Lunar Health Cycles has been written with care and compassion by Jon Keyes since its inception. However, with a new book project requiring more of his time, he is giving up the column. Since we can't replace Jonathan's fine work, we're changing the column to a general report on the energies of each New and Full Moon. Thanks so much, Jon, for your great contribution to astrology at StarIQ. We wish you much success and happiness in all aspects of your life.

Taurus-Scorpio Polarity

The Full Moon in Taurus occurs at 5:14 pm (PST) on Saturday, November 8. The annual opposition of the Sun in Scorpio to the Taurus Moon matches two powerful signs with very different agendas. Taurus, the second sign of the zodiac, represents acceptance of the world as it is. Ideally, it’s the Garden of Eden, that place in consciousness where life is pleasant, comfortable and filled with abundance. Taurus isn’t greedy, it’s not hungry for more. Its simple premise is to enjoy the richness of the Earth, the body and the senses. Celebrating the rising natural forces of mid-spring (in the Northern Hemisphere), Taurus, the sign of the Buddha, is contentment personified.

Scorpio, on the other hand, is the time of falling leaves, the post-harvest period when winter looms and food stocks are measured against mouths to be fed in the hard months ahead. It is a time for culling the flock, not chewing one’s cud, and remembering that death is the partner of life. Transformation is a key Scorpio concept, the notion that all things must change. Taurean simplicity and comfort cannot last forever. No form, no life, no energy exists unchanged, eternal. This Full Moon illuminates the night with the polar forces of holding on and letting go. And, as always, the choice is not to pick one side or the other, but to understand both well enough to be able to stand in either place, depending upon which is more appropriate in a given circumstance.

Taurus reminds us of the pleasures of simply existing without pain, without questions or doubt. Accepting ourselves and our situations can be a powerful means to overcome the constant stresses in which we live. Yet, Scorpio reminds us, too, that there are times to give up old habits and surrender safety to engage in the ongoing processes of growth and change. Pleasure and pain both have value and both have limitations. This Full Moon tends to dramatize the differences between the two in ways that make our choices seem more critical. Shall we cling to the dull safety of what we know or risk it for the exciting uncertainty of the unknown? One answer might suit you in your work and the other in your personal life. In fact, the more rewarding path is not necessarily in finding the answer, but seeing what you learn about yourself by continuing to question your needs, desires and values.

Sex, Power and a Lunar Eclipse

Taurus, an Earth sign, is physical and sensual. Scorpio, a Water sign, is emotional and sexual. The former is about possession, the later is about exchange. As a pair, they have a great deal to do with finding ways in relationships to be true to ourselves while addressing the needs of our partners. The natural give and take in any relationship can be more stressed than usual now as “what I need” and “what I owe” tend to up for debate. The fixed, i.e., stubborn, nature of these signs can lead to taking entrenched positions in which there can be the feeling that if one person gets what he or she wants, the other must lose something. Power struggles may ensue.

Harmonic Concordance

This is an event-packed Full Moon. There’s the eclipse of the Moon, and Uranus, the planet of revolution, turning direct, as well. Nebulous Neptune is in a challenging square to the Full Moon, too. Mars is passing the “shadow” point of this year’s earlier retrograde cycle, finally bringing this planet into new zodiacal territory. So, we’ve got two “go” signals—Uranus and Mars, one “stop” signal—the lunar eclipse, and one “who the hell knows where we are” signal—Neptune. This may seem confusing, but it might be the best way to overcome the stubborn stand-off of Taurus and Scorpio. Being pulled in more than one direction may not be comfortable, but blurring the lines could be what it takes to make needed paradigm shifts.

There are, additionally, two Grand Trines (Moon-Jupiter-Chiron and Sun-Mars-Saturn) interlocking and making a six-pointed star, each point approximately 60-degrees from the next. This is called a Grand Sextile, and is considered to be an energy-rich pattern filled with creative potential. (See astrologer Mary Shea's article on Star of David patterns for more information.) One astrologer has dubbed it the “Harmonic Concordance” and is promoting it as an exceptional time for spiritual work. While this is clearly a powerful pattern, I’m not quite sure that it’s going to mark a major change in human consciousness any more than the “Harmonic Convergence” of August 1987 did. Certainly, it’s positive for groups to gather in prayerful ceremony or mass meditation in the cause of higher consciousness. And, it is impossible to measure the effects of such events, especially when metaphysical dimensions are considered as part of the calculation. In my suspicious Scorpionic mode I’m tempted to call it the “Harmonic Contrivance,” but my Taurus side recognizes the positive benefits of all acts of good will. (See Ken Kalb’s article A Reality Check on the Harmonic Concordance and Kelly Phipp's article on this event for more information.)

The truth, as every Full Moon reminds us, is not one-sided, so perhaps it’s not necessary to judge how important this event is, to support it or to mock it. In the contrasting domains of Taurean simplicity and Scorpionic mystery the greatest gift may be in recognizing that truth, like life, moves. When we are able to meet our deepest fears and our greatest desires with flexibility we are freed from the absolutes of right and wrong, pain and pleasure. Relationship is no longer an object, but a verb—relating. And the body is not a possession, but a process. Be well.