Lunar Eclipse in Taurus ~ Nov 19
taurus
Uranus in Taurus Reflections
Over the last few months, as much as I have tried to pull myself out of a bottomless pit of despair and woundedness, I regrettably have not been able to get out of it. My body suffered through one too many extra pastries, lack of exercise, the usual hormonal imbalances and an idly stagnant mental health scene.
Of course you can always look to the intense transits in the sky and one’s evolutionary karma to understand why there is a ton of gunk sitting in front of you, there from whatever reason, through your fault or another’s. Because I am not yet an enlightened monk, I unfortunately cannot dissolve it with the laser focus of my inner light so I need the help of various methods to help me through and astrology is at the end of the day, a big one of those methods.
The pain I’ve been feeling has been so literal, so in the body. The current Uranus in Taurus transit is one of the main culprits with it transiting my Moon sign, and Taurus, in addition to Aries, is the body. Taurus is the physical and emotional needs of a person from which it relates with itself and others and which contribute to survival. It teaches self-sufficiency, foundation-building and learns what its’ needs are. The evolutionary journey starts in Aries, when the Soul is propelled from the womb and experiences the initial spark of life and instinct but it then forms attachments with its surroundings through Taurus, coming to some understanding of what is a part of our survival and values.
Uranus forces us to rebel and become our Authentic self. Its’ electrification initiates our liberation in unexpected ways, being that it is also the planet of shocks. Its’ continued transit through Taurus means we have been jumpstarted into a journey of uncovering what we need to physically and emotionally survive and be our True Selves. And if we aren’t aware of what our needs are or even the concept of having needs then we are up for some surprises.
A divorce, betrayal, loss of income or injury are just a few of the many examples of situations that would force us into learning about why what was didn’t survive and what it is that we will need moving forward to build solid foundations that will last longer. The Taurus bull sure loves sweets so instead of reaching for that pastry, we can focus on what is internally missing in the first place even if it’s painful, go for a brisk walk and make a smoothie instead.
Simultaneously occurring Chiron in Aries makes the stress on the body more difficult, especially the head area, with stress headaches and migraines, and increased inflammation in the body. Chiron is a comet similar to Uranus in that it shows us the nature of our wounds. The theme of these wounds is ever present throughout our lives but Chiron is known as the ‘wounded healer,’ so it becomes a great healer after transforming from them.
Aries instinct is masculine in nature, but it exists in everybody regardless of sex or gender, and where we have not been able to exercise our primal self produces pain. Pluto has drudged up a lot around our world systems through its transit in Capricorn so intense rage is sure to come up especially given the historical existence of patriarchy over thousands of years with many human beings repressed in so many ways. The collective effects of Chiron in Aries are violence, impulsive behavior and tremendous fear. Repressed rage and anxiety results from separation anxiety (initially from the womb), being cutoff from the primal psyche and unactualized will.
As we uncover ways in which our Taurean survival needs are traumatized, the effect on the body and mental health can take a toll. Are we not being forced into taking care of our physical vessels and reevaluating how we manifest our willpower? Do we still have a willpower? I myself have repeatedly imagined my natural brown-skinned self and how she would have felt surviving in nature, killing animals and collecting nuts for food, while adorning herself with natural paint colors taken from flowers and leaves. There is such a feeling of peace and sensual satisfaction from it. Alas, the only option I have is going into a pharmacy with rows of packaging and picking out a ‘beauty’ option to hopefully feel vibrant.
In any case, the uncovering of our independence and earthly selves is paramount, especially if we have to physically survive and isn’t survival the primary concern in our world after all? These transits will continue for another five years. Instead of eternally saddened about the upsets in life or falling into despair, maybe I should realize that indeed there is a ‘basic’ part of my evolutionary journey missing and for much of humankind and it’s up to me to bring it into my existence to fulfill the journey.
Dancing towards Uranus: Lessons in Freedom and Harmony
A Uranus and Venus conjunction happens once almost every year. What a conjunction manifests depends on the nature of the sign the planets conjunct in, or the degree of the zodiac they both ‘collide’ at. On April 22, 2021, they both collided at 10° Taurus. Traditionally ruled by Venus, Taurus energy is determined, devoted and materially creative and resourceful, often the sign of fashion, design, gardening and singing given that it rules the throat chakra and neck. Its’ Venus rulership merges it with Libra territory, giving it artistic ability, such as in dance, and skill in creating harmony, as art is an expression of harmony, symmetry and agreement.
