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Sunday, April 25, 2010

Taurus Sun-Scorpio Full Moon

Reply to: Linda Sprague stardoor@sbcglobal.net

The Sun in Taurus; Full Moon in Scorpio.
The Sun entered Taurus, the sign of the Bull, on April 19th. How interesting that we assign the Bull to Taurus and at the same time, Taurus is ruled by the planet Venus, a symbol of the feminine. To understand this association of the bull with the feminine we have to go back at least 4000 years. At that time the vernal equinox, the beginning of spring, occurred in the constellation of Taurus. This we now know was the Age of the Great Mother, the Neolithic Age of agriculture. Spring signified fertility and the creation of new life. The seeds were planted and the crops created the food to nurture the people. The appearance of new life was celebrated in ancient times by the symbolic union of the masculine bull with the goddess. The Moon, exalted in the sign of Taurus, is also the Great Mother. The bull symbolizes strong procreative seed and the Moon (the Goddess) the fertile place to receive that seed. We cannot ignore the union and balance of the masculine and feminine when the Sun travels through Taurus. We continue the ancient Taurus traditions with Earth Day on April 22. We celebrate Taurus by sowing the fields, planting flowers in the yard, potting petunias for the patio, and driving into the country to visit the wildflowers. Bluebonnets and Paintbrush and Poppies touch our souls. They remind us how the seasons go round and round; and so far, we can count on the Bluebonnets to bloom every year when the Sun is in Taurus. Life pushes up from the earth again and again. The mystery continues. How many people still follow the almanac and its suggestion to plant when the Moon is waxing? How may still honor May Day? On May 1st Celtic people collected wild flowers and danced around a May Pole (symbolic of the tree of life?) to bring fertility to the land.

Here we are in 2010 still enchanted, cheered and lifted up by spring. In the midst of our current civilization, struggling with ecological fragility and earthquake after earthquake, we still bask in the sunny days of April. Meanwhile, our mental selves worry about how we will make it financially. Venus, ruler of Taurus, governs what we have that is of value. The Moon, exalted in Taurus, governs our fertility. What is value and fertility? Our abundance and prosperity, our very survival. No wonder those born under the sign of Taurus are associated with the ability to be thoughtful, deliberate and tenacious in the realm of resources! Perhaps Taurus is stubborn like a Bull because he is determined to ensure the security and continuance of life. That could mean progeny, crops, real estate or financial portfolios. How will Venus and the Moon be fertile and abundant if the Bull doesn’t do his job?

When the Sun travels through Taurus, the Moon is Full in the opposite sign, Scorpio. If Taurus insists on preservation and holding on, Scorpio answers with a message to honor the process of life. Only by letting go can new life emerge. Scorpio, ruler of death, reminds us of life’s ongoing transformative, mysterious process. Taurus focuses on the product; Scorpio emphasizes the process. Taurus is the seed, Scorpio the generate process that gives it life. The beauty of nature, and the beauty of any creative process come from the depths of Scorpio’s passionate Eros energy. This month we witness the Full Moon in Scorpio on Wednesday, April 28th. Mars, still traveling through Leo, puts stress on the Moon in Scorpio and on the Sun and Mercury in Taurus. The fixed signs are very fixed this month. Perhaps there is a desire to keep things the way they have always been. Don’t rock the yacht. And yet, we are provoked by Mars to get moving, to take action. Maybe we are frustrated that life isn’t changing the way we want it to change. Furthermore, the planetary configuration that is driving human activities during this entire year, make us want to generate change in our lives. On April 26th, Saturn and Uranus repeat their opposition aspect that began last year. This time Pluto is in the middle of that opposition. Holding on versus breaking free is still on our agenda. What do we keep in place? What do we change? What is working? What isn’t working? Collectively, our emotions are truly in motion: revolution and reaction to revolution. Do we really want to change? As a society can we handle change? And what happens if we don’t change? There are many who cannot envision a different society, one in which there is enough for everyone.

