This will be a bright month because the planets will emphasize all your talents and will be showing you ways you can showcase them to the world. Four little happy heavenly bodies are crowded into your solar third house of communications, including Venus (happiness), Mercury (news), the Sun (authority and focus), and the new moon (opportunity) in Taurus, 17 degrees on May 6.

If you write, edit, proof, translate, fact check, do public speaking, write code; are a movie director, cinematographer, choreographer, or photographer; or are an actor, teacher, marketer, lecturer, advertising creative; work as a producer or publicist; or are in sales, you'll lead the pack with a string of successes. Those who have expertise in social media could be rewarded this month, whether in your own business or in your work for an employer. Those in any phase of the travel or telecommunications industries will also do well.

You'll be as busy as Lucy (Ball) and Ethel in the chocolate factory, trying to keep up with the assembly line of work, and doing so with a magnetic sense of humor. It will be flattering to be so needed. In addition to everything else you have on your plate, you may travel a short distance in May too, and even though you may wonder how you will work that into your schedule too, traveling, even for business, will do you a world of good by giving you a change of scene. On all fronts this month, opportunity will spring up where none existed before.

This new moon of May 6 will be as sweet as sugar, for three powerful outer planets will beam golden vibrations to that new moon. First, Jupiter, now in your partnership sector, will send greetings to all the four enthusiastic planets in your communication sector. This suggests that you may need an agent, lawyer, manager, representative, or other middleman to help unlock this new moon's gifts - this person seems to hold the keys. Powerhouse Pluto, not to be outdone, will bring you help from an influential, successful friend - someone who believes in your talents and feels you have a bright future, and he or she will help. Thirdly, and also very significantly, Neptune, your ruling planet, will encourage you to put your twist of originality and fresh thinking to the project. Neptune rules photography and images, so you may soon see your face in published or broadcast form. Indeed, great publicity seems to be on the way as part of all the other elements sparkling this month.

You might be involved with a large mailing by physical post office or digital email to promote your talents or services. Targeted self-promotion would be the perfect idea. Be sure to add the names of good clients you haven't seen in some time - this month reconnecting with your past is the key to success.

Are you getting married soon - the mailing I see might be invitations. (This will be a superb year to get engaged or wed - the best year in the decade.) Are you creating a new advertising campaign for a client, developing a beautiful new website, or putting the finishing touches on a cell phone app? Or, are you finishing a manuscript for a screenplay? Alternatively, you may be sending your newly published hardcover book to influential people. Or, are you creating an entirely new make-believe language for Game of Thrones? (There are people who do that - maybe it's you!) A new project seems to have you using your language skills to the max this month. A new moon opens a path, and what you do in the ten days following that new moon can affect your life for at least a year, or even possibly forever. The project this month seems to have weight and importance - much more than the ones you've done before.

If your birthday falls on March 8, plus or minus five days, you will benefit the most from this exciting new moon, and you will feel the benefic effects directly. If you know you have Pisces rising at 17 degrees, or a natal planet in Pisces, Cancer, or Scorpio, Taurus, Virgo, or Capricorn, you also will receive gifts from this new moon. Allow a plus or minus 5 degrees to all planets or Pisces rising sign.

Certain days deserve a gold star. The first is May 3, which brings one of the most special cosmic events, when the Sun and Jupiter, giver of gifts and luck, are in ideal sync to each other. Jupiter is now based in your partnership sector, so you may receive excellent good fortune as a result of a partner or agent who will make an introduction for you, open an opportunity, or start talks about a possible deal. Most of your luck seems to come through an intermediary. Go slowly and sign nothing yet - as you will see in a moment, there are too many retrograde planets in May to seal a deal.

If you feel Jupiter has not been working hard enough for you, it may be because Jupiter has been in sleepy retrograde mode since January 8. That will all change now when Jupiter turns direct on May 9. Watch the news about a communications project that comes to you in the days that surround May 9 (plus or minus two days). Something about that project will have long-term benefits.