Uranus still has another five years to complete its transit through Taurus. Uranus is an outer planet that guides part of your spiritual journey in evolutionary journey. Its’ mandate is to liberate yourself from the existing structures in your life and to innovate with a spirit of rebellion as you find freedom and new ways of expression. But Uranus’ lightening, electric energy often fulfills its mandate erratically, forcing radical and instantaneous changes and tipping you off your balance and routine.
I felt lots of creativity wanting to express itself recently but was having trouble getting it to flow. It felt as if something new and exciting was coming but hadn’t come yet and the friction kept brewing underneath the surface.
Classical dance is my Libran expression, specifically Indian classical dance, Bharatanatyam. Libra is also cooperation and collaboration and there’s nothing more I love than collaborating with others, artists and non-artists, in creating new works and ideas. This is my life’s breath, and recently I had a chance to get back to my classical Indian dance roots as a couple dance colleagues and I were commissioned to do a video performance for an upcoming virtual convention this summer.
At first my colleagues and I thought we had a couple months to work on our performance but a couple weeks before the Uranus-Venus conjunction, a very early deadline was unexpectedly thrust onto us and we found ourselves working day and night planning, choreographing, rehearsing and editing video. Having to coordinate the video recording of our performance during a continuing pandemic while a couple of us were still waiting to get our second vaccination shots was an additional challenge. There was venting and complaining along the way as we needed to complete everything with electric speed. I realized that the sudden nature of this whole event was Uranus at play.
Interestingly, after joyously dancing for two whole days outside amidst alternating shades of light and dark in the sky turned out be an otherworldly experience and we found ourselves feeling beautifully fulfilled afterwards. Professional and amateur dancers got a chance to work their artistic muscles and create together after a long time. Longstanding ideas were exercised and inventions for the future were stirring. Friendship felt stronger and initial planning around creating with different resources such as film and media occurred. Most importantly, we felt free.
This awesome planet wants you to do something unique as you experience liberation. It forces you into new experiences, painful and joyous, to experience the different. I had never worked with a drone before and was as happy as a delighted little kid when holding dance poses for a flying, buzzing camera above my head even though I couldn’t feel my legs and arms afterwards! Amidst the craziness of these unforeseen circumstances, I was gleeful with a newfound self. The lesson of Uranus is to attain your freedom with even some fun. And with like-minded people.
Instead of focusing on the stress of something unexpected, we can focus on how the experience might lead us to a newfound self. Can we use it to manifest a different part of our selves and even dissolve an outmoded way of functioning? Can we evolve spiritually from it and step into our authenticity? If you can, then you’ve fulfilled a spiritual teaching of Uranus and that’s an accomplishment worth (Taurus) creating for.
Happy Dancing!
Full Moon in Taurus ~ Oct 31
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Transit update: Uranus in Taurus
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Transit update for the US
Unfortunately to many astrologers, the current upheavals are not surprising and have been predicted for some time. The Pluto Saturn conjunction in Capricorn in Jan 2020 along with the shift of Uranus solidly into Taurus this last year was portended to bring intense crises in order to facilitate the changes and evolution required by the larger forces of our Universe.
Taurus rules resources, how we handle money, hard work, labor and Uranus is the planet of shocks, rebellion and individuation from the status quo. Thus unexpected events and situations will occur in Taurus areas for the remaining six years of its transit in order for revolution to be realized. Uranus first entered Taurus in May 2018 for six months, retrograded back into Aries, then reentered Taurus in March of 2019. Taurus rules the throat chakra including the neck, thyroid, vocal tract and even the ears so there could be issues in these areas if you are prone. You can wear green, particularly a green gemstone, or copper to stabilize these areas.
