Monthly Astro-Forecast; New Moon in Taurus

The new moon in Taurus falls in the early hours of April 23rd here in the UK. The sign of fixed earth, Taurus brings a contrasting energy to Aries, one that is perhaps more suited to the situation many of us find ourselves in right now. A new moon in Taurus invites us to root down and ground ourselves in physical reality - which most of us have little choice about. If we are used to being busy, out and about, always on the go, this may be a frustrating time but a new moon in Taurus brings a seed point of patience, stillness. In these times of seclusion and social distancing, we have an opportunity to connect deeply to the places where we have chosen to dwell. Most of us are a little way to lockdown now and are slowing down, finding new rhythms and even new versions of ourselves. The new moon reminds us to be where we are, to accept this new normal, to let go of the need to get back to whatever normal used to be. Talking with friends (virtually of course!) I'm finding a kind of settling in, an acceptance that we are here for a while and need to make the best of it.

Difficult times have a way of showing us what is most important to us and the new moon in Taurus asks us not only what we value the most but also how we can build a life, even after the pandemic is over, where we can live those values more deeply. There's an opportunity to let go of things we thought were permanent, were "just the way it is". Lots of things we assumed were necessary are being proved not so important, just as many things we saw as lacking value (like people instead of things) are actually crucial. One of the great gifts of Taurus is the connection to our senses and to the earth. Like so many, watching nature as she changes has been a great solace for me during these uncertain times. Somehow it's very grounding to realise that the foxes are still running, the birds are still nesting, nature continues in her cycles mostly oblivious to the anxieties of humanity. Connecting with nature brings a Taurean sense of stability and security, a sense of healing in these uncertain times. The new moon in Taurus asks us to root down into the beauty around us, to slow down and just be.

As we move through Taurus season, our awareness of our attachments and our resources remains central. The Sun meets Uranus in Taurus on April 26th, awakening us to what is truly important when life is stripped back to basics. Inner resources are just as important as outer resources, maybe more so as we are challenged either to stay home, perhaps feeling isolated or anxious, or to go out to work and put ourselves at risk for the greater good. (For which endless thanks, health professionals and key workers of the world). On May 1st, Beltane here in the northern hemisphere, Mercury meets Uranus and we may find new ideas being articulated more loudly than ever, calls for the changes which are so desperately needed in the world, pandemic or no.

The outer planets in Capricorn are never far from consciousness right now and there's a slowness of retrogrades coming up (astrology geek question - what's the collective noun for retrograde planets?!) Pluto turns retrograde in Capricorn on April 25th and Jupiter on May 14th. Saturn in Aquarius will also go retrograde soon, on May 11th, heading back towards Capricorn. These are subtle influences, turning our energy inwards, allowing us to use our time in seclusion to review and reconsider.

Missing the woods in bluebell season but at least we have them in our garden

There's also Gemini energy on the horizon, with Venus already there and Mercury joining her (after a flying leap through Taurus lasting barely a couple of weeks) on May 11th. On May 13th, Venus joins the retrograde party, slowing down that sociable Gemini energy to something more ready to cope with seclusion and looking inwards. All this retrograde energy makes me sceptical about outer changes happening and I think change may come more slowly than expected. Genuine change, at least. Gemini energy makes connections and might bring some new knowledge. At the least, these times are making us more aware than ever of how closely we are connected, the networks which bind us more closely than we realise. Rising Gemini energy, especially after the Sun moves into that sign on May 20th, might find us moving back out into the world. Or with Venus retrograde there, it might find us consolidating our knowledge, focusing on what is genuine rather than superficial. The North Node also moves into Gemini during this lunation, on May 5th (if you're working with the True Node), asking us to focus on what we really know, rather than what we think we know. Although with so many decisions apparently made ignoring what we know, who knows where we might end up?