May 10 will be another standout day, when Venus in your solar third house of communications, agreements, and contracts will reach out to Jupiter too, still in your partnership / agent / middleman house until early September. Venus is the natural ruler of Pisces solar eighth house of other people's money, so you may hear that you soon will get a deal that brings you a generous cash advance and royalty, a licensing deal, or one that you will earn you a large commission.

Be sure to schedule an important meeting for May 3 and May 10, the two dates I spoke about in the two paragraphs above. Both are breathtakingly special, and you may get news that seems to sparkle with a touch of luck. You may be at the right place at the right time, or, without lifting a finger to find the opportunity, it may find you. Having said that, I still want you to turn over every stone to find your lucky circumstance. Have meetings, show what you've done, and discuss your ideas for the client. Astrology is ideal for planning, for there is usually little or no predestination involved.

Your career is about to reach new, exciting heights on May 21, which will bring the full moon in Sagittarius 1 degree. It's a wow of a day, and you will feel it within plus or minus four days. On or very near that full moon, May 21, it will obvious that your plan for world domination is clearly working. (Just kidding, but it IS going to be a really special career full moon for you!) This full moon will come with Mars in conjunction, so clearly you will be anxious to get going, but several planets are warning not to initiate anything new this month, but rather to look back and improve projects and relationships already in place. Why? Here is where I have to drop the other shoe and let you know about the retrograde planets that are about to cause somewhat of a scuffle this month.

As you begin May, five out of eight planets will be in lazy, weak retrograde motion, including Mercury (April 28 to May 22), Mars (April 17 to June 29), Jupiter (January 8 to May 9), Saturn (March 25 to August 13) and Pluto (April 18 to September 26). Five out of eight planets seem to be something of a record. I am sure it's happened before, but this is rare and will keep us all walking in slow motion, and looking back instead of forward, especially in May and June.

Jupiter is your ancient ruler before Neptune was discovered in 1846, so dear Pisces, astrologers look at both Jupiter AND your modern ruler, Neptune, when looking for opportunities for you in any given month. Life will brighten now, and finally, lucrative opportunities will start to come your way.

Mercury will retrograde in Taurus, in your writing / speaking / communication sector, which sounds like a double-whammy as Mercury RULES all these areas. You will have to be very vigilant that you don't hand in inaccurate information or that you send your document in without doing a spell check. All your work has to be polished, and Mercury retrograde will make you at times distracted, confused, and forgetful, and you certainly don't want to come off that way! The third house where all the action is focused rules other things besides communication, negotiation, and sales. It rules travel, so double-check all hotel accommodations prior to heading out, and your appointments and their addresses too.

The planets in retrograde are sleeping, and they cannot give you the energy you are accustomed to receiving. The ones that we feel the most when retrograde are those that spin closest to earth - Venus, Mercury, and Mars. Venus is in fine form and not due to go retrograde anytime soon, but Mercury and his brother Mars are out of phase now. You probably already know that Mercury retrograde is not a time to buy electronic equipment like a computer, smart phone, smart TV, Dr. Dre headphones, or sleek new kitchen appliances like a refrigerator, stove, or washer-dryer. Mercury rules electronics, so you won't be pleased with the product you buy if you buy it now.

Warrior Mars also rules machines, for it rules metal and iron, so it would be a terrible time to buy machines, especially a car, as most of the new cars have iron, metal, and electronics in them. If you can wait to buy a car, do so in July. If you can't, then buy it in June, but not in May.

Mars has a different effect. Mars is the booster rocket to all your new and most entrepreneurial plans. Mars rules competition, so when you have a strong, energetic Mars behind you, you have a much greater chance of winning in the marketplace. Do not introduce a new product or service until after the date Mars goes direct, June 29. I know it is hard to wait, but if you launch now, with Mars retrograde, it will be harder to establish your product and service to consumers by standing out and being known for excellence. I know it is hard to wait.

