The Cosmic Story: Scorpio/Taurus Full Moon 2021
Listen
to things more often than beings.
Hear the voice of fire, hear
the voice of water.
Listen in the wind to the sighing of the
bush.
This is the ancestors breathing.
(Traditional from Senegal, translator unknown)
This week we celebrated our 51st EARTH DAY. The chart for that first Earth Day was similar to today’s chart. The Sun, Saturn, Venus and Mercury were in Taurus with a Scorpio Full Moon joined by Jupiter Rx. And like today, Mars was in Gemini. This year’s chart has Sun, Venus and Mercury in Taurus, with Uranus instead of Saturn joining them, and we’re a few days away from our Scorpio Full Moon.
Taurus is the sign of our values, while Scorpio is the sign of our shared values. Why has it taken us 51 years to recognize how dependent we are on Mother Earth and her health? Why has it been so hard to get our leaders to recognize that their profits will be worthless if we let our life support system die? Perhaps we’ve finally reached the point where we take our relationship to Mother Earth seriously.
There is hope that we’re finally re-connecting to our place in Mother Earth’s biosphere now that Uranus is in Taurus. Even our rational sciences are acknowledging that everything here on our planet is alive and is conscious. We’re living within one vast conscious being – Mother Earth. It’s time for each of us to listen to her ancient wisdom if we’re going to heal ourselves and our world.
With Uranus in Taurus, we are awakening to Earth’s organic, creative wisdom. Gary Ferguson is a wilderness lover and the chapter headings in his wise book The Eight Master Lessons of Nature state the eternal, life-giving laws that Mother Earth has given her children.
1. Mystery: Wisdom begins when we embrace all we don’t know.
2. Life on Earth thrives because of a vast garden of connections.
3. The more kinds of life in the forest, the stronger that life becomes.
4. Healing the planet and ourselves means recovering the Divine Feminine.
5. Our animal relations make us happier and smarter.
6. We live on a planet with energy beyond measure, yet life doesn’t waste a drop.
7. After disaster and disruption, Nature teaches us the fine art of rising again.
8. Old Growth: The planet’s ELDERS can help us be better at Life.
Nature’s beauty holds every lesson we need to learn to live life fully. We just have to have the Will to do it. And to hold our elected leaders accountable for creating a more sustainable society for all of us to live in that honors Mother Earth and her mysterious ways.
One of the planetary energies that is especially strong now comes to us from the planet Venus, which is our sister planet. (C.S. Lewis wrote about this in his novel Perelandra.)
Venus is in her Underworld phase – she disappeared as a Morning Star on the far side of the Sun on February 14th and is invisible until around May 5th – which is the astrological Beltane at 15* Taurus. When Venus emerges from the Underworld, she will become the Evening Star of Wisdom. And she will emerge in the earth sign of Taurus, so she will bless us with the wisdom to connect to our own earth – our body – as well as to our Mother Earth.
Venus is conjunct Black Moon Lilith on this Scorpio Full Moon. Black Moon Lilith is a point in space that forms the second foci of the Moon’s elliptical orbit, its apogee, which is the place where it is furthest from Earth.
As a centerpoint of the Moon’s orbit, Black Moon Lilith works in relationship to the Earth-Moon system and with the Sun. As a second center of reference, she gives a sense of rhythm to the Earth, taking the dynamics of relationship beyond the personal Moon-Venus energies into more subtle dimensions that are essential to our lives. For this reason, Black Moon Lilith has a strong impact on relationship dynamics. Representing the closest reach of the Moon to the Sun, she is also a reference point in our personal lives that brings us into relationship with the heart of our Sun-fueled experience on Earth, an emotional intelligence informed by the wisdom of earthy instinct.
M. Kelley Hunter, The Dark Goddess Lilith, The Mountain Astrologer, 1999.
Lilith was a Sumerian goddess and later Adam’s first wife, who demanded to be his equal. Because of her strength, she was kicked out of the Jewish Garden and turned into a demoness. What these patriarchs rejected was the ancient feminine wisdom of the body and of Earth.
With both Venus and Black Moon Lilith in Taurus, we are invited back to the Garden to delight in our body’s wisdom and in Earth’s wisdom. This is when we get to have our say, speak our truth, stand up for what is life-giving. With these goddesses dancing with Uranus to awaken us to Earth’s wisdom, we get to envision what that might look like –an awakened Earth. This is the image of Lady Wisdom - A woman clothed with the Sun, standing on the Moon, crowned with Stars – that we saw in July 1969 when men took this picture of our precious planet from the Moon.
