Chodesh Iyar: Signs of the Times
CHODESH IYAR 5783 (April 21 – May 20, 2023)
IYAR 5783: SIGNS OF THE TIMES
Tumultuous times are upon us! Iyar comes to heal what ails us. “Iyar” is an acronym for “Ani Hashem Rophecha” - “I am God your healer.” In Babylonian the month was called Ziv, meaning radiance. The radiant light of HaShem reveals itself in Iyar during Sefirot HaOmer, beginning with Chesed Sh’b’Tiferet and ending with Gevurah Sh’b’Malchut – a month filled with personal growth.
Mercury/Kochav meets up with Uranus/Oron for one big shocking announcement before stationing retrograde on Rosh Chodesh Iyar, sextiling Mars/Ma’dim in Cancer. Pluto stations retrograde and the Sun conjuncts Mercury retrograde May 1, sending everyone scrambling back to the blackboard to recompute an equation where all the variables keep on changing. Venus/Noga in Gemini squares Neptune/Rahav in Pisces with the Full Moon in Scorpio on Pesach Sheini. When your wish for a second chance is granted, don’t waste it on insubstantial fluff.
Venus enters Cancer May 7; the Sun conjuncts Uranus on Lag b’Omer. There is no compromise between sentimentality and truth. The Last Quarter Moon in Aquarius May 12 with retrograde Mercury sextiling Saturn, and Venus trining Saturn, before Mercury stations direct May 14 demands a strict accounting for facts.
Jupiter/Tzedek enters Taurus May 16, squaring Pluto at the 0 degrees Aquarius “Great Conjunction” point, triggering signs of fundamental, long-term seismic societal change. These “signs of the times” are the astrological signature of Year 5783/2023.
The New Moon in Taurus May 19 is a “Black Moon”, the third new moon in a season of four new moons. Shabbos BaMidbar sees Mars enter Leo and oppose retrograde Pluto in Aquarius. The tension between individual interests vs. communal responsibilities comes to a head. Chodesh Iyar’s “signs of the times” all point to the destructiveness of divisiveness and the healing power of harmony. One need not sacrifice uniqueness to achieve unity.
