May 2019
Sweet Green Grass
The New Moon on May 4th targets the fifteenth degree of Taurus: the most tenacious degree of the most tenacious sign in the zodiac. We will want to be on the right side of the Bull.
The first moment of any cycle is its most critical moment. If you use astrological timing to set intentions, you know that the energy with which a process is begun sets the tone for the rest of that cycle.
So New Moon rituals have a special kind of clout.
To start the cycle mindfully is to put a mindful stamp on the month ahead. Whereas if we begin with a scattered consciousness, we’re setting ourselves up to be uncentered for the duration.
Whatever our state of mind, the proof will be in the pudding at the Full Moon two weeks later. That’s when the results of our New Moon mindset become most obvious.
High-level Taurus
The middle degree of Taurus melds the features of fixity and the features of the Earth element. Fixed signs are steadfast and consistent; Earth signs are grounded and reliable. When Taurus lapses into shadow – the lazy way out, for any sign — it gets dull and predictable, as immovable as a bull stuck in the mud.
To begin the Taurus lunation on the right footing, put out the intention to live out the sign’s highest potentials. Instead of obduracy, commit to consistency. Instead of rigidity, imagine dependability.
Beltane
Those of a spiritual bent will have no trouble identifying the divine aspect of this consummately earthy sign. Our prayer on May 4th should be to the Earth Mother.
This goddess has had innumerable names throughout human history. In the ancient world She was worshipped every Spring at this time.
In the pagan Wheel of the Year, the festival associated with Taurus in full blossom is Beltane, or May Day. Until the sky-god religions came along and declared sex scary and bad, May Day was all about apple-cheeked lovers cavorting in the sweet green grass.