The Moon moves into conjunction with the Taurus 7 Sun to form the maximum phase of the 2018 Taurus New Moon at 4:48a PDT on Tuesday, 15th May 2018 (24.60°). Though this “new beginnings” energy can be felt up to 3 days before and 3 days after the maximum phase, we’ll notice that the new beginnings we’re being called upon to make are not exactly… new. And in most cases, they may not feel as much like a beginning as they feel like an ending – the end of our innocence, the end of our idealism, and the end of our comfort zones.
Taurus is fixed earth energy, focused on our physical bodies and its survival needs, our material resources and how they express our self-identities, and our financial resources and how we acquire and apply them to establishing and sustaining our physical and material lifestyles. These lifestyles are also known as our physical and material “comfort zones”, yet they aren’t always physically and materially driven. In fact, our comfort zones are usually intellectually and emotionally-driven, and the emotion is what comes to light during this 2018 Taurus New Moon phase. In the span of a week, we get a ‘full disclosure’ look at just how invested we are in maintaining our comfort zones – physically, materially, financially, intellectually, and most of all, emotionally.
We’ll also learn that if we are truly committed to fulfilling on a particular goal or ambition, our values must be aligned with that goal or intention. This is where our priorities get the better of us – what we are using our physical, material, and financial resources on reveals what we value most in our personal lives. The effort and energy we apply to certain things more than others shows what we are most invested in, for better or worse; and our investments (and our hypocrisies) will be revealed to ourselves and others under the influence of this 2018 Taurus New Moon.
This 2018 Taurus New Moon occurs on a numerological 22 universal day – a day usually focused on the 1-on-1 connections which build solid networks and communities. However, today it seems this energy is bringing us into awareness of just how complicated if not convoluted our connections can be when our personal and collective values are involved.
The events of this 2018 Taurus Sun period have been challenging at best – challenging us to reconsider what we truly value and stand for in our individual and collective lives. As we face these truths, we find ourselves questioning our connections and associations with others. We begin to question why we value certain things over others, and we question how we determined or learned those things valued more than others in the first place. Did we choose our values and priorities for ourselves, or did we allow others to choose them for us? Do our choices and actions reflect our own individual values or the values of others?
That questioning is supported by the numerological 7 universal month energy – an energy of reflection, analysis, and other forms of deep thought. This energy encourages an exploration of both science and Spirit for ways to resolve our challenges.
Yet questioning is not a very Taurus thing to do. In fact, it makes Taurus very, very uncomfortable because question brings uncertainty, and uncertainty creates room for change.
To that point, the door to change was blown open during the Full Moon phase a couple of weeks ago – when the Taurus 6 Sun was in opposition to the Scorpio Moon. The Scorpio energy did what it always does – pushed us to extremes, pushed us beyond our limits, and forced us into a cycle of change – changes that we vehemently resisted.
Now, in the energy of this Taurus New Moon, we find ourselves unable to remain in the comfort zones we fought so hard to maintain. Now that more facts which were kept in the shadows of secrecy are coming into the light of day, we are faced with the reality that the changes we resisted have already been happening and that nothing will be the same as it was ever again.
This is a big deal.
What makes this 2018 Taurus New Moon phase even more of a big deal is that there are two planetary ingresses which will affect us in a huge way also happening on this day.
- The first, and most significant, is the ingress of Uranus into Taurus only 3.5 hours after the New Moon’s maximum phase (at 8:16a PDT, to be exact). As Uranus makes this move, it shifts our collective focus to our physical, material, and financial resources which support our social self-identities, revealing the unexpected lengths to which we may go to in order to maintain our status quo – a status quo which we’ve already determined is impossible to further sustain. In other words, thanks to Uranus in Taurus, we’re about to witness 7.5 years of people fighting against inevitable change and using unconventional, unpredictable, and unprecedented means and reasoning to do so.
- The second is the ingress of Mars into Aquarius which occurs at 9:55p PDT (which will be on 16th May – a 5 universal day of change for most of the world). Mars is initiative action, and Aquarius happens to be ruled by Uranus (which just moved into Taurus), so we can expect these next few weeks of Mars in Aquarius energy to encourage actions to be taken by communities and other collectives in order to defend their values and resources. Most of these actions will be taken out of tribal frustration, but there will be some who will realizes that their social conditioning has led to their personal values, and those few will be the catalysts for change on a large scale as they break from their social or societal norms to act on behalf of breaking through the status quo and clearing space for the creation of a new set of social values.
