Taurus New Moon

Here we are again at the beginning of a fresh lunar cycle, which also means the end of one. I often find the few days leading up to a New Moon to be a little tense. This is a time when all the energies, lessons and events of the previous cycle seem to condense. If something was left unsaid or undone then there might be a hint of pressure to finish up any business, sometimes there is a touch of regret for not fully resolving something. Often if there has been an important lesson learned at some point during the lunar cycle it is now that it really sinks in to one’s system and can be felt more tangibly, this isn’t always comfortable. This time is known as the dark of the Moon, where the Moon has disappeared from view, and can sometimes feel as though we are lurking in the shadows.

I think that this feeling has been particularly prominent in the last few days. Not least because it has been such a dramatic and eventful few weeks since the previous New Moon – which of course means there is so much more to digest – but also because we have some other prominent shifts energy occurring. When a planet is in the very last degree of a sign it can have a similar, often more intense, feeling of having to get things done before we run out of time. Is there anything that you promised yourself you would take care of all those months, or even years ago, but never quite got round to doing? Uranus, in the last degree of Aries and Mars in the last degree of Cancer are not gently asking you this question, they seem to be applying a great amount of pressure to it.

Mars – Uranus energy can really be felt in your muscles, it’s like an electric tension rippling through your veins. Together they demand things to happen and to happen now, they don’t even care what happens just that something happens right this very second. Try and resist giving into this pressure. It stems from very real need for change, this much is true. But forcing change for its own sake, in whichever area of one’s life that is the most malleable usually produces equally frustrating results. To some extent we must accept that what’s done is done, we can’t go back and change our past. What we can do is work towards change in our future.

If you are relating to what I have said strongly please be extra careful with sharp objects, heavy machinery and navigating the roadways. This frustration can often force its way out through accidents. It’s much better to use up any extra energy on a conscious, preferably intense, physical activity.

The good news is that the New Moon signals a new beginning and so the shadowy feeling will lift after the Moon begins it’s new cycle on Tuesday morning (UTC). So too with the frenetic energy of Mars and Uranus. Just as the previous New Moon coincided with lots of planetary direction and sign changes, this one does too. Uranus, after spending over 7 years in Aries moves into Taurus just 3 and a half hours after the New Moon. Then in the early hours of Wednesday morning (UTC) Mars moves into Aquarius.

So Mars, the relatively speedy planet and Uranus the relatively slow planet both change signs within a few hours of one another and in a potent square aspect to one another right after this New Moon. This will transform the slightly anxious pent-up energy into a much more usable and productive opening. Although it is always worth tying up loose ends, don’t break your back over things that you forgot to get done, instead try and use this surge of energy to find new and exciting ways to build the future that you have always dreamed of. Although Mars – Uranus urges you to expend all your energy in one life changing burst, Taurus suggests the much more sensible approach of pacing yourself so that transformation can become a permanent fixture.

Thankfully, this New Moon occurs in the sign of Taurus, which is perhaps the most peaceful sign of the zodiac. It is certainly worth trying to leave our worries alone for a moment and draw from the deep, steady and sensual well of Taurus energy. Taurus is a builder, but does not want a rush job, it is much better to take your time and do it properly so that your creation will last the test of time and shine with brilliance. This is worth remembering when taking another step in building your life, as signified by the New Moon.

The Sun and Moon are together in Taurus alongside a lesser known object called Sedna. Sedna came with a fair amount of fanfare at her discovery in 2003 but has seemed to have taken a backseat in astrological discourse in the last decade or so. Her story and symbolism are complex and too much to get into here. She does, though, offer us one piece of timely advice for the beginning of this lunar cycle. Sedna encourages us to keep our hearts open even in the most dire of circumstances. She is asking of us now, no matter what hardships we face, no matter what frustrations we feel, to remain open to the world and give freely of our love and beauty. There are many other aspects that support this affirmation.

The New Moon is in a flowing trine aspect with Pluto. The big sweeping changes are going to continue throughout the spring and into the summer. Although this Moon has some immediate tension to it there is also an underlying air of gentle and steady transformation. Taking a step back from the pressures of life, and the busy schedule everyone seems to have to keep these days, and tuning into yourself a little will reveal a more gentle process of change. One that has been going on without your conscious input or executive functioning but has been dutifully unfolding nonetheless. Trust that this more subtle aspect of your being can handle any changes that need to occur if given the time and the space.

This process of gentle opening and expansion is enhanced by a trine between Jupiter and Neptune in water signs. There is a great resource of generative energy available in the universe, it lays just beneath the surface of what we perceive in our day to day lives. It is not reached by forcing our way into it but by relaxing into it; by taking some time out to listen to your heartbeat; to sit by a river and just watch it flow; to listen to the inner voices that whisper encouragement, not the ones that scream self-degradation and worry. This aspect suggests that right now this great ocean of wisdom is a little easier to access than usual should we decide to ease into it. It also suggests that once we are there awe inspiring insights can be attained. The important thing when traversing this landscape is to be able to bring things back with you to the real world. Apply what you find to your life and try not to get lost in this place where fantasy and delusion meets wisdom and bliss.

If the Taurus Moon tells us one thing it’s to keep our hearts and minds open but our feet on the ground.