Big Strength : The Super Moon in Taurus
The following is an excerpt from my exclusive bi-monthly newsletter for the Lunar Apothecary. Each month I explore moon signs, mansions, and phases, herbal remedies, and magickal practices. And because Worts + Cunning Apothecary is grounded in the work of social justice, we talk about healing with a wide-hearted view of healing the personal, the cultural, and our planet as a whole. Enjoy!
2016. Damn.
The world is rumbling. Unions between nations are coming undone. Hatefulness no longer attempts to hide itself behind the falseness of civility in the politics of my home country (and, let's be real, the politicians in the USA haven't even been doing that good of a job at holding on to what scrap civility was left in politics for a long while).
And yet, are we surprised?
Let's get Taurean about this for a moment. Taurus is the sign of the long haul, not the short cut. It's guardian is Venus - a planet invested in harmonious relationships between all beings gained through fairness and justice. For Taurus Moonfolk, their energy in times of crisis can be about waiting it out, storing up for a long winter, and making sure that the greenhouse is in good shape. You see, archetypal Taurean energy has already been prepared for the possibility of an unapologetic bigot in one of the most powerful political positions in the world. Because they have watched the way that the garden has struggled to grow in the soil of poisoned policies and rhetoric. How the water is drying up as politicians and people around the world deny the urgency of climate change. How the continued disenfranchisement of the poor has led to the easy path of hatred of the "other."
Taurus embodies the phrase I've seen over and over again to describe feelings about the results of the USA election: disappointed but not surprised.
image by chelsea bock
Taurus promises strength through getting grounded and preparing for the long journey ahead. Typically, when the Moon is in Taurus it is an ideal time to practice grounding and centering magick and planting seeds into the earth. But the upcoming Full Moon in Taurus has a number of interesting aspects that change-up the grounded certainty of the Bull.
First, the Full Moon is the second-to-last Super Moon of 2016. But, what is a Super Moon? It signifies when the Moon's position is closer to the earth than is typical, which means that our beloved Luna appears bigger and brighter in the sky. The Taurus Super Moon will be the biggest and brightest since 1948 and it won't be this size again until 2034 (check out NASA for further details). So already there is an expansion of energy with this Moon. Second, the Full Moon will be in the Fifth Mansion. The Fifth Mansion straddles the last part of Taurus into the next sign, Gemini. While Taurus likes long stubborn silences, Gemini is interested in talking it out. The Fifth Mansion pulls the energy of Taurus up from the its comfortable seat of garden-groundedness into big celestial vision.
In fact, the Fifth Mansion embodies the energy of grieve and then organize. Shed your tears and then rise up. For it is our tears water the soil of our resistance and run like blood through the heart of our fight. And that is what it looks like when Taurus and Gemini get together to make change happen. That is your invitation, Luna, for this most wondrous of Super Moons in a time of upheaval - cast the net of your vision wider than the familiar scope of your garden without forgetting your love of your feet upon the earth. This Taurus Super Moon teaches us that the bigness our strength emerges not from hunkering down and turning the curve of our back into a shield, but in throwing wide our arms and embracing our vision of ourselves as whole and seen and heard.
Ask yourself this Super Moon:
What vision gives you strength?
image by gor davtyan
So, let's talk about remedies for folks who are feeling traumatized and re-traumatized by world events.
Bach Rescue Remedy is amazing. I keep multiple bottles on hand to give to folks. (If you don't know already, the Rescue Remedy essence that you by in shops is a stock bottle meaning that you can use it to create dosage bottles.) Milky Oat (Avena sativa) is my go-to nervine. Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora) is another good one, especially when someone is running through the same thoughts over and over again. Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) has become my favorite adaptogenic herb. It is especially wonderful in the evenings mixed with some milk of choice and sweetened with honey (or vegan alternative). Use it to help mellow out the overactive adrenaline responses so many are having as minds and bodies go into flight-or-fight survival mode. Rose (Rosa spp.) always for times of heartbreak. The Rose is a Venusian herb and therefore, a Taurus one, too. The Full Moon in Taurus is a good time to create your emotional first-aid kit, so consider doing so under the rapture of the Moon's glow.
If you're looking for inspiration for an emotional first-aid kit why not start with the Plant Ally Project: Indispensable Herb List? You can also learn more about the astroherbology of Taurus, including the parts of the body that Taurus guards and recommended herbs. And if you're looking for a healing space to call home while learning herbal medicine and magick, you should check this out.
