New Moon in Taurus: May 11th @ 18:59 UTC / 11:59 am PDT
This past week marked a major shift in the Wheel of the Year. Those of us in the Northern Hemisphere are celebrating or honouring the beginning of Bealtaine season whilst those in the Southern Hemisphere are embracing Samhain season.
Both are significant celebrations, and referred to by some as the “hinges” of the two-fold Celtic year, when dark shifts to light (Bealtaine) and light shifts to dark (Samhain). We could also think of dark and light as complementary energetic qualities, both essential for balance and for supporting us throughout the solar year. These energies of the Sun and Earth dance and manifest uniquely in our locales: waxing and waning, and tapping into the qualities of the Divine Masculine and Divine Feminine, external and internal, night and day, etc.
How are these energies manifesting now in your locale? Consider this, perhaps, as an element of your New Moon soul work. Reflect on how the qualities of the elements — the four classical elements of Earth, Air, Fire, Water (some also include a fifth, Spirit or Aether) or the five Chinese elements of Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water— are manifesting, and how or when your locale shifts into the Bealtaine or Samhain energies.
At each point, each hinge, we are grounded and rooted with Mama Earth, and connected to our wise inner self. The veils are thinnest at Bealtaine and Samhain, and some find that their intuition is increased and their connection to the ancestors and their spirit guides is fired up on these two Fire Festivals.
This connection with the Earth and with the Taurus earthy energies of the new moon has inspired my theme for this lunar month, Touch The Earth, an opportunity to ground, connect, create and plant something of value this lunar journey and/or for this six-month half of the year, wherever we are.
What does touching the earth mean to you?
What will be your theme for this lunar journey?
New Moon in Taurus Energies
This New Moon in Taurus — a fixed Earth sign, ruled by Venus — is a strong grounding energy and an empowering support for us as we embrace our locale’s hinge of the year.
In the three month arc of Cardinal – Fixed – Mutable qualities, the fixed signs bring us stability. They give us structure and foundation, and constancy. This is also what earthy Taurus brings us: the strength and wisdom of the Bull, reliability, and constancy. Some say that Taurus is quite dependable, perhaps because they are known to resist change!
The Venus influence of Taurus gives us an appreciation and love for life and living, for acquiring and creating long-lasting of things of value.
As with all signs and elements, Taurus has a shadow side. I think we would all recognize the term “bull-headed”! Yes, that grounded Taurus energy can shift to becoming dogmatic or stubborn, clinging to beliefs or behaviours that no longer serve us. The love of beauty and beautiful things can shift to materialism, possessiveness, or even hoarding.
Raise your awareness to the emergence of these shadow qualities, for the lesson(s) they bring. Something is out of balance, something is driving the shift. What might it be?
Do you have rituals or practices for the New Moon?
Today we are not only experiencing the New Moon energies and a new lunar journey, we are stepping into a new dark or light season of the year marked by Bealtaine / Samhain.
These Fire Festival dates are “moveable feasts” in the sense that they may manifest at different times for each of us, depending on our locale, and not just on the traditional date of May 1st or the solar date, which this year was May 5th @ 06:36 UTC. Some celebrate on the 3rd quarter of this month’s moon (May 19th), inspired by the Coligny calendar of the ancient Celts in Europe.
As you develop goal or intentions for this month, also consider what you can begin creating with this new moon in Taurus and complete when the Full Moon in Taurus arrives November 19th @ 08:58 UTC, around the time of the next hinge of the year.
I invite you to create a new practice this month (or simply refresh / review an existing practice) as you step into the new moon energies. For me, the New Moon is connected with the wisdom of the North and the Earth. If that is also true for you, you could:
- locate true North in your locale (smart phones often have a compass app) and connecting with it some way, perhaps noting where the sun rises and sets, or what stars are in the sky at this time of year
- meditate or journey with North for the wisdom of North and the wisdom of the Earth
- connect with the deities or spiritual energies that reveal themselves to you. For me, An Cailleach represents the north, but for you it may be another powerful earthy energy
- reflect on the lessons learned in your previous lunar journey, and the theme you chose for it. Did that theme empower your journey? Reveal new wisdom?
- pull some cards for a New Moon card reading which could simply be four cards (one card for each major phase of the moon: new moon, first quarter, full moon, third quarter) of five cards (one to represent your self and your journey and four for the major phases)
- create intentions for this lunar journey or for the coming six month Taurus New-to-Full Moon season
- create or refresh your personal altar to bring in elements of Earth, North or your deities or guides, or elements that represent your intentions for this lunar of six month journey
- bring our lunar theme for this month — Touch the Earth — into your practice in some way that expresses you and your relationship with Mama Earth and with your grounded rooted Self
What practices or activities are now resonating with you, or emerging from within?