If you’re wanting to read instead of listen, here’s the transcript edited for clarity. :)
Hey, welcome back! This is This Week’s Magic, your weekly astrological weather report. I’m Shereen, and this is the forecast for the week of May 17th.
Okay so this week is a lot of movement on the surface but underneath it all there is a really clear invitation to slow down, stay grounded, and be present before June arrives and things start moving very fast. Think of this week as your last real exhale before the pace picks up significantly. Let’s get into it.
The overall vibe
Four personal planets are changing signs this week, Mercury, Mars, and Venus, plus the Sun moves into Gemini on Wednesday. That’s a lot of energy shifting at once. But the overall feeling of the week is actually quieter than that sounds. We are being asked to sit with our feelings a little more, find the words to talk through them, and really practice grounding ourselves in our bodies. When June comes with its heavy air and fire energy, the people who have developed a grounding practice are going to move through it so much more gracefully. This week is your training week.
A sidebar: Personal planets vs outer planets
Before we get into the transits, I want to take a moment to explain something that will help you understand astrology so much better going forward.
In astrology we talk about personal planets and outer planets, and they do very different things.
The personal planets are the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, and Mars. They move quickly through the zodiac, anywhere from a couple of days to a couple of months in each sign. Because they move fast, they affect your day to day experience. Your moods, your conversations, your energy levels, your love life, how you’re showing up moment to moment.
The outer planets, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto, move slowly. We’re talking months to years in a single sign. Because of that, they shape the bigger trends and themes in your life, and in the collective.
Here’s where it gets interesting. The personal planets don’t just do their own thing in isolation. When a personal planet passes through a sign, it can amplify whatever the outer planets already have going on. Think of the outer planets as turning up the volume on certain themes in your life. A personal planet coming through is like someone accidentally bumping the dial to eleven.
I’ll give you a real example. When I was going through heavy Pluto transits from early Aquarius to my natal Scorpio planets, that energy was already asking me to face some deep fears and shadows. When Mars entered the picture and amplified that Pluto energy, it was a lot. Like, really a lot. The pressure to face what I had been avoiding became impossible to ignore.
So this week, as multiple personal planets shift signs, pay attention to what they might be amplifying in your own chart. Your life will show you.
Mercury enters Gemini — Sunday May 17th
Mercury moves into Gemini on Sunday and comes home. Mercury rules Gemini, so this is Mercury at its most comfortable, most natural, most itself. Quick thinking, fast talking, curious, adaptable, ready to connect the dots between ideas.
Mercury will be in Gemini until June 1st, and right away it conjuncts Uranus on Sunday night. Remember Uranus just moved into Gemini last month and is settling in for a seven year stay. Mercury passing over Uranus right out of the gate could bring some unexpected news or a sudden insight, something that feels like it came out of nowhere but actually makes a lot of sense once you sit with it. Pay attention to what lands in your mind or your inbox Sunday evening.
Mars enters Taurus — Monday May 19th
On Monday, Mars moves into Taurus where it will stay until June 28th.
Mars in Aries, where it just came from, is full volume. Urgent, fast, all systems go right now. Mars in Taurus is a completely different animal. Taurus is slow, deliberate, sensual, stubborn. Mars here doesn’t sprint, it plods. Purposefully.
This might feel like a frustrating slowdown if you’ve been riding the Aries energy. But it’s actually an invitation to be more intentional about where you’re directing your drive. Taurus asks: is this worth my energy? Is this aligned with my values? Am I building something that will actually last? Mars in Taurus doesn’t move fast but when it moves, it means it.
This also fits perfectly with the grounding theme of the week. Even your ambition is being asked to slow down and feel its feet on the ground.
Venus enters Cancer — Monday May 18th
Venus moves into Cancer on Monday where she’ll stay until June 13th. Venus just left Gemini where she was chatty, curious, and a little flirty. Cancer is a completely different vibe. Nurturing, emotional, home oriented, deeply feeling.
In your love life this means connection feels more meaningful when it feels safe. You want to be held, not just entertained. Home cooked meals over trendy restaurants. Depth over cleverness. If someone makes you feel genuinely cared for this month, that lands differently than usual.
