New Moon in Taurus — May 05, 2008, 12:18 UT

By Kirsti Melto and Deirdre Tanton

Taurus is an earthy and fertile sign. It is the warm soil, where seeds sprout and grow in the spring. The Moon is exalted in Taurus. A planet in its exaltation is usually able to express its nature to the best advantage.

The New Moon at 15+ degrees of Taurus occurs on Beltane. Beltane is a cross-quarter day falling halfway between the vernal equinox and the summer solstice. Cross-quarter days originated as pagan holidays in Northern Europe and the British Isles. On Beltane the traditional summer begins. It is a time to celebrate life and renewal and a time of hope.

Walpurgis Night is a holiday celebrated on April 30 or May 1, in large parts of Central and Northern Europe. The festival is named after Saint Walpurga (born in Wessex in 710), who was declared a saint on May 1. In the Finnish and Swedish calendars the first of May is named after Saint Walpurga. Viking fertility celebrations took place around April 30. Because Walburga worship was similar to Viking spring celebration, the two dates became mixed together into one — the Walpurgis Night celebration.

In the Norse tradition, Walpurgis Night is considered the time when Odin, the chief god of the Norse pantheon, symbolically died to retrieve the knowledge of the runes. Odin hanged from Yggdrasil, the great cosmic ash tree, for nine days and nine nights as a sacrifice to master the runes. Odin’s death lasted until midnight, and then light returned to the world. The night was celebrated with large bonfires lighted around the countryside. It is said to be a time of weakness between the living and the dead, as on Samhain, a festival dedicated to the harvest and the dead. The living invited deceased friends and relatives to warm themselves by the Beltane fires. One of the bonfire’s purposes was purification. Cattle, the source of wealth in those days, were often led through the purifying smoke.

Maypoles remain common in Scandinavian countries today. The May Pole is a symbol of fertility and it also relates to Yggdrasil. The tree of life has its roots deep in the earth and its branches reaching toward heaven. Yggdrasil is linking the underworld, the world of the living, the heavens and numerous other realms.

The New Moon of May semisquares (45 degrees) the Aries Point and forms a sesquiquadrate (135 degrees) to Pluto. Both of these aspects resemble a square and they can be challenging. The New Moon is in quincunx to the Great Attractor, a powerful point outside our galaxy. The Great Attractor has a polarizing effect on people and situations.

In the New Moon chart asteroid Amor is in a delicious conjunction with Venus and the Centaur planet Asbolus. Venus is the ruler of Taurus. Amor is in the discovery degree of Chiron at 3 degrees of Taurus. Asbolus is the archetype of the survivor. According to Martha Lang-Wescott asteroid Amor tells about conditions that one places on unconditional love. Amor being conjunct Venus and Asbolus in Taurus, the conditions involve utmost loyalty as well as steadfast sensuality.

The Sun and Moon are conjunct asteroid Hephaistos. Amor is an alternate name for Cupid, son of Venus. In mythology Roman Vulcan, or Greek Hephaistos was god of fire who among other things manufactured Cupid’s arrows. Hephaistos was the artist god who worked in a smoky forge underneath a volcano. He became a patron of blacksmiths and artisans. He was also regarded as one who aided the spread of vegetation, because volcanic soil was generous especially for grapevine. The British occultist Alice A. Bailey proposes in her book, Esoteric Astrology, that the esoteric ruler of Taurus is Vulcan, “the one who goes down into the depths to find the material upon which to expend his innate art and to fashion that which is beautiful and useful.”

The Sun and Moon are opposite asteroid Pandora. In Greek mythology, Pandora was the first mortal woman. She was fashioned from clay by Hephaistos. According to the myth, Pandora had been forbidden to open a jar which contained all the evils of mankind. The gods had concealed among the evil spirits one kindly creature, Hope, whose mission was to heal the wounds inflicted by the evils. Pandora was curious and could not resist opening the jar, and so the evils got loose; only hope was left inside. Astrologically Pandora represents curiosity, unexpected consequences, and hope. She can suddenly throw you on an entirely new path.

Myths are alive and can change over time. The story of Pandora was repeated on Greek ceramics. On a fifth century amphora Pandora is depicted emerging from the earth; she is the Earth, a divine giver. Over time this life-bringing goddess devolved into a human who released misery into the world. This may reflect a shift from matriarchy to patriarchy in Greek culture.

Planting a seed in the warm Taurean soil on this New Moon may yield a stable new sprout, perhaps leading to an abundant harvest. Let us rejoice and enjoy the generous gifts of the Earth.

One Response to “New Moon in Taurus — May 05, 2008, 12:18 UT”

  1. Susie Vincent Says:

    To Kirsti, Eric and all wonderful writers on Planet Waves

    Politically (from a people-perspective), please awaken to the SOUTH, which starts at the bottom of Venezuala and goes downwards on the page, where Orion and the Moon are the other way up,upside down, the Big Dipper isn’t seen at all, Scorpio dominates the winter skies, we have something called the Southern Cross to find our way, and a lot of black people live here. Here is a map of the world to show you what you are missing.
    http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/world_maps/world_rel_803005AI_2003.jpg

    It is not Beltane in half the world. It is only Beltane in YOUR half of the world. In our bit, we have put the clocks back, we are lighting the first fires, putting a thicker duvet on the bed and sweeping up the red leaves. The soil is getting COLDER, not warmer, there are no baby birds cheeping and no infant lambs wriggling.

    You can interpret the May Taurus new moon any way you like, but please avoid hemisphere-based Western Mysteries interpretations when providing astrology for the world. It’s nicely goddess-oriented and seems pleasingly earth-based and kind of indigenous, but sorry, it’s doesn’t actually work!!

    I would be so appreciative if you would wake up to this. Hardly any astrologers do, no matter how radically persuaded or liberal.

    With Warm wishes and appreciations nevertheless

    Susie

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