The Taurus New Moon of May 19, 2023 arrives just before noon on Friday for those of us on the east coast of the USA. We are looking forward to having some fun on this spring weekend and this New Moon has the potential to deliver! 

Taurus is the first of the Earth signs, Virgo and Capricorn comprise the other two members of the trio. The Earth signs symbolize the physical aspects of life, including money, prosperity, health and of course Mother Earth herself.

As the first of the Earth signs, Taurus has the most primal connection to this element. Taurus experiences life through their senses most directly. They love to be massaged and caressed (by the right person!), the delicious flavors of fine food and wine, the pleasures of gardening and the joy of being in nature.

The Bull that symbolizes Taurus represents strength, tenacity, and power. The bull characterizes the sign’s slow and steady perseverance. The astrology of the Taurus Bull is linked to the agriculture calendar signifying spring, a season of rebirth. Seen as a symbol of wealth and abundance, the bull was often sacrificed during ancient rituals by people hoping to secure the gods’ goodwill, according to Garth C. Clifford, whose eclectic World Bird site is definitely worth a look.

Adding dimension and depth to the Taurus paradigm is its ruler Venus. Venus loves beauty and cares deeply about design and aesthetics. There are so many famous Taurus artists and musicians! Taurus natives make wonderful singers and musicians.

 Recently, I read for a Taurus who had been frustrated for decades because she so wanted to create music but simply couldn’t. When I tapped into her energy field, I saw that she had an amazing past life as an incredibly successful musician, but in this life she had decided before she incarnated to focus on other life goals.

This New Moon cycle presents us with an opportunity to see the lovely planet Venus. Since Venus looks like the brightest star in the sky, you will not need binoculars or a telescope. On a clear night, shortly after sunset, scan the western sky looking for brilliant twinkly Venus. Intend to connect with her energy and notice what you see/sense/feel/know.

At its best, Taurus is practical, positive, sensual, reliable and patient. Taurus is incredibly creative. One of my Taurus friends makes beautiful crystal jewelry, which showcases the natural Taurean ability to intuitively understand color, design harmony along with the incredible patience it obviously took to make her beautiful pieces. Best of all, her jewelry was created to use the crystals to help heal. The Taurus paradigm manifested perfectly in a beautiful amber and tree agate bracelet- beautiful and practical!

When Taurean energy is used unproductively it can be stubborn, close minded, overly materialistic, and rigid with a tendency to get stuck in a rut. 

Famous Taurus natives include: Queen Elizabeth II, Adele, George Clooney, Lizzo, Mark Zuckerberg and Kelly Clarkson.

This lunar cycle will provide us with a much needed break from the action of the very intense eclipse season we experienced during the last cycle. Mercury goes direct just a few days before this New Moon on May 14, 2023 so we are ready now to move ahead with all the plans we’ve put on hold.

We will be feeling the desire to be out and about in the world, celebrating and socializing as almost all the planets including the Sun and Moon are on the upper hemisphere of this New Moon chart.

With the New Moon in the 10^th house of the chart when it’s set for the east coast of the USA, it’s a great time to make our work spaces whether at home or in a formal workplace comfortable and cozy. Incorporating some traditional Chinese Feng Shui techniques to harmonize the flow of energy in our work areas will definitely help us to feel relaxed and happy, enabling us to be so much more productive.  Feng Shui that Makes Sense: Easy Ways to Create a Home that FEELS as good as it Looks by Cathleen McCandless is an updated and very practical guide to this ancient art.

Forest bathing or forest therapy is another wonderful way to make the best of Taurus energy.   The Association of Nature and Forest Therapy Guides and Programs tells us that, “Forest therapy is based on forest bathing, or shinrin-yoku, a Japanese practice that has garnered attention for its ability to immerse people into their natural environment. It helps people take a deep breath and rediscover our true essence, to remember our purpose and how we can serve the world. By immersing ourselves in nature and engaging our senses, we can reap the many benefits of forest therapy such as improved immune function, cardiovascular and respiratory health, and reduced stress and depression.  However, these benefits are simply a byproduct of the deeper healing that occurs when we re-establish a connection with the natural world around us.”

We are fortunate to have Linda Lombardo, a certified life coach & forest therapy guide available for both public and private forest bathing and nature walk events on Long Island. Although I have not connected with her yet, I am certainly looking forward to participating in her events. For more information and her schedule, check out her website, Wild Heart Nature Connection – https://www.wildheartnatureconnection.com

Two dates during this lunar cycle stand out as having the potential to offer us some lovely energetic gifts if we are receptive. On Friday, June 2, 2023, Venus will trine Neptune, a truly beautiful and harmonious aspect that can greatly assist us in all of our spiritual endeavors. The Full Moon on June 3, 2023 will definitely super charge the energetics of this aspect. Since this aspect is in play all weekend, definitely take the time to check it out!

