Libra, May 2016

Five planets are retrograde at the start of May, but five planets are not! I though you might find that to be good news, Libra, since you're all about balance.

Pluto is retrograde in the sign of time and tradition, Capricorn, pushing you to get real about the power dynamics in your family. Saturn is retrograde in Sagittarius, activating the sector of your chart that rules the mind and inspiring you build better boundaries around communication. Jupiter is retrograde in hermit Earth sign Virgo (but it will soon go direct on May 9!), inspiring you find some solitude and to reconnect with your intuition.

The two retrogrades you'll really work with this month are Mercury retrograde in Taurus and Mars retrograde in Sagittarius (and Scorpio later this month). Mercury retrograde in Taurus will bring up a lot of issues for you to work with about cash, your debts and taxes, and what sharing means to you. Mercury retrograde is famous for being a time during which miscommunications and delays go down—but this time around, since Taurus rules material objects, I especially want you to be careful of losing valuable belongings or paperwork concerning your finances, inheritances, or other fancy adult stuff.

Mars is the planet of war, and it's even meaner, wilder, and more impatient when it's retrograde. It's currently in Sagittarius, lighting up the communication sector of your chart, so watch out: You might be speaking in a harsher tone or being faced with people who talk in a super aggressive way.

But back to money: The new moon in materialistic Earth sign Taurus comes on May 6, and Libra, it's time for you to get serious about your finances, as well as to develop better boundaries around how much help (emotional, financial, whatever) you offer people.

This is a great time to do any money magick, but please never spend money on a money spell. Buying a $25 candle to increase wealth in your life is like eating more sugar to lose weight. It's counterintuitive, and magick relies on your subconscious mind feeling at ease and comfortable. If you're stressed about money, doing magick that will trigger that stress probably won't work.

Taurus is a sensual energy, and new moons bring new beginnings, so getting closer to someone is likely to happen at this time. Even if the new moon doesn't bring the intimacy you're looking for, no worries—there are other days this month that can bring it!

May 10 is one of my favorite days of this month for you, Libra. Your ruling planet, Venus, will trine (a super easy, positive astrological aspect) Jupiter, the planet of generosity, good luck, and abundance! Expect a big boost in your psychic abilities today. The chemistry between you and your lovers today will be profound. Not in the mood for love? No worries—this transit will bring you intellectual breakthroughs, invitations for adventure, and opportunities to connect with your higher self.

On May 13, Mercury retrograde meets Venus, both of them in Taurus, which will inspire you to socialize, particularly with people who you can have deep conversations about sex, death, and power with.

Also on this day, Venus will trine power planet Pluto, which is currently in grounded Earth sign Capricorn. This will bring sensual vibes your way. Pluto is often tied to themes around obsession and jealousy, but when it's in a positive aspect with Venus, all this harsh stuff softens, and it's a good time to explore real trust.

The Sun enters Gemini on May 20, illuminating the sector of your chart that rules exploration, learning, and adventure—you're so ready to do new things and meet new people! But the full moon in Sagittarius on May 21 wants you to keep it local: There are conversations that still need to be had at home before you can run away.

May 22 and 24 are complicated, bringing you some relief but also some stress. The good news? Mercury turns direct on May 22, bringing an end to the chaos and confusion of the retrograde. Plus, lovely Venus, your ruling planet, enters fellow Air sign Gemini, bringing a lighter, easier mood around love, money, beauty, and harmony—at least until it (along with the Sun) opposes a pissed-off Mars.

Oppositions are confrontational energies, and really, they are what you make of them. Sometimes a confrontation leads to clarity and balance, other times it can lead to polarization and projection. And sometimes it's really, really hard to make the best of an opposition when an irritable, impulsive Mars is thrown into the mix.

The Sun opposes Mars on May 22, and Venus opposes Mars on May 24. Fights, gossip, overanalyzing, or bitchy, condescending vibes are the worst-case scenario. To manage this turbulent time well, schedule important conversations for later in month, especially after May 27, which is when Mars will shift its energy and enter Scorpio. If someone writes you a terrible email or text, keep your distance from it until later this month.

Be gentle with yourself and think twice before entering situations where things could get really heated. Realize that much of what they are saying about you is really just a reflection of their own fears and pain about themselves.

You could receive some stressful news around this time—not just about your personal relationships, but also concerning travel, school, publishing, or even your siblings or neighborhood. If you're going to get into a bar fight this spring, this will probably be the time.

There's always room for optimism in a horoscope: If both you and whoever you're interacting with can acknowledge his or her own issues with anger and impulsivity, and if you both genuinely want to understand each other better, this can be a very powerful time to communicate and learn more about each other and the relationship.

Jupiter in Virgo squares (one of the most challenging astrological aspects) Saturn in Sagittarius on May 26, which will bring up themes relating to maturity and accountability. Think back to August 3, 2015 and March 23 of this year—those are the last times Jupiter and Saturn connected this way, and reflecting on what you learned from the events which took place at that time will teach you a lot with how to approach whatever you've got going on now.

On May 27, Mars moves from Sagittarius back into Scorpio on its retrograde journey, shifting the heat from the communication sector of your chart over into the part of your chart that rules finances and ideas around worth and value.

Mars is still going to be majorly cranky, but managing this vibe in your bank account rather than in your day-to-day communications will be way easier for you, Libra. Think back to late February and early March—what was going on with you around then? Mars's reentry into Scorpio will bring up those themes for you to work with again.

The month ends in the sign of duplicity, Gemini. There are two sides to every person and story; while that might freak some people out, since it sounds complicated and dishonest, as a Libra you know that balance means having a little bit of lightness with darkness. May will bring out so much happiness in you, with your ruling planet Venus making so many positive connections; however, your mean streak will also likely make an appearance in order to keep that Mars retrograde in check. See you in June, Libra!