A "Celestial Summit Meeting"

During this month five of the seven ancient planets, excluding only the Sun and Saturn, will be involved in an unusual series of astrological conjunctions. Conjunctions are generally considered positive aspects and both benefics are involved, so hopefully the rest of the month will be characterized by good fortune and generally beneficial outcomes. This series of aspects starts today.

During this month of May, four bright planets will engage in a fascinating dance with each other in the morning sky.

Mercury, Venus, Mars and Jupiter will be involved in a series of conjunctions, joined at the end of the month by a very thin, waning crescent moon. We could even refer to this as a "celestial summit meeting," or more precisely, a series of summit meetings during May 2011.

In magical terms Mercury corresponds to the sphere of Hod, splendor, the realm of mental activity. Venus corresponds to the sphere of Netzach, victory, the realm of passionate emotions, and is also referred to in astrology as the lesser benefic. Mars represents the sphere of Geburah, severity, the realm of will and power, and is also referred to in astrology as the lesser malefic due to its harsh nature. Jupiter corresponds to the sphere of Chesed, mercy, the realm of universal love and fortune, and is also referred to in astrology as the greater benefic.

Twice during May three planets will converge to form a "trio."

According to Belgian calculator Jean Meeus, a trio is when three planets fit within a circle with a minimum diameter of 5 degrees. Such a limit was one that Meeus chose more or less arbitrarily, but as he notes, "We have to make a choice."

On Wednesday (May 11), Mercury, Venus and Jupiter will converge within 2.05-degrees of each other, followed just 10 days later by another trio, this time formed by Mercury, Venus and Mars, which will crowd within a 2.13-degree circle. Then late in the month, on three successive mornings, May 29th, 30th, and 31st, the waning crescent moon will arrive, sweeping past Jupiter, Mars, Venus and Mercury stretched out across the eastern sky from upper right to lower left.

The first trio brings together thoughts, passions, and good fortune in the sign of Aries, which according to my cycle of the Zodiac represents the instigation of new ideas. The second trio brings together thoughts, passions, and will in the sign of Taurus, which represents the proper expenditure of energy toward bringing those ideas to fruition. This month, then, should prove to be a fortuitous time to begin new projects and start working toward bringing them into manifestation according to the schema obtained during my magical working group's series of Zodiacal operations.

As an aside, this also happens to place the Mercury-Venus-Mars trio on the same day as Harold Camping's Apocalypse. Could this be part of his "marvelous proof?" Probably not, if he understands anything about astrology. The trio on that day consists of the lesser benefic, the lesser malefic, and adaptable Mercury, which is not wholly positive overall but still seems to be a poor conjunction for heralding the end of the world. One would expect such an event to include Saturn, the greater malefic, which sits out this month's series of aspects.

The only downside for would-be astronomers hoping to observe this rare configuration is that for those of us in the northern hemisphere these planets will prove difficult to see. They will only be visible early in the morning and close to the horizon.

Unfortunately, during May, as seen especially from mid-northern latitudes, the ecliptic is oriented at a shallow angle relative to the eastern horizon at dawn.

As a result, the moon and planets will rise into view during late twilight and will lie very low to the east-northeast horizon by sunrise. To see them, you'll have to make sure not to have any potential obstructions to your visibility such as trees or buildings in that direction.

But coming above the horizon so near to sunrise will also mean that you'll have a fighting chance of catching only Venus (magnitude -4) and Jupiter (magnitude -2) with unaided eyes. Whether you will be able to glimpse zero-magnitude Mercury is debatable, and certainly binoculars will be needed if you have any hope of seeing Mars (magnitude +1).

The crescent moon will also prove to be a visual challenge, being only 2 percent illuminated on May 31. Low-lying clouds or haze near the horizon on any given morning will only reduce your chances of success.

The Moon corresponds to the sphere of Yesod, foundation, the realm of reactive emotional activity and conditioning. The planets will still be in Taurus as the Moon forms conjunctions with them, and in Taurus the Moon is exalted. This should help to bring the virtues of the planets into the practical sphere and facilitate good habits with regard to whatever is set in motion during the preceding trios.

What all this means is that if you've got a new magical project on your mind that you've been trying to figure out when to start, today is a pretty good day. Especially if your project is related to Mercury, Venus, or Jupiter.