Daniel Sowelu looks at our stars for May 2008.

TAURUS IS normally such a cruisy energy, not prone to great outburst of energy, but this month is looking like a very dynamic one that will both stir up the old Bull and have it provide some necessary grounding in the face of some strong multidimensional currents in the collective. The main players in Taurus, the Sun, Venus and Mercury, all have a mixture of deep and high energy contacts, making for a very interesting time for all of us.

There is an exceptional focus on healing and psycho spiritual movement this month, with the Sun exactly conjunct the healing asteroid Hygeia, and with both Neptune and Chiron conjunct the North Node in the course of the next weeks. Hygeia is said to be a goddess of miraculous healing and, as the daughter of the great healer Asclepios, carries the feminine face of the healer archetype. It was she who collected up the blood of the beheaded Medusa, something incredibly poisonous and yet in small quantities so powerful as a healing agent, it could bring the dead back to life. So, when she appears in a chart, you can expect the appearance of some extraordinary energies that, at least potentially, promise a potent mixture of healing and magic. She is also one of the faces of Kundalini serpent energy, of the ancient wisdom and spiritual power of the divine Feminine. For this reason, Hygeian individuals attract some extraordinary life experience, while having the capacity to wield great healing Shakti.

Neptune on the North Node only occurs every 20 odd years and will send a shiver through those on the spiritual journey as it represents a rare opening to the mysteries of the soul’s journey. In particular, we catch a glimpse of future possibilities of manifesting our soul purposes, both collectively and individually. Both are mystical energies, both are visionary points that activate higher levels of awareness and greater access to our psychic ability and all its related gifts. Far greater than this is the potential to access the more transcendent levels of experience and unity for those who are available to it. Chiron the Wounded Healer joining this Node also enhances the same openings, but with a more piercing energy that is intent on deeper healing, as well as sharper psycho spiritual, psychosexual initiations.

However great these possibilities though, it’s not all light and love! The same aspects will be challenging those aspects of self that tend to resist and deny the necessary internal changes that are required of all of us to let go of our concepts, beliefs, fears and addiction to old ways of being. Neptune, in his aspect of great dissolver, is very challenging to old ego structures, while Chiron will send laser-like bolts through our defences to get to the truth of things, an act of great compassion and healing, however painful. This is represented by a series of squares from these two, plus the Nodes to Mercury, very much an assault on the shadow side of our thinking processes. An equally challenging square from Saturn in Virgo to Mercury will also give us a hard time by activating the more critical energies of old mindsets.

Yet despite all the above, Mercury also has a series of brilliantly positive aspects to Jupiter in Capricorn, Uranus and Lilith together in Pisces and Mars in Cancer. All the latter have sextiles and trines between them and even the Mars/Jupiter opposition is one of the best of oppositions. All in all this gives the workings of our minds and intellects far greater flexibility, openness, creative dexterity and an expanded perception of the possibilities of things. This is not without some sharp edges though, with the presence of both Lilith and Mars, two of the great warrior archetypes, in the mix, adding more assertiveness and directness to proceedings, as well as encouraging the transference of ideas into action and form.

Normally the Lilith/Uranus conjunction would be of more concern, as it’s an explosive combination that can be lethal at its worst. But it is so well aligned with Jupiter and Mars that, alongside some healthy releasing of old anger and frustration, the energy should be working well in most instances. In fact, it supports the work of Hygeia, as Lilith and Uranus also have associations with the movement of Kundalini, with strong electrical pulses through our chakra systems and doing some interesting things around our sexuality as well.

Last month we spoke about the ongoing conjunction between the transformative Pluto and Juno, the ancient goddess of marriage, together pushing for deep change in what we bring to our primary relationships. While this conjunction continues through the month, it is now part of a grand trine with Saturn in Virgo and the lovely Venus in Taurus, a deeply supportive three way connection that stablises any gains made in these transformative processes to our relationship experiences. The presence of Saturn especially reminds us to bring more conscious awareness and personal responsibility for making necessary changes to our relationship lives, rather than just being at the mercy of deep unconscious processes that appear beyond our control. The grand trine is an offering to bring greater depth and true heart to our love bonds.

Daniel Sowelu (B.Sc.Dip Ed) is a therapeutic astrologer, primal therapist and groupleader in his 21st year of private practice.