Full Moon in Taurus: Samhain Illumination

 

Full Moon in Taurus:  Samhain Illumination

Moon opposite Sun- 10/31/20 @ 9:49am CDT

 

“Those who have died have never, never left.

The dead are not under the earth.

They are in the rustling trees,

They are in the groaning woods,

They are in the crying grass,

They are in the moaning rocks.”

-‘Breaths’ by Sweet Honey in the Rock

 

This Full Moon ushers in Witches’ New Year, and we begin what we call ‘the time which is no time’ from now till Solstice.  For those of us who celebrate it as such, the Full Moon closest to the Scorpio cross-quarter is known as ‘Lunar Samhain’, which just so happens to fall on Halloween this year.  There are few subtleties of cosmic timing in 2020, you may have noticed. 

Samhain Greetings from the Kavi House

And though the seasonal cross-quarter (‘Solar Samhain’, when Sun reaches the midpoint of Scorpio) is on Friday, November 6^th…Lunar Samhain initiates this week where the Otherworld is in closest contact with us.  Stepping beyond the veil of sensory consciousness, we invite the Ancestors in for an extraordinary celebration of life and death on Earth.  We may communicate with them, we may feast with them, we may put on costumes and perform for their amusement, we may pay our respects to the dead in ceremony.  No matter what you do, or don’t do, to celebrate this time of year…the vibration of this Full Moon will be felt one way or another.  Don’t let it spook you.  Seeing more ‘trick’ than ‘treat’ right now is part of the vibe this year.  However, the blessings far outweigh the unfortunate events surrounding us.  

'Taurus' by Cynthia Sheppard

Moon loves being cloaked in the earthy comforts of Venusian Taurus…and here she is, in full, to show herself in exaltation.  But at this Lunar Samhain, she is closely conjunct Uranus Retrograde.  This stirs many surprises into the cauldron of our High Priestess, Luna.  It is an improvised recipe bubbling within this strange brew when Uranus Rx is in the mix.  Since Uranus has been traveling through Taurus (May 2018), this earth sign has not felt as stable and dependable as it often is.  There is an electricity surging through solid earth…that’s what Uranus in Taurus feels like.  All of our sudden changes for 2 and a half years (so far) have been pushing us through our own resistance to change drastically.  It isn’t the easiest sign for Uranus to express, but no matter.  Innovation, currently through retrograde renovation, is inevitable where we least expect it for the next several years.  In the way of Taurus, you can’t force a flower to bloom until it is ready.  But with Uranus here, you also can’t resist the acceleration of awakening.  So where we see our strongest resistance, we may also see our necessity to change. 

And this is quite like Death…unpredictable, often sudden, not what we’d expect even if we thought we’d had a pretty good grasp on it.  Tis the Scorpio Season where we either greet or hide from Death, decay, darkness, loss, and transformation.  I choose to greet the season with open arms toward all that is dying and all that have passed beyond the veil.  And this year…there were so many deaths.  It seems fitting we have such cosmic synchronicity to attune us to the wisdom of the departed.  It is so apparent that we need their assistance to navigate this coming season as much as we need each other. 

Scorpio medicine, which Sun illuminates while conjunct the asteroid Astraea, is the path that brings us to the edges of what we have felt to find deeper truth beyond the liminal spaces.  This is a path of transformation and regeneration, brought forth through emotional catharsis.  It can feel intense, because it requires us to be ‘all in’ to reap the rewards of rebirth, even through the pain of separation.  It is Mars’s domain, where cutting away that which must die is the way to move forward. 

Astraea, the Star Maiden of Justice, may straddle that threshold…both aiding the transformation of what is being composted and what is being seeded for the coming year.  Astraea’s strength is in her compassion and her fairness.  Her influence right now tells us we must learn when to let go, but with grace and gratitude for what it was meant to be for its time. 

'Vesta' by Pamela Matthews

We also have a Grand Earth Trine with Taurus Moon-Uranus Rx as she harmonizes with the asteroids Vesta in Virgo and Hekate in Capricorn.  This creates a pattern called a ‘Kite’ with Sun-Astraea as the watery anchor for the earthy flow.  This kite vibration allows for creative manifestations rooted in the depths of our feelings.  Vesta the Priestess is the Guardian of the Sacred Flame, Goddess of hearth and home.  Hekate the Mother of Witches is Guardian of the Crossroads, Goddess of magic and night.  Together in harmony with this Uranian Full Moon at Samhain, they invite us Earthlings into a Sacred Passageway.  When we approach a passage, the soul of us calls out for ritual.  We may do this in varied ways during this time (which is ‘no time’)…but when we do this with reverence for the dead and gratitude for our Ancestors, we are fully supported.

'Hekate' by Kaysha Siemens

 

You don’t have to be a witch to do this, though many of us are.  Everyone has Ancestors and loved ones who have passed.  You may call it Halloween and think of candy, costumes, and creepy creatures first.  But Halloween has sacred origins, too.  Even the candy, costumes, and creepy creatures are part of the Rite. 

So, whether you’ve ever done something special in the past for this holiday or not…this particular one is uniquely magical.  You may simply find your awareness pulled toward the Moon on this night.  You might have already felt this as she’s traveled past Mars this week…and you’ll likely continue to be drawn to her brilliance in the days following the Full Moon.  Lady Luna is a visible reflection of what is wide awake within us now.  Sing to her, dance with her, bless the way she guides us toward swift change in her monthly cycles.  Join us witches in drawing her reflection down to our Earth, bathing in the radiance of her exaltation.  There is much to celebrate, even during the heavy chaos of this year.  And really, we could all benefit from a little magic right now.

Remember your Ancestors, and blessed be.

Love and Gratitude,

Felina Lune Kavi