The Sun enters the third decan of Taurus, which Austin Coppock called The Prayer Beads, on Saturday 10 May 2025 at 5:59 am EDT. He remains there for ten days, eight hours, and fifty-six minutes until the Sun’s ingress to Gemini on 20 May 2025. The Tarot enthusiasts among the Golden Dawn’s early adherents believed that it was the Seven of Pentacles which was associated with this decan — a card showing a farmer patiently waiting for his crops to grow to maturity before harvesting. T. Susan Chang built on this imagery in her book 36 Secrets, calling it Fail Better.
In her book, Chang notes that this is the first time since we entered the astrological year that we confront the mysteries of Saturn. The decan is ruled by Saturn under Venus — a situation that played out in Pisces just a few days ago, when Venus conjuncted Saturn almost at the degree of her own exaltation. The image which stays with me from her book is that of her father with his snow-shovel and advancing Alzheimer’s adopting the same posture as the farmer in the seven of Pentacles: resting when the work is partly done, but weary at the thought of how much more there is to do. How can I succeed, the posture seems to say, where there is so much still to do? How can I possibly stop now, when, half-way through, there is still so great a chance of failure?
So many American political leaders endlessly recite the litany of “thoughts and prayers… thoughts and prayers… thoughts and prayers…” whenever there is a tragedy in the world or their territory, about which they can apparently do nothing. Yet this decan in the ancient world was associated with the idea of the prayers — the sound sculptures we release at holy times and holy places from our voices, or inscribe in our books of hours or enchiridions or bullet journals, or wind up as glued scrolls to make paper beads for rosaries — as being living spirits sent from mortals to the divine. Rising on currents of air to the realms of celestial fire above, they carried our intentions to the sempiternal realms, where the gods would witness our thoughts and prayers… and hold us to them.
It’s not a mistake to think of a prayer as a kind of oath. Even the Pater Noster, the core prayer at the heart of the Christian tradition, begins with a kind of intimacy that’s hard to counteract, “Our father,” and lays out a set of core needs — daily bread, forgiveness of our sins, deliverance from evil — which are to be exchanged for a set of promises — to hallow Dad’s name, to forgive others their sins, and to work for the achievement of God’s monarchy in the world. That, good friends, is not a bargain basement deal. It’s a tremendously challenging reality to have to confront — especially if you come to the conclusion that individual people are not terribly good at actually carrying out the decrees that come from God’s throne.
The Jewish Kiddush, a prayer over the cup of wine or over the bread, especially on the sabbath, is far simpler: blessed are you, lord G-d, ruler of the universe, creator of the fruit of the vine.” I’ve heard a rabbi expound upon this text at length, pointing out that the job of humans is to turn the grain into bread flour and then into bread, or to turn the fruit into fruit juice and then to ferment it, with patience and intention into wine. There is a blessing given to the divine and eternal for the creation of the pattern in the world — but (until the latter part of the kiddush introduces the idea of G-d blessing Jews with Torah) the work of turning the raw materials into the stuff of social life and personal health… that work is on us.
This idea of prayer as both a preliminary and follow-up to mortal work underlies a lot of mystical and spiritual traditions, and it’s something that’s rather lost in the modern world. In alchemy, before materials are consigned to the athanor or furnace for melting, they’re blessed. The incense for many of the Orphic Hymns is aromatics, which are simply the common cooking spices and herbs like oregano, thyme, rosemary, sage, parlsey, bay, and basil — sometimes with a little onion thrown in. I learned long ago, from D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths, that the gods often enjoy the smell and savor of food more than they enjoy the actual food as a sacrifice. When we make something delicious for others to eat and enjoy, are we not offering up prayers to heaven? Are we not wishing for their health and well-being, and continued connection?
The four dodeks, or 12th parts of each sign of the Zodiac, speak to this function, and much resemble the Charles Dickens character, Ebenezer Scrooge. From 20° to 22°29′ of Taurus is Capricorn, the cold miser refusing to share his wealth. From 22°30′ to 24°59′ is Aquarius, the man coming to grasp knowledge on an intellectual level, but not yet committed to what he’s supposed to do. From 25° to 27°29′ is Pisces, the flip-flopping emotional labor of going back and forth between that knowledge, and an actual decision. From 27°30′ to 29°59′, the new fire rises in Aries, as a decision is made and Scrooge acts with intention to keep Christmas all the year long.
