May 2017 Forecast: Finesse

May Artist Feature:

Blythe Brown is the Visual Art teacher and Yoga teacher for K-8th Grades at Cape Romain Environmental Education Charter School in McClellanville, SC. She received her BA in Studio Arts from the College of Charleston, and an MAT in Art Education from Western Carolina University. She specializes in integrating core subjects and movement into the visual arts. Blythe creates artwork, designs logos for local businesses, and teaches adult art and yoga classes. On the weekends she enjoys working on her tiny home bus and paddling in the creeks. For more information about Blythe and her work, visit www.blythebrownart.com.

The Astrological Theme for April was "Next Level."

Members can view the full April 2017 Forecast here.

Based on observing the astrology, I described it as a Quantum Leap or "dramatic advance." It was a territory of New Beginnings, awash with endings.

What does it feel like to reach the Next Level?

Birth requires Surrender.

We have to let go in order to receive new life.

We just passed through a historic Venus Cycle. The final Aries-Venus-Rising Cycle in our lifetimes has commenced.

Fierce Feminine, Arise.

The Great Rebalancing is Upon Us.

It is time that we embrace ourselves as leading-edge Warriors of Love.

When struggle occurs, cultivate harmony.

For some, the letting-go's last month came through illness and physical shedding. For others it came through conflicts with loved ones or family members. Divorces were finalized. Houses representing previous chapters of life were sold. Notions and behaviors around appearances, finances, worth, and investments of all kinds changed and upgraded.

The encouragement? Find your Healthy Selfish. No more weak boundaries. No more accommodating others. Lessen the tendency to passively collude with the stories of others and increase the capability to identify and assert the power of Self.

When we bend to others in spite of ourselves, we often unconsciously collude with and perpetuate the very weaknesses that are asking to be strengthened.

Alternately, when we simply stand for strength, we claim our existence and by example, demonstrate to others how to enhance their own strength.

Can we all stand together, inherently strong within ourselves?

In these times, we are asked to see and be more of the truth.

Truth endures.

Reality is impenetrable. Unable to be marred.

So, whatever is real has nothing to fear. What falls away under scrutiny or stress is false. Illusion.

How much can we align and connect ourselves with Reality?

And how gracefully can we release whatever isn't meant for us?

Through this method, we pave the way for our future.

The Astrological Theme for May 2017 is "Finesse."

Finesse has a double meaning. It communicates skillfulness, subtlety, and tact. It also denotes trickery, stratagem, and artifice.

The month ahead is magic, busy, and easily distracted. Riddled with riddles and rife with play. A silly, incredible time for quick-fire insight and passionate momentum. A curious landscape of musing, learning, and bringing spirit into matter. This month's astromaps remind me of the feeling I get when I have over-imbibed caffeinated tea in one sitting. Great inspiration and activity, but plagued with scatteredness. Make sure to ground, deeply nourish, and stay connected to your clear center to counterbalance the insatiable up-and-outward-moving energies afoot.

May is wily. It is characterized by the duality that nothing is sacred; and everything is sacred. May is a quandary of opposing influences that require dexterity, articulation, and deftness in order to move through in grace. Employ lightness of heart and foot. Mentally, sharpen your language and perception; and let go of attachment to over-thought.

Despite the fact that there are likely big choices ahead, I recommend to wait on major decisions (especially ones regarding material goods and investments) until after May 20. Use patience - we won't have all the necessary information until after that date.

The first half of the month offers a continuous stream of new, unexpected, and potentially shocking information that require adaptation. Expect to change your mind and your course several times over. Improvise. Approach with a keen eye out for the Cosmic Joke. Trust the fly-by-the-seat-of-our-britches quality. Evolve with rapidity.

The archetypes presiding over this month are Magician and Coyote.

