On November 13, 2019 at 8:34 AM (ET), we experienced a Full Moon at 19°52’ in the sign of Taurus—the proverbial Bull of the Zodiac. The Moon is exalted in Taurus, gifted with an innate sense of inner peace, security and an easy time attracting a placid, comfortable life when it comes to Home and Family.
Full Moons are not about Action like New Moons are but are by nature more introspective, reflecting periods of Self-Awareness, Realizations and Personal Awakenings. While this is true for Full Moons in general, it’s particularly important when it involves the Taurus-Scorpio axis, as these equally-stubborn signs reflect the seemingly insurmountable opposition between the (Perceived) Ease of Exalted Vision (Taurus Moon) and the (Obvious) Opportunities that arise when we feel the Courage to Confront the Truth and to heal from it (Scorpio Sun). In other words, it’s not about hearing what we want to hear (or telling others what they want to hear) but having the backbone it takes to both tell (and hear) the Truth, about both ourselves and our relationship to others.
But this Taurus Moon is a tough one to untangle: the Moon’s opposition to the Sun and Mercury in Scorpio serves as a potent reminder of the need for security in both a financial sense and in our relationships; yet the fundamental conflict between the demand for comfort, cuddling and calm on all fronts (Taurus Moon) is in diametric opposition to the courage, demanded by the ambitious yet surreptitious Scorpio Sun to dig deep, cut to the chase and call out any BS along the way.
That Scorpion Stinger may come back to bite you, as this Full Moon is likely to remind you of painful events not yet processed during the Whirlwind Weeks Prior. You might be hit out of the blue with a painful memory or become obsessed with problem-solving now, only to realize that, in the words of MacBeth—the perfect Scorpio Play—“what’s done is done,” as they say. So if you engaged in any overly hasty words or actions in the first half of November, they may come back to haunt you. In fact, you may come to rue the day...
Full Moon in Taurus Opposite Sun in Scorpio: Emotional Windstorms
The Sabian Symbol for the Moon at 19-20° Taurus is “Wind Clouds and Haste”: What’s fascinating about this particular symbol is that the image it conjures appears directly antithetical to the placid stoicism characteristic of Taurus. What this symbolism touches upon, however, is exactly this paradox: the ability of Taurus to remain calm and in control (on the surface anyway), to maintain practicality and focus in moments of crisis.
Wind, clouds, haste—the symbol has much to do with how we express feelings during times of crisis, including our most knee-jerk defense mechanisms. It’s a symbol of Upheaval and Anger, both of which are challenging for Taurus. Yet even when seething underneath, Taurus will summon all its strength to remain serene and self-assured (if not downright smug), determined in its ability to “power through.” Because while others might flail, blow away, or be destroyed completely, when the inevitable “storm” comes, Taurus endures, the Survivor standing tall, ostensibly unruffled, almost as if there was no windstorm at all.
With Mercury retrograde in Scorpio opposite the Taurus Moon, there are many ways this energy may play out. If not channeled into a creative project, solidifying relationships with others and time spent in honest self-reflection, it’s very possible that what began as self-assured confidence easily becomes arrogance when the Sun is in Scorpio. Or we may “lean in” to the ease of this aspect, tempted to rest on our ability to attract and push the prospect of deeper self-examination on the back burner (for now).
Yet Taurus struggles in expressing their (true) feelings, preferring to deny or completely ignore emotions, often to themselves and others, hoping they’ll evaporate into thin air. So whether it be pettiness, passive-aggressive behaviors that seem to come out of nowhere, angry explosions that seem to come out of nowhere or (heaven forbid) the infamous Taurus Silent Treatment, we’re intense when it comes to emotional self-protection now, no matter what the consequence.
This is where we must acknowledge the lack of empathy we often see with Earth signs, or the fact that while we must protect our own emotional well-being so must we respect that of others. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”—known as the Golden Rule…or just, well, Karma—is for whatever reason a tough one for the Taurus/Scorpio person to master. But failure to do so right now would be a massive oversight, as recognizing the need to show others a little “r-e-s-p-e-c-t” is likely to be the key to dealing with any interpersonal issues that arise now.
With Mercury retrograde in Scorpio so closely tied to this Full Moon, now is the perfect time to look (self)-destructive behavioral patterns squarely in the face and to face our own fears rather than projecting them onto (and thereby exploiting) others.
Venus-Neptune: Foggy Hearts + Fickle Attractions
Venus rules Taurus, and both represent relationships, peace, harmony and comfort. Sagittarius is Mutable Fire, meaning that its passions are easily excited but just as easily extinguished. The resulting fickleness of this placement is heightened by its square to Neptune in Pisces, another Mutable Sign, forever changing its mind.
