Moon into Taurus: Standing Calmly in the Light

Wednesday night through Saturday morning

illumination from a hidden star

Today, we're glowing in the fire of the Aries Full Moon, absorbing the implications of what's been illuminated for us. Depending on what this powerful Full Moon touched, we're also adjusting to new situations and realizations.

This evening, the Aries Moon forms a flowing sextile to Neptune in Aquarius, offering a wider context for what we've learned. Three hours later, the Moon opposes Mercury in Libra, another chance to examine what we know now, and reach a sense of balance with it.

The opposition with Mercury is the Moon's last classical aspect in Aries, opening a void of course time lasting an hour and a half, until she enters Taurus at 9:35pm EDT.

Taurus, fixed Earth, ruled by Venus, is the sign of the patient gardener: calm, peaceful, and deeply nurturing. During this Moon transit through Taurus, we offer ourselves the care we need, as we integrate the power that flowed through at the Full Moon.

And this is a time of facing issues of power: Early Thursday morning, Venus in Scorpio sextiles Pluto. A few hours later, Mercury moves into Scorpio. A hour after that, the Taurus Moon trines Pluto. An hour after that, the Taurus Moon opposes Venus in Scorpio.

What do we do with all this Pluto and Scorpio energy? We're heading into deep territory here. Scorpio, ruled by Pluto, is the sign that invites us to enter the shadows and explore our deepest, scariest issues.

Power is definitely on that list: Where is the power in our lives? Who wields it? To what ends? The Aries Full Moon turned the floodlights on some of that, and now we follow explore what's there and what it means for us.

Taurus and Scorpio are opposite signs. They share a commitment to taking things slowly, not rushing, moving step by careful step. Where Scorpio wants to rip the covers off and expose sensitive secrets, Taurus focused on self care. So, as we move through this newly illuminated landscape, the Taurus Moon hands us a blanket and a warm cup of tea. This Moon takes us by the hand and says, it's OK, we can look at this together.

Friday's aspects continue our examination of new territory––or more accurately perhaps, new perspectives on old territory. In the early morning, the Taurus Moon squares Mars in Leo, challenging Mars to slow down. Late morning brings an inconjunct angle-of-adjustment between Mercury and Uranus, our mind and cosmic mind finding a new balance. In the evening, Venus in Scorpio and Jupiter in Taurus reach exact opposition, as we're again invited to find a balance between self examination and self nurturing.

comfort

Working with Scorpio energy is not easy. The Taurus Moon is there, suggesting a warm bath, a massage, maybe a glass of wine. We can absorb these new energies best if we take things slowly, this Moon says. Remember to breathe.

Saturday morning (6:51am EDT), the Moon reaches her last classical aspect in Taurus, a square to Neptune in Aquarius. This meeting might challenge us, asking what new realizations we've achieved. This Moon remains void of course for about three and a half hours, popping into bright Gemini at 10:15am EDT, buzzing us into a social weekend.

During these Taurus Moon days, we're offered a time to really look closely at what the Full Moon lit up, shining its light into some dark corners. With the support of this nurturing Moon, it won't feel so bad. Keep the kettle on, and the tea handy.
 

Moon into Aries: The Personal Is Political

Monday morning through Wednesday evening

Adbuster's poster

The Moon is reborn into vibrant Aries Monday morning at 8:57am EDT, where she joins Uranus in Aries, forms an inconjunct with Venus in Scorpio, and squares Pluto in Capricorn. Let's hope this newborn Aries Moon is a Hercules, because this babe is in dangerous company.

Aries, ruled by Mars, cardinal Fire, is the first sign of the zodiac, pure energy surging into the world to become manifest. Aries is criticized as self-seeking, heedless, angry, and impetuous––and valued as single-minded, pioneering, with the fearless heart of a warrior. This is the sign of Tuesday's Full Moon, the Hunter's Moon, the Blood Moon. This Aries Full Moon is a hero's Moon, reminding us of the need to be of good heart as we pursue our goals.