Magician is an androgynous thinker, weaver, visionary, and intuitive. Dynamic, this energy shapeshifts, dons different masks, and takes varying forms. There is an ability to grasp and utilize the space between realms to bridge spirit and matter with skillful creation. Magician is driven by constant learning and gaining knowledge. Magician alters perceptions of reality and creates an alluring atmosphere. This illusion can open us up to otherworldly possibility and help us chase our dreams - or fool us altogether and send us down a false path. Hone your perceptions and listen deeply to your intuition this month. Look beyond the obvious to see HOW magic is made. Develop those skills. (Some direct quotes and paraphrased portions from Susanna Barlow's article here.)

Coyote medicine is not straightforward. It is contradictory. It is a trickster teacher that educates us through folly and misadventure. Expect to make mistakes and mis-steps in May. Coyote is the mirror that shows us our shadow and makes us laugh at the same time. It wants us to see ourselves. Coyote ruffles feathers and creates discomfort to challenge habitual or stagnant energies that they can shift. This medicine adapts to changing circumstances and continues to survive despite attempts to stave it off or squelch it. It's all about the truth! (Some direct quotes and paraphrased portions from Robert Oakes' article here.)

Truth will Rise, Regardless.

Transparency and blatant honesty are of absolute essence.

We get into the thickest traps when we deceive or elude ourselves.

May asks us to see those places of tomfoolery and refine our skilled approach to life.

Astrologically Speaking: Grand Fire Trine

It's going to be a hot summer. This aspect pattern begins now and remains in prominent effect until August.

Ancients might observe this formation and remark that there is too much fire in the sky.

Benefits of Fire:

Heightened vision, passion, and spirit. Joyful engagement. Increased enthusiasm. Swift creation. Expansion. Momentum. Spontaneity. Excitement. Risk-taking. Increased confidence. Widespread influence. Manifesting spiritual potential. Instantaneous development. Transformation. Bright clarity. Having high beliefs and faith.

Challenges of Too Much Fire:

Selfishness. Egotism. Self-aggrandizement. Impatience. Desire for instant gratification. Forcefulness. Overt willfulness. Excess pride, anger, and feelings of frustration. Untamed sexuality. Impulsive behavior. Indiscriminate acts of destruction. Ruin. Gambling. Carelessness. Crimes of passion. Rushing. Hubris.

Medicine Needed:

Playing with fire can get us burned. Respect the flame. Honor it and tend it well. Fire needs to be tamed and controlled. It needs a strong, proper container.

Fortification and boundaries are important this month.

It is important to remain connected with spirit for guidance on behavior and endeavors; as egoic selfishness can get us into trouble. Use prayer, ritual, ceremony, and other methods daily to stay on track. Reach for growth, but honor your true limits. Don't attempt too much too fast. We can easily be swept away in momentum this month. Focus. Refine your will. Indiscriminate choices are not advised: check that the foundations are not faulty. Go back to your intention. Keep your priorities in mind. What is at the heart of why you do what you do? Burn off the excess and keep tracking the WHY behind your actions. Make sure your guiding WHY is sincere and durable.

Consciously Invoke Water and Earth

To avoid the risks of too much fire, use Water and Earth. There is so much natural Yang energy floating around that we can easily get swept up and burn out. Do Yin practice. Be receptive. Soften. Relax. Try less. Allow more. Instead of forcing, find where the energy is naturally flowing. Resolve conflict with compassion and empathy. Connect with serenity.

Magic Questions for May:

What is something I absolutely know is true?
What is something I deceived myself about before?
How can I be more honest?
What is something I haven't mastered yet, but I am practicing and improving?
Where do I feel divided?
What are the major choices I am facing?
What does my heart say about these choices?
Who am I, really?
What are my strongest boundaries and limits currently in place?
Where could I use better boundaries?
Is there some place my energy is currently going that feels excessive?
What makes me feel rejuvenated and rested?
Why do I do what I do?
What are true motivations that guide my actions?

Nature is Chock Full of Medicine

May this blog be a place to discover helpful natural remedies that can guide your way through this journey of life on Earth.

