Welcome to Indy Maven’s astrology column coming by way of Kelli Jenkins, better known around Indy as one of the Spellsisters. Check out their website and Instagram feed for even more info from the world of horoscopes and tarot, or to book a private reading.
MAY 2023 OVERVIEW
You are here: now fully in the throes of eclipse season. Mercury retrograde is peaking, and several intense astrological transits mark this month as a big one, as far as the vibes are concerned. It’s safe to bet that May will be bursting at the seams with transformational energy for us all.
We start the month with a whirlwind of potential with the Full Moon Lunar Eclipse in Scorpio on May 5th. Always known as the ending of a cycle, Full Moons are great for releasing energy that’s no longer working for you. But this month, what those things are feels a little unpredictable. Everything is tinged with an edginess. This eclipse has the potential to make us all paranoid, questioning what we know to be true. And while it may be short-lived, it will still be intense. Even though the energy of a Full Moon typically only lasts a few days, eclipses are like portals leading us to new realities.
Meanwhile, at the forefront, we’re steeping in the Taurean qualities of stability, dedication and practicality. Needless to say, it’s a little confusing–how can we be practical and also paranoid? Sounds like Mercury is Retrograde, and it is. The stubbornness and potential for needlessly dramatic arguments are at an all-time high. Don’t start something you can’t finish. By that I mean, maybe it’s better to just let things slide until you know more (or at least until Mercury stations direct).
Taurus has a natural inclination to ground everything into reality. Sometimes that “reality” feels far-fetched IRL because it’s hard not to see setting goals regarding things like your career and health as a long-term undertaking. It can also seem unrealistic, in a way, to ride the magic carpet wave of Taurus. Objects in mirror are way freaking closer than you might think, and it’s possible for a trick of the eye to lead to a turn of your luck.
Objects may also appear more ethereal than usual, but, icymi, a little light delusion makes the world go ‘round. Go ahead. Be a little delulu, just as a treat. Set those crazy goals and intentions re: your finances, career and personal growth, and then watch as your slightly unhinged wishes are granted with little more effort than belief. Sometimes all it takes to change the course of your life is taking a slightly different route than the one you take routinely.
Jupiter ducks into Taurus on the 16th and is followed by a New moon in Taurus on the 19th. Creature comforts loom large, bringing even more sleepy, dreamy vibes. But as Mars enters Leo on the 20th, all bets are off, and playfulness reigns supreme. Keep your ear to the ground, but your mouth zipped. Beware misunderstandings and petty drama.
Ultimately, May is time to focus on yourself. This 19th’s New Moon is meant for you to break down the boundaries of what you used to think was possible. That was the old you, and we don’t know them.
Mid-month risks will be met with rewards, as the New Moon’s sense of adventure and exploration is met with the warp-speed dream sequence of the Sun entering Gemini on the 21st. Embrace the unknown, and don’t rush your way through anything. Pay close attention. Slow down enough to reflect and focus on your dreams–not just goals–but big D dreams. Take the opportunity to make sure you’re doing the work to head in the direction of where you want to go rather than just trudging along. Trust that you can pivot and that everything is always working out for you in the end.
Xoxo,
Kelli
BIRTHDAY ROYALTY <3 TAURUS & TAURUS RISING (APRIL 20 – MAY 20):
You have a golden opportunity this month, birthday baby, to make money moves and see real movement towards your Big Picture Goals. You’re not afraid of using a little elbow grease to get things clean, and this month is an especially fortuitous time for you to get clear on practical ways reach long-term goals. Since you’ll be seeing life from a wider perspective, be sure to use this month’s early New Moon to set new intentions and goals, especially focusing on where you want to see yourself financially and in your career. Taurus, you are blessed with security and confidence this month. You are always grounded and known for the stability you bring along with you everywhere you go. Your self-assuredness is allowing you to make progress with ease, but don’t get too comfortable. It’s important to avoid complacency and be aware of murky situations that keep you stuck. Don’t be afraid to try new things this month and take bigger risks than you’re used to taking–this might mean that you go out on a teeny-tiny limb, but that’s okay! Start wherever you are, and use your inner knowing as a guide. To know yourself as deeply as you do is a gift. So when you know something’s off, it’s time to address it. Anything that’s been bothering you on a low boil and trying to knock you off balance is suddenly rumbling. You know how to face any issues that might arise, and what’s meant to stay in your life will only grow stronger as a result. You’re learning how to trust yourself more. Be your own sherpa.
Tarotscopes | Justice: It’s all about balance, baby. Let your dream sequence blend into real life.
Key Dates: 1, 16, 19, 26
Local Taurus: Niki Royal, GM of Easy Rider Diner and Co-Owner of Royal River Vintage, May 19
Famous Taurus: Cher, May 20
NOW FOR THE REST OF YOU...
