From Aries to Taurus

Mars entered Taurus on Wednesday, May 11th, beginning the cavalcade of planets moving out of fiery Aries and into earthy Taurus.  On May 15th, both Mercury and Venus move into Taurus as well, leaving only Jupiter and Uranus in the Sign of the Ram.  There have been up to six planets at a time in Aries since about the beginning of April, and we now enter a cooling-off period after May 16th.  Aries energy, when used positively, can bring us to fearlessly undertake new beginnings, bold actions, and heroic efforts.  A high concentration of planets in any sign will inevitably bring to light the shadow aspects of that sign as well.  Some of  the dark expressions of Aries are violence, narcissism, and recklessness.  We have seen both sides of the Aries coin highlighted on the world stage.  In your life, you may have also seen these Aries themes playing out more personally as competition and anger (either expressed or repressed), or as a sense of urgency to start something new. For more information on the transiting Aries stellium, check out my article about the Full Moon in Libra in last month's newsletter.

But the upcoming Full Moon in Scorpio on Tuesday, May 17th, marks the shift of action into Taurus.  There will be four planets there: the Sun, Mercury, Venus, and Mars.  While Aries is about the fierce energy of birthing something new, Taurus energy is about slowing down to gather the resources we need in order to move forward with what we’ve started.  Taurus wants to dig into the ongoing task of feeding the fire that was ignited in Aries so that it does not run out of fuel. Consider what projects, relationships, and ideas were “born” over the past six weeks since the New Moon in Aries. What does this “baby” need to move to the next stage of its development?  Taurus energy is about gathering the things we need to ensure the survival of what we’ve created.

The movement from Aries to Taurus also signifies a movement from yang energy (assertive, active) to yin energy (receptive, attractive).  This is a time of making slower, more considered moves as opposed to taking risky and impulsive actions.  After the presence of so many planets in high-adrenaline Aries, Taurus-time is about quieting down and relaxing. The message of Taurus is to take your time, look around, and evaluate what you have.  Taurus connects us to the awareness of our resources, and appreciation of the earthly abundance in our lives.

Although the faster-moving planets begin to move out of Taurus in early to mid-June, Jupiter leaves Aries and enters Taurus for a solid year-long stint on June 4th.  In my June Newsletter, I’ll be focusing on Jupiter in Taurus and its upcoming trine to Pluto in Capricorn.  This ongoing earth trine, lasting for several months, will be intensifying our awareness of connection to resources, nature, and the material world.