Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

2018 May 4

The View Toward M101 
Image Credit & Copyright: Joonhwa LeeExplanation: Big, beautiful spiral galaxy M101 is one of the last entries in Charles Messier’s famous catalog, but definitely not one of the least. About 170,000 light-years across, this galaxy is enormous, almost twice the size of our own Milky Way galaxy. M101 was also one of the original spiral nebulae observed by Lord Rosse’s large 19th century telescope, the Leviathan of Parsontown. M101 shares this modern telescopic field of view with spiky foreground stars within the Milky Way and a companion dwarf galaxy NGC 5474 (lower right). The colors of the Milky Way stars can also be found in the starlight from the large island universe. Its core is dominated by light from cool yellowish stars. Along its grand design spiral arms are the blue colors of hotter, young stars mixed with obscuring dust lanes and pinkish star forming regions. Also known as the Pinwheel Galaxy, M101 lies within the boundaries of the northern constellation Ursa Major, about 23 million light-years away. NGC 5474 has likely been distorted by its past gravitational interactions with the dominant M101.

Eta Aquariids before dawn May 5 and 6

Under ideal conditions, the Eta Aquariid meteor shower produces up to 20 to 40 meteors per hour. If you’re in the Southern Hemisphere, and you have a very dark sky with no moon, you might see that many in a year when the moon is not in the sky. In the Northern Hemisphere, those living at subtropical and tropical latitudes have the advantage over their more northern counterparts.

North of about 40 degrees north latitude the meteors tend to be sparser. The reason has to do with the time of twilight and sunrise on the various parts of Earth. To learn more, check this post on why more Eta Aquariid meteors are visible in the Southern Hemisphere.

Bottom line: In 2018, the Eta Aquariid meteor produces the most meteors before dawn on May 5 and 6 in the glare of a bright waning gibbous moon.

EarthSky’s meteor shower guide for 2018

The Words of Confucius

You cannot open a book without learning something.

Psychic Tip of the Day

Tarot.com is Part of the Daily Insight Group ©2018

By Tarot.com Staff

Tarot Reading, Tarot

Article provided by AskNow

Are important secrets about your future, past and present life lurking in the shadows? Find out what they are quickly and easily with the help of the Tarot!

The deck of Tarot is an incredible tool, which can shed light onto the darkest corners of your life. These amazing cards make it possible to illuminate and bring to light what you have never been able to see before.

What do you want to know? Does something irk you but you can not seem to find the source? Are you ready to shake that nagging suspicion that something is not quite right under the surface. Unseen secrets can be uncovered by using the all powerful Tarot.

This could be your opportunity to no longer feel afraid to the unknown. It is not so hard to figure out what is really happening in your life. The missing piece of the jigsaw puzzle may be just the flip of a card away.

Listen to your gut and ask yourself a difficult question. Is there a person or people in your life who you suspect of keeping secrets from you? Aren’t you tired of sorting through shady behavior, half-truths, deception and disloyal words and actions for evidence and kernels of truth?

Consult the Tarot for honest answers. Remove the wool from your eyes so that you can see what your situation really is like and become more in tune with the reality around you. You need to know the whole story, not just the version others want you to know.

When it comes to knowing what is up in your world, you are not just left to your own devices. No one can be everywhere, all the time. Even with today’s modern technology, the Tarot is still the best private investigator. Why? Agendas, motivations and plans become clear and easy to spot with the cards.

With the Tarot acting as a skeleton key to the closet that holds all the secrets in your life, you never have to worry, wonder or feel powerless against the unseen energies of the universe. Like a honing device, the Tarot can help pinpoint the true, honest aspects of your concerns so that you can focus on solutions.

Does anyone in your life speak to you as though they are censoring what they say? When they share things with you does it sound as though they are using security software for their words? This is a red flag indicating a hidden wealth of secrets, carefully woven into a web of exclusion.

When you consult with the Tarot you have a chance to get the most privileged information about the people in your life: employer/employees, friends, family, lover, boyfriend/girlfriend, husband/wife, landlord, accountant, roommate and anyone else who might be keeping an impactful secret from you!

Who knows what vital tidbits you can get your hands on with the enlightenment of the Tarot? Just imagine having the ability to peer into the secrets you deserve to know! Ask the Tarot about your job, your love life or anything else that is on your mind.

Are they being faithful to you or are they cheating? Are you about to get a promotion or get fired? Are your kids telling you everything you need to know in order to keep them safe? Has an ex been thinking or talking secretively about you?

Furthermore, hard facts about your secret life may be on the verge of coming out. Find out who knows what! All the effort you have taken to skirt around the truth for fear of consequences, judgment or loss may be unearthed during a Tarot card reading. Be prepared to both accept and deliver full disclosure.

