May 2010 Wellness Horoscope

May 11, 2010: Mercury Goes Direct

Mercury ends its current retrograde period today, May 11, at 3:27 pm PDT. The retrograde period was a great time for harnessing insights gained from inner reflection rather than external focus. Did new ideas spring forth from inward contemplation? Did you discover novel ways to communicate ideas? Did you realize better ways to utilize technological equipment/systems to transfer information to others? (Provided, of course, that they didn’t completely break down during this time, which in this case means you’re still likely to have gleaned the characteristics of those that may better suit your needs.)  If you want a refresher on what Mercury retrograde is about, see this post.

Now that Mercury is direct, you can transform your insights into actions. Please remember, though, that we are still under the transit’s “shadow period”—which lasts until May 28—where the energy of the retrograde still exists, although in a much more diluted and subtle fashion.

May 13, 2010: Taurus New Moon (exact at 6:04 pm PDT)

The Taurus New Moon yields a great opportunity to look within and see what it is that brings you comfort and a greater sense of security. Taking the time today to examine what activities and earthly delights yield pleasure can help you discover a sense of rootedness that can serve you well in the coming year. As part of this exercise, think about your routines and habits: Do they actually serve your personal needs for health and happiness or is the pleasure they provide mostly linked to their familiarity?

As Taurus is a very sensual sign, it’s a good time to go to a concert, buy yourself some fragrant flowers, work for hours in the garden, or engage in other experiences that give you pleasure. Your kinesthetic senses may be especially heightened today and can serve as an additional tool to tune into how you feel about certain situations and people. For example, if you’re wondering whether you should pursue a certain project, let the idea of it sit within you and tune into how your body feels. Do you feel relaxed and comforted or jumpy and agitated? Your body may be able to help you filter truths that your mind is unable to clearly perceive.

With the New Moon square Mars, our desires may not seem to inherently align with what we perceive as nurturing and essential. If you find yourself in conflict, try to take a step back for a moment; within that space of distance and detachment, see if you find the path for channeling your will so that it can help you achieve what you need to feel safe and secure.

This month’s New Moon falls at 23 degrees of Taurus (Sun and Moon). While everyone experiences the energies of the New Moon, if you have planets or pivotal points (i.e., Ascendant/Descendant or Nadir/Midheaven) around this degree in Taurus or the other fixed signs—Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius—it may impact you more intensely.

New Moon Apothecary Suggestions

Taurus rules the neck, throat, inner ears, and thyroid gland. Pay extra attention to these parts of the body around the time of this New Moon.

Cow pose: Do a few rounds of the yoga asana Cow Pose to open up the energy in your neck and throat. Here are simple how-to instructions: Place your hands and knees on the floor in tabletop (knees under hips, and elbows and wrists below shoulders) with your neck in a neutral position and your eyes gazing towards the floor below. While inhaling, lift your chest and sitting bones towards the ceiling while dropping your belly to create a gentle arch in your back. Lift your head and look straight in front of you. Hold for several seconds. Exhale, moving your spine back to tabletop position for several seconds. Repeat sequence twelve times.

Honey and lemon tea: Enjoy a soothing cup of honey and lemon tea. Its warmth is nurturing while the honey and lemon serve as wonderful balms for the throat. If possible, use raw honey, which has more antioxidants, and juice from a fresh lemon rather than a bottle. For more throat support, add a tea bag of slippery elm or marshmallow root, two herbs known for their palliative qualities.

May 27, 2010: Gemini/Sagittarius Full Moon (exact at 4:07 pm PDT)

During the Gemini/Sagittarius Full Moon, we are often compelled with a need to know. We strive to collect facts and figures not only because of intellectual curiosity but also because they are the vital ingredients that can provide us with the deeper sense of understanding that we seek. Maintaining a balanced appreciation for the pieces and the whole is emphasized today. Remember not to lose the forest for the trees, yet don’t forsake the trees for the forest either; both are equally important.

The experience of travel—whether it be a weeks-long journey to a foreign land or a weekend road trip out of town—often coincides with this Full Moon. Even if exploration via a plane, train, or automobile isn’t in your plans, use this time for surveying new ideas or cultures; for example, read a book set in another country, flip through National Geographic magazine, or see a foreign-language film. All can magnetize to you enhanced understanding and a broader perspective on life.

Keep in mind that this Full Moon occurs on the same day that Uranus moves from Pisces to *Aries. As Uranus changes signs about every seven years, this portends a pivotal moment. Today (as well as previous and upcoming days) may be filled with intense energy, out-of-the-blue events, headstrong yet unexpected assertions of will, and bursts of creativity.

This month’s Full Moon falls at 7 degrees of Gemini (Sun) and Sagittarius (Moon). While everyone experiences the energies of a Full Moon, if you have planets or pivotal points (i.e., Ascendant/Descendant or Nadir/Midheaven) around this degree in Gemini, Sagittarius, or the other mutable signs—Virgo and Pisces—it may impact you more intensely.

Full Moon Apothecary Suggestions

Gemini is associated with the shoulders, arms, hands, lungs, and nervous system while Sagittarius governs the liver, hips, thighs, and buttocks. Pay extra attention to these parts of the body around the time of this Full Moon.

Collage project: Even for those who consider themselves not artistically inclined, a collage project can be a wonderfully therapeutic and relaxing activity to partake in on this Full Moon. Not only is making a collage a creative expression, but it can be a great vehicle for inventive problem solving. For this aim, just focus on a situation in your life that you are being challenged by and for which you seek a solution. Holding it in your mind’s eye, cut out words and images from old magazines and newspapers that reflect aspects of the situation as well as its potential resolution. Glue these to poster board adding fabric, shells, rocks, or other small bric-a-brac in an arrangement that makes sense to you. Remember that there is no right or wrong here; just use your imagination and allow for your creativity to flow in your quest for discovery.

Exercise: Schedule in some time to exercise. It need not be vigorous—in fact, gentle may be the name of the game today with a leisurely walk, restorative yoga class, gardening session, or tai chi practice some possibilities. The reason: the day may be rife with bursts of energy and push/pull dynamics that if left to settle in our bodies may cause tension and stress. Doing gentle exercise can help us to circulate the energies and impart relaxation. If exercise doesn’t seem to be “what the doctor ordered” then schedule in some time to meditate, do creative visualization, read, or write in a journal: whatever it is that helps you to feel centered and release excess tension.

* Uranus it will dip back into Pisces on August 14, 2010. It will stay there until March 11, 2011, at which time it will re-enter Aries where it will reside until 2018.