For the US, the Uranus transit will affect the health sector and institutions that house people in isolation such as prisons, hospitals, religious and spiritual centers, etc. We can see for instance, how there is a dire shortage of face masks for health care workers who need to protect themselves from covid-19 as well as ventilators for patients and other supplies needed, prompting needed invention and accelerated production by small and large companies around the US. There are also crazy instances of people hoarding supplies and taking advantage of the situation. On the positive side, new ideas will spring up around how to overcome these challenges, specifically by exploring technology. The ultimate spiritual lesson from an evolutionary astrology perspective is to shatter thought forms and delusions that no longer serve us, become detached and objective and create interdependently while respecting each other’s needs and talents.
The 2019 solar and lunar eclipses hit the US Sun, Jupiter and Mercury Retrograde, portending low well-being for some time. The Pluto-Saturn conjunction was a climax point to the pressure building up over the last few years and will continue to unleash after effects. Plutonian topics include those of atomic measure or lacking internal structure such as viruses, bacteria, power dynamics, shared resources, waste and metamorphic processes,. Saturn rules structure, that which is of time and space and the lens through which we each individually understand our world. An incredibly intense transformational energy colliding with solid, systemic structures in various aspects and levels of life can have a wide and unpredictable impact.
It’s interesting that the Full Moon on March 9, 2020 was just three degrees from the US Neptune, highlighting the US Neptune/Mars square. Robert Gover, a renowned journalist and astrologer who researched the US economy over a few centuries, found that historically the triggering of this square aspect has been associated with stock market crashes or panics. Transiting Neptune has been closely approaching this square providing a subtle trigger and will remain in close aspect until February 2022. Despite momentary improvements, there will be dips along the way. Saturn will move into Aquarius, the sign most compatible with Uranus, for the next three years, providing more than ample opportunities brewing underneath the surface to create new, innovative structures that deal positively with finances and that lend themselves to humanitarianism in our world.
The best advice is to make the desired changes in your life proactively, as your intuition tells you to do so and as the opportunity presents itself. Don’t delay your inspiration to change or follow a new path and save some money for a potential crisis. The overall lesson is to create and use resource and talent in innovative, sustainable ways. Modern technology and improvements particularly being developed by the younger generations will be a saving grace and a guiding light in our world. Let’s follow their example. Peace.
Transit update: Mercury Retrograde in Scorpio
One of my conference speakers @lisa.m.perez was asking about the impact of Mercury Retrograde this month (Nov 2019) and I have to say unlike maybe most people out there, this particular transit is giving me a sense of reprieve rather than fright and fear. It might be because I have Mercury retrograde natally in my chart and because I have a shit ton of planets in my 8th house, the house of Scorpio, so I’m used to the scary stuff and there’s not much that surprises me anymore. What I do feel the important element in this transit is that it will require us to above all else get real and honest. Maybe that will be the solution to dealing with the scary, intense energies and to cutting through the bullshit we are pervaded with in our lives.
Pluto is the ruler of Scorpio, an outer spiritual planet whose energy is atomic and obsessive, and governs good v. evil, the dark side, destruction, violence and of the like. In evolutionary astrology, Pluto is also the Soul that houses our unconscious desires that want to manifest in this life, the path of evolution that we may not be always conscious of but which nevertheless dictates our choices and manifests through Mars, the ego-drive and conscious desires. As Mars transits the later degrees of Libra during the entire Mercury retrograde, we are essentially being directed to take an honest look at how we are or are not manifesting harmony and balance in our lives and this may involve getting real about what our limits are or where we need to take more risks in life.
We have relationships with everything, from the people in our world to the paperwork sitting at our desks. Where do we feel isolated, disconnected, suppressed or over-involved? Where are we tolerating too much bullshit? Are we scared, even petrified, to change? With Mercury’s higher octave Uranus transiting Taurus for the next six years, we need to take a hard look at our finances and the resources we use in our lives. Money, debt and shared resources in partnership is a Scorpio topic so maybe it’s time to take advantage of this transit and reevaluate how these are constructed in your life.
Begin to at least think about a couple adjustments because it’s better to be proactive when the cosmic energies are supportive of such reevaluation and one’s intuition may be indicating so instead of being forced to do it later after a crisis occurs. Uranus is after all the planet of sudden surprises, the lightening bolt that shatters everything so that you become the real you, separate from the status quo. But its’ electric energy also provides those flashes of insight and genius that propel the necessary changes into action.
