November, 2009
The Taurian Moon Lights the Migration
of the
Ancient Bird Goddess
The November full moon on Monday, November 2nd is in the earthy, fixed sign of Taurus. Taurus, the second sign of the zodiac, is represented by a bull and ruled by Venus in her earthy, fecund aspect. Stories of the Goddess of the Land, the Empress in Tarot, and the concept of sovereignty (kings rule by ‘marriage’ with the Goddess of the land: as in the King Arthur legends and the stories of Inanna) all encompass what the almost preverbal Taurus represents within the 12 archetypes represented by the 12 signs.*
Under this full moon Taurus calls us to desire to acknowledge our feelings; to be open to all of our senses. Taurus values the slow progression…and realizes that time brings understanding and wisdom. Taurus likes to take information in through the senses for such deeper understanding and knowing. Taurus is our guide to information that we gain outside the visual and verbal.
The image that I see in this month’s chart is very interesting. Starting with our basic Sun/Moon opposition we find the Sun in the 10th house – what we are known for – conjunct (joined by) Ceres the Goddess Asteroid of nurturance; and Mercury, planet of how we think and communicate. The Moon is in the home of our female ancestors and family in the 4th house.
The Moon becomes the point of a ‘V’ by a trine to the transforming planet of shadows and underground wealth – Pluto, in the 11th house of social groups and institutions.
Here I see the ancient mothers and the point rather than an arrow is the migration of birds. Geese, ducks, cranes are all in migration from northern breeding grounds to southern climes. In the case of cranes they will go from the family unit of 3-4 birds (mother, father and usually 1, occasionally 2 new chicks) to join in large flocks on the wintering grounds. The cranes traveling through Nebraska and Kansas are most likely headed for the Gulf coast wetlands in Texas.
The image of the bird mother is a popular and common theme through ancient goddess imagery, shamanistic imagery, eastern European embroidery designs, and myths… all the way to today as in the Mother Goose tales that we have known since childhood. With Pluto in the 11th I wonder what transformations our social institutions and groups need to undergo to follow the lead of the ancient and nature wise Taurian Moon mothers in their bird form.
Do we follow their example and join with others of our kind to make an exodus to warmer, more welcoming climes till the next fertile season that beckons us northward? Animal migrations still perplex scientist while mystifying and beautifying human existence. How do they know where they are going? How to get there? When to leave?
There is another line of aspect. Jupiter, planet of expansion, spirituality and storytelling, in the 1st house squares and challenges both Sun and Moon. Mars, planet of the desire to relate in the 7th house of intimate partners and open enemies also squares the Moon and Sun opposition. However Mars and Jupiter do not oppose one another, being just barely out of aspect. Visually this creates a broken line of landscape, reminding me of a mountain and the mountain ranges that many birds fly over, twice, in migration. Or does it represent ocean waves that other birds traverse for great distances in their purposeful wanderings? Either way, the image reflects back upon itself and within the parameters of Taurian gifts and wisdom.
So do we become like birds, using our natural abilities and memories to find our path of migration from breeding to wintering grounds… always trying to avoid the pitfalls of weather and predator, relying on some source of information that we trust to steer our course? For this time of the Taurean Moon I say yes.
“Eagle Woman” by Susan Seddon Boulet
Let your intuition wander and wonder; let your feelings be guided by Nature. Words may not come easily, but do you really need them? Feed your senses and they will nourish you. Turn to our ancient Mothers for guidance when needed. Allow your feelings to express themselves… to feed or compost as needed. Our Taurian Moon Mothers know that just like the migrating animals, our souls seek and need different environments at different times.
Respectfully submitted,
Beverly Hof-Miller
*The Zodiac starts with Aries, a fire cardinal sign. The 12 signs can be applied to a number of different metaphor/archetypal systems. One such system reflects the active/rest cycle or the cycle of expansion/ contraction or outward/inward focus. Aries begins with active/expansive/outward energy while Taurus moves toward rest/contraction/inward. Then Gemini expands while Cancer moves inward.
Another system relates to the stages of life from birth to death. Aries would be the burst of energy needed to move outward-birth-while in Taurus the infant explores its environment through its senses and Gemini would represent the beginnings of language and thought development by interacting outside one’s self continuing though to Pisces as that time in old age when one turns to the inner world of spirit.
Starhawk
Aries is also known for the power of concentration, the ability to focus. To hear that, to say that, is one thing. To understand how it can manifest is another. Just recently a friend made a comment about her Aries Sun husband that really expanded for me the concept of what it is like to live a focused life. I had never thought of what qualities manifesting such focus could look like. Let’s just say that multi-tasking suffers from this perspective. Not that one necessarily can’t, but the desire to maintain the focus just kind of takes priority and distractions are easily ignored.
There are many places and times in our lives when this kind of focus could work to our advantage. Under an Arian Moon we can experience a focusing of our emotions, our psychic abilities, our intuition. Watching who and what catches our attention, what arouses our desire to be in relationship; will deepen an understanding of who we are and what motivates us.
This sculpture shows the sign for "connect"...and that is what Deaf Pagan Crossroads is all about - making connections. Connections between Deafhood and Paganism, connections between the Deaf Community and the Hearing Community, connections between myself as the writer and you as the reader. I hope you will take the time to read my various posts, some of which are listed below. Welcome to the Crossroads, and I hope you make some connections here!