Gemini & Gemini Rising (May 21 – June 20):
Your job this month is to release yourself from tired old patterns and cycles that don’t support your growth, even if they once did. You are allowed to set new boundaries if what used to work for you simply doesn’t anymore. Revoke consent, pull back and go in different directions. Let go of crusty, dusty, musty old beliefs in favor of personal growth and transformation. It’s not every day you get to experience a transformational shift and press reset. You’re also gifted the opportunity to make strong new connections, so don’t be afraid to put yourself out there in new ways. You don’t have to be a clown to be recognized. Instead, your ingenuity and ability to sleuth and communicate like a mastermind will be celebrated. It’s a breath of fresh air and surely a weight off your shoulders to no longer need to play an old role.
Tarotscopes | Death: Burn down the old growth. Ashes fortify new growth.
Key Dates: 4, 21, 28
Cancer & Cancer Rising (June 21 – July 22):
Don’t be worn down by the influx of invitations or obligations this month, Cancer. You’ll have plenty of opportunities to indulge in coziness, even if you choose to accept this month’s necessary boost in communication. Everyone wants a piece of you, needs your opinion or wants you to talk them down, but be wary of situations where you’re not receiving the same energy you put out back. You tend to act like an emotional sponge sometimes, and it’s hard for you to express when you feel advantage has been taken. It’s not that you’re meek or playing small; you just want to avoid conflict. And that’s wise for you this month because miscommunications could plague you if you let them fester. Keep your eye on the prize, and stay focused rather than giving in to the self-doubt that can arise from misunderstandings. There are other places your energy could be spent.
Tarotscopes | Queen of Swords: Speak your mind, succinctly and only when it matters. There’s no use expending energy to send a message that won’t be received.
Key Dates: 7, 15, 26
Leo & Leo Rising (July 23 – August 22):
If you’ve been feeling sleepy and sluggish towards your goals, fret not, my dudes, because this month you’re waking up in a major way: to new potential, new relationships, fresh energy, and a new perspective. You’re more than willing to put yourself out there if you think you’ll get a return, but this month, it doesn’t matter. You’ve been laying so low, just waiting for the next thing to hit that you really just want to be seen and heard, in whatever capacity. You have tons of energy for expressing yourself this month, and your motivation to succeed is peaking. It’s time for you to step into a more prominent role in some aspect of your life. Suggestions: making things official in a new relationship, stepping into a leadership role or getting a promotion, going on a massive solo trip. Whatever you choose to do, take full responsibility for yourself, and be willing and available to take charge of the situation at hand. Your steady voice and unwavering confidence are exactly the medicine needed.
Tarotscopes | The Sun: No matter how long the night, the Sun is going to rise and expose the fresh growth.
Key Dates: 5, 20, 22
Virgo & Virgo Rising (August 23 – September 22):
You just want to shut the door, wear your blue blockers and TCB this month, young Virgo. You’re seeking solitude, and you just want everyone to be quiet so you can focus on expanding your knowledge!!! In whatever way, you’re like a scholar this month, in pursuit of some information you’ve never had before because you’re looking for a deeper connection with your own spirit. Seeking doesn’t always uncover new findings, but this month, it’s paying off. You’re discovering something about yourself, and others are, too. You could receive recognition, get published, get a raise or maybe just engage in deep conversation. Communing with well-respected colleagues and friends can be just as rewarding as a raise sometimes, and perhaps that’s exactly what you’re learning. Maybe your perception of achievement is what’s being adjusted this month?
Tarotscopes | The Hermit: Only you can teach yourself the secrets of yourself.
Key Dates: 6, 7, 26
Libra & Libra Rising (September 23 – October 22):
You are absolutely entitled to the way that you are feeling yourself this month, dearest, and it’s like a beacon for everyone else. Your confidence is running high, and you might feel like a show-off, but we are all dying for you to show off. Like, screaming, crying and throwing up, hoping that some Libra will come set the tone for this summer, please! You’re ready for new relationships and new situations to engage in that appreciate your charisma and charm on a deeper level. Sometimes that might mean you have to leave your old friends at the old club and find a new haunt. That doesn’t really mean that you’ve changed; it’s just confirmation that you weren’t being recognized or appreciated for who you are. Maybe they changed. Maybe the game changed. Maybe just the CD skipped and now you recognize that you deserve the throne, actually. All of this, and still you’re humble!
Tarotscopes | The Empress: You are literally a divine vessel for manifestation right now. You are gleaming, and if someone makes you feel dull, peace out.
Key Dates: 4,7, 26
Scorpio (October 23 – November 21):
You feel more and more inclined to hone in on those situations that feel fated lately, and it’s not a fluke. You are so in tune with your intuition this month that you can practically feel the vibrational attraction to certain people, places and things that align with you right now. You’re being guided to tap into that awareness and expand it. It’s not an accident. Those crazy, what-the-hell, strange moments are meant to be, where you’re like, “Did you just feel that, too?” You’re magnetizing more and more of these occurrences because they’re teaching you something about who you are. They’re guiding you to new vistas within yourself. This month, you have an uncanny ability to see everything that’s felt super worn-out lately on a more philosophical level. You can finally see why everything has happened the way it has to lead you here, and for once, it makes sense that it had to happen that way. If the path were different you wouldn’t appreciate where you have arrived. You know that now, but man, did it take some time–give yourself grace and be grateful for your ability to weather the storms.
