Steve Judd's Forecast for May 2011

In recent months, we’ve had a succession of highly significant full Moons, coinciding with major planetary movements, the like of which we rarely see in a lifetime. Now that Neptune is beginning to make its presence felt in Pisces and Uranus has completed its transition into Aries, it’s astrologically fairly safe to say that the hard core large scale massive changes that are needed for future development are basically at an end, although the results have only just started coming through. Just within the last month, Saturn has really begun to bite hard in mid Libra, and now in May we are collectively faced with the month of transition. The energy patterns have come out of the large scale and generational, and more into the day by day and month by month. This is symbolised by the conjunction of Mercury, Venus and Mars in very early Taurus in the middle of May, with these three planets acting as the precursors for Jupiter to move into Taurus next month. The new Moon in Taurus adds to the sudden Taurean influx of energy in the middle ten days of May. Expect developments to do with cattle and beef. There is a moving concentrated hotspot of planetary energy during May that is nothing to do with the outer planets or the new and full Moons. Mercury, Venus, Jupiter and Mars are all loosely together in the last six degrees of Aries and the first six degrees of Taurus, so look at your chart and see what house this is in and then get proactive! This cluster of energy represents a trigger or launch point for something new to arise at the individual level.

Aries May brings a finale to one of the single most tempestuous and unpredictable times of your entire life. The brief three month period since early March has represented one of the craziest and most intense times of personal development that there’s ever been, and one way or another you’re a very different animal now compared to what you were just three short months ago. And it’s still going on! But most of you will see that as May develops, so the pace of life begins to come down from the ceiling as you drop from a manic eighth gear into a more sedate fifth. Those of you born on or after the 12th are still in for a very fast month, where a number of situations could rapidly escalate into something completely out of proportion to reality, so beware of hype and spin and don’t let things become larger than life. But all of you should find that the middle ten days of May represent a time where the urgency and immediacy of recent months begins to dissipate, and it’s almost all completely gone for the medium term by mid June. It’s only those of you born before March 26th who are under more long term influences, with Uranus having its way with you, but these changes are more over the year as opposed to limited just to current times. This is the last month of ‘madness’, and for the vast majority of you I can safely say that by June the hardest time of 2011 is over.

Taurus For months if not years I’ve been saying to Taureans in general "wait, soon, it’s coming, etc ..." and now you’re right on the cusp of a dropkick into action that has been promising itself for many months. As you get into May so Mars, followed quickly by Venus and Mercury moves into your sign, and the second half of the month should be the most proactive and resultant of the year. In early May put the final touches to things, top up the tanks; get everything both ready and poised. As Mars moves into Taurus on the 11th so things start happening, followed after the 16th by a much greater degree of communication, movement and action in a way that becomes a steadily increasing range of triggers into something completely new. May is only the prelude – Jupiter arrives in June, and Mercury, Venus and Mars are only the announcers. But there’s going to be lots of ideas, thoughts, schedules, plans and movements, and this is the best time of the year for this to happen. The new Moon in Taurus on May 3rd brings with it the impetus for these changes to become actual and real as opposed to latent. This should be one of the very best times for personal new beginnings that there’s been since 1999, so antennae up and get ready. Don’t get complacent and take things for granted – this is a window of opportunity that rarely occurs, so keep your attention and focus sharp.

Gemini There’s a definite buzz about the month, and as May evolves so you’ll find that the background hum becomes more evident – but be aware that this is not your month, but June is. May is very much a taster time, where a number of experiences occur in rapid proximity, and it’s a time initially of test, taste, trial, experience and experiment. The first half of May is a time of considerable action and development in your community life, you should be finding that your company is being not so much craved as valued, and that your mind is becoming slowly more used to working and interacting with others. As you get into the second half of the month you’ll find that apparent need for social and community interaction declines, and that you’re likely to go into a temporary shell, some type of personal dark cavern, which will be the necessary spasm before the sudden and dramatic burst of energy that will come in early June – of that, more next month. So if you find yourself craving your own company at the end of May, don’t be surprised. In fact, this is a very good time to go off somewhere alone and consider your options at a number of levels. In the background, there’s a steady flow of both stability and opportunity, so it would be foolish to waste chances when they float across you. Windows of opportunity – use them or lose them.

Cancer It’s as though you’ve been pulled through a hedge backwards over the last six weeks, and it may be that this process of relative disorder and even chaos could continue into the middle of the month. It is primarily those of our born on or after the 15th of July that are on the receiving end of any over the top stimulus, but all Cancerians should be aware that May could easily turn into a very overstated month. Try not to let things become too larger than life because in all likelihood there will be an element of hype and spin attached to them, and it would be easy to buy into things only for them to come crashing down when the emphasis has moved on and deflation comes to visit. It is more your external life that has been the source of development and action over recent times, and you can expect this to continue for the short term. But as you get into the second half of the month so you should find that the spotlight begins to move elsewhere and you fade beck into the safety and comfort of community in a way that brings a warm and glowing feeling. By the end of the month you’ll feel that you’re being valued by those around you more than has been the case recently, and that your popularity and position in community will be becoming not only more established but also more solid. Keep things in proportion and don’t deny yourself but at the same time exercise a degree of moderation.

