Spring is here and it’s time to get back to the natural world. The Sun is now visiting the practical sign of Taurus. This second zodiac symbol is a simple and uncomplicated sign ruled by its senses. It enjoys things related to touch, taste, smell, beauty, comfort, and leisurely activities. Taurus is symbolized by the bull which represents strength, tenacity, virility, and power. Left alone, a bull will happily graze; but if it is bothered, it will charge! Similarly, the Taurus energy is thought to be calm and peaceful, but if disturbed from its comfort zone their anger is aroused and their tempers can be wicked. This sign is very much set in its ways and does like change–they prefer their lives to be stable and secure.
This month we’ll have four planets in Taurus including the New Moon at the beginning of the May offering us a chance to get back to what is genuine. We may be feeling a stronger desire for more comfort and security this month, getting out in nature, listening to more music, singing, and of course focusing our attention on the material side of life. The ruling planet of Taurus is Venus, which will also be in Taurus this month. Venus concerns herself with money and matters of the heart, and has a sensual quality to her, increasing the power of attraction. With so much earth energy being activated in May we may find ourselves overindulging in the sheer pleasures of being here on planet earth.
The New Moon in Taurus will occur on May 4th. New Moons are always about beginnings, a time when things take root, and a Taurus New Moon is especially focused on doing things that are real. It’s about making something happen that have substance to them. It’s a great time to go out into the garden to plant seeds, or anything else that has a tangible element to it. This lunation is offering us a chance to commit to personal goals that express the positive energies of the sign of the Bull. It’s time to enjoy life’s simple and physical pleasures–bringing us in touch with nature and with our bodies. This is a good cycle under which to re-evaluate our relationship to money and possessions, as well as to discover what truly makes us happy and fulfilled.
With this potent Taurus energy, we have the chance to make important changes in our lives. It’s time to make some solid yet realistic plans and to set the stage for reaping the rewards from our new beginnings, as little or big as they may be, in approximately two weeks’ time after the Full Moon occurs. This New Moon harmonizes with Neptune, Saturn, Pluto, and the North Node, suggesting that it’s easier to connect with a sense of purpose for making changes and starting anew. This New Moon chart forms a pattern with Mars and Jupiter, and we can be filled with a mission. Overreaching or cockiness is something to watch for with Mars and Jupiter.
On May 6th Mercury enters Taurus as well. While Mercury is in Taurus, we’ll be flexing our mental muscles through a sign whose energy focuses on the physical things of the earth. Strength, land, possessions — all solid, stable, material things. You can touch them. They endure. They feel heavy. So when the planet of reason moves into this realm, the thinking process is slowed. We need to “think things through”. Answers do not come through quickly. We get more satisfaction out of going to the gym or walking around the block or tilling the soil. The earth needs to be turned up after the winter freeze so its nutrients can begin to flow again. The same is true for our thoughts. When Mercury is in the earthy sign of Taurus, it’s time to trim away the old dead growth so the new can flourish.
On May 15th Venus enters Taurus too. Venus, goddess of love that you are, bring me the things that I want….and there are soooooo many of them! When you think of Venus, think of the fine, elegant women you know. Think of how easily beauty comes to her, in all aspects of her life. Think of how she knows exactly what to say at just the right time. How the colors she chooses are exactly right. While Venus moves through Taurus, one of the signs she rules, her energy will be exceptionally beautiful. Venus in Taurus truly enjoys the feel of finer things in life. She revels in the touch of fine silks and satins. Fine clothes and luxurious items are right up her alley. She adores mingling with her guests, with just the right champagne flute topping off the most elegant of evening gowns. She is gracious and refined. She is the feel of old money. Taurus is a sign of the earth. It is heavy and warm. It is solid and endures forever. While Venus is in Taurus, we all get to indulge our fancies and maybe even acquire a few long lasting wonders for ourselves.
Our emotional life gets a boost when Mars enters Cancer on May 15th as well. Mars is all about being assertive, forceful, competitive, and active. It’s the force that puts us in motion and gets us what we want. When that energy moves into the sign of Cancer, an intuitive sign that runs on emotion, you may not have a clue what it is you are trying to get, but you’re darn well going to get it! It’s sort of like punching your way out of a gunny sack. By nature, Cancer is not all that assertive, but this is a combination that can give us tremendous energy to build our own nest and move toward what we feel we need. Don’t be surprised to find yourself spending a lot of time cleaning and fixing and building things around the house.
Even so, for the next several weeks tempers may flare over issues of feeling uncared for. The Cancerian inclinations lean heavily toward taking care of others. When Mars enters this zone, it shifts into “how about a little appreciation around here?” Suddenly “Family Feud” is more than just a game. As we sulk in the corner, recovering from our injured feelings, we’ll get to see firsthand what it means to jump into the fray and struggle for authority. By the end of its time in Cancer, the forcefulness of Mars will begin to mellow and we will emerge a little stronger and a little more confidant. And with any luck, we’ll emerge a little more caring too.
This month’s Full Moon will be in sexual Scorpio on May 18th. She’ll be opposite of the Sun journeying through grounded, practical, and sensual Taurus; a sign it entered on April 20th and exits on May 21th. Taurus calls us home to ourselves and our values. Taurus asks us to embody our sensuality too. Ruled by Venus (Aphrodite), Taurus invites us to feel good in our skin. Taurus season—a time of mid-spring for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere and mid-fall for those in the Southern Hemisphere—provides a precious opportunity to plant seeds of desires. The essence of Taurus season is grounded sensuality; it stimulates nurturance to allow us to feel restored, renewed and embodied.
Scorpio represents a connection to power that fuels creation. Call it mysterious mojo. A fierce devotion to an intended outcome. A conscious link to the other side. It’s potent. It’s real. It’s Intense. This tenacious sign, known for its devotion to authenticity, asks us to embrace the Phoenix within and rise from the ashes. To welcome the transformation of our lives and shed the shame that holds us back, to firmly assert and claim our intended desires without giving up. To call upon the magic of the universe and solicit the required support needed to manifest our desires. After all, Scorpio is driven by intimacy and represents one of the most persistent, passionate, and determined signs of the zodiac. As a fixed water sign, Scorpio seduces us on a journey to find our truth, power, and sexuality.
On May 21st the Sun ventures off into the cerebral realm as it enters the sign of the twins, Gemini. When the Sun moves into this mutable, air sign, which is ruled by the planet Mercury, its energy is flexible, quick, and filled with curiosity. When the life-giving force of the Sun shines through Gemini, we get the incessant questions of the young child who wants to know everything there is to know, and whose mind soaks up the answers like a sponge. Gemini is about ideas: talking about them, thinking about them, swirling around in them. While the Sun, whose energy defines life itself, is traveling through this world, we really need those facts and figures and trivia. We thrive on variety and thirst for change. The mental energy gets turned up even more later the same day as Mercury enters Gemini as well. When Mercury moves into Gemini, words start flying by every means possible. This is when the phone starts ringing off the hook and we’re all talking at once. The words that come to mind with this transit are “Help! I’m on the phone and I can’t stop talking.”
