The New Moon in Taurus: I Said Water It

"There is a fullness of all things, even of sleep and love." -Homer (800 BC - 700 BC)

Over the past four weeks since the last new moon in Aries, we may have had the opportunity to plant something new in our lives. And like any thing that we want to grow, it's important to remember that a seedling needs constant attention. And to me that's what Taurus is about- the warming temperatures, the nourishing rain and the bright sun that is constant and persistent in order to enliven a seed (inspiration) and help it to grow and flower.

This new moon in Taurus is about keepin' on keepin' on. This implies responsibility and the slow and steady pace used by one who will see something to its fullness.

And then Taurus passes onto Gemini where those sensual (read data gathering) experiences are translated into symbols (words) that can be exchanged (Gemini). But more on that next month.

For now let's look at the Taurus new moon...Read more

Gen X Has a Midlife Crisis

"At a certain point, Dad buys a sports car, or starts a rock band, or has an affair or walks out on Mom or quits the law firm to make goat cheese. When this kind of thing happens to Mom, it’s not a crisis but an awakening. In any case, the driving impulse is to shake off the straitjacket of adulthood and find some way to feel young again."

via Gen X Has a Midlife Crisis - NYTimes.com.

Astrology, if nothing else, is the study of cycles. We astrologers watch as the planets trace their orbits around the sun, like the smooth and steady sweep of the second hand on a clock. And just has the hours are marked by the return of the minute hand to twelve, so too are the cycles of one's life marked by a planet's position in relation to where it began, years ago, at one's birth.

Saturn's orbit around the sun is roughly 29.5 years and you may be familiar with the phrase "the Saturn return" - that time in everyone's late twenties when the gravity of adulthood and the anxiety associated with getting one's shit together culminates into a life crisis where we may feel compelled to buckle down, pull ourselves together, and march maturely forward. Saturn represents structure, self-preservation, and consolidation. And for many of us our late 20s are when we're transitioning from young adult to "adult." This is when we begin to create the structures of our life- career, family, and all the responsibilities that come with it.

The next major cycle in one's life can be linked to the planet Uranus, which takes 84 years to trace its path around the sun. This means by the time you're in your early 40s Uranus has gone halfway around and is in the opposite position from where it started when you were born. Unlike Saturn, which represents structure and responsibility, the planet Uranus is a symbol for the Promethean urge for liberation, awakening, and rebellion. During the time Uranus opposes itself in one's chart is when one feels a growing need to break free from the structures that feel limiting, routine, or burdensome (Saturn). Thus the image of the middle-aged man driving a red Corvette and chasing younger women- of returning to a time when one had the freedom of youth.

Those symptoms are but one manifestation of what can be a major turning point in one's life where the creative energy that may have lain dormant for many years is beginning to rise up, like the kundalini. If we suppress it, ignore it, or disavow it then we may fall victim to it and find ourselves abandoning our support systems for unadulterated freedom at any cost. But if we're able to recognize these feelings and accept that life needs to change in order to accommodate our evolving soul then we can channel this energy into more productive pursuits.

As a member of Gen X, and as someone who is currently experiencing his Uranus opposition, I can tell you that it is an exciting time when I feel the creativity and energy available to me. And I can see how this energy will "liberate" me, just as the fire Prometheus stole from the gods liberated humanity. It's not a time to abandon structure and discipline, but a time to channel my energy through them in order to move forward in my personal evolution.

If you're in your early 40s I'd love to hear from you about what you're experiencing in life. You can write to me or use the contact form on this site.

"If every day is an awakening, you will never grow old. You will just keep growing." -Gail Sheehy