As I was pulling together astrologers collected wisdom from around the web for the Nov. 14/15 Taurus Full Moon, I stumbled across a Facebook meme:
“The purpose of life is not to transcend the body, but to embody the transcendent.”
A perfect quote for this potent Supermoon.
Taurus Full Moon
Taurus is a fixed Earth sign, governed by Venus. When the Sun is in Taurus, in the Northern Hemisphere we are deep in spring — flowers bloom, sap rises, fertility and life return to the Earth.
The Taurus Full Moon occurs six months later, as we move into autumn’s lengthening nights. In northern climes, a reminder that even decay promises new life, in its own season. (Of course, in the Southern Hemisphere the seasons are reversed, another metaphor of the yin-yang balancing act.)
Life and death. Spirit and body. Love and strife.
Astrologers ponder the paradoxes:
“The change of seasons under this Moon is reflected in Nature. Here in the Northeastern U.S., leaves are falling on the forest floor, preparing a blanket to nurture the trees before a cold winter season. Walking through the woods, I notice the air is dry and sweet. In times of change, I support myself by focusing my attention on the sweetness of life.
“At the Full Moon, emotions may run deep and high … explore all the ways you appreciate beauty and sensuality. The Taurus and Scorpio themes this month bring attention to the circle of life itself, how to fully embrace living in the face of loss or death. “
“Does the physicality of your life please you? Does it make the little kid inside you feel safe and secure? Indulging is the only way to know for certain. Concepts and theory have no place in Taurus’ thoroughly worldly realm (though artistry and the spiritual are certainly welcome, provided they beam down onto terra firma). “
Kathy Biehl, Empowerment Unlimited
“Tending to our Soul and tending to our body are not mutually exclusive. Our human experience as spiritual beings implies existing in the space-time continuum and dealing with physics, biological functions, socio-political conditions, none of which denies our Divine nature.
“At the same time, no amount of rhetoric can hide the fact that for many of us, structural and systemic issues that may or may not threaten the “human” part of our “experience” are very real concerns we have to deal with while walking our spiritual Path.
“Conversely, some of us who are particularly sensitive to the higher realms of existence might struggle to adjust to a world that is becoming more and more competitive, consumeristic and unethical, an existential condition that might cause a sense of estrangement from one’s own body and its needs.
“The two above mentioned situations are not mutually exclusive, either.”
Aeterna, Aeternalight Astrology
Supermoon of the Century
Astronomers point to Full Moons as periods of high ocean tides. Astrologers say Full Moons are times of heighted emotions — from passion to fear.
And that Supermoons — those New or Full Moons that occur when the Moon is near it’s closest point in its orbit to Earth (called perigee) — amplify the effect.
This Full Moon happens to be the “Supermoon of the Century.”
“It’s the largest Full Moon Supermoon since 1948; we won’t see one this visibly huge again until 2034! This Full Moon will be nearly 15 percent larger and 30 percent brighter than any regular Full Moon. It will be at its biggest and brightest during the night before, so [you may need to] stay up late … to take in the full Full Moon effect!”
The lunar perigee signifies “what one does in order to fit into society, where you conform to the norms. If the Moon controls our habits … and ancestral traits, then we are most likely to go down the line of least resistance. We will be reactive in our daily lives when the Moon is closer … and has more influence on us.”
Marina Macario, Darkstar Astrology
In short, with this Supermoon, expect heighted emotional reactions in the days before and after, plus reaching out to ones “peeps” to feel a sense of community and sanity (in the midst of lunacy).
Find Solace in the Essentials
Taurus’ ruler Venus is in another Earth sign, Capricorn. Given the extreme lunar intensity, pragmatic solutions are your best plan. Keep it simple. If you can.
“Awareness of the long game and the bottom line comes from the Taurus Moon’s ruler, Venus, ruler of all we value and desire (love, money, creativity, precious baubles). She’s recently moved from philosophical, fun-and-games Sagittarius to eminently practical, some might say cold, Capricorn. “Santa Baby” is her theme song here, given her preference for lasting value in relationships, financial dealings and what she chooses to own.
“This Moon is a measuring point. Take stock. Indulge (though Venus’ Capricorn bent may reign in that impulse with awareness of the cost). Consume. Enjoy — your surroundings, the taste and sensation of food, drink, clothing against your skin, the sound of music and laughter, the scents of nature, the reliability and emotional support of people and situations in your life.
“Notice what — and who — falls short, or doesn’t make you feel good (in the moment or the long run). The inherent releasing powers of a Full Moon may make it easy to let go of what is not supportive, nourishing or rewarding.”
Kathy Biehl, Empowerment Astrology
During most lunations, the Moon makes aspects to other planets, which color the interpretation. Not so this time.
Explains Aeterna of Aeternalight Astrology:
“Since the Moon is unaspected, and Taurus is famous for its steady, commonsensical temperament, this is unlikely to be a frantic, sensational culmination (as, say, the last Full Moon in Aries), but it will be solid, obvious. Unmistakable.
