Full Moon in Taurus

You don’t need me to tell you there’s been an increase in anxiety for many. Terror even. As if the multitude of bombings and piled up corpses of the past year were not enough, we had to throw in a U.S. presidential election with all of its mad propaganda and unholy corruption. There’s a guy in Florida who was being accused of sex trafficking yesterday who is today being nominated to lead the Department of Justice for the entire nation. Someone’s going to drag out ol’ Charles Dickens to quote, that British author who went on about this being the best and worst of times, the age of foolishness and wisdom, the spring of hope and the winter of despair. With Pluto in the final days of Capricorn, a transit we will never experience again for over two centuries, the dankness of despair and the hysteria of disorder is running rampant for many. At least if you’re on social media all the time. The thing is, people in general are so fed up with the fraud found in systemic structures, the difficulty many find in earning enough income to securely get by, that huge numbers of people in the USA didn’t even bother to vote in the recent election. The exposure of systemic toxicity, degradation and deceit was one thing Pluto in Capricorn exposed, but it wasn’t even close to the only message Pluto in Capricorn has offered. With the Full Moon in Taurus conjoining the Promethean fire of Uranus, there’s a cosmic message that your life and choices matter. We are close to crossing a threshold into a radically different astrological atmosphere that will have the quality of a new era, a period of rapid accelerating change that will require your full awareness and participation.

Having a full moon conjoining Uranus isn’t unusual – in fact, the last time we had one was the Total Lunar Eclipse in Taurus that happened in the first week of November 2022. When we experience the fullness of the Moon’s light yoked to Uranus we experience the lunar cycle’s peak brilliance infused with the period in Uranus’ cycle in which the Promethean planet is as close to us in orbit as it ever gets – in fact, so close that sometimes the normally unseen Uranus can be seen. This is potent symbolism for the deep well of unconscious forces, deep memory, oracular insight, liberating visions, and innovative inclination that can burst into our conscious awareness when Selene illuminates Uranus. What’s different about this particular Taurus Full Moon, however, is that this will be the last full moon we will experience with Uranus in Taurus until Uranus eventually cycles back to the sign of the Bull close to eighty years from now. Uranus entering Gemini next year in July 2025 is part of the reason so much will be changing in the next year. As a result, take time to center, ground, incubate, meditate, breathe deeply, pray, and go deeply within to your core as the exalted Moon reaches peak light in the days surrounding 15 November 2024. Uranus works in mysterious ways and the revelations revealed can change your story, change the way you think about the past, present, and future all at once– like a lightning strike bridging the celestial light of the heavens to the dark soil of our earth.

The build up of stress and tension released by a lightning strike is perfect symbolism for how the Full Moon in Taurus united with Uranus will bring matters to a head and release pent up tensions with propulsive force. Making it even more important to ground and center is the fact that the Taurus Full Moon and Uranus are also close to the projected degree of the fixed star Algol, known as the severed head of Medusa in some traditions and the head of the demon in others. The way that the revelations of Uranus can eclipse previous perceptions fits well with the eclipsing nature of Algol, as the blinking image of Algol in the night sky contains stars that are constantly eclipsing themselves. There’s a long tradition of fear and terror associated with Algol, and while mundane astrology alignments with Algol have correlated with horrific events in human history, it’s important to keep in mind the insights regarding Algol recorded by astrologers such as Diana Rosenberg. Rosenberg found in her research that one of the key meanings of Algol is the impossibility of remaining aloof from the oppression and violent power dynamics of the world, such as a journalist documenting tragedies or those assisting victims of disaster or trauma. Yet we must keep in mind the increased potential to “lose one’s head’ under activations of Algol – it’s a star that can drag those with idealistic intentions down into “dictatorial” and “absolutist” tendencies with an “unwillingness to see any humanity in their opponents,” leading to “wanton aggressiveness,” “criminal intolerance,” and using “religion or intense patriotism to justify violence against others” according to Rosenberg. There’s a need to transmute and express whatever rage and anger you feel into actions that will protect and participate in productive change rather than persecute and project onto others.

The Full Moon is in the earthy domicile of Venus, with the star of Aphrodite glowing brightly in her Evening Star phase in the earthy sign of Capricorn. The triangular relationship between Venus in Capricorn with the Taurus Full Moon is a positive symbol for being able to meaningfully work with whatever material arises with the lunation, and the fact that Venus is occupying the same sign as Pluto further deepens the illumination that the Taurus Full Moon is providing about the final days of Pluto occupying Capricorn. Capricorn is a sensual, grounded, and pragmatic place for Venus yet the fact that Venus is simultaneously out of bounds in southern declination means that there is untethered visionary potency available that accentuates the revelatory nature of the Moon aligning with Uranus. Moreover, Mercury is also out of bounds in souther declination parallel to Venus, fusing the mindfulness of Mercury with the aesthetic values of Venus. As a result, there can be extremely powerful insights into creative expression and innovative work that breaks with previous patterns emerging with the Taurus Full Moon light.

