Bodyscopes

May & June 2024

TEXT: Nicola van Straaten
artist, dancer and consulting astrologer

Aries: Step into spring with your whole body this year. If May feels a bit anti-climactic, let sweat be your guide. Come June your sense of self, which might be undergoing profound changes, will receive a boost - let yourself receive it. All this evolution is right on time so integrate what's moving by spontaneous sprints around the block. With so much energy in your body I would propose a regular practice of head banging or seeking out places (be it forest or pillow) where you can scream. Cultivate your aggression, Aries, it belongs to you and can be incredibly useful. Watch out for sharp knives, over-spending and unnecessary duals. Your musical companion: The Wanton Song by Led Zeppelin. 

Taurus: May is bringing so much restorative pleasure and joy that I'm slightly worried you won't even notice. Tune into different modes of perception. Pleasure doesn't always have been to be visible, to be experienced. Whatever surprises went down in April, now is a good time to look back on the last year and half - how have you grown? Invent a dance move that invites self-love. Involve your solar plexus. Do this move every Friday to soothe your system and remind yourself that pleasure is power. Things get more heated in June, so don't be stingy with self-care. Your sonic vibe for spring: Really Love by D'Angelo and the Vanguard (but sing it to yourself).

Gemini: A lot is happening behind the scenes for you in May and your unconscious could be feeling a little overloaded, but something about how you relate to power is changing (this is a good thing). By the time June arrives it will be the start of a new chapter for you. Use the new moon in Gemini on June 6 to reflect, refresh and plant some intentions. Remember: self-doubt can work as double agent, ultimately reminding you of your skills. Let all this work trickle down into your hands. Rub your palms, click your fingers and stretch those digits. Research different mudras, maybe create your own - get curious about how hands connect to consciousness. Listen to Sunshine by The Lijadu Sisters.

Cancer: Sometimes sadness can feel like fertilizer given the right conditions, so don't forget your agency in the creation of conditions. Lean into your skill of taking emotions seriously, whilst understanding that they change. The month of May might bring some tense pivots or feelings of conflict, but you have access to more support than you think and although you're a water sign, this is the month to connect with the earth element. By June you'll be ready to manage conflict whilst remaining centered. Practice a sad striptease and shed what's ready to be released on the Capricorn full moon, June 22nd. Your lullaby for spring is A Day in the Water by Christine and the Queens.

Leo: It is legitimately annoying when people say: "Embrace the path", especially when the process is in a very annoying phase. I'm going to say it anyway: Embrace the Path (Sorry). May is charged. You might feel like you're fighting yourself but conflict is your teacher right now. By June things will feel more settled - you'll know what to do. Remember, the process usually has its own timing. Explore the joys of humility by making a study of the bow, bow to the trees, to yourself, to the process. Bowing is essentially bringing your heart to the earth, as well as back to your own body. Bowing sustain us, like an animal drinking water. So stay hydrated with Earth Bird by Abdullah Ibrahim.

Virgo: Allow yourself to receive support right now, dear Virgo, as the cosmos is providing flow for your sign throughout May. Support for you this month looks quite a lot like stillness and simplicity. How can you find more stillness in your daily routine? What would it mean to do one less thing? Simplicity is also a skill, now is your chance to master it. Once June arrives the shift in energy will bring a flurry of much-needed and potentially odd-feeling optimism. Wavering between hope and despair is part of the journey right now. Do not shame ambivalence. Try dance to an entire song with just one move. See what it does. Bein' Green by Van Morrison is your anthem this season.

Libra: It could be that just as the world is bursting into bloom, you feel the need to retreat. That's ok. There's probably a lot to process considering the events of the past few months. Feel the weight of your own body. Grounding into your mass will allow you to hold your own during any unwanted aggression that may emerge in relationships throughout May. June brings a fresh breeze of inspiration and ideas, as well as a subtle sense of integration. You have an intrinsic understanding of how loss creates wisdom, so make a point of slowly rotating in a circle to embody your experience of changing perspectives. Thank You for Hearing Me by Sinéad O'Connor is your musical ally this season.

Scorpio: What are you being confronted with, Scorpio? Romance? Failure? Growth? Yourself? Being seen is an exercise in vulnerability and May provides a chance to practice - so don't avoid people. Instead try allow yourself to be stared down. This period could feel like the culmination point of something that began six months ago. Think back to what was happening then. Allow oppositional energy to unfold through experimenting with the idea (or experience) of an axis, be it your spine or a dialogue. How does an oppositional axis simultaneously enable a line of connection? Get curious about push and pull while you listen to Pink + White by Frank Ocean (Also: don't burn any bridges in June.)

Sagittarius: May brings motivation and drive to your system, dear Sag, so use this month wisely and tick things off your list because by the time June arrives, relationships could be more demanding than usual. Try stay present. June is also a fertile time to start reviewing the stories you tell about yourself. What narratives are ready to be laid to rest? The unusually sad heaviness you've been experiencing for the past year or so has potential to shape you into the person you want to be - work with it, trust it. Write a scene about a moment in your life that happens in seven years time. What is no longer there? Contemplate the difference paces of change with Time's a Wastin by Erykah Badu.

Capricorn: Perhaps there's trouble in the home-sphere? Perhaps you're feeling an abundance of creative energy. It's funny how one area of life can be so sweet while the other is being so spikey. It's all connected - you know how to see the bigger picture. Your capacity and desire to build something is being infused with extra empathy, so trust that even though the path is windy and sometimes you go backwards, construction is well underway. Get serious about the value of nonsense and allow silliness enter your every day, this will help sustain the joy of your labour. Try include regular dance breaks into your routine. I invite you to start with Shake Ya Bum-Bum by Lil Kim and Lil' Shanice.

Aquarius: If you follow astrology you may have noticed a lot of hype around Pluto's recent move into Aquarius. Don't panic. You're perfectly ready for whatever this strange celestial body might bring to your sign. Instead, ask yourself: Do you take erotic desire seriously? Can sensuality be embarrassing? How do pleasure and tension collaborate? Press your body into awkward corners and shapes to get familiar with the sensation of delicious release as you fall back into in your natural form. June brings flow - you're ready to make friends with your longing for closeness. Pep-talk yourself into taking a brave step with Spring Is Coming With a Strawberry in the Mouth by Roger Doyle.

Pisces: It's a fine time to figure out how to transform the act of yearning into something that is genuinely useful. If you're craving more materiality to your plans, remember that these things start small and take time. You might be closer than you think. The first few weeks of May support any endeavors of refining agreements in relationships. June gets more tense. You may feel like you are simultaneously growing, regressing, moving way too fast or far too slow. Flow is flow, whether it's a trickle or a gush. Photograph surprising forms of liquid from puddles to dew. Observe the variations and how they all contribute to life. Maintain momentum with Emlanjeni by De Mthuda & Sir Trill.

For more information about my astrological work, visit
www.nicolavanstraaten.com/astrology