!! OMG Stars: New Moon in Gemini !!

Welcome to OMG Stars: an astrology column written by Amelia Ehrhardt (@soft_aspects) a queer astrologer currently practicing from bed. Every two weeks, on the new and full moons, I’ll give you a report of the upcoming astrology with a focus on how to navigate current events (astrological and global) with the help of the *stars*.

May 22nd to June 5
It’s Gemini Season! Plus: New moon in Gemini, Venus still retrograde, it’s okay to be stressed out.

I have been repeating to all of my clients that I see for private chart readings lately: this astrology is *a lot*. The day-to-day astrology we are living in is very stressful and has been as such since at least January of 2020. Right now with a whole collection of planets retrograde, the energy is particularly potent.

Venus stationed retrograde on May 14th, in the middle of this last full-to-new moon cycle. When a planet is retrograde, the “re” suffix can be applied to words describing that planet’s energy – we re-visit, re-evaluate, re-question. Venus is about at once our comforts – our romantic inclinations and our sensuality – and at the same time, about our money and our resources. Venus also has to do with our aesthetics. It is what we need to feel safe, and the way we feel in our body once we have that.

When Venus stations retrograde we go through those re-words about Venus qualities. Ex-lovers tend to re-emerge. Our money needs re-counting. We want to re-cycle our entire wardrobe. But since there is such intense energy during these times, any retrograde period is a bad time to make decisions regarding that planet’s function. Famously when Mercury stations retrograde, it’s a bad idea to make commitments or buy technology. Venus retrograde has similar qualities. Ruling Libra and the 7th house, Venus has to do with contracts – so a contract you sign during Venus retrograde might be one you find needs re-negotiating.

At 9:30 EST the morning of May 22nd, the sun moved into Gemini. Later the same day, at 1:39 PM, the new moon will be exact, also in Gemini. New moons always take place in the same sign as the sun (since the moon goes conjunct the sun at that time). Gemini season is about communication: information, thoughts, research, social media, gossiping, talking. During Gemini season in this part of the world we finally, finally are in weather during which it feels good enough to go outside, and people get a little manic about it. Legs out of pants! People on the street! There’s too much to look at.

New moons encourage us to set new cycles and intentions in the thematics of the sign they appear in. In Gemini, today while the sun moves into that sign, it encourages us to not go too bonkers into the frenetic energy of Gemini and to go inside ourselves a little bit to set intentions for how we relate to this side of ourselves. Take this day to think twice about whether you really feel ready to get back outside and interact with the world. It might feel overwhelmingly tempting (and Gemini loves an impulse), but let the knowledge of the new moon help you decide whether you really need to run around the city or whether you’re just distracted by your local hot jogger.

Read the full set of sun and rising sign horoscopes after the jump!

Horoscopes are written using whole house calculations and are meant as inspiration and affirmation of what you already know. They are written for both sun and rising signs, and you can read for your moon sign for extra emotional information.

Aries and Aries Rising
Aries, new beginnings are what you are all about, and this new moon in energetic Gemini is in a friendly sextile to your Aries placements. For Aries rising people, this lunation takes place in your 3rd house of communication (and for everybody, this moon has thematics of communication). Holding your Tongue isn’t an Aries quality, nor is it a Gemininian one: take this new moon to set intentions on how you want to use your natural energetic and impulsive qualities alongside the chatty energy of this season. Who do you want to see and speak to? What do you want to think about? Consider the way you communicate your needs and values, and take this new moon and Venus retrograde to revisit whether those strategies are working for you.

Taurus and Taurus Rising
Taurus, I hope you are coping with everyone being so uncomfortable right now. Discomfort is one of Taurus’ least favourite states and this astrology is as cozy as latex hot pants. You’re still dealing with your ruling planet Venus sailing through a retrograde, meaning that everyone going through a doubtful moment around the things you need most (comfort and resources) might be throwing you for a loop. Taurus likes assurance and a Venus retrograde is not likely to come with that.

For Taurus rising, this new moon will be in Taurus’ ruling house, the 2nd house of resources. This is a useful place for you to have a new moon, giving you a chance to set up a new cycle of energy around your resources that will best serve you. Taurus is all about literal stuff. Your home objects, your food, your money, your flowers, your bed: having been stuck inside for these months, you may have spent so much time with your stuff that it all starts to look the same. Practice some very time-honored spellwork and consider cleaning up your stuff in order to best set your intentions for it. If you don’t want to get out of bed, you can always organize your finances via your phone.

