This lunar eclipse in Taurus is happening at a tense moment; Mars turned retrograde in Gemini on Halloween and there’s a lot of energy that seems to be ‘digging in’ as the saying goes – particularly when it comes to what we see and think, hear and say. When it comes to stubbornness and determination, Taurus is the go-to sign, but what are the implications when it’s the sign that contains a lunar eclipse? Briefly, a lunar eclipse shows that we need to draw the line – and it’s sign shows us how we do that.
Taurus contains many meanings – some good and some less so – and it’s the symbolic meanings we associate with this sign that are going to be held up for inspection during the lunar eclipse. Events around this time will carry the symbolism of Taurus in ways that are material – itself a Taurus trait. Those of you with significant planets or points in the fixed signs – Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius – will feel the impact of this lunar eclipse the most – especially if your placements are in orb to the eclipse, which occurs at 15˚59′ degrees in the sign of the bull.
Lunar Eclipse in Taurus: Overview
When I wrote about the lunar eclipse in Scorpio that happened on May 16th 2022, I stated the following:
A lunar eclipse symbolises endings in general – and in order to make a new beginning a line has to be drawn under things that have happened in the past.
That’s absolutely true, but unlike Scorpio, Taurus has real issues with letting go. It’s an acquisitive sign, so the requirement to consign a few things to history may present a problem – regardless of the context or events that manifest around the time of the eclipse. Narrow-minded, obstinate and inflexible, Taurus represents the impulse of maintaining the ‘status quo’. Change is to be resisted, so when the inevitability of change becomes a significant factor, you can expect it to be met with strong opposition. Taurus does not do progress – or progressive.
So, what we have here is a lunar eclipse in the most conservative of signs. And I’m sure that it will not have escaped your attention that ‘conservatism’ (in all its forms) is a big issue – and the more radical the form of conservatism, the bigger the issue and the opposition to it. Of course, the opposite is also true; conservatism mounts a significant challenge to the forces of progressive change. Regardless of where you stand, a lunar eclipse in Taurus represents a moment of change – and it’s change that needs to be met with realism, creativity and patience – because that’s Taurus too.
It will not have escaped readers in the US that this lunar eclipse is happening on the day of the mid-term elections – where the whole dynamic of this lunar eclipse in Taurus is likely to be played out in some detail. It’s about drawing the line – but the detail is about where and how the line is drawn. To assess what needs to be changed – and how graciously we can approach those changes – let’s look at the eclipse chart.
Lunar Eclipse in Taurus: The Chart
Lunar Eclipse in Taurus: The Aspects
When we look at the chart for the lunar eclipse in Taurus, there’s a tight, tense t-square that involves the Saturn-Uranus square that’s been such a dominant feature in the heavens for some time. The key note from this square is, unsurprisingly, that change is a slow and often conflicted process – especially when progressive idealism (Uranus) comes up against the fear of change itself (Saturn). However, there is an inevitability to change (Saturn, Uranus) – and it’s this process that may be the focus of the message contained in the lunar eclipse in Taurus.
However, the eclipse aspects are not easy. The Moon is conjunct Uranus, an aspect that is often destabilising. The Sun is in a tight stellium with Mercury and Venus; this has its own implications and, when in opposition to the Moon, there’s a real face-off going on there. There are also some difficult background noises shown by the aspects that are indirectly connected to the lunar eclipse through a trine aspect from the solar stellium. In astrology, all things are connected – so let’s look at the aspects in detail.
The Moon Conjunct Uranus
I’m going to start with the Moon conjunct Uranus because any planet in a tight conjunction to the Moon is good place to start – and Uranus is one of the planets that likes to get its arguments in first. The Moon conjunct Uranus in a predictive chart is restless. It shows a need for change, almost for its own sake. It’s subversive, impulsive, volatile, revolutionary and eccentric, so it often produces a result that is unexpected or contrary to prevailing ideals or social norms.
So, the lunar eclipse in Taurus, shows that the thing that is left behind, may be the thing you were expected to retain. Tastes change radically with the Moon conjunct Uranus; that’s true at both the personal and social level, where the collective unconscious (or public mood) may veer in an unexpected direction. People (The Moon) want (Taurus) something different (Uranus). Of course, with Uranus in the mix, it may be easy to stimulate or influence public opinion in a radical direction. What results from this may not, however, be entirely what was expected.
The Solar Stellium
A lunar eclipse always has the Sun and Moon in opposition – the lunar eclipse itself is caused by the Moon being in the earth’s shadow when the Sun, Earth and Moon are aligned along the ecliptic. This being so, we need to be mindful of what is symbolised by the solar end of the eclipse, and we find the Sun is in Scorpio in a stellium with Mercury and Venus also in that sign. Scorpio is as stubborn as Taurus – and as ‘power crazed’ – but way more underhanded. Scorpio stops at nothing to take control.
With that in mind, let’s remind ourselves of the following; Mercury and Venus don’t ever stray far from the Sun, but to have them both in close conjunction tells us there are a few issues we need to be aware of at the time of the lunar eclipse in Taurus. Mercury is less than 2˚ from the Sun, so it is, in astrological terms, ‘combust’. When Mercury is combust in a natal chart, the usual response is for the ego and the intellect to be connected in a way that makes detached, logical decision making hard to achieve.
