Recently I was having a celebration dinner with Michelle Roque, my talented creative director who had done such brilliant art direction work on my calendars and planners, handling Parisian artist Izak’s work with such grace. Michelle was telling me that some of her friends love Astrology Zone – they only read my summaries to my monthly column. I put down my fork. Hearing this news made me sad. I asked, are you sure, Michelle? She nodded. I strive so to give my readers complete information, and this month, May, I look ahead to the rest of the year to show what is due for you, for planning purposes. Almost none of that vital information will be in my summaries – there was too much to explain.

This will be a hugely important month for you – quite unique in every way. Uranus, the planet of chaos, disruption, genius, innovation, independence, and all things unexpected, will depart temporarily from Aries and enter Taurus. This is likely the first time in your life that you will experience hosting Taurus in your sign, as the last time this independent, rebellious planet was in your sign is was from 1934 to 1942.

Only those Taurus who are born very early in the sign, with birthdays that fall from April 20-24, will feel the first effects of this major planet now. This year, Uranus will only give us all a preview of what is to come in 2018, for Uranus will only remain in Taurus from May 15 to November 15. After that, in November, Uranus will retreat back to Aries where Uranus has been since 2011. Eventually, Uranus will return to Taurus permanently on March 6, 2019, and at that point he will remain with you for the coming seven years, until 2026.

The coming years will be exciting, for if you have dreamed about making gold moves, you will, and will surprise friends and family with how sure you are about what you plan to do. People who know you would have said you are steady, reliable, practical, and interested in building wealth. Now, a new and confident side of you will emerge too, one that is more adventurous, independent, and tired of the status quo.

Remarkably, under this trend of Uranus in Taurus, your appearance may change, too, and you may even change your name or adapt a stage or pen name. In your work, Uranus can make you quite famous, so if that is a dream of yours, to be well known, it is there for you for the taking.

It takes Uranus 84 years to circle the Sun and go through every sign of the zodiac. As you can readily see, not every person who has ever lived is guaranteed to get to experience this amazing Uranus conjunct their birthday sign.

If you have a little child who is a Taurus, as does my friend Leigh, who has darling little Riley, a girl, age 7, you may see in coming years, that child will experience bouts of extraordinary creativity. A talent or special interest in that child that was inborn may emerge that her mother may want to develop in Riley, getting her lessons and encouragement. Astrologers often refer to Uranus as the higher octave of Mercury, taking the brainpower, perception, and communication ability of Mercury and Uranus and synthesizing those gifts into a whole new level – into the realm of innovation and genius.

Any young (or little) person under Uranus on the Sun will show signs of wanting to be independent and be maybe a bit rebellious of authority. Your job will be to encourage your child’s inner strength and confidence without being overly permissive, where anything goes. At the same time, you need not be so forceful and dominating that you effectively put out the child’s brilliant fire of creativity within – creativity that, with Uranus, is usually expressed through math and the sciences, including the humanistic social sciences. Provide your child with a loving environment so she can blossom. It’s a thin line, but as the parent who loves your child, you will intuitively know how to handle this trend.

I will return to the subject of Uranus in Taurus again and again, but first, we need to start at the beginning of the month, for as you start May, you may still be feeling the effects of the full moon, April 29, in your opposite sign of Scorpio 10 degrees. This was a lovely full moon, and it may have brought you a plan or proposal for marriage, to enact now, or in the future. If you became engaged or married at the end of April – perhaps for your birthday – you chose a heavenly time to do so. You must be completely besotted with love. If you are already married, you may now grow closer and find new ways to make more of your union.

As Uranus comes close to the Sun, you may suddenly think about moving house, perhaps to a completely different neighborhood, or to a city out of the country – very possibly to a foreign nation. The Sun rules your fourth house of home, so with surprise-a-minute Uranus (which is also associated with foreign countries) orbiting close to the Sun, moving seems very possible, and sudden. This is more likely to apply to Taurus born April 20-24. Or, Taurus of any birthday might decide to move at the August 11 solar eclipse.

