May 7, Taurus New Moon; Restoring the Natural Rhythms of Growth
The New Moon in Taurus on May 7 is a significant event, offering opportunities for new growth and recovery after the tumultuous and sometimes painful energy experienced with April’s lunations.
April’s Solar Eclipse at the New Moon and Full Moon in Scorpio carried heavy energies that called some of us to grapple with painful topics, including loss and grief. The Eclipse was exactly conjunct Chiron, an asteroid referred to as “the wounded healer,” whose energy asks us to know our hidden wounds intimately, not for the sake of creating more suffering for ourselves, but so that we embody that knowledge so profoundly that we recognize those who suffer a similar wound and know when and how to offer the balm that might ease their suffering. The Scorpio Full Moon fleshed out the meaning of the eclipse, giving voice to the grief that accompanies the losses we suffer in our lives.
The New Moon in Taurus carries the feeling of calm after the storm, the clear spring day after a rain, when we see new shoots of life springing up, bringing a sudden urge to plant new seeds and nurture new growth. This new moon has abundant and productive energy, offering a fertile ground for personal growth and success. It takes place in the second decan (10 degrees) of Taurus II, a fixed decan within the fixed sign of Taurus that is associated with slow, steady growth through a committed day-in and day-out effort. It has a constant, powerful rhythm and can be seen as the key to success in the material world—Austin Coppock, Class: The Decans in Astrology. The Tarot Card associated with this decan is the 6 of Pentacles, called “Success” in the Thoth deck. Meditating on the card, you can feel the energy expanding outward from the center, the mandala, like a flower bursting forth into the world.
The potential for slow, steady growth with this New Moon is amplified by its ruler, Venus, also in Taurus. When a planet is in its home sign, it is like when we are in our own home vs. staying at a friend’s house; the planet is comfortable and has access to all the blessings and resources of that house. What is more, it can offer those blessings to the other planets that are in the sign. Venus, the goddess of receptive love, beauty, and fortune, is in a prime position this month to encourage the promise of slow, steady growth that comes with a New Moon in Taurus II.
Saturn, the god of limits, responsibility, and achievement through committed action, is also in a helpful sextile to this New Moon. Combining this with Taurus II's “excellent work ethic” vibe gives you a real sense that this New Moon will help us take up the difficult work needed to plant, seed, and nurture the new growth promised with this lunation cycle.
May 7, 2024 New Moon in Taurus
At the same time, simply because we have planted and tended our garden does not guarantee there will not be hiccups along the path to new growth. Jupiter and Uranus are together in the last decan of Taurus, showing that we may be called upon to find a creative response if forces emerge that threaten the new growth. The 7 of Pentacles Tarot card is associated with this decan. In this card, we see the gardener observing the fruits of his labor with a pensive look on his face; he has put in the work and effort and has hopes for the harvest, but is also aware that no matter how hard he works, he is not in charge of the outcome, the weather could turn, a storm could arise, and he must be prepared to respond to forces outside of his control.
The good news is that when Jupiter is in this part of Taurus, “there is great luck in recovering and avoiding disaster as well as the ability to learn from one’s lapses in character and judgment.” Austin Coppock, The 36 Faces, p. 83. When you add Uranus, the god of deep, sudden insights, authenticity, and the urge for freedom, to the mix, you get the sense that this New Moon brings an energy that will enable us to learn the karmic lessons that may have emerged out of any crises that came up for us in April.
Of course, the New Moon chart is not the end of the story. In the weeks following the New Moon, the Moon, the Sun, and then Venus will each hit Jupiter and Uranus, suggesting both that we may face new challenges that come with energy moving through this decan of Taurus and that we may have access to creative solutions and insight as we weather forces outside of our control.
Fortunately, May 23’s Full Moon chart suggests that on the other side of tending to our garden and weathering the hiccups along the way, we may discover a balm that provides healing for the wounds that emerged with April’s eclipse and Full Moon in Scorpio. I’ll discuss this more in my next blog post.
As usual, the energy of this New Moon will affect some folks more than others. For example, those with personal planets near 18 degrees of a fixed sign (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius) will likely feel this New Moon energy more than others. If you’d like to know more about how the April energy or this New Moon affects you personally, there’s a link below to book a reading.