Leo You’re one of the few signs that’s done relatively well over recent weeks, not exactly profiteering from other people’s confusion but neither getting caught up in it. And at the start of this month, there’s an even better chance for things to work your way, so don’t be scared to take a few chances. Risks probably won’t work, but chances will if you’re wise enough to target the appropriate ones. You’re in a good position to walk your talk and make it your reality – so if you live life by your philosophies now, you can significantly improve both the quality of your life and the quality of the people in it. And a few of you – primarily those of you born on or after the 15th – are in for a bit of a rollercoaster ride this month, so if it gets faster than usual then trust the process and go with it – it should be fun. But once you get towards the latter half of the month, so the energy subtly shifts into areas concerning your work and career, your public image and your profile/status in the outside world. You may find that one or two people seem to be blocking you without even realising that they are doing it, and that without meaning to they are blocking your way forward. Try not to let your buttons get pushed and remember that the wise person smiles, takes a deep breath and walks away for at least ten minutes before coming back and addressing the problem from a different perspective.

Virgo After what seems like incessant pressure over recent years, and especially over this last year, the events of recent months have finally brought you out of yourself to the point where you’ve become so numb as a result of all the input that it’s almost as if you don’t care any more. And it is only at that point of near total surrender to the process that you look around and you see that the big boys have all suddenly gone away, that there are no new big challenges coming in. For what seems the best time in many, many months you are in a space of relative stability, no exaggeration and no new disruption and you can dare to lower some of your shields and dare to relax – just the slightest little bit. And you’ll find that as the year evolves so that relaxation becomes easier ... But this month has a number of different effects. For the first half of May it’s probably not a good idea to get too involved with other peoples’ get rich quick schemes, or to invest any large amounts of money into one particular area. It’s not that your judgement is bad; it’s just that the challenge of this time is to get by on your own resources. But this period only lasts until the middle of the month, from when a much easier energy ensues. If there’s a general all round time for positive experiences through travel, the second half of May and first week or so of June are it. Don’t you deserve a little two-three day break, at least?

Libra April 2011 was the most difficult month for a long time, and as you start this month you may be forgiven for thinking that May will bring much of the same. And I’m sorry to say that this probably will be the case for some of you, primarily for those of your born after October 14th. There can be situations suddenly becoming far larger than life, and you can get caught up in short term developments to your long term detriment. In recent times you’ve learnt some hard lessons about how you interact with others at the one to one level, and the first half of this month will see the results of those lessons coming through in material circumstances. The second half of the month will bring an energy based more on issues of other people’s values as opposed to your own, so whilst you will have to acknowledge and accept others’ boundaries, you will also have to be firm in establishing your own and keeping things clear, especially concerning finances. It’s probably best to avoid borrowing or lending as much as you can during May – by all means give, but don’t lend. The main theme of these times contuse to be the ongoing presence of Saturn in the middle of your sign, but recent months have really brought his effects and influences to bear in a way that leaves no room for doubt – this is the time for hard choices, and they tend to work out better if you make them willingly.

Scorpio Definitely a month of two halves, May initially offers lots but delivers little as the first two weeks of the month are full of people and situations that seem to promise a lot more than they can deliver. There can be exaggerations, extravagances, indulgences and other forms of overreaching if you’re not careful, with corresponding potential knowing when to say ‘enough’. It may well be that words such as ‘efficiency’ and ‘effectiveness’ become more the buzzwords of action in the first half of the month, and if so then this isn’t a bad thing. But it is the second half of May that is important. For months I’ve been saying wait, that your time is coming. And in the second half of May there are a number of triggers that could and should potentially galvanise you into action in a specific area of your life – that of your one to one interactions. Your relationships with ‘other’ – whether that be parent/child, friend, social, professional or personal and intimate – will be much more emphasised, hopefully for the better, and you’ll find that all relationship patterns hold a greater degree of meaning and importance than has been the case so far this year. The Scorpio full Moon on the 17th will bring a degree of ending, new beginning but above all clarity into your values and wants regarding new relationship patterns, and should symbolise a time of turning a new leaf and bringing you a quality previously only aspired to.

Sagittarius In terms of astrological theory, this really should be one of the best months of the year. One or two people are beginning to be there when they are really needed, your sense of stability in community is beginning to hold a greater degree of structure, there’s a greater potential for optimism and your physical energy levels are looking good. Almost sounds too good to be true, I know, but nevertheless there are opportunities to progress in a number of different areas now. During the first two weeks of May your personal creativity is high – anything you feel or think that you can do has a better than normal chance of progressing if you attempt it with willingness and hope. That extra one percent of willing effort should be enough to tip the scales in your favour. But also be aware that as you get into the middle of the month, so your ability to just keep running on empty peters out and you will have to modify the quantity of your output. The second half of the month is more geared towards being aware of your well being across the board. It’s a good time for a two week systems check of your health at all levels – physical, emotional, mental and psychological. It’s unlikely that you’ll find anything wrong, but a good once over will do you the world of good. It’s generally a good month for you, just don’t get complacent and take good times for granted.

