Full Moon in Taurus: Adagio

Modern life is all about the rush. We’re driven, harried, stressed, and exhausted. At this Full Moon, we are reminded of how lovely a more measured pace can be.

Taurus is the sign of slow.

Scorpio, where we find the Sun and Mercury, also refuses to rush or be rushed. Yes, the scorpion can strike quickly and with force, but you can be sure any attack was carefully planned, all consequences and contingencies considered.

With Taurus, we get a different kind of slowness that can feel, in a word, stupid. Check a thesaurus for synonyms for “slow” if you don’t believe me.

In truth, Taurus is wise with the wisdom of the earth beneath our feet, the unfolding of an acorn into an oak. Taurus, who loves music, understands the leisurely grace of adagio movement. Taurus deplores all that is lost when we race through life, reaching for some goal we barely understand.

The Moon and Sun are not alone at this month’s Full Moon. They are hosting a conversation about life and death and change and how it all moves at its own pace.

Sun and Moon are opposite, as happens at the Full Moon. Mercury, just past his cazimi, remains conjunct the Sun and opposite the Moon.

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Neptune trines Sun and Mercury and sextiles the Moon. Neptune is slow, graceful, mystical, magical, and mysterious. Here we move slowly because we cannot see the way and because we are beguiled by glamour.

Pluto and Saturn trine the Moon and sextile the Sun and Mercury. Here we see the slowness of inexorability. This is geologic time, the shifting of tectonic plates. This is the mills of the gods, which grind slowly but exceedingly fine. Here we build and tear down and rebuild, working toward a strong, stable structure.

Meanwhile, Mars opposes Eris, highlighting the tension between the urgency of the crises before us and a longing for harmonious ways to resolve them.

Mars also sextiles Jupiter, who trines Eris. Are we catching sight of possible solutions? Or simply finding bigger problems?

Venus moves into a square to Neptune. Freedom pulling away while connection wants to draw us in.

So everyone is talking. Everyone has his or her own perspective. But with a calm Taurus Moon and a canny Scorpio Sun in charge, the mood is more cocktail party than competition. There are different ideas here but have another glass of wine. Sample the delicious buffet. Relax. Enjoy your time here. Surely we can reach a meeting of the minds.

We have reached the brightest light of the lunar cycle. Here something is illuminated. Perhaps we succeeded in reaching our New Moon goals and bask in the light of that achievement. Maybe we only got part way there and see clearly what else will be needed.

Check your birth chart. Where do 19 Scorpio and 19 Taurus fall? Which houses? Knowing where the Full Moon intersects your chart helps you find where the illumination is brightest.

Are planets or points in your chart at or close to 19 degrees of any sign? These will be aspected in some way by the Full Moon, receiving an extra measure of illumination.

Link the houses and the planets back to your New Moon goals. In my chart, 19 Taurus is in my Tenth House close to my Midheaven. If a New Moon goal fell short, perhaps I didn’t take into account how I would make it public, or whether that goal was compatible with my public self. If I succeeded with a New Moon goal, I am now invited to share that success openly.

With the Moon is slow, steady Taurus we can remember that while the Full Moon is exact at 8:34 am EST, the Full Moon phase lasts four days, until we reach the Disseminating Moon early on November 16. This means we have time to explore the illumination of this phase.

Take some time. Consider the link between this Full Moon and the New Moon that preceded it. This could help in planning future New Moon goals.

The Scorpio Sun is only a few days past Samhain, midpoint between equinox and solstice. Likewise, the Taurus Moon is only a few degrees past the midpoint we celebrate as Beltaine. These are festivals that honor the intersection of earth and spirit, steady work in the world and an infusion of magic.

The links between the Full Moon and Neptune, and the Full Moon and Saturn and Pluto, highlight this both/and. We are invited to celebrate how these spheres intersect and fertilize each other, feeling our feet solidly grounded on the earth and our hearts singing with the magic of the spheres.

The Moon is exalted in Taurus, willing to work hard but also satisfied and indulgent in this Venus-ruled sign. Take care of yourself at this Full Moon. Extend that care to those you love and to your community.

All astrological charts are my own. The images in this post include the title,
adapted from the image of the forest by Johannes Plenio,
and the following images:
a glass of wine by Roberta Sorge, and
a magical face by Rhett Wesley