Stone Medicine for the Month from POUND Jewelry

Moss Agate is a "Stone of New Beginnings." Also a stone of abundance, Moss Agate attracts financial prosperity, especially for small businesses and entrepreneurs. When it is time to get down and dirty and go for it, this stone is the one to help us remember that what we put in, we will get out. It is also an incredibly earthy stone that helps realign our deepest love for our planet. Both incredibly important reminders!!

Relative to this month's astrological theme of FINESSE, Moss Agate assists with a decrease in stress and a sense of TRUST in the Earth's cycles and patterns that we see daily in our own lives when we pay attention. It is an amazing stone for one setting out on a new path and for attracting prosperous new beginnings with the inner knowing that one's own personal style is always best despite what the external world may be saying. Knowing that there are Earthly rhythms reflecting one's own internal cycles of ups and downs may help calm us when we think everything is falling apart. Moss Agate reminds us that what we call forth will come, but we have to work for it. In the way that best suits us. Rock On. ---Written by Becca Kannapell of POUND Jewelry

Flower Medicine for the Month from Santosha Mama Birth and Wellness

Dogwood Flower Essence (Cornus Florida) is the essence of grace, of fluid movement, of elegant and delicate motion, of finesse. This medicine supports those for whom trauma has created a hardening, contraction, or awkwardness in the body. It supports fullness, expansion and flexibility in the etheric body, that energetic layer closest to the physical body. By bridging physical-etheric harmony, we bring more fluidity and finesse into the body, allowing it to move with greater ease and grace. Dogwood invokes a powerful and enduring center within ourselves, one which is focused and resolved, and an outward grace in our movement through life. ---Written by Jaime Fleres-Mizejewski of Santosha Birth & Wellness

In-Depth Transit Forecast

All times listed in EST

May 1 Beltane

Beltane, alternately known as May Day, celebrates the fortuitous return of Summer. This is a (sometimes debaucherous) fertility festival honoring the earth's ripening riches and the principle of creation. Desire, passion and pleasure give rise to life! Fires burn. Merriment and marriages are made. Feasts are enjoyed. Dance around the maypole and experience revival.

May 3 Mercury Stations Direct in Aries (12:33pm)

The messenger planet comes to a halt in the sky from our perspective here on earth. Mercury went retrograde on April 9 in Taurus. Since that time, we have been re-evaluating our desires and resources. Right now our minds are aligned with what we want. Put thoughts into action. Try different options with curiosity, a beginner's mind, and a willingness to learn through experience. Be open to new technologies and insights about how to make things fresh. Free your mind. Lean into what you want, and also avoid rigidity and naive selfhood. Gather thoughts from the collective to inform your decisions. Follow the spark to ignite the new. Forward, ho!

May 5 Sun inconjunct Jupiter (3:59am)

This influence wants you to grow beyond your current limits. Moderate, that you don't go overboard, as this is a transit of excess. There can be a draw to overextend in business or social relations. Your tastes and what you value is evolving. If increasing profit is your goal, enhance the quality of what you offer. This is the simple equation in both business and personal matters. Strengthen the foundation. Gather more beauty. Lavish your attention on things that can be improved. Great day to find enjoyment within the social and sensual pleasures.

May 9 Sun trine Pluto (2:24pm) North Node enters Leo (2:37pm)

Powerful expression and potent impressions. Magnetism. Pull of fate. Excellent day for research, revealing information, and getting to the bottom of interesting material/foundational matters. There could be a powerful and fortunate path or tunnel opening up now. Follow the alignment. Swiftly remove any physical/emotional/psychological clutter for greatest potency. Transform into greater leadership through entering with self-esteem.

The Lunar Nodes are descriptive of fateful evolution. Since November 12, 2015, the North Node has been transiting Virgo. This has created a call to service and practical solutions for global problems. With South Node in Pisces, we've been asked as a collective to shed layers of illusion, fantasy, and woolgathering in order to access the reality of what we are capable of fixing.

