by The AstroTwins, Tali & Ophira Edut

ARIES

It’s time to make a name for your company. With your ruling planet Mars in showy Leo from May 10 through July 2, you’ll be a media magnet. Your gift of gab is your greatest asset. Talk up your company anywhere and everywhere. You never know who’s listening while you’re standing in line at the grocery store, even. If you’re shy about self-promotion, enlist the help of a PR agency or a student intern who can help you prepare and send out press announcements, media kits, or invitations to a launch party for your brand. On May 19, a Full Moon in Scorpio brings positive news about a large contract. Look for ways to add a luxury element to your products or services before the month ends.

TAURUS

Your passion for your business returns this month, as the Sun tours Taurus. You may need to infuse your brand with a little more of your unique personality in order to give it some edge. Let your creativity flow and color outside the lines. This is a time to let originality rule and take a few extra risks with your brand identity. Balance is key to remaining energized, however. Though you may feel inspired enough to work around the clock, this is a recipe for burnout. Make time for socializing, working out, and even eating meals regularly. Jupiter goes retrograde in your house of education on May 10, making it an ideal time to get some extra training in order to expand your skill set and build your brand. On the 19th, a Full Moon in your partnership house could help you seal the deal on an exciting collaboration.

GEMINI

Keep a notebook on your nightstand. Visions for your launch could dance through your dreams and you won’t want to lose those brilliant ideas. You’ll do your strongest work in solitude through May 20, so scale back on the meetings and power lunches and give yourself dedicated time to drift. This may not feel like work per se, but your mind is most active now when you are in a relaxed, receptive state. A mentor could appear near the New Moon on the 5th. Allow yourself to receive help that is offered. Be vocal about where you see your company headed—with both your staff and any potential partners. With your ruling planet Mercury in Gemini from May 3 on, you’ll need to speak boldly about your ambitions in order to catch the ear of some very important people in your industry.

CANCER

Strategic collaborations are the name of the game for you, Cancer. There’s no need to form an official company with anyone now. Rather, partner up with other small businesses whose offerings dovetail beautifully with your own. You could reach a more mass-market audience this month, but this could require you to scale back on a few bells and whistles. Use your creativity to find ways to do so without compromising the unique quality of your products or services. Mars enters your second house on May 10, insisting that you re-evaluate your company’s financial structure. If you’ve been investing every penny back into your business, you could lose your motivation fast. Carve out a stipend or salary for yourself. This is also a good time to raise your rates. Though you may lose a couple of customers, you’ll make room for a higher-paying clientele.

LEO

The Taurus Sun brings a prestigious energy to your brand. Presenting a sophisticated image is of the utmost importance now, as you’ll have a chance to present your company to some key decision makers before May ends. Enlist the help of a graphic designer to create a sleek, stylish package for your company materials and Web site. Ambitious Mars blesses you with some powerful energy when it tours Leo from May 10 through July 2. You are the best mouthpiece, promoter, and marketer for your brand on the planet. Allow yourself to err on the side of being pushy rather than meek. It’s better to apologize later for going too far than to never even take the leap. You may soon be in charge of a larger staff. Read books on management. There is an art form to being a great boss, and this is an ideal time to cultivate those skills.

VIRGO

Get ready for takeoff! Your business could see many exciting signs of progress this May. Saturn, which has been retrograde in Virgo since the beginning of 2007, finally turns direct on the 3rd, pushing plans into forward motion. You can be a bit of a homebody, but there’s no room to hide out now. Socializing is the key to success for Virgo this month. Take the initiative to set up meetings and work lunches with contacts from your rolodex. The timing is right to revisit great ideas that were previously shelved. Your ruling planet Mercury tours your prestigious 10th house from May 3 on. Kick your standards up a notch or two. You may need to leave a few “cottage industry” connections behind in order to make room for a more prestigious clientele. Focus your energy on big-picture people and key decision makers. There’s no need to work your way up the ladder rung by rung. Flow with the fast track and you’ll leap up a few levels almost instantly now.

