In the Pacific Time Zone, the Moon will be full at 3:45 a.m. on Thursday, May 7. With this Full Moon, the Sun in Taurus will be in opposition (180°) to the Moon in Scorpio. To further clarify how this Full Moon will impact you on a personal level, locate 18° of Taurus and 18° of Scorpio in your birth/natal chart. The issues associated with those two houses are going to be most impacted by this Full Moon’s presence.
With all Full Moons, we are being asked to evaluate whether or not we are effectively balancing two seemingly opposite areas of our lives. With this Scorpio Full Moon, we need to look at the balance between Taurus and Scorpio:
- The Sun is in Taurus: The higher expression of this sign includes being grounded, responsible, resourceful, patient, and loyal. The lower expression, though, can include being stubborn, resistant to change, overly cautious, and very materialistic.
- The Moon is in Scorpio: The higher expression includes being determined, investigative, passionate, healing, spiritual, and deep. The lower expression can include being over-bearing, intolerant, secretive, jealous, and overly intense.
Unless we seek a healthy balance between the two signs involved, the lower expression of each sign is more likely to be expressed than the higher expression. This is why we all need to consciously choose to seek balance.
Both Taurus and Scorpio are similar in one way: They are both are fixed signs. This means that we will have ample determination if we decide we want to do something. Taurus will help us stay grounded and realistic, and Scorpio will support us in “going deep” if the answers aren’t immediately apparent. It will also help us see what is truly important, which will show us when, where, and how to take those determined actions.
It is likely that we will all feel a push to seek out information because Mercury is conjunct (0°) the Sun and in opposition (180°) to the Moon. We will want to understand. We could benefit from “talking it through,” as long as we can do this with someone who can be patient with our slower Mercury-in-Taurus processing speed. Bulls do not like to be rushed. If we try to go too fast, then we could get stung by Scorpio’s stinger. Therefore, this needs to be a special person; a kindred spirit who will pace with us and is also willing to dive into the depths of our psyches if we need to sort out any of the Scorpio Moon’s penchant for seeing information in the darker corners of our emotional worlds. Scorpio does have a tendency to compulsively start going deeper and deeper; therefore, it will help if we can allow Taurus to remind us to enjoy the beauty of the pasture inhabited by the bull. We don’t need to figure everything out all at once.
Given there is a trine (120°) between the Jupiter/Pluto conjunct (0°) in Capricorn and the Sun/Mercury conjunct (0°) in Taurus, that means that there is also a sextile (60°) between Jupiter/Pluto and the Moon in Scorpio. Pluto is Scorpio’s ruler, and Pluto and Scorpio often have a penchant for uncovering hidden information. The easy flow of energy that happens with trines and sextiles may mean that we have a greater chance than usual at finding out what we need or want to know. However, given Jupiter is involved, we do need to remember to respect each other’s privacy and boundaries. Just because we can doesn’t mean we should.
At the time of the Full Moon, there is also a square (90°) between Venus and Neptune. This can be a tricky aspect. Neptune is known for not seeing things realistically, and Venus is often associated with relationships (especially romantic ones) and finance. Squares usually represent turning points, but the time around the Full Moon would probably not be the best time to make any serious decisions about either area of our life. Neptune’s presence means that we may be seeing the world through rose-colored glasses, even though we think we aren’t. Once those rosy spectacles are removed, we may reconsider what just days earlier appeared to be a “sure thing.” If whatever we want is worth having, then it will wait a few days.
However, Neptune is also in a lovely trine (120°) to the Moon and in sextiles (60°) to the Sun/Mercury conjunction (0°). These aspects may mean that we feel like we are floating on a cloud of cotton candy one minute and then crashing down to Earth the next, only to float up again into those delicious clouds. Illusions are definitely possible, which reinforces a delay in making any decisions. On the plus side, this setup is highly imaginative, compassionate, and intuitive. We may feel more willing to adapt and “go with the flow” than would be typical, which is helpful given a Scorpio Moon usually doesn’t know how to stop once it starts digging into our emotions with the goal of discovering what is hidden just below our level of awareness. If we can work with the Taurus side of the equation, we may find it easier to simply focus on “being,” which may result in feeling a sense of peace that is very healing,
But let’s talk about those changing energies because there are a lot of them! First, on Monday, May 4, the Moon’s Nodes will change signs from the Cancer/Capricorn axis to the Gemini/Sagittarius axis. The Nodes only change signs every 2.5 years, so this is a big deal. While in Cancer/Capricorn, we have all been working on integrating the lessons we’ve learned from the past (South Node in Capricorn) into a more nurturing present and future (North Node in Cancer). Now, our individual and collective focus will shift. We will be looking for ways to use the ethical and spiritual wisdom we have gained over the years (South Node in Sag) to learn how to communicate honestly and clearly (North Node in Gemini). Many astrologers are talking about the next few years being a time when we will all be evaluating the difference between “fact” and “wishful thinking.”
But this isn’t the only change coming up during the next 2 weeks. Between May 10 to May 14, the following 5 planets will all either change signs or change direction. It’s very likely many of us will be feeling a “shift in the winds.”
