T.J. MacGregor, horoscope column by mystery writer and non-fiction astrological author

May 2008

Welcome to Booktalk's monthly horoscope column. This column is different from newspaper horoscopes because it's tailored specifically for writers, editors, agents, and anyone else involved in publishing. Here, you'll find astrological insights on the best times to court your muse or to sign contracts, to start your book or revise it, to go on tour or postpone it. You'll be able to plan for the times your creative flow may be blocked or when that flow is racing so fast there's hardly time to sleep. You'll discover the most propitious times in a given month to negotiate with agents and editors or with your clients. Here, your creativity is celebrated and applauded and there's no such thing as "I give up."

There’s a lot of astrological activity this month. Three planets are turning retrograde – Jupiter on May 9 and both Neptune and Mercury on Memorial Day, May 26. One possible repercussion of all these retrograde planets is a general slowing down that forces us to be more present in whatever we’re doing. Mercury’s retrograde won’t end until June 19, so if you’re getting ready to make submissions, do it on either side of these dates.

Aries | Taurus | Gemini | Cancer | Leo | Virgo | Libra
Scorpio | Sagittarius | Capricorn | Aquarius | Pisces

Aries, March 21 - April 19:Your best writing time this month falls between May 2-26, while Mercury is moving in direct motion. Between May 26 and June 19, it’s time to rewrite and revise. On May 9, Mars enters Leo and your fifth house of creativity. That means your muse stops by for a visit that should last until July 2, so you’ll have the benefit of his/her help during part of the time when Mercury is moving direct. And you’ll be burning the midnight oil, Aries, either to meet a deadline or just for the sheer joy of what you’re writing. On the 20th and 24th, the sun and Venus enter Gemini and the communication area of your chart, portending a possible new project/contract. Unfortunately, Mercury will be retrograde through most of Venus’s transit, which could put a damper on negotiations. Jupiter turns retrograde on May 9, in Capricorn, in the career area of your chart, and turns direct again in early September. This movement could slow things down professionally. It may take longer for your editor to read your manuscript, for instance, or the publication dates for your book are pushed back farther.
          Yet, the Taurus new moon on May 5 ushers in a new financial opportunity, so it seems that all this retrograde movement doesn’t significantly impact what you earn. The full moon in Scorpio on the 19th brings news that excites you.

Taurus, April 20- May 20: On May 2, you may suddenly start feeling a whole lot better about your creative projects. Saturn, which has been retrograde since mid-December 2007, turns direct in Virgo, in your fifth house, releasing a lot of pent-up creative energy. So if you’ve been stuck in whatever you’re writing, that ends. Also on the 2nd, Mercury enters Gemini and the financial sector of your chart, suggesting money earned through writing. If contracts come your way, be sure to sign them before May 26 and after June 19, the Mercury retrograde period. The sun and Venus will be in your sign until the 20th and 24th respectively, so that should be your strongest writing period, with significant breakthroughs creatively, financially, personally. Once Mercury turns retrograde on the 26th, you’re rewriting and loving every second of it. Jupiter, now transiting the publishing area of your chart, turns retrograde on May 9, which could mean that forward movement slows down somewhat. Your current project may shift somewhat in direction or in genre.
          The new moon in your sign on May 5 happens just once a year and sets the tone for the next 12 months. And this moon should be very nice for you, ushering in all kinds of new opportunities. Thanks to wide and beneficial angles from Jupiter, Venus, and Uranus, sudden events expand your venue in unimagined ways. Be ready to seize the opportunity as it surfaces. With the full moon in Scorpio, your opposite sign, on May 19, expect news about partnerships.

Gemini, May 21- June 20Best advice for the month, Gemini, is to write like a maniac between May 2-26, when Mercury is in your sign and before it turns retrograde. This 23-day period is especially strong because the sun and then Venus, on the 20th and 24th respectively, also enter your sign. So you can expect positive news about your writing projects and a lucky artistic break – connecting with the right editor, perhaps? Mars enters Leo and the communication area of your chart on the 9th, which acts as a booster rocket for your writing. So if between the 2nd and the 9th you feel your pace is lagging, that ends on the 9th. You may be pulling some all nighters after that– and not just to meet a deadline. You’re writing at this pace because you’re plugged into your story, characters, plot. Mercury’s retrograde in your sign lasts, unfortunately, through most of Venus’s transit in your sign, so it’s probably smart not to start anything knew between May 26 and June 19. Revise, rewrite.
         The new moon in Taurus of May 5 attracts new opportunities to work behind the scenes in some capacity. Uranus and Jupiter form wide but favorable angles to this moon, suggesting that the opportunities surface suddenly and, in some way, lead to expansion in your creative life. The full moon in Scorpio on May 19 brings news concerning your daily work routine. Given the angles that Jupiter and Uranus make to this moon, the news should be good!

