We’ve got only a few more days of Mars-dominated skies, and then we can exhale. If sound waves carried in space, our collective sigh of relief would be heard all the way to Pluto.

After weeks of Mars-dominated skies, Mars and Venus will rule together from Wednesday on, when he enters Taurus. They’ll be in mutual reception – he’s in her sign and she’s in his – until she enters Taurus on Sunday. There’s still a buildup of planets in Aries – in fact, if you’re willing to get up early, you’ll be able to see them – so it would appear that Mars retains the upper hand. However, he’s willing to share the throne with Venus until Sunday, when she takes over the whole show, and he settles down for a heavy meal and a long nap. I don’t know about you, but I’ve had enough of this rough-and-tumble Mars stuff. There have been times when I’ve felt like a car moving along in the middle lane, with traffic flying by me on both sides and a tailgater in the rear-view mirror.

We start the week with a conjunction of Mercury and Venus in Aries on Monday. It would be nice if kind words came tumbling out of everyone’s mouth without their having to think twice, but that’s probably wishful thinking. Venus in Aries can be demanding and competitive, and instead of words of love and kindness, you might get explicit instructions for meeting someone’s expectations, complete with checklist. On a completely different level, this aspect favors opportunities to earn a fast buck. If you get an offer today, jump on it. Likewise, if a bargain lands in your lap, don’t just stand there, or someone will grab it right out of your hands.

Wednesday is the big day, when Mars enters Taurus and both Mercury and Venus conjoin Jupiter. Financial markets no doubt will get a boost (I’m off to read Ray Merriman as soon as I finish writing this post), and turnarounds could come quite fast. To find out where you might get luck and opportunities, check to see where you have early Taurus in your chart.

On Thursday, Mars sextiles Neptune in Pisces. This is great for meditating, and it might actually lead to some enlightenment.

On Sunday, Venus and Mercury enter Taurus within an hour of each other. The pace will slow way down – I half expect to hear the gears of the universe grind as the cosmos puts on the brakes. We should see some resolution to some of the world’s hot spots, too. Taurus is the sign of money, so I expect we’ll also hear some important financial news. There’s no better time to take charge of your personal finances.

The Moon enters Scorpio on Sunday and will oppose Mars. Mars in Taurus may not get riled up very fast, but if you push him too far, you’ll regret it. If you find yourself butting heads with someone and neither of you wants to give an inch, go to your room and sulk, then get over it.

Next week is Wesak, the festival honoring Buddha’s birth and enlightenment. Hopefully, things will slow down enough so I can write a post about it. In the meantime, you can watch the planets line up in the dawn sky. StarDate has a neat video showing you where to look from May 9-12.

Wishing you all much love and courage,
Pat