May 2022: Tarot spread for the full moon in Scorpio

Plus some journaling questions, an astro-tarot forecast, exploration of the the Sabian symbol, and additional resources for the May 2022 full moon + lunar eclipse in Scorpio.

The May 2022 full moon falls in the sign of Scorpio. The Scorpio archetype is known for its intense power and its ability to transform, much like the butterfly emerging from its cocoon, ready to fly. The Scorpio archetype isn’t afraid of the birth-death-rebirth cycle, for it is only when parts of us die and are reborn that we can fully transform.

So perhaps it’s not surprising that spiritually, the Scorpio archetype teaches us to surrender – to align our human will with divine will. It can teach us that sometimes our human trials can reveal a need for deep healing. This is not always easy to live with or to understand, especially when the need for healing arises from trauma, and yet on the other side of working with and healing trauma there can be deep and valuable transformation.

This month, we also have a lunar eclipse, which will be visible across North and South America, plus parts of Europe and Africa. Lunar eclipses typically help us to release things that no longer serve us. The seeds that you planted six months ago, at the solar eclipse, will also start to blossom around this time.

The energies around this eclipse can be quite intense — typically a couple of days before and after the actual date of the full moon. Leaning into your creative practices can keep you anchored at this time. Try to make some space to enjoy the small things that give you joy, comfort, or pleasure. Give in to little indulgences — more of that salted caramel and dark chocolate for me, please! Small little things and soothing, creative moments can feel restorative and nourishing if this full moon feels super intense.

Astro-tarot influences for the May 2022 full moon

To throw some more light on the astrology of this Scorpio lunar eclipse, let’s take a look at the astro-tarot influences of this lunation. The Scorpio full moon falls in Decan 3, which is ruled by Seven of Cups. This is to be seen in conjunction with Death, which is associated with Scorpio.

Choices (Seven of Cups) and surrender (Death), that’s the first thing that pops into my mind as I look at these cards. So let’s start with choices. We make multiple choices every single day — from the tiny, seemingly inconsequential ones like hitting the snooze button versus rising and shining; to the larger ones, like deciding if we should follow our heart or our minds or if we can find a more balanced path between the two; to the often-times more difficult choice between multiple equally interesting options.

One of the reasons why decision making can be so difficult is because there’s no guarantee that our choices will be correct. We can’t simply mark them ‘return to sender’. Each choice has a consequence, so inevitably, the bigger, more complex the choice, the more difficult it can be to make a decision.

That’s where surrender comes in. One of the reasons we can struggle so much with making a choice is because we want to be in control. Is this the right choice? Will I like the outcome? What if I should have been doing that instead? Is this what I really want? How can I be sure? Those are just a few of the questions that can plague our minds, especially when we have bigger, more consequential choices to make.

While it is understandable to want to maintain control, it can also ultimately be counterproductive. Surrendering doesn’t mean giving up, leaving the choice up to angels and signs {and then wondering if you interpreted them right}, or abdicating responsibility for your choices.

Surrendering simply means this: that you make a decision and then decide that you will stop second-guessing it. Because try as you might, you cannot peer into the future and figure out which choice is best. Sometimes, you just have to take your chances based on the limited information you have in the moment, and recognize that that is all that you can do.

I’m reminded here of something I read by the philosopher Alan Watts that eloquently sums up this them of choices and surrendering:

“You do not know where your decisions come from. They pop up like hiccups. And people have a great deal of anxiety about making decisions. Did I think this over long enough? Did I take enough data into consideration? And if you think it through, you find you never could take enough data into consideration. The data for a decision in any given situation is infinite. So what you do is, you go through the motions of thinking out what you will do about this.

But worriers are people who think of all the variables beyond their control, and what might happen.

Choice is the act of hesitation that we make before making a decision. It is a mental wobbling. And so we are always in a dither of doubt as to whether we are behaving the right way, or doing the right thing, and so on and so forth…and lack a certain kind of self-confidence. And if you see you lack self-confidence, you will make mistakes through sheer fumbling. If you do have self-confidence you may get away with doing entirely the wrong thing.

You have to regard yourself as a cloud, in the flesh. Because you see, clouds never make mistakes. Did you ever see a cloud that is misshapen? Did you ever see a badly designed wave? No, they always do the right thing. But if you would treat yourself for a while as a cloud or wave, and realize you can’t make a mistake, whatever you do, cause even if you do something that seems to be totally disastrous, it will all come out in the wash somehow or other.

Then through this capacity, you will develop a kind of confidence, and through confidence, you will be able to trust your own intuition. But this is the middle way, of knowing it has nothing to do with your decision to do this or not, whether you decide you can’t make a mistake or whether you don’t decide it, it is true anyway, that you are like cloud and water. And through that realization, without overcompensating in the other direction, you will come to the point of where you begin to be on good terms with your own being and to be able to trust your own brain.”

Sabian Symbol for the May 2022 full moon

The Sabian Symbol for Scorpio 25 degrees is American Indians Making Camp In New Territory

This symbol speaks to me of flexibility and adaptability. Of being able to travel light, read the signs, and take decisive action. When you find yourself in “new territory”, be that physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual, there is a need to acclimatize yourself, adjust to the new situation, and settle in.

On a more personal level, this symbol also speaks to me of the Indian banjara (gypsy) community; at their rich cultural history, more recent struggles, and the many ways in which they have had to adapt and change to shifting socio-cultural and political narratives. And it brings to mind the colonial view of morality that we as a culture have adopted, and a desire to subvert those dictums.

That’s another aspect of this symbol. As Lynda Hill writes in 360 Degrees of Wisdom: The Sabian Symbols, “People sometimes merely inhabit a space and then depart leaving a mess all around them. How can you and others help in making an effort to ensure that everyone’s territory, living and personal space, and even emotional space is not overcrowded, compromised or damaged in some way?”

Tarot spread for the May 2022 full moon in Scorpio

Here’s a tarot spread to tap into the energy of this lunation.

1. What is blooming?

2. What is fading?

3. What changes are on the horizon?

4. Mama moon says: This is always a positive message

Journaling questions for the May 2022 Scorpio full moon

Not a cardslinger? No problem! These journaling questions should help you refine your focus for this moon cycle. Cardslingers will also benefit from reflecting on these journal prompts!

I thought we could do some journaling around decision making. This is one of the ways in which I approach it in my own journaling practice.

Start by writing out the thing you need to make a decision about. A couple of lines is enough, longer if you wish.

Brain dump: Put on a 10 minute timer and start writing all of the thoughts that are swirling around your mind around this decision. {Tip: Ignore the timer if you have more to say}

Break: Grab a drink of water. Pace around the room. Shake your hands. Anything to get any nervous energy triggered by the brain dump out.

Deep breath: Take a couple of deep breaths. Look at your brain dump. No judgements. If anything jumps out at you as a legitimate concern in this decision making process, highlight it.

Make a list: On a separate page, list down the concerns you highlighted. Plan out how you’re going to tackle them. {Tip: These will more often than not be actionable concerns. Things you need to research or learn; any logistics that may be involved in your decision, etc.}

Check-in: Do you have more clarity around this decision? Any lingering confusion? Write them down.

Repeat: Take a break, deep breath, make a list. Check-in again.

I hope you find this decision making journaling exercise helpful!

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