Cancer, June 21 - July 22. With most of the transits this month in air or fire signs, you may feel like a little fish out of water. You’ll have ample opportunity, though, to hunker down and write and these feelings of being somewhat off can be translated into creative fodder. Look to May 2-26 for your best writing time, followed by bursts of inspiration on the 20th and 24th, when the sun and then Venus joins Mercury in Gemini. Your mind will be brimming with ideas and the biggest challenge you’ll have is getting them all down. The new moon in Taurus on May 5, an earth sign compatible with your sun sign, should bring new opportunities to work with groups – a writer’s group? – and for publicity and promotion. If you’re doing promotion, just be sure your schedule is set before Mercury turns retrograde and that you know the store will have your books. Thanks to beneficial angles from Uranus and Jupiter to this new moon, these opportunities arrived unexpectedly and expand your options.
          Until May 9, Mars continues its journey through your sign, energizing you physically, so this would be the ideal time to really push to meet a deadline. Circle May 2. Saturn turns direct in Virgo, in the communication sector of your chart, so your daily writing should move along more smoothly. Contracts could now be headed your way, too.

Leo, July 23 - August 23: Most of the month seems tailor made for you, Leo, and the action kicks off on May 2, when Mercury enters Gemini. Submit your manuscript between the 2-26th, when Mercury turns retrograde, or after June 19, when it turns direct again. Contract negotiations and discussions with your editor should take place during those dates, too, if possible. While Mercury is moving direct this month, promotion and publicity are favored. This is especially true on the 20th and the 24th, when the sun and then Venus joins Mercury in your eleventh house. Mars enters your sign and acts as a booster rocket, driving you to write longer hours and to get your novel, book or screenplay exactly right. Also on the 9th, Jupiter turns retrograde in Capricorn, suggesting that some sort of inner creative expansion will be occurring. You may decide that your plot or characters need to be broadened in some way. Your story may make mix genres.
         Circle May 5. The new moon in Taurus should usher in new career opportunities that surface unexpectedly. You may land a writing project that is totally different than anything you’ve done before. The full moon on May 19, in Scorpio, should bring positive news related to what you’re working on.

Virgo, August 24 - September 22. May 2-26th favors all career matters. Whether you’re touching base with your editor/agent, are in contract negotiations, writing, or are traveling due to your work, this 23-day period should be extremely busy. Circle the 20th and the 24th, when the sun and then Venus join Mercury in the career area of your chart. These two planets bring luck and a general smooth flow to your professional endeavors. They are good days to schedule meetings, submit manuscripts, or just to write up a storm. Between May 26 and June 19, Mercury will be retrograde in your career area. Make submissions on either side of those dates and be prepared to revise and rewrite during the retrograde.
          The new moon in Taurus on May 5 brings new publishing opportunities. You sell a manuscript, land a new project, make contact with a new editor. Whatever these opportunities are, they broaden your talents and your options. The full moon in Scorpio on May 19 brings news about a current project and the news will have you celebrating.

Libra, September 23 - October 22.You have a 23-day window of opportunity for submissions, negotiations, pitching ideas, and signing contracts. Between May 2 -26, Mercury will be in Gemini, moving through the publishing sector of your chart. During this period you may also expand your readership overseas, making sales to foreign publishers. On the 20 and 24, the sun and then Venus joins Mercury in Gemini, providing an additional boost of luck and serendipity to your endeavors. In additional Mars enters compatible fire-sign Leo on the 9th and until July 1 brings about a favorable climate for publicity and promotion. So if you’re going on tour, look to any time after the 9th until the 26th. In addition, Jupiter turns retrograde in Capricorn on the 9th, and Jupiter rules publishing. This could prompt you to take a second look at your publishing goals and the lay of the land generally.
          The new moon in Taurus on May 5 could bring new people into your life who like what you write and who are willing to help in some way. Other people’s resources will be easier to draw on – time, money, expertise. The full moon in Scorpio on the 19th brings news about money and perhaps that check you’re owed lands in your mailbox.

Scorpio, October 23 - November 21: Let’s talk first about the full moon in your sign on May 19, the second in as many months. This one falls in the final degrees of the sign, and those of you born between November 2-22 will feel the impact most strongly. Thanks to beneficial angles from Uranus and Jupiter, any personal news you receive will seem to come out of the blue and will expand your venues of expression and your options. The new moon in Taurus, your opposite sign, on May 5 ushers in new partnership opportunities – a new editor, agent, publicist are all possibilities.
         What about the rest of the month? Well, most of the transits favor air and fire signs, with a focus of activity in Gemini, your eighth house. Between May 2-26, Mercury is moving direct in that sign, so there could be discussions about contracts and plans for publicity and promotion. On the 20th and 24th, the sun and Venus join Mercury in your eighth house, so you could land a nice contract or receive money that you’re due. Mars enters Leo and the career sector of your chart on May 9 and won’t leave until early July. This time frame favors all professional matters. Things may moved at a rapid clip, so be prepared to run with an opportunity at a moment’s notice.

