Attuning to the Grounding energy of Taurus

Was the last two months of Eclipse Season fast paced for you? Relentless? Challenging?

The recent eclipse phase was tough for me, especially starting around my birthday in early March. It brought a lot of stress and challenges, with difficult circumstances and untimely deaths and painful losses, not directly within my immediate family, but within my close circle.  

Time flew by quickly, making me realize to reevaluate my priorities and make room for more self-care. Now that the eclipse season is over and the energy has shifted, things feel calmer. Although there's a lot on my plate, there's a sense of relief and hope for peaceful moments in the midst of the busy days ahead.

Reflecting on my journey as a Reverend, teacher, and seeker of spiritual truths, one of the things I’ve been learning this year is that nurturing our own well-being is the cornerstone of our ability to uplift and support others. In the busy dance of life, with all the responsibilities and obligations we carry, it's easy to forget to take care of ourselves. Self-care isn't selfish; it's a necessary act of love.

One way that I make changes and improvements in my life is by aligning my actions and energy to the Moon Cycle, like gardening with the Moon.

On Tuesday, May 7th there is the New Moon, with the sun and moon both gracing Taurus, a time I absolutely adore. The New Moon is a time for “seeding your dreams” by concentrating your energy on what you deeply desire to bring into your life.  You can do this in the form of a Moon ritual.  I use a Medicine Wheel to “seed my dreams” and record what I want to bring into my life.

This is the diagram of the Native American Medicine Wheel. On a very basic level, it's a simple map, with directions like east, south, west, and north. But it's more than that; it can also serve as a map for the community. The Medicine Wheel also serves as a map of the self, encompassing intellect, body, emotions, and spirit with a harmonious energy so I encourage you to utilize the Medicine Wheel and the New Moon to plant seeds for your dreams.

This week, as the New Moon emerges in Taurus, it's a perfect time to create a New Moon Wheel. Write down your intentions, desires, and areas in need of healing. You're free to write or draw whatever inspires you to manifest those intentions. I started pairing the Medicine wheel to Moon work, and it's proving to be a powerful tool for healing and creating balance.

If you are needing it like me, you can “seed the Moon” with your desire for increased self-care and rejuvenation.  Seeding this with the New Moon or in the waxing phase (getting bigger) of teh Moon cycle, will help this energy to grow in your life.

Here are some other keyword, ideas, and concepts for the New Moon Taurus:

- Money, material comforts possessions,
- Self Care
- Security,Sensual Pleasure, Physical
- Stimulation of the senses
- Contentment, Appreciation, Gratitude,
- Rapport with Nature
- Solid Foundations
- Persistence
- Progressing step by step
- Perseverance
- Patience, Dependability, Trustworthiness
- Self worth
- Earning Power
- Inner Talents
- Setting appropriate boundaries
- Peace
- Beauty
- Stubbornness
- Resistance to change, stagnation
- Throat, chin and neck
- Coughs, Thyroid gland, vocal cords.

The above list was reprinted from Jan Spiller’s book, New Moon Astrology.

In addition to “seeding my dreams” in a New Moon Wheel, I also deliberately garden in attunement with the Moon.

I've been carefully observing the plants in my garden and the surrounding wilderness to determine the best times for planting. With the New Moons falling late in the Zodiac Signs, I've been hesitant about planting annuals, despite the warm weather. Here in Sedona, I've heard that when the mesquite trees bloom, it's time to plant tomatoes and other frost-sensitive annuals. The mesquite bloomed just over a week ago, so I transplanted my tomatoes last weekend. Now, as the Moon enters Cancer this week, I plan to sow a Three Sisters Garden — corn, squash, and beans — from seed during the waxing Crescent phase. I'm sharing this because I like to align my projects and endeavors with nature's cycles.

When it comes to planting, I find the sun in Taurus and the moon in Cancer to be the most fertile times. Taurus brings the grounding energy of earth, while Cancer adds the nurturing quality of water, making it ideal for planting seeds, whether they be for gardens or projects. I've observed that engaging in Moon Work grounds me, especially when I align my actions with the rhythms of both the sun and the moon. It helps me regain my balance when I feel disoriented. It's during these seasons that I feel centered and connected to the earth.

I do my Moon work and garden work as a form of self-care and love.  The Moon work centers and grounds me and helps keep me oriented when life is busy, hectic, and maybe even overwhelming.  In addition, the Medicine Wheel is a tool for wholeness, healing, and balance.