Full Moon in Taurus: Resistance to Change Meets the Unexpected Storm

'The Eddystone Lighthouse in a Storm by a Full Moon' by JMW Turner

Full Moon in Taurus: Resistance to Change Meets the Unexpected Storm

Moon opposite Sun @ 11:45am CDT on 10-24-18

At this Blood Moon (aka Hunter’s Moon), fate plays a largely unexpected and active role...like a Deus ex Machina to resolve our free will resistance to making necessary changes in the human story. A storm has been brewing for some time, especially on the world stage, and something is set to hit us with a shocking moment of clarity. It can act as the lightning bolt in the Tower card of the Tarot, crumbling what was false down to its unstable foundations so that we can build something with more integrity. It may even feel like a volcanic explosion after a long period of building up pressure beneath the surface. If you’re easily scared by such imagery, don’t be. It’s exactly the force for necessary change that we all need...and it doesn’t have to translate so literally.

This Full Moon in Taurus activates an aspect pattern called a Fixed Grand Cross. Moon and Sun are on the Taurus-Scorpio axis, while the lunar nodes are on the Leo-Aquarius axis. These are the four signs with Fixed modality, which are more resistant to change than the other signs (the Cardinal signs initiate change and the Mutable signs are adaptable to change). I like to honor that these signs provide a way to maintain focus. If you’re focused on maintaining something with integrity, the energy of this Full Moon might bring you new and innovative inspirations for improvement. If you’re focused on trying to maintain something that has unstable foundations, you’re likely to have a more difficult time at this Full Moon. This time period is distinctly Uranian...so, especially on the larger scale, instability will be a theme as we await the opportunity to rebuild from the roots.

In the U.S., a crucial transformation is going down in the socio-political sphere as we approach our mid-term elections. Political junkies will likely be sensationalizing the lead up...everyone spinning their wheels on something they can’t possibly predict. People will be fixated on the information streaming in from their televisions, computers, and phones...forgetting that there is a whole natural world around them that is the exact medicine we need now. This is one way Uranus Rx at the beginning of Taurus will manifest on the national scale. Emotions fixed on this will be unstable and likely volatile. But the retrograde here, so closely conjunct the Taurus Moon, wants us to take cues from Mother Nature and peer inwardly for the real eye-opener. There are, no doubt, outer manifestations of the “October Surprise” (as predictions from political analysts to astrologers have referred to it)...but the real awakening is internal. And with Uranus as a key player in the squares of this time, preparing to regress back to Aries on November 6^th and shift the Fixed Cross to a Cardinal Cross, the feeling is electric.

The Earth Element of the Fixed Grand Cross: To Get Grounded or Crumble to the Ground?

Moon in Taurus 2 “An electrical storm”

'Uranus Storm' from Kharmazero

Full Moons are electric anyway (read the link, I’m not speaking metaphorically here), but this one is backed up by the planet of electricity, Uranus. This ‘storm’ (which is also indicated by the Moon’s South Node at the ‘unexpected thunderstorm’ degree) is the Deus ex Machina plot device that enters the story and dramatically changes the outcome. You’ve heard the phrase ‘expect the unexpected’, but this Full Moon energy can neither be prepared for nor expected...so it is really about ‘ACCEPT the unexpected’. Something is likely to come as a shock to our systems, but the acceptance of a new perspective will contribute to our growth. Surprises from Taurus may have to do with self-worth, the physical body, finances, resources, values, attraction, pleasure, or comforts. Taurus is a very sensual sign, so a shock to our senses may feel like sensory overload. Anxiety about things that have to do with earthy Taurus is likely, even if you aren’t especially prone to anxiety. As mentioned previously...things may feel a little unstable for the time being. The best thing you can do is ground and center. Especially while the Grand Crosses are in play...the key is to find your center rather than be pulled to one extreme of the cross or another. Additionally, for some, this can be like a Kundalini Rising experience. When the Taurus-Scorpio axis is strong, especially backed up by Uranus Rx in Taurus and Venus Rx in Scorpio...life force often surges within us in very tantric ways.

The Water Element of the Fixed Grand Cross: To Release the Past or Resist the Future?

