Mother May I?

Mother May I?

 When I was a little girl, I played a game called “Mother May I?” The gist of it was that one person got to be the “Mother” while the other players were her “children”. Her children all lined up in a row and had to ask permission from Mother to advance forward in the game. She would either grant them permission or dismiss their requests, based upon her whim. After the children requested how far they wanted to advance, Mother would turn her back to her children. While her back was turned the children would either take their approved steps, stay still, or attempt to rush Mother and tap her shoulder so they could win that round. Whoever was fastest, bravest, orneriest, or often times, the quietest would get there first and become the new Mother. However, if Mother turned around and “caught” one of her children misbehaving (i.e. taking steps for which she did not grant permission, speeding along, or cheating to get ahead) she would return them back to “home” AKA, the starting line. I suspect I am thinking about that game this month as more and more states are opening up “post” Covid-19.

In May 2020 we have 4 planets Retrograde (appearing to move backward) and that may indicate some backward movement here on planet Earth as well.  Mother May I…take one giant step/one baby step out of lockdown? Yes, you may…OR No you may not? Who knows? We shall see.

We begin the month of May in the sign of our Earth Mother, Taurus. The Sun moved into Taurus on the 21st of April and the New Moon entered Taurus on the 22nd of April, thus began a new cycle which more closely drew our attention to the Earth. It was fitting the 50th celebration of Earth Day happened at the Taurus New Moon. Taurus is Pachamama, the Earth goddess of the indigenous Incas; or Pele, the volcano goddess of Hawai’i; or “Mother Nature” from the 1970s Chiffon margarine commercials who used to declare, “It’s not nice to fool Mother Nature”. Well, that last one is a bit of a stretch. But with all that is happening in the world, it is important to remember our Moms this month, in all their glory! Additionally, it is important to look at how our Earth Mother has been responding to the current pandemic.

There have been many headlines highlighting the decrease in pollution, both air and noise, that unexpectedly occurred when people had to stay home and shelter in place. It truly was inspiring to behold! It was a multileveled story, but a couple of things were undeniable:  1.  People DO have an effect on the environment, we can no longer turn a blind eye to that fact; and 2.  With a bit of rest and recovery, the Earth is amazingly capable of regenerating and resetting herself. So perhaps honoring our Mother and giving her a break to rest and recover is a good thing after all? This is yet another thing to contemplate as we head toward getting our lives up and running again. What wisdom gleaned will we keep and cultivate moving forward?

While we are waiting to see what comes next it is important to remember the configurations of the planets above so we can cooperate upon the Earth below. Venus (planet of relationship) in Gemini (sign of communications) begins the month moving direct but then turns retrograde in the middle of the month so, as they say, the best laid plans…

One important thing to watch for this month is double speak, someone telling you one thing to get what they want when the polar opposite might be true. It will be very important to be your own guide this month, in right relationship with yourself, even if you cannot decide what is what. Adding to the confusion of double speak is the energy of Mars which moves from Aquarius into Pisces mid-month. It may be a bit more difficult to take action based on “truth”, so it is going to be very important to tune into your inner Self and follow the guidance that speaks to your higher Truth. Trust what you know and when in doubt, don’t! Be a good Mother to yourself, nurture and take care of yourself this month; speak gentle truth to yourself and remember to trust. BE kind.

The big players in this pandemic drama we have so far been discussing, Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto will all be Retrograde this month as well. Pluto has already turned, Saturn turns the 12th and Jupiter the 15th again, mid-month. It is not surprising that we all want to come out of lockdown at the beginning of May, but we may be re-thinking the decision around the middle of the month. We may need to work through the mixed feelings of wanting to go out and be free while also wanting to stay close to home and be safe, the two sides of the May coin. What would Mother say?

ON the 7th of May we have a full Moon (Divine Feminine AKA Mother) in Scorpio which asks us to look deeply within and release anything that stands in the way of our personal spiritual transformation. What have we learned from our time in quarantine that we know we MUST change and how do we take the steps to do so? What toxicity do we need to take a break from? What do we need to quit doing that pollutes our inner Self? What must we release in order to reset our personal environment? How do we get into right relationship with our own inner divide? BIG questions for the month of May! The kinds of questions our Mother’s would pose when gently guiding us along our way. Maybe that is why I find myself reflecting on a time when life decisions were simpler and the rules we played by, as well as the Earth herself, were clearer?

A healthy Mother asks us to think for ourselves and follow our own inner guidance, our own hearts. She would support us in our choices and try to teach us after we discovered some of our choices were not in our best interests. Whether we are opening up as a country or globally, we have to ask ourselves what is in our best interests and move forward with caution, un-pressured by those who try to rush or scare us. Let us remember to listen to the planet, the Divine Feminine and our own internal Mothers lest we get scolded for not playing fair and returned back to the starting line!

Happy Mother’s Day to all of us who have or had Mothers!

May we honor them more than once a year or every 100 year pandemic.

Please continue to social distance no matter your choice about lockdown.

And by all means, stay safe and healthy.