Insights by Kerstin Hern of The Mirrored Lantern / Original art for J. Southern Studio by Spirited Animals
Welcome to May: Taurus AND eclipse season... This month has big, helpful energy coming in by way of a Jupiter/Pluto sextile on the 3rd, a beautiful transit for positive changes and transformation. We also have a slowing, stabilizing ribbon of energy for most of the month, as we are in Taurus season, plus a stellium in Taurus through the first half of the month (North Node, Uranus, Sun, Pallas Athena, and the moon on the 1st). There is also a stellium in Pisces carrying over from last month but will slowly taper as the month moves on, getting us out of fogginess and nebulous dreamy energy and more grounded. Also, big papa Jupiter changes signs into Aries, where we will expand our personal power and have more luck in harnessing control where it is ours to harness.
Mercury goes Rx on the 10th in Gemini, and later in the month in Taurus, so reevaluating, redoing, revising relationships, communication, finances, values are all highlighted. It can feel especially frustrating and heavy in Taurus, so just take your time and doublecheck communications and embody patience as much as possible (I’m picturing Mr. Constanza yelling “serenity now!”).
Lastly, the pagan sabbat/Wiccan sabbat Beltane is May 1. This is a fertility festival in the element of fire, celebrating our inner sparks, passion, creativity, and life force. Doing ritual around all these themes is auspicious, especially for those who want to manifest and create something—whether it’s a creative project, activating your life force and energy, or actually getting pregnant. This is peak spring, honoring Ostara and new life.
Our monthly full moon is also a lunar eclipse, falling in the sign of Scorpio… The detective of the zodiac wants to pry and dig deep to see what is decaying so we can let it go for good. This can be emotional and draining in every way, especially if we are showing up with resistance… Resistance is a psych-out our ego engages when it wants to deflect from fear, so get in touch with your deepest fears to make change happen.
The new moon in Gemini happens during Mercury Rx in Gemini, so this is a prime time for pausing, reflecting (already auspicious activities at dark moons) and make a list of any resistances carried over from the full moon, relationships that are irking you, or any other spaces with lower vibrational energy… Revise, review, edit, and sometimes do things twice to align with new intentions and second chances around this lunation. Check your house below but know that everyone has new energy available around communication, thinking, writing, and other forms of expression that connect us.
Check notable transits and holidays below to prepare for and work with the cosmic flow in May. Then check out the new and full moons’ symbols, themes, each lunation’s tarot card partner, herbs for candle magick, crystals, affirmations, and more inspiration to personalize your own rituals around invocations and releases during those energetic portals.
Notable Transits:
As if the full moon was not already emotional, there is an eclipse adding a punch, and is in the most intense-feeling sign of the zodiac: Scorpio. You can be prepared for this heightened energy and wrangle it into your control (Scorpio) to catalyze much-needed change and transformation somewhere in your life. This portal is open, inviting us to walk through, not around the pain. It is shrouded by fire of transformation and transmutation if you are ready to do the hard work, investigating yourself, what you find in your Shadow, and being able to sit in your deepest-rooted fears in order to look them in the eyes, name them, and then let them go. The eclipse is celestial medicine that provides you with the ax to chop those chains that keep you stuck and suffering, while also bringing in winds of fate to clear what is absolutely ready to go if you are not there yet. Try not to turn away from what the moon lights up in front of you. Go deep, traversing your innermost caves, especially in the house this lunation lights up for you.
Scorpio rules the 8th house, which includes death/rebirth, other people’s money, and the occult. If you roll with magick, doing candle magick/any ceremony or ritual relating to transformation and confronting and releasing fear will be very potent. Explore where you are most resistant: under that is fear. By naming your fears, you take away their power and release yourself from identifying with the fear as who you are. Psych-wise, I’m thinking about exposure therapy, EFT (tapping), reverie and dream journaling/Jungian shadow work, and MBCT (mindfulness-based cognitive therapy).
You are NOT your fears and worries, or your suffering. You have a core of light in you, your soul, that is always shining, but if you feel weight around your heart and your inner light, this process of naming fears chops those chains and rotted roots coiling around your light. Again, the incredible Dr. Dan Siegel says, “name it to tame it.”
releasing what we cannot control + fear + resentment, letting go of obsessions + grudges, fated endings, confronting fears, confronting our Shadow parts, discharging commitments that do not serve, transformation, sexuality, power, investigation, extreme emotions, mystery, secrets revealed, hidden desires/fears rising, personal power, where we give power away, addictions, resistance, regeneration, snake skin, getting unstuck, shadow work, magick, occulture, dark waters, caves, Pluto, the scorpion, the eagle, the phoenix, the snake, black, crimson red, maroon, indigo, dark purple.
YOUR FULL MOON LUNATION HOUSE:
Find your sun or rising sign below to see what area of your life will be most impacted by this full moon:
RITUAL + ALTAR INSPIRATIONS
FULL MOON PETITION
For this water moon, write out your full moon releases, speak them aloud facing west (water element direction), then light it on fire and place in a dish with fresh water, moon water, sea water, or rainwater. For emotionally heavier releases, flush your petition down the toilet.
SUGGESTED MANTRA or AFFIRMATION
“On this full moon lunar eclipse, I invite my Shadow parts to make themselves known. I courageously invite my fears to sit with me so I may hear what they have to say. I am open to information I have not been able to access or understand until now. I embody the power, strength, and courage of my ancestors of the light to fearlessly release what I have been clutching. I call on goddess Hekate to walk with me, guide me, protect me, and assist me in my deep transformation. I am ready to name my fears and let them go. So mote it be.”