Sun in Scorpio 2 “A broken bottle of perfume releasing its fragrance”

Without our own conscious intentions, past memories are permeating the atmosphere like a familiar scent. With Venus Retrograde conjunct the Sun, past relationships may have been coming to the fore in some way. Apollon is between them, doubling up this energy and increasing it...inclining the ‘fragrance’ of the past to spread before it dissipates. This is a healing transformation happening that necessitates the release of the past. By the 26^th, Sun and Venus Rx will meet in their Interior Conjunction, which (especially in Scorpio) can be likened to the imaginal cells within the chrysalis finally overcoming the Caterpillar to make way for the Butterfly. Currently, we are in that phase of fighting the transformation off like its some infection. Resistance is a strong scent in the air, but it will soon fade. Change is inevitable. All that is resurfacing from the past right now is to remind us of how far we’ve come and how necessary it is to continue to transform ourselves from the inside out. If an old relationship or habit that was not good for us resurfaces, it’s not an indicator of giving it a second chance. Consider it more of a reminder that you left it behind because you made a wise choice to do so. Keep the change.

The Fire Element of the Fixed Grand Cross: To Spread Love’s Creativity or Fear’s Destruction?

North Node-Vulcanus in Leo 2 “an epidemic of mumps”

'Hephaestus (Vulcan) at the Forge'
by Guillaume Coustou the Younger

The North Lunar Node is conjunct Vulcanus in this degree, which is where the hot and fiery volcanic eruption part of this theme emanates. But it is good to remember that he was also a smith, so there is as much potential for creation in this combination as there is for destruction. What this symbol means to bring to our attention is the spreading of something that has been building below the surface (and, with the influence of Vulcanus, the spreading of fear of those who are different, fiery emotions, vitriol, and hot-headed behavior as a reaction). On one hand, fear is what is underlying it all…fear that we, too, might succumb to the worst of the potentially harmful effects of others’ unchecked aggressions. Those acting (or reacting) unconsciously to perceived threats are quick to point the finger of blame at any easy target, unwittingly pointing three more fingers back at themselves (if you live in the states, you’ve likely already seen too much of the ‘displaced victimhood’ tactic of our current president). Those who are conscious of these energetic undertones have a better chance of ‘immunity’ to the disease of fear that might seem to run rampant in their environment (or, at least, they will be asymptomatic or only mildly put out by it). This becoming conscious of what’s spreading is the key…and it starts with inner examination. Examining it in the light of consciousness allows us to create our ‘antibodies’ of resistance. This resistance to fear is none other than love...one of the most difficult things to build up and maintain during an epidemic of panic. However, it is crucial to keep your heart resonating the spread of love especially when it is most difficult. Love is the cure, trite as it may sound.

Since my own medicine has much to do with finding the gifts within our wounds, this symbol draws me into the nature of viruses to recognize their strengths…so that we may recognize the mirror they hold to our own strengths. Little is scientifically known about the evolution of viruses, but we can recognize a co-evolutionary relationship between viruses and their living hosts. We can easily understand that viral microbes cannot multiply on their own, but need to inject their genetic material into living cells in order to replicate and mutate. But it is less recognized in the general population that viruses both build our immune systems and contribute to our own evolutionary change. What can we learn from them besides fear?

During epidemics, viruses evolve. So must we.

The epidemic is fear (I know, many of us are so fed up with the “idiocracy” that it would seem the epidemic is stupidity…but whoever truly benefited from riding the high horse? It goes deeper than ignorance…though it does mutate through many forms. Fear seeks to evolve through replication and mutation throughout multiple hosts. Try watching/reading mainstream news (or any current events) without feeling affected by this or that scary thing mentioned. It’s hard to do…no matter how desensitized you’ve become. Something will likely evoke anger in you, at least. For many who try not to appear emotional, anger disguises itself as acceptable…it is too forceful to be ‘delicate’, so it can look like strength (and it can be, as long as it’s used properly). I tend to see all well-directed emotions as strengths.