Gemini and Gemini Rising
Gemini, I saw a great meme today about you: there was a tiny kitten clutching a tiny stuffed toy, and a person trying (and failing) to take the tiny stuffed toy away as the kitten clung. The kitten was labeled “Gemini”, the person’s hand “Miss Rona”, and the tiny toy “Your birthday season”. Let nothing stand between a Gemini and the possibility of a social encounter! While #notallgeminis are necessarily social beings, Gemini is so much about gathering information that the social sphere is such a useful one for you. The next week is full of Gemini energy, with the Sun, Venus, and Mercury all in the sign of the twins, and on the 22nd/23rd are joined also by this new moon. An influx of energy can be overwhelming for other signs, but for Gemini folks it might feel stimulating.

For Gemini rising people, this is a lot of focus on how you develop your identity and see the world. This new moon takes place in your first house near your ascendant, so it’s beneficial energy for renewing your sense of self. Being as it goes along with the Venus retrograde, you might also feel some deep confusion about who you are and what you want from encountering the world. let a time of unknowing be an opportunity to welcome change that you might not even know you want.

Cancer and Cancer Rising
Tender cancer, everyone being so touchy might be really hurting you. For Cancer rising folks, both this new moon and the Venus retrograde are taking place in your 12th house, which is where we go when we’re alone, and has to do with out dreams. It’s a tricky and watery part of the psyche. Soft Cancer might be feeling themselves spiral out here a little bit. It can always be hard for Cancer people to think that you need to take care of everyone around you, but right now it’s important to acknowledge that they might not want the care.

This new moon is a good time for you to spend some deep time with yourself, journal, write down your dreams, and consider the ways that solitude can be good for you.

Leo and Leo Rising
Leo loves to be visible and experience the kind of self-affirmation that only comes from other people, and the extended period of isolation combined with this very emotionally intense astrology may challenge those needs of yours. While the energizing combination of Gemini plants might be providing all Leo folks a friendly boost, the time of going deep doesn’t give you much of the opportunity that you need to feel seen.

For Leo rising people, this retrograde and new moon both take place in your 11th house of community – so you may at once feel sensitive and isolated from your friends, but also could use this as an opportunity to sow some new seeds. Reach out to new friends, create new relationships that you would like to see bloom.

Leo knows how to bring people in, and this is a great time to be creative about how to do that.

Virgo and Virgo Rising
I’ve been reflecting a lot lately about Virgo’s rulership of service and detail. Virgo is all about care for details that others can forget: remembering to do something before someone else even thinks it might need to be done. At the same time Virgo rules service for others, so Virgo is associated with work that is very behind-the-scenes: administrators, technicians, accountants… and nurses. We are in a collective moment of serious need for the care of Virgo. But for those of you who are not presently working in health care, the ways in which you show care for others (through unseen acts of service) might feel particularly invisible as everyone becomes so solipsistic during the Venus retrograde that they forget how to say “thank you”. For those of you with your sun between 11 and 21 degrees of Virgo, there might be a couple days of extra stress from the Venus retrograde as typically comfortable Venus questions her every move and squares your sun.

For Virgo rising people, this new moon takes place in your 10th house of career. Consider the ways you take care in work and life, and how you can go forward using your skills in service to continue to serve you, also. And for any Virgos who may actually be nurses – I bow at your white-toed feet.

Libra and Libra Rising
Librans, you continue to sit in the muck of a retrograde in your ruling planet. For Taureans (the other sign ruled by Venus), the side of Venus considered and affected has to do with resources and vales: for you Libra Lovers, it’s about romance and one-on-one connection. People born with placement in the sign of the scales are significantly invested in these kinds of relationships. Since the quarantine started I’ve had an overwhelming and almost comical influx of Libra clients, at least 80% of my bookings. I realized that your need for this kind of intensive connection may be particularly challenged right now. Be careful of any old lovers coming out of the woodwork – a frequent occurrence in Venus retrograde. Libra, so poetic, might be willing to give it a listen, but if there was a reason you let something go, then let it stay gone: at least until Venus stations direct on June 25th.

Libra rising folks have this new moon in in your 9th house of expansion. What a terrible time to suggest you plan a trip somewhere, Libra, but if you can dream about where you might most like to go when this is “over,” I suggest doing so. Failing that, make good on your plans to download Duolingo.

Scorpio and Scorpio Rising
I hope you’re recovered from that exhausting full moon on your sign, Scorpio, because for those of you with Scorpio rising, the fun continues (I used to have a Ballet teacher who used “fun” to describe only the most horrible things – I think I just did it there). This new moon and Venus retrograde happen in Scorpio’s own 8th house, which has to do with transformations and – fun! – other people’s baggage. This retrograde could see your relationship to other people’s bullshit on high gear: maybe they’re projecting their bullshit onto you. Maybe you’re blaming them for your bullshit. Maybe you’re picking up their bullshit and mistaking it for your own.