And if we aren’t getting what we truly need, even after we ask or strive for it, then it’s time to negotiate (Libra). This is how you strike some level of balance and achieve momentary levels of harmony. And let’s become clear about what our needs are, from the physical to the emotional and psychological. Take time to understand what those are because clarity is priceless. If we can’t be clear with ourselves then we can’t be clear with others. From a woman’s point of view, I can’t stress this enough.
Well it seems like I got serious by the end of this post. There is something definitely eerie to this retrograde. But it may be something eerily good if we are aware, probing and passionate, all Scorpio qualities that can easily be harnessed at this time.
Love and Peace ~ Anjali
Transit update: Nodes in Cancer Capricorn
Transits:
- Saturn in Capricorn
- Jupiter in Sagittarius
- Uranus in Taurus
- Neptune in Pisces
- Pluto in Capricorn
Outer planet Uranus reenters Taurus in March for good for the next seven years while Chiron reenters Aries in February for eight years. It’s interesting to note that both entities Uranus and Chiron, which represent the nature of soul wounds and traumas, are simultaneously in well-emphasized masculine and feminine signs: Aries is Mars-ruled masculine and Taurus is Venus-ruled feminine. There will be many manifestations of this including more layers of wounding with regards to the male/female dynamic coming to the surface in various facets of life including of course relationships as well as opportunities for deeper spiritual understanding and expression of the Divine Masculine/Feminine.
The moon’s nodes continue their transit in Cancer/Capricorn and transiting Saturn conjuncts the south node (Capricorn) throughout May, June, July and September. To me what comes up is the balance between emotions and inner security and the structures that exist in our personal lives and the outer world. What are the power dynamics and how can we restructure to meet our personal and collective needs? Capricorn and Cancer are both feminine signs so to me what immediately comes up is the disconnection and reappropriation of the feminine aspect in our existing systems. We’ve already seen these issues and the voicing of them with Pluto transiting Capricorn over the last few years but the extra Capricornian emphases this year unearths a different picture for us to face and the eclipses will jumpstart the process for us.
- Solar Eclipse 15°Capricorn – Jan 5
- Lunar Eclipse 0°Leo – Jan 21
- Solar Eclipse 10°Cancer – July 2
- Lunar Eclipse 24°Capricorn – July 16
- Solar Eclipse 4° Capricorn – Dec 26
As we traverse the routines and realities of our lives, Cancer reminds us to come back to the emotional body and check in with where we feel and don’t feel secure and comfortable. Reflections on where one feels insecure or a lack of nurturance can induce the appropriate adjustments. These reflections will also occur with regards to finances and physical resources as Uranus reenters Taurus, where through sudden events, financial realities may need to be adjusted or renewed. The idea behind it all is to follow your true inspirations so if you do not feel emotionally satisfied and happy with how you create your financial base, then it’s time to start the change-making process. Becoming proactive when the signs start showing themselves is better than delaying changes until a crises of some kind forces you to change. You may have to come up with creative, inventive ways to survive in the case of an impending financial disaster, which is sadly likely especially into the beginning of next year, Jan 2020, when the infamous Pluto/Saturn conjunction occurs. It is wise to start aligning the thinking with saving money or realigning resources this year.
Thankfully, there are no Venus and Mars retrogrades, whose occurrences in 2018 led to arduous delays, strains and unmanifestations of all kinds. Things will subtly move forward in 2019 with the presence of Jupiter in Sagittarius, inviting us to live with a spirit of freedom and fearlessness. If you are interested in pursuing a career in teaching, increasing your learning about what ignites your interest or traveling more, this would be the year to pursue these activities. The one straining aspect is Jupiter’s square to Neptune with exact placements in January, June and September so if you pursue new directions, make sure to guard yourself against deception. Ask all the questions, do your research and follow your gut before you invest yourself. We will also likely see more religious and political zealotry, dysfunction and refugee crises worsening worldwide.
