Taurus Season 2019 is vivid and alive, ready and willing to receive our lusts and longings. A time for letting the messy, beautiful range of life possess and work through us, Taurus Season 2019 reminds us that when we say “yes” to our status as part of these natural cycles, we can find radiance by moving to the rhythm of what simply is.
The season opens with Venus’ shift into Aries, and a one-two retrograde hit of Pluto and Saturn in Capricorn. Later in the season, Mercury and Venus shift into Taurus, while Mars enters Cancer, bringing questions of self protection to the fore. And, as the season closes with a fat Full Moon in Scorpio, we’re asked to hold fast to the gemstones inside of ourselves without gripping, noticing any place where we feel lack and flooding it with the lubrication of a lush, jungle cat kind of love …
Listen to the full Taurus Season 2019 report from Numi resident astrologers Bess + Sandy HERE and read on for more on the 4 key astro events of the coming weeks …
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Sun in Taurus (4.20-5.21)
Taurus energy asks us to come ever closer to the cusp of what just feels good, resting on the soft petals and sipping the sweet nectar of deservedness without wondering when the honeysuckle might end. Taurus Season 2019 amplifies this pleasure dilation. Where do you think we have to prove something in order to be served? What if you simply had to open your lips and palms and say “thank you” without wondering how you’d earned it? In the weeks to come, simply lie back into whatever feels like a bed of roses, and lap up the cream.
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Pluto Rx in Capricorn (4.24-10.2) + Saturn Rx in Capricorn (4.29-9.18) conjunct the Moon’s South Node
These two epic retrograde cycles carry us through to the “death” energy of the Scorpionic fall, and ask us to investigate where we place authority and who is really calling the shots and pulling the strings. Where do the “shoulds” in your life come from? What patterns feel like they’re “possessing” you? Take this time to notice the subtle polarities in your power dynamics. Give and take. Full and empty. What does your own power feel like when it’s simply coursing through your veins but doesn’t need a target? It’s a moment for recalibrating the controls and rediscovering a potency that ignites us from the inside out.
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Venus in Aries (4.20-5.15) + Venus in Taurus (5.15-6.8)
Venus in Aries brings an opportunity to turn over fresh soil on old romantic patterns. An invitation to move towards objects of desire with no strategy, this transit asks us to simply go for it! Like a just born baby animal, trust you will be perceived as all fluff and frolic. Learn to trust in carnal signals and, after Venus moves into Taurus, to go after what your body desires without shame. Harness this transit to quiet the storylines and to navigate your romantic life by touch, taste, and smell.
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Mars in Cancer (5.15-7.1)
Mars in Cancer harbors its hurts and healing inside a tightly packed shell, while fiercely defending what it loves. This transit is an invitation for us all to slip into our emotion ocean and examine what we can’t let go of. What feelings, memories, and entanglements we would defend with our very lives. There’s no need to try and validate these patterns of protection. Rather, we can take this time to see our defenses as gateways to a deeper understanding of what we truly value. Whatever you’re braving your body against is the secret diary key to what brings you most fully alive.
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Learn more about Bess and her work and check out all her personalized Astro + Tarot offerings HERE.
As Mercury stations retro for the first time this year, savor the slow down with Rebecca Farrar‘s total guide to ALL the 2019 retrograde cycles …
Photo: Hugo Alexandre
Ever wish you could enter a time machine for a do-over?
Every planet in our solar system—except for the Sun and Moon—spends time “in retrograde.” These periods each bring powerful opportunities for collective and individual slow down and renewal, calling us to bring awareness to situations we may have glossed over or rushed past.
Mercury Retrograde has gotten a pretty bad name! But rather than harbingers of doom and gloom, all retrograde transits are opportunities to choose free will over fear.
When a planet is retrograde, it appears to move backwards in the sky, an illusion caused by the Earth passing by these slower moving planets. As these shifts occur, it’s up to us to decide how we’ll handle the themes they reveal.
With awareness of a planet’s areas of influence,we can notice how those energies move through us and can uncover new ways of relating to them. For example, if we tend to be non-committal, a Saturn retrograde transit may help us understand where more effort and hard work is needed. If we over-identify with our intellect, Mercury retrograde can reconnect us to our intuition.
