On Saturday, November 4, the Full Moon in Taurus arrives. In the Eastern time zone, the Full Moon is exact at 1:22 am, so we will experience this Full Moon as brightest on Friday night.
Taurus is fixed Earth, the sign that falls in the middle of spring (in the Northern hemisphere) when life is burgeoning. This is the gardener who is patient, loyal, steady, caring, sensuous, and also stubborn.
Full Moons reveal things. When we reach the Full Moon in Taurus each year, we are in autumn. Whatever we planted in the spring has now completed its cycle. We see the results.
Taurus brings a gentle, steadfast quality to this Full Moon. The Moon loves being in Taurus. She is content here. We’re in a place where we are reminded of good things. Life is challenging. Things change and not always for the best. Yet the world is beautiful. Trees are heavy with fruit. Barns are piled high with vegetables and grains. The Moon rises over fallow fields and illuminates the misty ground.
Those who have faced disaster this year may find reminders, bittersweet but still worth noting, about what is essential, about what has been saved, about the kindnesses of friends and strangers. Taurus has the ability to keep our feet on the ground, our hands ready to work or to sooth, and our hearts steady in offering care to others.
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The Taurus Moon opposes the Scorpio Sun, who has just moved past a conjunction with Jupiter, also in Scorpio. This is the season of Samhain, the beginning of the ancient Celtic year.
By the calendar, Samhain is celebrated at Halloween, All Hallows Eve. Astrologically, Samhain arrives when the Sun reaches 15 Scorpio. This year, that happens on November 7, just a few days after the Full Moon.
The Celts divided the year into dark and light halves, and then split each half into dark and light. They began things in the dark: The day started at sunset, not dawn, and each year began as the season turned to the dark. At Samhain, we enter the dark half of the dark half.
We do not enter the dark empty handed. The Taurus Full Moon shows us the harvest we have gathered through our efforts, and reminds us it is time to take care. Taurus holds on to things. Have we stored the supplies we need? Do we have good things in our lives, good people, a good home? How will we take care of ourselves and those who need our care?
Jupiter only recently entered Scorpio and, with his conjunction to the Sun on October 26, also initiated a new Jupiter cycle. His prominence at the Full Moon reinforces the idea that Jupiter’s time in Scorpio will include revelations. Throughout the coming year, we can expect secrets to come to light in big ways.
This has already happened in the responses to accusations of sexual harassment and assault against Harvey Weinstein and others, which has become a widening conversation. Women throughout the US and the world have shared stories of being harassed and assaulted. In the entertainment industry, more men have been called out for inappropriate and criminal behavior and investigations are underway as men and women share their experiences.
This too is part of the Taurus Full Moon. As secrets come to light, secrets that are traumatic, how do we respond? How do we take care of ourselves and others? What do we need to be OK? While Taurus alone might be tempted to stay home and hide under warm blankets, the opposition to Jupiter as well as the Sun in Scorpio will not allow such easy comfort. We are urged to look at what is needed to truly take good care of ourselves, which is to stand up, speak out, and act.
We enjoy the comforts of life but they are not enough to create a deep sense of well being. To find that, we address our fears, combat real threats to our safety, and learn how best to stay safe in a dangerous world.
The sign of Taurus is ruled by Venus, and so, she rules this Full Moon. In late Libra, the other sign she rules, she is happy.
She is also, however, opposite Uranus, the revolutionary and the trickster. This Full Moon will show us abundance we can appreciate, but does not promise calm.
We may want to be open to serendipity. Perhaps a new relationship will emerge or an existing one will change. Perhaps a new creative idea will show up in the moonlight. Venusian surprises can be delightful, if unexpected. Uranus can be downright unsettling. So, be aware that the unexpected is at play.
Neptune in Pisces is sextile the Moon and trine the Sun, both harmonious aspects. Samhain is a time when the veils between the worlds are thin. The presence of Neptune at this Full Moon lends a touch of glamour and mystery. Things may not be all they seem. Simple messages may hold deeper meanings. Taurus prefers to stay with the solid and the real. Neptune might nudge even placid Taurus out into the realms where magic happens.
Check your birth chart to see where these key planets will fall. The Moon will be at 11 Taurus, the Sun at 11 Scorpio, and Jupiter at 5 Scorpio. Where is early Scorpio in your chart? In which House? Neptune is at 11 Pisces, another position to check. Venus is at 25 Libra and Uranus at 25 Aries. Where are these two? What planets and points do you have near any of these? This can alert you to where in your life the Taurus Full Moon will shine her light.
At this Full Moon, take care of yourself. Offer care to those who need it. Let the care we offer reflect Scorpio’s depths, recognizing that life is beautiful even when it is challenging, and that magic can arrive when we least expect it. In some places, people avoided the light of the Moon, fearing it would cause lunacy. Perhaps the light of this Full Moon will turn that around, shining into places where painful secrets have held us back and where we can now fully take good care.
Sara
Thank you for attuning to the planets and writing your inspirations for us, Mary Pat.
Mary Pat Lynch
And thank you, Sara, for your kind words! A bright and beautiful Full Moon.