Tarotscopes | The World: All that build-up was amounting to this, and it was worth it.
Key Dates: 1, 5, 28
Sagittarius & Sag Rising (November 22 – December 21):
Last month, you may have questioned yourself, fretting about your direction and wondering if you’d bet on the wrong horse. This month, you have a lot more clarity, even if you still feel raw. This is the time for you to really ground yourself in your routines and habits, paying attention to how the little things affect you. You feel like finding new things. All the exes you romanticize, the old places you haunt and try to revive, the habits you find yourself repeating everyday… they aren’t meaning as much to you anymore. You want to be reborn, and what this month is trying to teach you is that you can’t find rebirth in other people, places or things. You can’t change your shampoo, change your life (usually). There are subconscious messages coming to you this month through dreams, hunches and memories. Something long-forgotten or ignored is proving to be meaningful and transformative.
Tarotscopes | The Moon: You can’t stop what you love to do, but you can change what you love.
Key Dates: 4, 16, 22
Capricorn (December 22 – January 19):
What you’re drawn to right now may not make sense to you, but that’s okay. You don’t have to apply logic to the creative or undefined. You can simply enjoy what you enjoy and not try to reason with it. This month you’re being called to do what you feel is indulgent–because the lesson is that feeding your soul is not indulgent. It’s essential. You’re on a totally different vibe than usual and may feel compelled to actually express yourself creatively and follow a whim to find what makes you feel passionate. Because it isn’t what it used to be. You may have grown tired of what you once loved and now feel bored and uninspired by what motivated you before. This month, give yourself the space to reflect on this and consider what you’d rather be doing when you start to feel bored. This could open you up to all kinds of new potential and could even bring some interesting characters into your life. You’re ready for this next phase.
Tarotscopes | The Fool: It’s not foolish to be a fool about something. Let yourself indulge in not knowing the answers.
Key Dates: 12, 18, 28
Aquarius & Aquarius Rising (January 20 – February 18):
If it’s been more appealing to you to stay in and curl up with a book on the couch these past few months, don’t beat yourself up. Leveling up actually takes a lot of energy, and the rest you’ve been compelled to give yourself over to was necessary. You may still feel more inclined to lay low, but you’ll be sought out anyway. You want something bigger, bolder and brighter for yourself, and in order for that to come into your life, you have got to be open to it. So open yourself. You’ve put yourself out there for years, and now if you’re starting to get a little recognition for it, know that it’s authentic. You are being appreciated for who you really are. The affirmations you’ve told yourself over the years are true: you are loved, beautiful and safe. People really do want to pay you well just to be around you. Trust in your natural ability to draw the right people and opportunities in. It’s worked before, just in smaller ways. Why wouldn’t it work now, for something your want so deeply? Trust this.
Tarotscopes | The Magician: Trust this. Trust this. Trust this.
Key Dates: 1, 9, 17, 20-21
Pisces & Pisces Rising (February 19 – March 20):
Your mental health is the most important thing you can nourish right now, and if that means shutting down communication or walking away from situations that are diminishing you in any way, then so be it. The star shining on the other side of this is so much brighter–wherever you are heading is more suited for you, by multitudes. I can’t begin to tell you how blessed you are this month in your ability to communicate and be understood. Whether the message is received has nothing to do with you. You shouldn’t feel drained by situations that are supposed to feed your soul, my love. You may find yourself being thrown into learning or seeking, and that’s natural, but I would urge you to consider why you’re trying to intellectualize your pain right now? You can’t make sense of things by making sense of them, if that makes sense 😛Retreat and prioritize yourself above all else, especially that which siphons your energy away from you. Ain’t nobody got time for that, baby. This situation will look so much better by the end of the month.
Tarotscopes | 3 of Swords: It shocks you how badly you’re hurt by this situation. Take comfort in the fact that it won’t last forever.
Key Dates: 4, 12, 15, 28
Aries & Aries Rising (March 21 – April 19):
Insights are hitting you left and right as you become more focused and more aware of how you can make the situations you feel stuck in better. If you’re not going to claw yourself out of the grave like Uma in Kill Bill, then you might as well make the grave pretty while you wait for rescue, am I right? If you’ve felt stuck and stagnant, this month will break you out of a rut. Suddenly, things seem to come together effortlessly, and you have new ideas for how to do things. Even something you’ve done over and over for years can feel new if you change your perspective and do it in a different way. You’re being called this month to let go of old attachments. You are not the same as you once were. Whatever you’re clinging to and trying to mold to fit your current reality is ready to be shed. Frankly, you won’t even miss it. This is an opportunity for you to focus on what matters to you, and not what you’re doing to contribute to other people’s goals. You can still be supportive without giving up on yourself. You can also choose to prioritize yourself and not settle for someone else’s status quo. You’re driving the ship, here.
Tarotscopes | The Chariot: It’s time for you to take the wheel and take control of where you’re spending your energy.
Key Dates: 15, 20, 21
RELATED: YOUR APRIL 2023 HOROSCOPES WITH THE SPELLSISTERS
Photo of the Spellsisters by Schwebach Photography.
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