gal-dem horoscopes: Taurus season is bittersweet

Although Taurus energy is steadfast, grounded, and about staying resolute in your ideas, this Taurus season is infused with the excitable nature of upcoming eclipses, Gemini energy (in both Venus and Mercury), and the ultimate power shifter; Pluto Retrograde. There’s set to be blissful moments, like when Jupiter enters Pisces on 13 May, and tricky twists and turns towards the end of the month when eclipses and retrogrades hit us with a double-whammy!

It’s important to know that Taurus season is when we relate to the material world. When objects, sensory experiences, and wealth are all on our minds. However, we can’t have discussions about these elements of life without acknowledging where on the matrix of relative power we sit. Why? It’s not just for the sake of self actualisation; it’s also for the sake of recognising our place within our communities. Exploring this through Pluto’s retrograde path is crucial to consider this month.

Pluto is the planet that’s farthest away from us. It’s a generational planet that spends a lot of its time retrograding! It rules revolution, upheaval, and most importantly: power. Pluto retrograde began on 27 April and will be happening all through this May. It’s here to ask important questions like where we derive our power form, who we want to offer it to, and when do we feel safe not to wield it.

So when I ask you to “own your power” remember that it’s for more than just your own sake. This Taurus season I want you to equally weigh how your identity operates within systems of power/hierarchies on a wider scale, while also thinking about what positions of power you hold, be they social, material, or emotional.

There’s a lot coming up in May’s astrology. It sort of feels like a slow crescendo into the bloom of spring, which eventually transforms into a sexy summer bustle. It’s a time where we’re anticipating adventures, while also grounding ourselves in the moment. From eclipses to Mercury retrograde, this May has all of the cosmic curveballs we want to be prepared for!

That being said, here are my thoughts for each of the signs this month.

HOROSCOPES

Taurus & Taurus Rising

Happy solar return Taurus! Your season is here, and everyone wants a piece of you.

On 9 May, luxurious Venus moves into Gemini and activates a zone of your sky that encourages you to look at your possessions in a new way. This is a great time to restore and repurpose clothes and furniture to cater more to what your needs are now. Equally, Venus’ move into Gemini is helping you realise what about love and affection you value most. Is it companionship, or compliments? Physical touch or collaborative projects? The new moon on 11 May is yours, Taurus. This lunation is the fresh start in your emotional world that you need to rest and recalibrate. New moons are a time for intention setting and introspection. This one is particularly blessed with an emphasis on cultivating self love and forgiving yourself for actions of the past. Use this as a moment to reflect on where you’ve come from and where you want to journey next.

On 26 May there’s a full moon lunar eclipse in intellectual Sagittarius. Sag is a fire sign that sees beyond the shallow aspects of our lives. It’s an energy that comes loaded with questions, new theories, and boldness in your emotional world. This eclipse brings rapid changes to your zone of longstanding relationships and fiscally interwoven partnerships, so look out for a new chapter to begin in these areas. Eclipses aren’t always easy to navigate, but they always align our karmic paths. We then see 29 May mark the beginning of another infamous Mercury retrograde cycle. This particular one is moving through your zone of finances, work, and where you place value. That means that for the next three weeks you can expect unfinished business in these areas of your life to resurface. Instead of focusing on new ventures in these matters, double down on sorting out what’s already in front of you.

Gemini & Gemini Rising

Taurus season is here and your taste for small talk dwindles, Gemini. Ready to get to the heart of matters?

Your month begins with your ruling planet Mercury moving into your sign. Mercury rules communication, travel, wit, and movement. When in Gemini, it’s able to bring you a boost of confidence and ease in how you speak with others and in tactfully exploring difficult topics. Make sure you’re just not so excited that you end up talking over people in conversations.

However, the new moon in Taurus on 11 May has plans to stop you in your tracks. This lunation is exhausting and visceral. It occurs in a zone of your sky that’s mystic, shadowy, and misunderstood. Use this day to ground yourself in your spirituality and stay in tune with your senses. Set intentions around allowing yourself space for quiet and calm, as well as cultivating space for appreciating your past.

