New Moon in Taurus

May 16, 2007

New Moons are times of new beginnings, planting new seeds and of setting intentions. The New Moon in Taurus is about bringing our desires and intentions into concrete reality. Taurus is always about the principle of pleasure and beauty. This seems fitting for the Venus ruled sign. This New Moon asks us to reflect on what gives us pleasure and what makes us feel rich or content?  Since Taurus is also one of the oldest signs in the Zodiac it has a long affinity with the Earth through agriculture, land, nature and the environment in general. The symbol for Taurus is the Bull, and the Bull's use to pull the plows in the fields to cultivate the land for the crops.

The glyph for Taurus we know symbolizes the head of the Bull, the crescent moon over the top of the circle (spirit). However, from a more older and esoteric tradition the glyph for Taurus represents the

fallopian tubes and the womb!  This reaffirms Taurus as a sign of fertility and of bringing forth new life. According to esoteric astrology Taurus is ruled by the Earth!  Many Taureans have a strong connection to the physical and material world. The down side is there can be an over-identification with the material or physical world. They may ultimately be consumed by their possessions or material assets. Often their sense of value or self worth is tied into what they own! The reason why Taurus is associated money and wealth, is because in ancient times the more cattle (Bulls) you owned was a measure of your wealth.

This New Moon is an excellent time to focus on your assets and finances . Set financial goals that are practical and down to Earth. Commit yourself to a budget and long term financial planning. You may surprise yourself what can be generated from strategic budgeting and become more conscious about frivolous spending. Taurus loves to surround itself with comfort (luxury) but there is a difference between appreciating good quality and over indulging materially. From a business perspective, those of you who are self-employed, this is a beneficial time to work on enhancing services for new clients, invest in upgrading equipment, and set new earnings projections.

Since Taurus rules not only our relationship with nature, but also with the physical body. Taurus is the most "physical" of all the signs. Taurus /Venus (Aphrodite) craves the pleasure of touch, smelling, tasting, feeling and including finding pleasure in your own body. One of my favorite myths about the Taurean archetype is the myth of Apollo and Daphne. Apollo was the Sun god and Daphne was a beautiful river nymph. Apollo chased Daphne, and although she ran very quickly, he was the god of light and air and was fast enough to catch her. Apollo pleaded with her to turn around to see who was chasing her, but she wouldn't. Just as he was about to reach out in grab her, Daphne called upon her father Peneius for help. At that moment, Peneius changed her into a laurel tree. As Apollo just reached out to touch her, Daphne's hair is turning into laurel leaves and her toes are turning into roots and her arms into branches. The myth of Daphne and Apollo conveyed a number of messages to the Greeks. One was if you denied your instinctual needs , which is what Daphne did by running from being touched, you were denying the power of nature and you would be turned unto something that wasn't human anymore.

Daphne never turned around to see that it was the god of light who was chasing her. This conveys the message that if you deny your basic, instinctual bodily needs- you are denying the awakening of conscious that the god of light would bring to you. The ancient Greeks believed that the urges of the body was a good thing, not something evil. This myth beautifully expresses the Taurean need for physical comfort through touching, holding, hugging, feeling and to honor their instinctual bodily needs or face the consequences of being turned into something less than human?

If Aries is the pioneer, then Taurus is the settler. Their desire for stability, security and safety are essential for their emotional well being and contentment. While Taureans are known to be generally dependable, reliable and tenacious, they can also be stubborn, materialistic, envious along with a profound resistance to change. The upside of Taurus is they help to solidify our goals and objectives by bringing thing into form and into reality.  Yet Taureans (all fixed signs) need to learn about initation cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn) and learn more flexibility through the mutable signs (Gemini,Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces). Both Taurus and Scorpio (opposite) have lessons with endings, learn to let go and move on when something ends or simply runs it's course.

The Sabian Symbol for this New Moon is at 26 degrees of Taurus invites us to express what is in our hearts." A Spanish gallant serenades his beloved ; the ritualization of individual desires."  Taurus ruled by Venus is associated with the throat, voice, singing and music. There's an indigenous saying that states in order to heal ourselves we need to embrace the four healing salves of life. They are Singing, Storytelling, Drumming and Dancing. This month go and celebrate, sing and dance and let joy find the way.