Complicating the potent creative flow of Venus is the additional fact that Venus is forming a square aspect to the transiting lunar nodes, placing Venus at the southern bending of the nodes. The transiting Libra south node is additionally in the airy domicile of Venus, amplifying the potential for Venus to unearth deep insights regarding not only one’s present circumstances but also the future path forward. The tension of Venus at the southern bending increases the feeling of being at a crossroads, but the way the star of Aphrodite is embedded within the astrology also means that the wise guidance of Hekate and other crossroad guides are available to call upon. With the Taurus Full Moon forming a soft sextile with Neptune at the end of Pisces and a flowing trine with Pluto at the very end of Capricorn, Venus in the sign of the Sea Goat can dip her watery tail into the knot of past patterns, allowing the fixity of the way things have been to dissolve, opening awareness of new pathways forward within the dissolution. Take your time being curious and turning over whatever sea shells and gems emerge from the lunation’s tide, as this is not a time for quick fixes and easy solutions but rather a time to tune into the long game and moves that will have longterm impact rather than short term fluctuations.

While the Full Moon aligning with Uranus is at the center of the lunation, the star that will claim center stage in the week following the lunation is Pluto. Pluto will enter Aquarius on 19 November where Pluto will remain until eventually entering Pisces in 2043. As part of its chthonic, cathartic, and volcanic process, Pluto by transit dredges up deep rooted issues in need of release or purification in order to access the intensifying empowerment that Pluto delivers on the other side of its transit – a process you can now fully contemplate in connection with Pluto’s transit through Capricorn since 2008. While Pluto can bring death and loss, its process of rebirth enables the retrieval of value and newfound strength. While Pluto will force us out of comfortable patterns, the way it dislodges us from where we have become stagnated can also move us beyond our previous conceptions into a deeper sense of personal power. The transition from Capricorn to Aquarius will amplify the importance of new technological invention and their intersection with thought control and the brainwashing of mind manipulation. The obsessive power grasping of Pluto in Aquarius goes with how those at the power centers of information technology and the influence of the algorithms can manipulate what information is seen or concealed. Pluto in Aquarius has extreme potency for creating one’s reality through insisting things are a certain way. Yet at the same time, the deep wells of unconscious potency that can be accessed can and will topple present power dynamics in ways those at the center of power cannot fully comprehend.

Pluto was last in Aquarius between 1777 and 1798, when the American Revolution came to an end and the French Revolution began. Prior to that, Pluto was in Aquarius between 1532 and 1553, when the Copernicus Revolution took place and the Protestant Reformation deepened. Themes of collective fracturing and decentering stand out with the transit of Pluto in Aquarius, as Pluto in Aquarius has not only correlated with revolutions contesting the centralised power of the monarchy and church, but also with the transformation of human consciousness that shifted the Earth from being the center of the universe to the sun and the heliocentric model. During the transit of Pluto in Aquarius in the 5th century B.C. the Peloponnesian War was raging between Athens and Sparta, Socrates was teaching in the streets of Athens, and Plato was born. During another transit of Pluto in Aquarius, Constantine I emerged from civil wars to become the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity, decentering the seat of power from Rome in the West to Constantinople in the East. While Constantine was involved with the establishment of the Nicene Creed during Pluto’s time in Aquarius in the 4th century CE, when Pluto later entered Aquarius in the 11th century the Great Schism erupted between the western Roman and eastern Byzantine branches of the church. During the subsequent transit of Pluto in Aquarius from 1286 to 1308, the explorer Marco Polo famously brought news of his travels in the East to the West, and the Scottish freedom fighter William Wallace achieved victory over the English following the recent colonization of Wales during the reign of Edward I. Popular revolutions often erupt during the transit of Pluto in Aquarius that ultimately lead to important reforms, even in defeat.

The return of Pluto to the first degree of Aquarius will further amplify the significance of the great conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter in the first degree of Aquarius in December 2020, an alignment that correlates with societal changes that take shape across twenty years of ebb and flow. Now that we are at the pivotal waxing square of the Saturn and Jupiter cycle, the entrance of Pluto into Aquarius will deepen awareness into the direction your life has taken since the end of 2020, while the Taurus Full Moon’s activation of Uranus can open vision to far reaching potential moving forward. Moreover, with Mars in Leo preparing to station retrograde in December to draw us into a long story involving the intense power dynamics of Mars and Pluto, it will be imperative to focus on inner work at the same time you are also becoming more aware of the external issues and storylines demanding attention. Within the dank chambers of Pluto and its underworld darkness there is a deep well of inner riches and treasures to access. While the tension between Mars and Pluto in the next few months will call you to protect your priorities and community in the face of adversity, the flaming heat kindled between Mars and Pluto will also melt down inner structures to facilitate a great reforging of desire and presence.

The Water Pourer, Water Bearer, and Great One pictured in the constellation of Aquarius has been imagined as many figures throughout history. One particularly fitting figure for the arrival of Pluto into Aquarius is Ea or Enki, the divine artisan and lord of freshwaters within the earth who helped cultivate the growth of human civilization through teaching irrigation that controls rivers through the formation of canals. Enki’s realm was a place of watery, subterranean depth befitting Pluto in Aquarius, and aligns with plutonic power conflicts arising over literal and symbolic irrigation systems, the technological channels of communication we construct and maintain such as the Internet, and our inner channels of unconscious streams, soul material, and ancestral influences. Pluto in Aquarius will stress the importance of allowing for the death of our ideals when we reach a state of clinging to them too tightly against all reason, being open to flexibly shifting idealistic visions to align with the ways in which the world and reality are actually changing. Since we can also expect a decentering of those presently in power during Pluto’s journey through the fixed sign of Aquarius, the figure of Enki and the Water Pourer symbolizes our capacity to construct mutual networks of support and channels of information exchange we can count on.

Looming in the background of the Taurus Full Moon is the incredibly influential presence of Saturn in Pisces. The Taurus Full Moon is in the bounds and face of Saturn, but even more importantly Saturn is stationing direct on the same day as the lunation at 12°41′ Pisces. Saturn previously stationed retrograde at 19°25′ Pisces on 29 June, creating an intensified focus upon the second decan of Pisces in the past five months. Crucially, Saturn stationing direct means that Saturn will move forward through the rest of Pisces and into Aries in its forthcoming solar phase, entering Aries on 24 May 2025 and coming close to forming an exact conjunction with Neptune in Aries when Saturn stations retrograde on 12 July 2025. Saturn is stationing less than fifteen degrees away from Neptune, the orb that Richard Tarnas used to define archetypal activations of outer planetary alignments in collective events in Cosmos and Psyche. Tarnas wrote that “Saturn-Neptune periods tend to be among the most psychologically and spiritually demanding of times as well as the most likely to call forth genuine nobility of spirit and profundity of vision. They can engender a darker cast to the imagination yet also a more realistic spirituality . . . the courage to face a hard and often tragic reality without illusion and still remain true to the ideals and dreams of a better world.”

The crossing of Saturn and Neptune across the threshold between Pisces and Aries in the next year is one of numerous symbols revealing that we are collectively on the precipice of a new era. Though Saturn in Pisces is not as well suited for coming to terms with the hard realities of circumstances, especially with Neptune also present in Pisces, the star of Kronos will nonetheless provide important information regarding whatever aspects of your life need your attention so that you can build the foundations of your later success. Saturn can trigger feelings of scarcity and not having enough, and so it will be important to keep that in mind so that you do not make decisions based upon fear. Though tricky to get a bearing on, the imaginal potency of Saturn and Neptune in Pisces are capable of opening vision to a more fulfilling life direction. Saturn stationing now can provide crucial information on the next steps needing to be taken.

As previously mentioned, Mercury in Sagittarius is out of bounds in southern declination, giving the star of Hermes increased capacity to break free of previous restraints into a wilder vision of the path forward. The Taurus Full Moon is timed with Mercury reaching maximum elongation as an Evening Star, meaning that Mercury will be slowing down in speed to station retrograde on 25 November. Since Mercury will shift into retrograde motion at the end of this lunar cycle means that greater mindfulness in our daily activities will help attune us to the larger issues that will need our attention during the Mercury retrograde period that will last from the end of November until the middle of December. At the time of the Taurus Full Moon, Mercury is separating from a square aspect with Saturn and applying to an opposition with Jupiter retrograde in Gemini that possesses mutual reception. With Mercury in the home of Jupiter and Jupiter in the home of Mercury, there is degree of mitigation within their tension that can unearth pivotal insight. Yet there will need to be mindfulness brought to the potential of becoming inflated by idealistic ambitions and misled hope. By using the stationing of Saturn to ground awareness in your present reality, the combination of Mercury and Jupiter can be utilized in lifting vision to find the opportunities for growth that will be worthwhile to focus on in the month ahead.

