While May Day evokes pleasantries, the term mayday became a universal cry for help via radio, similar to SOS by telegraph, stemming from the French "m'aider" (aid me). There certainly are many situations currently that call for assistance or attention.

Since mid-April, a planetary clash has been lingering and heralding a wide range of difficulties. You've probably read about it in Janet's Plan-its. There is a long-term stand-off between wild Uranus in hasty Aries and potent Pluto in serious Capricorn in a 90-degree abrasive relationship, called a square, in place since 2012. It won't let up until next year but its most precarious point is this spring as expansive Jupiter in emotional Cancer lines up across from Pluto and turns the Uranus square into a T-square, which is even more troublesome. Pesky Mars, now backtracking through Libra across from Uranus adds an accident-prone, volatile tension and completes the pattern of a Grand Cross or Grand Square, astrology's most difficult array.

These planets were in their instigating positions at both the Lunar Eclipse Full Moon on April 15 and the Solar Eclipse New Moon on April 29 (28th in the Pacific time zone). These connections link current events to occurrences a year-and-a-half ago and a year-and-a-half from now, when you consider the Moon Families discussed by Dietrech Pessin (see her website, Lunar-Shadows) or check your Janet's Plan-its on page 69.

When we examine the wide gamut of associations of these planets, we see many of the troubles in today's headlines. Here are some of what these planets rule: Uranus - everything out of the ordinary, the general population, rebellion, whatever is sudden or shocking. Pluto - power, money, the markets and economy, collective resources, privacy, taxes, destruction, elimination (Pluto is in Capricorn, the sign of government and rules.) Jupiter - big, international, legislative, in the media. Mars - military, guns, aggression, independence, sports and competitions. Now, see how they've combined maliciously:

Cliven Bundy's stand against taxes and fees for grazing on collective land, with self-proclaimed militiamen coming to his defense, is reminiscent of the old Wild West days (a Retrograde Mars throw-back).

A devastating, incredible outbreak of tornadoes over 3 days around the Solar Eclipse struck across a vast swath of America (Uranus rules high winds and tornadoes), wreaking destruction that will require significant collective resources to address. (In the solar eclipse charts, the Grand Cross is on the four directions (power points of the chart) in many of the Midwestern areas hard hit.)

Putin's push to get eastern Ukraine to break away from the rest of the country, and the US sanctions against rich Russians to try to pressure him into backing off. (Putin's Sun is right in the path of the Grand Cross, with Mars going back and forth over it. The second of three times was April 22 and the third will be June 18. The Sun is a planet of authority and bossiness. He's feeling his oats and pushing buttons.)

Seemingly mellow musician Paul Simon was arrested for a domestic violence incident. He has a natal T-square involving his Mars in Aries (a short temper) that the current Mars Retrograde is activating.

There was nearly a mass player walk-off following revelations of particularly ugly racial prejudice on the part of LA Clippers' team owner, Don Sterling, calmed only by his life-time ban from the sport by the NBA commissioner.

If you have any planets around the middle degrees of Aries, Cancer, Libra or Capricorn, your life is probably undergoing some kind of sudden big change. This force requires that we let go of the old and embrace the new, get rid of what's no longer appropriate and become more free. Even if the Grand Cross is not hitting your chart, you can grab its energy and make a transformation.

Janet's Plan-its (print version or e-book) discusses all of these transits and 2014's New and Full Moons. Or you can watch the 2014 forecast episode of LOOKING UP from December 2013 from the West Hartford Community Television archive of my shows.

This is the best time of year to start new habits that will stick. Taurus is the most persistent of the signs and good for endeavors that require a long, slow, steady approach. Take advantage of this proclivity during the four weeks following the Eclipse New Moon on April 28-29.

Of course, you wouldn't undertake a new routine when the Moon is Void of Course! Otherwise, for a habit to bring about growth, begin during the waxing half of the cycle (before the next Full Moon on May 14). For a habit to foster decrease, begin during the waning phase (after the May 14 Full Moon and before the next New Moon on May 28).

For example, to start a savings plan or investment strategy, use the waxing phase. To lose weight, begin during the waning phase. The Moon is strongly associated with habits and their underlying emotions. For extra oomph, get your new habit going when the Moon is in a fixed sign (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius). You'll find these Moon signs in your Janet's Plan-its. Oh, we already went past the Moon in Taurus, you might say. Yes, but it will be back again in this cycle at the very end, just ahead of the next New Moon, and that will be a great time for a weight loss plan.

This Taurus New Moon Eclipse was the last eclipse in Taurus until 2022. Eclipses pack a stronger punch than ordinary New or Full Moons, so this is our last big push for quite a while for ingraining super-strong habits.

If Janet's Plan-its is a habit (nearly an addiction) for you, you might want the 2014 Janet's Plan-its ebook now being sold as a Kindle book on Amazon. You can take it everywhere with you on your tablet or smart phone.