But first, back to our Hercules Moon standing tensely with Uranus, Venus and Pluto.

"The personal is political" is the title of Carol Hanisch's 1969 feminist essay in which she argues that women (and other oppressed and disadvantaged groups) are criticized individually for struggling to improve their situations, when the real issues are collective and need to be addressed collectively. Political is used in the sense of collective, social, big, not elections and party politics.

It's so easy to turn that Aries tag against anyone wanting more––She's so egotistical. He's so self-centered. Doesn't she have enough already? Shouldn't he be more humble? Don't they know their place? Well, Aries "never knows her place" except in knowing her place is over the next horizon, reaching for the biggest, juiciest apple on the highest limb of the tallest tree.

Joining with Uranus, champion of both individual freedom and collective struggle, this Aries Moon knows when we become who we uniquely are, and express that freely, liberation ripples out to touch the world. Inconjunct Scorpionic Venus, this Aries Moon asserts she will not be submerged in someone else's idea of what is right, just or meaningful. Squaring transformative Pluto, this Aries Moon learns that in surrendering the small self, we find more power than we ever imagined.

Turning the blazing anger of Aries or the colder, more subtle blades of Scorpio against each other only weakens our ability to fight against the bigger forces that really hold us down. From the political side, this is Megyn Kelly wondering on Fox News whether the girls screaming as they're pepper-sprayed are hamming it up for the camera. From the personal side, this is the gossip, back-biting, and ostracism that leads to shame, which Brené Brown writes about so well.

Occupy Wall Street

This Aries Moon, standing her ground with powerful outer planet energies, helps us connect with our authentic selves, our courageous hearts, and stand up for ourselves and each other.

Tuesday, the Aries Moon steps fully into her power with a flowing trine to Mars in Leo, one of the aspects making up Tuesday night's Full Moon. The Full Moon arrives at 10:06pm EDT, and is followed by the exact opposition to Saturn, also part of this Full Moon's oomph.

Wednesday, the Moon shines forth, sharing and communing. In the morning, Mercury in Libra trines Neptune in Aquarius––our minds in touch with cosmic messengers. In the afternoon, the Moon sextiles Neptune, wanting messages of her own. The Moon's last classical aspect in Aries is her opposition with Mercury at 8:08pm EDT, beginning a brief void-of-course period until she steps into calm Taurus at 9:35pm.
    

Moon into Pisces: Metamorphosis

Friday night through Monday morning

Completing an electrically charged transit through Aquarius, the Moon swims tonight into the calm, oceanic arms of Pisces, where her first meeting is with Chiron, the mentor and healer who understands our wounds.

within the waters

In that understanding, Chiron does not shy away––he's the wounded healer who understands the remedy is within the wound. So, our movement into Pisces might feel like both a challenge and an embrace, confronted with where we've been hurt even as we're offered an opening to heal.

Saturday morning we take the next steps in transformation as the Pisces Moon forms flowing sextiles to alchemical Pluto and expansive Jupiter. Our metamorphosis begins as we retreat into a private space, for the sextile with Jupiter is the Moon's last classical aspect in Pisces, opening a long void-of-course period that lasts until the Moon enters Aries on Monday morning.

Within the void-of-course cocoon, changes are happening.

Late Saturday night, the Moon forms an inconjunct angle-of-adjustment with passionate Mars in Leo, and moves into a yod, also called a finger of Fate, with the Sun in Libra. The Sun and Mars, active energies in the chart, in the intensely creative signs of Libra and Leo, push the Moon to adjust, to embrace change, as she floats in her Piscean cocoon.

The yod is then following by inconjunct aspects with Mercury n late Libra. If we surrender to the process we put in motion at the Libran New Moon, nothing within us will remain quite the same. Meanwhile, creative, relational Venus moves into the shadowy, deep waters of Scorpio overnight Saturday, then moves into a trine with Chiron on Sunday night.

These transformations create a new birth, as the Moon bursts into Aries at 8:57am Monday morning, ready to take on the world. While we move with the Moon through Pisces, we dissolve, release, and reform.