New
Moon in Taurus: Beltane Blessings of Ayni
Moon
conjunct Sun @ 5:45pm CDT, May 4th, 2019
We
enter the Flower Moon cycle just before the Beltane Cross-Quarter
(May 5th, when Sun reaches 15 degrees of Taurus). This
initiation (as all New Moons are monthly initiations) is a
particularly potent one to tap into with some ceremonial (or
literal!) planting of a seed from the fruit of the previous cycle
(the Seed Moon). Not only is the Moon exalted in Taurus, but Beltane
(opposite from Samhain on the Wheel of the Year) is a time that is
very potent for planting seeds of many kinds.
And
Taurus energy loves to grow steadily and abundantly. Venus rules
Taurus, which means the Goddess of Love, Beauty, and Attraction is
like a Guardian to those parts of you represented by natal planets in
Taurus...as well as to the transiting bodies that move through her
sign of fixed earth.
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| 'Star' from Legacy of the Divine Tarot by Ciro Marchetti |
One
of those celestial bodies, the asteroid Astraea, is very influential
on the themes of this New Moon. Just one degree away from the
luminaries, Astraea brings up the archetypal storyline of the Star
Maiden, Goddess of Justice. In Taurus, she can be quite fixed on the
part of her storyline that shows how she will stay the course to help
others grow, even when they are hell-bent on falling short of their
potential and falling into their own shadows. She comes with another
Venusian theme (from the Cardinal Air sign of Libra) of balancing the
scales...and this translates through Taurus in ways that relate to
our body, the sensual experience of life, what gives us both pleasure
and sustenance to grow, our resources, what has worth and value, and
what yields fruitful results. There is work to be done, but there is
also pleasure to be received...and Astraea reminds us to get steady
and balanced through moderation. Taurus is a gradual sign and
unfolds in natural timing...it can’t be forced. So if we’re
over-working...there is likely to be a resistance to the growth that
needs to unfold. And, conversely, if we’re only focused on what
gives pleasure to ourselves...we’re not as able to tap in to the
productivity of this fixed earth sign. Balance is needed between
work and play...so we can have the creative energy to grow. This
balance Astraea is teaching us in Taurus is the very balance we need
with our Mother Earth as well as with each other: the reciprocal
flow of give and receive.
Planets
in Mutual Reception
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| 'Connection' by Carla Woody |
On
May 1st, the day many pagans celebrate Beltane, we had an
opportunity to learn this reciprocal flow through the Mutual
Reception of Mercury and Mars in sextile. The 60 degree sextile
between planets brings up some opportunity through this vibration of
good rapport. And so we may feel it as things working harmoniously to
bring about a good opportunity. Of course, you have to put in some
effort to tap into that flow...where both you and others can benefit.
With Mercury in the sextile, communication is key. With Mars, it’s
about taking action. And with them both in Mutual Reception (meaning
that Mercury is in the Mars sign of Aries and Mars is in the Mercury
sign of Gemini), this rapport was especially helpful because both
planets have a good understanding of the other’s current expression
or quest. Mars’s quest through Gemini, while he is currently
out-of-bounds of the ecliptic path, is in the farther reaches of this
Air sign where curiosities and fascinations driving us bring us
experiences that are beyond the bounds of what we’d normally do.
Mercury provides some guidance there that can be very helpful for the
journey ahead. While Mars provides the actions that allow us to
think in the quickfire, instinctual nature of Aries. While, at this
New Moon, the strength of the sextile is receding...the Mutual
Reception between the planets is still in play.
Mercury
has been quite active in the waning of last month’s Seed
Moon...where we are wrapping up (and distilling the essence of) the
previous phase. Squaring the lunar nodes, Saturn Rx, and then Pluto
Rx...Mercury has been pressed at the apex of a T-square. This may
have felt like a buildup of mental stress in this transition between
April and May. A call for dynamic Aries expression has been sounded
through the Messenger. With help from Mars, taking decisive action
to alleviate those stresses will continue to be key as we move from
the Seed Moon into the Flower Moon cycle. On May 2nd,
Mercury also exacted a flowing fire trine with Jupiter Rx...which can
give a creative boost (or perhaps a way to relax) to ease any mental
tensions.
Mars
will also exact an opposition with Jupiter Rx the day after the New
Moon (May 5th, the astrological cross-quarter of Beltane).
This will be one of the main influences on the start of the Flower
Moon cycle (as well as Astraea’s Taurus expression). With every
opposition, there is a need for balance in an effort to integrate the
opposites. And Mercury will also be helping to achieve this balance
through beneficial aspects to both Mars and Jupiter.
