One of the most exciting developments about May will bring the entry of energetic Mars to Gemini, May 11 through June 24. Having Mars in your sign is always an advantage, for Mars will make you passionate, courageous, energetic, determined, and sexy too. The last time you saw Mars in Gemini, it was in June through the first half of July 2013, quite a long time ago.

Once Mars is in Gemini, you can show the world a project you may have been working on and tweaking behind the scenes, or you can begin a new venture. Having Mars in your sign gives you the added probability that what you launch now will succeed, so wait to make your biggest initiations. Here is why.

Mercury, your ruler, will be retrograde from May 18 to June 11, so it would be best to wait through the retrograde and set plans in action next month, between June 12 to 23. Mercury rules communication, but when retrograde, Mercury is working at lower power, and we all tend to misunderstand messages or come to the wrong conclusions. It is never a good time to make a launch, as Mercury retrograde indicates that the environment is in flux, and you will likely have problems getting VIPs to pay attention to what you have to say. People whose approval you will need to get will be hard to reach or traveling. We all are in the same boat, as this is one aspect that affects everyone the same way. The difference is, the delays are felt in different parts of life. This time Mercury will retrograde in Gemini.

It is never a good idea to take a new job while Mercury is retrograde. Instead, it is a good time to go back to the past and reactivate a project you had started and that you and had put aside for lack of time. You can take a new position if offered by a previous boss or executive you have a history with in the past. In that case, you would not be starting a new relationship but continuing one. Mercury rules commerce, electronics, and the moving parts in machines, so it is important that you not buy an appliance or electronic during the retrograde period. Because we feel the slowdowns and mix-ups of Mercury retrograde well in advance of the onset date - two weeks, in this case as early as May 4 - you would be best to wait until after June 11 to act, but even better, after June 27 (for complicated mathematical reasons).

Let's now look at the start of the month when the full moon will appear and see what it holds for you. On May 3 the full moon will appear in Scorpio at 13 degrees. Many Gemini have had health concerns, because Saturn has spent three years in your health-oriented sixth house. If so, you may be coming to the end of a health protocol now, as a full moon tends to bring a culmination or finish. You will still have to be vigilant with your health because next month, Saturn, the taskmaster planet, will retrograde back to Scorpio and your health sector from June 14 to September 17.

After September 17, Saturn will move into your opposite sign of Sagittarius, but that is still not an easy place to host Saturn. (That would be Saturn opposed to the Sun, a draining aspect). In other words, you will have to continue to take your doctor's advice and stay on a straight and narrow path. You will only need to be extra careful when Saturn opposes your Sun within five degrees on either side, so those Gemini with May birthdays would be first to feel Saturn opposed to their Sun and should guard their health in the last four months of 2015.

Over the coming three years, I will name the periods that each segment of Gemini birthdays have to be extra careful. When you hosted Saturn in your sixth house from October 2012 to December 2014, you had the steady presence of Saturn, so in the future, you will only have certain months to be vigilant. Follow good health habits and you will please Saturn - do not be concerned.

The sixth house, which rules health, also rules your workaday experience. That is, the projects that cross your desk, the physical place you do your work, the tools you use to get your work done (such as computers and software), and your co-workers and subordinates you interface with on a regular basis to get the work done.

You may have had staffing problems at some point over the past three years, and that same problem may return mid-year, from June to September. This month, review your personnel needs, and if you have been keeping a folder of job applicants, see if one stands out to call in and possibly hire before Mercury goes out of phase. If you need to learn new software, have your IT team install it in your computer well in advance of Mercury retrograde.

This full moon may bring a project to a finish, and at the same time a new project may be greenlighted for a start. You may need to hire a new employee. Or, you may be addressing computer needs and software. Something work-related will capture your attention. Your reputation will not be involved or harmed by anything that comes up, for the matter will have to do with day-to-day experiences.