As North Node begins to transit Leo, the emphasis is on the HEART. Follow your heart. Feed your heart. Wear your heart on your sleeve. Embrace play, celebration, and self-expression. Tap into your creativity. Give yourself lots of loving attention. On the collective level, this transit will help us to elevate into greater Self Love, rooted in firm and just community. The noble sovereign rules with equanimity. What if each of us were the balanced loving creators of life on Earth? Life is not merely about devoted service and healing. It can also be pleasurable for pleasure's sake. Embrace joie de vivre. Be a living example of the love you want to make manifest. This transit is in effect until November 6, 2018.

May 10 Mercury Direct conjunct Uranus in Aries (1:19am) Full Moon in Scorpio (5:42pm) Lunar Beltane

Ignited! Last time this transit occurred while Mercury was Direct was March 26, 2017. If you keep a journal, check and see what events or news came through at that time. On April 28, 2017 Mercury Retrograde joined Uranus. This is the third and final Mercury-Uranus conjunction for this current cycle. Revelation! Awakening! Today is a day of downloads. Bold, courageous, inventive and collective genius. We all want to be "free to be me." Each of us is wired with a direct hookup to source and an entirely unique set of gifts. Share in it. The time is now. Collective mindsphere, activate! Take us higher and broader. This is a transit of big AHA's, experimentation, instantaneous flash insights. Independently, we don't necessarily have all the answers. But when we sit in circle or engage in a community of hearts on fire, magic happens. Answers and inspiration arrive. A huge change has the potential to take place now. Something we never could have seen coming. Something unpredictable and miraculous. An innovative leap. A renaissance of living into the future right Now. Mark this down: Venus will transit this area of the sky on June 3. Notice what themes reverberate around May 10 and June 3.

The Full Moon in Scorpio on May 10, 2017 (5:42pm) is mysterious intimacy. It is also Lunar Beltane; a celebration of the start of summer season. Gather, awaken, make mischief and merriment. Desire, passion, and pleasure are natural, life-giving forces. What arouses the foliage and flowers to burst forth from their seedling den? The darkness and death of winter has, invisibly, nourished and enriched the soil. Something deep within is ripening. The sap is rising in the fertile body of our Earth. An inscrutable, yet abundant revival blooms within and around us now. This is a feast time. Feast upon the seen and unseen. This is a dancing time. Dance close with the felt and the imperceptible. This is a time of timeless intimacy. Enter into the unnamed space of communion. With source. With partnership. With life, death, life. Regenerative source coils to the center of itself. In the twilight of the subtle fabric of existence, our soul is met. Two lips touch. The serpent and the egg. As self uncoils once again, source births worlds of infinite treasure.

For every New and Full Moon, find a complementary Movement Ritual on the Qoya Blog.

May 11 Mars square Neptune (1:52pm) Mercury trine Saturn (4:15pm)

What an interesting day of transits. Great for learning and adapting to change. Our mind is strong and perceptions are clear, but our behaviors may be missing the mark. Great day for active dreaming, accurate visioning, imagination, music, art, poetry, and meditation. Harness your inspirations, yet exercise patience. Mentally, we can accurately perceive the future and the direction we are headed. Physical energy may be low today; or perhaps our actions suffer from what feels like wasteful drain as we are pulled in a multitude of directions. Energy is wafting and indistinct. There is an encouragement to connect with a truth behind the veil. Is there anything we are avoiding? Something eludes us. Resist becoming disappointed or discouraged that your future isn't happening now. Simply reroute, mend, and allow spirit to take its course.

May 12 Mars trine Jupiter (7:19am)

Moving forward, aiming towards your ideals and dreams. Opportunities are coming through and leading us in the direction of growth. Relationships and social connections open pathways. Write this down: Why do you do what you do? Make a column of actions/things you do. Make a second column naming what motivates each of these actions. What are your primary motivators? What are the heartiest ethics driving your actions? Great integrity will promote success and increase your good fortune. Let those in your network also demonstrate actions from fair morals. Balance will lead to reward. Let us be in right relationship with all that is. May it be so.

