GEMINI HOROSCOPE

Whenever a planet is conjunct the Sun to the exact degree – like your Ruling Planet Mercury will be on May 30th – that planet is cazimi. “Cazimi” refers to the “heart of the Sun” and describes a 24 hour period when a planet is at its peak power. Given that the cazimi takes place in your own birth sign makes it all the more resplendent. It's the perfect time to bluff your way out of a corner, to meet with that person that everyone said you couldn’t see, or to take the most calculated of risks. Aim high and shoot far and you will be successful.

All through your childhood you heard countless lectures on how you could do better if only you applied yourself. It was the favorite theme of parents, teachers, and coaches. Happy to be on the other side of that you may be surprised to hear it coming from people who are younger than you on May 24th. Saturn in Aries is more helpful than harmful when it sextiles your sign, but it will still insist you push yourself. During the next 2 ½ years you'll meet people who can open doors for you but only if you promise to give it your all and try harder.

Ruling Planet Mercury square Pluto on May 12th is going to make you feel like everyone is against you and that you haven't a friend in the world, but the question you should be asking yourself is: are people really out to get you or are they trying to tell you something that you don't want to hear? There are times when we must be true to ourselves and persevere no matter what and then there are times when others see the way ahead more clearly than we do. And with Pluto in the zodiac sign of Aquarius, this may be one of those times.

It's the perfect time to start a crowdfunding account. Whether you're looking for investors to bankroll a dream project or covering costs for a mishap, the Mercury/Jupiter sextile on May 5th shows people helping out financially as long as your motive is pure. If it is, then you'll garner the support you need. If it isn't? Then what you gain could cost you later. Jupiter, the planet of fortune, operates on the principle of people being there for people in times of need and that just as someone helped you out when you were down, you will be expected to return the favor one day.

We all get obsessive from time to time. We fixate on something we can't have or try to control someone we don't own. It's fine within reason, but sometimes this dark compulsion can take on a life all its own. On May 4th Pluto, the planet of obsession, turns retrograde. Retrogrades bring reversals which is why they're often regarded as being untrustworthy however retrogrades can also bring a loosening of the hold that a planet has had over you. If you feel like you're obsessing about something (or someone) that you can't live without then pull the plug. You'll be happier and healthier without it.

Warning signs can't help if you ignore them. It's something to keep in mind when Venus conjoins Saturn for the last time in Pisces on April 24th. Success has many friends – as you learned when Venus first entered the sign of the fish on January 2d. This is when you found yourself surrounded by people who were only too happy to tell you the things you wanted to hear. In recent weeks you've begun to question their motives. As a Gemini, you should know better than to believe the hype. You're Astrology's favorite contrarian! That said, it's time to pop the bubble and wake up.

When Ruling Planet Mercury turned retrograde in Aries on March 15th, you were under the impression that everyone was on board with a new enterprise or endeavor. Unfortunately plans quickly went awry. Maybe hidden costs came to the surface, people couldn't agree on a unified approach, or “minor” technicalities wound up exerting a chokehold on your progress. Thankfully Mercury's reentrance into Aries on April 16th signals a do-over for you. Either people will rally to your side in full-throated support or if they don't, you should feel free to start afresh somewhere else. You'll have no problem finding a new taker or an enthusiastic backer.

You thought all was lost, but it's the opposite that's true when your prize reappears tantalizingly in reach on April 7th. You'll want to snatch it while you can, but it's not that easy. Although Mercury comes out of retrograde on the 7th, that doesn't mean you're in the clear. You still have two treacherous passages to negotiate – one involves a choice where you're damned if you do and damned if you don't (April 12th) while the other reveals a friend to have been a rival all along (April 18th). Yet if anyone can emerge from all of this with prize in hand – it’s a Gemini.

This is one of the best weeks of the year for you. The Sun's sextile to Jupiter in Gemini on April 6th says it's time to ask for favors, referrals, and introductions. Not only do you have friends in high places now thanks to the Sun being in Aries, but you have friends of friends who can open doors for you along with windows of opportunity. Gemini's good fortune will always be based on mutual benefit. The equation is simple: If you do good by people then people will do good by you – and that's a win-win as far as any air sign is concerned.

The Solar Eclipse bestows audacity and single-minded focus, but it also makes you aware that time is running out. Hence the feeling of urgency. It may seem counterintuitive, but what you want to do right now is secure your hold on the progress you’ve made over the past few weeks. Instead of making a grab for more things, take a moment to figure out what to do with what you already have. This means editing and prioritizing. You might also consider giving some people a piece of the action. That way they won’t feel so bad about you stepping on their toes; they may even support you.