Next, let's look at the new moon that will occur in Taurus at 27 degrees on May 18. This new moon will light a very quiet part of your chart, one that encourages thinking and the development of strategy and planning. Next month's new moon on June 16 will be in Gemini, a far more important time for you, but to take advantage of next month's new moon, you need to do the necessary preparation of knowing what you want to happen in your coming birthday year. That new moon in Gemini is your cosmic birthday certificate to use in any way you please, and you can direct its energy toward a goal dear to you.

It sounds easy to decide, "What do you want to be happy?" but often readers say it's not that easy to articulate. To get ready, think over the patterns of your life, and point out what events and achievements you did that made you proudest and most joyous. Most of us feel having children is a wonderful moment, but list other achievements - almost everyone feels that way; it's not unique to you!

The achievements you list can be very simple. For me, learning to make a perfect Grand Marnier souffle from Julia Child's cookbook at age 20 - using the copper bowl to beat the egg whites with a balloon wire whisk and so forth - will always be part of my list. Another one is when I was asked by my child's headmistress to design and supervise the design and making of all the costumes for the Christmas pageant, for a total of 89 outfits, including nine completely different skits. This was years ago, when the children were little.

I supervised the creation of the costumes on a tight deadline with volunteer mothers who confessed they could not sew. I did figure out the problem. ("Let's have you gather the tulle," "And you press the rhinestones into the tulle all over, like stars, using this little gadget." "And how about you cut out the red, white, and green felt bells for the kindergarten ballerinas to glue the pieces together, to wear like short little soft sandwich boards held together with satin red ribbons," and so forth. I got a standing ovation and a big bouquet of flowers at the end of the pageant. That moment will always stand out, because the costumes were all so different and turned out so cute.

Of course, starting Astrology Zone would always be on my proudest achievement list, along with designing from scratch my annual pretty calendars (including finding the artist to feature), and designing and writing my print-on-demand natal chart books to allow readers to get to know their charts in depth at a very low, affordable price.

After you list the things you are proudest of in your life so far, find the link that joins them all together. For me, all the items on my list relate to creativity. Also, all my items required a lot of learning in a new area, plus much research and planning prior to showing the venture to the world. I think of my projects as "high jinx, trap door achievements" - for me, either I do really well, or I never work again, and that seems to be a unifying element. In other words, my successes seem to be linked to high-profile risk. A friend said to me that for her, she discovered that she always needs to work with a coach or expert to succeed, but if she does find the right person to guide her, her goal is always realized, and in a wonderful way.

Experts say that if you can find that thread that unites all or most of your proudest achievements, that's good - then work to recreate those same elements for a future goal, and chances are, you will have a winner. Read that sentence again - it is one of the most important lessons I learned in life.

I am involved in a project now that is still secret and that fits all the high points on my achievement list. It will be a surprise for my readers, just like my new TV show was, so I can't tell you about it just yet. I will very soon! Everyone needs some change, some surprise, something new in life to look forward to doing. In the depths of my illness this past year, when I was really in a bad way and so fragile that my diet consisted of eating only rice and applesauce and drinking water for weeks, I felt had to create something new to focus on. Doing so kept me buoyed and excited and carried me over all the rough spots of my health. You need something new and exciting too, dear Gemini. You, of all signs, thrive on all things new.

The new moon this month of May 18 will have a health-oriented component, too, where you can address physical or psychological concerns. If you have a fear or habit you'd like to rid yourself of doing, the new moon would be the right time to start. You may want to see a professional to help you, or join an online group. You may find talking with a spiritual advisor, such as a priest or rabbi, inspirational and helpful. Or, you may simply want to tackle the problem with a friend who has the same goal, or like my daughter, Diana, feel you can overcome the challenge alone. Everyone is personal in the way they approach a problem.

