Greetings everyone and welcome to my website!        Astrology News for May 2012        It's the lusty month of May, or so the song goes from the musical Camelot. Whereas the ancient rituals of Virgo in September celebrate the harvest, here in May we celebrate the renewal of life and nature's fertility, and the promise of the bounty yet to come. The Maypole dance, feasting, flowers and the crowning of the May King and Queen were all part of these traditions.        Taurus is an Earth sign, and symbolically connected to the issues of the fertile power of nature, and of the creative powers that lie within the human psyche. Mythology teaches us that this power is not to be taken lightly, nor misused or kept greedily for one's self. Two famous kings remind us of this lesson - King Minos of Crete who thought that the white bull given as a gift from Poseidon was just too good to sacrifice as intended, and so he kept it for himself. He was punished for this by his wife giving birth to the Minotaur, which demanded that a young man and woman be sacrificed to it every month. Thus a twisted reversal of the celebration of youth, springtime and fertility. Instead, the monster-like form of Taurus brings death, not life.        Minos's mistake, in psycho-mythological terms was in trying to possess this sacred nature power rather than use it for the good of the community. And also with King Midas we see the same theme. His wish to have the golden touch ended up causing the death of his beloved daughter when she too turned to gold.        Taurus always needs to be productive, sharing its creative talents with the world. Spiritually, Taurus must remember to value the creative flow itself, not in the forms that it manifests in - money, a big house, and other possessions. Hang on tightly but let go lightly is a good teaching to keep in mind.        In other news, Venus turns Retrograde on May 15th, thus putting issues like financial deals and relationships in review and reconsider mode. Newer relationships may enter a cooling off period. For established ones, a good time for a second honeymoon or renewing your commitment.         Happy spring to all, Michael Thurman, MA            I'm always happy to hear from you with comments or questions. Email me at - mailto:mthurman@thecosmicwheel.net

Quick Dates!!  Full Moon - May 5th at 16 Scorpio New Moon - May 20th at 0 Gemini Mercury enters Taurus on May 9th Mercury enters Gemini on May 24th Venus turns Retrograde on May 15th Special events Pluto sextile Chiron on May 12th NEW !! Order your own personal transit report for each month. The transits of the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus and Mars and how they impact your birth chart every day.  Your report is Emailed to you in Word .DOC format and can easily be printed out, or saved to your computer. Great for monthly planning! Click here for more info - My Daily Transits Also, I can now accept payments through Pay Pal for the convenience of my internet clients. You must have your own Pay Pal account to send me payment. This Month's Sun Sign The Way of Taurus Click here to see the 2012 forecast for Taurus Ruling planet - Venus Element - Earth, Fixed mode Tarot card - The Empress Jungian type - Sensing Main issues -  Money and creating financial security as a key to independence, Self-Worth issues, productivity, body image and dietary issues, unlocking personal creativity, career path, personal boundaries in relationships, possessions, letting go. Mythological Archetypes - Venus, Aphrodite, King Midas and the touch of gold, Theseus and the Minotaur, the Inner Labyrinth, search for hidden treasures, bull or cow related fairy tales and myths, The Great Mother/Goddess fertility rituals, The Sacrifice and Renewal. Yoga - hatha yoga, karma yoga (service though career), word fasting, chanting or singing (throat chakra is Venus-ruled) working with food and dietary yogas. Positive traits - responsible, creative, loyal, dependable, sensuous, strong, self-reliant, caring, affectionate, hard-working, resourceful. Negative traits - possessive, stubborn, dependent, low self-esteem, fear of change, non-communicative, depression, pessimism. Careers - architect, gardener, cook, business, financial services, real estate, builder, work in the arts - singer, painter, potter or music, farming, massage therapist. Health issues - sugar metabolism and the pancreas, the throat and thyroid gland, weight management, hair and skin health. Colors - browns, light blues and pinks. Also green. Famous Taurus Sun signs - Fred Astaire, Brahms, Sigmund Freud, Salvador Dali, Willie Nelson, Jack Nicholson, Candice Bergen, Pete Townsend, Cher, Orson Welles, Judy Collins, Glenda Jackson. Taurus Movies - westerns dealing with the rancher versus the   cattleman conflict, films dealing with empire, money and power such as Giant, or with self esteem issues such as East of Eden. Most of the social class films of the 1930's and 40's such as You Can't Take it With You. Also films about the land, nature or farming like The Grapes of Wrath. Questions or comments? Email me at - mthurman@thecosmicwheel.net Thanks and see you next month!

Recommended Links The Mountain Astrologer  one of the best astrology journals around. Lots of great articles, resources for learning astrology, software and more. Lois Rodden's  Astrodatabank discover the horoscopes of celebrities and current newsmakers. Apollon - the Journal of Psychological Astrology  an excellent journal with a Jungian psychological focus. Lots of in-depth articles and information. Lunar Astrology Ezine   a great site with a focus on lunar cycles, the Moon's Nodes and more. A Place in Space  many articles on holistic astrology, Chiron and using astrology for personal growth. The Astrotheme collection of famous charts hundreds of famous persons and celebrity charts to explore listed alphabetically.   Other Links for the Journey The Omega Institute the premier holistic learning center, located in Rhinebeck, NY. Sign up for their free catalogue. The Ram Dass Official Website   site of the legendary 1960's teacher and  author. Information on tapes, workshops and more. Parabola Journal one of the best journals around with articles on mythology, folk tales and archetypal symbolism. Joseph Campbell Foundation site dedicated to Joseph Campbell's lectures and writings on mythology. Also book ordering information. The Official Grateful Dead Website every spiritual path needs some music now and then. Lots of info on the band's current tours, music downloads and more!

Lyrics to "The Wheel" by Robert Hunter/Jerry Garcia