I am in the process of a new and massive redesign, including all new code, for my website, Astrology Zone. I signed the work order in September last year, and 18 people have been working on the project. We were supposed to launch in February or March at the latest, but IT was not able to make those deadlines because the navigation and design required much discussion.

I told the team in Austin doing the project that we will hold off launching until after Mercury, Jupiter, and Mars are out of retrograde - we are aiming for July or August. (The team said, "You want us to slow down?" Apparently no one ever tells creative people to slow down. Because we missed the first deadline, it's wise to wait. I think you get a better product in the end by proceeding slowly.)

Romantically, if you are attached, you will have the edge this month. Jupiter is beaming so much luck to those who are married, or who soon will marry. (Do so after Mars, Mercury, and Jupiter retrogrades are over, in July or August, October, November, or early December). Single? You will do well by traveling a short distance, perhaps to a resort that singles are known to populate.

If you write for a living, whether as a novelist, columnist, journalist, or editor, or fact checker, or work in any other part of publishing or broadcasting, or in social media or Internet publishing, you will do exceedingly well in May. The same is true if you work in the travel industry, in telecommunications, sales, publicity or marketing, or if you are an actor. You'll get a hint of your impending good fortune on May 3, when the Sun will receive a beam from Jupiter. That hint will blossom into a bigger and more concrete opportunity on or just after the new moon, May 6. That new moon comes brimming with happy news, for Jupiter, Neptune and Pluto will all be in talks with that new moon, indicating a friend may suggest you for the top job and that you will have plenty of opportunity to put your stamp of individuality and creativity on it. If you have an agent, lawyer, or other middleman, thanks to Jupiter's friendly angle, that person may also prove to be a gem to you. This same new moon seems to cause you to travel more than usual, not only now, but also in months ahead.

This month, at the start, five planets are retrograde out of eight: Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and Pluto. In particular, Mercury and Mars will be the most important ones to watch, for those two affect you the most because they spin closest to earth. Mercury rules communication and negotiation, thinking and perception, so it's never wise to make major decisions during Mercury retrograde. You likely won't have all the facts, and when you get them later, you may regret signing the paperwork.

Mercury's brother, Mars, rules all competitive efforts. With Mars retrograde, you have to work doubly hard to fill in all that you won't get from Mars. It's not a time to launch anything that requires you gain a competitive edge. Mercury will go direct May 22, and Mars will go direct June 29. Even after these planets go direct, they both will take time to ramp up to former strength. Be patient, and go over your plans to tweak them by rooting out flaws.

Your career is heating up in the best possible sense. You have two planets in your tenth house of honors, awards, and achievement: Saturn, the planet of learning new lessons, and Mars, planet of energy and motivation. Both are working together to push you and prod you, and to show you the importance of honing your skills and of firing up your determination and drive.

Later this month you will have a full moon in Sagittarius in your prestigious career sector on May 21, lighting the very top of your chart, putting your face out in the world and your name on everyone's lips. You may be on TV or the subject of an interview. Neptune is currently in Pisces, and will be in hard angle to the Sun and moon, clarifying a professional matter. If you were confused about someone's motives in regard to your career progress, the mist will lift and you will see this person clearly.

Romantically, the time after the new moon, May 6, may bring a quick trip to a nearby town. Venus in earthy Taurus will blend beautifully with your water sign from the start of the month until May 24. Of these dates, May 10, a Tuesday, will be your best for love, for Venus will reach out to Jupiter, the happiness planet. The transiting moon on that day will be in Cancer, putting icing on the cake. Your best romantic weekend for a quick trip could be May 7-8, coming just one day after the gorgeous new moon, and also May 13-15, when the transiting moon will be in Virgo and near Jupiter, the happiness planet.

Attached Pisces are wildly favored, for you will continue to have Jupiter in your house of marriage until September 9, and this is the first time in the decade that you have had Jupiter's help in your marriage / collaboration house. It's a superb time to get engaged or to tie the knot. Already married? Your partner will prosper and be optimistic, and chances are, you'll travel a far distance together in a joyous awe-inspiring vacation.