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Your Horoscope This Week: May 9, 2021

No matter what the weather on your side of the world, the second week of May is sure to be a reprieve in an otherwise stormy season. The new moon in Taurus on the 11th cups the dark waters of April’s full moon in Scorpio and transforms them with a bright sliver of possibility. This lunation is uninterested in complications and determined to find pleasure wherever pleasure is on offer. Pleasure, here, can be as hedonistic as a night-in with a new date and an array of libations. Or, it can be the simple relief of carving out time and space to direct all your attention toward an activity that gives you a sense of purpose. Jupiter shifts into Pisces for the time being, encouraging the dreamers inside each and every one of us to rise up and claim more space in the mundane world. The air is buzzing with potential, bolstered by Saturn’s trine to Mercury on the 12th which is sure to usher in a great deal of clarity to all prospects and soften the Mercury retrograde shadow that starts to creep in on the 14th. The reins loosen and the ropes are allowed to hang slack, a gift of increased freedom and individual responsibility. Here, we are called to rely less on authorities who don’t always have our best interests in mind and temper ourselves for the sake of our communities. We are tasked with holding reverence for both our individual joy and our collective agreements. Aries Sun & Aries RisingIf you’ve gotten the sense that this coming week is a great time to work on building some foundations for your future ambitions, trust your intuition, because it is most certainly on the right track. The new moon in Taurus is here to help you break ground and move your plans steadily forward. If you find that acting on whatever opportunities arise is at odds with your more personal affairs, it might be time to change your perspective. What might appear in the form of a distraction or emotional obstacle can very well serve to enrich your understanding of what you’re planning. Everything occurs in relation to everything else. Anything can be a teacher if you’re open to learning.Illustration by Stefhany LozanoTaurus Sun & Taurus RisingSometimes, when one looks at an open field, it can be tempting to notice what’s missing from the scene rather than what’s available to us in the present moment. Longing for what’s past can feel like a sacred ritual, a way to underscore what something meant to us and to keep it close. But, by now you must know, dear Taurus, that there are other ways to hold something sacred — ways that recognise the life cycles of all living things, including the life of a relationship. What comes also goes, what had a story before us has a story after us. So this week, when you come upon a space of possibility, do your best to see what’s there that’s good and get it while you can.Illustration by Stefhany LozanoGemini Sun & Gemini RisingFor some people, a dry spell followed by a flood of information and correspondences can feel like chaotic weather. But, for Mercury-ruled magicians like yourself, new data means new tasks. Whether you’re simply digesting what comes through, or you’re responding in kind, this week is sure to fill you with a sense of purpose. With Mercury in your sign making a trine to Saturn on the 12th, there’s an optimistic and exciting nature to the responsibilities you take on at this. It’s a good week to make plans, to set things in stone, and trust that the commitments you make will not only serve you well but inspire the same level of commitment from others.Illustration by Stefhany LozanoCancer Sun & Cancer RisingWhen people speak of shadow work, of personal excavation, they often speak of the heavy work. But learning to work with the wounded parts of ourselves and the magic medicine they hold isn’t restricted to retreat, crying jags, and processing. Sometimes, the best kind of healing is the kind that comes through play and experimentation. It should come as no surprise to you, Cancer, if the joy that’s available to you this week amplifies the edges of whatever darkness you nurture. Light defines shadows, throws them in your path. But, they’re just a part of the experience — they don’t have to diminish it. Illustration by Stefhany LozanoLeo Sun & Leo RisingIt can feel good to have people depend on you, especially when their regard is the result of your steadfast support. That kind of faith can feel a lot like love, especially for someone who so rarely asks for help yourself. It’s important to recognise, dear Leo, the emotional toll of anticipating the needs of others. It’s important to remember that not all reliances are born of love and so, not all support can be received with grace and gratitude. This week, as the new moon lights up your 10th house, try to imagine what other roles you can play in your social networks, roles that highlight what you bring to the table rather than who you can be for someone else.Illustration by Stefhany LozanoVirgo Sun & Virgo