Full Moon May 2023 is also a lunar eclipse – and every relationship is undergoing transformation

Brace yourself for the Full Moon May 2023. Anytime there is a Full Moon, we can expect what was previously hidden to be brought out into the light – think dramatic revelations or stunning conclusions. But with this lunation also being an eclipse, it means that the drama gets magnified tenfold, adding even more emotional intensity to the alright potent cosmic mix.

This explosive date in the Moon calendar 2023 follows a solar eclipse during the New Moon April 2023. Scorpio Moons are always emotionally intense, creating a push-pull dynamic between radical vulnerability and an inner need to protect ourselves from harm – the kind of harm that comes from being honest and risking rejection or being misunderstood. 

It also means this Full Moon and lunar eclipse is ruled by Mars. With the God of War currently in the sign of Cancer, the home turf of the Moon, it creates what is known in astrology as 'mutual reception.' It means that there are partnership aspects between the Moon and Mars, creating a conspiratorial vibe – or at least, a co-conspirator. 

This can manifest as having someone extend us a proverbial olive branch to assist us during this time of transition – or conversely, someone, whether intentionally manipulatively or not, feeding into our worst suspicions of a situation or arming us with gossip and half-truths.

The thing about eclipses in astrology, is that they're a cosmic shakeup. The signature of this Moon is asking us to go deep and be totally honest about how we feel. Yes, we must be honest with others about what we want moving forward, but more importantly, we must do so with ourselves. 

Are our needs being met? Do we feel supported? Can we be vulnerable? Are we punished for radical honesty or asserting a boundary? Do we bond over what we love – or what we both don’t like? Ultimately, we are examining the qualities of our connections – and being pushed to make a firm decision about the future of these relationships, even if it means letting go.

When is the Full Moon May 2023?

Mark your calendars for May 5, 2023, four days after Pluto retrograde 2023 begins, because on this day at 1:34 PM EST, we have a powerful Full Moon Lunar Eclipse in Scorpio rocking the cosmos – and all of us down here on earth. 

The difference between a New Moon and Full Moon is that Full Moons are always times of big reveals and stunning conclusions, where what was once hidden comes to light. 

During this Full Moon and lunar eclipse remember your Full Moon rituals, as it's packed with tons of celestial insights and blessings for us to access and is a powerful moment in 2023 astrology.

Here's how the Scorpio Full Moon May 2023 will affect you depending on your star sign. For the most accurate reading, look at your sun or rising sign according to your astrology birth chart.

Full Moon May 2023 horoscope

Aries

Words like 'toxic or 'energy vampire' get tossed around to identify dynamics in our interpersonal relationships. Sometimes it can be confusing. Your job during the Full Moon May 2023 in your eighth house of the karmic bonds is to quiet the noise – of social-media-influenced diagnoses, of other people’s unsolicited opinions or feedback – and assess the quality of your relationships for yourself. Determine if your relationships add to and enhance your life, or if they subtract and detract from your goals or your sense of self-worth. Karmic relationships can be intense, but they don’t have to hurt, Aries. Analyzing them shouldn’t either. Your energy is too precious to give without a return on your investment.

Taurus

Appreciate how far you’ve come and how much you’ve grown. You’ve made so many gains and had transformative realizations, particularly in your romantic relationships, over the last eighteen months. But likely, that personal growth came with a stinging loss, possibly having to let go of something or someone you thought would be at your side at this moment. With this final Full Moon lunar eclipse in your relationship house, you may be revisited by a ghost from your romantic past now. Part of your transformation may be realizing that just because you’ve grown doesn’t mean the other person has done the work, too. You’re the one you’ve been searching for, Taurus.

Gemini

Something is draining you, Gemini. It likely has been for a while. Trust yourself that you already know what it is that must be cut. But know that just because your brain processes at warp speed, not everyone else’s does. This means, speaking up for yourself, and asserting your boundaries. Determining what tasks, to-dos, and responsibilities are and are not yours to carry. With the Full Moon May 2023 and lunar eclipse in your sixth house of health and habits, think of it like taking a vacuum cleaner around your schedule and sucking up and out anything that doesn’t need to be there – or that someone else should be doing.

Cancer

It’s hard letting go of something we’ve nurtured and idolized, especially for a long period of time. But whether it’s a creative project that we lost our spark for, a child that’s ready to leave the nest, or a relationship that wasn’t meant to last longer than a fling, accepting its new identity is your current task. With the Full Moon May 2023 and lunar eclipse in your fifth house of fun and pleasure, the stars are asking you to accept that everything changes over time. Your baby is not a baby anymore – whether that’s literally or figuratively. Be open to what it, your proverbial butterfly, could now be instead, Cancer.