There are also these transits in effect as the 2018 Taurus New Moon reaches its maximum phase:
- The afore-mentioned Mars and Uranus are within square aspect of each other at the New Moon’s max phase, with this Taurus Uranus-Aquarius Mars square most exact at 12:04a on 16th May. It’s interesting that this square is in effect before these ingresses as well – with Uranus still in Aries and Mars still in Capricorn – giving the sparks of collective change more combustion power with the last breaths of cardinal sign initiative and action right before they settle into fixed sign energies to dig their heels in to either defend the status quo or to advocate for change. These energies will challenge us to face our ourselves through our values and consider if our values are really our individual values, or if we are aligning with the values of our communities/environments for the sake of belonging and the sense of security and stability it brings.
- Aries Juno is also squaring Capricorn Saturn at the time of the New Moon’s max phase (8°), revealing what can happen when we are committed to a course of action as a matter of self-identity and self-assertion, yet that course of action may challenge the structures and institutions in place to keep things in order. These challenges will bring questions forth regarding the effectiveness of the institutions and structures we have in place in our personal lives, in our communities, in our societies, in our governments, and in the world. At every level of our lives, we will be forced to ask ourselves if our actions are respecting our institutions and structures, and in turn, if our institutions and structures still respect us… or is it time for them to be revised or replaced… or maybe it’s time for us to change our courses of action.
- Venus and Pallas Athena are within conjunction aspect of each other in Gemini at the New Moon’s max phase (25-26°), revealing how exchanges of ideas and information are beginning to reveal patterns in the way people think and speak about their personal values and their lifestyle resources. Identifying these patterns is key in finding ways to resolve our differences of perspective and opinion, which in turn, will hopefully bring people together in peace rather than tearing them apart in conflict.
- Yet Aries Chiron is semi-sextile Taurus Mercury at max phase (1-3°), and this reveals the pain of self-identity wounds and insecurities is driving people’s value conversations. Since Mercury is the ruler of Gemini, we’d be wise to notice the connection between our patterns of conversation and our perceptions of ourselves. It would also be wise to notice the connection between our values and our self-identities, and how when our resources or values are being questioned, we often feel our self-identities are being devalued or threatened.
- Taurus Mercury is doing double-duty as it is also making trine aspect to Capricorn Vesta (3-4°). This transit reveals the power of determination, specifically the determination of those unwilling to concede their status quo. In fact, don’t be surprised if those determined to uphold the institutional status quo are doing their darndest to take control of the information narrative to spin things to their advantage right now. Of course you’ll see this in the mass media, but you may be surprised to see this in the interactions in your own personal life as well! Who is determined to control the topics of conversation and keep them in their own comfort zones? Who is determined to change your mind and not letting up? Who is determined to maintain their point of view while declaring their values and morals as their justification for doing so? NOTE: This may be you as much as anyone and everyone else, and realizing this could assist you in shifting focus, making you newly determined to find common ground with others in positive and productive ways.
- Lilith and Pluto Retrograde in Capricorn are within conjunction aspect at the time of the New Moon’s max phase (20-21°). This brings forth the shadow side of institutional and/or societal motives, exposing the real motives behind certain policies and practices. Retrograde brings outside-in energy, so each of us will be witnessing these revelations of intent occurring around us. Our witness may lead to us each and all questioning our adherence to the rules and structures those in power have put in place. Are they really acting in our best interests?
- But the most interesting thing may be a Water Grand Trine which forms between Cancer Selene, Scorpio Jupiter Retrograde, and Pisces Neptune (16-17°). This configuration is profound in that is makes us feel our ideals, and in this case, the pain that’s rising as certain matters long kept in the shadows have grown in such a way they can no longer remain hidden – they must be dealt with now, and this pain must be felt now. This is the factor that brings this entire 2018 Taurus New Moon experience full circle – the emotional investment. As these questions about what is real, true, and trustworthy are coming to light; our values become less like a gentle swirl in a country stream and more like enduring a storm in a sea of change as we realize how emotionally invested we are in maintaining our idealism that everything is just fine and our values are as sound a harbor as ever.
That idealism of our values is what this 2018 Taurus New Moon phase pushes us to acknowledge… and to let go of. The hard truth to face is that things are not fine. We feel it. We know it. It’s why we’ve all been stressed and anxious and feeling unsafe and insecure. We know we’re being asked to give up our comfort zones and status quo. Yet faced with that Universal request, some of us are failing to see that by letting go of what we know, we may in turn gain access to what can give us new values to live by and, therefore, new ways of living our lives.
Can you step out of your comfort zone for the greater good of all?
If you can find the courage to do it, now is the time to do it.
Thank you for reading and sharing Signs and Numbers. Until next post…
~ Light, Love, and Blessings,
Grace