How synchronistic it is that the Sabian symbol for both Venus and BM Lilith at 16* Taurus is: An old teacher fails to interest his pupils in traditional knowledge. This image shows us the inadequacy of old intellectual knowledge in the face of our present crisis. And our two goddesses want to show us a new way to know, to learn and to grow. A sensual, earthy wisdom that can connect us all.
In my personal vision, I’d love to see all the women of the world, dancing in our beautiful bodies, stopping patriarchy’s wild rush toward death and destruction, just like the women in Aristophanes’ play Lysistrata, written in the year 411 B.C.E., in which women stage a sex strike to force men to stop the Peloponnesian War.
The female body holds its own wisdom that our world has rejected but which it needs desperately. So let the Divine Feminine speak to you and listen to the mystery of life within your own body. Mother Earth is counting on us!
Happy Earth Day – every day!
Scorpio Full Moon 2021
It was under the Full Moon of Taurus that the Buddha reached enlightenment – under the Bodhi Tree. It was Mother Earth – her tree, her Moon, her child – who guided and guarded him while he was tempted by the demons of men’s desires. Despite the fact that most patriarchal religions want to leave behind this earthly life for a more ‘heavenly’ one, we are here to learn our spiritual lessons. We have to stop thinking that we can escape to a ‘better world’ – be it heaven or Mars! We have to create that better world here on Earth – we have to see that the kingdom of heaven is right here, right now. And make it the Queendom of Earth – which is Taurus’ purpose.
You’ve probably noticed a shift in energy in the past few days. All those fiery Aries planets from the Aries New Moon wanted to take action, but now they’ve settled down to look around and see the beauty of Spring: we can’t help but notice the riot of colors and smells that delight our senses. We find we just want to take all that fire and shine it out like the Sun with gratitude and joy. Taurus says, let’s enjoy ourselves.
After all, it’s Spring and May. Nature is blossoming as the Sun warms Mother Earth and the Winds caresses her. Take a breath and ground yourself. Smile!
The Scorpio Full Moon occurs on Monday, April 26, 2021 at 7:32 pm Alaska time, 8:32pm PDT/11:32pm EDT and on Tuesday, April 27 at 4:32am GMT.
The Sabian symbol for the Sun at 8* Taurus is: A sleigh on land uncovered with snow. This suggests that we have to use our imagination to prepare for future situations. And we have to use our knowledge and skill to anticipate future events that are tied to Earth’s natural rhythms.
The Sabian symbol for the Moon at 8* Scorpio is: A calm lake bathed in Moonlight. This image suggests that when we calm our minds, we can receive divine inspiration and wisdom. It is through calming the watery realm of emotions that we can be enveloped in the illumination that the Light bestows.
Since the Taurus Sun is conjunct Uranus and they both oppose the Scorpio Moon, which isn’t the calmest Moon, we have to find our center and open to what wants to wake up in us. There is a surrender involved, because something has to die so something else can be born. Surrender to the unexpected!
The Sabian symbol for Uranus at 11* Taurus is: A woman watering flowers in her garden. Flowers have always symbolized different feelings and values. When we tend our emotional gardens, we are cultivating our ego responses to life. It will be interesting to see how we all deal with this meetup with Uranus. We’ll know how well we stay balanced as the Awakener disrupts our lives!
This Taurus-Scorpio opposition demands that we examine our values and those we share as a society. Taurus wants to build and create with the Aries fire, while Scorpio takes us down into the watery depths so we can release those values that are no longer viable and any emotional trauma that needs to be released, so we can emerge renewed and reborn.
With Uranus in the mix, we have to allow the disruption of our usual habits so we can change. Uranus can make us feel restless and dissatisfied with our old routines. Uranus transits can disrupt, change and renew whatever energies it connects with. Uranus’ ultimate goal is freedom – freedom to be your own unique Self. So with Uranus attuned to this Sun and Moon, we’ll get to shake off those patriarchal rules that no longer serve us or life.
Uranus can free us from our ‘boxes’ and open us to new possibilities because Uranus doesn’t allow us to stagnate. Whatever is hidden in those Scorpio depths will be shaken and stirred – so try to remain like the calm lake as we’re given a new freedom to do and be whatever we want to be.