If you were not thinking about committing to a romantic partner, you may have been sealing a plan with a business partner, agent, manager, publicist, advertising or social media director, accountant, lawyer, writing partner, and so forth.

You might do a joint venture with another company or entity. Conversely, if you have a profession that requires you represent others, such as what an agent, broker, or headhunter might do, for example, then you are likely to be working in early May with a gem of a client.

As you enter May, you may still be thinking about what you decided or acted on with a partner at the end of April and in the first days of May, to finish up the details of your arrangement. This was a superb full moon, perfect for setting plans in motion, so feel good about the actions you took.

If your birthday falls on the full moon April 29 plus or minus five days, you will notice the effects of this full moon. When you have a full moon near your birthday, it tends to mean that your entire birthday year will bring the fulfillment of many of your goals. Next year, at your birthday in 2019, you will want to draw a list up of new goals to tackle.

You will also notice the happy effects of this partnership full moon April 29 if you have Taurus rising 10 degrees, or the natal moon in Taurus 10 degrees, in both cases, plus or minus five degrees. You will also get help from this full moon if you have a natal planet in Scorpio, Pisces, Cancer, Taurus, Virgo, or Capricorn at 10 degrees, plus or minus five degrees.

Let’s talk about the strong emphasis on foreign people and places in your chart. You have a powerful gang of three – Mars, Saturn, and Pluto – orbiting close together in your ninth house of distant travel during the first half of the month. Each planet is found in a sign highly compatible earth sign like yours, Capricorn, so harmony surrounds you.

You may have an irresistible urge to pack your bags and travel far and wide, and by all means, give in. Remember to take your passport – your future trips seem to point going to foreign nations, and if so, your experience will be quite broadening.

You may be traveling for business (Saturn’s presence suggests you have a goal to complete). Alternatively, you might be going for relaxation and fun. Either way, you seem to be enchanted with the city that you visit this month. I say that because this month Jupiter and Neptune will be in exquisite alignment all month – a very glamorous and romantic vibration – and one that also can foster impressive creativity in one of the arts (this time, not the sciences). If you can choose to go to a breathtaking location near water, you will double your enjoyment and be thoroughly inspired with ideas.

You biggest moment of the month will come after the moon in Taurus on May 15, the only new moon in your sign in 2018 (as is typical), as well as your birthday gift from a loving universe. This new moon will open possibilities and bring up new opportunities. Again, travel and international relationships will come up and glow brilliantly. You may also be surrounded with books, manuscripts, or many TV monitors, for the media will be drawn to you and want to lavish attention on you or to the person you represent. (The emphasis on twosome collaborations will still be high.)

Mars and Pluto will both be in ideal alignment, making your ninth house of travel and media glow, and you can make much progress. You can also do well in academic arenas by gaining favor from people in authority, and with legal judgments by the courts system.

There will be one difficult aspect in life, so you will see happy experiences mixed into an occasional not-so-good one. The difficulty will come from Mars, newly in Aquarius, and by now circulating in your tenth house of reputation and prestigious professional advancement. Uranus, planet of unexpected event, will be newly in Taurus, in hard angle to that newly minted Mars in Aquarius. If you discover that anyone in your circle – a colleague, talent you represent, a friend, business associate (or anyone else) – is betraying you, you may now decide to make a bold decision and quickly end that relationship.

This is an explosive mix of two planets, Mars and Uranus, which can bring emotional or physical mishaps. In the latter case, be determined to look where you are going, and don’t walk into potholes, glass walls, or other obstacles you don’t see because you are texting or listening to music. Aquarius rules your blood, circulation, and the ankles, so protect all by eating right and getting enough sleep. This will be a recurring aspect, to happen three times, so getting a checkup at the doctor would be a wise idea. Women readers need to wear ballet flats or sneakers rather than high heels on uneven, broken pavement or cobblestones.