Oh, what a powerful prayer that is, what a powerful oath — to choose the health and well-being of one’s companions in the world, one’s employees and neighbors. And how did Scrooge get there? Somehow through the prayers and hopes of his dead colleague Jacob Marley, and his neighbors and community members, who prayed that Scrooge would see the horrors he perpetrated, and use his eyes to see what misery he had wrought.
Yet by placing all of Scrooge’s conversion in a dream sequence, Dickens reminds us that prayer is a thing that changes us in the other world — the inner landscapes of our mental operations both conscious and unconscious. No one who prays, truly, can hope to remain unchanged. Sooner or later, the divine shows up and says, change your life to match your prayers, or die.
The question is, have you chosen the right prayers to commit yourself to your desired future actions? Are you praying for what you really, really want? Or are you going to die?
House Delineations
The First House of self and self-presentation is Taurus, ruled by inconjunct Venus in Aries. Triplicity ruler Mars is square, and both the Sun and Uranus are present in the third decan, besieging the Ascendant. It will be important to dress well and look pulled together in the next ten days, but a minimalist or even austere or monastic aesthetic may be worth trying out. Consider the rule of “take one thing off before leaving the house,” as part of this week’s routine.
The Second House of money and personal property is Gemini, ruled by sextile Mercury in the anaretic degree of Aries. Jupiter is present as one of the triplicity rulers of Air signs, but Saturn is square. Financial matters require unbalanced thinking this week, where more money comes in than goes out in the short-term, but you know that there are upcoming costs worth accounting for. Your friends frequently cry “poor!” in a bid for assistance. You can help them, of course, but you had best look to your own long-term requirements first.
The Third House of siblings and neighbors is Cancer, ruled by the squaring Moon; triplicity ruler Venus is opposed to the Moon and also square to the sign. Daily routines and secret projects may cause friction or a war of words between you and extended family and relations. Repeatedly express love in the long-term, while agreeing that current circumstances warrant discussion; break off when conversations get too heated.
The Fourth House of home and immediate family is Leo, ruled by squaring Sun in Taurus. Mars is present, while triplicity ruler Jupiter is sextile from Gemini. Home may be wracked by contentions which are easily solved through application of money or existing resources, but it’s likely to be the case that only one member of the household can see these concerns and knows how to address them effectively. Don’t be stingy with information — share concerns with household members, but also identify the solutions.
The Fifth House of pleasures and hobbies is Virgo ruled by inconjunct Mercury in Aries. All triplicity rulers are inconjunct; the south node is present. Completing hobbyist projects or having fun time or getting relaxation will be difficult in the next ten days. Self-imposed financial limitations may impose some of these restrictions; allow for spontaneous events with a single partner to develop but to avoid last-minute cancellations you should reserve more scheduled occasions like a dinner party for six, for the last third of May.
The Sixth House of daily life, employees, and illness is Libra, ruled by opposing Venus in Aries and hosting the triplicity ruler the Moon. Sextile Mars in Leo adds turbulence to household daily chores, while Jupiter balances the daily grind with compensations that ease the path a little. A great many daily issues must be deferred, in the face of current market forces; work all the hours you can get paid for, even if it puts other possibilities on hold. Be wary of doing anything that throws off the current balance of dynamics in play. You can plan for the long term but be cautious about putting plans into motion before considering their impact on your finances over the next several months.
The Seventh House of relationships is Scorpio, ruled by squaring Mars in Leo, also acting as the only available triplicity ruler. Secrets and sexual desires are bubbling under the surface and emotional tension contributes to highlighted arguments with partners who are also housemates with you. The temptation to break rules or say inappropriate words is strong, but may lead to distrust and acrimony in the future.
The Eighth House of obligations and duties is Sagittarius, ruled by opposing Jupiter in Gemini. Triplicity ruler Saturn is square in Pisces, bringing difficulties to connections with friends and associates. A partner may be burning through resources until they run low, and you may need to step in to fill the gap. This may require thoughtfulness and care to avoid creating other difficulties down the road, but you can execute a well-thought-out plan (spreadsheets are advisable here, or at least a page of detailed paper calculations). Seat-of-the-pants generosity is not likely to go well; be cautious about donating money to friends’ kickstarters or GoFundMe’s, or you may have to start your own fundraiser up in the near future.
