On May 17/18th there is a new Moon in the sign of Taurus. Taurus, the sign of the Bull, is a the sign most associated with values. It is in Taurus that we come in contact with our essential needs. The needs that allow our survival and ultimate thrival. Taurus is intimately connected to nature, the earth and the way we utilize her resources. Culturally our ‘record’ on how we treat and appreciate the Earth is abysmal. This New Moon beckons us to form a new relationship with our planet. Looking seriously in how we go about gathering her resources, at what cost to her, and at what cost to us. And what is truly essential in our lives in relation to those resources. There is an old Native American saying that with every choice you must think ahead 7 generations. Could you imagine if we were to even make choices one or two generations ahead. How different would our world would be.

The reflection of how we treat our planet is in direct connection to how we treat ourselves as human beings. The word human derives from the words humus, meaning dirt and mana, meaning mind. As part of a patriarchal culture we give plenty of thought to the mind part of our equation and very little to the dirt part. We do not have a good relationship to our earthly selves. In fact the earthly part of ourselves is seen culturally and sinful, base and less than. How can we care for the Earth without caring for our own bodies? Our bodies are gifts from the mother as a vessel for spirit. With each choice we make we need to consider how things are effecting our body and the body of Mother Earth.

Taurus is also connected to pleasure, especially self-pleasure. We revel in the senses in Taurus, and it is not wrong or sinful to do so. It is only when we are given the ultimatum that it is either spirit or body that people choose body. How about choosing both? Being completely in our bodies, loving ourselves, loving our planet and being one with Spirit. Imagine the world we could co-create with that set of instructions!

So on this New Moon we are being asked to plant the seeds of a new relationship to our selves. Loving and appreciating our bodies, our minds, our hearts and our souls. Seeing ourselves as whole and sacred. Seeing the Earth as Sacred. Venus the ruling planet of Taurus is in Cancer in the chart of the New Moon. Venus is in a square to the nodes of the Moon. We are at an evolutionary crossroad. The North Node of the Moon is in Libra, which is also ruled by Venus, yet we can’t get to a cooperative future based on love and mutual respect, until we heal the wounds around our instinctual needs. We must face our sexual needs, seeing them as natural. Not allowing culture to denigrate us because we have these needs. We need a new relationship with our bodies and it starts with looking at how repressing those needs have moved us to a culture of death, instead a culture of life.

We have the opportunity to change the world into a more loving place, star with loving your body, loving yourself and then moving onto others. Miraculous things happen with the simplest steps. Take them.