EcoAstrology: Taurus - Scorpio Full Moon/Lunar Eclipse and the Impact on Your Life

Guest Blogger Stephanie Austin M.A. is a professional astrologer specializing in life purpose, career, and relationship readings since 1986. She also teaches astrology and writes the New and Full Moon column for the Mountain Astrologer Magazine. Her background includes a bachelor's degree in Psychology, a master's in Consciousness Studies, and a lifelong involvement with meditation, Nature, and healing. For more information on her astrology readings, eBooks, tutorials, and forecasts, please visit www.EcoAstrology.com. You can read the entire article on her website.

Important Dates:
Thursday, April 25: Lunar Eclipse 12:57 PM PDT (6º Scorpio-Taurus)
Sunday, April 28: Sun opposite Saturn (8º Taurus-Scorpio)
Tuesday, April 30: Mars opposite Saturn (8º Taurus-Scorpio)
Thursday, May 9: Solar Eclipse 5:28 PM PDT (20º Taurus)
Monday, May 20: 3rd Uranus-Square Pluto (11º Aries-Capricorn)
Friday, May 24: Lunar Eclipse 9:25 PM PDT (4º Gemini-Sagittarius)

April 23, 2013
Dear Friends,

The full moon which peaks on Thursday, April 25 at 12:57 PM PDT is a lunar eclipse, the first of three eclipses in a row. Every six months, the Sun, Moon, and Earth align precisely enough to form an eclipse, interrupting the billions of watts of solar radiation streaming onto our planet every second. Eclipses are thus extra potent new and full moons, signaling major endings and beginnings. During an eclipse, energy matrices dissolve, new codes are downloaded, and consciousness is reconfigured. This one will be a partial eclipse, visible in Asia, Australia, Europe, Africa, and Antarctica, but its electromagnetic effects impact all life on Earth. For information on the astronomy of this lunar eclipse, and eclipses in general, visit http://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/when-is-the-next-total-lunar-eclipse-for-north-america.

All eclipses occur in relation to the lunar nodes, the points in space where the Moon’s orbit intersects the Earth’s path around the Sun. The North Node, where the Moon ascends as it crosses the ecliptic, points toward the future, identifying what will help us to evolve into greater consciousness and connection. The South Node, where the Moon descends across the ecliptic, denotes the past, signifying the patterns and beliefs holding us back. When the Sun is close to the South Node (as is the case for the three eclipses this spring), we experience greater pressure to release long-standing patterns, personally and collectively.

All full moons bring light to the dark, to what is now ripe to be seen and transformed. This one highlights the archetypes of Taurus and Scorpio, the polarities of security and evolution, self-sufficiency and sharing, acquiring and relinquishing. As the first earth sign, Taurus seeks to develop a healthy relationship to the physical world — to one’s body, senses, and resources — and to live in alignment with one’s own values. Ruled by Venus, Taurus also represents the development of self-esteem. Not only is the Sun in Taurus, but Mars, Venus, the asteroid Pallas, and the South Node as well, calling us back to our senses, to what feeds our hearts and souls. As in the Aries new moon, Mars is again close to the Sun, spurring us to take action. Venus is less than one degree from Pallas, linking the mythic Goddess of Love and Beauty with the Goddess of Wisdom and Justice, continuing the previous new moon’s theme of greater balance between the feminine and masculine.

In Taurus, we discover what we must have; in Scorpio, what we must leave behind. Change is exciting and scary as we go into the dark, the unknown; the fear of loss makes it difficult to remember that something else will come in place of what we lose. Fear aborts the expansion of consciousness faster and more effectively than anything else. Fear makes us myopic; it constricts our vision so that we stay with what is familiar, even when it is unsatisfying and unsustainable. Mars is the traditional ruler of both Aries and Scorpio, signifying the courage required to move forward. The Moon’s proximity to Saturn and the North Node in Scorpio necessitates that we take a realistic look at our lives and release what we have outgrown — a job, a relationship, a place, a way of life — anything out of balance and out of integrity. Boundaries and limits, commitments and goals are clarified when Saturn is opposed by the Sun on April 28 and then by Mars on April 30. What matters most to you? What do you want to blossom in your life? What do you need to weed out? Tune into your body, feelings, and intuition for answers; a grand water trine between Ceres in Cancer, Saturn in Scorpio, and Neptune in Pisces makes it easier get in touch with what we need now.

This lunar eclipse asks us to reevaluate how we live, how we do business, and how we relate to each other. It reminds us that more is not always better. Many Americans have more material wealth but less time to enjoy life than their parents. In 1950, the average size of a new home in the US was 983 square feet; by 2011, it was 2,480 square feet. The average US work week in 1950 was 40.5 hours; it’s now 49 hours. What makes you happy? For inspiration, watch the beautiful film Bhutan: Taking the Middle Path to Happiness (trailer at http://www.bhutan-film.com). What is calling for change in your life? This full moon/lunar eclipse urges us to be proactive, rather than reactive, and to trust that there is something better waiting for us. “Try not to resist the changes that come your way. Instead let life live through you. And do not worry that your life is turning upside down. How do you know that the side you are used to is better than the one to come?" (Rumi)

Namaste,
Stephanie Austin
www.EcoAstrology.com
360-379-3060 

These new and full moon updates are sent as a service to my astrology clients, students, and friends. To subscribe for 25 updates/one year via PayPal click on this link http://ecoastrology.com/forecast.html, or send a check for $12 (or more) to Stephanie Austin, Box 1745, Port Townsend, WA 98368, along with your email address. Your support is greatly appreciated!