Both
of my children have this same aspect (Mars opposite Jupiter) in
different signs. The aspect itself seems to be quite lucky...even
though the tendency is often to leap before looking while following
optimistic impulses. It can go either way and produce lucky breaks
or amplified missteps...but often with an ability to bounce back,
learning a lot through the experience. I can’t even count the
number of times that, as a mother of a couple Capricorn kids with
this energy, I have cringed at moments when it seemed the worst could
happen...and somehow these kids come out mostly unscathed. As we
begin our journey through this Flower Moon, Jupiter Rx may promote an
exaggerated sense of adventure and invincibility to our out-of-bounds
Mars energy...and rebelliousness is likely. Mercury’s help may be
a reminder to at least have good cause behind our actions.
The
Tao of Taurus
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| 'Gaia' by Minjae Lee |
With
that backdrop of where we are coming from and where we begin
anew...let’s return to the New Moon lesson of Taurus. What is the
way of fixed earth? It certainly isn’t immovable (and stubborn, as
is often projected on this sign)...though it does teach the wisdom of
resting for better productivity. Essentially, Taurus unfolds with
Venusian beauty like an Earthly blossom. It also has the energy of
bringing things to completion, which is part of the nature of all 4
fixed signs. In the Northern Hemisphere, the Sun enters Taurus after
Spring has been established in Aries...and the delight of the sensual
experience of this season is filling our bodies with the promise of
growth. Though the Southern Hemisphere experiences the opposite, but
just as sensual experience, of the Autumn giving way to Winter in the
promise of rest. Both are part of the Taurus/Scorpio axis that link
Beltane with Samhain.
So
Taurus, as anything which flowers and bears fruit to later die and
become the seed again, is the fixed earth way of Mother Nature.
There is a certain timing to it that can’t be rushed, as gardeners
and farmers know well. There is also room in this timing for the
unexpected (such as the storm that may alter the course of growth).
This is where Uranus in Taurus factors in...the unpredictable element
within the somewhat predictable timing and flow of fixed earth.
Uranus can heighten the punctuation in the rhythms that Taurus
sustains...throwing in some improvisational jazz to Mother Earth’s
music. And Taurus Earth, as a feminine sign, is receptive to such
awakening input...so mutations and new variations on Her structure
are born.
Moon
and Sun in Taurus 15
Sabian
Symbol: ‘Head covered with a rakish silk hat, muffled against the
cold, a man braves the storm’
 |
| 'The Man in the Storm' by Yeesam Art |
So,
if we’re to grow in the kairos (quality of time) that is our
current environment...we may want to tap into the Taurus persistence
and perseverance that draws upon our inner resources to withstand the
weather of whatever may come. But be prepared to be changed from the
experience, however it might arise for you. Growth is not about the
destination, but the process. Continuing to do the same thing over
and over to achieve a certain result can sometimes lead to success,
but it can also lead to a sticking point where a new perspective is
needed. The Jupiter-Mars opposition in good relationship with
Mercury as we begin this new cycle may allow for that widened
perspective that helps us to choose the best course of action. It
will likely give us that rakish (confidently carefree and bold) air
that can face any crisis with optimism.
This
New Moon energy, for me personally, brings me back to a time several
years ago when I was stuck and didn’t think I had the energy or
inner resources to brave another storm. After years of trying to
conceive a child, my husband and I miscarried Phoenyx when we finally
thought we were being blessed with a new addition to our family. It
was devastating. It made us question our own faith in ourselves.
And then, not long after, I came across this blog post from Dan Teck
called ‘The Pitfalls of Perseverance’. The way he wrote it spoke
to me (and my Taurus Ascendant conjunct Chiron)...and it shook me out
of a perspective of failure through laughter and the wisdom of
opposites (very Heyokah medicine). What his words awakened in me
then was much like this ‘rakish’ quality that braves the storm in
our New Moon symbol now. It was, ‘if it is meant to be, it is
meant to be’...and I let go of any need I had felt to control a
very natural process. From that thought-seed of a different
perspective, our son Felix (which means ‘lucky’ or ‘happy’)
came into our lives the next year. Amazing how the ‘don’t try so
hard, and it will happen’ advice from loved ones didn’t quite set
in until the message came at me from an unexpected angle. So it
often goes.
I
bring this part of my personal story up, and the link that relates to
the turning point, because I know several of you are facing your own
Dark Night of the Soul right now (there’s an additional link for
you, if you want to know more about that part of the Soul’s
Journey)...and your own crises of faith. Perhaps reading about ‘The Pitfalls of Perseverance’ by Dan Teck will also help you to shift
your perspective in this month of fixed earth, when perseverance is
part of the theme. A little warmth as you muffle yourself against
the storm. Much love to those who are feeling loss or lost in this
greater cycle of Saturn-Pluto endings leading into Jupiter-Saturn
beginnings by the end of next year.
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| Sundial in Arbor Lodge's Sensory Garden Nebraska City Beltane 2018 |
Time
passes, memories remain. And in those memories from past cycles are
the seeds of new life.
Love
and Gratitude,
Felina
Lune Kavi
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