As the month opens, a gathering of heavenly bodies in your opposite sign of Taurus is about to take place. The "guests" - the planets to this grand party in Taurus - have already arrived, including the Sun, Mars, and Mercury, and they are all awaiting the new moon solar eclipse in Taurus to set off the festivities on May 9 / May 10 (depending on your time zone). They are all meeting in your partnership sector, where all your attention will be drawn. Scorpio likes to have ultimate control, but this month that won't be possible, not with so much energy in signs opposite yours. This month, it's clear you may have come to realize that one plus one equals more than the sum of the parts - in other words, more than you could ever do staying in solo mode.

You now have Saturn in your sign, so you are taking just about everything seriously, for Saturn is urging you to stabilize you life and to develop a plan for the future. Mars is opposite Saturn, so the buildup of cosmic energy in your opposite sign seems to have you wondering if the idea of collaboration or commitment to a partner is a good one. As the month starts, you seem temporarily stopped in your tracks, because you are thinking deeply about how best to move forward, or even if you should do so. That's because Mars is all about taking action, but when opposed to Saturn, now in Scorpio, you might freeze temporarily. Mars will move on, and that feeling should pass, but there is certainly no harm in going slowly and thinking through all you need to do. From where I sit, forming a partnership seems to be the right idea, dear Scorpio, but you can know for sure.

Eclipses are very important to pay attention to, as they work differently than other aspects. Their job is to get you moving, to shake you out of complacency, and to help you find the weak links in your life, whether that will relate to an important relationship, or to certain conditions or your own assumptions. The May 9/10 eclipse will affect you if you have been dating and you hope to marry - it appears that your partner is ready to commit if you are, and you might be, too. Eclipses mark big life events you long remember and that form the structure of your life.

You just had a lunar (full moon) eclipse last month on April 25 in Scorpio 6 degrees, and if your birthday falls on October 29, you likely felt the effects of that eclipse quite directly. Saturn orbited close to that eclipse, so your mood may have been somber, or the message that came may have been weighty and serious. If your health is not good, you must see a doctor this month to keep you feeling your best, as occasionally an eclipse will show up a latent illness that you had no idea you had, and should go to a doctor for advice (only a small portion of Scorpios will feel that manifestation of the eclipse.)

That eclipse of April 25 also had you seeing yourself in a new light, from your talents and desires, and asked you to think about what would you like to do in the future. Part of the mission of an eclipse is to shift your perspective and see conditions, and your own capabilities, in a new light. Often a puzzle piece comes out of the sky, and once put into your overall puzzle, changes the whole complexion of what you know - and suddenly certain mysteries make sense. Eclipses bring a big floodlight of truth.

If you are in a relationship, you began thinking late last month about your future together, and whether you are ready now to commit. The partner you thought about, and will continue to think about this month, could be a partner from your career, say, a business partner, collaborator, writing partner, agent, or other expert you work closely with to do your job, and hopefully, to get ahead. A solar eclipse brings your career strongly into the conversation because Leo rules the Sun, and Leo is the ruler of your solar tenth house of career. It seems you do need a partner of some sort this month to get ahead professionally - a lawyer, headhunter, or other human resources expert.

You can read what I wrote about the April 25 eclipse last month. I always provide a link to the previous forecast, and you can find it below the Dates to Note and before the PS if you scroll down now.

Eclipses speed up timetables, so no matter what you had planned on previously, you may have to change that now. If you see no future, you may have left last month as a result of the April 25 eclipse, plus or minus five days. If you needed more time to think, you will likely make up your mind before May is finished. Still, if you planned to get engaged, say, next year, something may come up to make that happen much faster. Here is an example: your fiance gets a new job in a foreign country - such as London, England - and wants to marry sooner so that you both can go together. Eclipses make us make up our mind, even when we don't feel particularly ready to do so!

I like this new moon solar eclipse for you. Arriving May 9/10, in Taurus 20 degrees, it will open a door on a new era for a close, committed relationship, whether you hope to join forces for business or for personal reasons, such as marriage. Within the days that follow that eclipse, if the relationship is strong, and you feel there's a future by joining together, talk will come up concerning those serious plans. Mars, of your two rulers, will reach the same degree as the eclipse (20 degrees Taurus) on May 17, so it's a day to watch, for Mars rules action, and things may fall into place rapidly.

