When a new moon is on the horizon, a welcoming ritual can be a gorgeous thing. When the new moon is in Taurus, then the ritual must be a sumptuous affair: A feast that honors the community, a candle lit for every desire you stoke in your secret heart, and a list written in elegant hand, so it’s ever more beautiful when it burns. The Taurus new moon may not be readily visible this week, occupying the same degree of the zodiac as the Sun, but it will be no less benefic. Doubling down on Taurean vibes, this Sun and moon combo will leave few of us able to deny the steady sense of empowerment and determination draping over us like capes made of stars.
This is the perfect time to take another go at the novel you’ve been meaning to write or go all in on that project you’ve left on the back burner. You’re going to feel capable; you’re going to feel strong in your certainty because deep down you’ve known all along who you are. Now is the time to call in what you need so that your environment matches your mood. Spring cleaning, home improvement, and self-improvement are Taurus territory, and since Taurus is ruled by Venus, and Venus is direct in Aries come Friday, don’t be surprised if some of those improvements imbue you with so much confidence you can’t help but step out into the night feeling fine as hell.
Keep in mind, star babies, that Mercury is still retrograding (in Aries, no less) with the shadow of Venus retrograde upon us. So, while all that newfound confidence and spring air may have you feeling sexy and ready to make impulsive choices, it might not be in anyone’s best interest for you to make too many moves this week. Stick to the rivers and the lakes that you’re used to, reader, if you’re not courting hot water. In fact, try returning to what you know with new eyes and better perspective. Let Taurus guide you through Venus in Aries by pointing you toward self-love and self-celebration. It’s a skinny dip of the soul on a night when the moon is just a sliver and the stars are the light you see by. Float on your back, dear one, these next few weeks will show you how sorrows are also salvation, how salt flows from us and keeps us afloat.
Observers of the new moon and new moon worshippers vary in practice and belief, but they all seem to have a few things in common. Mainly, there’s a hopefulness and an impulse to speak or write our intentions into the world so that they might find us and so that we might recognize them when they do. Although the influence of Taurus will have many of us yearning for community and sensuous delight, a new moon is always a good time to hammer out what rituals and rites serve us best as individuals. There are those among us who gather in groups and speak their wishes for the new moon cycle over a fire. There are others who will choose to drive toward water and send their ambitions out to sea or begin the queer habit of night gardening. Still, there will be a scattering of lone witches, journaling as they search for a hint of moonlight, sitting out on their fire escapes and listening to the city’s night song underfoot. These approaches, divergent as they are, are equal in the moon’s eye. The power of a wish isn’t in the candle; it’s in how hard you’re willing to work to make it come true.