On 26 May there’s a full moon lunar eclipse in your opposite sign Sagittarius; a fellow lover of intellectual inquiry and digging below the surface of day to day interactions. This eclipse is happening in a zone of your sky that rules your partnerships and relationships. Expect big changes in these areas, whether they be a harsh ending or intense interconnected event that you go through with a partner. 29 May brings the beginning of another Mercury retrograde cycle where you can expect communication to get trickier, and life to slow down whether we like it or not. This retrograde is in your sign, bringing up existential questions about who you are at your core. Spend time appreciating your life’s journey during this time, and reminisce on all the versions of “you” that have brought you to where you are now.

Cancer & Cancer Rising

Dreaming is more fun when you do it with others. Right, Cancer?

The action of your month begins on 13 May when lucky Jupiter makes a move into your fellow water sign Pisces! Here, Jupiter is cozy and generous because of how comfortable it is in Piscean waters. This brings you fortune in matters of travel and building new systems of knowledge in your life. Embrace your desire to be a student and venture to far away places (eventually!). On 11 May, the new moon in Taurus brings stability into how you relate to the wider networks of your community. The ways you connect your friendship circles is a delicate balance, but the reality is that although the people you cherish in your life thrive through relating to you, not all of them are meant to connect with one another. Figuring out the boundaries you keep between groups is crucial around this time. Set intentions around how you’re going to get comfortable establishing them.

There’s a full moon eclipse on 26 May that arrives ready to rock your world, Cancer! This eclipse is in Sagittarius, which is an energy that likes to get at the heart of matters from a theoretical standpoint. Expect big changes to your daily routine, or even some news about your physical body. Eclipses are unexpected and a bit intense, so make sure you’re grounding yourself during this time. When 29 May comes around, communication planet Mercury begins another one of its infamous retrograde cycles! As it moves backwards in the sky through neighboring air sign Gemini, stories from your past will follow you through your day to day life. This retrograde highlights how the parts of your past that you try to hide can’t stay in the shadows forever. Remember that wading through nostalgia doesn’t mean recreating those scenarios (essentially: don’t text your ex).

Leo & Leo Rising

There’s a difference between being seen and being understood, Leo. Do you know how to navigate that intersection yet?

On 9 May, Venus, planet of luxury and value, moves into Gemini where it travels through a community-minded zone of your sky! This transit asks you questions about the groups of people you surround yourself with and how they reflect your own morals and ethics back to you. Keep an open mind during this time Venus spends in this inquisitive air sign. Don’t be afraid to ask people why they do and think what they do. The new moon in Taurus on 11 May brings a much overdue new beginning in matters of your public life and career. While you’re no stranger to being in the public eye, there’s an important shift happening in why/how you take up that space. Ask yourself what your intentions are behind being visible. Interrogate the attention you seek and get.

Eclipses are here! The full moon lunar eclipse in Sagittarius brings a burst of fiery energy to your sky on 26 May. This eclipse brings abrupt and confrontational moments to areas of your life concerning creativity and artistic expression. This may manifest as an “ah-ha!” moment in your current projects, or an unexpected turn of events with someone you’re flirting with. Keep your wits about you. Mercury retrograde arrives once again on 29 May and brings an important revision period to matters of your community and friendship circles. During this time, ongoing difficulties in groups you are part of (especially ones with political underpinnings) are likely to resurface. Face these challenges head on. Put in the extra effort to talk things out, and hold space for people past fuck-ups. Unfinished business is for James Bond films, not your life.

Virgo & Virgo Rising

Wanting to have all the answers might keep you moving forward, but is an impossible goal to achieve. You know this, right Virgo?

Your month begins with communication planet Mercury making a move into air sign Gemini; a place where this quick moving planet truly enjoys being! Here, Mercury is able to bring you clarity and power to matters of your career and public facing life. It’s a great time for you to get on socials and do some front-camera content, or revamp your Twitter page. Be wary of your tendency to air on the preachy side, though. Then the new moon in Taurus on 11 May encourages you to question your ethos. Your moral fibre endures because it shifts with your mutable nature. You may be a steadfast earth sign, but you can recognise when a system is no longer working. This is an important moment for you to regroup what your ethos is, and where you’d like it to take you, mentally and physically. Plant seeds for future adventures and escapes too.