Sagittarius, November 22 - December 21: Three major transits – Mercury, the sun, and Venus – all occur in your opposite sign, Gemini, emphasizing your business partnerships. So, starting on May 2, when Mercury enters your seventh house, you may be pitching ideas to a business partner – editor, agent, publicist – or submitting manuscripts or making sales or all of the above. On the 20th, when the sun joins Mercury in Gemini, you’ve got about six days to seize an opportunity and run with it. On the 24th, Venus joins Mercury and the sun in Gemini, and luck is stirred into the mix. You’re in the right place at the right time. Then on the 26th, Mercury turns retrograde and everything slows way down. So try to wrap up your deals and contracts before that date or after June 19, when Mercury turns direct again. On May 9, Mars enters Leo, where it will be until July 1, acting as a booster rocket for all your publishing endeavors. Possibilities? You’re writing like crazy, perhaps pushing against a deadline; you land a new contract; your overseas sales pick up.
          The new moon in Taurus on May 5 ushers in new opportunities in your daily work routine. This could be anything from a new book or novel that you begin around this time, a new idea that screams to be born, or even a new business partnership. The full moon in Scorpio on May 19 sheds light on something that has been hidden from you – maybe a plot twist? A new character?

Capricorn, December 22 - January 19. Writing mania grips you on May 2, when Mercury enters Gemini, and doesn’t really let up until the 26th, when Mercury turns retrograde. From May 26 to June 19, you’ll be revising, rewriting, and reworking ideas. On May 20 and 24th the sun and then Venus join Mercury in that area of your chart that represents your daily work routine. Both of these planets add luck and serendipity to your creative stew, and help to attract the right people at the right time. These energies continue into June, but could be skewed because of Mercury’s trickery. On the 2nd, Saturn turns direct in fellow earth sign Virgo, in the publishing sector of your chart. Anything that has been stalled or delayed should now begin to move forward. Your overseas sales could pick up, too, and there could be some international travel for business. On the 9th, Jupiter turn retrograde in your sign until early September, making it likely that you’ll be searching for way to expand your creative venues.
          The new moon in Taurus on May 5 attracts new opportunities for creative expression. These opportunities crop up suddenly and are all about expansion. On May 19, the full moon in Scorpio brings news about a particular dream or goal that you have. And the news looks good.

Aquarius, January 20 - February 18. May is all about your creativity, Aquarius. The action kicks off on May 2, when Mercury enters Gemini and your fifth house and you start writing like someone possessed. Then on the 26th, when Mercury turns retrograde, everything slows down and you backtrack, rewriting and revising and fine tuning. On the 20th and 24th, the sun and then Venus team up with Mercury and both infuse your writing with warmth. It’s possible that you make a sale while both planets transit in Gemini – the sun until June 20, and Venus until June 18. In addition, Mars enters Leo, your opposite sign, on May 9, bringing the focus of your energy to partnerships until early July. This could mean that you’ll be hunting for a new agent or editor, or that you and a writing partner are pushing against a deadline.
         The new moon in Taurus on the 5th should bring new artistic opportunities that appear suddenly and somehow expand your creative venue. With the full moon in Scorpio on the 19th, you hear career news or a professional issue or gain a better grasp on a professional issue or relationship.

Pisces, February 19 - March 20. It’s a writing month for sure, Pisces, and the best days for it fall between May 2-26. That said, it looks as if you’ll be shoring up the foundation of something you’re working on. You may decide, for instance, that a plot element doesn’t work the way you had hoped or that you have too many characters or the characters aren’t interacting the way you would like. On the 20th and 24th, when the sun and then Venus join Mercury in Gemini, you suddenly feel you can pull off whatever this change is and after the 26th, you dive in, rewriting and revising. Jupiter turns retrograde in Capricorn on the 9th, and during the next few months you’ll be scrutinizing your writing and professional goals, seeking a way to reinvent yourself. Saturn turns direct in Virgo, on the 2nd. This movement should bring about forward movement in a business partnership.
         The new moon in Taurus on May 5 is a major bonus for you. You may sell a manuscript or land a writing project. This opportunity occurs unexpectedly and in some way expands your creative venues and options, Pisces, so be on your toes, ready to hit the ground running. The full moon in Scorpio on the 19th brings publishing news.

Trish MacGregor is the author of 24 novels and 7 astrology books. The most recent, "The Complete Dream Dictionary: A Bedside Guide to Knowing What Your Dreams Mean," was published in November 2004 and co-written with Rob MacGregor. See left column for more information about Trish.