My second date, Sunday, June 11, 2023 presents us with a very nicely energetically balanced day, perfect for all kinds of fun with family and friends. Its special gift is the entrance of Mercury into Gemini, the sign that it rules. Mercury in Gemini will help us to clear the residue of all that stagnant Earth energy that has been present in the background during this lunar cycle, enabling us to think much more clearly.

We have finally reached the downside of this lunar cycle. Although it really is like a beautiful Spring day with a gorgeous deep blue sky, there are some clouds sitting on the horizon that could cause trouble if we do not navigate around them, but they can be avoided!

A deeper dive into this New Moon chart shows that there is an abundance of planets in the Earth element and in the fixed mode. This will cause a tendency towards stubborn behavior because the possibility of change seems like it will only make things worse. We can expect to see this played out nationally as well as in our workplaces. People will double and triple down, refusing to make any concessions that would benefit the greater good.

Nationally, this is particularly concerning as right now there are so many truly crucial issues that require immediate action from the federal government. Just a few minutes spent browsing the national news will highlight the seriousness and scope of the national challenges we face as a country.

Unfortunately, there is the real potential with this lunar cycle for both political parties and their leaders to stick to their positions and refuse to agree on any sort of compromise.

 However, I am especially concerned about the possibility of resolving the pending national debt ceiling crisis that is looming- a very Taurus/Venus issue that does not seem to get a lot of attention but will cause a tremendous amount of harm to all of us if it doesn’t get resolved.

 The debt limit is the total amount of money that the United States government is authorized to borrow to meet its existing legal obligations, including Social Security and Medicare benefits, military salaries, interest on the national debt, tax refunds, and other payments.

The debt limit does not authorize new spending commitments. It simply allows the government to finance existing legal obligations that Congresses and presidents of both parties have made in the past.

Failing to increase the debt limit would have catastrophic economic consequences. It would cause the government to default on its legal obligations – an unprecedented event in American history. That would precipitate another financial crisis and threaten the jobs and savings of everyday Americans – putting the United States right back in a deep economic hole. Economists have warned that defaulting on the debt could cause financial Armageddon.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen issued another warning recently about the United States running out of money to pay for its financial obligations if Congress has not raised or suspended the debt limit by early next month, potentially defaulting as soon as June 1.

There needs to be serious talks about how to resolve this issue so we don’t sabotage ourselves by tanking the economy. Unfortunately, this energy is not conducive for meaningful progress. Although the USA have never failed to meet its financial obligations before, there is a real possibility of that happening this time.

At work, people will tend to insist there is only one way to do things- their way! This will lead to lots of resentment and aggravation.

Although, this is a primarily positive happy productive lunar cycle, these clouds may cast deep shadows that make us focus on the negative energy rather than the predominantly sunny astrological weather!

Seeking guidance, I turned to The Sabian Oracle, a mix of astrology and clairvoyance which once again offered up some wonderful insight. Diana E. Roche who wrote my favorite book on the Sabian Symbols, “The Sabian Symbols: A Screen of Prophecy,” writes that the vision for this New Moon, “Two Cobblers working at a table,” alludes to brainstorming while working on a project together. The advice here is to use reason, discussion and co-operative problem- solving to create solutions where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. At its best, this symbol represents good judgement, objective thinking and the willingness to look at all sides of an issue.

With this advice going through my mind, I decided to consult my all-time favorite deck of the last several years, the “Dreams of Gaia Tarot” by Ravynne Phalen for further insight. Surely a perfect deck for an Earth Element New Moon!  

After preparing for my monthly New Moon reading, I asked the cards, “What do we need to know or do to flow harmoniously with the energies of this Taurus New Moon so that we can manifest its most positive possible potential?”

Over the last ten years that I have been writing this column, I have found that the card I pull for the upcoming lunar cycle has a clear and usually synchronistic connection to that New Moon. Often, the element for the card and the element for the sign the New Moon is in are the same. So, I was initially puzzled when the Two of Air presented itself to me, as it didn’t seem to have any obvious connection to this earthy Taurus New Moon. However, when I read Ms. Phelan’s notes about  her Two of Air card, I immediately understood why this is the perfect card for this lunar cycle.