Full Moon in Taurus - Relationships & Self-worth

The Full Moon on 26 October is not necessarily an easy Full Moon, as it brings relationship power struggles or imbalances into focus. Relationships include romantic, business, friendships and family ties, or any relationship where there is an exchange of energy between two people.

This will be emphasised if we haven't done work to address our own inner wounds around self-worth and feelings of inadequacy.

The Full Moon is when the Sun, currently at 2 degrees in the sign of Scorpio, opposes and illuminates the Moon in Taurus. Taurus is a fixed earth sign representing our tangible values, money matters, assets, resources and what we have built. Taurus is ruled by the planet Venus, and Venus is the planet of attraction, in the larger sense of what we magnetise to us.

Venus, as it currently sits in the sky, is closely tied to the Sun in Scorpio and is moving in retrograde motion from the sign of Scorpio into Libra, the sign of its rulership. Venus is strong in Libra and wants harmony in relationships, but when a planet is in retrograde motion, it needs to revisit matters from the past.

Recently Venus was overshadowed by the Sun during their conjunction and is now separating, so a separation may have already occurred in a love relationship or business partnership. If this is the case, you may still need to process that ending and the power issues at play which led to the split.

The Full Moon is a time of fruition and completion, when efforts we've made to bring something into manifestation since the New Moon in Taurus in May this year in some way reach their fulcrum.

This Full Moon forms a T-square with Pluto at the apex. Planets at the apex of a T-square become a focal point, which can either release the pressure of the planets involved in the T-square, or indicate a way to handle the pressure. The ultimate energy of Pluto in Aquarius is the power of group dynamics and the power of thought. It’s important to learn that real power doesn't come from trying to control others or imposing our own beliefs, but from recognising the power of our own thoughts and actions, and how they influence the people around us.

The Taurus - Scorpio Axis

Taurus is very much the builder of the zodiac. It is concerned with creating something tangible and lasting, whether that's financial security, a home, a business, or simply a life that provides us with a sense of comfort and stability. Taurus is also very good at manifestation because it understands that building something worthwhile takes time, patience and persistence.

Taurus generally has a good understanding of boundaries and what belongs to us, both materially and creatively. But sometimes our attachment to comfort, what we've built, or what makes us feel secure, can make it difficult to recognise when something needs to change.

Chiron, the wounded healer, is close to the Moon in Taurus, bringing our attention to some of the deeper wounds we may carry around self-worth, money, security, or whether we bring enough to the table. These wounds can fester when we feel we haven't lived up to other people's expectations, or when we've allowed our sense of worth to be determined by what we earn or what we own.

The Sun in Scorpio is illuminating these issues from the opposite side of the zodiac. While Taurus is concerned with our own resources and values, Scorpio is concerned with what we share with others, including intimacy, trust, emotional attachments and the resources that others bring into our lives.

Scorpio doesn't like to skim the surface. It wants to go deeper, to understand what is really going on beneath feelings and reactions. Scorpio also reminds us that real personal power and the ability to transform come from within. It finds that inner well of strength where we know our own value, rather than looking outside ourselves for reassurance or validation.

Taurus wants comfort and security, while Scorpio wants passion, depth and transformation. The challenge is to find a balance between the two, where intimacy is honest, trust is mutual, and both people feel secure enough to be vulnerable without compromising their own values, boundaries or sense of self-worth.

Venus Retrograde Square Pluto

With Venus closely conjunct the Sun in Scorpio in the days preceding the Full Moon, it may have been a particularly tense time for Venus, when she wasn't necessarily being seen or heard.

This raises some interesting questions about our own feminine power, creativity and what we want to attract into our lives. Are we expressing ourselves authentically? Are we recognising our own value? Are we allowing ourselves to receive love, abundance and support, or are there underlying feelings of inadequacy that prevent us from doing so?

Venus retrograde can bring relationship matters back for review, particularly where there have been imbalances around giving and receiving, or where one person has held more power than the other. And this doesn't necessarily mean that a relationship is unhealthy or needs to end. Sometimes we simply need to recognise patterns that have developed over time and make adjustments.

One of the reasons this Full Moon may be difficult is that it could bring something to light that we don't particularly like seeing, either about ourselves or about someone else. We may be confronted with uncomfortable truths about how we've behaved, what we've tolerated, or where we've given away our own power for the sake of comfort.

With Pluto at the apex of the T-square, these issues can become more intense. Pluto is the planet of transformation, but it also deals with control, manipulation and the ways we exercise power in our relationships.

We may find ourselves being tested on whether a relationship can survive when both people are standing firmly in their own power. A healthy relationship should allow both people to have their own identity, values and boundaries, without one needing to diminish themselves to keep the peace.

