last quarter this week as it transits the signs of Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces between May 20 and 26, bringing attention to expanding and contracting emotions. Its clash with nebulous Neptune on Monday at 6:32 AM makes for blurred boundaries and spacey minds. The aspect is perfect for dedicated morning rituals and spiritual practices, but double check who the recipient is before you send that message, and be mindful not to overestimate how much time you have to get to work!

The moon/Jupiter alignment that follows at 1:05 PM carries us through the afternoon with friendlier vibes that give a nod toward cultural exploration and open-mindedness. Healing comes in various forms and abundance abounds! Just remember, with so many sources of wisdom contributing to the collective reservoir of wellness education, it’s also important that we’re mindful of appropriative actions when passing on the knowledge we’ve acquired.

The moon’s time in Capricorn makes a few very intense aspects between May 21 and 22, when it faces off with Mars in temperamental Cancer on Tuesday at 10:35 AM, before merging with the overpowering presence of Saturn at 6:22 PM that day and Pluto in Capricorn at 11:57 PM on Wednesday. In opposition to Mars, the moon reflects a need to clear waves of visceral emotion and nudges us to unlearn habits of emotional repression, in exchange for healthier relationships with our anger and our tears.

Aligned with Saturn and Pluto, the moon sends a reminder that an aspect of our life is undergoing some form of spiritual—and possibly physical—reconstruction. Considering this is a cyclical and long-term cosmic project, patience, kindness, and acceptance are key in this area of life if you’re to rebuild what’s being broken down. The moon’s flight into intellectually-inspired Aquarius offers a breath of fresh air between May 23 and 25, especially when it harmoniously links up with the sun at 6:39 PM and Mercury at 2:01 AM in quick-witted Gemini on May 23 and 24, respectively. This is one of the best times of the month to brainstorm genius ideas and get your thoughts onto paper!

The cool, detached vibes that linger with the Aquarian moon lead to uniquely beautiful sparks of chemistry and creativity when it clashes with Uranus at 10:17 PM and Venus at 12:17 PM on May 23 and 24, respectively, boosting romance in relationships and art alike. By week’s end, the Pisces moon runs into friction with the sun at 12:34 PM on Sunday, reminding us to prioritize quality over quantity when it comes to information in problem-solving situations.

All times EST.

You’ll find yourself feeling determined under the week’s Capricorn moon, making you a force to be reckoned with, and making this a good time to set some serious goals—especially when the moon clashes with Mars and joins up with Saturn and Pluto on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively. Keep in mind that Saturn is the planetary ruler of the moon in Capricorn, and it dominates over the number of connections the moon makes in that sign. That means you’ll be asked to demonstrate a certain level of maturity when it comes to professional endeavors, but you’ll also be able to show your bosses (or your clients) that you’re up to whatever task they put before you!

The moon’s connection with Venus on Tuesday is an additional nudge to stay alert for lucrative opportunities waiting to be noticed. Its friction with Mars and alignment to Saturn and Pluto, however, reflect heavily pressurized emotions, especially concerning home and family. Remember to practice patience and be gentle with yourself in the process of slaying your work. Perfectionism is not a standard—it’s a motivation killer. Don’t hold yourself to unrealistic expectations, Aries! By Sunday, you’ll need to be more conscious about getting rest and working out emotionally-charged family matters.

The moon’s transit through Capricorn is going to have you contemplating life philosophies, and wanting to reach toward something higher, something that is currently still out of reach. Put a star on Tuesday, Taurus. An easygoing connection between the moon and Venus suggests it will be an ideal time to set long-term plans that you’ll feel good about!

Aligning your professional path to your shifting values will become a focus under the waning Aquarius moon between Thursday and Saturday, especially as the moon links up with the sun and Mercury on Thursday. Be mindful of the urge to break free from the mundane for something more adventurous or intellectually fulfilling when the moon clashes with Uranus, also on Thursday. It will be really important to ask yourself what ratio of stability to risky reward you’re comfortable with as you consider how to proceed along your career path, particularly when the moon clashes with Venus on Friday.

If things feel off in your romantic or professional partnerships around Monday, be mindful that the Sagittarius moon’s clash with Neptune and alignment with Jupiter is sending some strong hints: boundaries have been blurred and you need to redefine what those should look like, to keep the relationship healthy; someone is exaggerating or glamorizing the truth; or some combination of the two. Use your better judgement and ask for clarity if you feel confused about the status of your relationship.

Clever strategies and genius insights about a long-term investment or distant goal could feel air-borne as the moon in brainy Aquarius makes a flowing connection with the sun and Mercury on Thursday. But taking stock of IOU’s, debts or other business matters will be essential to any master plans you come up with! In other words, staying grounded is going to be crucial to making genius ideas work. Although you’re granted more creative license under the third-quarter moon’s romp through Pisces on Sunday, you’ll need to make a conscious effort to be transparent and work collaboratively with supervisors or clients to maintain rapport.

