New Moon
May 16, 2025
25°57' Taurus
Conjuct: Fixed Star Caput Algol
We typically get two really beautiful, auspicious new moons a year; one in Cancer where the moon is in her domicile, and one in Taurus where the moon is exalted. In these well placed lunations, we find opportunities to begin anew, planting a seed in the fertile ground that dignifies the celestial mistress of fortune.
Such would be the case for the new moon on May 16, 2026, exalted in the sign of Taurus and just separating from a sextile with exaulted Jupiter in her sign of the moon's own rulership cancer. This new moon has no aspects with malefic planets and no harsh squares of oppositions to contend with, but this lunation perfects within a mere 35 arc minutes of the infamously fierce fixed star, Caput Algol whose influence adds an element of danger and maleficence to this lunation.
Algol is known as the "Demon Star" associated with the head of the gorgon and is said to be one the most evil, unfortunate, and violent star in the the heavens. It causes misfortune, violence, decapitation, hanging, electrocution and mob violence, and gives a dogged and violent nature that causes literal and figurative death.
Historically major planetary conjunctions with Algol have coincided with the deaths of leaders and public figures and the figurative decapitation of nations and organization.
Seen as the decapitated head of Medusa, Algol has a reputation for literal and figurative decapitations and for the eruptions of primordial destroyer goddess energies. The myth of Medusa features prominently in the symbolism. Medusa, once a beautiful young priestess in the temple of Athena, was raped by Poseidon, the god of the Sea and became the mother of pegasus and Crysaor. Athena was so offended that she cursed Medusa, turning her from a beautiful maiden into a master so fearsome that everyone who looked on her was turned to stone. Thus Medusa has come to symbolize victimized women who are blamed and vilainized for their own attacks.
Thematically, Algol's influence does sometimes include women and violence against women as well as retribution for violence done against women. Because the human trafficking case related to Jeffrey Epstein has been prominent in the news cycle for the last year, one wonders if a new focus on Epstein himself or the of the victims of the Epstein trafficking might emerge.
This lunation is also configured closely to Donald Trump's midheaven which is at 24°18' Taurus indicating possible impact in and around the life of Donald Trump. Or perhaps attention will be turned to leaders of other nations or the "headless" government of Iran whose government has been so destabilized by US and Israel military attacks that negotiations are virtually impossible.
Energetic Work: Algol is one of the 15 Behenian Fixed Stars. It can be petitioned for protection against malefic intent, retributive justice, the spiciest of return to sender rituals.
Correspondences:
Diamond
Black Hellebore
Mugwort.