May 16 Mercury Direct Enters Taurus (12:07am)

Mercury went retrograde on April 9 in Taurus. Since that time, we have been re-evaluating our resources and investments of time, energy, and money. Now it is time to establish more stability for ourselves and our loved ones. Slow down a racing mind and nourish the root. We are worthy. We are fertile, abundant creatures. Our lives can reflect our inherent worth. New business plans and endeavors can begin to develop and build on themselves. Look at life with a longterm lens. Focus on reliability and sustainability. Nourish what feels most valuable. Appreciate the riches in your life. Abundance comes in so many forms. Gratitude is a fertilizer. Patience is, too.

May 17 Sun inconjunct Saturn (1:29am) Jupiter inconjunct Neptune (4:37am)

What are your real responsibilities? Sometimes we bite off more than we can chew. There is so much going on, and it can feel like too much. To accumulate or to circulate? Is it commitment or stagnation? Restlessness or freedom of movement? It may be time to get free from burdensome responsibilities - or tasks that were never really yours to begin with. It may be time to reign in your distractibility or lack of discipline in certain areas. Sometimes we continue burdening ourselves in areas we have already fully developed. This can prevent us from attaining wisdom. With an open mind, keep learning. Ask yourself: is this helping me grow in a way that increases my life's value? If so, keep it. If not, delete it.

It's an odd thing, living in a time where compassion is not the default. Instead, as a global community we are re-learning and remembering how to instill empathy as a basic value. In order to trust ourselves and life, we are upgrading our relationship to compassion. Some of this work is done in private, while some is done in public. Rather than waver in indecisive contradiction, let's honor both sides of that spectrum. Private creative work and prayer is blessed. Bringing what you learn in those silent spiritual realms into social arenas and partnerships is equally a blessing. The gift of spiritual and human equilibrium: a quiet peace.

May 18 Sun sextile Chiron (4:06pm) Venus clears Shadow

A rainbow bridge is illuminated. The gate between material and spiritual worlds is open. Follow the path of healing and atonement that is uniquely available to you. Welcome your flaws and place them on your altar. (Read this excellent piece by Tad Hargrave)

Venus clears her retrograde shadow today. Her retrograde journey began March 4, 2017. The transformations we endured in relationships, worth, resources, and finances since early March are complete for now. We let things go. We saw things anew. We can move forward with clarity and heart-full assertiveness and fierce, loving attention on what we really want and what is wanted of us.

May 19 Saturn trine Uranus (2:14am) Mars inconjunct Pluto (9:06am) Venus opposite Jupiter (10:11am)

Saturn trine Uranus is the aspect I feel most grateful for this month. Amidst all of the rapid change, growth, and evolution, there is at least some assurance that we have support, and that the most valuable changes we make will stick. Authentic creativity, experimentation, and beneficial risk are reinforced. That which is time-tested is in harmonious relation with the untried and futuristic. Radical community gatherings that emphasize the strong self will do well. There is a practical process guiding this awakening.

Mars inconjunct Pluto asks us to evaluate our energies. This is a cagey energy. A struggle between a bird and a stone. Someone or something is rigid and controlling, and wants to use power to bring things into form. Meanwhile, there is a desire for flight and a lack of drive to commit. Use discretion, but avoid manipulation. Is there a middle ground? Reach for a less-forceful, more magical form of achievement.

Venus opposite Jupiter in Aries/Libra highlights the dance between individual/independent self and harmonious relating with others. This is a luxurious, playful transit. Pleasurable laziness and enjoyment are advised. If you are going to book some vacation this month, do it this week. Also a great time for making big purchases; but notice and moderate the tendency to feel extra spendy.

May 20 Sun enters Gemini (4:31pm) Mercury clears Shadow

Sun in Gemini for the next 30 days is the season of pollination. Spread ideas, messages, information with deft swiftness and agility. Tell stories and offer news. Spotlight on communication of all kinds. Mobile and flexible, this is a light, airy time of curious innocence. Let's learn together!

Mercury has cleared the shadow of its retrograde period that began April 9. Green light for decisions, contracts, and agreements. May the choices made and all words uttered be blessings that support longterm reward and abundant wealth for all.

May 25 Venus square Pluto (12:22pm) New Moon in Gemini (3:44pm)

Drama! Intensity! The deeper transformations we endured during Venus Rx (since March 4, 2017) are now put to the test. Love or money can feel threatened. A triangle situation could arise. Is the threat real? Or are we being asked to mature our affections? Beware of your attachments. Sometimes fears around love and resources come up due to trauma or memories of abandonment or lack. Look for ways to empower your resources and relationships. Right now, we might feel a drive towards greater independence. But some relationships are intertwined with the structure of our lives. Assess your commitments. Ideally, you'd be able to assert and express yourself and the relationship remains continuously supportive. If not, something needs to fall away. When shadows and transformations come to light, notice what remains. May all your little deaths bring you closer to oneness.

The New Moon in Gemini on May 25, 2017 (3:44pm EST) is a refinement. An affirmation for the power to choose. We are multidimensional beings. We are dynamic. We exist in many realms and worlds at once. We can surf between wisdom and recklessness. Fly in the schools of discipline and raw impulse. Life always invites us to learn. Study contrast. To access oneness, play in the realms of duality. We can flit and fly through chapters of life and gather all sorts of interesting information. At some point, we need to make a choice. Sometimes what we want is not really what we need. Allow yourself to be properly guided. Patiently wait for precise channels to open. If it is really meant for you, it will find you. You may encounter an option of lust or love. It could be an opportunity to honor your commitments. It could be an invitation to deepen your ability to love. Channel your energies constructively. Powerfully love your real self. The snake sheds her skin. Let go into the power of love, and be reborn.

For every New and Full Moon, find a complementary Movement Ritual on the Qoya Blog.

May 27 Mercury inconjunct Jupiter (3:17pm)

Powers of exaggeration can work for us or against us. Put your focus on what you want to see grow. Other people's judgements may be interfering with your sense of value and worth. Look for the place where perception and reality meet. Make a moral middle ground.

May 28 Mercury sextile Neptune (3:04am)

Flowing perceptions. This is an intuitive day. Promising for dreaming, artistic creation, and meditative practice.

May 29 Mars opposite Saturn (2:55am)

"The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way." Marcus Aurelius.

Everything you want is on the other side of fear.

Hit the brakes. This week may be colored by difficult choices, obstacles, frustration, arguments, struggle, or feelings of being blocked. It is a kung fu transit, geared towards hard work. What is standing in the way between you and your unfulfilled desires? Is someone or something telling you NO? Thank them for that. You are being asked to employ stamina and streamline your energies. Patience and discipline are required. Go for endurance. When the going gets tough, the tough get going. You are being asked to put your ideas into form; grounding them through authentic action. Believe in yourself, and have faith in spirit. Know that whatever you are meant to achieve will come to fruition. Sometimes we just need to re-dedicate ourselves and align with our truest integrity. To what are you willing to commit? For what would you move mountains? What would you do if you had nothing to prove? Without forcing anything, strengthen your resolve. You can do it. Sharpen your volition. Make the wise choice.

May 30 Mars sextile Uranus (10:39pm)

Creative endeavors! New actions. Try something unusual. Reinvent to reinvigorate.

May 31 Mercury trine Pluto (8:03am)

Penetrating insights. Excellent day for research, occult practice, and therapeutic revelations. The power of the mind is keen.

Curious how this month's astrology resonates with your particular charts?

Click HERE to instantly book a session with Virginia.

It's an absolute gift to be able to continue this work. May this forecast be your graceful navigation guide, your invitation to return home, and your empowerment to step more fully into your astounding multidimensional Self.

L'Chayim!

To Life

As always, THANK YOU for your support.

May we anchor the highest dreams of our collective heart into reality.