How does the Tarot reveal the concealed murky depths? Like a Cryptologist decoding an encrypted message, a Tarot card expert is able to receive messages from these ancient cards so you can put an end confusion and mysteries with trustworthy answers. Even the most enigmatic, classified and confidential events are not stealthy enough to hide from a covert operations specialist like the Tarot.

No matter whether they are trying to keep secrets from you because they love you and think it is best for you to be left in the dark on a particular matter or because they are wishing you ill-will or want to put you at a disadvantage in life, the fact of the matter is they are still hiding a secret from you.

Is whispering in the other room and their hush-hush attitude got your sixth sense tingling? Is cloak and dagger behavior leading you to wonder what is so private and under wraps? It is human nature to be curious!

It is time to expose the truth and unlock the answers. Ask and you shall know with the power of the Tarot!

Tarot.com is Part of the Daily Insight Group ©2018

If You Were Born Today, May 4

You are hard-working, and somewhat of a perfectionist. Stability and security are especially important to you, and many of the choices you make in life are driven by the desire to achieve these things. As a people person, you tend to feel that life is much better when shared. You are excellent at promoting cooperation and creating harmony. Famous people born today: Audrey Hepburn, Randy Travis, Lance Bass, Will Arnett, Alexander Gould.

Your Birthday Year Forecast

With the Sun and Moon in harmony in your Solar Return chart, the year ahead should be satisfying and balanced overall. You are in comfortable demand and personally popular, and you are able to achieve a decent balance between work and play; personal and professional life. For the most part, you are on top of your game this year, and positive connections with others can be made fairly easily. With the ability to handle your emotions successfully, there is less stress on both your mind and body. Your self-confidence and positive attitude will reward you!

Until December, a Neptune transit continues to influence you, softening and smoothing rough edges. You are gentler, more intuitive, spiritual, and creative with this transit, and others are drawn to these qualities. Your natural ability to help others heal and calm down is enhanced. A higher purpose to your life is what you seek, and you rely more heavily upon your intuition in order to achieve it. You could find that your intuition is subtly enhanced and that you’re often in the right place at the right time, probably because your hunches are more likely to be correct. You’re tuning into your imaginative and artistic side. It’s a good period for self-improvement programs or efforts. The need to “get away from it all” — for some peace and quiet now and again — will be strong. A more sensitive, even mysterious, persona is projected, and this can attract pleasantly unusual circumstances (and people) into your life. You will want to spend more time away from chaotic situations.

From January 2019 forward, you have a strong, protective, and stabilizing influence with you as Saturn forms a harmonious aspect to your Sun. This transit helps you stay on track and meet your responsibilities. Your popularity tends to be strong, and your leadership skills are valued. Work you have done in the past begins to pay off this year–not necessarily in dramatic ways, but in small, measurable ways. You may be recognized or rewarded in some manner for the efforts you put forth. Because you project a more responsible and credible “you”, people in authority are more inclined to appreciate you and recognize your work. During these months, you can put your life in order in some significant manner. Improved concentration, a more realistic outlook, and a practical awareness of the limits of time all help you to make steady progress, particularly in your career. Your concern for your future at this time is stronger than usual, and you may find that projects you start, or investments you make, will benefit you for years to come.

Your ambition is stimulated, and you are determined to meet or exceed your goals. You can bring great discipline and meaning to your life this year. You might totally revise an important project or area of your life, or you could be bent on getting rid of something in your life so that you can move forward. The tendency to be too willful this year should probably be avoided. You should also watch for overdoing to the point of exhaustion. This can be a compulsive time when power struggles are more likely. On the other hand, it can be a time when you enjoy a strong sense of purposefulness, focus, and determination.

In your relationships, be wary of competitiveness or tension, as your passions are ignited easily this year, whether they’re feelings of love or anger! Finances and/or love matters can be a little more complicated than usual. It’s quite possible that you will be re-evaluating certain relationships in terms of whether or not they are contributing to your personal growth. Changes in your spending habits are likely necessary, but you are motivated to make improvements, and this takes you past obstacles. Do your best to watch out for tendencies towards self-deception. Things might look too good to be true, simply because you want to see the best. Relationship ups and downs are possible, as this could be a year when romantic mirages are more likely.

For the most part, the year ahead is good for public relations, advertising, marketing, studies, short trips, and contacts with the general public. Your judgment is sound. Exchanging ideas, intellectual pursuits, and learning are all exciting and favorable at this time. Researching cooking, health, and nutrition can be fruitful now. Meeting people who share common interests or through your studies can be rewarding.

The year ahead is a mostly steady, protected, and stable year in your life. You are bound to get important matters organized, and, for the most part, adopting a “slowly but surely” approach is your very best bet. Your love or social life is more eventful, largely due to some restlessness. You are determined and focused in the year ahead, and you can move mountains in important areas of your life. It’s a powerful year for making lifestyle changes.

