Taurus New Moon

April 24, 2009: Taurus New Moon (exact at 8:23 pm PDT)

The Taurus New Moon yields a great opportunity to look within and see what it is that brings you comfort and a greater sense of security. Taking the time today to examine what activities and earthly delights yield pleasure can help you discover a sense of rootedness that can serve you well in the coming year. As part of this exercise, think about your routines and habits: Do they actually serve your personal needs for health and happiness or is the pleasure they provide mostly linked to to their familiarity?

As Taurus is a very sensual sign, it’s a good time to go to a concert, buy yourself some fragrant flowers, work for hours in the garden, or engage in other experiences that give you pleasure. Your kinesthetic senses may be especially heightened today and can serve as an additional tool to tune into how you feel about certain situations and people. For example, if you’re wondering whether you should pursue a certain project, let the idea of it sit within you and tune into how your body feels. Do you feel relaxed and comforted or jumpy and agitated? Your body may be able to help you filter truths that your mind is unable to clearly perceive.

This month’s New Moon falls at 5 degrees of Taurus (Sun and Moon). While everyone experiences the energies of the New Moon, if you have planets or pivotal points (i.e., Ascendant/Descendant or Nadir/Midheaven) around this degree in Taurus or the other fixed signs—Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius—it may impact you more intensely.

New Moon Apothecary Suggestions

Taurus rules the neck, throat, inner ears, and thyroid. Pay extra attention to these parts of the body around the time of this New Moon.

Cow pose: Do a few rounds of the yoga asana Cow Pose to open up the energy in your neck and throat. Here’s simple how-to instructions: Place your hands and knees on the floor in tabletop (knees under hips, and elbows and wrists below shoulders) with your neck in a neutral position and your eyes gazing towards the floor below. While inhaling, lift your chest and sitting bones towards the ceiling while dropping your belly to create a gentle arch in your back. Lift your head and look straight in front of you. Hold for several seconds. Exhale, moving your spine back to tabletop position for several seconds. Repeat sequence twelve times.

Honey & lemon tea: Enjoy a soothing cup of honey and lemon tea. Its warmth is nurturing while the honey and lemon serve as wonderful balms for the throat. If possible, use raw honey, which has more antioxidants, and juice from a fresh lemon rather than a bottle. For more throat support, add a tea bag of slippery elm or marshmallow root, two herbs known for their palliative qualities.