New Moon in Taurus: “There is no way to repress pleasure and expect liberation, satisfaction, or joy.” ― Adrienne Maree Brown, Pleasure Activism: The Politics of Feeling Good
Featured Deck: The Moon Oracle by Caroline Smith and John Astrop.
Featured Plant: Rose
Two posts in one week! This is a shorty. I got the hankering to use an oracle deck I have had for over twenty years, yet rarely use, The Moon Oracle by Caroline Smith and John Astrop.
With this deck, you first set out a card that represents the current phase of the moon. We are in a new/dark moon in the Earth sign of Taurus so I have placed out the Black Moon-Earth card. While astronomically this is the new moon, in some mystical traditions (including my own), the term new moon actually refers to the first waxing crescent, which should appear a few days after the astronomical new moon. While many now use this time to manifest, I use this time to plan and formulate and once that first sliver of crescent appears, then I begin my work to grow things in my life.
There are three suits in this deck, each shuffled separately and pulled. They are lunar phase, lunar mansion, and Goddess. When asking what message this Taurean Moon is sending, I pulled Gibbous Waxing Fire, Sceptre, and Hera. This spread is all about pleasure and power. Fitting given that Taurus is a sign of earthly power. Grounded. Fixed. Taurus reminds us that we are creatures of this earth and it is ok to take pleasure in and indulge in the material and sensual, within reason. Pleasure tempered can be a path to power. Gibbous-waxing-fire tells us to look to the period preceding the full moon, particularly if the moon is in a fire sign. This will be a time of potential for us, when we can offer an extra boost of vital energy towards manifesting our goals. Fire itself being the element of passion and vitality. The waxing gibbous is not the time to start the work, that should start at the first waxing crescent, but as the moon builds towards fullness, we can add the intensifying energy to our endeavors. The Lunar mansion, Sceptre, shows we have ambitions for more than we currently have. Remember, whatever it is, it is earthly or pleasurable in nature; perhaps a new job or position? A new piece of property? A makeover? A slice of decadent chocolate cake? It also indicates the possibility for obtaining whatever this goal is. The power to do so is there, but gaining such power requires forethought and planning on our parts. We can’t just rely on luck and chance. Do we need to take a class, develop a new skill, or simply practice time management for our indulgence? Hera, the Queen of the Gods, sits upon her throne fully embodying someone who has accepted the mantle of their power and pleasurable things they have gained. Anyone familiar with Greek mythology however can tell you that the other lesson of Hera is the reminder that having power and our basic needs met doesn’t mean we no longer have insecurity. We must check ourselves and ask, do we really want this? Will it bring us joy, or do we crave it because we are insecure.
Will you grasp the sceptre of power this new moon and make your pleasures reality? If you have any roses budding in your garden, Venus’s favorite blossom, cut one and place it in a vase of water. As it blooms and opens with the waxing moon, so to let your power to embrace pleasure.
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