Pluto will be friendly to this eclipse too, and Pluto is your other ruler, so that's significant. Marriage and business relationships are serious, contractual deals, and fortunately, Pluto is in your third house of agreements and contacts - another good sign of good things to come. It's so hard to get Mars and Pluto to agree on anything, so now that you have both in sync, you really do have an excellent outlook for forming an alliance.

If you were born on November 12, plus or minus five days, you will benefit from this solar eclipse the most. Also, if you know your natal chart, see if you have a planet at 20 degrees (plus or minus five degrees) of Taurus, Virgo, or Capricorn - that planet will receive many benefits too, depending how it is situated in your chart. (It's good to keep a little diary of how events play out for you listing the planet that you had noticed would be sensitized, and how you benefited.) Next in line in the pecking order (in third place) would be a planet at 20 degrees Pisces or Cancer, for that planet will receive a beam from this eclipse, too.

An eclipse will always fall on a new moon or a full moon - two weeks apart. New moons are always (without exception) a solar eclipse, and similarly, all full moons are lunar eclipses. Full moon lunar eclipses are much more emotional than a new moon eclipse, as they bring things to a conclusion. Lunar (full moon) eclipses end things, while new moon solar eclipses like you have on May 9/10 begin things. I find solar eclipses (like May 9/10) to be exciting, and lunar eclipses, because they finalize things, sometimes make us a little sentimental.

What is the difference between a regular new or full moon and one that is eclipsed? A monthly, regular new moon or full moon would be powerful in their own right, but when eclipsed, they become much more so, with at least three times the power. Whoa! They become super strong! I have found that memorable marker dates tend to come up at eclipse time: engagements and marriage, births, promotions, the start of a new business, major surgeries, publication of an important new book, purchase of a house, the day to defend a thesis - you get the idea. Big life events, ones that become the pillars that form the very structure of your life, come at eclipse time.

As my mother, who taught me astrology, used to say, you may have wonderful aspects, but without a new or full moon to unlock its energy, it will just be lying dormant, but you won't feel it until you have a new or full moon in a significant angle to unlock its treasures. Typically there are only four eclipses in a given year, but this year we will have five - and three are happening within four weeks, now! As said earlier, you have already come through the April 25 eclipse, and now we have May 9 (or May 10) and one more - May 25. This is a month of great change and adjustment!

The May 25 full moon lunar eclipse in Sagittarius 4 degrees will bring a financial matter to a close. The house that is so strongly lit is your eighth house of income and possessions. You may get a large increase in salary or see your income stem from a new source. You may buy something important - like a house or a car you've been saving up to buy.

Jupiter rules your second house of income, and currently, Jupiter is in Gemini and touring your eighth house of other people's money. With that in mind, that other house is drawn into the conversation. If you are changing jobs, the topic of benefits will come up - a signing bonus, perhaps, or health care and vacation days. If you are in a divorce, you may settle the division of property between you and your ex. You may hear that you are getting a mortgage from a bank, or you may get an infusion of venture capital for your new business. You may receive a final payout from an insurance company, or hear the final financial decision in a court settlement.

You may pay out a sum, too, such as for back child support or a large amount of money you owe a relative, or see it come in, such as a large commission or royalty check. An inheritance may be finally settled, and a check may be dispatched to you. Eclipses tend to bring important events, so paying your regular monthly credit card bill would not fit here - it seems bigger and more important than that.

This eclipse comes in hard angle to Neptune, so if you are putting in money, say, as partners would do in a business, or in the way possessions and savings are divided in a divorce, make sure you have been given all the facts, and that all is above board. You may be left out of the loop, because someone hopes you won't find out certain facts. Neptune in this regard could mean that something is unfair, because facts and figures have been altered or hidden. Or it may be that you simply misunderstand what is being said to you.

Scorpio, as a water sign, is very intuitive and in business quite shrewd. If you feel that something is amiss, ask questions and demand to see data backup. If buying a house, you may want to ask a second engineer to check it to make sure the seller is not hiding a large expense that you overlooked and would have to cover once you own the house, as one example. I am not saying that anyone will deliberately deceive you, but with Neptune sending vibrations to your money house, confusion may happen innocently. This is just another reason you need to see all facts and go over them carefully.

