This Week

It’s a Taurus week, an all-round earthy week in fact, with a shot in the arm in the shape of Mars moving into fire sign Leo. Your forecasts this week spell out where you could get grounded, where you could put a rocket under it… and for future reference, where the impending reversal of Mercury may cause some hiccups for you. Colour of the week: Green. Sandwich of the week: Chicken, rocket, sliced pimientos, lemon juice and a dash of olive oil mayo. Buon appetito.


Aries
Ground control to Major Tom: Your reality check this week is primarily about money, why you want it and how you spend it. Luxuries are all very well, but a real tiger skin rug in front of the fire when you can’t pay the coalman is a fool’s approach. While you’d like to show it off, don’t forget to save a leetle for a rainy day. It’s time to review what success means to you; it could be a simpler picture than you’ve ever had before.
Commencing countdown engine’s on: At last Mars moves from the sludge of a river in the Lake District in the rainy season to a sun-drenched beach in the Caribbean. You’ll feel fire in your loins where love love love affairs, children, and creative ventures are concerned. For a clue as to how this will effect you, form a sentence using the following words – rabbits like at it. Just watch your temper temper.
Space Oddity: Mercury is about to head backwards in your house of talky talky, brothers, sisters, and community ting. What this means is news from or about the above, or miscommunications from or about the above. The big day to watch is around May 27th and Astrobabble will remind you nearer the time. Before then, if you’re switching phone companies, broadband companies etc, get it finished in the next two weeks – or wait until end of June.

Taurus
Ground control to Major Tom: This week is about you feeling earthed and happy and sparkly to be you. The New Moon on Monday is sending you a cosmic rebirth wrapped in confidence and Venus makes you pretty and pert as you bat your eyelids at your sea of admirers. It’s time to knuckle down where children, love affairs and creative projects are concerned; nothing but the highest standards will wash. Show the riff-raff the d-o-o-r. Vis your future picture, you may find the simple way is the best way; try working one step at a time.
Commencing countdown engine’s on: Mars revs into your fourth house of home and family. This can be rows with the neighbours, rows with the family – or just heightened activity generally – plastering, redecorating, or DIYing like a nut-nut, and partying and entertaining at your hoose.
Space Oddity: Mercury is preparing to turn tail in your second house of earned income and money generalmente. Cheques going missing, being misled about an item on ebay, not reading the small print and buying a yacht instead of a yoghurt are all par for the course. So if you need to buy anything big, get it done this week, and definitely looong before 26th May.

Gemini
Ground control to Major Tom: It’s time to be kind to yourself. A massage, foot rub, hopi ear candle treatment – anything that gets you detoxing and lovin’ your physical body a bit more. Your energy levels are low and you’re feeling vulnerable. Take vits. Take some exercise. Only hang out with nice people for a while.
Commencing countdown engine’s on: Mars shifts into your third house of talky talky on Sunday and you may find that there isn’t enough knit in your knee-high sock to plug your mouth shut. The snafu is that opening the dam when you’re a little vulnerable means you could be shouting someone down just because you’re being over-defensive. Ees dat wat you doo? Go get the massage, bro. Also, activities with brothers and sisters can be heightened with Mars here.
Space Oddity: Mercury, your fluttery leader, is going backwards in your first house of Me, Myself, and I towards the end of the month. That means in the coming days and weeks you are going to feel a bit unsure of yourself, as if you have to review everything you say and do. It’s alright. If you pay attention, you’ll just come out the other end even shinier.

Cancer
Ground control to Major Tom: Friends, dreams, wishes – get in touch, get together, put one foot in front of the other, pick up the phone, meet them for pie. The Sun and Venus and the New Moon in this 11th house sector should be having you happy and social and hovering at the smorgasbord wearing a 10 inch grin in a mad whirl.
Commencing countdown engine’s on: After six weeks of frantic energy, busyness, worry, posturing, more worry, anger, and cat fights Mars at last leaves your house of You. What have the contratemps taught you? Where can you start being more self-confident in a more self-deprecating way? Has the sulking got you anywhere? Take stock and get ready to move on up. Mars now heads into your piggy bank auguring in a time of money coming in and big bills going out.
Space Oddity: Mercury is about to head backwards in your 12th house of, “Who said that?”, your zone of, “Something under the bed is drooling.” What this means is not literally that Mercury will be drooling under the bed – but that you are going to be feeling paranoid, sure as eggs that everyone is talking about you behind your back, and that even you are making life worse for yourself simply by opening your mouth. All of the above might be true but what is the real lesson here – could it be that the only person you really have to answer to is you?