RisingThis week’s new moon might arrive under the auspices of slow-and-steady Taurus, but you can bet your bottom dollar that the days ahead are bound to move at an energetic pace. Set your intentions, dear Virgo, and then get to work! Saturn in Aquarius trines Mercury in Gemini on May 12th and the aspect is sure to offer up a good amount of clarity on all kinds of pressing matters, especially ones having to do with making plans and coming to mutual agreements. The stabilising force of this aspect is a gift and, if you key into it, it’s sure to keep you on track through the upcoming Mercury retrograde.Illustration by Stefhany LozanoLibra Sun & Libra RisingIt’s one thing to know that everyone processes big emotions differently and a whole other thing to relate to others with that knowledge in mind. When the events that elicit these big emotions are shared ones, it can be doubly hard to recognise that while two people can share an experience, they rarely experience it in the same way. Two realities are possible and intimacy can truly flourish when more than one reality is given validity. This week’s new moon in Taurus encourages you to facilitate space for your own emotional experience by gently parsing out what feels true for you right now, even if it’s not true for others. Illustration by Stefhany LozanoScorpio Sun & Scorpio RisingThis week’s new moon in Taurus is a moon concerned with your relationships. It’s a moon that invites you to share yourself and your resources with others. You are encouraged, Scorpio, to let your defences down, to show up fully and trust that you will be received. Of course, that’s easier said than done, especially if keeping an emotional distance has felt like finding safe harbour in an otherwise tumultuous season. Try your best to remember that you are not the same person you were last year — very few people are — and therefore all attempts at connecting are new terrain. Sometimes old relationships deserve a new approach. Illustration by Stefhany LozanoSagittarius Sun & Sagittarius RisingWhile it’s almost certainly true that work has been the major focus of this season for you, the new moon in Taurus offers you a feeling of discipline and determination around that work. if you’re open to shifting your perspective or — better yet — your methods, you’ll encounter a greater sense of your capabilities and your limitations. Believe it or not, understanding your relationship to time leads to a lot more free time. Saturn trine Mercury in Gemini the day following the new moon is an aspect that boosts general clarity around communication issues and, in your case, spreads the new moon’s strategic influence to your more intimate connections.Illustration by Stefhany LozanoCapricorn Sun & Capricorn RisingKnowing what we want — what could or does bring us pleasure — is sometimes a far cry from knowing how to go about getting it. This week’s new moon in Taurus aims to show you a steady path toward what you desire and leaves it up to you to start down that path — to prioritise it. Saturn, your ruling planet, trines Mercury the day following the new moon and gives a purposeful, clarifying shine to the intentions you’ve set forth. New details and missing pieces are sure to come into focus if you’re ready to receive them. Work with the universe, Capricorn, since the universe has all but conspired to work for you.Illustration by Stefhany LozanoAquarius Sun & Aquarius RisingSometimes showing up for others means showing up for yourself first. The phrase “self care” feels like it’s everywhere, but, apparently, the more we use a phrase and the wider it spreads, the farther we get from knowing what it can mean for us. While internet infographics can help us parse between activities and rituals that pertain to our physical, mental, and spiritual health, so many of these options can stack up as one person’s pleasures and another person’s chores. One fool-proof way to figure out what you can do to help yourself feel cared for is simply asking yourself the question and allowing any answer — no matter how silly or mundane — to be valid. Illustration by Stefhany LozanoPisces Sun & Pisces RisingThis coming week holds a great deal of sweetness for mutable signs (Gemini, Pisces, Sagittarius, and Virgo) and Saturn’s trine to Mercury in Gemini is sure to help direct that sweetness toward a well-placed catchment system: a budding connection, cupped hands, an open mouth. It’s important to focus on where the honey flows and follow it there, Pisces — especially since other people’s communications fail to lead you in the right direction. You know more than most that language is an imperfect tool and the directions of others rarely applies to the journey you’re on. Trust your inner compass; no matter what you settle on, you’ll find you’re far from lost.Illustration by Stefhany LozanoLike what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?This Taurus Season Is Going To Be Really IntenseObsessed With Astrology? Thank TikTok — & COVIDHow Important Is Your Roommate’s Zodiac Sign?