- On Sunday, May 10, Saturn begins its next 4-month retrograde cycle, which will continue through the end of September. Saturn is the planet associated with life’s lesson, so while in retrograde, we may be pulling inward to review what we have learned over the past few months and integrating those lessons into the basic structure of our psyches. It is interesting to note that Saturn just moved into Aquarius on March 23. As of mid-May, it will move back into Capricorn again and stay there for the remainder of its retrograde period. Starting off in Aquarius, which is the sign associated with humanitarianism, means that we may begin this retrograde period with an inner exploration of how we can best help others as part of a global community. Then when Saturn moves back into Capricorn, we may be contemplating what changes are needed in our society and political systems in order to meet this humanitarian goal. We may not fully act on those insights until Saturn begins moving direct again and reenters Aquarius (for good this time) in mid-December.
- Monday, May 11, sees Mercury moving out of grounded Taurus and into airy Gemini. Although it will only be in Gemini until May 29, Mercury is the ruler of Gemini, so it feels right at home. We are ready to talk to with others, and our minds are curious about everything! We want to learn new things, but we tend to not want to go too deeply into any one subject. We prefer a buffet or smorgasbord over a rich meal with limited options. While Mercury is in Gemini, we can be easily distracted and feel a bit “ADD-ish.” However, we usually will have fun on whatever tangent we go on, especially if we learn something new along the way.
- Then on Tuesday, May 12, Venus begins moving retrograde. As we discussed in the last Moon Update, Venus’s retrograde period will extend its stay in Gemini until the early part of August. While moving retrograde (through June 24), we will be spending time internally exploring our values and desires, particularly related to our relationships and finances. We might be reevaluating recent decisions or actions in order to glean a clearer understanding, or we may decide to completely change course and go in a new direction that is more aligned with who we have become. Given Venus will be retrograde in the sign of Gemini, this means that we may also be rethinking anything that we desire, but it may also involve revamping how we communicate.
- On the same day (Tuesday, May 12), Mars moves out of Aquarius and into Pisces for a 6-week stay. Mars isn’t particularly comfortable in the sign of the fishes. It prefers to move in a straight-forward fashion, while Pisces prefers to “swim around the issues.” But given Mars in Pisces is known for its acts of compassion and selfless giving, this placement could provide the energy (Mars) we need to move toward those previously mentioned humanitarian activities. We may also feel very motivated to engage in any activities that involve our imagination or creativity. If something has a spiritual or emotional component to it, then we tend to be more inclined to take action while Mars is in Pisces. It’s also easier than usual for us to put the needs of others ahead of our own. The only true warning is that this placement can result in passive-aggressive behavior.
- Finally, on Thursday, May 14, Jupiter in Capricorn begins its annual retrograde phase, which will end in about 4 months on September 12. Whenever Jupiter goes retrograde, it’s a time when we are reevaluating our ethics, philosophy, and our religious/spiritual beliefs. Given all of these categories are externally expressed in our culture and Capricorn has to do with structures in our lives, this may mean that we are engaged in reexamining both personal and societal needs. Time will be spent reviewing the principles that we use to run our lives, and this may alter our long-term goals and help us decide to let go of responsibilities and roles that no longer serve us. In general, we are seeking to rediscover meaning and purpose in our lives, and we also want to reestablish our faith, both in ourselves and in the world around us.
Overall, this Scorpio Full Moon is an interesting blend of focusing on both our emotional/relational and physical/financial worlds. As with all Full Moons, balance is the goal. We need to evaluate whether one side has been receiving less attention recently and might need some of the Neptunian compassion that is readily available right now. And with Mercury being so involved in the Full Moon, we will no doubt be thinking a lot about all of this. There is a determined energy right now that will be hard to deny, and we should take advantage of it. Our power will be greatest if we can use the Taurus/Scorpio energy to find a better alignment between our body (Taurus), mind (Mercury), and spirit (Scorpio). When all of these areas of our human lives are being addressed, this is when we are fully empowered! Given we still have the Jupiter/Pluto conjunct in Capricorn influencing us, any actions should be grounded and lead to concrete changes. But with so many changes in planetary direction and signs, we are well advised to use the energy of Taurus to slow down, take care of our bodies, and smell the roses along the way. Especially beginning in mid-May, it will be time to turn inward and respect that the retrograde season is upon us, and its time to reflect, reexamine, reevaluated, etc. . . . all those re-words associated with retrogrades. If we can do the work now, then we’ll be better prepared for the powerful energies coming this fall.
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THIS BLOG POST WAS WRITTEN BY
- Anne Reith, Ph.D. (AnneReith.com)
- For information about Dr. Reith’s downloadable eBooks and meditations, feel free to visit her online Store
SOME INFORMATION TAKEN FROM
- The Mountain Astrologer (magazine)
- Various online sources (e.g., www.cafeastrology.com)
REMINDER
- New Moons and Full Moons often influence us for the 3 days before and 3 days after the actual event.
FULL MOON
Full Moon at 18° of Scorpio
- Thursday, May 7, 2020, 3:45 a.m. PDT
- Thursday, May 7, 2020, 6:45 a.m. EDT
- Thursday, May 7, 2020, 10:45 a.m. GMT