A SENSORY EXPLORATION OF TAURUS SEASON

A luscious monthly exploration of the cosmic energies for Taurus Season by Cara George & Bess Matassa of Mojave Rising

Image: Astromatcha
Image: Astromatcha

Taurus season coaxes us off the battlefield and into the boudoir as we relax into wanting what feels good to want – while already having everything that we need. This Venus-ruled bovine beauty reminds us that Venusian pleasure seeking is never frivolous, and that fully inhabiting our desire is the gateway to an unshakeable belief in our own value.

It’s a month for languishing in the simple “this-ness” of things as you sink your teeth deeply into what you love. Your diamonds don’t need to be appraised. Your love needs no justification. And baby, you’re always, absolutely, worth it.

The keyword: Succulence.

The song lyrics: “They say our love won’t pay the rent/Before it’s earned, our money’s all been spent/I guess that’s so, we don’t have a plot/But at least I’m sure of all the things we got” – I Got You Babe, Sonny & Cher.

Check out our playlist, complete with country crooners, slow jams, and classic rock.

The color palette: Think beautifully basic yet voluptuous hues that mix Dallas rodeo with a feast in the Scottish highlands: camelback and denim blue paired with crushed grape, burnt copper, and emeralds.

Rodarte 2016
Rodarte 2016

The style: Comfortable luxury that molds to the body like a second skin: jeans and a silk blouse, linen dresses, leather jackets, faux fur in pale pink and tan.

Klydie Thomas
Klydie Thomas

The scents and flavors: Ripe, rich, and classically decadent. Freshly grated truffles, high-quality olive oil and creamy burrata or St. André cheese, full-bodied floral essences, mulled spices, slow roasts, and tobacco.

 

Sabatino (olive oil shot)
Sabatino (olive oil shot)

The healing: Taurus Season is about straightforward, sensuous engagement with the abundant world. Lay your body directly on the dirt in a park or botanical garden and trust in the hard ground and juicy sunshine’s capacity to deliver exactly what you need. Select fabrics that beg for tactile engagement and literally dive into them. Take a scent making class, celebrate with an elaborate tasting menu, or enjoy a night of poker or blackjack as you place bets while knowing you’ve got nothing to lose because there IS no limit on your value.

Sensuous Invitation of the Month: COSMIC MANICURES BY SIGN

By the end of April we’ll have five planets retrograde in earth and fire signs, and there’s no better moment for digging into our interior dirt and engaging in some emotional landscaping. This month asks nothing less from us than our radical faith in the earth’s endless cycles of sensuous generation and mercilessly loving deaths, and reveals to us that we always instinctively know when it’s right to root down and when it’s time to tear away with our gorgeously manicured hands to create anew.

Nails by @ciaomanhattan2012
Nails by @ciaomanhattan2012

:: TAURUS ::
Savor a brand of solidity that’s also buoyant and responsive. Try scented polishes that move you towards a dynamic sensual engagement that’s anything but dull, or experiment with how much nail art each digit can handle until they’re bursting with life.

:: GEMINI ::
Take a break from your endless information gathering as you settle into sweet sensations without having to ask why. Play with iridescent, prismatic shades that are also textured.

:: CANCER ::
Birth your inner fantasy life into the physical world. Ground your little mermaid visions with incandescent shell toned nails or midnight colored blues and violets, or meditate on a desirous inner vision of your nails and team up with a talented artist to bring it into being.

:: LEO ::
Marry your urge for illuminated recognition with an abiding trust that you’re always already enough exactly as you are. Affix luxe diamond and ruby nail gemstones, or sport a “fuzzy” coat that appears so fluffy that you could sink comfortably into your own nail bed.

:: VIRGO ::
Soothe your mutable Earth sign’s impulses towards ordering and discerning with a fixity of feeling that takes the world at face value. Try classic, metallic glittery shades or solid gold.

:: LIBRA ::
Pair your brand of high-minded, idealistic love with a more carnal flavor that doesn’t need to strive to capture the goods. Play with acrylics and release into the “realness” of the fakeness as you celebrate the infinite value of artifice and ornament, or try “opposite” colors on different nails.

:: SCORPIO ::
Relax your urge to penetrate to the depths and instead relish the simple goodness of the luscious, flowering surface of things. Celebrate the steady unfurling of spring blooms with fresh green and pale rose shades, and choose a signature shade on your ring finger as you wed yourself to your own worth.

:: SAGITTARIUS ::
Sample an earthen rootedness that seeks depth over breadth. Fuse your Amazonian streak with bonfire colors and animal print decals, and practice blending into your animal pack with browns and russets that are equal parts expansive and fixed.

:: CAPRICORN ::
Engage in a different brand of “building” that allows the world to do its work upon you. Revel in the slow unfolding of a paraffin wax treatment, or activate your refined, sophisticated flavor of sensuality with a “velvet” manicure.