The emphasis on fixed energy (Taurus, Scorpio and Leo), combined with the pressure to break through and awaken to a new life, makes this Full Moon week a period of irritation. The Sun in Taurus encourages us to kick back and enjoy our senses, to be earthy and to give in to spring fever. The Moon in Scorpio ignites our passions. Mars says do something; don’t just smell the wildflowers. The rest of the solar system seems to connect us with a higher drive to remember we have our own unique purpose. We have something to contribute to these days of transition into a new reality on planet Earth.

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Mercury Retrograde in Taurus April 2010

Mercury (in the sign of Taurus) enters its retrograde phase on April 17, 2010 and continues until May 11th. Taurus, ruled by Venus, is the commander of the second house of the Zodiac, our values and resources. We come face to face with our issues around money, the current unit we use for resources. I say current unit because, who knows? Maybe someday resources will be based on something quite different than coins, paper and portfolios. Mercury retrograde in Taurus is a good time to review our financial situation and our budget. Watch for mistakes in accounts. Keep a close eye on spending. Taurus also rules what we value. We may find ourselves reconsidering what is important to us. What we thought we needed, well, maybe we don’t really need it. Mercury in Taurus is inconsistent with impulsive purchases. Most people will be cautious in their spending while Mercury goes through Taurus.

At a core level, Taurus and our second house have so much to do with our self-worth. Since both Venus and Mercury are traveling through Taurus at the moment, maybe we are re-visiting some issues about our self-worth. In our culture it’s natural to think that our worthiness is connected to our bank account. However, in the current state of financial and social unpredictability, it might be wise to contemplate our self-worth without money in the equation. While Mercury is in this retrograde phase, consider reviewing your self worth. What are your true and real resources? I’m suggesting the intangible ones and as well as the tangible. Maybe your resources include resourcefulness (somehow I always have what I need); support from family and friends; a home that is paid for; flexibility; the smarts to handle all kinds of crises; the ability to nurture/feed yourself and others on a shoe string; or some ability that is always in demand for an exchange (massage therapy swapped for computer help). With Mercury retrograde we are invited to meditate on our self-worth; our value to ourselves and to others; and our resources (concrete and intangible).

On the bigger, macro level, Mercury retrograde in Taurus (a ruler of money) certainly points to what is happening in Washington, D C. Goldman Sachs is accused of possible past fraud (retrograde Mercury brings up stuff from the past) and Congress struggles to figure out how to control the Big Financial Beast, the banking industry. Mercury retrograde in Taurus suggests we are returning to this issue to resolve it in some way. Do not expect any solution during this retrograde time, but maybe we will begin to redefine our collective values about our financial institutions. What are banks for? Who do they serve? Do they have too much power in the marketplace and in Washington? Regulation, no regulation?

Finally, Mercury is the ruler of communication. Whenever Mercury is in its retrograde period we are challenged to be clear in our communication. As astrologer Raymond Merriman has pointed out: what is spoken or intended and what is heard and what is understood are not always the same. Good advice. We need to repeat what we said. We need to repeat (feed back) what we heard! Some people have reported that the Mercury retrograde period felt like it started before April 17th, for example getting dates and times mixed up and equipment malfunctions. If these retrograde occurrences are not connected to Mercury, then think about it this way: we are overwhelmed with so much to keep track of. How can we get it all correct? How can we remember it all? When Mercury is in Taurus we expect down to earth thinking and communication (it is what it is). We do not like to have to take so many factors into account when Mercury goes through Taurus. Taurus is a fixed (keep things the way they are) sign. Mercury in Taurus means our thinking wants to stay fixed. Yet the world around us is demanding we be flexible and open to changing how we think about life. It’s a big job for Mercury in Taurus.

Friday, April 9, 2010

welcome to my new blog


Welcome to my astrology blog. For years I have been sending out astro tips. In the near future, my astro tips will be appearing here. Each month you can expect current information about the planetary scene. There may also be an occasional short astro flash to keep you updated on important happenings in the heavens.