Beltane, the Gifts of Taurus, & the Current Eclipse Cycle
Beltane quickly approaches, and as it does, we are reminded of nature's inherent abundance, life's ability to flourish after a cold and dark winter, and the fullness of Mother Earth's blooming capacity. This cross-quarter day marks the midpoint between the Spring Equinox & Summer Solstice, a time when the abundance of life around us and certainly within us, can be felt with renewed energy. In the Northern Hemisphere, we're invited to plant the flowers that uplift our hearts and inspire our spirits, celebrating the beauty that is possible even when we stare into the face of the unknown. And perhaps this year even more than others, we are reminded of the importance of breathing life into the things that create beauty for ourselves, our families, and our communities on a deep level, for honoring this beauty in a practical way offers benefits that go far beyond the material realm.
Beltane falls within Taurus season each year, and this couldn't be a more appropriate association. Taurus is an energy that seeks stability and security in many ways, but most healthily, it does so through the simplicity of basking in Mother Earth's gifts. In other words, Taurus invites us to, "stop and smell the roses," allowing ourselves to relish the moment of sweetness that inevitably comes if we choose to pause and receive. It encourages us to revel in the richness of life that we bring in through our senses, and most especially the richness that the natural world has to offer. What does it feel like to plant our bare feet on the simultaneous soft and stable earth? How do we feel when we spend time in the majesty of the forest or at the edge of the ocean's vast expanse? Taurus wants us to experience these things in one way or another, for in so doing, our spirits are nourished in ways they wouldn't otherwise be, and we deepen the relationship with where we come from and who we are. These bodies we inhabit for the time we are here are of the earth, and to the earth they will one day return. Honoring this relationship with where our physicality comes from, then, allows for a deep sense of security that can't be found through what money can buy.
In yogic context, Lakshmi, the goddess of abundance and beauty, also known as Shri, has an affinity for the gifts of Taurus. She reminds us that when we feel gratitude in our hearts for the inherent beauty and richness in our lives and our relationships, we are already entering her luxurious realm. Though she is often associated with money, as is Taurus in traditional Western astrology, I find this association far too limiting. For Lakshmi encourages us to acknowledge and honor the gifts in our own lives, to really look for the good that is available even when our minds want to tell a different story. She softens even the hardest of hearts, reminding us that all it takes is a little easing of our busy minds to connect with a sense of fullness and bountifulness in our spirits. Like with Taurus, living within Lakshmi's domain carries with it a feeling of being well-resourced. Well-resourced. We may not have all the things money can buy, but when we abide in a place of fullness, none of that matters. At all. Deep within our being, we feel as though we have what we need, and this actually has little to do with how much stuff we have. When we "live in the gift," trusting Lakshmi's, Taurus' and Life's flow, we are supported us in ways that we can't even imagine, but that we feel deep within our hearts.
I recently went on a walk in the forest that has become my regular stomping ground. Its lush forests, flowing streams and rivers, and miles of land keep myself, my partner, and our 4 dogs quite happy, as well as many others in our area. I spend time there almost daily, as my first house Taurus moon needs this tranquility for happiness and fulfillment, not to mention a little balance! As I walked, a large, black garbage bag that had been torn open to reveal its innards caught my eye. Used ensure bottles, half-eaten Campbell's soup cans, a plethora of cigarette butts, and more were just sitting under a few smaller pine trees. I went home, got some gloves and garbage bags of my own, and came back to tend to what I'd found. As I continued cleaning up the refuse, I happened upon more and more garbage. It was as though someone had dumped the debris from a whole season into this little tree grove. Every time I thought I was finished with the task at hand, I ended up finding more rubbish. I found myself deeply disheartened, slightly enraged, and terribly disappointed at what I'd found for many reasons, as you might imagine. Yogic stories of the demons and the demi-gods and goddesses I've listened to and told for years came into my mind. In these "battles" of awareness vs. complete disregard, order is eventually restored, but it's not without an epic, often multi-chaptered story.