For money and values, Cancer brings a protective instinct. You might feel more drawn to security and savings than splurging. Taking care of what you already have rather than chasing something new.
Venus in Cancer also connects beautifully to last week’s new moon energy around grounding and self nourishment. Pour into yourself. Create a home environment that feels like a sanctuary. That’s Venus in Cancer at her best.
Sun enters Gemini — Wednesday May 20th
Wednesday the Sun moves into Gemini and we are officially in Gemini season until June 21st. The Sun joining Mercury and Uranus already in Gemini means there is a lot of energy in that sign right now. Curious, communicative, quick, idea generating.
And on Friday, the Sun will conjunct Uranus, same as Mercury did on Sunday. Expect another moment of unexpected insight or a surprising development that feels like it’s accelerating something. We’ll come back to that when we get to Friday.
Tuesday May 19th — the best day of the week
I have to give Tuesday its own moment because it is genuinely stacked with good energy.
Mercury trines Pluto. Mercury sextiles Neptune. Venus sextiles Mars. All on the same day. Everything came to play nice on Tuesday.
Mercury trine Pluto means your conversations can go deep in the best way. The kind of talk where you say something out loud and surprise yourself with how true it is. Mercury sextile Neptune adds a dreamy, intuitive quality to your thinking. Ideas feel inspired. Creativity flows. Things you couldn’t quite articulate before suddenly find their words.
And Venus sextile Mars is just good energy for connection. Warm, a little magnetic, easy. If you have been thinking about planning a date or a gathering or even just a really good dinner with someone you love, Tuesday is your day. The energy supports it completely.
This is also a great day for any creative work, meaningful conversations, or anything that requires both your heart and your mind to show up at the same time.
Friday May 22st — a little up and down
Okay, Friday is a bit of a mixed bag and I want to prepare you for that so it doesn’t catch you off guard.
It starts with Venus squaring Neptune, which can bring a little confusion or rose colored glasses energy, especially around love and money. Things might not be quite what they appear in the morning. Hold off on big decisions or commitments until the fog clears.
Then we have the Sun conjuncting Uranus, which can bring something unexpected dropping in your lap. Could be exciting, could be disruptive, could be both at the same time. Uranus doesn’t really do subtle.
Then Mercury sextiles Saturn, which is actually helpful energy for bringing some structure and clarity to whatever came up. Mercury sextile Saturn is great for focused thinking, practical problem solving, getting serious about something that matters.
So the arc of Friday is: a little foggy, then something unexpected, then the tools to deal with it. If you can stay patient and not react to the morning energy too quickly, the day actually resolves quite well. Things dropping in your lap on a Friday can feel annoying. But with a little diligence, you can turn it to your advantage before the weekend.
First Quarter Moon in Virgo — Saturday May 23rd
And Saturday closes with the First Quarter Moon, with the Moon in Virgo and the Sun in Gemini.
Remember last Saturday’s New Moon in Taurus? You set intentions around self nourishment, grounding yourself, creating from a place of safety. The First Quarter Moon is your first check in on all of that.
Virgo energy is practical, detail oriented, and wants to refine and improve. Gemini is curious and communicative. Together they are asking: how are you actually doing with those intentions? Not theoretically. Actually. Are you genuinely caring for yourself or did you write it in your journal and then immediately go back to doing the most?
The invitation here is to assess without spiraling into perfectionism. Details matter but not so much that they halt your progress. Be curious rather than critical. Ask questions rather than making judgments. If something isn’t working, adjust it. That’s the Virgo First Quarter Moon gift, it helps you refine without starting over.
And try not to get prickly. Virgo can go there. Gemini can too. Be gentle with yourself and others as you do your honest check in.
The verdict
This is a training week. Ground yourself, slow your pace, let the personal planet shifts settle into your body. Tuesday is a gift, use it. Friday has some texture but resolves if you stay patient. And by the weekend, you’ll have a clearer sense of how your new moon intentions are actually taking shape.
Closing
That’s your magic for the week. Now go make some more. And next week I’m back as we move deeper into Gemini season and the energy really starts to pick up. You’ll want to be rested. See you soon!
