May 2015Overview

Here’s the May overview and my apologies for it being a few days late.

The moon: May began and ends with the moon in the light phase. However, the dark moon is in force now and will continue to be until the light moon — or no moon visible in the sky — returns at 12:13 a.m. May 18.

Dark moon: through May 17

Light moon: May 19 until 12:19 p.m. June 2

“General Tips” for dark- and light-moon activities are below and if you are planting in flats, seedbeds, the garden — anywhere, it’s above-ground producers in the light moon and below-ground producers when the dark phase is in.

The signs

Remember: Again, check to see if the moon is in the light or dark phase (information above) before proceeding with planting, or other activities, indoors or out.

Fertile signs: The most fertile signs in the zodiac rule these days: Scorpio (the secrets), May4, 30-31; Pisces (the feet), May 11-13; Taurus (the neck), May 16-17; and Cancer (the breast), May 20-21. There are 12 days this month ruled by the fertile signs — Scorpio, Pisces, Taurus and Cancer — and that’s a lot of fertile days!

Killing signs: No planting, transplanting, or dealing with things you want to thrive should occur on these days. Reserve them for cultivating, cleaning out fencerows — anything but planting: Aries (the head), May 14-15 and Leo (the heart), May 22-24. There are four killing days this month ruled by either Aries or Leo.

So-so days: These aren’t particularly fertile nor destructive, just so-so: Sagittarius (the thighs), May 5-6; Capricorn (the knees), May 7-8; and Aquarius (the legs), May 9-10. There are six days ruled by the three so-so signs.

Flowering days: These are “bloom days” and well suited for planting flowers. Virgo (the bowels) will rule May 25-26; and Libra (the reins) rules May 27-29; and. There are five flowering days remaining this month.

Gemini days: Gemini rules the arms and is in force May 18-19. Both of these days are in the light of the moon and statistically past the danger of frost. So, if you love bush or pole beans then these are your days!

Ember Days

May includes a stretch of Ember Days at the end of the month. These are super killing days and all planting should be avoided if possible — and I would make it possible by not planting. They are May 27, 29 and 30 — two flowering days and a Scorpio day which, of course, is very fertile.

General tips

Again, here are a few general tips for activities other than planting:

>If you have gravel to pour on a drive or roadway, do that in the light of the moon. The same applies for stones on a garden path: Place them when the moon is in the light phase so they don’t sink. That would be May 18 through June 1.

>If you’re setting fence posts, do that in the light of the moon so the posts don’t sink.

>If you’re putting on a new shingle roof, do that when the moon’s in the dark phase so that the shingles stick down and don’t curl up on the ends. Those days are May 4-17.

>If you have changes to make, then we have a good long stretch again this month, May 5-13. The moon is in the dark phase and the signs are going out of the body past anything that functions, Sagittarius-Pisces/thighs through feet. There are nine days that fit the formula perfectly this month. Included among “changes” is weaning small children or animals since that’s definitely a “change” for them!

Other things that benefit include: starting a diet or exercise program, stopping smoking and scheduling elective surgery. Just ask yourself: “Does this activity involve some sort of change?” If the answer is “yes,” the dark of the moon when the signs are going out of the body past anything that functions — thighs through feet — is the best time according to the phases and signs.