The big picture is that we are in a death/rebirth process and are reaching a climax. The important thing is to not remain stagnant and to not make huge leaps either. During down moments, staying in motion even at a very slow pace will prove to be beneficial. January 2019 began with Mars at 0°Aries, igniting a pioneering spirit and all Mercury retrogrades this year occur in water signs, again emphasizing the emotional body. There are definitely some intense and dangerous moments this year, but coming back to themes of spirituality, connection and the pursuit of philosophical truths will help immensely.
Best to you!
Transit update: Venus Retrograde in Scorpio/Libra
Venus, the planet of reconciliation and harmonization, began its retrograde motion on Oct 5 at 10°Scorpio and will go direct on Nov 16 at 25°Libra. This is not an easy transit as it asks us to enter spaces that haven’t been grasped yet and to face vague fears as they come up. As we go through this process, emotions and experiences start to congeal into some coherency and understanding, and we are then pulled again to go deeper and integrate along the way. This transit is about exploring unknown spaces and there is great potential to expand the psyche combined with Jupiter’s continued transit in Scorpio.
Scorpio is a sign that wants to get to the heart of the matter, and has very low tolerance for confusion and bullshit. Venus as balancer will slowly help synthesize the reality coming to the surface while Scorpio’s presence won’t let it fall into its tendency of superficializing the reality away and keeping things ‘peaceful’ and ‘nice.’ Venus as natural ruler of Libra also brings relationships and intimacy into focus so issues around control and manipulation can surface internally and/or externally. Where is Venus Retrograding in your chart? This is the area that becomes activated and because this transit works in 8-year cycles, the last time it occurred was in Oct 2010. Are certain matters coming up for you now that were relevant at that time? Mercury’s current transit through Scorpio will also naturally align our thinking around these topics.
As we surrender to the depths, Jupiter’s influence will help us develop new philosophies as well as a view of the bigger picture behind the events in our lives. There is a greater potential to also merge and unify the separated parts within the psyche. Unification (Libra) is the theme underlying all this, also accented by the new moon in Libra on Oct 8. The Full Moon in Taurus on Oct 24 may provide some inspiration as to how we can ground this energy and actually apply it in our lives. Understanding Truth involves realizing what we need to actually become honest about and the journey is by no means an easy process. Scorpio is a fixed water sign so it’s best to just flow with the energy and make necessary adjustments along the way.
Full Moon in Libra & Chiron in Aries
Hope the Full Moon in Libra yesterday helped initiate a level of balance for you ~ I wrote an article in the Career Astrologer’s Spring Equinox edition titled ‘Tapping into the Libra Polarity’ during Chiron’s transit through Aries, which begins April 17th and continues for eight years. During this time, making efforts to establish balance and harmony will be incredibly important. I think it will be helpful to reflect on the upcoming transit during this Full Moon on how we can invite more cooperation, fairness and gentleness into our lives 
Find the article on page 4 at: https://www.opaastrology.org/March2018caOPA.pdf
Jupiter in Scorpio
You can find another article I wrote in the Holiday Issue of Bodhi Tree Magazine on page 4 at: https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/view/59631242/holiday-2017
Jupiter has now entered the sign of Scorpio for about 13 months, after having been in Libra since Sep 10, 2016. Scorpio is a sign of regeneration and growth, processes that come with varying degrees of death and rebirth, while Jupiter brings expansion and philosophical meaning to our experiences. The house(s) Scorpio covers in your natal chart will indicate which areas in life you will experience this growth.
Opportunities for positive change may become readily available or they may come through crises and drama. Jupiter in Scorpio in essence brings with it a deeper integration of the psyche and a holistic understanding of the self.
Jupiter’s effect on Mars’ transit through Libra from Oct 22 until Dec 10 will be a deepening desire to understand one’s interpersonal and worldly relationships and how they must harmonize and balance. I feel that Jupiter is also beginning to unearth an understanding of the masculine and feminine as both Venus and Mars transit Libra and Scorpio. Saturn’s final square to Chiron in Pisces (Oct 27 – Nov 5) may bring up some remaining hurts and wounds, particularly around the masculine/feminine, as well as a spiritual opportunity to begin healing. A Venus/Uranus opposition on Nov 3 will bring a moment of equilibrium and an opportune moment of integration. It could also trigger internal and external conflict in order for a new equilibrium to occur.