The Ninth House of travel and education is Capricorn, ruled by trining Saturn in Pisces. Triplicity rulers Venus and the Moon are both square. Travel and course work are likely to be subject to unusual restrictions and require new keys to access. Delays while crossing water should be expected, and more people than usual are likely to be vigorous or assertive about accessing travel or education that has been paid for, even if they don’t have the necessary keys or documentation to prove it. Expect delays at airports, bridges, tunnels and train stations.
The Tenth House of career and professional reputation is Aquarius, ruled by inconjunct Saturn. One triplicity ruler Jupiter is trine in Gemini, while the other, Mercury is sextile in Aries. Pluto is present. A “Karen” (my poor mother, born with the wrong name) has become a term for a (usually white) woman in the United States, who makes trouble for someone else or causes a scene for racist, classist or petty reasons related to upholding their privileges or power. A lot of such women are about to become unusually famous or infamous for a lot of unpleasant reasons, and it’s possible that their lives will be subject to difficulty and harassment as a result. Don’t be one of them, and stay out of the background of the video if you can.
The Eleventh House of friends, associates, and social organizations is Pisces, ruled by squaring Jupiter in Gemini. All three triplicity rulers are inconjunct, but the North Node will be present. It’s possible that there will never be a time when you are more likely to want, even need the company of friends… and scheduling time to make those connections happen will be stymied by all sorts of delays, restrictions and the sudden need to prioritize other matters: taking care of household matters or helping family members with injuries or illness are going to be common concerns; so will dealing with the fallout from toxic issues in the workplace. Enjoy the spontaneous moments you have with friends, but be cautious about trying to establish playdates or formal dinners or group hiking trips.
The Twelfth House of long-term obstacles and opportunities is Aries, ruled by trining Mars in Leo. Of the triplicity rulers of fire signs, Jupiter only is providing support by a sextile from Gemini. Venus, Neptune and Mercury are all present.
Horoscopes by Rising Sign
Decan I of any sign (usually covering the 21st of the month to the first of the following month) is free to all visitors; Decan II is only available to Patreon and Ko-Fi.com subscribers; and Decan III is available to Patreon, Ko-Fi, and MailChimp subscribers.
I recommend reading your Sun sign, Moon sign, and Rising sign for best results. I write them with rising sign in mind, but several people have told me they find that they do better with all three.
Taurus: There’s a need to rationalize the norms of your life in favor of some deeper or more relevant truth, and to find a higher purpose. Yet bubbling beneath the surface is an unsettling desire to irrationalize and reconstruct your life in a completely new way. You don’t yet have the words to describe this possible future, but you’re starting to envision a new way of being in the world, one which will require severing some old ties and making others tighter. The time is coming when you’ll be able to communicate this vision, but it’s likely to start with a fierce and troubling critique of your workplace, and some wide-awake insights about your key relationships with housemates and partners. It’s not all going to be fun and games, but keep in mind that you will need some resources to make this work.
Gemini: Financial matters come to the fore as you think about what you have, and discover that what you owe and what you own may be in an undulating and changeable environment that you long believed was stable. It may be time to return to some of your long-standing habits that helped preserve your money for the long haul. Professional colleagues and acquaintances of yours, with beliefs more rooted in zeal and energy than in lived experience, are going to undo some of your long-standing technical arrangements. It’s important to let them do what they’re going to do, but also to communicate that this isn’t your plan; let them take credit both for the successes and the hiccups in the new routines. At the same time, recognize that you still have a role to play here… not as the critic dourly complaining that, “this won’t work,” but acknowledging, “we haven’t tried it that way.” Instead of shutting down every plan, try to point out why you made the choices that you did; inform newcomers with wisdom rather than censure. Speaking of admonishments, your partner may be facing serious economic strains of their own that aren’t easily resolved with quick fixes. Interpretation and appraisal are likely to be more useful than disparagement. Check in on siblings and cousins; they may be facing difficulties. Your hobbies need more attention from you than they’re getting.