My little one, Diana, wanted to quit smoking - she had been smoking quite a bit. First, she read many books on habits in general, and how to break bad ones and substitute them with new, positive ones. She set a deadline to start. She quit cold turkey without drugs or patches in October and has been smoke-free ever since. The same week, she also stopped drinking coffee and now drinks only tea, and for breakfast has smoothies. (She said the coffee created a craving for cigarettes, and cigarettes created a craving for coffee, creating a vicious cycle.) She also left her boyfriend of six months the same week when she realized that relationship would never blossom in the way she had hoped. Whoa, I thought - this is a lot to do at once. She took up meditation in October too. She did not gain weight (she's a size 4), something that she worried would happen, but she stuck to high-protein meals with fresh vegetables, kept all junk food out of the house, and drank water, including coconut water.

I knew November would be the test for her as quitting smoking is hard to do, especially in the beginning. When her friends told her they had rented a house in Hawaii and invited her to come too, as the house they rented had an extra bedroom she could have, I gave her my frequent flier miles so she could go. As a mother, I would do anything to see my daughter quit smoking, and I felt a trip would be the perfect distraction, especially since it would be to such a stunning location she had never seen.

In December, Diana started a new dream job that was, I feared, one that came with a pressure, and I worried she'd be tempted go back to smoking. She didn't, not even once, although she admitted she had moments that were hard. Her twice-a-day practice of meditation carried her over the rough spots, and she said she would never go back to her old ways. It's now May, and she is still smoke-free.

As a Gemini, your mind is a very powerful force (intellectual Mercury is your ruling planet), so to succeed, you simply have to be in the right frame of mind and be ready to do it. With a new moon lighting your subconscious sector on May 18, to be influential for two weeks, you have the elements to plant the seeds for a victory. Go for it!

Once the Sun moves into Gemini, you will feel even more energetic and motivated, from May 21 to June 20. It's birthday time, and with Mars in your sign, you will be eager to get your new plans rolling. Don't let Mercury retrograde get you down. You will have several delays, but some of those delays will benefit you. Gemini, which rules the air and the wind, is a very fast sign - things happen at the speed of light with you. Sometimes it's wise to go slowly, and this month, from May 18 to June 11, you won't have much of a choice.

Your schedule will open up as you get postponements and put that extra time to good use. Use the extra time you get for projects you had to put aside for lack of time, and some of the extra time for personal use, too. Leave the office early to relax and have dinner with friends, take in an evening museum exhibit, or if you have children of any age, to spend more time with them. You need the breather.

In terms of finances, you should see an upturn. Venus, a planet associated with love and beauty, and also money, will enter Cancer and your second house of earned income on May 7 to stay until June 5. This is always a mild indication of an impending upswing. I particularly love the interplay of Venus in Cancer, based in your earnings house, with Neptune in Pisces in your tenth house of fame and honors on May 15. This should be a wonderful day for news of a professional victory, which will bring money to your bank account. Circle May 15 for that!

We have two days this month that just about everyone will want to avoid, so schedule no vital activities, presentations, or interviews for May 15 and May 22. Socially, avoid having a first date on either of these days, and certainly these are not days to give a party. On May 15, Mercury, your ruler, will directly oppose Saturn. This would be a bad day to sign a contract, or to attempt a negotiation, or to get into any kind of controversial debate. This day, May 15, will likely bring you a no-win situation. A relationship could become very troublesome too, so watch every word you say, as Mercury may coax you to blurt out something you wish you had never said.

An even more difficult day will come up May 22, when the Sun and Saturn will be in direct 180-degree opposition as well. This day may bring a difficult confrontation with a partner, in love or business. You may feel your partner is being too conservative and cautious about a plan you have discussed together for the future, and this may frustrate you to no end.

This day may have an alternate manifestation. You may be worried about the health or welfare of your partner, who may be a bit depressed about a recent setback. If your birthday falls in May, especially within four days of May 22, you will feel this aspect the most. Although all Gemini may notice the vibrations of this day, you, above all, must guard your own health at this time too. Additionally, if an older, experienced VIP (indicated by Saturn) criticizes your performance on this day, don't lose confidence. Take the gram of truth in the comment, use it to improve, and move forward. Most people will find May 22 difficult, so don't feel singled out.

