One step forward, one step back? “Patience” isn’t exactly your middle name, Ram, but it’s exactly what you’ll need in the coming months as stealth agent Pluto shifts into his annual retrograde motion this Monday, May 1 until October 10. This year, thanks to its sign change, the reversal will start in Aquarius and your eleventh house of tech and teamwork then retreat into Capricorn and your career house on June 11. Knowing some things will be beyond your control can help you ride out the slowdowns and work stoppages over the coming five months. You’ll have opportunities to shift and refine how you manage or interact in a group. What probably WON’T work is barking orders or being pushy or argumentative, even if that makes you feel better in the moment. (And even worse would be getting snarky or passive aggressive.) Of course, if you’re heading up an important Team Aries project, you can’t ignore bad behavior—but you can (and should) pick your battles carefully. Let the slackers and underminers know in no uncertain terms what needs to change—and what the consequences of not doing so look like. Since retrogrades rule the past—and the eleventh house is associated with groups and social activism—you could reconnect with former colleagues who still want to improve the world, which is more urgent now than ever!
But it won’t be all work all the time. In fact, this Friday, a lunar eclipse in Scorpio turns up the heat in your erotic eighth house. Under these electrifying moonbeams, your seductive powers will be dialed all the way up, and people might just trip over themselves to get close to you. It’s up to you if you care to interact with ANY of them, and how seriously. If your mojo could use a reboot, this eclipse could do the trick! It may seem “sudden,” but in reality, this lunation represents the culmination of all your efforts and vison work of the past six months. If you’re single and have been playing cat-and-mouse games, you might finally be ready to get caught. Conversely, if you’ve been unhappily involved with a commitment-phobe, this could give you the courage to issue an ultimatum or just cut bait and fish elsewhere. For solid couples, this is a golden weekend to celebrate your union in a special way, perhaps with that next big step you’ve been fantasizing about!
On Sunday, the fashionista of the zodiac, Venus, swings into nurturing Cancer, joining Mars in your cozy fourth house, putting down roots until June 5. Let your inner decorator out to offer some suggestions for updating your place and making it a little more in line with 2023 you. (Just make ample mood boards and get estimates while Mercury’s retrograde through May 14.) And since Venus is the love planet, part of your motivation may be to turn Chez Ram into a veritable love nest. Whatever your relationship status, these next four weeks are ideal for planning, researching and then getting down to the nitty-gritty with bae or your roommates. This is the time to get everything out in the open, from grievances to dream arrangements. Holding back will lead to resentment, especially for relatively new, misty-eyed couples. What you set into motion now will set up patterns for the coming months and potentially years. This Venus cycle is ideal for some epic entertaining—or a mutual renovation—as a pair. If you’re still waiting for your ideal partner, this transit can help you attract an appropriate person into your orbit, but you’ll have to meet the universe halfway by extending yourself in some way.
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Identical twin sisters Ophira and Tali Edut (a.k.a. The AstroTwins) are ELLE.com’s resident astrologers. They have written several astrology books, including Momstrology and Supercouple, and star as the astrological matchmakers for Prime Video’s Cosmic Love. The Eduts have read charts for celebrities the likes of Beyoncé, Karlie Kloss, and Emma Roberts. For their spot-on predictions, books, and online courses, check out our horoscopes coverage or visit astrostyle.com.