Leo
Ground control to Major Tom: It is time to roll up the sleeves on your glorious cardigan / blouson / batwing maxidress, get your head down, and begin to claw in the glory where work and success are concerned. The Sun and Venus and New Moon are all about you shining in the work place, so work hard, work smart, and shine! (PS if you can take May 12th off then do. The Moon’s napping and you’ll be in no fit state for decision-making.)
Commencing countdown engine’s on: At last, just when you need some self belief to cut it in the asphalt jungle and the boardroom, Mars settles into your briefcase for a six week stay. The upside to this is confidence, energy, and the ability to push yourself forward for promotion. The downside to this is shaking your Elnette in everyone else’s faces. Glow, but don’t glow too self-consciously. It’s just not tennis.
Space Oddity: On May 27th Mercury turns retrograde in your 11th house of friends, dreams and wishes. This can be communications from long-lost friends (and sometimes loverrrrrs) as well as miscommunications with friends (and sometimes loverrrs). It can also mean old wishes and dreams resurfacing. Forewarned is forearmed. As we enter the Mercury shadow phase this week you’ll start to feel it.

Virgo
Ground control to Major Tom: Your earthy delights, Virgo, are about the future, casting your pearls before Mermaids and other people who will appreciate them and knuckling down in a forwardly direction – at long last. Plans for children, love affairs, and creative ventures are due for a change – partly because of Saturn’s direct motion in your first house (making things start to fall into place) but also because Jupiter starts to head backwards this week. Jupiter's reverse can mean something you thought was out of your grasp comes back so you can get a better hold of it this time - or alternatively that you get a chance to revisit schemes which can be toned down, drawn back, simplified so that the step by step, brick by brick, manageable thoroughness returns to your life.
Commencing countdown engine’s on: Mars heads into your 12th house bringing with him six weeks of pointy fingers and paranoia. But what can you do about it? Turn to sober friends to ask for their direct take on ‘things’ when you fear you're losing a grip on reality. Secondly, be above reproach and stick to your own high standards. Your choice adage for now is ‘You cannot please all of the people all of the time’. And finally, remember, if it all gets a bit silly, the words of Bette Midler [abvd], “If they can’t take a joke, fk ‘em.”
Space Oddity: Mercury, your winged chief, will be heading backwards from May 27th in your 10th house of “Me! Look at me! I’m a legend!” The real deal here is that you may have a review with bosses, you may call bosses into review; you may just review what success is all about. Whatever you do, schedule nothing of great importance and sign nothing in the days around May 27th and June 20th. Pencil stuff in after that June date when you’ve got the wind back beneath your wings, Bette.

Libra
Ground control to Major Tom: It’s time to turn over a new leaf when it comes to you and decision-making. How do you do that? Well make a few decisions and then stick by them – then write down how it feels as a timely reminder when future decision-making opportunities present themselves.
Commencing countdown engine’s on: Energy shifts this week from your boardroom and big talk at the water cooler to social circles, networks, friends and dreams. Right now you have the rocket fuel to socialise like a butterfly on rollerskates (?) so get to it! Fluttering at parties, pow wows, and mingling events generally is where you are at. In fact, take your new decision-making skills and organise something sociable, like a local Dance Championship or Pie Throwing Contest.
Space Oddity: Mercury heads backwards in your 9th house of “Do you know where you’re going to… pom pom pom” on May 27th. If you’ve got legal deals, holiday tickets to book, or education courses you want to enrol on then get it sorted this week and next – or you’ll be best waiting until after 20th June.

Scorpio
Ground control to Major Tom: For you this is about getting real in relationships. With the Sun, Venus, and the New Moon all lighting up your 7th house of partners it bodes pretty and well. With Pluto your ruler currently stomping around on Capricorn’s front lawn perhaps what you need to do is speak up a bit more about what the day-to-day ground rules are. And as we’re talking about partnerships here, that goes both ways, remember.
Commencing countdown engine’s on: After all the energy for travel, study, and higher pursuits, Mars now heads into your boardroom for a blast of raw “I Rock”. It really is time to sell yourself in big bold lettering and to take your place in the boardroom, Hall of Fame, interview table with confidence and pride. You have a natural ability to see something for what it is worth. So take a look at yourself and rock on, dude.
Space Oddity: Mercury is heading backwards in your house of sex, death and taxes on May 27th. Tidy up any big financial deals and bills this week and next or you’d be best to leave it until after June 20th.

