This will be a rare month, chockfull of pleasures, both large and small. You will have time to see friends, indulge in a special evening out, and if you're a parent, to have special outings with your children. There's a good chance you'll travel this month as well, and if so, you'll enjoy having tender time with your beloved partner.

You have been living too much of a no-frills, career-oriented life lately, but now, come May, soft, warming breezes will blow through your life. You will be ready to exhale and loosen your grip on things and simply let life take its natural course. Life has to be more than just a series of hard work, and this month you will be glad to step off the merry-go-round and focus on your own needs for a change.

There are solid reasons you should be excited about the possibilities of the coming month, mainly because of the incredible grace of the new moon, May 5. All new moons offer opportunity but this one is so sublimely aspected that it would be hard to imagine a better month to enact new plans. You must take full advantage!

Many planets will move into compatible earth signs, all perfectly positioned to ratchet up your social life another notch. Earth signs are highly compatible with your water sign Cancer, creating a very supportive environment for you. New moon periods are most potent in the first few days after they appear, but you will have a window of two weeks in which to act - but as said, the sooner you do this month, the better. The actions you take in early May will have far-reaching affect, for a year or more.

The Sun and new moon on May 5 will send a cheery vibration to Jupiter, planet of gifts and luck, now in your "significant other" sector. If you are currently in a close relationship, you will find that it will go really well this month - and you'll see that you and your partner are in rare sync. Your partner will want to help you reach for bigger, more exciting goals and show the full range of possibilities that lie ahead for you. You seem to need a partner or collaborator to bring you your cosmic goodies, and in this sense, this person may be a romantic partner or one you team up with in business.

The Sun and moon will be in your eleventh house, covering people, places, and events, a house that also rules hopes and wishes. Venus will also be in this same area of your chart and will signal Pluto. It is clear that your romantic partner or collaborator will help you get closer to a attaining something you've long hoped to achieve.

Venus and Pluto will also send a friendly signal Saturn, now sitting squarely in your house of travel. This same house rules contracts, too, so May 5 and the days that closely follow would be ideal for signing an important agreement or for traveling to meet a businessperson face-to-face. Travel will also help you jumpstart a lackluster relationship into something much sexier and exciting, so keep that in mind in the days that follow May 5.

All these friendly planets will join hands to form a glittering triangle in the sky. This aspect is called a "grand trine" - considered the most divine and auspicious aspect possible. To say the least, when it comes to love and friendship, things should go extraordinarily well! You need not do everything alone this month - your friends and sweetheart apparently love you, and you'll soon see that they'll go far out of their way to help you!

This month extend a warm invitation to anyone you meet that you'd like to know better - a new friendship could result. Indeed, the people you meet now seem to have your best interests in mind. If you are attached, plan to spend more time with your spouse or partner, for it is clear that this person adores you and would want to spend quality time with you as well.

A club to which you belong may offer a program, seminar, or panel discussion this month that could be of real use to you now. Look over the brochure to see if something catches your eye - chances are, something will. If you don't already belong to a group, you may want to join one in the days following May 5. If you do send in your application, your chart suggests you'd get a lot out of participating in this group's events and by rubbing shoulders with other members. The organization need not be a professional or social club - it could be a political organization that needs volunteers or a humanitarian charity that needs your help to get their word out.

You may do something simple with a charity this month, say, run a 5K course for the cure. Or, you may commit to more complex activities, such as to run for office for your condo's Board of Directors. Whatever you do this month, your actions will have weight and importance, and others will appreciate your involvement in the group. By getting involved at this particular time, it looks like a new path will open up for you.

This will be a month to dream big and to identify what few elements you need in life to be truly happy. The planets are poised to help deliver your wishes, and all you need do is ask! Dear Cancer, what is it that means the most to you? What one thing could you correct that would make your life better instantly?

As you think about this question, be sure to take a little time to pamper yourself and to be good to yourself. Don't be self-critical - you have a new life and a brand new slate to write on now. The aspects of May are so extraordinary that I feel you can make huge progress on anything you put your mind to now.

If you were born on July 6 or within five days of this date, you will have an extra bonus of assistance from the new moon this month!

You have an excellent day coming up on May 12, when Jupiter and Uranus will be in gorgeous communication with one another. This is a day to collaborate with someone, for you will benefit from the union. Or, it could be that your partner will come to you with great news - news you both can benefit from. You will feel this aspect over the weekend too, May 10-11.

On a professional level, publishing and broadcasting industries will be lucky for you too, as will any plans to travel, study, or teach. Watch the first half of May for news, but especially near May 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, and 12, and later, May 22.

Romantically, your love life will be heightened to a stratospheric level on the full moon May 19. Wow! This tender, bright full moon will light your solar fifth house of true love. Again, the planets will be beautifully oriented to this full moon, especially because Venus, planet of love, will make an ideal, exact aspect to Jupiter, planet of happiness.

You may be getting engaged or married near May 17-18, and if so, you have chosen a heavenly time to do so. (Actually, the first three weekends of May are all spectacular for nuptials.) Uranus will be speaking to the Sun and Venus, so all kinds of surprises should come up - all of them happy ones. You may need to travel, and if so, the experience should be joyful.

If your birthday falls on July 21 or within three days of this date, you will benefit greatly from this May 19 full moon, very obviously so!