Transfer that dynamic to the eclipse chart and the situations we could encounter may involve things like ‘hearing without listening’, being out of touch, being too focused on power for its own sake, failing to work co-operatively or take other opinions into account – and being ‘economical with the truth’ in order to maintain control. Analysis is impaired when Mercury is combust; pollsters and social media entrepreneurs should take note…
However, Mercury is not the only overheated player in town. Venus is also combust and this makes the planet associated with ‘sweetness and light’, a more tricky character than usual. There are two things that we need to be aware of when Venus is combust – and the first of these is vanity. The ego, self-worth and net-worth are intimately connected; Venus demands more of everything, whether it’s money or attention. Selfishness, inequality (Venus rules Libra) and achieving things at the expense of others – or the common good – are what we see with Venus combust.
This takes us onto the second (but no less equal) issue we experience with Venus here – and it is, of course, financial. With the lunar eclipse in Taurus, it may be the material side of Venus combust that we notice most of all. Profit comes before everything as greed is magnified by the glare of the Sun. So, when you look at the meanings evident at the solar end of the lunar eclipse, the fundamental meaning found at the reactive, lunar side – people want something different – begins to make sense. However, the Moon is also highly subjective. Bear that in mind.
Lunar Eclipse in Taurus: The T-Square with Saturn
The Sun-Moon opposition that forms the lunar eclipse in Taurus also squares Saturn and, unsurprisingly, we have been here before. This is an aspect pattern that was present in the Scorpio lunar eclipse earlier this year, and at that time I wrote the following:
A fixed t-square – particularly when it involves Saturn – shows that something has been in the making for a long time. Fixed signs love stability and hate change. Saturn takes an age to do anything, yet a t-square aspect always demands action. There is huge potential for this aspect to signify frustration – and with frustration, you either endure it (and often complain bitterly about it) or you get off the sofa (reluctantly) and do something about it.
Saturn is about time (and something may happen that’s ‘about time’) but it also concerns structure and authority. It’s about taking responsibility and it’s about dealing with things that are important. It may feel like a grind, but it’s got to be done. Saturn features when we are faced with things we need to work our way through. Saturn also ‘calls time’ on situations that have become stale or counterproductive. Saturn likes progress – even if it’s slow progress.
Again, that still holds true; what we’re seeing with this series of eclipses is the unfolding of a long (Saturn) process – with all of the unpredictability and discomfort of Uranus thrown in for good measure. With Taurus providing the current themes, the lines being drawn and the actions being taken are likely to be material and financial. The economy – and in particular, economic change – is likely to be the driver for actions that take place at the time of the lunar eclipse.
The action demanded by this t-square may manifest in a variety of ways – and the influence of Uranus may make things unpredictable at best (a strange thing for an astrologer to write, but hey…) so, the best I can say is that our concerns are likely to be material and focused on the real world – or at least they should be. However, making our ideals into reality will be a profound challenge (see the Saturn-Uranus square for details…) and the ‘background noise’ in the lunar eclipse chart simply underscores that point.
Lunar Eclipse In Taurus: The Background Noise
The Moon is reactive and in this lunar eclipse the Sun gives us the clue as to what the Moon is responding to. I’ve already detailed the meanings contained in the solar stellium, but that stellium is connected to other aspects in the chart via a trine aspect to Neptune in Pisces. That’s important because a trine in a predictive chart is suggestive of pre-existing conditions – and the implications of that Neptune in Pisces transit have been with us for some time; regular readers will have seen at least two posts on that subject!
Neptune clouds the issues – and if there’s one thing we can take from this lengthy Neptune transit in its own sign, it’s the overwhelming presence of ‘gaslight’. With Jupiter now retrograde in Pisces, that’s something that may be magnified. The Jupiter-Neptune conjunction also aspects Mars retrograde in Gemini (a square aspect) and Pluto (a sextile aspect). Importantly, Mars and Pluto are connected by an inconjunct (150˚) aspect – that most awkward of astrological contacts.
There’s a bit to unpick there, so let’s get started. I’m going to start with Mars retrograde in Gemini. Lies and misinformation seem to have become normalised and weaponised and with Mars retrograde and having a lengthy stay in the sign of information, that’s going to be a big issue – and a divisive one. I know that hardly seems possible (Neptune) but the capacity for this seems endless at present. With the square aspect, it’s the weaponisation of words that is hitting me most of all. Calls to action based on misinformation could loom large, and the outcome could be explosive.
When Mars and Pluto collide the results are not pretty. Accidents and violence put us in situations that we would not choose to experience. The Jupiter-Neptune alliance may open the door to that – and the new reality that comes with it. That, perhaps, is the most worrying thing about this lunar eclipse in Taurus – that it brings with it a new material reality that we simply have to make the best of – in whatever way that we can.
Lunar Eclipse in Taurus: Conclusion
What can I say? I’ll get back to the idea of drawing the line. If we find ourselves moving from a period of stability to instability – in either our personal lives or as a member of society – thats stressful – and this lunar eclipse in Taurus acknowledges that stress. However, what it’s also suggesting is a means of dealing with that stress.
Stay grounded. Keep in touch with the things that you value. Keep true to your values and detach from the emotional mayhem that accompanies uncertainty. Draw a line between what’s going on in the world around you – and how you feel about it. Taurus reminds us that when things get tough, you have to get back to basics. The lunar eclipse may mark the point where we need to do that for the sake of our own sanity – and our survival.
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© Sara Shipman 2022