Since January 6, 2019 all of the major planets have been in their forward motion. This ends on March 5, when Mercury stations in the last degree of Pisces before retrograding for most of March. As retrograde season 2019 begins, use the guide below to embrace these times of deep transformation, growth, and healing …
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Mercury // March 5—March 28 (retrograde in Pisces); July 7—July 31 (retrograde in Leo); October 31—November 20 (retrograde in Scorpio) When the planet of communication and linear thinking moves backwards, our minds may feel a bit fuzzy, especially since this year’s first Mercury retro occurs in the imaginative and intuitive Pisces. Take this time to:
Complete old writing projects, revise your resume, reignite a journaling practice.
Edit and review emails more closely to make sure you are articulating what you want to say as clearly as possible.
Reorganize closets, drawers, and cabinets, as Mercury likes to keep things in order.
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Ceres // April 9—July 17 (retrograde in Sagittarius) When the largest asteroid in our solar system is in retrograde, we may become more familiar with all of the places we need to up our self-care regime. Ceres’ 2019 retrograde cycle helps us contact our inner nurturer and recover our self-parenting tools. Utilize this retrograde for revisiting what you need to feel your best, both emotionally and physically. Use Ceres retrograde to:
Try out new recipes or new healthy eating habits and take care of your own needs before helping others.
Focus on the many ways to practice self-care, from salt baths to voicing your emotions.
Read books on attachment theory and emotional support such as Attached by Amir Levine, David Richo’s How to be An Adult, and the work of Rachel Heller.
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Jupiter // April 10—August 11 (retrograde in Sagittarius) The largest planet in our solar system, Jupiter’s slow down often reveals new visions. This year, Jupiter will be stationing in its own sign of Sagittarius, and this backward motion may evoke a sense of contraction or constriction. Use this time to:
Plan a trip or mini-adventure somewhere you’ve never been or revisit a favorite place—Jupiter loves to travel.
Notice places of over-indulgence and how you can cut back on waste, perhaps bring your reusable cup to the coffee shop or carry around bamboo silverware.
Take an honest look at the vision for your life and values, and write it down this time to make it feel more real.
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Pluto // April 24—October 3 (retrograde in Capricorn) Pluto brings us closer to the domain of shadow and the underworld, asking us to take a closer look at the “un-pretty” aspects of ourselves and to confront discomfort. When in retrograde, it helps us uncover places where we haven’t gone deep enough before. This year’s retrograde occurs as Pluto moves through Capricorn, along with Saturn, and asks important questions about power structures. Use Pluto retrograde to:
Dive into shadow work with a therapist or guide, or take a long hard look at the things you are annoyed and angry about, as the shadow shows up the most in our projections.
Get caught up on taxes or get your will in order; Pluto wants to prepare for the inevitabilities of taxes or death, as well as topics that may be uncomfortable to talk about.
Read up on the occult and mystical traditions that intrigue you, or pull out the Tarot deck you haven’t used in a while.
Photo: Felix Mittermeier
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Saturn // April 29—September 18 (retrograde in Capricorn) Similar to Jupiter, Saturn spends a third of the year in retrograde and offers clues about where we may need to re-commit or become more disciplined. In 2019, Saturn retrogrades in Capricorn, alongside Pluto, and can help us reclaim our sense of authority and responsibility where we may have avoided it in the past. Saturn represents the longer cycles of time and existence and when in retrograde, it can take us back in time to clean up old pain. Use this transit to:
Look for places to slow down and practice more discipline, whether it be at work or in relationships.
Rethink your long-term goals from the standpoint of the legacy you want to leave, write a 10-year plan, or even 40-year plan.
Contemplate your priorities over the next several months and discern where and with whom to focus your energy.
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Neptune // June 21—November 27 (retrograde in Pisces) When dreamy Neptune moves into retrograde, it brings a time to examine our illusions and fantasies. This planet connects us to our spiritual side and the myriad ways to feel in tune with the divine essence of who we are. The 2019 Neptune retrograde cycle occurs with Neptune in its favorite sign of Pisces, so projections may be at an all-time high. Use this cycle to balance fantasy with reality.
Resume a creative project, especially if it is related to a flow state such as photography, film, or painting.
Start up a meditation practice, or restart an old one, as Neptune desires a connection to the divine.
Take a break from substances that contribute to altered states of consciousness or disassociation.
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Chiron // July 8—December 12 (retrograde in Aries) Chiron is a bridge between different parts of ourselves, and helps us identify what still needs healing. During its retrograde phase, we can rely on this planetary body to help us rewire or release old painful patterns, as well as help us regain our sense of wholeness. Chiron’s 2019 retrograde moves through Aries, allowing for old confrontations to be addressed and an inner understanding of our anger. Use this transit to:
Take a class or receive a session of reiki or massage therapy (Chiron comes from the word for “hand”) to understand the power of hands-on healing.