Mars may be a bit troublesome area of the chart at this time, however, as Mars will clash with the new moon. I was hoping I could conveniently forget to tell you this, but I realized I wouldn't be a very good friend to you if I did. Alas, Mars' position in Leo in your second house of money from May 9 to June 30 will increase your expenses to higher-than-usual levels. Fortunately, Mars won't be in Leo very long, but I will admit six weeks can seem long when you are going through it.

You may have to find ways to trim costs now, especially in regard to your participation in a certain social event. For example, if you will be a member of your best friend's wedding and your steady sweetheart will be accompanying you, you'll have to buy a beautiful wedding gift and you will also have expenses related to your clothing, transportation, hotels, and so forth. Perhaps your partner can help, but it looks like most of the costs will fall to you. I am so sorry. Perhaps you can find side sources of income, for certainly this month brims with good news, especially from friends. Be sure to ask - friends do have solutions now.

There will be other good news later, when Jupiter and Uranus will make a monumental and very rare direct contact with each other on May 22. This year 2008 holds three of these contacts between Jupiter and Uranus, and it will give lovely, poetic inspirational shading to the year. After this month's contact on May 22, Jupiter and Uranus will make one more friendly aspect on November 13. After that there won't be any major aspects between these two planets until mid-2010, and at that time, it will be somewhat different than the ones we are having now.

All the key days I give you usually have a plus or minus three days of influence, so this date certainly will overlap with the energies of the fabulous full moon discussed earlier, May 19.

The first key contact between Jupiter and Uranus already happened on March 28. It might be helpful to think back to the conversations you had at that time - there may be clues of what discussions may be advanced on May 22. (You may have thought nothing of those talks in March, but now see just how potent they were to become!)

May 22 would be ideal for having important meetings with a partner, mate, or fiance, or if you use this aspect for a career-oriented purpose, to meet with a middleman, such as your agent, publicist, headhunter, lawyer, or other representative. If you need to reach an agreement with another party on a legal matter, extend your olive branch on May 20 or 21.

Mercury will turn retrograde at month's end, on May 26 though June 19. Be sure to wrap up all-important discussions well in advance of this period. You will start to see the slowdowns that Mercury retrograde creates as early as May 12. This month, the old adage, "The early bird gets the worm" will be quite obviously true!

Mercury will retrograde in your twelfth house behind-the-scenes sector in Gemini, so it may not be too troublesome, not unless you have Gemini or Virgo rising. Still, it is never wise to sign contracts during these phases, or to make any key announcements, for later you may regret having made that decision. Also, it is not wise to invest in an expensive item during the Mercury retrograde phase, especially not an electronic or something valuable like a watch, a house, car, or other big purchase.

As you get closer to the Mercury retrograde phase, May 26, plan to scale back and coast. May is due to be such a lyrical, happy month that you may welcome the chance to take things a little slower.

By the end of June, your world will be spinning quickly again and you'll be moving at the speed of light. Consider taking a vacation at the end of May or at some point in the first three weeks of June. July is due to be very busy, and August, with its two eclipses, will be even busier. You have lots to look forward to, so for now, rest up!

Summary:

Last month you worked hard on your career, but now, May, you reach your time to relax and see friends. The Sun, new moon, and Venus will energize your sector of friends, events, and fun, so you'll have plenty of places to go and new and old people to see. New acquaintances will pour into your life now, and one or two of the new people you meet could be instrumental in opening up new vistas and contacts (even romantic ones) and steer you toward new interests.

The planets will be remarkably friendly to one another too, so you have a good chance of taking an important step toward capturing one important, long-held dream. All your good luck starts from May 5 onward. This month will dazzle you, for sure - it's not like any ordinary month.

If you are attached, this month you will have the most precious resource to give your partner - your time. Together you both can draw up plans for the future. Consider taking a vacation together - an excellent time to do so. If a trip comes up unexpectedly near May 21, try to remain flexible and agree to go, even though as a Cancer you like to plan ahead. You don't always have to be so cautious and practical - live a little! This trip would bring in a fresh, breezy influence and have lasting results.

Socializing will prove so good for you that you should also do some for your career. Go to seminars, for networking with lots of new colleagues will work well for you. In fact your very best opportunities will come up NOT by writing formal papers and proposals, but by getting out there and learning about the industry through meeting new people. You need to be out and about to make your luck, so even though you like to snuggle up at home, in May, make an effort to circulate.

Your most tender romantic moment will arrive on May 19, when the full moon will bring a moving experience you'll long remember. If you meet someone new, this person may capture your imagination in a way few have done before. If you've been dating, you may grow much closer to your partner, and may even talk seriously about your future together. Certainly this will be a moment where your feelings will come to fullness and your intentions become clear.

There is some indication that a social event may be quite expensive to participate in now, but then again, it may be worth the extra expense.

Speaking of financials, you're about to enter a very heavy spending phase. You may have one important special purchase, or a whole group of purchases to make. No matter what, allow a number of unexpected expenses to come up, for with Mars tearing through your second house of income and possessions it's best to expect the unexpected.

If you do have to buy things, do so in the first half of May, no later. Mercury will retrograde from May 26 to June 20, never a time to buy new things, for if you do, you are likely to be disappointed with what you acquire. Always allow space around those dates as well, as Mercury acts in a particularly wild way on the front and back dates. You will have plenty of time at the end of June to choose what you need, assured you will enjoy your purchases more if you wait. Don't sign contracts during this phase either.