Sagittarius
Ground control to Major Tom: Your big grounding experience this week, Archer, is work. Work like the seven dwarves put together and you might just… build a house? (What was it they did exactly? Astrobabble forgets.) Venus, the Sun, and the New Moon augur in new contracts, shiny opportunities, and even new ways of working. Health too should be feeling robust and like the proverbial Spring chook. So load up that hod and get a shoofty on.
Commencing countdown engine’s on: It’s time to get marching to the sound of your own drum as you embrace the future and the horizon with gusto and verve. Whether it’s study, travel, moving abroad, or grasping the rudiments of astrology and parapsychology you’ve got impatience and burning desire at your disposal. The big ‘Woah! I said, woah there boy!’ is with legal carry ons. The ninth house also rules the law and with Mars here you are looking for a fight. Before you go screaming to the courts get some independent advice. And take it.
Space Oddity: Mercury is about to do a uuie in your seventh house of important relationships. This can be an old flame popping out of the woodwork – or you seeking out an old flame – or some crosswires and renegotiation with one-to-one lovers or bizniz partners. The red don’t-touchy-with-barge-pole days are May 27th and June 20th the days just before are tricky too. Certainly negotiations won’t be aired and dried until the end of June.

Capricorn
Ground control to Major Tom: Your big grounding this week, Goat, is a reality check where things of love, children, and creative ventures are concerned. The New Moon on Monday, Simon, spells a starting point and with the Sun and Venus already here, it would seem they’ve been waiting for the Moon to light the starting pistol. Saturn and Pluto, as we have already discussed, say that you and only the real you will get what you really want. Barriers down. Lower the drawbridge to your soul. Love like you have never been hurt.
Commencing countdown engine’s on: Mars skates from your 7th house of partnerships into your 8th house of endings this week. Before you bolt doors and break out the cheesecake, endings is really another word for transformations. You can fight facts all you can, but facts are facts. You need to change. Mars will resist, so fight back! Use all this Mars energy to soften yourself and support the lowering of the drawbridge. Don’t slam it tight and put arm guards on patrol.
Space Oddity: Mercury is going to start heading backwards in your 6th house of health and work on May 27th. Tie up deals, contracts, doctors appointments in the next two weeks or be prepared to wait for answers until after June 20th.

Aquarius
Ground control to Major Tom: Your grounding experience this week relates to home and family – whether that’s a new sturdy wardrobe, a new edition to the family, or a grand old get together thrown by you involving earthy things such as food, dancing, and debauchery. It’s clear at least, with the position of Pluto and Saturn, that your four walls, or the embrace of your wider family is where you should be letting your defences down.
Commencing countdown engine’s on: Mars fires into your 7th house of one-to-one partnerships bringing with him passion, energy, and cross cross crossness at week’s end. Exasperation may be on its way. Get fresh air and keep your own horns reeled in.
Space Oddity: Mercury does his about face in your fifth house of kiddiwinks, casual squeezes, and creative ting on May 27th. This can mean casual squeezes from the past giving you a cheeky ring, and news/reviews/discussions about children (past, present, or future) popping up again. Perhaps an idea of working with children comes back up for further discourse. With the confusion and indecision that a backwards Mercury brings, sign nothing until a few days after Mercury goes direct again on June 20th. You’ll change your mind a dozen times or more during this transit.

Pisces
Ground control to Major Tom: Your grounding experiences are connected to brothers, sisters, community, and communication – whether that’s having a bunfight with a brother, volunteering to powerhose your village in bloom, or just practising your skills of speaking plainly. The New Moon on Monday will be felt by Wednesday so speak, volunteer and bunfight from then.
Commencing countdown engine’s on: Mars shifts at the weekend into your house of health and officey. If you can, burn off excess energy by running, punching punchbags, or trampolining rather than roaring at your co-workers for being lazy, useless fatheads who don’t wash. If you need to get on with a project now you’ll have the energy but working for others is going to be tricky. Try to hang on to your sense of perspective when someone talks to you slowly and loudly like you’re an imbecile on an airfield wearing ear muffs.
Space Oddity: Mercury is hoofing backwards in your fourth house of home and family on May 27th. If you’re trying to buy or sell you mud hut, try and tie stuff up in the next two weeks or wait until a few days after June 20th.