“The consequences and aftermaths of the way we have been dealing with our embodied experience of values, source(s) of income, physical well-being, material necessities, are going to manifest in all their palpable realness, and to simultaneously show us the effect of our mindset and beliefs regarding these areas. This Full Moon has her finger (and a firm one at that) on the pulse of our “human experience.”
Other considerations
In lieu of other factors, we’re left looking to the asteroids, dwarf planets and other side notes to find additional meaning.
Chiron
Clarissa of Viva Combusta! points to an easy sextile between the Moon and the centaur Chiron.
“The sweet aspects of Chiron [and Pluto, but more widely] coming in to play. In their own way, both … can offer soul level healing of unimaginable pain. The gentle but powerful support the exalted Taurus Full Moon receives looks like a salve for psychic wounds.
“I don’t think this Moon will be dredging up ugly things as much as it will be aware of them and not letting them distort healthy perspective. While Taurus is a steady, linear builder, the Scorpio emphasis along with Chiron retrograde in Pisces should help us intuit better ways of incorporating life’s natural curveballs, fluctuations and up/down cycles into our plans. Maybe time to accept what can’t be changed and use mistakes/hurts from the past to start building up a better tomorrow.”
Sedna
Astrology King Jamie Partridge notes the conjunction of the minor planet Sedna with the Moon.
“Minor planet Sedna is associated with long-term climate change. It is nearing its closest approach to the Sun in its 11,400 year orbit. The last time Sedna was this close, a sharp rise in temperature over 50 years led to the inundation of low-lying areas of our planet. The alignment with Algol in the coming years adds to the sense of foreboding. If the November 2016 full moon triggers a deep melancholy it may be your intuition sensing future catastrophic events affecting large portions of humanity.”
Astrologer Nick Anthony Fiorenza adds:
“Sedna’s message here is that humanity must recognize the truth about the suppression, persecution, abduction and exploitation of the feminine force in the world; and this mentality perpetuating such must be addressed and changed. Although it is quite obvious of our need for female’s re-emergence and balanced reintegration with the overly dominant patriarchal world, there is still dire hesitancy for such participation due to the often awry, deceptive and exploitative use of creative power by the masculine force in the world. Although this is beginning to change with more awakened males taking active leadership roles in the world, time is ticking away.”
Astraea
Opposite the Moon and conjunct the Sun is the asteroid Astraea. Says Jamie Partridge:
“Asteroid Astraea is less than one degree from the Sun. Astraea, the virgin goddess of innocence and purity (Virgo) is closely associated with Justice (Libra). According to legend, Astraea will one day come back to Earth, bringing with her the return of the utopian Golden Age, of which she was the ambassador.”
Taurus Decan 3
Darkstar Astrology’s Marina Macario blends in the meaning of the signs decans. Each sign has 3 10 degree subdivisions; the Full Moon at 22 degrees Taurus falls in the 3rd Decan:
“Usually the moon is exalted in Taurus, but it is not such a guarantee in this decan, as Saturn’s influence often means there are great obstacles to surmount on life’s testing path. However Moon Taurus 3 does not totally prevent success, [but] the Moon is susceptible to the melancholia of its Saturn rulership.”
Sabian Symbols
Degree meaning symbol systems go even further, giving each one of the 360 degrees of the Zodiac its own special significance.
The Sabian Symbol (the most popular degree meaning system of the 20th century) for the Full Moon is: “A jewelry shop filled with valuable gems”
Christina Caudill of Radiant Astrology explains:
“Here we have an image of what glitters is indeed gold. True success comes from dedication toward excellence over time and a focus on what is truly valuable. How we’ve cultivated ourselves over time and the ‘gems’ of wisdom we’ve integrated into our daily life become illuminated. We find value in ourselves and our inner worth shines brightly in its multifaceted glory.”
Lunar Mansion
And finally, let’s not forget the 28-sign lunar Zodiac, known as the lunar mansions. This Taurus Full Moon Supermoon falls in Lunar Mansion 5 Al Hak’ah. Among other things, it’s adept at applying creativity and intelligence to problem-solving; I call it “the Crown” for short.
Summing it Up
This Super-potent, un-aspected Taurus Full Moon challenges us to get really clear on what’s essential, on what has value. It draws our attention to the spirit-within-matter in order to bring healing to our divided selves. Our upcoming Shamanic Astrology Level 1 Training enables us to do this perfectly. Enrollment is open now for a limited time… click here to learn more.
Lunaria Datebook
Last Moon Phase: New Moon in Scorpio
Next Moon Phase: New Moon in Sagittarius
Full Moon November 2016 Dates and Times
San Francisco: Monday, Nov. 14, 5:52 a.m. PST
New York: Monday, Nov. 14, 8:52 a.m EST
São Paulo: Monday, Nov. 14, 11:52 a.m. BRST
London: Monday, Nov. 14, 1:52 p.m. GMT
Istanbul: Monday, Nov. 14, 4:52 p.m. EEST
Mumbai: Monday, Nov. 14, 7:22 p.m. IST
Tokyo: Monday, Nov. 14, 10:52 p.m. JST
Sydney: Monday, Nov. 15, 12:52 a.m. AEDT