Boost your self-esteem by making a list of your strengths and keeping them nearby.
Reorient to yourself by making a list of situations where you put others first, or a list of your non-negotiable needs for relating.
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Uranus // August 11—January 10, 2020 (retrograde in Taurus) This year’s Uranus retrograde transitions us from 2019 into 2020 with opportunities to rethink our creativity and uncover new ways of doing things. As Uranus re-enters Taurus on March 7, the retrograde occurs in the same sign and may revisit themes from things that occurred in May 2018. Use Uranus retrograde to:
Join a new community (IRL preferably) or attend group events you may have thought were not for you, as Uranus encourages us to try new things and also meet new people.
Activate your inner activist by recommitting to causes that mean something to you.
Update your technology or reread your smart phone manual—Uranus loves the future and feels at home with technology.
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Vesta // September 23—December 29 (retrograde in Taurus) Baby planet Vesta bridges heaven and Earth through ritual and devotion to personal ceremonies, and brings magic to the mundane through feeding our sacred flame. During its retrograde cycle, we may find ourselves pulled more deeply into our sacred practices, and during this year’s Vesta retro in Taurus, we’re asked to cultivate the sacredness of pleasure. Use this cycle to:
Explore sacred sex rituals such as Tantra or Kama Sutra, or create your own sex magic ritual.
Take a human sexuality class or write a sexual autobiography to understand more of how this sexual flame moves through you.
Create a new ritual for the moon cycles or even in your own daily routine, as a reminder of the many ways to connect to the sacred in everyday life.
Taurus Season 2018 sees us looking to the past to mine hard won gems to re-imagine our future, says Bess Matassa. PLUS listen to our all new Taurus Season Astrocast podcast with Bess and Sandy Sitron.
Are you ready for more, more, more, Numiverse? The Sun’s sensuous saunter into earth empress Taurus brings us back to the basics of love, and asks us to sink our teeth into the touches and tastes of what truly turns us on, without an ounce of shame.
Taurus Season 2018 is electrified by Saturn and Pluto retrograde, Venus in Gemini, and electric slider Uranus in Taurus. The coming month will feel like a faux-fur trimmed welcome mat to our own jungles, asking us to lovingly look into our wells of self-worth and deservedness, feast on our all our bits, both shadowy and light, and treat our personal demons like tropical flavored gummy worms that are meant to be celebrated.
What simply feels good to want? Where have you not allowed yourself to fully feel it? And what no longer fills you up? You are more than worthy of your weight in snackable stardust, astro babes.
So tell yourself what you want, what you really, really want, and open your channel wide to receive it …
Listen to the full Taurus Season 2018 Astrocast from Numi resident astrologers Bess + Sandy HERE and use Bess’ cosmic crib sheet (below) to get the quick and dirty on the season’s 4 key astro events.
**And make sure you check out our latest Numiversity Astrology Course, Venus: Your Total Guide to the Planet of Love, available only during Taurus Season 2018 (April 19—May 19). Complete with custom astro info for your Venus sign, hypnosis, tarot, and more!
In its highest octave of expression, Taurus energy teaches us that there’s always more than enough to go around, and that we don’t have to scramble one bit to sit down and fills our plates with seconds and thirds. Revel in the sense of endless supply with the glossy goodness of still life oil painting and photography, where you can access the immediacy of the rich and ready material world that springs eternal.
The sober duo of boundary heavy Saturn, and primal transformer Pluto, sees us putting in the hard-edged work of personal reckoning with our pasts. But rather than fearing the reaper, revel in all the shapes you’ve inhabited, and the time it takes to grow it real and right, as you delight in mining the gemstones from trips to your own shadow lands that are gorgeously badass.
Pleasure seeker Venus’ shift into Gemini’s prismatic perspectives reminds us that our love lives can be slumber party style sampler platters, and that partnerships come in all sizes and flavors. When we look upon what we love with curiosity, we reaffirm our right to the wide-range of pleasure that’s always available. Get with your friends and take to the streets, as you figure out what you really, really want, and debut your desires to the whole wide world.
Uranus’ radical electricity challenges Taurus’ sensuously secure nature, asking us what’s really filling our cups, and what’s no longer a serviceable source of supply. This powerhouse primal energy invites us to renovate our relationship to our most basic needs, and to question where we’ve been gripping onto feeds out of compulsion and fear, rather than a settled sense of satisfaction. Release what you think you should want, and step into what you need, as you slip in and out of carnal costumes that fit you right here, right now.
