Alacazem 2009.05.01

02 May Alacazem 2009.05.01

April 30 to May 7, 2009

Visible Planets: Morning: Venus, Mars and Jupiter   Evening: Saturn

March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb, and April showers bring May flowers. In our yard, the lilacs are starting to bud and the golden currant bush near the front gate is a mass of fragrant yellow. Bright red tulips have popped up and bluebirds are building nests in the wooden boxes we built for them several years back. The mesa has turned a vibrant green and the skies are deep electric blue. The shining San Juans shimmer white in the distance while irrigation water gurgles in the ditches.

It’s May, the lusty month of May – May Day and maypoles, Cinco de Mayo and Mother’s Day – a month of flowers and frolic, fun and fiestas. It’s time to get outside and touch the earth, honor fertility and appreciate the beauty and bounty of nature. The ancient cross-quarter holiday of Beltane – which marks the beginning of summer in the pagan year – takes place this week, and throughout many northern European nations, dances will be danced and festivals held to celebrate the coming of the northern hemisphere’s most sensational season.

Here in the Americas, Beltane and the emerging power of summer is celebrated instinctively and almost subconsciously by primal urges and awakened senses. We want to touch the earth and gravitate toward shovels, garden centers, potted plants and seed packets. We feel pulled toward the natural and the sensual, delight in taste and touch and take great pleasure in the simple and basic. We are easily attuned to the physical world, by why more so now than at other times? What’s going on metaphysically?

Our Earth has reached the halfway point between Spring Equinox and Summer Solstice – one of the four 45º cross-quarter points in its orbit around the Sun that take place between the solstices and equinoxes, all of which occur in fixed signs – and electromagnetic forces are at a maximum. Dane Rudhyar, in his groundbreaking book The Astrology of the Personality, explains that these points – 15º Taurus, 15º Leo, 15º Scorpio and 15º Aquarius – correspond to what is called the Four Gates of Avataric Descent, where there is in fact an “Avatar” or release of cosmic energy that depicts a particular type of dynamic release, a particular “Ray of Power” or “power-releasing initiation.”  These Four Gates are symbolized by the four archetypal creatures: the Bull, the Lion, the Eagle and the Angel. “The Bull (Taurus) and the Lion (Leo) represent individuating power, power rooted in the planet, the power of concrete selfhood. The Eagle (Scorpio) and the Angel (Aquarius) symbolize collectivating power; power that expands the individual into the collective and universal. The Bull is power toward the formation of the individual being, while the Lion is power emanating from the individual being. The Eagle is the power toward the formation of the universal being, while the Angel is power emanating from the universal being.

And so there we have it. The Taurus cross-quarter week is one of power rooted in the planet, a week of energetic cosmic release and exchange that magnetizes the formation of individual being and selfhood as connected to the physical plane. It is where we individually relate to the finite, material world, the Earth world, the world of beauty and grace, mystery and majesty. It is here that we ask the Mother Earth to feed and sustain us, nurture and take care of our physical bodies and needs. May you walk in beauty and dig with grace, and good luck with planting, nurturing, weeding and maintaining your gardens – both physical and metaphysical. Happy May!

Aries (Mar. 21-Apr.19)
Mars and Venus dance and duel in your sign this week, adding excitement to romance and fueling passion with desire. Be aware of self-indulgent or ego-based behaviors, as these antics will eventually result in more pain than pleasure. Pluto in Capricorn continues to demand practical realism and self-disciplined action. Get serious about personal progress.

Taurus (Apr. 20-May 20)
Your birthday month continues with flickering candles, delicious cakes and sweet ice cream. Congratulations on another cycle around the Sun! Count your blessings and focus on life’s simple and basic pleasures. We often overlook the beauty and bounty of our current situation by wishing for something we don’t have. Live in the present and be in the moment.

Gemini (May 21-June 21)
The Taurus zodiac month encourages self-nurturing, self-maintenance and self-reliance. And there’s no time like the present to do some inner work. Surrender to the wind and rain; explore the earth and commune with Mother Nature. Look for divas and discover forest fairies. There are spirits and angels all around you now. Seek and you shall find.

Cancer (June 22-July 22)
Venus/Mars action and attraction in your solar 10th house of social standing and professional goals may have you moving one way one day and facing another direction the next. Open the door to men and women, explore all options and follow your instincts. Surround yourself with people of good intention and impeccable spirit. Be willing to wait.

Leo (July 23-Aug.22)
Relationship issues and partnership ventures continue to evolve and transform. Remain hopeful and enthusiastic in spite of economic challenges and possible setbacks. Recognize potential, but bank on reality. Patience and perseverance are valuable assets and allies. Remain calm in the face of chaos and sort it out one thing and one step at a time.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep.22)
As Saturn prepares to station and resume forward motion in your sign, take a good, long look at where you’ve journeyed over the last year. You will soon be retracing steps, traveling over familiar territory, and this time, you’re ready and willing to do it right. Experience has been evolutionary and educational. Sacrifice immediate pleasure for long-term progress.

Libra (Sep. 23-Oct.22)
An expansive, enthusiastic, visionary dream of yours is evolving and transforming. Day-by-day, by staying on task and making the appropriate sacrifices, you are being given the ways and means for its manifestation. Stay connected cosmically and in touch physically. Pay attention to your body and intuit its messages. Eat good food, walk and get plenty of rest.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22)
Your modern and ancient planetary rulers, Pluto and Mars, square dance with Venus this week, creating tension in romance but simultaneously   offering peace. Smooth ragged edges in relationships via calm communication and diplomatic negotiation. Focus on solutions rather than problems and be willing to let go of unrealistic expectations in love.

Sagittarius (Nov. 23-Dec. 20)
The Taurus zodiac month is all about self-improvement, personal health and spiritual responsibility. It’s time to consider what you’re eating, thinking and doing on a daily basis. Are the foods you put in your mouth nutritious, your thoughts positive and your words impeccable? Accept responsibility for internal dialogs and external conditions.

Capricorn (Dec. 21-Jan. 19)
Personal agendas and relationships must be tempered with patience and caution as egos flare and desires ignite. Recognize the power of choice and make good ones. Venus encourages programs of peace and harmony rather than rage and anger. Take a deep breath and be willing to wait for the right time and place. Cultivate faith and maintain equilibrium.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)
Clouds gather and stars twinkle as Jupiter, Chiron and Neptune move ever closer to their upcoming conjunction in late May. You have no doubt felt the rumbling echoes of thunder in the distance as you intuit something unusual approaching. Keep your feet on the ground and your eyes on the horizon as you take it one day at a time and do the next right thing.

Pisces (Feb. 19-Mar. 20)
The Venus/Moon occultation last week in the last degree of your sign shimmered grace and beauty upon the Pisces soul and self. Take this cosmic event as a personal sign and omen from the universe. Invisible spirits and guardian angels surround you now. Look for evidence in new life and fresh growth and make contact in whatever way you can.

Cynthia is a third generation astrologer living in the high mountain desert of the American Southwest. She can be contacted via her website at www.alacazem.com