Illustration by Ishita Dharap

And then a ploughman said, speak to us of Work.

And he answered, saying:

You work that you may keep pace with the earth and the soul of the earth.

For to be idle is to become a stranger unto the seasons,

and to step out of life’s procession, that marches in majesty

and proud submission towards the infinite.

When you work you are a flute through whose heart the whispering of the hours turns to music.

Which of you would be a reed, dumb and silent, when all else sings together in unison?

Always you have been told that work is a curse labour a misfortune.

But I say to you that when you work you fulfill a part of earth’s furthest dream,

assigned to you when the dream was born,

And in keeping yourself with labour you are in truth loving life,

And to love life through labour is to be intimate with life’s inmost secret.

— Kahlil Gibran, in The Prophet

A razor-focused month in the cosmos with themes around work, career, productivity and personal magnetism. This year’s Taurus season has an above-average advantage on getting things done! Let’s see how things may play out here at SAIC.

Week 1: May 1- 7

We start the month on a slightly restless note. The planet of change (Uranus) creates a difficult aspect in the skies with the planet of art, illusion and creativity (Neptune). We may experience a crisis in our dreams. Things we thought were fulfilling, may no longer be that fulfilling. You may find yourself working day and night on a final, only to realize on the day of your final critique that it just does not inspire you any longer. Allow that realization to come through if it does. Accept that this month you may need some inner-child work on your part. Only you can hold yourself fully accountable. However, ensure you soak in some community support as well. Participating in Spring de-stress week on-campus may do us all oodles of good at this time.

Week 2: May 8 – 15

The major aspect that frames this week is Sun (Taurus) in trine with Saturn (Capricorn).

The trine between the Sun and Saturn brings a shift from this inner restlessness, toward an urge to create external stability. For those of us graduating, this will be an opportune time for those next step opportunities. If there are postgraduate scholarships/fellowships you’re interested in, ensure you mark this week as a beneficial time to apply. Commencement this year will be also blessed with this energy of ambition, of focus and of high-level productivity. If you expect to be able to relax after you graduate, or when you cross this season’s finish line, you may be a bit surprised that the cosmos have other plans in line.

Week 3: May 16 – 23

The Full Moon occurs on the 18th in the sign of Scorpio, bringing deep awareness in our lives in the areas of our lives we have given second-hand importance to. Expect sudden urges to go out and date, an intense need to engage sexually; or have unexpected arguments surfacing with intimate ones regarding issues that have been buried all this year while you were making art solo. The good news, though, is that this full moon will push us to lean into discomfort, rather than avoid it. In the long-term, this is most always for the betterment of our beautifully messy selves; In the short term though, it may hurt!

Week 4: May 24- 30

Ah relief! The planet of rebirth (Pluto) is forming a harmonious aspect with the planet of old wounds (Chiron). This beneficial energy which brings ease and effortlessness in the area of inner growth, will have us thinking up innovative ways to counter the patterns we have found ourselves stuck in.  On the 22nd, a fantastic opportunity opens up to listen to the deepest core of ourselves. We may feel like we are finally on the right path toward growth. Plan an outdoorsy weekend to release the energies of this month and really make the best of this week. There is such a thing as dangerous hyper-focus! Antidote it with conscious ways of giving your mind, body and spirit deep states of rest.

Personal Themes for this Month:

You can use these as gentle morning/evening affirmations for yourself or consider these as guiding points to frame the nuances of this month.

Pisces: May brings me plenty of opportunities to organize my thoughts, words, and communication. I am open to learning where I may have erred in the past, and know I will be more conscious from now on.

Aquarius: Inner groundedness is a lesson May brings for me. I allow myself to keep my inner work going, building the muscles of patience for the gardens of joy to come.

Capricorn: May brings pleasure and joy into focus for me. I welcome playfulness and learn than work and play are both integral to my well being.

Sagittarius: I allow myself to put my own needs first. May sharpens my lessons in the direction I want work to take in my life and I accept the learning that is coming in abundance.

Scorpio: Relationships take centre stage in May. I am willing to lean into the uncomfortable parts of sharing my life with others. I welcome my fear and learn to befriend it with patience and compassion for myself.

Libra: May brings beautiful depth into my life like never before. I allow myself to confront my fears around intimacy. Deep inner healing work has begun, in abundance for me. I welcome it.

Virgo: May brings intellectual gifts towards me. I welcome an expansion in my thinking, an evolution of my core beliefs and allow my intellect to shine in public.

Leo: I trust in my ability to hold the abundant responsibilities coming my way this month. I believe that I am capable of great leadership. I allow rest and play to make a visit as I develop my own confidence in my strengths.

Cancer: I am always home when I allow myself to accept my feelings and their cycles. My feelings don’t interfere with the abundance of work opportunities coming my way. I can shine both at home and at work.

Gemini: I allow my beautifully busy mind to quieten this May, as I rediscover the gifts of meditation and silence within myself. I am okay when I am a homebody, I allow myself to listen to my body’s feedback.

Taurus: I welcome how attractive, popular and admirable I feel this month. As I focus on self-care, I allow the love of others to nourish and support me.

Aries: This is a season of reflection for me. I love both my ability to charge ahead and my ability to step back and gather my lessons. I allow the change of my deepest insecurities as I process the cycles of life.