Vulnerability Takes Courage: November 2019s Full Moon in Taurus

On Tuesday, November 12th, we will have a Full Moon at 19'51 degrees Taurus, the sign of the bull. Here's what to expect.

What is a Full Moon?

A Full Moon occurs when the sun is opposite the moon, representing the peak, or climax of the lunar cycle. Throughout history, Full Moons have been known to cause unexpected events, and strange behavior. Because the two luminaries are in opposition to one another, Full Moons are known to highlight any opposing forces or polarities in your life, such as the balance between self and the other, the balance between the masculine and feminine, and the balance between work and home.

Full Moons are also good times to reflect on where you are in life, and where you are headed. While the period between the new moon and the Full Moon is a time for setting (and achieving) goals, the period between the Full Moon and the next new moon is a time for letting go. Full Moons can also bring about climactic events, and awaken us to powerful truths and realizations. The effects of a Full Moon usually last about two weeks, until the new moon comes along and starts a new cycle.

The Full Moon in Taurus (opposite the Sun in Scorpio) highlights the balance between risk and security, intimacy and self-preservation.

It may help to think back to whatever intentions you set around the New Moon in Scorpio, for they should be coming into fruition at this time, as well as six months back to the New Moon in Taurus on May 4th. Certain themes may be repeating themselves. Whatever thoughts or intentions you plant now should come into fruition by the New Moon in Sagittarius, on November 26th.

Check your natal chart to see which houses Taurus & Scorpio fall into. This will tell you more about how the Full Moon will affect you personally. Those with personal planets or angles between 13 and 25 degrees of the fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius) will most especially be affected by this Full Moon.

Full Moon in Taurus

Taurus, like its opposite sign, Scorpio, is a symbol of strength. However, they have many differences as well as similarities. Scorpio, a Mars-ruled water sign, represents the occult, all that is hidden, and it is also a symbol of conflict, competition and treachery. Taurus, however, is a Venus-ruled earth sign, concerned with peace and stability. Taurus prefers to enjoy the simple pleasures that are found in everyday life.

Taurus is exalted by the Moon, meaning that the Moon is comfortable here. The Moon is Scorpio's Fall, meaning it is not such a comfortable place for the Moon to be in. The Full Moon in Taurus is one of the most potent and positive Full Moons of the year (along with the Full Moon in Cancer).

The Moon in astrology represents our emotions, our instinctive and initial reactions. While the Sun represents the self that we express and show off to the world, the Moon is more nocturnal, symbolic of all that is hidden beneath our subconscious and deeply ingrained within us. It represents the family, especially the mother, and often gives clues as to how a person was raised. It represents our most basic needs, what we need to feel comfortable, what we need to survive.

Taurus is all about comfort, as well as self-sufficiency. What Taurus, as a sign, represents is very similar to the Moon. It represents our assets and material environments, it's nurturing and stable, and seeks to feed our most basic needs. A Taurus Moon's most prominent need is to feel secure. A Taurus Moon needs a foundation from which to build upon. Speaking as someone with a Taurus Moon myself, there needs to be a sense of trust in place before I can begin anything. It takes me a while to adjust and feel comfortable in new situations and my mood is very much affected by my material environment. Seeking peace and quiet, Taurus is really not all that complicated of a sign. Ultimately, Taurus just wants to feel safe, fed, and loved.

The Moon in Scorpio is a lot darker, more uncomfortable, and desires a lot more. Something as simple as peace, food and love, isn't enough to make a Scorpio Moon feel comfortable or fulfilled. While as a water sign, it is a very emotional position, Scorpio wants to be strong and fears vulnerability. A Scorpio Moon may have trouble accessing or admitting their own emotions or needs, repressing and denying them, because it doesn't want to appear weak. Of course, that only makes the emotions even stronger, like a volcano waiting to erupt. A Scorpio Moon is prone to addictions, obsessions, and compulsions, as it struggles to find a healthy coping mechanism for the many needs and emotions they deny are there.

Since the Full Moon is always in some way related to the New Moons before it, I would say the trauma and inner turmoil we worked through when the New Moon was in Scorpio is finally coming to an end, being replaced by feelings of actual safety and security, healthy coping mechanisms, even happiness, as we become more conscious and aware of what our needs actually are. We’re also learning how to be happy with and appreciate the things we have instead of endlessly desiring for more.

The Full Moon's most notable aspect is its opposition to Mercury (currently retrograde) at 17'42 degrees Scorpio. The opposition serves to intensify the communication problems we are already experience due to the retrograde. We may have trouble expressing our emotions, struggling to put them into words. We may also have trouble understanding other people's emotions, reading them wrong and making assumptions. We might even have trouble understanding what our own needs actually are. Mercury's conjunction to the Sun shows that these communication problems stem from ego. The fear of vulnerability and the need to appear strong prevents us from expressing the truth of our emotions. The Moon's sextile to, and the Sun/Mercury's trine to, Neptune shows that the best way to overcome this problem is by tapping into our spirituality, or having compassion for ourselves, as well as others. Neptune represents oneness, the awareness that we really aren't so different from each other after all. As long as we're able to use that awareness to move past our fear of expressing vulnerability, this Full Moon in Taurus should have much to offer.

Aside from the opposition to Mercury Retrograde, the Full Moon makes only positive aspects. In addition to the sextile to Neptune in Pisces, which allows us to communicate with empathy and depth, the Moon in Taurus is also trine Saturn in Capricorn, giving us a solid and rational perspective. The combination of Neptunian and Saturnian energies allows us to manifest our dreams into something real. It gives us the right balance needed to achieve our goals.

Some other aspects that coincide with the Moon include a square between Venus at 13'18 degrees Sagittarius and Neptune 15'59 degrees Neptune. This energy is very romantic, but be careful not to over-idealize people, especially potential romantic partners, because we will only wind up getting hurt in the end.

In addition to viewing our lovers (or crushes) through rose-tinted glasses, Mars at 25'33 degrees Libra is square Saturn at 21'01 degrees Capricorn. This aspect indicates obsession. It could be the desire for revenge, or it could be more sexual in nature. It's okay to feel your feelings, but be careful not to take your obsessions too far, and take actions that you'll later regret.

Conclusion

Tuesday, November 12th's Full Moon in Taurus is all about having the strength to become aware of what our own needs are, and assert them when we have to. The Full Moon is accompanied by transits (Neptune-Venus, Pluto-Mars) that stress the need for boundary-setting, if we don't want them to negatively affect us. No longer can we suppress our emotions by engaging in unhealthy coping mechanisms, because that only makes the issue worse. Don't be afraid to speak up about how you feel, because that's how you establish trust in relationships. Instead, we'll benefit most from this Full Moon by opening our hearts up and being vulnerable. Even when it makes us look weak, vulnerability is where true strength lies.