New Moon in Taurus
The New Moon in Taurus aligns days after Jupiter entered the sign of the Bull. In a time of incredible uncertainty, we seek to sink our roots into SOMETHING. Where do we want to secure our foundation? What do we want to grow? Our focus is on building something that will sustain, that will spark joy and incite pleasure, but we have to prepare the soil, literally and figuratively. Pluto in Aquarius (currently at 0 degrees and about to pop back into Capricorn for one last visit until its next Capricorn transit in 260 years or so…) is trining the New Moon, supporting the realization of our visions and aspirations for a better world - we know we cannot use the past as a way to inform our future. We need to think creatively about the way forward. We are tearing down old paradigms, stretching a fresh, blank canvas over a frame of non-negotiables, and we will not settle for anything less than our birthright.
I don’t want to romanticize the journey, however, which brings me to the Pluto-Mars opposition. Mars and Pluto are similar energies - both have an insatiable appetite for power in their shadow states. Jupiter is squaring this opposition, forming a t-square with Pluto and Mars - Jupiter wants us to grow and expand in Taurus style - to be brave in the way we create value through our individual expression and to be discerning in the way we spend our resources. Jupiter also commands attention to what is under our feet, to the vessel our soul resides in, and only the pleasure that exists in those containers. This t-square may be manifesting as power struggles of all kinds, in business, in families, between groups of people, within your most intimate relationships, or even within yourself. Are you resisting necessary cycles of death and decay and clinging to security? Do you feel at odds with the motion and evolution of your current environment? Are your relationships not hitting the way they used to? Are you outgrowing a shell that you feel particularly attached to? Is the fight worth fighting for? It may be crystal clear to you where you see yourself going, but the path to get there is not. There are so many aspects moving and changing, birthing and dying, that we cannot take it personally when something doesn’t work out - it’s not that it “wasn’t meant to be” or “we didn’t do enough” - it’s just not right now… The medicine is in rooting into the physical, and taking a pause. When we connect with nature despite how “busy” we are, we are sending a message to the Universe that we trust what is unfolding and we acknowledge that we are not in control. While Jupiter is in Taurus, it is in your best interest to take the time to enjoy the sensations of this human experience, as the Great Benefic will bestow his gifts upon those who express wonder and gratitude for what is. To acknowledge that the hustle is not our source - Mama Earth is.
Despite the friction between Jupiter, Pluto, and Mars, the Sacred Warrior is also making a harmonious aspect with the New Moon from the last degree of Cancer. Although Mars is not the ruling planet of this lunation, the Moon does rule Cancer, and thus has influence over Mars - and because of Mars’ placement at the anaretic degree of Cancer, and its interactions in this chart, I felt compelled to look up the Sabian Symbol* from Lynda Hill’s website, and it reads:
“A Daughter of the American Revolution: This Symbol shows the ability or the need to stand up for an ideal or a situation that demands your involvement. This could be about political or social revolution, or fighting to change the status quo. Relying on old traditions that were, in their day, radical and transforming, may no longer work. The difficulty is that these traditions are more predictable, conservative values that may no longer seem relevant to today’s needs and aspirations. Despite your inner feelings of modern freedom, you may come up against those that are more conservative and unmoving.”
I read this after I began writing this post, and had looked up the meaning for fun to see if it pertained to what I was already feeling to be true (when normally I would look up the Sabian Symbol for the degree at which the moon is sitting). Not to say that we are about to start a revolution… or that it has not already begun. I do speculate (or believe if I’m being honest) that we are entering a time where we are going to experience an increase in and cascade of events that will radically change our economic systems and values. We have already seen these changes, as this energy has been in motion since Uranus entered Taurus in 2018, and Jupiter moving through the sign over the next year will be ramping it up. This New Moon in Taurus marks not only a lunar energy initiated once a year where we celebrate beauty and pleasure and the fertile ground where we plant our seeds, but because of the nature of the current cosmos, and the extra emphasis on Taurus and its associated themes, it is also bringing into conscious awareness the necessity to acknowledge the soil that feeds us and the waters that sustain us and consider these resources in all of our actions. In the United States, we are seeing change on this front, with the recent executive order to revitalize efforts for environmental justice, and a crescendo of calls to put the Indigenous voices that we have suppressed and ignored for too long at the front lines in our efforts to live WITH the land and not just ON it. We need Indigenous wisdom, we need to step back, humble ourselves, and admit we need help. It’s going to take a lot to untangle all the money and value we have put into petroleum and plastics, the way it has woven its persistent rhizomes through every facet of our lives, and the weight of such a task often, if not always, feels too much to hold. Taurus energy is all about VALUE. What has value, what are we giving value too, how do we spend our dollars… what do we give value that is actually in conflict with Life and how can we shift our values to be more aligned with a sustainable future? All of these themes will be building over the next year, and I can say with a lot of confidence that we will see a big shift next April when Uranus and Jupiter make a conjunction in Taurus… stay tuned.
Do I dare bring up Mercury retrograde? Don’t fret, it’s over… mostly. We are still in the “shadow” so the messes that were made and the connections that were crossed are being resolved, hopefully gracefully. I just want to invite you to consider the last few weeks and what has been present at the forefront of your mind, or what unexpected events or meetings occurred that maybe shook up your world. Take the time to really process what has transpired, either by journaling about it or reaching out to a confidant to talk it out.
On a lighter note… Venus is the ruler of Taurus and of this lunation, and she is shining bright in the early evening sky as she is approaching her most luminous, radiant moment, her moment of greatest elongation, or the furthest she travels from the Sun. If you have not been paying the Goddess the adoration she deserves, take the time to go outside just after the sunset to behold Venus in all her glory - you cannot miss her in the western sky. If you have the space for it, take a moment to listen with your gaze, to see what messages come through. It may not necessarily come in the form of words, but rather in feelings. Pay attention to all the things that come up - nothing is a coincidence. When she is in this phase of her cycle, her influence is strong, and thank Goddess for that, because we are going through it, personally and collectively, and she bestows a calm, lightness with her presence. A warm feeling that despite all the shit, we have so much beauty. Venus in Cancer is in mutual reception with the moon - they are in each other’s ruling signs, and thus Venus’ influence on this moon is all the more potent. This energy has us feeling our deepest feels, and seeking out those relationships where we feel safe to be vulnerable. We are aiming for intimacy as we search for opportunities for deep connections that will support our unfurling. With Jupiter entering Venus’s sign, our wishes are readily granted, if we dare to make them known.
How’s your evolution going? Are you being gentle with yourself? If you are having a particularly challenging experience as you move through these very potent astrological events (eclipse season, Mercury Rx, distant planets changing signs… these are notable events with more profound manifestations, and they are all happening in a very short period of time), know that you ARE going to be ok, you ARE going to get through this, and everything is happening FOR you, not to you. Life often needs to be reorganized beyond our mind’s comprehension or current creative threshold, and so the Universe conspires to hasten the process. Find the time to enjoy the world around you. Taurus wants us to luxuriate (my favorite word). Chuck your smartphone and go for a walk in the woods, take a dip in a creek, lie in the sun on a rock, read a good book. Do less. Give yourself the gift of time and space to do whatever the f*ck brings you joy.
Stay kind, stay curious, stay weird. Drop me a line if you need support!
Resources:
*Sabian Symbols https://sabiansymbols.com/about/the-sabian-symbols-story/
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