In terms of emotional outbursts or arguments due to Mars in hard angle to Uranus, those are most likely to happen in your career from an authority figure or client or vice versa, when you unable to contain yourself at work and give a client or boss a piece of your mind. Take a deep breath and count to ten. Keep in mind both Taurus and Aquarius are fixed signs, which tells me each side will be wedded to their opinion and finding common ground will be quite a challenge.

This aspect, Uranus at odds with Mars, will be exact on May 16, August 1, and September 18, for Mars will stay in Aquarius from May 16 to November 7. Watch closely the three days listed, and all the while, keep in mind an aspect does not have to be exact to be triggered, but rather be within a five-degree orb to give you problems. Just know on and near those dates people will be more fragile and quick to anger than usual.

Mars will enter Aquarius and your house of fame and honors this month on May 16, within 24 hours of Uranus entering Taurus. On May 16, the two planets will make an exact square. Mars will be lethargic, and move very slowly in June, and that is not usually characteristic of adventuresome, courageous Mars.

On June 26 Mars will go retrograde and stay that way until August 27. During late June, all of July, and August, Mars will be asleep the entire time, and it would not be wise to launch any important career enterprise. Mars is the booster rocket to your grandest ventures, and without Mars to help, it will be hard for you to stand out and compete effectively. To make matters harder, Mars’ brother Mercury will be retrograde too, from July 25 to August 18.

Still, you are lucky to have Mars in such a prestigious place in your chart. Although weakened in retrograde, Mars will ramp back up to a strong position from end-of-September through mid-November. In the meantime, look over the first half of 2018 and examine what you have accomplished. Decide what you’d like to change, improve, or accomplish in future months. It’s also a perfect time to go back and dig for answers on subjects you want to understand more fully.

Looking ahead to the end of the year, Mercury will again retrograde from November 16 to December 6, freeing up the rest of December for a joyous, social time. Last year, in 2017, Mercury was retrograde throughout the month, from December 3 until December 23, 2017, making it hard to shop for gifts that people in your life would love. Last year many readers had no choice but to buy gift certificates. This year, you will be able to shop and find gifts for your friends and family that will be precisely on target.

On the last full moon of the month, May 29, you will want to go over your financials. You are considered a wise financial sign, and I always tease my Taurus friend who I know would love to spend a Friday night reading her bank statements and giving herself kudos for how well she has multiplied her income. Mars in Aquarius will have a pivotal role in your financial life at month’s end.

The full moon, May 29, in Sagittarius will receive a beam of opportunity from Mars in your house of career honors, awards, and achievement, and, at the very same time, the Sun will receive “trine” beams (the best you can get) from Mars. This tells me that your outlook for seeing more money paid to you will be excellent both in terms of getting paid a generous salary and also in being offered a fine benefits package, such as to be offered a solid health insurance package that would be worth quite a bit if you had to buy it yourself.

Remarkably, aside from the glittering aspects Mars is making to both your financial houses, the second and eighth houses at month’s end, you also have another aspect that I can only describe as exquisitely romantic.

Neptune is currently in Pisces in your house of friends / fun / new people / events. Jupiter is currently in your seventh house of marriage, beaming benefic rays to both Neptune and also to your ruler, Venus, by then in Cancer, in your house of short-distance travel house. All three of these planets will be working hard to make sure you enjoy month’s end.

On or near May 29, you may attend a party with your partner, or you might throw your own party – maybe that party will be your wedding? If you are in love and want to commit to each other, you can. Do so over May 29. That’s a Tuesday, but happily, you will feel the glow over the weekend of Saturday, May 26 and Sunday, May 27. Both would be equally bright, catching the sparkling rays of the full moon, May 29, as it reaches fullness.

This will be a major month for you, dear Taurus, for Uranus, the planet of change, individuality, creativity, rebellion, disruption, and innovation, will move into Taurus for the first time since 1934 for a very long visit. This means this influence will be new for you. If your grandmother was born earlier than 1934, she can tell you about this influence and what happened in her life. Everyone feels the change of Uranus to a new sign, but because Uranus will move to Taurus, your sign, you will feel it in an extra strong way.

