It’s taken me some time to process the events of this past week, and to even begin to have something to say. These are some thoughts on these times in connection with the Taurus Full Moon (November 14th).
For those of us who dream of a world in which justice and freedom are real, this is a disheartening time.
Fascism is in the air.
Let us never forget the horrors that hatred has amounted to in the past, and let us be crystal clear that we have not progressed beyond that.
In this Scorpio time of year, when the veils are thin, I hear the cries of my ancestors who were killed in the holocaust, or who survived the brutality somehow but were traumatized for life, and those who suffered famine due to the same war, and if they lived, never forgot, and those who hid, and if they lived, never, really, came out of hiding.
And you know why? Because Hitler sought out to make Germany great. (Perhaps, for once, the comparison to Hitler is warranted.)
(There are other atrocities that deserve our attention. But because I feel in my skin the pain of my foremothers I must speak to this.)
Before WW2, there was hatred. Who could have seen what was to come? It started slowly, nearly invisibly: just politics.
And then.
I hear cries too of those who suffered under communist rule and know revolution can so easily go awry. How ought we respond to injustice? What is right action in the face of hate? How do we find balance when thrown by truth?
Intense? Well, Scorpio IS. Scorpio knows there’s no evolution without grappling with shadow.
In some spiritual communities there’s this idea that acknowledging injustice and shadow will lower our vibration, that the higher path is to look away. I believe this idea is irresponsible and dangerous. It means turning a blind eye to oppression which is to be complicit. For if we ignore the hatred and violence, worse things than we can imagine, are possible. What is spiritual about that?
The difficult part, the work of a spiritual warrior, is to go into the darkness, but not be swallowed by it. To not drown in despair. But to hold the light while descending into the depths. This Full Moon offers us the courage to grapple with truth, and the wisdom to take rest and nurturance when we need.
Taurus offers us the balm of self-care and self-love; the support and security of home; and the serenity of nature. So that we may recover from the shock of Scorpio’s piercing gaze into the reality that we, as a species, haven’t come that far.
On a practical level, the balancing influence of the moon in Taurus encourages us to pay attention to our vibration as we read the news or discuss politics or consider reality (ha)--and when we feel ourselves faltering, to pull away--to connect to Self, to surround ourselves with support, and to hold fast to the vision of the future we intend to create.
Taurus also provides determinism to be steadfast in our work, the endurance to play the long game, the rootedness to hold to our vision, and the grounding we'll need to bring about a better world. Taurus also inspires us to reflect on our values, our privilege, our relation to money and resources.
At this Full Moon, may we seek that expert balance between Scorpio and Taurus. May we harness Scorpio’s courage to seek truth. May we learn from Taurus’ softness and serenity. May Taurus help ease the sharp edge of radicalism. May we resist reaction, may we forego the lure of extremism, and the temptation to violence in heart or deed. May we seek a higher road, may we transcend history’s compulsion for meeting hatred with hatred, violence with violence, trauma with more trauma.
May we break the cycle and evolve, which is to try something entirely new.
For practical support in finding balance, I created a practice to help you dig deep into your own psyche, with Scorpionic intensity, to heal what’s unresolved, to release what you no longer need. And then to come back up into the light, and allow the sweet healing of Taurus to soothe you. This is a transformational practice, and a powerful way to work with intense stuff going down these days, both on a personal and collective level. Check out the opening meditation here. For the full practice, go here.
Much love and courage and blessing.