Since I’m about to have Uranus conjunct my natal Sun over the next year, I’m waiting to see what shows up for this Full Moon to understand what I’m in for!
Squaring this Full Moon combination is Saturn in Aquarius, which wants to slow us down and make sure we have a structure to put into place once we shake off the old energies. The push-pull of this year’s Saturn-Uranus square involves our timing rhythms. The sudden rush of Uranus with the slow and steady beat of Saturn. It also reflects a tension between the old vs. the new, as we’re seeing in politics all over the world. This square between idealist Aquarius and grounded Taurus can also bring us erratic weather, tumbling power structures (along with Pluto in Capricorn), and civil unrest. It’s all there for us to see.
The Sabian symbol for Saturn at 13* Aquarius is: A barometer. A barometer measures air pressure, which means we can project what will happen in the future. It helps us anticipate future events. It’s also about timing. It is a good match to describe the Uranus-Saturn square.
Saturn asks this Full Moon – do we have everything we need to nurture and support this new life we’re opening to? Saturn likes to structure things. How do you give structure to sudden, dramatic changes? It looks like we’re all going to find out this year.
Saturn in Aquarius is about the group mind, so we need to ground in what new ideas want to be born now that can unite us, as we move forward into the future in a safe and secure way.
The Moon in Scorpio is hanging out by itself in this chart, so pay attention to your emotional motivations when you’re faced with any radical change. With a trine to Mars in Cancer as well as an out of sign trine to Jupiter, we can make those transformations that suit our soul. It’s time to release ancestral wounds so we can be free to develop our own unique stories.
Mars, still out-of-bounds, moved into Cancer on April 23rd, bringing us out of our heads and into our hearts. I’ve found that Mars in Cancer is concerned for the well-being of the family and of the soul. Since Mars is our active, yang energy, you’ll find you want to spend time on self-care as well as putting in some time around the house, changing what needs to be changed.
Mars, which played a big role in the Saturn/Pluto conjunction last year, squaring the sensitive points in Capricorn as it retrograded in Aries, will oppose Plutorx in Capricorn on June 5th. Will you stand up for your heart’s wisdom despite the powerful pull from Pluto? Will you stand up for Love and connection?
Pluto, our power player, is set to turn retrograde at 27* Capricorn on April 27, just after this Full Moon, so as it stations it’s extra powerful. Watch what happens around this time to see how it will affect you. Anyone with planets at 23-27* in the cardinal signs of Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn will be most affected.
As always, there’s so much activity in the sky that you can get lost in it. The most important thing to do right now is to ground, enjoy the beauty of Spring and let your soul be your guide!
Bright Blessings as we approach Beltane. You can read all about it at The Bard’s Grove!
Cathy
In Praise of the Earth
Let us bless
The imagination of the Earth.
That knew early the patience
To harness the mind of time,
Waited for the seas to warm,
Ready to welcome the emergence
Of things dreaming of voyaging
Among the stillness of land.
And how light knew to nurse
The growth until the face of the Earth
Brightened beneath a vision of color.
When the ages of ice came
And sealed the Earth inside
An endless coma of cold,
The heart of the Earth held hope,
Storing fragments of memory,
Ready for the return of the sun.
Let us thank the Earth
That offers ground for home
And holds our feet firm
To walk in space open
To infinite galaxies.
Let us salute the silence
And certainty of mountains:
Their sublime stillness,
Their dream-filled hearts.
The wonder of a garden
Trusting the first warmth of spring
Until its black infinity of cells
Becomes charged with dream;
Then the silent, slow nurture
Of the seed's self, coaxing it
To trust the act of death.
The humility of the Earth
That transfigures all
That has fallen
Of outlived growth.
The kindness of the Earth,
Opening to receive
Our worn forms
Into the final stillness.
Let us ask forgiveness of the Earth
For all our sins against her:
For our violence and poisonings
Of her beauty.
Let us remember within us
The ancient clay,
Holding the memory of seasons,
The passion of the wind,
The fluency of water,
The warmth of fire,
The quiver-touch of the sun
And shadowed sureness of the moon.
That we may awaken,
To live to the full
The dream of the Earth
Who chose us to emerge
And incarnate its hidden night
In mind, spirit, and light.
~ John O'Donohue ~
(To Bless the Space Between Us)