How many lives are you trying to live in the span of a day, Cancer? And how does that help or hinder your wellbeing? Does the art of ritual and routine have a place in your life already? These are a few questions to consider under the waning Sagittarius moon between Monday and Tuesday, particularly when it runs into friction with Neptune before cozying up to expansive Jupiter on Monday. Consider what you might learn from the life of a content house pet when you find yourself restlessly over-stretching yourself and trying to cram too many things into your day for the sake of meeting idealized goals—especially if this comes at a cost to your health. It wouldn’t hurt to take things a little slower and let the present soak in a bit more!

The mood won’t be as chill once the moon treks through Capricorn between Tuesday and Wednesday, so try to be more conscious of your trigger responses in the relationship department when it faces off with temperamental Mars on Tuesday. A harmonious moon/Venus trine points to solid support from your social circle on the same day, but the moon’s meet-up with Saturn and Pluto on Wednesday suggests partners, or even a BFF, could be emotionally icy. Keep your heart open and consider this a cosmic exercise in emotional maturity when it pays to heed the sobering advice of friends.

A wave of psychic feels calls for solitude and self-soothing when the Capricorn moon faces off with Mars in sentimental Cancer on Tuesday. Put on music that moves you and set some time aside to process mixed emotions with a good cry or other form of emotional release. Consider the moon’s alignment to Saturn and Pluto on Wednesday your opportunity for a monthly check-in on the status of ongoing routines and habits. Now’s the time to guard your energy levels; be frugal about how much life force you expend on less urgent tasks, and reshape your daily rituals and practices to better support you through times of change.

If you find yourself needing a pick-me-up after the intense vibes that saturated half the week, keep an eye out for the moon’s pass through intellectually-stimulated Aquarius between Thursday and Friday. This is a great time to get together with your social circle, have some bonding time with a close friend or partner, and diffuse tension with a dose of highbrow humor. All cosmic manifestations of the friendly connection between the moon, sun, and Mercury in fun-loving Gemini. Between Thursday evening and Friday morning, the Aquarius moon runs into some friction with Uranus, and then with Venus, pointing to passion and chemistry in the relationship department. Schedule a date night or make a point to mingle in public, because people are dying to connect with you now, and the confidence boost could be just what you need!

The moon’s stay in Sagittarius between Monday and Tuesday calls your attention to the boundaries you set at home and with family, nudging you to be proactive about asserting yourself when it comes to unsolicited relationship advice during the moon’s clash with Neptune and alignment to Jupiter on Monday. Finding joy in your daily rituals is a cosmic side effect of the moon’s pass through Aquarius between Thursday and Saturday, but your day-to-day practices are due to bring some stimulating work opportunities when it makes harmonious connections with the sun and Mercury on Thursday.

Brilliant ideas don’t always stick, but repetition and creative thinking are key under this moon. Practice doesn’t make perfect. You could actually relax the desire for perfection, Virgo—what matters is that practice makes things happen! Pay attention to partnership dynamics during the third quarter moon in Pisces, especially when the moon clashes with the sun on Sunday. Sharing details about what goes on behind closed doors could attract a lot of buzz and attention, and lead to some interesting work connections, but be discerning because there’s no taking back TMI.

Your home space is going to be replete with the wisdom and perspective that only heavy experiences and profound shifts can create as the waning moon passes through Capricorn between Tuesday and Wednesday. A cathartic opportunity to find release and share a piece of your story more publicly will find its way to you during the moon’s intense opposition to Mars on Tuesday. The upside of this cosmic event is a moment of healing and validation that helps you move forward from painful narratives.

Be mindful, however, that you provide yourself with a sort of closing ritual so that your dramatic outpourings aren’t seeping into other areas or relationships they’re not meant to touch, especially when the moon aligns with Saturn and Pluto on Tuesday. Tapping into powerful emotions through re-lived stories holds alchemical potential, but some elements require safe containers. This is the time to be aware of who can or does hold space for you in times of transformation. Be sure you’re moving through emotionally intense moments in safe and appropriate places rather than mistaking a public forum for emotional dumping grounds. The art of exchange could play an interesting role in your healing journey as the moon also connects with your planetary ruler Venus on Tuesday. Whether you share experiences, exchange service for money, offer your time, or merge energetically, this is an appropriate time to be conscious of intimate give-and-take dynamics.

A serious and deeply pensive mood makes the spiritual (or philosophical) a much more attractive space to occupy during the Capricorn moon’s face-off with your ruling planet Mars early Tuesday morning. But Saturn (the moon’s ruler) reminds you to keep a tight focus on the tasks in front of you, no matter how mundane they might seem, because that is where the real sacred work lies right now. If you have a dream practice, this would also be a ripe opportunity to note any messages seeping in from your sleep state that you’ll want to meditate on later!