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Our Numiversity Astrology Course Venus: Your Total Guide to the Planet of Love is only available through Taurus Season 2018 (April 19—May 19). Get your copy HERE and learn all about your personal relationship to the planet of love, money, and pleasure, as well as a complete understanding of Venus through the signs. 10% of all sales will be donated to Project HEAL, the leading non-profit in the US delivering prevention, treatment financing, and recovery support for people suffering from eating disorders.
Clear any debris from the past to make way for new beginnings this Capricorn Waning Quarter Moon, says Jennifer Racioppi…Artwork: Seana Gavin
Waning Quarter Moon :: April 19 2017 :: 5.56am EST :: 29 Degrees Capricorn
Like an elegant wine with unpredictable hints of licorice, cacao, leather, black tea and sour cherry, the complexity of this Aries Waning Quarter Moon challenges us to interpret complex aromas and flavors.
However, with the moon shifting from stalwart Capricorn into courageous and progressive Aquarius an hour later, and the Sun moving into stable and steady Taurus at 5:26pm the same day, the Capricorn Waning Quarter Moon lingers with complex, multifaceted nuances. Like a theatrical dinner, with a banquet of flavors to take in and digest, this is a vibrant and intricate transit.
Not only does the exact square between the Capricorn Moon and the Aries Sun, at 2 degrees of each sign, occur right before their ingress (entrance into new signs), this Capricorn Waning Quarter Moon occurs one day before powerhouse Pluto stations retrograde. Pluto rules our shadow, and when he commences his retrograde journey, he extends an invitation to look at how we relate to power and control.
Further, on April 20th, Mercury in retrograde will also form her conjunction with the Sun, signifying an intense moment in the Mercury retrograde journey—when the Sun and Mercury swap positions, the Sun is moving into Taurus, while Mercury slips back into Aries.
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:: The Sun :: With the Sun at the tail end of pioneering, bold and courageous Aries, preparing to move into salt of the earth (with a twist of divine luxury) Taurus, she wraps up her Aries story. Having traveled side by side with both Uranus, the planet of revolution, and Eris, the planet of feminine discord, in recent weeks, our egos and identities have certainly endured a few shake-ups. The full moon in Libra, which happened one week prior to this Capricorn Waning Quarter Moon, opposed the Sun and Uranus—infusing the lunation with a few unexpected results. Now it’s up to us to decipher what we need to release. Something needs to go.
:: The Moon :: This practical and efficient Capricorn Waning Quarter Moon trines Mars in Taurus—a fortunate connection to the planet of action. This common-sense, down-to-earth influence brings stoic expediency when it comes to executing on the daily chores of life. Thank Goddess! With the recent emphasis in Aries, a focus on getting things started didn’t leave a ton of room for completion. Fortunately, the day leading up to this Waning Quarter Moon emphasizes the finishing point. That said, with the Moon renewing itself next week, a time that’s ripe for new beginnings, it’s essential to clear the debris of our past—and now! Cultivate the wisdom gained over the last few weeks to decide what needs releasing in order to to bring things to completion consciously.
:: The Square :: With the Sun and the Moon in a waning square as they ingress into new signs (Taurus and Aquarius, also square) this Capricorn Waning Quarter Moon asks us to trust our feelings and to be assertive. Both Capricorn and Aries represent the Cardinal signs (or signs that initiate new seasons) asking us to take action. Now that we are a month deep in spring, it’s essential to evaluate how we are doing at both being true to ourselves, our hearts, and our power, while simultaneously staying mindful of others. This isn’t about being right; it’s about making space. Releasing what needs to go.
:: The message :: We’ve gained so much knowledge and wisdom through our experiences over the last couple of weeks, especially while Venus took her retrograde spin. Now that she’s direct, and with Pluto getting ready to go retrograde (along with Saturn, Mercury, and Jupiter) it’s essential to look at how we are using our power, as we likely need to make some changes. What better time than now?! This waning quarter moon asks us to decipher what needs to shift and encourages us to think for ourselves and be decisive. Only you know you best! So let go of that which doesn’t serve you.
For more Moon wisdom or to book a coaching session with from Jennifer visit Jenniferracioppi.com. To learn more about how to work with each Moon phase, join our community of likeminded spiritual activists at Moon Club!
