the new moon in taurus is exact this saturday april 21st, 2012 at 12:18am PDT. new moons are times of seeding, new beginnings and outward movement in the world. the dark moon that precedes the new moon is a time to let go, release, process and purge, so that when the new moon commences we have a clean slate to create from.
this new moon is highly auspicious! we have a new moon in the earthy, fertile sign of taurus- pointing to a new cycle that is focused on grounding, manifestation, material abundance, security, safety and connection to the body and nature. this new moon is conjunct ceres, the asteroid goddess that represents the earth mother- enhancing the earthy, embodied focus as well as bringing in an energy of nurturing, caretaking and physical sustenance. this new moon is a great time to align with your physical/material needs and desires and work towards making those a reality. of course when you are coming from the Higher Self perspective and you are focusing on the material abundance of all, rather than just yourself personally, you can contribute to a collective shift as well as a personal one.
this new moon is involved in a grand earth trine with mars in virgo, who just stationed direct on friday the 13th, and pluto in capricorn, who just stationed retrograde on tuesday the 10th. with the planet that symbolizes the lower will (mars) and the planet symbolizing the Higher will (pluto) involved in this new moon we are very much supported in aligning our egoic will and it’s needs and desires with our Higher will whom has awareness of the Bigger Picture.
now that mars is direct our energy and drive is picking up and we can really do something with this new moon energy, unlike the last new moon that was in assertive, dynamic aries yet the ruler of that moon was retrograde. but we do have to keep in mind that the ruler of this new moon in taurus is venus and she is set to go retrograde next month (may 15th). indeed, she has already entered her shadow and she is visiting areas of our chart/lives/inner experience that will be revisited again in the coming months. a review and revision process of our relationships (current and past), relationship patterns, finances, values and self-worth is definitely going to be up for the next few months- and this new moon can actually be part of the activation of that inward journey.
other things of note in the new moon chart include the ruler of the new moon, venus in gemini, in tense aspect (semisquare) to the new moon. finding ways to bridge the physical/material/embodied/pracital aspects of life (new moon in taurus) with the realm of ideas/movement/change/the mind (venus in gemini) is key. when we put the new moon in the first house we have gemini, where venus is and will be doing her retrograde dance, in the 2nd house- the taurus house of money, values and self-esteem. again this dance between body and mind, earth and air, rooting down and reaching high is enunciated.
another interesting dynamic is mars in virgo quincunx the mercury/uranus conjunction in aries. mars rules aries so the tense aspect between this trio can activate intensity, conflict, arguments, violent communication and aggressive behavior. with a new moon in taurus we are trying to connect to and embody the Divine Feminine, but the Divine Masculine is definitely going through some interesting processes and shifts. the dark moon activated the mercury/uranus energy, which isn’t exact until tomorrow (sunday the 22nd)- so insights, aha moments, bolt out of the blue awareness and sudden things come to Light are all available to us now. yet what we see or become aware of may not be what we want to see, and it may not be pretty. there may be a necessary element of facing the darkness and shadows before we can make our way into the Light. this can involve facing our own or someone else’s anger, taking a stand, saying No, stating boundaries OR it can entail surrendering, compromising, understanding and letting go. whichever energy is not balanced in the personal and collective is likely the one that will express itself. this will be different person to person- but collectively it seems quite clear what needs redressing, does it not?
one other aspect to note is that this new moon is widely opposite saturn, who is in a different sign (usually an opposition to taurus would be scorpio- but saturn is at the tail end of libra and opposes the new moon from there). the new moon is past this aspect but energetically it is still tied in. this brings a focus on what is- the practical, the tangible and the real. saturn teaches us lessons and Self-mastery. he is the lord of karma and he is not attached to our joy or our pain- he just brings us the consequences of our past actions, be it good or bad. with saturn in venus’ other sign (libra) and opposite this new moon we are being asked to deal with the Divine Feminine expression in our lives in more masterful, responsible ways. again this is different for everyone depending on where our lessons lie. if you are great at asserting yourself, saying no and letting go- then this cycle may be asking you to relax, receive, surrender and compromise. on the other hand if you are wonderful at being in relationship, focusing on others, letting go of your own needs to make others happy- then this cycle may be asking you to find your inner warrior, create boundaries and not let people mooch of you anymore. only you will know where your learning is- so check in with your Higher Self and i am sure you will get a very clear answer!
enjoy the dark moon vibes tonight and the new moon cycle that commences tomorrow. and pay attention to your dreams tonight/tomorrow morning! dark moon dreams are the most potent and magical :)
~divine harmony