So the fear epidemic spreads in rapid fire mutations through all these other emotions, and seems to shed longest through anger because it is often well-disguised there to many. But anger is not the answer, it is simply the key in the ignition of positive action at this time. If you feel angry about something, there’s a clue there in how to proceed beyond that anger to affect change (it could be exercising your right to vote, or...on the personal level...it could be that you find your frustration with others is really a frustration with something about yourself that needs to change). Anger forces us to make necessary changes. Like the viral infection changes and adapts, so should we with regards to our various strains of fear. Examine your own fear, and you can better fight off the inflammatory nature of the epidemic it feeds.

The Air Element of the Fixed Grand Cross: To Rise Above the Patriarchy or Allow the Patriarchy to Inform You?

Pandora-South Node-Ophelia in Aquarius 2 “An unexpected thunderstorm”

'Pandora' by John William Waterhouse

I find these to be interesting asteroids joining at the South Lunar Node at this time. Pandora (which means ‘all-giving’) was originally known as a life-bringing figure in mythology who was similar to Gaia...but Hesiod’s anti-feminist twist on her story is what we remember most. Pandora...she’s the one who opened the box and let loose all manner of evils into this world (disease, pain, etc.). Right? Something similar to Eve taking a bite of the apple. The two have become embodiments, over time, of a need for male control. Ophelia, on the other hand, was written in Hamlet as a less powerful figure who was sexually-restricted and tightly controlled (and informed) by the men in her life. Her love-struck insanity was her own demise, and her emotional tragedy paled in comparison to Hamlet’s more fleshed out emo-intellectual tragedy. However, her character is so sparsely portrayed in the script that, over time (especially as women began taking on the role), the portrayal of her tragedy has highlighted the dark and dangerous role of the patriarchy upon young women. What are these two figures to tell us about the South Lunar Node’s expression in this cross?

We are at the final stages of the nodal lessons of the Leo-Aquarius axis for another 18 years (see the link for more details on these collective lessons in play since May 2017). While the North Node in Leo has directed us toward heart-centered expression of leadership and self-love, the South Node in Aquarius has highlighted a collective soul need to separate from emotional repression and detachment. And with Mars’s journey back and forth over the South Node in our recent past...the patriarchal overuse of aggressive oppression and repression of the feminine has been front and center in society. Pandora and Ophelia are here to help us purge the real evils holding humanity back from expressing our true nature. They arise like an ‘unexpected thunderstorm’ with a gift of hope in the face of human tragedy. Pandora, in her original Goddess form, asks us all to consider that the girls being born now do not have to suffer as Ophelia suffered. She reclaims her true role as ‘all-giving’ Goddess of Abundance and rejects the anti-feminist fable that misconstrued her through the eyes of patriarchal fear. And Ophelia cries out from the waters she drowned in...’uplift your daughters to know their strength is not weakness’.

'Ophelia' by John Everett Millais

Love and Gratitude,

Felina Lune Kavi

Venus Retrograde in Scorpio: The Crisis and Catharsis of Emotional Renewal

"Venus" photo art by Terence Arpino

Venus stationed retrograde in Scorpio today, and the Divine Feminine pauses to recapitulate the wisdom of her journey which began in Aries in March 2017. In what ways has the Divine Feminine within each of us (no matter our gender identity) grown since then? This was the journey of the Dauntless Warrioress...instinctually guided to protect and lead. We have seen this archetype emboldened on the world stage in female-initiated movements, speeches, and projects. And now Venus asks us each to look within to find how this journey has transformed you as an individual. What trail did you blaze with the spark of Aries fire? In what ways were you emboldened to take action in this time? And as we reach the end of this Venus cycle and begin anew in Scorpio (when Sun and Venus Rx meet in the 4^th degree of Scorpio on 10-26)...what transformations in your own understanding of the feminine principle have occurred?

Scorpio is a deep dive into the unknown to explore beyond our usual boundaries and into the shadows that must come to light. For almost a year now, it has been Jupiter in Scorpio enlightening us through the dark underbelly of society. But last month, Venus joined in this Scorpio experience to light up the darkness in an even more personal way.