FULL MOON MEDICINE
Scorpio rules genitals, anus, bladder, prostate. Recommendations: Mugwort tea w/ frankincense incense meditations, Trauma-Sensitive yoga, Child’s pose, legs up the wall yoga poses, pelvic floor contraction, deep breathing (Lion’s Breath, square breathing, belly breathing), drinking lots of water and eating plenty of fiber.
As much as Gemini like to go-go-go and flit about, this new moon is one of slowing down and pausing… Mercury Rx is already asking us to revisit and revise recent and past communications, and the dark moon is a time of slowing down, going within and exploring. In the dark under the sign of Gemini, we are asked to investigate our self-talk, how we communicated in past conversations, what we may be able to reframe intellectually and emotionally in our relationships, re-doing a convo, or reuniting with someone for a fresh start.
The good news is there are no planets aspecting this lunation, or any other planets aside from Mercury in retrograde, so it is unfettered, pure new moon energy flavored by Mercury Rx, save for asteroid Chiron sextiling the sun, adding healing frequencies to this lunation. If By evaluating your communication style, editing as needed (especially after the powerful full moon earlier in the month which may have brought us to our knees), you can integrate any lessons learned (learning = Gemini) and set intentions for refreshing a relationship, claiming success in anything you are publishing, or more personally, improve your own narrative about your life and your Self. Planting seeds of growth around healthy communication inwardly and outwardly while also showing up and doing the work that you need to participate in will remove blockages from you experiencing optimal mental health, compassionate communication with others, and second chances at opportunities you thought passed you by.
Finally, really think about all forms and directions of communication that you engage in... Communication from ancestors/The Divine to you and you to them (such as asking for insights or guidance), your love language, how you speak to and about yourself, how you express your soul through creativity, how you speak to different people in your life, how once you say something you can never take it back, how your language has evolved, how some cultural languages have words that do not translate to other languages, and how all language is sacred energy and part of how you construct and reflect your core Self to the world. I’ll leave you with a great quote from the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein, “The limits of language are the limits of my world.”
THEMES & SYMBOLS: all the “re” words, speaking with attention + intention, second chances, the mind, intellect, new ideas, communication, optimism, introspection, good news, unexpected news, laughter, positive self-talk, the power of language, mutability, backtracking, doublechecking, new paths, curiosity, exploration, siblings, writing, reading, balancing logic and intuition, short travel, projection/mirroring, Hermes, Mercury, twins, lavender, bees, hummingbird, sparrow, butterfly, monkey, deer, Loki, Athena, Castor & Pollux
YOUR NEW MOON LUNATION HOUSE:
Find your sun or rising sign below to see what area of your life will be most impacted by this new moon:
NEW MOON PETITION
Write your intentions as specifically as possible on a small piece of paper, in the present tense, as if they are already happening. Fold it 3 times toward you, symbolizing bringing energy to you, and place on your altar under one of your crystals. You may also place your petition under your Air Element Candle or chime candle holder before you light your candle.
SUGGESTED MANTRA
“On this new moon, I allow myself to pause and reflect on the way I speak to myself and others. I engage childlike curiosity with no judgment as I explore how I make communication sacred. I open myself to reconnection and second chances with the people and opportunities aligned with my soul. I plant seeds of success and abundance in all endeavors around communication and my self-expressions. I am revisiting, reviewing, and revising all inner and outer aspects of my life so I may thrive in all relationships and connect with all that is for my highest good. So mote it be.”
NEW MOON MEDICINE
Gemini rules our brain, nervous system, lungs, shoulder, arms, hands. Drinking nervous system-friendly teas and journaling thoughts and reflections, dream journaling, and even going through old text and emails and bringing awareness and intention to your communications and assessing where you can improve are helpful activities. Also, mindfulness practices are highlighted: presence in the moment, curiosity, nonjudgment, and non-reaction, then journaling what came up for you. Chanting the bija mantra HAM (“hahm”) will clear and strengthen your throat chakra.
Wishing you all a liberating full moon and beautifully reflective new moon in May!
Kerstin from The Mirrored Lantern has practiced right hand path magick and tarot for over 29 years and has been a lover and learner of astrology for just as long… She is currently in graduate school for Clinical Psychology with a specialization in Spiritual & Depth Psychology. Follow her on instagram @themirroredlantern for witch tips, weekly tarot, occulture, and depth psych tidbits!
Happy Full Moon in Capricorn! 🌝♑️It’s a special one as it is our second full moon in Capricorn in a row! So I did a quick tarot pull asking thee questions. In the earthen spirit of Capricorn of course I got pentacles, clarity, and straightforwardness with this reading lol. Took me less than 5 minutes to understand. Read for for the spread!
Ahhh- the enchanting realm of May Day! A time when flowers bloom in riotous colors, the air vibrates with flickers of summer, ancient traditions stir beneath the surface of the earth, and the promise of new beginnings pulsates around us. From April 28 through May 5, we stand on the threshold between spring's awakening and summer's embrace, Beltane, the spirited celebration also known as May Day. Let us embark on a journey through time to uncover the ancient origins and cultural tapestry of Beltane, from the blazing bonfires of the Celts to the floral splendor of English Flora Day, this magical time of year has a beautifully rich history and diverse multitude of ancient traditions.