Capricorn On the one hand there’s the ongoing issues about the workplace, perhaps to do with your relationships with people in positions of authority, or else to do with the way(s) that you manage responsibility in the work environment, that really seem to be pushing your buttons. On the other hand, issues to do with family or household members and/or situations within the home environment are potentially a minefield. Either way, pecking order issues dominate. You can accept your position, know your place, stay low and bide your time. You can fight your corner and either win or (probably) lose big time, or you can step back from challenge and resolve to deal with it in a week or three. It is primarily the first half of the month that brings the greatest degree of challenge – by mid month the emphasis switches from that of possible disagreement or confrontation with authority in either home or workplace to that of a much healthier creative energy, based on a more innocent and even childlike approach to life which endears you to others and brings you into a more relaxed environment. As the month evolves so you’ll find the energies around you becoming more relaxed and at ease, but at the same time don’t lower all of your shields. Remember that Pluto is still with you (for the next ten years!) and that the potential for self sabotage is never going to be that far away.

Aquarius You’re in a good position to start getting a more objective and detached perspective on recent years now, as the distance between the now and the past steadily increases. There is a quality of degree about the way in which you bring structure, order and discipline into your life that should be manifesting as growth in your professional sudden chances to emerge in ways that bring significant opportunities for financial development, so antennae up… The first half of the month should be a time where clarity in communication becomes one of the strong points in your life; it will seem much easier to be more black or white, yes or no in the name of simplicity. Your methods of making things happen may not be as sensitive or subtle as they would normally be, but at the same time there’s a clearer edge to your actions that leaves no room for mistake or misconception. The second half of May brings a slightly more difficult energy at the day by day level, especially when it comes to managing affairs at the home and family level. It’s best to avoid issues of confrontation or argument. If you lose, you lose heavy – and if you win, you run the risk of making long term enemies. Better to step back and keep your powder dry, and do your best to take the middle path, at least for the time being.

Pisces Neptune is really beginning to have an impact on you, as it begins its fourteen year sojourn through your sign. You will start to see that different forms of perception are becoming steadily more the norm. If you find that your opinions, visions, ideas, dreams and other forms of sensory input are changing then this is to be expected. If you try and make sense of this in the short term then you’re only going to find a degree of confusion, uncertainty and quicksand. If on the other hand you accept that changes are going on in areas that it is impossible to fully understand and instead you are content to just go with the flow, then you will find that the imagination opens new doors into the future in a way that hasn’t happened before. At the day by day and week by week level, the main experiences of May initially are those that take place in the material and the manifest, especially in areas of money, possessions and property – things of value and worth. By the middle of the month you’ll see that the emphasis switches more into communications, whether that communication is with oneself mentally and intellectually, with other via speech or written, or with the world via travelling or socialising. Compared to recent times May is relatively low key, but don’t let yourself get complacent – this is a fertile time where the imagination can lead to a number of new beginnings.

About Steve Judd

Steve was born near Southampton in southern England in July 1955. After leaving the army at twenty, Steve found his first astrological book in 1980, and spent the next years buried in books studying astrological basics, leading to his first consultations in 1982. He is totally self taught. Over the next fifteen years, he expanded his ability by doing 4,000+ chart readings.

In 1994, after many years working at the Glastonbury Festival Green Fields, Steve was a founding members of the Big Green Gathering and is currently on the Board of Directors. Since 1998, Steve has increased his astrological career many fold, starting when he began work for the astrological phone lines. He wrote for Jonathan Cainer, as well as contributing to Jon's web site and column in the Daily Mirror and the Daily Mail. During 1999 and 2000 Steve worked as a real-time internet astrological consultant for World International Television. He now works solely for himself.

In the last eight years, Steve's number of consultations has increased to the point where he now has records of over 20,000 horoscopic readings, with a loyal client base, many of whom return for monthly and yearly updates.

Steve has considerable experience of dealing with different media. He has appeared on local radio stations in Cornwall, Bristol, Hereford, Stevenage and the highlands of Scotland amongst others, on local TV in the HTV and GMTV areas, and has national TV appearances to his name. He has his own brand of idiosyncrasies which endear him to his many clients and fans, which coupled with his bohemian and sometimes direct attitude makes him a unique individual.

In September 2003, Steve began studying for the Master of Arts Degree in Cultural Astronomy and Astrology at the Sophia Centre, Bath Spa University. He was awarded his Masters Degree on July 22 2005.

If you enjoyed his forecast, please visit Steve’s website at www.stevejudd.com or email him at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .