In this month’s Star Notes episode, Rachael from Star Witch Astrology explores the energies of May through a grounded, practical lens. We begin in Taurus season, a time that invites us to slow down, reconnect with the body, and remember our inherent worth. This is a deeply earth-centred time, asking us to soften, root, and tend to ourselves in simple, meaningful ways. From here, the energy deepens as we move toward the Scorpio Full Moon, bringing themes of release, shadow work, and emotional transformation. This is an opportunity to work with what’s been sitting beneath the surface, letting go of old patterns and creating space for something new to emerge. This month carries a strong undercurrent of water, with a grand water trine supporting intuition, emotional flow, and deeper inner awareness. We also explore the asteroid Hygieia and its connection to health, balance, and the small, everyday ways we care for ourselves. Rachael shares a beautiful ritual around spellcrafting words for Mercury meeting Chiron, highlighting the power of language, voice, and self-expression as tools for healing. We also speak about Venus as the evening star, and how she invites us to listen more closely to the body, the heart, and our own perception of self. With Pluto moving retrograde in Aquarius, there’s an invitation into deeper reflection and inner alchemy, noticing the subtle shifts happening beneath the surface and the ways we are being reshaped over time. This episode also includes a simple dusk ritual for release. The overarching theme for May is a powerful one: you are the spell, you are the altar. A reminder that your practice doesn’t need to live outside of you. It’s found in the way you tend to your body, your energy, and your daily life. We close by moving into the New Moon in Taurus, a time for planting seeds around self-worth, stability, and nourishment, before transitioning into Gemini season. “Rachael from Star Witch Astrology is a hereditary folk witch, soul astrologer & transpersonal therapist experienced in oracular traditions and Western ritual arts. Her private sessions embody ancient practices in a contemporary form to support people through the planetary cycles, and ultimately, empower their lives with a love of magic and transformation. Rachael spends part of her seasonal year on a sacred mountain in Australia, walking the Indigenous rainforest, whilst pursuing academic studies in cultural anthropology and following her passion for traditional witchcraft and ethnobotany. She spends the other part of her seasonal year on her ancestral homelands in England.” Find Rachael: - www.starwitchastrology.com - https://www.instagram.com/starwitchastrology/ - The Venus Magick Evening Star Program - 1:1 Sessions with Mikailah Rachael Find Hannah: - hannahforest.com - https://www.instagram.com/hannahforest.herbalist/ - Book a 1:1 session with Hannah Old Ways for the New Age is a listener-supported podcast. To receive new episodes and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Hannah Forest Herbalist at hannahforestherbalist.substack.com/subscribe