The lack of connection with Lakshmi's abundance and Taurus' sense of being well-resourced, as well as with our dear Mother Earth, is all around us. This microcosmic example is just one of so many. This planet needs our love more than ever, and Lakshmi's gift, too, is one of giving and receiving. If we've never received her gifts in a genuine way due to extreme poverty, addiction, or deeply entrenched karmic/epigenetic patterning, or if we've never let the gifts of what's already present truly touch our hearts in a real and meaningful way, we won't see ourselves as connected to the whole. We won't feel fullness, but rather, we'll move through the world like hungry ghosts whose appetites will never be satiated. And though this saga for me is not yet over, I will be using my feelings of anger, disappointment, and distress to create beauty in a situation that hurts my heart, and at a time when more forests in "my backyard" are being cut down for development. For me, this begs the questions, "When will we as a collective recognize the inter-connectedness of all of Life? When will we understand that the harms we enact on our earth and each other only hurt the Whole?" I believe the answer is, only when every single person on the planet wakes up to this reality. So for me, my commitment to spiritual practice has only been strengthened with this experience. It's my practices that have kept me feeling well-resourced in the ways I write about here for over 20 years. They never fail. And for this, I am truly, deeply thankful.
And now, for some transiting astrology! The Taurus-Scorpio Eclipse cycle began on November 19th, 2021, and it will continue until October 28th, 2023. We'll be seeing a Taurus New Moon Eclipse this Saturday, April 30th conjunct Uranus, who's been in Taurus since 2017. Uranus always brings opportunities for freedom to be who we truly are, as well as to live more authentically as ourselves than we have been before. And when Uranus is transiting, one word all astrologers can agree on is 'change.' We've seen changes to what brings us stability and security during this time, changes to our bodies and what we perceive as physical health and wellness, and changes to what it means to actually feel easeful in our bodies, minds, and spirits. This New Moon eclipse is an invitation within the larger cycle to gain insight as to how we can embody the 'gifts' we received during the pandemic, as well as the lessons we've learned as to how we'd like to move forward now that we know what we do. It's an opportunity to become aware of how we've abandoned our most authentic selves, how we've stood in our most authentic selves, and where we still have some integration to enact on this level. For the body tells a story, and the more willing we are to uncover the stories in our bones, tissues, and blood, the more able we are to heal our ancestral and karmic lines, ourselves, and eventually, the collective.
Mars sextiles this New Moon Eclipse in Pisces, encouraging us to willfully and intensely claim a more unified, awakened version of reality. This is not 'woke.' This is awake on every level of being:: heart, soul, mind, and body; this is awake to our blind spots too. It's about waking up to the fact that we are all divine beings having a human experience, and that each soul on its journey is valuable. Yet we have CHOICE as to how we show up, where we place our time, energy, and attention, and with which forces we choose to align ourselves. If we move from a place of unified consciousness, we create good in the world for those in our lives and those generations who follow. We are able to heal what came before us as it plays out in the context of our own lives. If we choose to remain asleep at the wheel, more 'dukha,' or pain and suffering will ensue. What we remain closed to within ourselves becomes a place that can actually become harmful to ourselves and others if left unchecked for long enough.
The above isn't judgment in the slightest; it comes with Capricorn's ability to look at the hard, cold facts of reality that are also very real. And with Pluto in the last degrees of Cap, the sign of the sea-goat, we're invited to be real about what has unfolded or is continuing to unfold in our lives because of our unchecked fears. How have we let our fears take the wheel rather than our open, courageous hearts? Pluto always wants us to integrate what's lurking in the darkness that may be leading us along or calling the shots, and has possibly done so for a long time. Yet when we confront this that we've been carrying for years, decades, and possibly lifetimes, within our very own minds and hearts, we're able to make clear, conscious decisions that make us 'the elder' rather than the uninspired older person who long ago became bitter and jaded. What we are willing to face and transform in ourselves is meant to be transformed into usable, vital energy. "Energy is neither created nor destroyed; it is only transformed," and Pluto reminds us that it is this very process, over and again, that makes us an Elder in our lives and communities. With the stellium of Venus, Neptune, and Jupiter in Pisces sextiling the Lord of the Underworld and the Lord of the Riches (we become Lakshmi by alchemizing what is hiding in the dark), dreaming into infinite potential is more possible than usual. We are meant to dream, then, of this reality that is possible when we live into our potential, connecting with others who know how to dream, while also being given the chance to manifest what is waiting to be created in structured, concrete ways. We have an important moment in time to expand into what our hearts have always known is possible but our minds sometimes doubt, but this can only be done if we're willing to fully live into the unknown and weave our innate magic into this reality, here and now.
What a beautiful time to be alive! The Force is always with you. May you bask in the beauty of Beltane and Taurus season, embodying the truth of who you know you are.