Leo

What does it feel like when things don’t work out the way you thought they would – or should? If things don’t go your way, does it sting? Does it activate your ego? Your sense of loneliness? Do you feel out of control? Those questions have been at the center of this eclipse series that have been activating your fourth house of home and family over the last eighteen months. With this final Full Moon lunar eclipse taking place here, it’s your final reminder that you are only ever the master of your own domain. Let go of what you think others should be doing or thinking about you or anything else. Just focus on yourself – and act in alignment with your character, Leo.

Virgo

Is being in your head a comfortable place to be, Virgo? That’s the question you’ve likely been grappling with since this eclipse series began rocking your third house of communication. Now, with the Full Moon May 2023 and lunar eclipse taking place here, think about your relationship with your own mind and the dialogue you have with yourself. The world can be a harsh place sometimes – handing us challenges we didn’t ask for, conflicts with no easy resolution, and even sometimes a seeming cold indifference to our requests. What the stars have been showing you is that you need to make the stories you tell yourself, about yourself, much kinder. Be gentle with yourself.

Libra

With the Full Moon May 2023 in your second house of earned income, you’ve been asked to consider the role you play when you feel insecure – physically, emotionally, and financially. Does it create an urge in you to withhold – whether that’s expressing yourself or indulging in something you want or need? How has that behavior served you – and can you let go of the need to be in tight control of it moving forward? Over these last eighteen months, you’ve been invited to recalibrate your relationship with the material world, Libra. Allow yourself to ask for help when you need it – you don’t have to go it alone. Support is there for you, you just have to ask.

Scorpio

Tough love is a misnomer, Scorpio. There’s no such thing. You don’t have to be hard, you don’t have to be tough, and you certainly don’t have to avoid feeling your feelings to function in this world. In fact, you could be denying yourself the most human of experiences by not allowing yourself all the potential expansion that comes with making yourself vulnerable to others. That’s what the Full Moon May 2023 and lunar eclipse in your first house of self are pointing you toward. Yes, it may not work out – but it might work out even better. Control is an illusion. Allow yourself to let go and surrender to the possibilities you haven’t even imagined yet.

Sagittarius

Pointing out where you fall short of your own expectations is what our inner critic wants, Sagittarius. But if you spend all your time in fault-finding mode, you may be missing out on seeking out the joy in your life. With the Full Moon May 2023 and lunar eclipse in your twelfth house of the subconscious, the stars have been showing you a different way to relate to yourself. Running through a tally of everything that is 'wrong' with you means you’re missing out on celebrating all that is very right with you. You won’t drill sergeant your way into a better life – and why would you want to? Accept your flaws – and realize that you deserve good things not in spite of them, but because of them.

Capricorn

Trust issues have been activated for you over the last eighteen months, Capricorn. And with the Full Moon May 2023 in your eleventh house of networks, you may be in assessment mode. Part of that likely includes realizing that your inner circle looks a lot different than it once did. Perhaps friendships have fizzled, colleagues have changed positions, and your priorities and commitments have shifted. Circumstances have changed – but also so have you. Celebrate the transformation even if it meant having to let go of what you thought you wanted and who you thought would be there. You have not met everyone that’s going to impact your life yet – and that should excite you.

Aquarius

Transformation at work has been the theme over these last eighteen months, Aquarius. And it’s likely to come with some hard truths about who you can trust and confide in, especially among your colleagues. But have those interpersonal relationships clouded your view on your future – or made your path clearer? With the Full Moon May 2023 and lunar eclipse in your tenth house of career, you’ve been given a gift from the stars, even if it hasn’t always felt that way. The point of these work challenges has been clarity: to make you see where you do and don’t want to be, what you do and don’t want to be known for. It’s always been about your character.

Pisces

With the Full Moon May 2023 and lunar eclipse in your ninth house of higher wisdom and learning, you may have felt pushed and pulled between conflicting beliefs. You may have even been confronted with inherent conflicts or hypocrisies in what you believe. How you’ve responded is what the stars are interested in. It’s easy to say that it’s okay to be wrong – intellectually you know that. But emotionally, possibly even physically, do you feel that to be true when you’ve had to confront it in real time? The stars want you to know that just as much as it’s okay to be wrong, it’s okay to change your mind. Your political, philosophical, and spiritual beliefs are not your identity. Like you, they’re meant to transform.