Whatever the case, use the renewing new moon energy to remember that someone else’s bullshit isn’t yours, and that you have plenty of your own to deal with. All Scorpio people are likely to be sensitive to other people reviewing their own trauma, so this is a moment to both be gentle with yourself and careful with Scorpio’s famous stinger.

Sagittarius and Sagittarius Rising
I don’t know if it’s gauche for an astrologer to divulge their own astrology, but I’m doing it: my sun is in Sagittarius, and I have a lot of Archer energy in my chart. I know very well how nothing can make you wanna get out into the world by being told that you can’t. For anybody on the Sag spectrum, the added restriction of a Venus retrograde is an extra source of stress. This retrograde is taking place opposite Sagittarius, so there’s lots of opportunity for it to really bug you. If your sun is between 12 and 20 degrees of Sagittarius, Venus will be directly opposite your sun sign between this new and next Full moon on June 5th. I feel like the fact that the Archer rules both travel and philosophy is not talked about often enough. Sure, Sagittarius can love adventure and travel, but it’s ultimately in the pursuit of knowledge: Sag can just as easily sit still and wax for hours. This retrograde may likely pull all of you (okay, us) closer down the latter of those two options, really getting into questions of who AM I and WHAT am I DOING. Be careful of Sag impulsiveness so as to not act on and of your new ideas before the retrograde ends on the 25th of June.

For those of you with Sag rising, this new moon and retrograde takes place in your 7th house. You may feel a bit of extra stress in your closest one-on-one relationships, but this can also be an opportunity to try and get closer to someone you’ve felt a kinship for.

Capricorn and Capricorn Rising
I continue to suspect that although the lens is turned elsewhere, that all Capricorn folks are continuing to experience a bit of extra pressure in this year’s truly relentless astrology. Capricorn people don’t like it when structures are unreliable, and right now, we barely even recognize what structures are. I can’t think of a sign for whom it’s worse to not know what day of the week it is. So while there’s no particularly interesting astrology I can think to describe to you, Capricorn, if you’re still reading your horoscopes and wondering why no one is affirming how hard you’ve got it right now, it could be because we’re all just tired of talking about Capricorn.

For any of you with Capricorn sun, moon, or rising between 21 and 29 degrees of the sign, the year has probably felt like a continuous punch in the face. So while Capricorn rising folks can know that this new moon in your 6th house is a time to set your best intentions for both your health and your day-to-day lives, all of you Sea-Goats can just continue to count your pennies, or tell someone what to do, or follow your routine, or sit in the basement and get weird, or build model homes – whatever gets you through.

Aquarius and Aquarius Rising
As Saturn makes its first small gesture into Aquarius, I’m getting ready for later this year when it moves firmly into your sign and gets characterized by your natal weirdness, Aquarius. My feeling for all Aquarians right now is that this strange moment is one for you to follow your inclinations as much as you want. Venus retrograde brings everyone into revision/revisit/revise, and few signs are as well-suited to considering how much change is possible as you.

For Aquarius rising folks, the new moon and retrograde happen in your 5th house of creativity, pleasure, and falling in love. For those of you in this camp in a new relationship, you might find this a time when you’re starting to question whether it’s precisely the right fit. You could also just be wondering if you’re really getting all the fun that you need in your life.

This new moon is beautiful one to consider the ways that fun needs to be a part of your life. Purposefully set some intentions to have the kind of fun that you want to have, and make a point of following up on them (at 2m distance in groups of no more than 5).

Pisces and Pisces Rising
Sensitive pisces, when could a retrograde not harm you? The image of the fish for Pisces is something I understand when I think about watching fish underwater when I’m out of the city. Schools of them can be quite still, but even a ripple or a shadow make them swim away as they sense any minute threat of danger. Pisces feels every other person’s emotion as though it’s a shadow on the water’s surface. In this time of everyone getting very in on these feelings, anyone with significant pisces placement is at threat of feeling – well, threat. Try to remember that other people’s feelings are not your own.

For Pisces rising people, this new moon and retrograde in your fourth house may have you seriously itching in your own home. Perhaps the desire to re-arrange the furniture is stronger than you can ignore, or maybe you just find yourself trolling housing pages for no good reason.This retrograde, square pisces, has the capacity to really stress all of you out – particularly those with sun between 12 and 20 degrees of Pisces.

This is an excellent time to journal or to find other conduits for your feelings. Pisces is so very good at that, anyway.