May is a month of reprieve after the tumultuous times of late. Use this month to take stock of what is happening in your life and focus on what still needs to be achieved this year - the proverbial clock is ticking. In May it is best to turn inwards towards introspection and decide which aspects of your life must die in winter in the southern hemisphere or which seeds must germinate in the northern hemisphere so that space can be cleared for new things people and events waiting to enter.

Use May as a month to gain knowledge on a holistic level: all knowledge assists us in making better life choices, one way or the other. We often get stuck in behavioural patterns which are no longer beneficial to our growth, or we hang onto habits (or people) that cause us harm. Before the 'tone' of the year becomes too firmly entrenched, use the shift in seasonal energy to alter things in your own life.

Saturn

"The courage to be is the courage to accept oneself as accepted in spite of being unacceptable." - Paul Tillich

Saturn remains retrograde in May and will turn direct in June; we will address his direct motion in June and until then, caution must still be applied to legal matters and the implementation of anything requiring long/lasting duration. Saturn depicts the parts of us that display our ability to work hard, set clear boundaries for ourselves and endure pain and suffering as well as the quality of our individual ageing and maturing process. If you have found that any of these areas have been problematical during his retrograde status, May is the perfect month to reflect on this.

We all possess qualities that make us uncomfortable or which we would prefer to keep hidden from others and before Saturn turns direct, we would derive great benefit from shining the light of truth on these murky areas. Keeping something hidden tends to exacerbate the problem whereas bringing it out into the open, achieves a more positive and beneficial outcome.

Determine which parts of yourself you do not like and either consult with a professional astrologer or, if you are up to the soul-baring task on your own, make a list of these tenuous matters and apply your mind in May to how you can improve on them. The setting of boundaries, one of Saturn's rulerships, is a common problem and in May you can decide which areas of your life require firmer boundaries and which areas need to be relaxed; setting this in motion before Saturn turns direct will ensure that you can apply Saturn in June with enhanced maturity.

Mars

"Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go." - T.S. Eliot

Mars energy can be utilised for positive action this month before he leaves his sign of Aries and enters his detriment in Taurus on the 12th. Before the cold manifests in the southern hemisphere it would be fortuitous to apply the Mars energy of passion, decisive action and combat to matters that need to be addressed. This will also help to combat the unfortunate aspect of Venus the planet of love opposing Saturn this month. Although Saturn is in Libra, as sign ruled by Venus, he is still the author of great mischief and can wreak havoc in matters of love.

In winter we tend to procrastinate and tasks with looming deadlines are pushed further and further into the distance. Rather push yourself early on this month, tapping into the Mars energy to complete those tasks before their deadlines expire so that you can enjoy the lazy winter months sans the guilt. Implementing an exercise programme in May, before the desire for hibernation sets in for winter, would also be most beneficial - see how far you can extend yourself this month, on all levels.

Mercury

"In the stillness of the quiet, if we listen, we can hear the whisper of the heart giving strength to weakness, courage to fear, hope to despair." - Howard Thurman

Mercury is direct in motion in May. Channels of communication should be open and all communication, whether it is undertaken verbally, through the written word or through advertising, should hit its mark. It is prudent to remember that communication also entails listening, something most of us tend to forget. If we truly listen to what is being said, while it is being said, instead of formulating our replies in our heads after hearing only the first few words of the sentence, it will yield far greater results in our areas of communication. Mercury conjuncts Mars in his detriment on the 21st: apply caution to all communication and travel at this time as the effects, if negative, could be swift and harsh.

The Moon

"One's suffering disappears when one lets oneself go, when one yields - even to sadness." - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. 

New Moon is on 3 May and Full Moon on the 17th. The cool and noble lustre of the pure metal silver has perfect mirroring power, a property that no other metal possesses. The Moon is the natural ruler of silver and in her role as handmaid of the Lord of Light, the Sun, she displays this perfectly. Our emotional nature, another of the Moon's rulerships, mirrors the quality and health of our soul. It is interesting to note that despite its precious nature, silver is easily dissolved by acids and has an extraordinary senstivity to light. Apply this symbolism to what you see in the mirror and to what is reflected back at you from others. Does the reflection fill you with joy? Use the Moon's phases this month to attend to matters of an emotional nature, remembering that they are a reflection of what exists deep within; ensure that your reflection is truly an echo of your inner beauty and that the story it tells does you justice.