Taurus Full Moon Eclipse - November 19, 2021
Taurus Full Moon Eclipse – November 19, 2021
So we begin the final eclipse season of 2021 with the longest lunar eclipse in almost 600 years. This eclipse season unites 2 lunar cycles, the lunation of Power (Scorpio/Taurus) and the lunation of Truth (Sagittarius/Gemini) in a portal of experience that has many layers, hidden messages, and is asking us to look in places we may not want to travel. We can think of this in more simple terms as a journey of Power reclamation that leads us to a brand new Truth. That may sound pretty cute on the surface, but the process of reclaiming and balancing Power in our lives involves the themes of Pluto and Venus, victim and victimization storylines, and hidden aspects of ourselves and the people and situations in our lives that we perhaps haven’t seen clearly until now. Truth is often the result of facing demons.
When we allow ourselves to become the Hero, we have monsters to slay. In that process, we learn the truth of who we are as certain aspects of ourselves can only be revealed under certain, extreme situations. Then the question becomes… do we shy away from what we find? Do we reject the revelation? Do we allow the darkness and light to unite within us in a sacred act of reclaiming all parts as divinely created?
There are so many layers to this, I am almost overwhelmed by where to even begin.
Let me start with some basics about a Taurus Full Moon. This is a culmination of the Taurean concerns on the axis of Power, in Navigational Astrology. Taurean concerns are personal power, our resources, our serenity and peace of mind, the earth and the natural world. This is where the Hero seeks healing, peace, and cool water after the frenzy of battle and closes his eyes to listen to the birds sing. This is where all our power returns to us in divine balance.
So let’s take these basics forward into this specific Taurus Full Moon.
Medusa, the Gorgon, arrived on the scene on our last Full Moon on October 20, 2021. The stories of Perseus, Medusa, and Andromeda are intertwined and tell some stories that are obvious and some that are beneath the surface. Traditionally, the mythology of Perseus and his slaying of Medusa is interpreted like all the other Hero vs. Monster stories: Rational thought is victorious over intuition, instinct, and emotion. You know, that pesky intuition. In other words you can think of this as masculinity exerting power over the feminine in metaphorical terms.
I like to think of these “traditional” myth interpretations as mainstream news. The underlying truth is usually left out and we must dig and use the powers of the divine feminine to find the real and complex truth beneath the smoke and mirrors.
I find the Chandra Symbol for our first eclipse to be quite reflective of this.
TAURUS 27
A man sculpturing hedges into animal farms.
Making a great deal of something out of almost nothing is the mark of fantasy or uninhibited imagination. You prefer to be presented with basic, simple, and ordinary things. Inside your soul you turn these into what they originally were, releasing their primal power. When alchemy runs this close to the bone, it is astounding what it can do. Tackling longstanding knots and obstacles of every kind is sensed as nourishment and opportunity. A sacrificial incarnation can best frame itself in fantasy and imagination and thereby hug the edge between worlds perfectly. The path here is to stay under while peeking over the top, and to play it as straight as can be, while coming from an irrepressible source that can come through this peculiar form with flying colors.
There is so much in this intuitive degree interpretation by Ellias Lonsdale.
So let’s talk about the aspects of this Taurus Full Moon and then we’ll get into some mythology and fixed star astrology which will give us some crazy wild depth.
Taurus is ruled by Venus so we must first look at where she is and what she’s doing. Venus is currently in Capricorn where she will be for an extraordinarily long time… until March 0f 2022. This is because she will be turning retrograde in December and will be doing some serious reorganizing and we will definitely notice and feel this. If you know where Capricorn is in your natal chart, this will give you clues as to where you will likely feel these changes the most.
Venus represents our relational and creative natures as well as our money, values, and personal resources. In Capricorn she is very serious about these things and is not prone to be flighty or cavalier. This is about our relationship to the structures in our lives, the control systems, and the powers that be. This also tell us that we are to be mature, dignified, and practical about how we treat others. We’ll be talking about this more in the weeks to come.
This Taurus Full Moon is in a VERY tight sesquiquadrate with Venus, which makes this energy most potent and important. There is a feminine energy rising with this lunation and we are encouraged to embrace, protect, and welcome our loved ones and children especially. Expressing our love and care with tenderness is a healing balm and is the utmost expression of balanced power within.
This Full Moon is conjunct the North Node which means that this culmination of power reclamation serves your future, and actually the future of all humankind. The collective benefits for this work you are doing and guides us forward on our destined karmic path as a people. This may feel scary and out of your comfort zone.
This Full Moon is trining Pluto giving up emotional depth, powerful intuition, and the ability to perceive hidden truths, even if we can’t explain with words.
An opposition with Mercury connects us to our roots and we may feel like consulting with some wise women in our lives, even if they are across the veil… they are listening.
And a square with Jupiter makes us enthusiastic and less concerned about risk.
So let’s go deeper now and pierce the veil.
This Taurus Full Moon Eclipse is exactly conjunct fixed star, Algol, which represents the head of Medusa.
Algol is Beta Persei in the constellation of Perseus. Named for the hero of Greek mythology who was most famous for slaying the gorgon Medusa and using her severed head as a magical talisman to defeat the sea monster Ceto and save the princess Andromeda who was put in this peril by her mother’s hubris. These themes were explored in the video I did for the Aries Full Moon of October 19-20, 2021. Themes of victim/victimization abound.
Algol represents the talisman head of Medusa. Its name comes from the Arabic Ghul, which means "the Demon's Head" and is the origin of the English word "Ghoul". The Hebrews referred to this star as Rosh ha Satan, or "Head of Satan". The Chinese name for this star meant, "Piled Up Corpses".
Gorgons were originally protective deities. Medusa was the only mortal among them, as well as the most beautiful. Her name meant "Guardian, Protectress, Queen". There is a connection to Kali-Ma and the protective powers of the gargoyles in Roman Cathedrals. The imagery associated with the monstrous form of Medusa, Kali-Ma, and the gargoyles taps into the deep, primal fear of death we all harbor within. Yet, the truth is not available at the surface, as you can see.
The leader of the Heaven's Gate cult (who committed mass suicide in 1997) had Algol conjunct his Sun.
Algol is a double star system. There is a “darker” and a “lighter” star. The darker star circles the brighter star in about 69 hours. We can make sexual jokes about the number 69, but this number also represents the yin-yang and is the actual symbol for the sign of Cancer. The Yin-Yang representing perfect balance and integration of polarities and Cancer being ruled by the Moon and of a protective, sensitive, feminine nature. All this points to a rise and balance of divine feminine forces in all her terrifying and compassionate power.
Se we are talking about extremes of personal power and vitality, instinct, and intuition. Raw, primal, illogical, instinctual power. Turbulent and passionate emotions and urges. Attraction to danger and the will to survive and overcome. Death, loss, and pain. The ability to inspire fear in others which may be used for either protection or destruction. This creates the possibility for expressions of unparalleled courage and creative genius which can become a rampaging demon of greed and insanity. Fixed star Algol has long been associated with death, pain, loss, and terrifying powers.
We may be called to expose ourselves to danger in order to help others. Think of the power of a mother who lifts a car off of her child trapped beneath. Think of the woman who gave birth in a tree as tsunami waters raged beneath her. Think of the fierce love of Kali-Ma, the compassionate, who loves us by freeing us from the illusion of Maya and the ego drives that make us suffer.
I encourage you to go back and read the Chandra Symbol for Taurus 27 again as we embrace each other for the times to come. Arms and heart intertwined, imbued by the power of the Great Mother, we will prevail. I love you.
If you would like to work together one on one: