Special thanks to author and friend Kristy Ayala for her inspiration for this month’s article title.
During the recent Pisces and Aries cycles, most of astrology’s personal planets, including Venus, Mercury and Mars, hung close to the Sun, magnifying the energies of those Sun signs and cycles. The essence of those Sun cycles was further amplified by the presence of influential outer planets; Neptune has been transiting Pisces and Uranus Aries. Looking back a little further, we might even say that Uranus, ruler of Aquarius, added a larger dimension to that Sun cycle, and that Pluto’s presence in Capricorn added extra fuel to that time. Now the Sun is set to enter grounded, earthy Taurus, at 3:03 P.M. PST on April 19th. Again Venus, Mercury and Mars will be close by, and like with the preceding cycles, we can see the moon’s South Node, also in Taurus, poised to intensify the scene. But 2013’s Taurus cycle comes with a twist. While much of the inner cosmos clusters around the South Node in patient, reliable Taurus, Saturn, the moon’s North Node and a full moon solar eclipse oppose them from destructive Scorpio. Finally, 2013‘s run with the Bull will culminate with the next Pluto Uranus square on May 20th. Any enduring Tauresean tranquility that we hope to attain from this cycle will be doled out in direct proportion to the truth and love we are willing to experience and express throughout the unfolding days.
What’s love got to do with it? Quite a bit according to Venus and the South Node. The planet symbolizing love, Venus is transiting Taurus from April 15th through the new moon and solar eclipse of May 9th. The South Node describes the past and is presently in review mode, or retrograde, in Taurus. From there it will connect with the Sun, Venus, Mercury and Mars over the coming weeks. In fact, the South Node will play a big role in all three of the coming eclipses. Pluto and Saturn are also retrograde at this time. This is a celestial directive to scour the past in search of love and to heal. On the bright side, we can practice recalling the people we love and the experiences that have brought immense joy into our lives. This remembrance of love infuses the present and extends our light into the future. On the dark side, we will be confronted by present pain rooted in the past.
The North Node points the way forward. Presently it is in shamanic Scorpio with unyielding Saturn. Before we reach the next evolutionary phase, or Pluto Uranus square, ringed, restraining Saturn will insist that we master some lessons. In purifying Scorpio, it will oppose Venus on April 22nd, the Sun on the 28th, Mars on the 30th and Mercury on May 5th. These can be occasions for further denial or trigger points for release. April 25th, with its full Scorpio moon and solar eclipse, is another powerful portal for making peace with the past and seeding the future. How have we interpreted our negative experiences? Can we possibly now view the old circumstances from new perspectives? Even in cases of clear and definite violation, what is the responsible path to justice? The hand of the Divine was always at work in them. Can we find the love?
May 9, 2013
Echoing the cosmic cleanup call will be Pluto, Lord of Transformation. It will trine Venus on April 24th, the Sun on May 1st, Mars on May 5th and Mercury on May 6th. Like Saturn, it will insist on honest, forthright answers. Creative Neptune and healing Chiron, in holistic Pisces, will also help guide our passage through unfinished business. They are part of the forming Grand Water trine, a point when our feelings will play a strong role in our perception of life. While they inform us, we are not our emotions. They are an invitation to inquire. Our work is to delve beneath their surface for the truth, and to heal what is not love. Lastly on the water front, this year’s (water sign) Scorpio cycle will see both another Uranus Pluto square, on November 1st, and another Scorpio eclipse, on November 3rd. They are the astrological complement to the work we begin now.
Following Aries annual fireworks, the Sun’s entrance into placid, peaceful Taurus is usually a welcome relief. The fierce and feisty energies of the Ram’s cycle settle into the stable and sturdy territory of the Bull. In the Northern hemisphere, we marvel as the natural world returns to life, bountiful and boundless. A sense of serenity is restored. The 2013 Taurus cycle is more challenging than usual and will conclude dramatically with the next Pluto Uranus square. This three-year-cycle is a gateway to ascension. Reflecting on nature’s abiding ability to start afresh and to flourish is the starting point. The stars are aligning to help us reconcile the past as we intone the future. The critical question here and now is do we want to hold on or move on, and its answer is love.