Romantically, this will be a strong month, for you have Mars in Gemini, a placement that will make you more attractive and sexy than ever. Your magnetism will be an all-time high, and in the first week, you will still have Venus in Gemini (until May 7). Next month, you have a lovely set of days coming, when Mars in Gemini will contact Uranus, planet of surprise, in your people / events / friends / social sector, June 8-9.

Another stellar day will be June 22, when good fortune Jupiter, urging you to travel, will be in contact spontaneous with Uranus - start planning now for a glorious weekend, June 20-21, and if you can get the day off, include Monday, June 22 too. You should have a superb time. As an aside, never buy an air ticket with Mercury retrograde - you will likely have to change it later, and that may prove costly. Get your ticket for the June 20-23 long weekend early in May. Have fun!

As you enter May, Mars will enter Gemini on May 11 for the first time in two years. The coming six weeks - until June 24 - will give you a chance to take control and courageously launch presentations, interviews, and projects. You will be confident that you have the energy, motivation, and drive to make your dream a reality. You must aim to finish your actions by the time Mars leaves, June 24. With several planets in Gemini, you will have no trouble getting heard by the influential person whose help you will need.

Keep a close eye on your health, as planets will be hovering over you to see that you do. The full moon on May 3 in Scorpio might bring to closure an action you need to make concerning a health, dental, or fitness matter, and it will be a decision you will make fairly easily, as the best path to take will be clear.

The new moon May 18 will continue the discussion. It appears you will be almost ready to begin, and any decision you will make will be permanent, as Saturn will be quite prominent. Mercury will retrograde from May 18 to June 11, so if you can delay a major initiation to mid-June, your timing will be ideal. If you need to act now, this month, and cannot wait until June, then by all means do so in May, but do your best to avoid May 15 or May 22, when respectively, Mars will oppose Saturn and the Sun will also oppose Saturn - both will be draining days.

Your work life will be very hectic near the full moon, May 3, so be ready to have your A-game. Saturn will be in hard angle to your ruler, Mercury, so be ready for strenuous days until the project is checked, stamped, and shipped. Yet the project has creative elements to it you will enjoy, Pluto will see to it that the powers at the top are impressed, so go for the gold! You should see a good project May 6, perhaps from a forgotten or hidden source.

Romantically, Venus will be in Gemini during the first week, May 1-6, and Mars will remain in Gemini from May 11 to June 24. Venus brings magnetism, and Mars will amp up your charm and energy, so you have lots going for you. Best weekend for a short trip out of town: May 23-24 - fun!

The full moon May 3 may bring a culmination or answer to a health / fitness question or the end of a series to a physical therapy protocol. Or, you may finally get a diagnosis that clears up a mystery and requires a commitment to the new plan of action.

The same full moon may bring an important work project to a finish, much to your sense of pride. Saturn will oppose Mercury, so you may have to work very hard to finish up the deadline. Still, there will be money to be made, thanks to Pluto, and beauty to create, thanks to Neptune.

This is a major month of the year for you because Mars is about to enter Gemini, May 11, to stay until June 24. This is considered an enormous advantage to have Mars in your sign, for it's a time to take control and launch plans confidently, knowing most will work out well, thanks to your courage and high energy.

The new moon of May 18 may also put a focus on your health, dental care, and other fitness / health initiations. You will see impressive results if you begin on this day or in the three days that follow the new moon.

A very difficult day when most people will be feeling low will be May 22, due to Saturn opposed to the Sun. For Gemini, this is not a day to find an accord with a partner, as your partner is likely to come across as too conservative and too willing to hold you and your ideas back.

A confusing day will be May 25, when Mars and Neptune will be at odds. Add Mercury retrograde to the mix, and you may wind up with a comedy of errors. This is a holiday in the US, so if driving, don't be overly dependent on GPS. Use old-fashioned maps to be sure.