On the flip side, Uranus will be very friendly and may bring a source of income to you suddenly, quite out of the blue. This would be wonderful, and seems likely, but it will be up to you to respond quickly, to take full advantage! If you are in your own business, a new client may come in, and if you work for others, you may be asked to do a freelance project on the side (as long as that is OK with your present employer).

Only two days after the eclipse, on May 27, Mercury will join with Jupiter in your house of other people's money, so that is a day you are likely to get superb financial news. That day, May 27, is the Memorial Day holiday, so most people are not working in the US. This day has a little halo around it, however, so you may hear news before the long weekend, on May 24, or just after, on May 28.

Speaking of May 28, Venus will meet with Jupiter on that day, an exceedingly rare aspect, making it divine for making a promise to your one-and-only sweetheart, or for hearing good news about money. You may win a contest, for example, or receive a beautiful, expensive gift. There are many possibilities, but the point is this: when it comes to month's end, Scorpio, you will have the Midas touch!

In May, your best bet will be to collaborate with others to form something bigger than what you could achieve alone, by yourself. This may mean that you are about to get engaged or married in this merry month or that you will form a business collaboration, partnership, or joint venture. In terms of business, you may alternatively hire an expert to advise you in areas that can compliment your goals. All your luck will come through the one person you align with now, so rather than consider going it alone, your planets are being clear - join forces with a person or entity, such as another company (say, if self-employed), and go into a joint venture.

There are other ways you may use this energy. You might hire a new lawyer, accountant, bookkeeper, financial advisor, agent, stylist, or publicist to help you get ahead, as a few examples. Mars will be in Taurus, and among the many planets (Venus, Mercury, and also the Sun) surrounding the new moon solar eclipse on May 9, so in the ten days following that eclipse, it will be a time of action and energy. You won't be faced with delays - both you and the other party will want to move forward. If you need to sign papers, Pluto will be your best buddy, so go ahead - sign. I always feel it is best to leave some space from the date of the eclipse, May 9/10 (depending on your time zone - most will see the eclipse May 10); leaving just a few days will do.

May 17 might be a big day for money, for it marks the date that Mars will move over the degrees of the eclipse (20 degrees Taurus), so you may form your collaboration then - or get engaged or married, plus or minus one day.

Later in the month, Venus, the ruler of your partnership house, will meet with Jupiter on May 28, and Mercury, planet of contracts, will also meet with Jupiter, May 27, giving you other special days to commit your promise by signature.

A major, full moon lunar eclipse will take place May 25, in Sagittarius, and fill your second house of earned income. This suggests the source of your income may now change, either this month or very soon, and chances are, you will earn a better salary than you have now. With Jupiter in your house of benefits, you are likely to negotiate a host of company perks, with such benefits as generous paid vacation, health insurance, a yearly bonus or generous commission rate, and possibly the key to the executive gym - you get the idea. You may change where you work, accepting a better job, or move up in a grand promotion. This is a full moon eclipse, suggesting talks you've had will come to an end now, and a final decision from you - or from the person you are dealing with - is at hand.

This eclipse will be in hard angle to Neptune, so make absolutely sure you understand the terms of the any financial offer you are presented. Neptune can bring a misunderstanding, so ask as many questions as you need to do, and study the summary of the deal points as well as the actual contract. On the plus side, Uranus, planet of surprise and genius, will send his greetings to this eclipse. A surprise assignment or project may come up and bring a sweet lump of cash, or a twist to talks may go in your favor, just when you thought you'd have to give up.

A crown of stars or "stellium" of planets will fill your partnership sector. Scorpio loves to have full control, but that won't be possible with so many planets orbiting 180 degrees from your Sun. Sit back and enjoy letting others do things for you.

The solar eclipse of May 9/10 will open a door for you to forge an important, serious partnership, in love (for marriage) or for business. A new moon indicates a new start, and it may take weeks, months, or longer to conclude your aim.

Your house of jointly held money will also become increasingly important too, a trend that will grow bigger in June. This house rules bank loans, college financial aid, mortgage, refinancing plans, credit cards, insurance, inheritance, and other areas outside of salary.