The shadow of this Venus Retrograde began on September 3^rd, when Venus entered 25.14 degrees of Libra (where Venus will station direct on 11-16). Since Kavanaugh has been a disturbing focus in the U.S. lately...you might remember that his Supreme Court confirmation hearings began in that first week of Venus’s retrograde shadow. The shadow period of retrogrades (especially for the inner planets) are often a time when important things to do with the theme of that planet are being overlooked. When we go through the retrograde period, then, we have an opportunity for a closer look as well as an opportunity to pick up those pieces we may have missed while we were trying to forge ahead. Though these things are often easy to see play out on the world stage, it is also important to look at our individual experience of these energies and movements. Key points from our own experience between Labor Day and now will be revisited twice more between now and 12-16 (once through the lens of Venus Rx, and once more after she moves direct again). Venus’s retrograde lasts from now until she stations direct on 11-16...and the post-shadow period lasts another month after that.

Here is a list of some of the main events of the transition from the end of Venus’s Evening Star phase to the beginning of Venus’s Morning Star phase. I have included the Sabain Symbols to highlight the story within the story, as well as my own keynote about what we can expect from each part of this journey.

Botticelli's 'The Birth of Venus'

9/3- Venus in Rx shadow (Libra 26: ‘an eagle and a large white dove change into each other’)

The appearance of balance between opposites, but something is overlooked.

9/8- Venus square Mars (Libra 30: ‘three mounds of knowledge on a philosopher’s head’ and Capricorn 30: ‘a secret meeting of men responsible for executive decisions in world affairs’)

Clash between what the Feminine Principle knows and what the Masculine Principle wants.

9/9- Venus enters Scorpio

The Divine Feminine investigates the truth under the surface.

10/5- Venus stations Retrograde (Scorpio 11: ‘a drowning man is being rescued’)

Venus Rx to the rescue, the pause we all need

10/10- Venus Rx square Mars, 2^nd pass (Scorpio 11: ‘a drowning man is being rescued’ and Aquarius 11: ‘a man who had become, for a time, the embodiment of a popular ideal is made to realize that, as a person, he is not this ideal’)

Humanity, drowning in a focus on desperation, is humbled by a saving grace.

10/15- Venus Rx conjunct Mercury (Scorpio 9: ‘a dentist at work’)

Repair after decay.

10/26- Venus Rx Cazimi (Interior Conjunction with Sun)/Venus becomes Morning Star (Scorpio 4: ‘a youth carries a lighted candle in a devotional ritual’)

The light of hope and renewal in the darkness. The phoenix reborn. New cycle of Scorpio Venus- The Shamaness.

10/30-10/31- Venus Rx in height of Fixed Grand Cross with Moon’s Nodes and Uranus Rx in the 1^st degrees of Fixed Signs (Venus Rx in Scorpio 1: ‘a crowded sightseeing bus on a city street’, North Node in Leo 1: ‘blood rushes to a man’s head as his vital energies are mobilized under the spur of ambition’, Uranus Rx in Taurus 1: ‘a clear mountain stream’, and South Node in Aquarius 1: ‘an old adobe mission in California’)

A forceful period of challenges to activate necessary change through resistance.

10/31- Venus Rx re-enters Libra

Reviewing equality in relationships

11/6- Nodes enter Cancer/Capricorn axis, Uranus Rx re-enters Aries

Dramatic shifts in world perspective, reviewing self-improvements.

11/16- Venus stations direct (Libra 26: ‘an eagle and a large white dove change into each other’)

Retrieval of the missing piece to achieve greater balance in opposites.

11/28-11/30- Venus in height of Cardinal Grand Cross with Uranus Rx and Moon’s Nodes (Venus in Libra 29: ‘humanity seeking to bridge the span of knowledge’, North Node in Cancer 29: ‘a muse weighing twins on golden scales’, South Node in Capricorn 29: ‘a woman reading tea leaves’, Uranus Rx in Aries 30: ‘a pond, a duck, and ducklings’, and Venus in Libra 30: ‘three mounds of knowledge on a philosopher’s head’)

Key period in the process of integrating Venus’s medicine, a collective identity crisis where we must pull ourselves back to center to implement necessary changes.

12/2- Venus re-enters Scorpio

The Shamaness returns to heal

12/17- Venus moves out of Rx shadow (Scorpio 11: ‘a drowning man is being rescued’)

One more rescue effort

1/7/19- Venus moves from Scorpio to Sagittarius

Divine Feminine Vision Quest

Love and Gratitude,

Felina Lune Kavi