With Pluto, Saturn and Mars all retrograde, there’s rich opportunity now to transcend deep-seated patterns and re-vamp your sense of purpose. This week showed me how to use the retrogrades for healing…
Sub Rosa’s Michael Ventura
:: MONDAY (-WEDNESDAY) :: A healing session with Michael Ventura, who also happens to be CEO of design and branding agency Sub Rosa, which also happens to be the venue for some of NYC’s most high-vibe happenings (including our Club SÖDA NYC event in April with Biet Simkin). This is what I love about New York—everybody has a side project that’s at least as interesting as their day job. In Michael’s case, 10 years spent studying everything from Traditional Chinese Medicine to Native American shamanic healing (with Yogi Bhajan’s personal healer, no less).
“These retrogrades have stirred up all kinds of funky stuff,” I told him. “You know, like ‘who am I?’ and ‘how can my voice have real impact in the world?'” (um, anybody else feeling the existential crunch right now?) My treatment was a combination of hands-on healing and pressure-point release, with some crystals and some burning herbs, after which I practically levitated off the table, leaving with the instructions to send an update by email after two sleeps. By which time I was actually experiencing a disquieting sense of wanting to completely re-evaluate my message and my mission, in line with my personal needs.
And since I know I’m not alone in this right now, I share with you here Michael’s beautiful response:
“We all too often think of our lives across two spectrums—positive and negative. However, there is a third and powerful force—neutrality—which can serve you well in these times of reflection and integration. You don’t need to have the plan. At the same time, you don’t need to get down on yourself for not having a plan. Simply un-attaching and not identifying with an outcome will let things happen at their own pace. A flower doesn’t bloom by trying to bloom. It simply allows.”
:: WEDNESDAY NIGHT :: So I allowed the unease (WTF am I doing with my life? How is what I’m doing actually of service in the world?) to just be there. And now enter my third sleep of the week, during which I experienced the most incredible healing dream—facilitated (in my dream) by wonderful Alexandra Derby, who appeared in my mind’s eye and told me it was time to perform a ritual.
This involved an astral visitation with my ex—a man to whom I utterly subjugated my sense of self during my late teens and early twenties. Confronted with his same old, patronizing ways, I felt his words and gross, overbearing sexual energy bounce off me, like I’d developed a cosmic force-field. “You are an insect on the sole of my shoe, and I am more powerful than you will even know,” was basically the over-riding vibe. At which point I came semi-conscious to the sound of a series of “clicks” in my brain—as if a piece of code in my internal operating system had been re-written. By morning, I awoke feeling newly and fully empowered on my path. Existential crisis averted!
So…I’ve gone into way more detail here than I usually would in this column, but my this week has been an amazing opportunity to work with the current retrogrades for healing. Pluto and Saturn, in particular, are opening up deep karmic wounds, and since everywhere I look it seems people are experiencing a similar sense of having outgrown their own skin, or are having conflicting thoughts and feelings about where they’re “at” and what they really want, it felt appropriate to share.
And so, I believe this is a perfect time to:
– Seek assistance bringing any funky energy that’s being stirred up to the surface—ideally a session with a trusted energy worker (think reiki, acupuncture, sound healing—whatever works for you). – Allow all the weird shit you might be thinking and feeling to just be there. Don’t over-analyse it—just allow it move through you. Trust that it will find its own way out—in a dream like mine, perhaps. – Feel it to heal it. Which means resisting the temptation to numb out from it with drink, drugs, drama, shopping (*insert your preferred method of numbing here*). – Journal. I actually wrote a poem the morning after my healing dream, my favorite new way to purge the numinous un-namables that are screeching to be let out. Try it—I bet you like it!
:: THURSDAY :: Mainly processing the above. While also finally finishing my book manuscript (TF!)
:: FRIDAY :: A beautiful astanga class with Makeesha Hill of the Urban Yogis—a grass roots initiative bringing the tools of yoga and meditation to NYCs inner city communities, that we’re supporting with sales of our Designer Yogis sweatshirt collection. A fitting end to this week of self-enquiry, as one of the things that’s coming through loud and clear for me right now is that if my work (like, this platform) isn’t actively in service of helping people be happier humans, in a healthier, more harmonious society…then really, what’s the point? As the Yogis themselves would say: #peaceisalifestyle!
The Urban Yogis: a.k.a. (l-r) Raheem Lewis, Tyrell Carter, Jaytaun McMillan, Makeesha Hill, and Juquille Johnston
