This is the full Moon to listen within and understand what it is you desire most. The Sun in Taurus opens us to the energies that fertilize life, just as the Earth is opening up to the Sun's growing heat. You too are a living, growing part of Earth's environment, and you have a place in her promised growth. The more conscious you are of the fertility of these times, the more you can use the energy to enhance your life. Venus, Taurus' ruling planet, is at 7 Aries, the degree of the Aries new Moon on March 26^th. This degree is all about integrating the spiritual with the material. Venus is all about connection. Give everyone in your life your full attention when you're with them. Be in the NOW. Connect!

The Taurus new Moon on April 24^th energized us to transform our desires and bring them into alignment with the new realities of our world. Do we really need to continue the conspicuous consumption that feeds run-away capitalism or will we use our common sense and make due with less. Before you can build something of worth, you have to know what your values are and make them your foundation.

We are all connected – the air we breathe, the Earth we share, the worries and hardships and joys of being human – and that makes us responsible for each other. This full Moon is in a creative relationship with Saturn, which is slowing down in Virgo and will turn direct (it's been retrograde since December 31, 2008) on May 16 at 15 Virgo. Saturn is the energy of responsibility and authority, when used consciously. In Virgo, it lends us energy to order our days, work on our talents, take care of our health. This is the last year and a half of Saturn in Virgo, so we need to take advantage of the order, discrimination and self-knowledge that Saturn in Virgo bestows.

The full Moon is in Scorpio, digging out our darkest secret desires. Do we really want what we think we want or can we release (a Scorpionic imperative) our petty needs so that our soul's need is served. Scorpio is all about the struggle with our feeling nature – our jealousies, our hatreds, our neediness, our obsessions, our resentments. The values (Taurus) that center our lives need to be the touchstone that helps us release old negative feelings about ourselves and others. This is the release that the Buddha achieved in his enlightenment as well as in his death. These are the illusions and delusions that keep us suffering. Once we re-ground ourselves in the Earth and her cycles, we remember that birth and death are both part of life. Let the old in you die, so that you have room for new life.

This full Moon squares (challenges and changes we need to face) the three energies in Aquarius – Jupiter, Chiron and Neptune. These three planets can either heal us of our wounds and open us to the truth of our oneness, or it can spread disillusionment as well as disease. My friend Diane Clark 'called' the appearance of the 'pandemic' a month before we heard about it because of this conjunction of planets. (Astrology does show tendencies and so can be predictive.) So we can fall into the fear it is generating (or the media is generating) to stop touching, stop kissing, stop being with each other (all Taurus pleasures) because of fear of death (Scorpio). Or we can stand up for our principles and believe that touching, kissing and community are ideals that hold us together and will protect us (you can still wash your hands!) in ways that fear won't.

The other spreading 'pandemic' appears to be on the Internet. I don't know about anyone else, but I've had more virus/spyware alerts on my virus protector than in all the years I've been on the Internet (15 years). Also, the other day when I googled something, every link took me to a site that was infected (my virus protection wouldn't let me go there). If google is infected, who isn't? While these are some examples of collective 'sharing' of illness, these planets in conjunction can also energize a more idealistic vision of healing and unity that Aquarius so values. Our Aquarian technology needs to be healed.

The Internet issues relate to Mercury going retrograde on May 6-7 at 2 Gemini as well. During the past few weeks, while Mercury was going through the degrees that it will retrograde back over (starting on April 22), machines, computers, cars started breaking down. Perhaps because Mercury was in Taurus, a fixed earth sign, people felt this shadow period almost as much as they do during the retrograde phase.

Mercury retrograde in Gemini asks us to re-think our plans, re-organize our priorities and learn to quiet the mind. Mercury in Taurus wants us to remember our values and our worth. So in these changing times, we have to tame our thoughts, bring them down to earth and into the NOW. While 2 Gemini speaks to a gift being passed around (like a virus??) 23 Taurus is an image of a jewelry shop full of magnificent jewels, the values and worthiness we bring to life. We need to remember the great talent, wealth and worth of each human life.

When my machines break down, I realize that I don't even like them and had a quieter, slower life without them. I'd much rather be with friends and family, or even a good book. Our use of the Internet is a choice, how much or how little time we spend on it. I was talking to a librarian friend who was saying that when the computers break down, nobody can find a book. We depend too much on our machines, to our detriment if we ever lose them.

So use this full Moon energy to make choices about life and love and purpose, as well as how gently we use the Earth. Uranus is in a creative relationship to this full Moon, so listen to your dreams so information about your situation.

The Sabian Symbol for the Sun at 19 Taurus: A new continent is rising out of the Ocean. Something new and something immense is being born. Out of disruption comes a new foundation, a new world.

The Sabian Symbol for the Moon at 19 Scorpio: A Parrot listening and then talking, repeats a conversation he has overheard. This symbol is about transmitting information and knowledge. Parrots are very smart birds, so this isn't about blindly parroting something back. This is about our ability to listen deeply to our souls and then remember it and use it in our lives.

 

May the Blessings of the Goddess of Wisdom and Fertility, and the God of Light come into your life this month.

Cathy Pagano

www.wisdom-of-astrology.com

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