It could be anything, really: the Fantastic Date Brigade all of a sudden gets the Flu (yep, all of them); the Beautiful Evening with Perfect Person inexplicably cancelled; you just told “Dave” you were free Friday only to realize you accidentally sent it to “Joe” (oops); your old friend from That App suddenly reappears...Either way, it’s ups and downs for now, so the better able we are to roll with the punches, the more we’ll be able to enjoy the ride.
The combination of Mercury retrograde and miscommunication abounding with Venus in Sagittarius square Neptune puts us on a roller coaster ride during this Full Moon, bouncing between the glimmer of opportunity and the harshness of dashed dreams. Jupiter and Neptune represent Idealism, Fantasies and Vision, but with both in aspect to Mars and Venus in tandem with the ongoing Mercury retrograde, it’s likely that our ideas around a partner, lover or friend in particular are both pushing us forward and holding us back, as past actions and self-realizations come up that are painful to confront.
In the Full Moon Chart for New York City, Venus in Sagittarius falls exactly on the Ascendant, giving us the power to attract love (or lovers) that may be exciting for the moment but simply cannot last. Venus in Sagittarius squaring Neptune in Pisces blurs reality with fantasy, putting a cloud over (or bubble around) our social/interpersonal/romantic entanglements. Venus’ placement on the Ascendant and the Mutable square between Venus and Neptune in the Chart both reflect romantic confusion and changes of heart, so be careful not to put yourself too far out on any limbs before you break one.
Mars-Jupiter: Relationship Opportunities & (Un)Truths
The sextile between Mars in Libra and Jupiter in Sagittarius is exact at the time of this Full Moon, serving up even more contradiction and relationship frustration. Because while Mars-Jupiter pushes us to spring into action, heartily pursuing relationship opportunities, Mercury retrograde reminds us that we simply don’t have all the facts now, as it continues to bewitch our senses and perceptions, leading us down rabbithole after rabbithole of obsessive thought bubbles that are not only distracting but bring us further from the truth.
Mars, the planetary co-ruler of Scorpio, is in its detriment in Libra, making us feel both socially driven but exhausted, leaving us tongue-tied and our interactions cagey, awkward or somehow unfulfilling. With Mercury in the third and final week of its retrograde, we feel more socially-driven and, well, exhausted, than ever, while Mars in Libra emphasizes the drive for Relationship, leading us to put the needs of others (or, more specifically, a Significant Other) before our own. But Mars forms an exact sextile to Jupiter in Sagittarius, exact that the time of the Full Moon, driving us to create relationship opportunities and possibly (probably) commit ourselves to more relationship opportunities than we can realistically entertain let alone logically pursue.
Maybe we want to build new relationships, but our visions don’t seem to make logical sense now. Maybe we’re seeking refuge in an old relationship and wishing we could turn back time (can’t). Maybe we’re trying to escape some truth about ourselves, only to end up in the deep end of the dating pool without raft or paddle.
Denial, Comfort & the Courage It Takes to Look Behind the Drapes
So you see that this Full Moon is rife with contradictions—both within ourselves and in our outside circumstances. Sun-Mercury in Scorpio sextile Pluto in Capricorn offers an opportunity to dig deep in self-reflection, be courageous and cut through the BS, while Mars in Libra sextile Jupiter provides an outlet to communicate, connect and think about (not take) our next leap of faith.
With the opposition aspect, there is always a choice. At this Full Moon, it’s the choice between resting in comfortable denial (Taurus) and giving in to a tendency to “see what we want to see” (Venus-Neptune) versus the courage (Scorpio) it takes to open the drapes. And while it might not be the easiest pill to swallow, this involves going inward, plumbing the depths of our words and actions taken during this Mercury in Scorpio period of mid-October to December 7th, when Mercury finally ends its “post-shadow” phase. By then it should be clear: true security comes not through Compliments and Cash (Taurus), but in our closest Contacts, Connections and Confidants (Scorpio).
It’s the choice (Sun-Moon opposition) to examine—to observe rather than criticize—that is the great “golden ticket” of this Full Moon, as the lack of planets in Air signs plus the opportunity (Sun sextile Pluto) for insight into our own motivations shows a time of possible retreat, introspection and self-transformation, active from the 13th (including the days immediately prior) until the New Moon in Sagittarius coming up on November 26th.
So as enthusiastic, not to mention idealistic, as the Mars-Jupiter aspect is, with Mercury in the final stage of its retrograde cycle, we simply don’t have all the facts now. And with Mars in aspect to Jupiter + Venus in approaching aspect to Neptune at this Full Moon, it’s a fine time to call up both our finances and our relationships should for Full-Scale review.