In my role as a yoga teacher, I am most proud of the fact that I teach various types of classes. While many teachers stick to one “type,” I regularly teach flow, power, yin, and gentle.
I often say that Yin — a practice of holding poses for a longer period of time, even through discomfort — is the true “power yoga.” The true power move in the face of chaos is to be able to hold stillness and stay grounded, even through discomfort.
The Essence of my Classes and Client Service
No matter which type of class I’m teaching, my students know that they are going to receive my fastidious attention to alignment, hands-on adjustments to help them find their way into poses, and a challenge for both the body and the mind. I will hold space for whatever emotions arise for them, and no matter what the offering.
It’s likely to be a little intense and also tinged with humor and a reminder that none of this is so serious.
Teaching yoga is just one of the things I do, and in the larger context of all the ways I serve clients, this is true across the board: no matter what the role, my essence is at the core of the offering. The parts underneath don’t change.
These two lessons — staying grounded amidst disruption and finding the unchanging part of us that is our essence — are the teachings of this year’s full moon in Taurus, which occurs on November 15, 2024 at 4:28 pm at 24º00’ Taurus.
Full Moon in Taurus Dynamics
At a full moon, the Sun and Moon are in opposite signs: the light of the Sun fully illuminates the moon. Each month, the full moon pulls focus to a different axis of the zodiac. With the Sun in Scorpio, the full moon occurs in the sign of Taurus, pulling focus to the polarity of these two fixed signs.
Taurus is the fixed earth sign that comes as spring’s beauty is blooming to life and energy is turning outward; Scorpio is the fixed water sign that arrives as nature is decaying and energy is turning inward. What they share in common is a desire for security: Scorpio plunges the depths of emotions to find emotional healing and safety; Taurus finds security in the earth and material realm.
An Atypical Full Moon in Taurus
Typically, a full moon in Taurus offers a stabilizing energy, which is much needed after the chaos of eclipse season and the general tumult that often arrives with Scorpio season.
The Moon is said to be exalted in Taurus — which means it is treated like an honored dignitary. It enjoys and generally does well in this fertile earth sign, which means it has the resources to do its job. The Moon represents the body and emotions, and our capacity to nurture ourselves and find safety.
This full moon, however, is not a typical full moon in Taurus. It is loud and disruptive.
Moon Conjunct Uranus: Seeding Chaos
The Moon, at 24º Taurus, is conjunct the planet Uranus, which is retrograde at 25º Taurus. Uranus is the planet of revolution, rebellion, disruption, and general life upheavals. Although the purpose of Uranus’ disruption is to liberate us from the confines of systems and structures that no longer work and help us reinvent ourselves, disruption is still disruption.
Venus Square the Lunar Nodes: A Push and Pull
For more on the condition of this Full Moon, we also look to Venus, which is the planetary ruler of Taurus. Venus, which just entered Capricorn, is forming a square — an angle of friction — to the lunar nodes, which are the points where eclipses happen.
When planets square the Nodes, they represent us being at a crossroads — pulled between past habits that we want to leave behind and the unknown future that lies ahead. This adds to the storyline of change, endings and beginnings.
Navigating Resistance to Change
Of all the fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius), Taurus, as a fixed earth sign, is the most resistant to change. Think about the elements: fire, water, and air naturally have movement. When earth moves, it’s usually in the form of an earthquake, mudslide, or avalanche — none of these are good events.
This makes Taurus an excellent place for holding ground, but not always the most pleasant when the ground starts shifting. Uranus in Taurus is like an earthquake. We’ve been feeling this for the past several years as Uranus has moved through Taurus, and this Full Moon brings that dynamic into full view.
Support and Stabilization From Pluto
The moon and Uranus are also forming a trine to Pluto, which is at 29º56’ Capricorn. A “trine” is a triangle, which is the most stable shape in nature. This is a supportive and stabilizing angle that forms between planets in signs of the same element. In this case, the planets are in earth signs, which speaks to the need for practical systems and structures to help us find grounding.
These are the last few days of Pluto in Capricorn in our lifetimes; its position at the last few minutes of that sign speaks to an ending of a chapter in our lives that began in 2008.
Pluto is the planet known as Lord of the Underworld. It unearths what has been hidden from view, and it speaks to issues of transformation and power. The trine from Pluto in Capricorn to both Uranus and the Moon in Taurus provides a stabilizing force amidst the chaos. It reminds us that our true power comes from our ability to stay grounded even in times of upheaval.
The Invitation of this Full Moon in Taurus
The polarity of the signs in any full moon is resolved by finding their commonality. Both Taurus and Scorpio are seeking security and safety. They teach us that whether we are in the season when nature is blooming or when it is decaying, the earth remains the stable rock on which we reside. The seasons come and go, cycles repeat, and nothing lasts forever.
Taurus is a sign that relishes rest and rejuvenation, that finds solace in activities that are nurturing, grounding, and stabilizing.
The invitation of this Full Moon is to create structures and systems that help us stay grounded and returning home to our true essence — the core of us that remains unchanged even as, like the scorpion, we grow in to different shells and take on different roles.
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