Planetary news this week: Choices & decisions under the fixed cross

Astrological update for the week of May 22, 2023

artist may be Melissa Harris

Mars in Leo and the dance with Jupiter and Pluto. Mars moved into Leo last week, heightening our drive to seek pleasure and joyful experiences that bring happiness and delight. However, Mars is not always the best ally as it can be impulsive and reckless and sometimes prone to anger and rage, especially when facing challenging square aspects from both Pluto and Jupiter as it did last week.

I wrote about this in last week’s forecast as this alignment began to take shape: “There is some danger that the Leo openness can expand the aggressive force of Mars, and because Leo is a fixed sign there can be a tendency to become stuck in ones desires and find it difficult to seek alternative pathways. This is especially true at this time because as we saw above, Mars will be activating Jupiter for greater self-righteousness, and challenging Pluto for problems ranging from minor conflicts to outright violence. The presence of the Nodes show that there is a fated story here, but also that guidance is available if we only listen.”

The challenging aspect to Pluto is waning now though, and the square to Jupiter and the lunar nodes will likely wrap up a question that arose last week. Any Mars aspect can bring success if we approach all matters with consideration and thought rather than an impulsive race to be done with something.

Here’s what else you need to know this week (Dates and times are for the Eastern time zone, here is a time zone converter to adjust for your locality.)

Monday May 22. Monday is packed with good vibes, and although that Mars/Jupiter alignment will be building and there may be some frustration if things don’t go our way, we will have enough planetary support to move smoothly through most situations. The Sun and Mars come together in harmonious and creative energies to inspire and motivate positive action, and this will linger into Tuesday.

The Moon is in Cancer on Monday and that can sometimes bring some highly charged emotions, but it is well aspected to Jupiter for confidence, to Saturn for focus, and to Mercury for clear integration of the heart and mind. (Moon sextile Jupiter 1:53 am, Sun sextile Mars 1:56 am, Moon trine Saturn 12:23 pm, Moon sextile Mercury 3:07 pm.)

Tuesday May 23. The dance between Mars and Jupiter culminates just after midnight and if like me this aspect is hitting something in your own chart you may have trouble sleeping! Buried longings may emerge during this time to provide clues to our yearning to add meaning to our lives.

The emotional Cancer Moon triggers Venus in the morning, opening the heart for a brief time but this is followed by a Chiron activation around 11:30 am EDT and that open heart may encounter an old wound which threatens to close it back up. Just breathe through any discomfort and it will soon be released. (Mars square Jupiter 1:12 am, Moon conjunct Venus 8:45 am, square Chiron 11:35 am, sextile Uranus 2:07 pm.)

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Wednesday May 24. The Moon is extremely busy on Wednesday, especially after it transitions from Cancer to Leo. The Leo Moon craves celebration, but it will reactivate the challenging Grand Cross (see illustration). Crosses, especially with planets (and Moon) in fixed signs such as we have here, create a tension which builds until there is a crisis of some kind. This may be a minor crisis, such as a decision which needs to be made, but it could also be like a long-simmering volcano which suddenly emerges and requires our attention.

Our personal relationships could be challenged Wednesday, especially later in the day as a Venus/Chiron aspect begins to peak. Once we get through any difficulties posed Wednesday, the astrological weather for the rest of the week is pretty mild. (Moon sextile Ceres 12:11 am, trine Neptune 5:11 am, Moon enters Leo 10:34 am, opposite Pluto 11:04 am, square Jupiter 2:12 pm, conjunct Mars 3:20 pm, sextile Sun 5:31 pm, Venus square Chiron 7:39 pm.)

Thursday May 25. Once the dust settles from Wednesday’s events, go out and enjoy the Leo Moon! Find something fun to do that will bring happiness. (Moon square Mercury 6:11 am, trine Chiron 11:59 pm.)

Friday May 26. Friday is a good day to spend with friends or loved ones. The planet of love and relationships is in the sign of family and feelings (Venus in Cancer), and on Friday there is potential to breathe new life and some excitement into our connections with others.

The Moon leaves Leo for Virgo that evening which will bring in a little more seriousness, so grab the gusto while you can on Friday. (Moon square Uranus 2:38 am, Venus sextile Uranus 3:36 am, Moon enters Virgo 11:05 pm.)

Saturday May 27. Under the Virgo Moon we tend to be more serious and plans and strategies become more important. This is especially true over the weekend as Saturn also gets involved and begins to demand that we pay attention to inconvenient facts which we may have been avoiding. This would be a good day for things like balancing the checkbook or checking your budget to be sure you’re on track. (Moon trine Jupiter 3:53 am, square Sun 11:22 am, opposite Saturn 12:52 pm, trine Saturn 11:07 pm.)

Sunday May 28. The pressure of Saturn can feel like a lead blanket which keeps us from feelings of happiness and freedom, but it can be very useful if there are things which need to be done and attended to. That Saturnian pressure will begin to fade later on Sunday, and the Virgo Moon enjoys harmonious interactions to bring more sparkle into the tasks of the day. (Sun square Saturn 6:46 am, Moon trine Uranus 3:12 pm, trine Venus 8:19 pm.)

It’s bound to be an interesting week, wear your seatbelt in case of turbulence but otherwise enjoy! 💖

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