The Taurus New Moon and a T-Square for Good Measure
The New Moon takes place at 7°46' Taurus on Sunday, April 27th at 12:31pm Pacific and 3:31pm Eastern.
I sit on the deck that overlooks the wetland, soaking up the warmth of the Sun that seems to have finally returned after months of cloud cover, of rain and snow, sleet and hail, and truly every manner of precipitation in between. I am in the mountains, I remind myself, and they’re not the ancient Appalachians of my childhood, but more imposing than anything I could’ve imagined until seeing them for myself. Rather than shield my face from the penetrating beams of light, I elect to keep my eyes closed and let the brightness land upon my eyelids too, for they could use some brilliance from the dazzling radiance overhead.
I sigh, content in my body, tranquility moving through me as easily as a snake slithering through freshly cut grass in the springtime. The wind grazes my skin, causing it to prickle the slightest bit, just in case the sun were to grow too hot. Plentiful, mighty cedars with ample boughs lean in to fulfill this purpose too, though their presence truly serves as portents of a majestic message that must be felt to be known. One dog, now two, then three, and eventually four come to keep me company, vying for my attention with paws and nudges, wet noses, and dog breath. I can’t help but giggle, their companionship only making the moment sweeter — mostly — and the Taurean scene grows more complete. I do my best to allocate my energy evenly among the four as we settle in together for a bit longer. Now all we need is a blanket and a few pillows, some tea and a snack, and we’re really set.
Welcome, Taurus. This is the season of Mother Earth, of life that has begun its greening process anew. This is the time of returning to our animal instincts, carrying the reminder that we, too, are an innate part of Nature. This is the invitation to serenity and calm that comes through the body, through our senses, and through the simplicity of presence in each moment. Taurus encourages us to “stop and smell the roses,” to savor each bite we put into our mouths, to relish each sip of the delectable brew or beverage we choose, and to revel in all that brings us embodied delight.
Life moves ridiculously quickly these days, its modern pace having grown so accelerated that it can feel too much to keep up with. Information pours in from every direction whether we want it or not, and resolution in most things we encounter through our fingertips (digitally, at least) has become harder to find. Yet Taurus reminds us that there’s a simplicity that is always here, from the fresh scents of Spring’s arrival, to the taste of the most delicate jasmine tea (with a hint of honey, please) and in this, we can tap into a contentedness that borders on spiritual. In fact, in Tantric practice, each of the senses — and Taurus is the most sensuous of the signs in many books, certainly mine — can be experienced as a gateway to the inherent intelligence living within all of life. By actually learning to bask in an experience — be it a taste of your favorite dark chocolate, a chosen yoga posture, the scent of your preferred flowers, or the feeling of a choice fabric touching your skin — humans have a unique opportunity to taste the infinite in a single moment, but only if we recognize it as such.
Taurus the bull has long been associated with the goddess, especially during ancient times on our planet, when many of these beauties can be seen donning their horns, most notably Egyptian Isis and Hathor and Greek Selene. The horns, then, serve as expressions of fertility, fecundity, and the regenerative capacity of the earth, of a richness that has nothing to do with money, but that comes from our relationship to the natural world and its innate beauty. I often connect Lakshmi with Taurus, who is ruled by Venus, and who is certainly akin to this Hindu deity. Lakshmi is associated with shri, or all that is abundant, auspicious, and sublime. And the qualities of Lakshmi can be found everywhere during Taurus Season, as life overflows with bounty and beauty during this time of plenty. Even here in Northern climes, it is considered safe to leave plants out overnight during Taurus Season, albeit at the end! Yet regardless of which time of year we’re in, spending time absorbing the magic of the natural world is key for anyone with Taurean inclinations, as a deep need for connection with the majestic landscapes and topographies of our amazing planet keep it sane, clear, and balanced.
Similarly, this sign encourages us to experience the placidity that comes with creature comforts and coziness, the peace that ensues when we treat our bodies with care and respect, engaging in nourishing practices that soften both our tissue and our dispositions. Whether it’s tai chi, qi gong, or yoga, acupuncture, massage, or craniosacral therapy, the sign of the “silent one” is most supported through somatic work and activities that create embodied ease. Breathing techniques, earthing, and forest bathing are certainly included here, as is anything that invites the Bull to dwell in the energy of tranquility that it is here to know in every cell of its being.
And while modern astrology might associate Taurus with money, I see this as a tertiary connection, with the primary and secondary ones being aforementioned: the Earth body, aka Mother Nature, as well as our own bodies and our ability to let them teach us the wisdom they inherently hold. Rather than needing to feel like we are rich in money, this sign encourages us to feel abundant and well-resourced in our experience as humans. Of course if we are carrying old karmic or epigenetic baggage around money, this needs to be approached and transformed in order for us to recognize the innate richness that’s already available in our lives, as well as our capacity to generate more. If we are carrying around old stories that keep us disconnected from our bodies or have us moving around the world in discomfort or chronic pain, it is important to nurture ourselves with healing modalities to shift these patterns so that our bodies become safe and secure places where we feel right at home.
The New Moon bids us to experience the delight and sweetness of all facets of Taurus, yet we are also being beckoned to some deep integrative work. Pluto in Aquarius squares the New Moon, creating an invitation, albeit through friction, to connect with all that has been karmically and epigenetically hidden, tucked away to be integrated in safer and more expansive times. All that our ancestors and we, in other times, have been disenfranchised for, all that they have been killed and have died for, all the gifts that we had to hide — all of this is up for us to reclaim and embody. We came here to bring these gifts and energies to bear in the current era and are meant to hold nothing back in support of this aim. It is time for us to be our most authentic selves, re-membering all facets of what this actually means so that we can be the beings we came to this planet to be. Pluto reminds us to go to the depths to make this so, and in Aquarius, we are meant to recover all of the things that make us most ourselves, the genius that is ours to offer no matter how much we have been challenged to do so until now.
Mars in Leo echoes this in its own way but from the other side of Aquarius’ axis, reminding us to claim and defend our own boundary to: shine brightly as the luminous beings we truly are, give ourselves permission to be our most expressive and creative selves, live as the sovereign beings that actually we are, and celebrate being alive in the ways that we feel most authentically called to. We are meant to share our gifts with the world, and the current cosmic scheme wants us to do just this, affirming this facet of our experience in order to make the world more brilliant because we are contributing what we are meant to within it.
And so, here we are, at a time of great opportunity if only we so choose. May this Taurus New Moon be filled with all of the sweetness and abundance necessary for you to remember what a gift it is to be here, having a human experience. May you find embodied ease and grace, see the beauty alive all around you and deep within you, and taste the magic of life’s infinite dance in all the ways you might. May you reclaim all that you are meant to for yourself and your ancestral line, living the truth and beauty of who you are fully and completely, expressively and rousingly, for we are all here to do just this, and may you know it body, mind, and soul.
