The merry month of May finds Topanga in a rush of wildflowers and botanical abandon everywhere. Seems it has not been so green in years. Green is a topic for Taurus, the sign whose birthday is celebrated this month, the most earthy of earth signs.

The sign of the bull belongs to the earth element, and is of a fixed nature. The four elements fire, earth, air and water each relate to the three modalities of cardinal, fixed and mutable. Cardinal signs are considered decisive, and active, go-getters, in approaching any given set of circumstances. Mutable signs are inclined to go with the flow and able to adapt to any given circumstance. Fixed signs achieve things rather by persistence and determination. They rely on effort and can be rather opinionated, read stubbornness.

Taurus as the sign of fixed earth has a reputation for this. But Taurus is also the most sensuous, charming, and peace loving sign, as the planet Venus rules it. Taurus people are value oriented. Their values are down to earth, and involve physical comfort. They have expensive tastes and desires, and need a certain amount of financial and emotional stability to thrive. Money and it’s management are important issues, and not always easy ones.

Because Venus rules Taurus, people born under its influence are creative and artistic. Many great musicians and singers are born under the sign. All kinds of art and beauty are appreciated, and frequently collected. Taurus is also the sign of the builder, gardener and engineer. There is a special love of nature and connection to the botanical realm. The sign can be quite emotional, as the Moon is exalted here. The two horns of the bull are symbols of the waxing and waning moon.

Happy Birthday to the famous Topanga Taurus folks:
Katie Dalsemer, Tonia Young, Douglas Roy, Gerrick Faust, Randy Johnson, Zofie Glick, Gail McTune, Nicki Ostrak, Kristina Rocco Levy, Julie Shore, Scott Grusin, Virginia Conesa, Tim O’Gara, Tinker Williams, Karen Horn, Linda Hinrichs, Ember Knight and all those not mentioned here.

All the best to one and all. May it be your best year, ever.

Here’s a preview to what’s in store for this month:


Calendar:

May 1
Venus trine Pluto, trine Saturn
Grand trine in the earth element makes it a magic day for setting intentions or embarking on major new projects.

May 2
Mercury enters Gemini, Saturn SD
When the swift footed messenger of the gods is in it’s own sign, things shift towards more diversity. You get to try out all the options, and tell everyone about it. Saturn moving out of retrograde and into forward gear adds a bit more push, to the shove of yesterdays alignment.

May 3
Mercury square Saturn
Feeling impatient and tension in personal interactions. Avoid arguments or blockheadedness. Take a break and relax if possible, the last word is not spoken yet.

May 5
New Moon 15* Taurus
No Fire and 6 planets in earth. An opportunity for grounding, springtime celebration and for laying down foundations. The Moon is exalted in the sign, and 15* is the most powerful spot for the fixed signs, it has a direct link to angelic influences.

May 9
Jupiter SR, Mars enters Leo
Today everything appears in large size proportions, and Mars in Leo adds more yang to the mix. Look out for pride, courage, high ideals and bold forms of self expression.

May 11
Sun sextile Uranus
This encourages lively exchanges and creative ideas. Sudden urges to be outdoors, barefoot or in the water. Good for meetings and fun exchanges between friends.

May 12
Sun trine Jupiter
Generosity and kindness pay off today. It adds a nice spark of optimism and reminder about the fact that life is good.

May 14
Sun square Neptune
Absentmindedness can lead to lapses in judgment. Pay attention on the road. If you have a blind spot it will attract things you didn’t see coming.

May 18
Venus sextile Uranus, trine Jupiter
A great weekend for social activities and get together of all kinds. People are generous, open minded and cooperative. Something good should come from it.

May 19
Full Moon 29* Scorpio
The second one in the steamy sign of Scorpio, is it intense enough yet? Here it’s about bringing things to a close, or taking them to another level. Moon and Mercury are in out of bounds declination, likely to behave in radical and unpredictable ways. High drama, low reason.

May 20
Sun enters Gemini
For the next 4 weeks things are lightening up as the collective mood shifts into a playful and more adaptable mode. During Taurus time everything is just so, during Gemini there are always multiple options.
More on this many faceted Trickster in the next issue.

May 21
Jupiter sextile Uranus
A fine day for meetings and conferences of all kinds. Good for financial , negotiations and fundraising for novel projects.

May 22
Sun square Saturn
Inclines to serious talks with others, and no-nonsense, practical solutions. Wear your business suit. High on reason, low on drama.

May 24
Venus enters Gemini
When Venus, Mercury and the Sun are all in one signs, it’s energy is amplified and quite apparent. Expect a variety of opportunities and a restless vibe. Long on words and short on patience.

May 26
Mercury SR, Neptune SR, Venus square Saturn
Mercury’s station on Memorial Day increases your chances or running into folks you have not met in years. While this is great for happy reunions, the Venus/Saturn aspect puts on a sobering reality check.


No exact aspects for the rest of the month.

To be continued.

A Slice of Heaven” is a monthly Astrology column that provides self help insights on making good use of the planetary influences.

Lola Babalon is a Topanga Psychic, Astrologer and Herbalist. She provides spiritual counsel, hands-on healing and no-nonsense readings for individuals, couples and groups. She also produces local herb tinctures, fine aphrodisiac Love potions and can be found online at www.sexpeace.net 310/455-0103