26 May marks a major reset in your home life and family, Virgo. There’s a full moon and lunar eclipse in fire sign Sagittarius occurring on this day that reformats hierarchies and structures you had always felt you could consistently conform to. As you notice these rapidly go out the window, it’s important to ask yourself where you reside in the matrix of ancestry and relationships to family members. Additionally, expect changes within your physical home space to be in store, too. Mercury begins another retrograde cycle on 29 May in a zone of your sky that asks you to reevaluate your career moves and the recent way your public persona has made an impact on others. Mercury will be retrograding through Gemini, a sign of interpersonal connection and invention. Slow down the pace of your decision making during this time and focus on getting to the heart of work matters while also remembering that the opinions in front of you are less limited than you think.

Libra & Libra Rising

What is the difference between love and lust to you, Libra?

Venus makes a move into air sign Gemini on 9 May and activates a part of your sky that sets your sights into the distance. It also pushes you to question the framework/inner workings of everything around you. This may feel like a deep restlessness encouraging you to roam far from home and seek answers to esoteric questions. Investigate anything and everything during this time. If you don’t crack the code, who will? On 11 May, the new moon in Taurus presses the reset button on a zone of your sky that rules your deepest bonds and entanglements (fiscal or otherwise). This lunation asks for space to be pragmatic and grounded in how those relationships evolve, making it a good time for some serious chats. Reveal the underbelly of your thoughts around this time. Do so in confidence that the person on the receiving end will understand how important this conversation is to you.

The full moon in Sagittarius this month arrives on 26 May and is also a lunar eclipse! Eclipses bring rapid change and upheaval to our lives, especially when in wildcard Sagittarius. The type of unraveling you can expect centers your local community and peer relationships/friendships. Look out for abrupt endings and quick changes to occur. Mercury retrograde, a time where this planet of communication and travel slows down and appears to move backwards in the sky, returns once again on 29 May. This retrograde is particularly potent for you in regards to what you hold as your moral and ethical code(s). Prepare for moments where this will be questioned, probed, and tested through unfinished business popping back into your life. Equally, this is an important planning period for you to explore where you want to go physically in the future. Holiday, anyone?

Scorpio & Scorpio Rising

Relationships are not a game of sport that you can win, Scorpio. They’re about looking in the same direction together.

The new moon in Taurus on 11 May swirls stability and nurturing encouragement into a zone of your sky that prioritises partnerships and how you relate to others. This is a beautiful chance at a new beginning with a current romance, or an opportunity to visualise and set intention around what kind of relationship you want to manifest in the future. Write down what you always want to maintain in your relationships, regardless whether if sex is involved. Lucky Jupiter slips into the waters of Pisces on 13 May and brings a heavy dose of love, lust, and flirtation into your sky. Jupiter finds it easy to be in Pisces and harnesses the blessings of generosity and empathy here. This ends up translating to matters of your creative drive and how you charm everyone around you. Yee-haw!

On 26 May, the full moon lunar eclipse in Sagittarius brings a burst of fiery, unexpected energy into your zone of finances and material wealth. Keep an eye out for big work opportunities that fall into your lap! At the same time, know that if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Remember that eclipses are about rapid changes that might feel uncomfortable in the moment, but benefit us in the long term. 29 May brings another Mercury retrograde cycle, where this communication planet slows down and appears to move backward in the sky. During this time, you’re called to review how some of your deepest partnerships are operating, Scorpio. Conflict with your bae or business partner isn’t going to stay quiet during this time. Miscommunications will point to wider issues happening between you. Luckily, there’s space for you to talk it out and spend some time doing deep exploration of your collective experiences together.

Sagittarius & Sagittarius Rising

You’re not a boring person, so having a routine will never make you boring. It might just ground you a bit more, Sagittarius.