As a result of Uranus moving to Taurus, in the coming seven years, until April 2026, life will move forward very quickly, especially when Uranus moves to precise degrees of your Sun – in 2018, those Taurus born in April 20-24 will feel this influence first. This is a once-in-a-lifetime influence, so it is likely to be special. You will surprise your friends and relatives with announcements and actions you take. You will break any restrictive bonds of any condition that you feel are holding you down, and you will courageously assert your individuality.

The full moon of April 29 will start you thinking about marriage, so as you begin May, you may be making plans. It is even possible that you recently become engaged or wed over the weekend of April 28-29. If so, it was the best time to do so. You may still be replaying that weekend in your mind, for Saturn was adding quite a bit of stability, while at the same time Neptune was shaking silver dust over you to add romantic glamour. If you are already wed, you will now grow closer in coming months – if you can take a long-distance trip together, do so – travel will add spice and happiness. Alternatively, you may have signed a business partner, or soon will, in the first days of May.

On May 15, the new moon in Taurus will be an important time to cut your losses and leave debilitating situations. You will feel this energy for weeks and months ahead, so if you should suddenly experience sudden shifts that rock your world, it’s all part of the plan. The universe is working to free you from untoward circumstances, especially in regard to your career. If anyone has held you back, hemmed you in, keeps making unreasonable demands, or kept important information from you, this new moon will allow you to break bonds and fly free. Although you may not immediately realize the value in all that is about to take place, you will later see events worked to protect your interests.

On May 15, Mars will enter Aquarius and begin to light your career sector not for the usual seven weeks, but for six months. Your career can now make great gains, but you will have to do your part by energetically getting the right education, new contacts, software, and skills you need to get ahead.

The reason Mars will stay in one sign, Aquarius, so long is that from June 26 to August 27 Mars will retrograde. Mars will go forward, retrace his steps, and then go forward again. This period would not be the time to launch a new product or service or to start a new job. Mars rules competition – if you want to be the best, when you act on a new venture, you need Mars to be in strong shape and not retrograde, a weak orbit. Still, even though the middle months of the year, when it is not a good time to make major moves, you can still plan and strategize, and then set your “go dates” to happen in late September, a superb time for you.

It may be helpful to know that Mercury will be retrograde from July 26 to August 18. We will also have three eclipses, too, July 12, July 27 and August 11, and until you (and the rest of us) have the messages of the eclipses, you won’t know where you stand.

If your career initially brings too much news, with none that you want to hear, be patient – you will have an opportunity to right things on May 23, when the Sun will work in agreement with Mars and allow you to outsmart prevailing forces and set things right in your career. It won’t be a cure-all day, but Mars, working with the Sun, will open the door for you to get more money and an impressive new professional deal that will elevate your status.

This year you have some of the finest aspects possible to wed. You might choose May 26 to become betrothed, for Jupiter and Neptune will create a magical link between your marriage sector and your house of friends / events / parties to produce out-of-this-world happiness. It’s an enchanting time for single Taurus, and if you are already wed, you, too, can celebrate your love. Book a weekend away to a nearby town known for its beauty and make it a weekend for just the two of you. If you work in the creative arts, concentrate on your craft on May 25.

By month’s end, your mind will turn to financial matters. As a Taurus, you are talented with money matters, and you are one sign that does not mind devoting time to the material side of life. You know that we live on an earthly plane, and we must be practical about tending to money matters to make wealth grow. This kind of a meditation will be brought on by a positive full moon in Sagittarius, supported by Mars, which will boost your motivation to find ways to make wise investments. Make an appointment with your financial adviser who has fiduciary responsibility to you, or have a talk with your banker. If you need a mortgage or refinance of your present mortgage, this is your time to conclude talks, and you will likely see a very happy ending.