Cancer: Members of your direct family may drop in for a day or two, and it will be your job to keep their plates in the air: entertainment, community engagement, connections with your social circle. That may be difficult; your friends circle may be wrangling their own miniature dramas and upheavals as their own household concerns invade personal and professional spaces. The good news is that the incursion is likely to be short-lived; the bad news is that it may come at the cost of intended amusements with friends and colleagues even as your time with them grows short. Your long-term planning occupies much attention, but in the near future big things are likely to add to your personal power and possible leadership roles. Career matters require a little more long-term thinking than you’re currently investing; travel plans in the near future are going to involve a lot of contacts with old people… you’re about to get some education in what the future looks like, for everyone.
Leo: You may find it easy to win arguments or defend your positions in arguments with members of your family or household this week… but you’re likely to have to re-litigate those positions tomorrow or the next day. It’s not a time when arguments will just stay won. Instead, there are likely to be a series of ongoing talking points masquerading as criticisms; and you can expect the arguments to become more intimate, and more goal-post-shifting, as the next ten days wears on. In a social capacity, your debates are likely to win friends on the internet… but web friendships are not as useful to you as people you know in real life who’ll loan you $20 when you need it. You may need it, too — this job situation, long stable, is going through some quick changes that are likely to squeeze you. Is it time to get on the road, use those glad-handing and acting skills to ask friends for favors and try couch-surfing for a while? Probably not, but there’s benefits to planning your next road trip, even if you don’t head out until after May ends.
Virgo: you may have time set aside on your calendar for unearthing a few side projects this week, or dusting off an entertainment option or two. Unfortunately, you may not get to them, in part because important others, especially friends or associates of a spouse or significant peer in your community, expects your participation and involvement. It won’t be fun, I suspect, but you’ll be doing an important service for an essential person in your life. Recognize that your diplomacy, your vision, your communication skills and your passion are all valuable as essential tools to your life; you may not be happy about putting those skills to work in this instance, but your ability to deploy them easily and honorably puts you in good stead. Save the critique of the barbarians at the table until after the meeting is over, though — a wicked tongue or a casual remark on a hot microphone has the possibility of doing lasting damage, or at least being an embarrassing learning experience for all.
Libra: There are things you may find yourself offering your partner, significant other, spouse or even enemy this week — but it’s worth considering what it is that you want in return. It’s mercenary to say it, but you might decide that all relationships have a transactional quality to them, and establishing formal plans about what’s on offer in this negotiation, and what’s expected in return, will help light a fire under both of you to get things done. However, it’s important to understand that you’re going to get the short end of the stick here; of the two of you, you’re the one more likely to feel the squeeze; the excitement of the negotiation may soon give way to the regret of the new agreed-upon routines. If that includes shutting out an important friend, there may be an effort to re-broker new terms; if it includes expectations of planned amusements or excursions, they’re liable to be litigated if a good-faith effort isn’t made. The truth is, you’re the one more likely to find the concordat an odious indenture: make the burdens as light as you can… but then hold to them in best faith.
Scorpio: Secrets and rule-breaking are common failings in many relationships, both romantic ones and more business-oriented partnerships. It will be easy to shine a critical light on a spouse or significant other’s spiritual and moral failings, or to criticize their housekeeping skills. Yet it may be worthwhile examining your own failings as a worthy partner, or the limits of your own professional success. My mother, in her artistic years, hung a sign on her studio door that said, “paint before laundry,” as a reminder that, as a woman, she’d been reared to do chores before amusing herself. Depending on your life circumstances and upbringing, your sign might have to say “wash dishes before gaming.” You may find your life improving by putting limits on your hobbies in favor of communicating partnership through contributions to the commonwealth of your household.
Sagittarius: Duty and obligation call to you, and there’s an accompanying ferocity or aggressiveness that shuts out friends in service to family and household. Obviously you don’t want to make money on the back of your friends, but you do need to establish a new set of relationships with both your clients and peer vendors, and set boundaries on your hobbies and amusements. That’s going to require a range of shifts, both in your daily habits and in how you play with both materials and relationship matters. Career issues are likely to be dumping a lot of grief into your world right now, but your reputation is likely to emerge stronger than ever if you can resurrect and reform what hasn’t been working into something that does work.