The new moon in Taurus on 11 May is a majorly grounding moment for you to relish, Sag. This lunation refreshes the zone of your sky that rules routine and scheduling. It really helps you start anew with an approach to daily life that best suits you rather than fitting into the usual hum of day to day 9-5 life. Get yourself a new life planner, ACTUALLY go to bed when you say you’re going to, and tidy up your space. Pressing snooze on your alarm is the enemy, despite sleepy Taurus energy being the guiding light in this reset. Your ruling planet Jupiter makes a move into watery Pisces on 13 May, where this planet of fortune and expansion finds it easy to bring you dreamy blessings. This occurs in a zone of your sky relating to family and the home, providing you with a gentle harmony wherever (and with whoever) you feel most rested within.

26 May brings a lunar eclipse in your sign that awakens part of you that’s felt lost for a while now. This eclipse has to do with personal matters of your body, the mentality you bring into daily life, and how you communicate with yourself. As your emotional world is rocked, ask yourself: what do I love about who I am? Celebrate yourself as much as you do the toppling of oppressive systems that rule our world socially and politically. Mercury retrograde begins on 29 May in a zone of your sky that rules interpersonal interactions and relationships. This retrograde period is a time for you to slow things down and evaluate how your partnerships (both platonic and romantic) are flowing, and troubleshoot some bumpy terrain you may be in. Spend time talking things through. Hold space for miscommunications and always ask for clarification before assuming the worst of someone.

Capricorn & Capricorn Rising

You deserve joy that you cultivate for yourself, Capricorn. You can’t keep waiting for it to happen to you from outside sources.

On 11 May the new moon in Taurus asks you how you’ve been cultivating your relationship to your playful side. The side of you that jumps on the cracks in the sidewalk and makes silly faces at children on the bus. That accidentally takes too long at lunch because you lost yourself wandering on a walk. If this energy has been absent for you, it’s time to set some intentions around how you’ll bring it back. This is entwined with your creative drive, too. You’ll notice that when you focus on one, the other will inevitably benefit. Saturn, your ruling planet, begins to retrograde on 23 May through your zone of material wealth and finances. This doesn’t mean that you can’t keep bringing home the bucks, it just asks you to ask the deeper questions around how and why you’re doing it. Embrace asking yourself what the bigger picture is when you make money and cultivate all types of capital.

A blast from your past arrives on 26 May with the full moon lunar eclipse in neighboring sign Sagittarius. Eclipses bring sudden change and tumultuous energy into our sky that shows us what the fuss was all about later down the line. For you, this excitement concerns matters of your past and hidden world; the parts of you you keep in the shadows on purpose. Brace yourself for secrets to be revealed and vulnerability to be the only option. A few days later, your routine and the way you manage your time is ready for an overhaul, Capricorn. Mercury retrograde returns on 29 May to get this in gear and help you slow down in order to evaluate what’s working and what isn’t. This is a great time to run through life admin with a fine tooth comb. Put all of your projects in front of you and reorganise them like your life depends on it! Retrogrades are for reflection and introspection. This Mercury retrograde is one you’ll particularly feel in your body as well, so spend some time reformatting any movement/exercise patterns you incorporate into your life, too.

Aquarius & Aquarius Rising

Being free and having a home to ground yourself in aren’t mutually exclusive. What helps you not feel tied down, Aquarius?

Your new moon in Taurus on 11 May is meant to be sleepy and comfy, Aquarius. No galavanting, no flippant adventures – this is a time where you’re meant to carve out space for resting and resetting your emotional world! This new moon is happening in a zone of your sky where matters of the home environment and family – both blood and chosen – are meant to be addressed. Make a game plan for changes that you want to see happen in your space, especially your bedroom. If it’s time for some new sheets, don’t put off purchasing them. You deserve soft pillows and cozy charm in your home.Your traditional ruling planet Saturn starts another retrograde cycle on 23 May, and brings some sluggish energy to your sky work-wise. This isn’t a bad thing, though! Instead of jetting around from idea to idea, this is a chance for you to refocus on specific projects and be mindful of your sometimes flippant mentality with work.