Pluto can bring things to the surface that have been buried for a long time. While this can be uncomfortable, it also provides an opportunity to address the underlying issue rather than continuing to repeat the same patterns.

The important thing is to recognise where we have some control, which is generally over our own behaviour and responses, rather than trying to control someone else.

The Moon's Nodes on the Aquarius - Leo Axis

The Full Moon also connects with the Moon's Nodes, bringing another dimension to what we're experiencing. When the Nodes are involved, we're moving beyond the more mundane matters of everyday life and into the spiritual lessons we're here to learn.

The Nodes are currently travelling through Aquarius and Leo, with the South Node in Leo and the North Node in Aquarius.

The South Node represents what we've already learned, what feels familiar and comfortable, but also what we may now need to move beyond. The North Node represents what we're still learning, the direction we're moving towards, and what will ultimately bring a greater sense of satisfaction and fulfilment.

Leo is concerned with our individual identity, creativity, self-expression and the desire to be recognised for who we are. Aquarius, on the other hand, is concerned with the collective, our communities and our shared humanity.

From a positive perspective, the South Node in Leo suggests that we've already learned something about valuing ourselves, developing self-belief and recognising our individual gifts. But now we're being encouraged to move beyond the more self-centred qualities of Leo, where everything revolves around our own needs, desires and recognition.

The North Node in Aquarius asks us to consider how we can contribute to something greater than ourselves. This includes our relationships with other people, our communities, humanity as a whole, and the environment we share with all creatures great and small. Over time, we're being encouraged to develop a greater sense of common humanity, where we recognise that our individual actions have an impact on the collective. This doesn't mean giving up our individuality. Rather, it's about understanding how our own unique gifts can contribute to the wellbeing of others.

Mars and Jupiter in Leo - Keeping Ego in Check

Jupiter and Mars are also travelling through Leo, adding another layer to these themes.

Mars is an activator. It energises wherever it travels through the signs. In Leo, Mars brings a strong desire to express ourselves, pursue our passions and be recognised for our creative efforts. It can give us the confidence and courage to stand up for ourselves and take action on what matters to us. However, Leo is also associated with pride and ego, so we need to beware of becoming overly demanding or reactive if things don't go our way, particularly if we feel we're not being seen or appreciated.

Jupiter tends to expand and enhance whatever it touches. It can be a very fortunate planet, but much of its good fortune comes through the opportunities it provides for growth, learning and gaining a broader understanding of life. However, Jupiter can also take things to extremes.

In Leo, Jupiter can strengthen our confidence, creativity and desire to express ourselves, which can be wonderful when we're coming from a place of genuine self-belief. But it can also exaggerate our need for recognition, our pride, or our belief that our own perspective is the only one that matters.

With the South Node also in Leo, we may need to be mindful of where our ego is getting in the way of seeing the bigger picture.

There's nothing wrong with having a strong sense of self. In fact, it's essential to healthy relationships. But there's a difference between knowing our own worth and needing to prove it to everyone else.

Jupiter reminds us that growth often comes when we're willing to broaden our perspective and recognise that there may be more to a situation than we initially thought.

Grimalkin – The Wisdom of the Matriarch

When I was observing the astrology, I decided to pull a tarot card from my Curious Cat Tarot and received the card 'Grimalkin'. The message from Grimalkin is particularly relevant to this Full Moon.

Change and healing start with facing reality.

Sometimes we need to see things as they really are, rather than how we'd like them to be. This can be uncomfortable, particularly when it challenges our beliefs about ourselves or someone close to us.

Grimalkin reminds us to resist impulses that come from a place of immaturity, fear or wounded pride. When our insecurities are triggered, it's easy to react emotionally, become defensive or try to regain control of a situation.

But the wisdom of Grimalkin – the wisdom of the matriarch – lives within us. It's the wisdom that comes from experience, from learning to trust ourselves, and from recognising that we don't need to react to everything that challenges us.

This Full Moon is an opportunity to cultivate greater trust in ourselves, our intuition and Spirit. We don't necessarily need to have all the answers immediately, nor do we need to force a particular outcome. Sometimes the most powerful thing we can do is recognise what's happening, take responsibility for our own part in it, and allow others the space to do the same.

Ultimately, this Full Moon is asking us to look at where our sense of security and self-worth comes from, and whether our relationships and desire for comfort are supporting our growth or holding us back.

And perhaps most importantly, recognising that our worth isn't something we need to earn, prove or have validated by someone else.

It's something we need to recognise within ourselves.

✨ Light up your path, one cosmic step at a time!

Cosmic Carol