2018 is a Number Two year for you. Ruled by the Moon. This is a year of potential companionship. It is a quiet, gentle, and mostly harmonious year that is generally not as active than other years. Instead, you are more responsive to the needs of others. If you are patient and open yourself up in a gentle manner, you will attract what–and who–you want into your life now. This is an excellent year in which to build and develop for the future. Advice – be patient, be receptive, enjoy the peace, collect, develop, build, and attract.

2019 will be a Number Three year for you. Ruled by Jupiter. This is a year of sociability. It is a friendly time when you find it natural and easy to enjoy life and other people. The focus is on personal freedom, reaching out to others, making new friends, and exploration. You are more enthusiastic and ready for adventure than you are in other years. It’s likely to be a rather lighthearted year when opportunities for “play” time are greater than usual. It’s also a favorable year for expressing your creativity. Advice – reach out and connect but avoid scattering your energies.

Source

Astrology.Cafe

Marvelous May is here!

What a magical month this will be! This is a time to expect the unexpected. There will be delightful surprises and delicious opportunities.

Love is in the air – and so is change. New possibilities abound.

In this numerology and astrology forecast video, I share with you how to transform your life in the most expansive ways. It can be a magnificent month if you know how to navigate the celestial energies.

Enjoy and share the love!

May 2018 Ascension Energies – Peaceful Heart

a message from Jamye Price

To read more of Jamye’s insight, please visit her website, Jamye Price, Soul Progression for Ascension

The accompanying video to this article can be found here.

April Review

April had quite a bit of odd Ascension symptoms, like quick jolts of energy. As Areon spoke about the energy of Creative Action, they emphasized relaxing into creation. It’s not the first time they’ve covered this, it is a core aspect of Ascension because you are more consciously utilizing the subtle realm, the 99% invisible engine that creates life.

As you use your subtle bridge of communication (your thoughts, emotions and intuitive senses), you are “speaking” directly with the malleable subtle realm. When you relax into that, you don’t just apply the rules of the physical realm into the subtle realm (ie controlling thoughts or emotions), you open when you relax. Therefore, you are more open to new solution and receiving support. Receiving is a big one for many.

Peaceful Heart

The energies of May are Peaceful Heart. In this Year of Amplification, utilizing your most powerful electromagnetic engine is imperative. The theme of heart/mind unification is big this year. The mind is your perfect mechanism of linearizing the physical realm. It requires that you build your sovereignty and heal your subconscious patterning to develop your mind to a fuller potential.

The heart is your instrument of connection.

It is infinite and timeless, as it speaks in broad strokes of emotions that are vast libraries of information. Peaceful Heart is another way of saying:

Relax into your infinite nature.

The Heart of Connection

As you relax into creation more, you are allowing your human self and your divine self to merge more directly in the physical realm. You are softening your human experience into an expanded connection. Look for more information about connection in May.

What connected you to your current experiences? What connections have you put together in your mind that serve your growth or fuel your fear? What connections can you open to further that would help you understand yourself, another or life better?

Connection is the invisible aspect of the human experience.

We are in separate physical bodies having a unique experience. Yet there is more to that story—the connection. We are opening to our connection as a species, as part of Earth, as part of our universe as our cosmic connection becomes more obvious to us. As we move through the Ascension process, we are connecting more consciously with the subtle realm, and connecting more directly with universal law rather than just physical law on earth. With connection comes understanding.

Understanding

Understanding is a powerful connection. A key component of understanding is feeling or experiencing, at least in a broad sense. Quite often, people will mentalize their experiences and not allow feelings to flow to completion—which can take time as layers of healing express. You know you’re through something when you feel a neutral appreciation of what an experience has offered you.

To get to understanding, a state of connection; you may have to go through layers that contain some anger, resentment, sorrow or fear. It is important to let those feelings show you where your subconscious patterning is not supporting your empowerment and love them into resolution. They are just old information and as you observe and allow them, you create a Peaceful Heart that is open and courageous with Life.

As always, Ascension is an inside job—so begin with some understanding for yourself.

Feel some appreciation the unique Light you bring to the world. Appreciate your courage to do the inner work that truly transforms. Nothing stays the same in the physical realm. As you become empowered and amplify your Love into your personal world—life changes.

When your Peaceful Heart leads the way, Love follows.

In Summary

Observe the rapid flow of change that is not slowing down anytime soon in May. However, like that spiral tightening into faster flow, when you relax you are sustained in gravity-defying flow that supports you, movement and stillness are embodied within you. Your physical and infinite nature meet, time stands still and moves past you, freeing you to connect within and connect with life through your Peaceful Heart.

Happy May!

May 2018 Energy Report

a message from Jennifer Hoffman

To read more of Jennifer’s insight, please visit her website, The Enlightening Life 

May 1 is traditionally known as May Day, which is both a celebration of spring, new growth, and fertility and the internally recognized distress call. It’s an interesting play of energies and a potent symbol of where we stand now. On one side we’re in distress and on the other we are stepping into our creative power. Which path will we focus on? One is the path of fear; the other is the path of transformation, evolution, and ascension.