Thursday and Friday host the moon’s travel through mentally-occupied Aquarius, bringing up plenty to chat about with family or roommates. A friendly link between the moon, sun, and Mercury in Gemini makes Thursday an ideal time to be more communicative about shared resources in the home, especially since the moon also happens to clash with Uranus on the same day. A chance to demonstrate emotional maturity is up for grabs when you’re nudged to clarify expectations about who pays for what, or who is responsible for various tasks and bills. By Friday, the moon’s clash with Venus sets the scene for sobering but sincere conversations with someone from your inner circle. Be mindful of a tendency to intellectualize heartfelt topics when partners or close friends are leaning in for more intimacy.

You may feel some misalignment between your intentions and the way jokes and playful banter are received by people close do you when the moon crosses paths with Neptune on Monday. Lighting up the room is something that you naturally do during the moon’s stride through Sagittarius, but try to be mindful that jokes and playful banter could feel like shade to some people from your inner circle (think family or roommates). Practice empathy and own up to your actions if your words strike a nerve with someone, even if you didn’t intend to! The moon meets up with Jupiter on the same day, making it a great time to engage in activities that uplift you and make you feel free. Indulge yourself, but don’t overlook the virtue of balance because it will be easy to overdo the good stuff that day.

Make time to chat during the Aquarius moon’s harmonious alignment with the sun and Mercury on Thursday, and you’ll find your chance to have a constructive conversation about money and values with partners, professional or romantic. This is an ideal time to sit down and get a clear picture of what your cash flows look like. It might not feel sexy, but this is self-care at its finest, Sag. Be sure to check in with yourself and notice what behavioral patterns come up for you— (and within your more intimate relationships—throughout your day, when the porous moon in Pisces links up with Uranus before clashing with the sun on Sunday. Emotional baggage can lead to awkward but necessary transitions in your closest relationships, or it can be a roadblock in communication.

The waning moon makes a number of planetary connections through your sign between Tuesday and Wednesday, encouraging you to refamiliarize yourself with your emotional body. Pay attention to the ebb and flow of feelings and how (or if) you physically express them, especially during the hard clash between the moon and Mars in sentimental Cancer on Tuesday. A release of volatile emotions will force you to deal with, and claim, intense feelings. Partners or close friends could call you out for being too serious or accuse you of being emotionally unavailable. People could learn a thing or two about the virtues of stoicism from you, but the moon’s trek through Capricorn is a time to be more mindful that you’re not forbidding yourself from experiencing and expressing the full spectrum of human feelings.

A friendlier connection between the moon, Venus, and Neptune on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively, offers remedial vibes through creative and communicative means. Make some art, write a letter, cook something comforting, or masturbate some of the tension away! The important part is that you engage in something that softens you enough to allow energy to flow more freely, especially since the moon’s meetup with Saturn and Pluto in Capricorn on Wednesday could make you feel like you’re wearing a bodysuit of physical and spiritual heavyweights. Be kind to yourself and let the deep sweeping, or even painful sentiments be your catalyst for transformation. Embracing your sensitivity will come easier once the empathetic Pisces moon links up with Mars on Sunday.

Your inner-voice is teeming with darkness and profound reflections during the moon’s journey through Capricorn. Finding ways to more consciously navigate your dreamworld, or enhance dream recall, could lead to some fascinating insights from the most hidden corners of your mind when the moon meets up with Saturn and Pluto (the planets of limitation and the underworld, respectively) on Tuesday.

The moon’s transition to Aquarius offers a bit of reprieve from the bitter medicine you’ve been metabolizing under the surface, especially when it harmoniously connects with the sun and Mercury in curiously-inclined Gemini on Thursday. Make some time to socialize and create, but also leave yourself room to simply space out in hermit mode in the comfort of your home, especially when the moon clashes with Uranus and Venus between late Thursday and early Friday morning. There’s a lot on your mind and rushing yourself to process that won’t be helpful to you. Uplifting vibes will find you again around Saturday when the moon connects with the buoyancy of Jupiter. Hit up your friends up for a low-key get together, but do yourself a favor and be mindful that the crowd you’re hanging with isn't the “misery loves company” type.

Your inner-voice is teeming with darkness and profound reflections during the moon’s journey through Capricorn. Finding ways to more consciously navigate your dreamworld, or enhance dream recall, could lead to some fascinating insights from the most hidden corners of your mind when the moon meets up with Saturn and Pluto (the planets of limitation and the underworld, respectively) on Tuesday.

The moon’s transition to Aquarius offers a bit of reprieve from the bitter medicine you’ve been metabolizing under the surface, especially when it harmoniously connects with the sun and Mercury in curiously-inclined Gemini on Thursday. Make some time to socialize and create, but also leave yourself room to simply space out in hermit mode in the comfort of your home, especially when the moon clashes with Uranus and Venus between late Thursday and early Friday morning. There’s a lot on your mind and rushing yourself to process that won’t be helpful to you. Uplifting vibes will find you again around Saturday when the moon connects with the buoyancy of Jupiter. Hit up your friends up for a low-key get together, but do yourself a favor and be mindful that the crowd you’re hanging with isn't the “misery loves company” type.

Download the Astro Guide app by VICE on an iOS device to read daily horoscopes personalized for your sun, moon, and rising signs, and learn how to apply cosmic events to self care, your friendships, and relationships.