Capricorn: you may only be traveling for family, or on short errands close to home, but if your car is wearing down or suffering from winter-induced difficulties, it’s time to start thinking about how you’re going to replace your vehicle. Begin by asking some friends if they have a beater car to sell you (although you might not want to buy it right now — see if you can get your own car to last into late June or July, without putting in any extra money). It may not be your car that’s troubling you though — there’s household or familial matters that are requiring a lot of additional time and a lot of emotional water-carrying in order to put out the fires. You may have also thrown so much water on the fire that all the necessary passions that keep a home happy and warm are doused. Everyone, including you, is retreating so far into hobby projects and personal self-care time that personal luxury has become a troubling group expense — it doesn’t necessarily cost money, but it’s bringing harm nonetheless. Be generous in how you bridge the gaps between you and others, and don’t try to be the hot-headed expert on stage all the time: hearing others out and admitting their expertise is likely to keep your life’s wheels spinning smoothly.
Aquarius: Professional matters are going through some transformations this week, as critiques you thought had been settled are revisited and reliable solutions are burned in pursuit of someone else’s vision. Remind folks that time is money and refuse to accept more duties in exchange for less or the same pay. This may require smoothing over hurt feelings in your community with diplomacy, tact, and compromise — but except that some people will want to “flood the zone” with big ideas even if it washes away a lot of enthusiasm for what comes next. Perhaps alone of all the folks reading these horoscopes, you’re likely to have the best time making plans for upcoming hobbyist projects or entertainments, but it’s still going to be important to plan ahead. Argument with a spouse or significant other is likely, but doing a larger share of housework than normal, and accepting a level of austerity there, is likely to help smooth out hurt feelings; shine a spotlight of gratitude on your partner for what they’re able to do.
Pisces: Your new-found zeal for cutting problematic people out of your life may hit a snag this week, as you encounter some problematic people in your most important hobbyist circles and places of community contentment. How will you handle this? One obvious solution is to cut ties and walk away from those communities, but the more mature and judicious approach is to establish your own boundaries with regard to the specific people, and strongly advocate for the policies you believe are in the community’s best interests. In some ways this will require you to be more traditionalist than you’re used to. Yet it will also require enormous patience if you stay and remain and commit to the work. No community changes overnight, but it requires an honest advocate to insist that a community retain (or return) to its old values. There’s a toxic component to that — will you stay (or go) because of toxic people, or out of your own pettiness to trouble the waters? Healing sometimes requires the sick to take a painful medicine — but it’s important to remember that chemotherapy drugs can cause cancer in the healthy, and that those who peddle highly addictive drugs are careful not to use their own product. If it’s not good for you — don’t try to force it on other people.
Aries: You’ve got a big new vision and you think you can tie all the threads of your life together into one amazing new package… but the desire to express this idea to others is running a little bit ahead of your ability to put that vision together. It’ll be worth it to take the individual parts apart one last time, make sure you can explain each individual component, and then put them back together into a coherent package that works. THere’s some big money upheavals coming your way; you can map your way through them, but it’s likely you’ll feel the pinch of those plans this week. The long-term plan requires a fair bit of belt tightening, especially if you have extended family like siblings or aunts that depend on you. If your hobbies include swords, knives, saws or power tools, be more alert to all safety protocols than usual, and don’t cut corners. A romantic or business partner is at risk of spinning out of control this week, but a tongue lashing is unlikely to solve much — instead, consider letting the spin happen, but collect some of the important obligations they normally handle to yourself, on a temporary basis. You can hand them back by Wednesday or Thursday of next week — just be sure you tell them what you’re taking before you grab them, and inform them again when you’re handing them back.
Colophon
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If you want to read some of my astrologically-oriented poetry, the largest collection is called A Full Volume of Splendor and Starlight, available through my Etsy shop, and containing poems and hymns to the planets, constellations, decan deities, and Moon Mansion angels. While not astrological, Festae contains hymns to some of the older Roman gods and spirits from the calendar created by Numa Pompilius, the second ancient King of Rome.
I use iPhemeris for my charting software, and screenshot it to make charts. I want to thank the team that develops iPhemeris for the addition of Terms and Decans to their charts. I also use Hugh Tran‘s Physis typeface to craft logos for this blog, as well.
I use Christopher Warnock‘s The Mansions of the Moon as the basis of my Moon placement delineations, and Austin Coppock‘s 36 Faces for much of my planetary delineations. Neither gentleman endorses me.