LIBRA

No more drama! You’re ready to transform the environment of your company into a more professional one. That means you’ll have to scale back a bit on your own love of bonding over “issues.” A personal touch is important to Libras, but you’ve taken it a bit too far, slowing your own progress. Less talk, more action is the name of the game this month. It may take a moment for you to adjust and realize that you’re not being rude to your customers, but you’ll soon find the right balance. Investors could appear near the New Moon on May 5. While the idea of being flush with cash is exciting, make sure to research their background thoroughly. You’ll need a top-notch lawyer on your team too, to ensure that you don’t give too much of your company away. With Mars in your 11th house from May 10 on, adding a humanitarian, green, or charitable component to your brand could give it a competitive edge in the industry.

SCORPIO

It’s all about partnerships, as the Sun tours Taurus (your opposite sign) through May 20. Look for creative ways to join forces with other companies or individuals to strengthen your venture. Being a bit of a control freak is in your Scorpio nature—you just want things done a certain way. For this reason, “co-branding” is your official watchword. That way, you can retain your company’s identity while still engaging fully in a tag-team effort. Legal matters need sorting through, especially when it comes to contracts or any proprietary matters such as trademarks, copyrights, or official business registrations. On the 19th a Full Moon in Scorpio brings media attention your way. You could be interviewed on camera or in the paper. Look for ways to get your brand in the news near this day, possibly by attending an event with heavy media coverage. Pitches and proposals will be received with glowing accolades near this Full Moon too. Note: This is an extra special Full Moon, as it is a Blue Moon (two consecutive Full Moons in Scorpio). The successes may already have begun near the Full Moon on April 20, so look for ways to build on the energy of last month.

SAGITTARIUS

While you love to barrel through and work at breakneck speed, the planets are urging you to slow down and get centered. This May is all about working smarter, not harder. Take time to carve out company policies, develop workflow procedures, and automate areas of your business that you no longer need to be doing by hand. Get paperwork in order for invoices and employees. A bookkeeper’s services could be priceless with setting up a new system for your company. On May 10, go-getter Mars grooves into compatible Leo through July 2. It’s time for global expansion, Sagittarius, even through the use of the Web. You may partner up with an overseas company for distribution, manufacturing, or outsourcing an aspect of your business. Your ruling planet Jupiter goes retrograde on May 10 as well. If you have past-due invoices that you’ve let slide from clientele, it’s time to collect, and put in a better structure for the future.

CAPRICORN

You’re poised for expansion this month as your ruling planet Saturn turns direct once again. There is a bit of a gambler’s energy in the air, but it’s also about taking calculated risks. You must be the one to initiate meetings and pitches if you want to progress. Set your sights on broader horizons. The right collaborators and customers for you may be further away than your own backyard. Expanding to a global market through online sales, teleconferencing, or other Internet-based marketing could prove quite lucrative now. Lucky Jupiter, which has been touring Capricorn since December 18, 2006, goes retrograde from May 10 through September 8. Though your confident personality has gotten you through many doors, you’re going to have to work a little harder to retain your position. Prepare to go the extra mile to prove your brand’s worth by doing research and providing investors/clients/customers with necessary data about your product or business model.

AQUARIUS

Your pajamas could be your official business attire this month. The Sun tours your domestic fourth house through the 20th, indicating that you’ll do your best work at home now. Keep your schedule a little lighter, especially in the mornings or evenings, so you have time to lounge and craft ideas for your company without the pressure of having to race off to a meeting. Female friends or relatives could also play an integral role in your brand expansion. If you are targeting women with your company, you will have an extra cosmic blessing this month. On May 10, fiery Mars moves into Leo, sending a few ripples of tension through any business partnerships you have. Seems both you and your collaborator will be quite passionate about your vision right now. Open your mind to trying a new process. You can always go back to doing it the old way, but nothing ventured, nothing gained.

PISCES

Advertising pays off this month, so carve out a budget to get your brand out there. If you are low on capital, you may even find that the barter system works. Trade banner ads with another Web site. Sign on as a sponsor for an event and donate products or services to cover the cost. Collaborations of any kind will go swimmingly well this month. A like-minded individual could enter your world near the New Moon May 5. Consider hiring her on to help with some aspect of your company. Though you may see her as a prospective partner, go slowly with inking anything quite so official. It’s important that you be the key decision maker for your company right now. Having a bit of a hierarchical structure might feel uncomfortable for someone as friendly and egalitarian as you; however, it actually enables you to make moves without anyone slowing you down. On the 19th, a Full Moon in Scorpio brings positive energy about your company’s expansion, especially to a long-distance or global market. You may be featured in the press near this day, so be sure to plug your company during the interview.