One of May’s themes is the ‘eye of the needle’, which is symbolic for the birth we are undergoing where the doorway looks so narrow we don’t think we can possibly get through it. We can, but we have to release our energetic baggage first. It’s not easy but we already have a head start with all of the work we have been doing in the past few decades and since January 2018.

Are we going to ask for permission (May I?) or give ourselves permission (I May) to create the life, reality, and world we want to live in? That’s a key question this month.

May begins with the echoes of the April 29 full moon in Scorpio, a powerful energy cleanser that set a resounding tone for a month that will be marked by strong transitions. Note I said transitions, not change. The transition energy is available; we have to decide how we want to apply it to make changes. We’re going to see all of the personal planets (Mercury, Venus, Mars) changes signs, as well as Uranus move into Taurus, ending a cycle that began in 2011.

So we have lots of energy for change but what do we do with it and more importantly, what happens after that? The desire for change may be present but if we don’t know where it’s leading us or what will happen after we make changes, we will stay where we are. It’s something I have been seeing with clients for quite a while now, and once they have set the intention for where changes will lead them, they are easier to make.

Without a destination or outcome, making changes just creates a vacuum or a hole in our lives. We try to avoid those dark, scary spaces so why would we create them deliberately? It’s one of the major reasons why it is so hard to move out of that ‘stuck’ place because we know where we are where we are stuck, we don’t know where we will end up when we move out in the open, looking for a new place to land and hope that it is better than where we have been.

They use of May’s transition energy requires two things if we’re going to create new realities for ourselves. First, we have to pare down our emotional baggage to get through the ‘eye of the needle’ and second, we have to be willing to allow ourselves to create the change. This is the process of surrender which is not about giving up, it’s a process of ‘allowing and receiving’.  Just remember that everything is a process that we complete, step by step, and we’re making these choices every day, even if we do not realize it. The people in our lives are making those choices too as they decide what energies they can align with and integrate.

The ‘eye of the needle’ reference is something I began talking about in 2012 and 2013, and I referenced it in the 2014 annual predictions, here’s the relevant part and you can read the 2014 predictions at this link:

“The ‘eye of the needle’ that I have referred to many times is from the Bible, Matthew 19:24, which says ‘It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of the needle than it is for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.’ I believe that the reference to a ‘rich man’ is a mistranslation and it should be ‘burdened man’. The burdens here simply refer to karma, guilt, shame, and anything that burdens us, which also refers to pain from the past. It is impossible for us to pass through the narrow portals into higher dimensions, which are karma free, when we are carrying the burdens of the past.”

The 3D/5D integration steps up a few notches this month with the movement of Uranus into Taurus. Since Uranus changes signs every 7 or 8 years, its impact heavily influences both the individual and the collective. All of the revolutionary energy that arose because of the ‘enlightenment’ of vast darkness and corruption in the world with Uranus transit in Aries and its conjunction with Eris, the soul warrior for justice, now has an opportunity to become grounded in our energetic realities as Uranus moves into Taurus.

Uncovering the density of 3D is one thing, deciding on what we want to change and how that will happen is another.  It’s easy to criticize the corruption and talk against it but it becomes personal when we have to take collective action, set aside our differences to work for a common beneficial goal, to change the entire system. We have set the foundation for that in the last 7 years, now let’s see what we can do to activate the energy and use it for good in the world.

We have lots of planetary changes this month too, more than normal. All of the personal planets (Mercury, Venus, Mars) will cross multiple signs. Mercury is in Aries, Taurus and Gemini; Venus is in Gemini and Cancer, and Mars moves from Capricorn to Aquarius. And remember Chiron changed signs last month, moving from Pisces to Aries. What does this mean for you? Many different energy aspects are now available to us and you’ll work better with some than with others. Set your intention for your life and then make course corrections as necessary. The new moon on the 15th is in Taurus, highlighting the welcome sign for Uranus entry into Taurus on that date. The full moon on the 29th is in Sagittarius, highlighting Mercury’s entry into Gemini (its first sign of rulership and Sag’s opposite sign). All of this points to an augmentation of energy all month so the highs can be higher and maybe the lows a little lower. Keep your energy high, the transition needs a lot of energetic focus.

With all of this movement, potential, transition, and power one of our biggest fears is that we do not use the energy well, wisely, or fully. We do not make mistakes, we can always change our minds when things don’t work out as we want, and we have to give ourselves a ‘try-out’ period before we commit to anything. So don’t be afraid to take a step and know that if it is not what you expected you can always go back and try something else. It’s going to be a big month so be ready for some wild moments, big reveals, new potentials, and remember to shine on!