The lunar eclipse in Sagittarius on 26 May asks you to embrace how truly visionary you are. Eclipses are a moment where rapid change and chaotic energy finds us to shift our lives for the better. That doesn’t always mean it feels good, though! Hold on tight to what your future goals are around this time. Make decisions based on knowing your dreams will come to fruition.Another Mercury retrograde cycle begins on 29 May in a zone of your sky that rules playfulness, creativity, and joy. What this means for you, Aquarius, is that you’re being asked to revisit old forms of entertainment, creative projects, and artistic adventures from your past. As you flip through old sketchbooks and reconnect with different phases of your journey as a creator, take note of what parts maintain, what you miss and want to revive in your current life, and what should stay put in the past.

Pisces & Pisces Rising

Craving new energy from burgeoning friendships is valid, Pisces. How do you plan to balance this with your day ones?

Ready for new friendships to bloom? The new moon in Taurus on 11 May asks you to take a fresh approach to how you’re welcoming people into your life. Instead of focusing on the quantity of people you’re meeting, take extra time to work on cultivating the newer bonds you already have. The Taurus energy of this moon encourages you to take your time getting to know someone. Spend an extra few minutes talking to your local shopkeeper. Private message that coworker you can see forming a potential bond with outside of work! Set intentions around how you’re going to deepen what already exists. A cosmic treat comes your way on 13 May when your traditional ruler Jupiter moves into your sign! This brings you confident, self assured energy that puts an optimistic glow around how you go after your dreams. This is your moment to own it baby – especially before eclipse season brings you curve balls later in the month.

26 May brings the full moon lunar eclipse in fiery Sagittarius; a lunation that is full of unexpected twists, turns, and drama. It’s happening in a zone of your sky that puts you in the public eye, and impacts your work and career in a serious way. Look out for big opportunities or intense shifts that could alter your life for the better. Mercury retrograde begins on 29 May in air sign Gemini, influencing an area of your sky that rules the home, family, and ancestors. For you, Pisces, this is an important time to tend to your private world. Retrogrades are for slowing down and addressing unfinished business, so take those ideas into every part of your home environment and interactions with family members. As you notice conflicts from the past between you and a member of your (chosen or blood) family arise, set aside time to talk it through. What Mercury retrograde shows you is meant to be tackled.

Aries & Aries Rising

Money may be on your mind, Aries, but it’s not the only thing you’re concerned with.

Your month kicks off with communication planet Mercury making a move into one of it’s favourite signs – Gemini! Here, this fast moving planet brings you a dose of curiosity and intellectual stimulation; encouraging you to ask more questions than you can help. As you notice your chatty nature escalate, be conscious of how much time you have to devote to new projects and ideas before agreeing to them. This is big “yes and” energy, which is great! Just keep one foot in the reality of your capacity. On 11 May, the new moon in Taurus brings you a chance to reset your financial world, Aries. The earth sign energy of this moon wants you to ground yourself in your material resources, and the plans you have to bring new ones in. Spend time thinking about what your next move is in work and career matters! Take stock of belongings that you care about and why. This will point to the type of abundance you’re keen to cultivate right now.

The full moon lunar eclipse in Sagittarius on 26 May is nothing short of dramatic, intense, and realigning. Lunar eclipses center changes to your emotional world, and in the sign of philosophical Sagittarius, you’re called to question matters of your ethics and moral code. Take any fast-paced events that occur during this time with a grain of salt. If life seems like it’s being harsher to you than usual, it’s probably because it is. 29 May marks the beginning of another Mercury retrograde cycle! This retrograde is a time for review and revision in your friendships and new ideas you’ve learned this past month. You’ve spent a lot of time bringing “newness” into your life during Taurus season. It’s now time to sit with what you’ve collected and appreciate/grow the bonds you have albeit relationships, academic material, or creative projects that are underway.

Learn more about gal-dem’s monthly horoscopes