Today’s new moon in Taurus initiates an exploration of new realms and financial opportunities. It supports us in committing to a long term plan that capitalizes on our talents, skills and abilities.

And it’s an opportunity to lay a new foundation for what you intend to build and create in the coming year.

If you’re into leveraging the power and potency of the planets, today’s new moon in Taurus is one to work with. It might be the best lunation of the year.

Here are 5 reasons why I love this New Moon.

(1) It’s a New Start

Today’s new moon, at 11:53 am ET at 28 degrees of Taurus, occurs just before the end of the sun’s transit here. Yet this new moon also feels emphatically like an initiation.

The sun may be leaving Taurus but, in many ways, the party here is just getting started.

And party is the operative word:

Jupiter, the planet of expansion, blessings, and abundance, has just arrived for a year long stay. We are at the dawn of a new story that will unfold in this part of our lives.

At the moment of this new moon, six planets or significant points are gathered in Taurus:

Sun, Moon, Mercury, Jupiter, Uranus, and the North Node.

This Taurus stellium pulls a lot of focus to Taurean themes: stability, grounding, our sense of security, what we value, and our self-worth. It helps us take the ideas in our head and turn them into tangible results, to ground in the practical realities of what we want to build.

With Jupiter still at 0 degrees of the sign, this new moon is, in many ways, the start of a new year.

(2) The Moon is Exalted in Taurus

The moon is exalted in Taurus. This means that it is given a seat of honor here; like a visiting dignitary.

In Taurus, the moon has access to all the resources it needs to do its job.

The moon represents emotions, and Taurus is a sign of physicality that is focused on the body. When the moon is in Taurus, it helps us connect our emotions to our somatic experience, bringing coherence between our emotions and our physical experience.

(3) The Moon Has Reciprocity With Venus

As the ruler of Taurus, Venus presides over this new moon.

Venus is currently in Cancer, which is ruled by the moon.

It’s like Venus and the Moon are doing a home exchange, with each staying in the others home.

Cancer is a sign that has affinity with Taurus, as it shares Taurean values of care and nourishment.

The home exchange gives this new moon a feeling of reciprocity. There’s mutual cooperation and synergy here.

With Venus in Cancer, we may become aware of the way we diminish our own value or discount our self-worth. These are the parts of ourselves that may need more our love and attention.

The moon in Taurus opens a portal to heal whatever wounds have caused us to devalue ourselves and our contribution. It helps us stand in what we value and in the value of what we bring to the world.

(4) Mercury, Jupiter and the North Node Give Us Hunger and a Plan

Taurus is a sign rooted in what’s practical and realistic. It doesn’t want to dream; it wants to implement. And it’s methodical, willing to take the slow and steady pace to create whatever it sets out to create.

Just before Jupiter entered Taurus, Mercury stationed direct here. They are co-present in the first decan of Taurus, a slice of Taurus ruled by Mercury.

In addition, Mercury is conjunct the North Node. The North Node is a point on the moon’s elliptic that speaks to what we hunger for.

The combination of all three in the first decan of Taurus helps us get clear on our desires (North Node), articulate them (Mercury) and make a plan that considers both the big picture (Jupiter) and the details of how to get there (Mercury).

Mercury is also in a sextile to Saturn, the planet of structure and discipline. This is a supportive angle that helps bring awareness to what we’re willing to commit to for the long term. It gives us the structure to turn our thoughts into grounded, concrete reality.

This moon is not about wild dreaming, but about purposeful and practical actions.

Taurus is a sign where we plant and cultivate seeds.

What you dream will stay a dreams, unless you create a plan and literally plant the seeds for its growth.

This new moon helps us do that.

(5) New Moon is in Supportive Relationships With Other Planets

Although there’s a challenging backdrop for this new moon with Mars opposing Pluto while both are in a square with Jupiter, the sun and moon are only in positive relationships with other planets.

A sextile to Neptune, at 27 degrees of Pisces, enhances our intuition and strengthens our faith that things will work out. It brings cooperation between our emotions and sense of idealism.

A sextile to Mars, at 29 degrees of Cancer, shines a light on our power potential and brings cooperation between emotions and action. The sextile to Mars can enhance our passion and a sense of personal meaning behind our activities. This helps us take action with greater emotional ease.