:: AQUARIUS ::
Drop back into your body as you swap out endless futurism in favor of the delectable present moment. Pair your eccentric, cerebral edge with Taurus primitivism by trying tropical neon nail art, or keep your nails clean and bare to get ready for dirt digging.

:: PISCES ::
Practice “landing” as you learn to value the material as much as the mystical. Commit to a monochromatic mani in a bright kelly green or chartreuse that marries your deep sea diving to the color of land vegetation.

:: ARIES ::
Fuse your action-oriented potency with a yin vibe that knows when to hold ‘em. Choose an in-your-face shade and then dial the color back just a notch; turn saturated magentas into peachy pinks or glossy corals that are equal parts emboldened and receptive.

MAKE YOUR OWN FASHION ENERGY ORACLE DECK!

Don’t know what to wear? Make your own fashion energy oracle deck for some divine style guidance, says says collage artist Monica Ruiz…Images featured are a selection of cards from Monica’s handmade deck

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We were sitting on our friends lanai one evening last summer, listening to a single gal pal say what she was looking for in a partner, including good “fashion-energy…”. To which I replied, “omg yes! I am such a believer in fashion energy!”…to which she replied; “Oh, I said passion-and-energy…”

But what is “fashion energy?” I believe fashion goes beyond how an outfit or accessory can make you look, and taps into how we want to feel. Why do we gravitate towards a certain color (black), material (modal, denim) or print (snow leopard, moon-phase)? I believe it’s because we emit different energetic vibrations with what we choose to dress up in.

Our choice of outfit can cause us to feel nostalgic, sexy, modern, rebellious…We might wake up in the same body every day, but we become a different being through the way we spend our time, the moods we encounter – and the clothing choices we make.

On my “lazy” days I’ll put on a cropped tank, some high-waisted denim cut-off shorts and my converse, with my hair in a top bun and my Numinous Chakra sweatshirt tied around my waist.

Other times, I’ll wear my Urban Outfitters Kurt Cobain t-shirt as a dress, with black shorts underneath and my old Costume National moto boots. Last week I wore an old
flannel from the ‘90s with my Isabel Marant sneakers. I had to be at work at 5am and was too tired to think – but I knew my Marant’s would make me feel like less of a slob.

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The key is to get familiar with how different aspects of fashion make you and your spirit tick. Stay inspired by trying new things of course, but staying true to your personal fashion energy means always looking and feeling your best.

There are definitely certain brands out there that I legit salivate over. Rodarte, Balmain, Liberated Heart. The sleeveless tops by the Wild Unknown, and the quartz crystal jewelry from aletheia & phos. But in the last year I have become entranced with Free People, to the point that I even started re-purposing my older FP catalogs to fashion my own “fashion-oracle” deck!

Inspired by a friend’s yoga workshop, these soul-cards help me tap back into my unique fashion energy whenever I’m having a nothing-to-wear moment – when this happens, I simply pick a card to help guide me through my closet or dresser drawers.

Feeling blah? When I look at my NATURAL or FREE card, this may simply translate as a no makeup or jewelry day, and instead I’ll my two favorite crystals in my pocket and wear cherry-flavored Chapstick along with my high-top leopard print wedge Vans sneakers.

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My WILD AT HEART card reminds me to keep having fun in the concrete jungle, while my WILD ONES card reminds me of my sacred sisterhood, and the magic of long summer days feeling some tie-dyed bandeau vibes!

Over a Skype session, I recently pulled the I AM A TRAVELER card for a friend traveling through Europe for the summer. She’s also a believer in fashion energy, and this
card reminded her that she is able to re-create herself through different fashion cultures and tap into another side of herself.

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Now it’s time to make your own fashion energy deck – here’s what you’ll need:

A selection of fashion and travel magazines, and catalogs
Exacto knife (key item)
Glue stick or rubber cement
Cardstock
Scissors

1) Search the magazine and catalogues for images (clothes, background images and words / phrases) that resonate with your personal “fashion energy.”
2) Use your exacto knife to cut out your image as perfectly as possible. Breathe and stay zen for best results, cutting along the edges of the image as closely as possible. When you put your figure against your backdrop, it will/should look surreal!
3) Measure out the cardstock to the size and shape you desire for your deck, and cut into equal-sized pieces.
4) After cutting your cards, choose a background image for each and glue them onto one side of each card.
5) Now glue your main model / fashion image onto the background.
5) Finally, find a space on each card to glue an inspiring phrase or word. The only rule when combining background / image / words is to not over-think this process. This is about YOUR energy and celebrating all the elements of fashion YOU love.

You are now ready to start using and sharing your cards as your very own fashion oracle – have fun with it!

What defines your fashion energy? Connect with us and share on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter!

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