Full Moon at 16° Taurus – A Total Lunar Eclipse 8th November 2022. 11:02am UTC

“If you do not change direction, you may end up where you’re heading.”
– Lao Tzu

Every month the Full Moon reflects the strength of the Sun back to us and as the Sun sets, the Moon rises in the opposite zodiac sign. Reigning through the night, the Moon holds the throne of the dark skies; under her gaze nothing remains hidden, all becomes revealed. Illuminating the duality of both zodiac signs involved, the Full Moon sheds light on hidden secrets and covert agendas, the energetic polarisation draws out the extremes necessary for the culmination of events.

The next Full Moon is also a Lunar Eclipse, which means that the shadow of the Earth extinguishes the light of the Moon for a period of time. It will not be visible in Europe or Africa, but will be seen to some degree across most of Australia, Asia and the US. More accurate details as to how much of the eclipse you will be able to see at your location can be found by typing your location in at the following web page: https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/map/2022-november-8

We are currently in the middle of a two year eclipse period through the fixed signs of Taurus and Scorpio and further energised by the restless and unpredictable energy of Uranus. Remaining in Taurus until the spring of 2026, the transit of Uranus across the nodal axis and it’s participation in the eclipses has expressed itself through the collective in the form of civil unrest, much of it unreported by mainstream media, and the spiralling global situation in regard to energy supplies. Traditionally, eclipses were not fortunate events and in ancient times were looked upon as portents of evil, or at the very least, danger.

To look at the astrology of the next eclipse, the chart below is set on a 0 degrees Aries chart and the emphasis between the two opposing signs can clearly be seen. The Moon is in close application to Uranus with Mercury in opposition, closely applying to the Sun; Venus in her detriment and still suffering combustion, joins the grouping at the North Node. As the ruler of Taurus, Venus is the dispostor of this particular eclipse but her unfortunate condition only adds to the difficult energy of this event; the whole configuration is squared by Saturn, newly turned direct so still slow in motion but strong in his own sign of Aquarius. T-Squares in fixed signs are notorious for forcing challenging events, and anyone who has personal planets in mid degrees of Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius is likely to be impacted by this event.

I love to look at the ancient authors in a bid to gain alternative insights to my more modern understanding of astrology, images that are more closely rooted in the foundations of this ancient practice. The Picatrix is a book of magic and astrology originally written in Arabic under the title Ghāyat al-Ḥakīm, probably in the middle of the 11th century. The Arabic title translates as The Aim of the Sage or The Goal of The Wise, though since its Latin translation in the 13th Century it has been commonly known as Picatrix. Within it is a section that refers to the decans or faces of the signs, each astrological sign containing three 10 degree decans and each decan having a particular symbol or image.

In the Picatrix we find that the second face of Taurus is explained  by “ the image of a man whose body and face look like those of a camel, his nails similar to the hoof of a cow, wearing an old garment, interested in developing land and buildings, and using cows for planting and cultivation. This is the face of the Moon; it is a face of ability, honour, viceregency, destruction and the oppression of constituency”. In the second face of Scorpio we see “The image of a man riding on a camel and holding a Scorpion in his hand. This is the face of the Sun, and it indicates disgrace, scandal, tragedy and Anger. 

Taurus is a sign associated with the earth, with agriculture, the production of food, fecundity and with all those who are associated with such matters and it is interesting to note that the Taurus/Scorpio eclipse cycle has coincided with farmers demonstrating all over the world as plans are being put in place to limit the size of cattle herds. We also hear of the need to move away from traditional farming methods that have supported us since the dawn of time, towards more reliance on insects for food, with the establishment of factories to process protein derived from so called bugs. New Zealand is the latest country to see farmers come out in protest at restrictions on cattle farming, joining farmers across Europe and Asia who are kicking back against the restrictions being placed on their practices.

The confrontation between the Picatrix images of a farmer wanting to use cows for cultivation and planting with a man on camelback holding a scorpion in his hand could hardly be more descriptive!

In square to the eclipse is Saturn, domiciled in the air sign of Aquarius and described by the following lines as “The image of a tenacious man who looks like a powerful king emerges in its second face, and this is the face of Mercury. It portrays beauty, nobility, goodness, complété form, complété religion and manhood”.

Saturn here is found in the role of the ferryman, who masters the space between one shore and the other, in fact Ibn Ezra, one of the most distinguished philosophers of the Middle Ages, described this image as a bearded man, “possessed of purses that contain precious stones and gold”. From this we might imagine that there is some gain to be made from navigating between extremes and in fact Mercury, who is the ruler of this particular decan, gives us the root of the word merchant.

Apart from the direct agricultural theme already alluded to, the most obvious and direct manifestation of this dynamic would be a further emphasis on food and energy shortages and the cost of living crisis that is affecting increasing numbers of people everywhere. Taurus is all about the earth’s resources and our own personal wealth and with the current Taurus Scorpio eclipse series continuing under the influence of Uranus until October 2023, the disruption in the supply of those resources together with the power struggles between faceless corporations is likely to continue. It might be useful to remember that off to the side and not directly in the picture are corporate entities that stand to make vast amounts of money, people who have no loyalty to either “side” and who grow rich on navigating the shores between one place and another. The polarisation that is highlighted when eclipses occur can turn into mutually poisonous situations from which there is no escape. With both sides as powerful as each other, there is none so determined as the middle decans of the fixed signs, and it is precisely this kind of struggle which plays directly into the hands of those with the detachment and foresight to exploit such situations for their own profit and power.

On a personal level, the Taurus Full Moon in the autumn, provides an excellent focus for getting a handle on one’s personal dependencies and addictions and to recognise the nature of the emotional voids that crave to be filled. Now is the perfect time to get a fresh perspective, to recognise how your own personal dynamic could be involved in self sabotage and disempowerment. This Full Moon offers the awareness to gain new understandings and to release habits which no longer serve you and which you can probably do without.

The Sabian symbol for the 16th degree of Taurus:

AN OLD TEACHER FAILS TO INTEREST HIS PUPILS IN TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE

This symbol speaks of how in a time of crisis, past knowledge may be inadequate in the face of new challenges. The emergence of new resolutions is emphasised and that traditional approaches will not work. This dynamic seems particularly relevant as we hover on the edge of Pluto’s ingress into the sign of Aquarius, in a world that is witnessing how the “old approach” is just not working anymore; but what to do? The advice seems to be to stay within the void of uncertainty, the no-mans land, until a clear path is revealed, and that only by facing the uncertainty itself, with no agenda to follow can the direction be finally ascertained. A little like the action of an eclipse itself, we must wait in the darkness for the light to return and for the road to appear.

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Full Moon Blessing

In the glory of my fullness, I speak to you, revealing the truth as I see it at this moment. There are no secrets here, for if you are brave enough to look, all will be declared. Now it is time to turn away from all that is no longer fulfilling for you. I empower you to live your authentic self, to be unashamed of your fullness, to embrace your own power, to proclaim your true self, without fear. In Taurus-I Possess: The strength and fertility of the budding earth; I am the song of love, the sensuality of life itself. Taste me, touch me, take me, yield to me, and give yourself up to my creative and passionate desires. Through me, experience the Goddess of Love, the love of life, the love of the Earth and all that clothes her.