Taurus 3 Decan

The Full Moon will illuminate the third decan of Taurus associated with the Seven of Pentacles arcanum illustrated by Pamela Colman Smith. An image of a farmer or gardener carefully watching over the growth of green foliage he hopes will ultimately ripen into a bountiful harvest, the Seven of Pentacles has associations with the kind of delayed gratification that necessitates patiently cultivating the process at work so that a savory climax of fulfilling ripeness can later be enjoyed. Fittingly, the third decan of Taurus is the face of Saturn – zodiacal terrain where the calm, prudent, and attentive countenance of the farmer in the image of the Seven of Pentacles is needed to make sure all of the necessary planning and responsibilities will be completed even when facing adversity. As the Taurus Full Moon is not only in the face of Saturn but also the bounds of Saturn, it will be wise to focus on long range plans and perspectives, carefully tending and nurturing the needs of our relationships and endeavors that they may ultimately bloom into healthy wholeness.

T. Susan Chang in 36 Secrets made the astute observation that it is important to “consider the nature of boundaries” in all of the decans ruled by Saturn, as “freedom depends on its limits.” Chang also noted that the image of the farmer staring into space in the Seven of Pentacles image suggests “a sort of timelessness” inherent in the card’s meaning, not unlike the role Saturn plays in astrology as the threshold guardian between time and timelessness. To Chang there is a lesson in this face found within the relationship between our finite perception of time and the truly infinite nature of time. Indeed, by patiently attending to what needs to be completed or cared for in accordance with the finiteness of time, we may also gain wisdom from and find strength within the infiniteness of time in ways that can help us withstand hardship and toil. This access to the infiniteness of time is further amplified by the Full Moon conjoining Uranus.

Austin Coppock in 36 Faces ascribed the image of “A String of Prayer Beads” to the third decan of Taurus, stating that it “represents a confrontation with destructive factors which impede completion,” as well as the need to enact remediation and “make plans to accommodate the unforeseen.”  While Coppock acknowledged that we must face toil and difficulty at times in this decan due to everything that can go wrong in between the germination of a seed and its ultimate flowering and fruiting, he also listed virtues such as “wisdom, patience, humility, and foresight” as being “the unexpected fruits of the destructive forces which prowl this face.” Indeed, Coppock concluded that while this face may make us confront potential disaster, it is also a place from which we can call for support from higher powers and worthy allies while developing the remedies needed to overcome threats. 

Coppock’s connection of this face with praying for support has textual support in the Hellensitic text 36 Airs ascribing the Litai, daimons of prayer and ministers of Zeus, to the third decan of Taurus. The Litai were often depicted as being elder women who are hobbling or lame of foot, in contrast to the goddess Ate or “Ruin,” a daughter of Eris (Strife), who is sure footed and thus capable of leading humanity to ruin through folly while also being able to race ahead of the unsteady Litai. In 36 Faces, Austin Coppock focused upon both the Litai and Ate being crucial to meaning found within the third decan of Taurus as well as the image of the farmer in the Seven of Pentacles. Coppock wrote that the virtuous planning and labor of the farmer “will not guard his work from storms or floods, draughts or wildfires” and so those who are “wise acknowledge what is revealed here, and make plans to accommodate the unforeseen.” Coppock lists apotropaic magic as one of the remedies, remarking upon the further significance of both the Pleiades as well as Algol being stars presently located within the third decan of Taurus, stars that are associated with both apotropaic magic as well as drawing support from the unseen.

Fittingly to the meaning of the third decan of Taurus, the intensifying presence of Pluto and Uranus with the Taurus Full Moon highlights the way there are larger forces operating out of our control, while also alerting us to the necessity of claiming the virtue to make wise choices and planning with our available agency. May the light of the Taurus Full Moon illuminate the path forward that will allow your inner purpose to swell into abundant fruits you may share with others when their season of harvest later arrives.

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References

Chang, T. Susan. (2021). 36 Secrets: A Decanic Journey through the Minor Arcana of the Tarot. Anima Mundi Press. 

Coppock, Austin. (2014). 36 Faces: the history, astrology, and magic of the decans. Three Hands Press.

Rosenberg, Diana. (2012). Secrets of the Ancient Skies, Volume 1. Ancient Skies Press.

Tarnas, Richard. (2007). Cosmos and Psyche. Plume.