Here in the far north the sun is still strong but the days are becoming shorter and nights colder. The rich colors of summer, the lush greens and brilliant reds, now turn to rust, crimson and gold. The air is fragrant with the scent of apples, wet leaves, and burning wood; smoke rises from the chimneys, then curls and disappears above the sloping roofs and steeples of our little hamlet. Welcome back, dear friend. It has been too long and you have been greatly missed.
Come with me down the winding cobbled streets, past quaint shops, and taverns, along a passage way and under an arch. Just ahead you’ll see a cul-de-sac and at the far end, a courtyard with an old iron gate. Push it open. Ahead is a fountain and beyond that an old house with a tower above. There are lights in the windows and from inside comes the sound of music and laughter. Above the door, is a sign: Astrology Café, all welcome.
If you are a dreamer, come in. If you are a dreamer, a wisher, a liar, a hope-er, a pray-er, a magic bean buyer…If you are a pretender, come sit by my fire. For we have some flax-golden tales to spin. Come in! Come in!” –Shel Silverstein (Where the Sidewalk Ends)
Inside candles glow on the rough wood tables. There is soft jazz playing in the background and the aroma of vanilla, butter, cinnamon, and cardamom fill the air. Oriental rugs the color of lapis, ruby rose, and burgundy are scattered on the pumpkin pine floor. On the brick walls hang wreaths of dried flowers and herbs. There are window seats, comfy chairs, and logs burning in the fireplace. Take off your coat and make yourself comfortable.
Let me get you a mug of something warm to drink: rich Viennese coffee, velvety hot chocolate with homemade marshmallows, warm apple cider, a glass of wine or tea. We have hearty soups: Roasted Butternut Squash, Tai Carrot, Coconut &Lemongrass, plus Potato, Leek & Tomato all served with our homemade breads still warm from the oven. Or perhaps Stuffed Acorn Squash with Apples, Kale, Parsnips & Pecan or Butternut Lasagna with Wild Mushrooms and Sage or a selection of goat cheese with fresh fruit. For Dessert: Warm Gingerbread served with Fresh Whipped Cream, Sticky Apple & Walnut Scrolls, Blackberry, Pear, & White Chocolate Crumble, Shortbread Cookies, and Non-Gluten Macarons (raspberry, chocolate, and creamy vanilla).
Take your time and when you’re ready, follow me up the stairs, through the library (watch out for the cats), down a narrow corridor, under an arch, then up a few steps to the tower room where our friend, the crone, the wise woman waits for us.
Welcome to the tower sanctuary. Our wise friend is sitting at her round wood table wrapped in her midnight blue velvet cloak. The candles illuminate the sacred statues and Kwan Yins that are placed around the room; the air is perfumed with the scent of jasmine and rose. From the bay window we can see the Taurus Full Moon, luminous in the darkening sky. Here time seems to stand still. Can you feel it? Our friend smiles warmly and gestures for you to join her at the table. Let the conversation begin. On the table are her Runes, cards, crystals and sacred stones. Our friend reaches into her pouch and pulls out a Rune; it is named Hagalaz. Listen closely, perhaps there is a message for you.
“This Rune represents the urge for change, freedom, invention and liberation. Drawing it indicates a pressing need within the psyche to break free for constricting identification with material reality and to experience the world of the archetypical mind.
Hagalaz is the Rune of elemental disruption, of events totally beyond your control. Although it has only an upright position, it always operates through reversal. When you draw this Rune, expect disruption of your plans, for it is the great “Awakener,” although the form the awakening takes may vary. Perhaps you will experience a gradual feeling of coming to your senses, as though you were emerging from a long sleep. Then again, the onset of power maybe such s to rip away the fabric of what you previously knew as your reality, your security, your understanding of yourself, your work, your relationships and beliefs.
Be aware, however, that what operates here is not ultimately an outside force. Your own nature is creating what’s happening, and you are not without power in this situation. The inner strength you have funded until now in your life is your support and guide at a time when everything you’ve taken for granted is being challenged. The universe and your own soul are demanding that you do, indeed, grow.” – The Book of Runes, by Ralph Blum
The Taurus Full Moon – Oct. 31, 2020
Hunter’s Moon, Frosty Moon
This is a rare Full Moon. Not only is it a Blue Moon (the second Full Moon in the month) but it falls on Halloween, which hasn’t happened since 1944! Magic is in the air!
Mysterious and magnetic Scorpio thrives on intensity; laid-back Taurus seeks calm. Scorpio loves to explore the hidden and the taboo; practical Taurus prefers the comfort and security of the physical realm. Too much Scorpio determination wears us down; too much Taurus indulgence slows us down. Yet, we cannot have true harmony unless we are willing to face what is dark and difficult. In mythology, Persephone didn’t transform by remaining in the garden picking flowers; it was in the underworld that she found her power and became whole. Ultimately, she returned to the topside world for part of the year; the rest of the time she remained with Pluto. Like Persephone we need to be able to navigate both realms, weaving gold thread through old wounds, making peace with loss, learning to become comfortable with the unknown.
There are some things you learn best in calm, and some in storm. -Willa Cather
That maverick Uranus, the planet of sudden change and disruption, dominates the chart of this Full Moon. Uranus makes a tight conjunction to the Taurus Moon and is opposite the Scorpio Sun. Edgy and electrifying Uranus so close to the Moon can turn up the volume on our emotions. It’s easy to over-react and dramatize, plus relationships may be tested. The Moon is exalted in the sign of Taurus so listen to it. Taurus thrives on comfort and stability; slow down, take care of your body, stay grounded, stay real.
Our only security is our ability to change – John Lilly
The gift of this Full Moon? Uranus brings the unexpected and unforeseen; it can wake us up and shake us up and that’s not a bad thing. It pushes us out of our comfort zone into unfamiliar territory and that may be necessary. A Full Moon is a culmination and with Uranus involved there can be surprising opportunities, sudden breakthroughs, and revelations – if we’re willing to do the work; that of letting go of whatever baggage we are still holding onto. Situations that have been stuck or on hold, can begin to move forward over the next couple of weeks. But we need to pace ourselves; Mercury is still retrograde (through November 3) and it is making a square to demanding Saturn. Mars, retrograde in Aries, moves forward November 13. Another reason to move gently and carefully.
Make room for some magic in your life
To work magic is to weave the unseen forces into form; to soar beyond sight; to explore the uncharted dream realm of the hidden reality. -Starhawk
October 31st is Halloween: Called Samhain “Summer’s End” is the Celtic New Year and one of the four cross quarter holidays. It is said to be a time when the veil of the astral world is lifted, the psyche is unfettered, and anything is possible. The pagan idea used to be that crucial joints between the seasons opened in the fabric of space-time, allowing contact between the ghost world and the mortal world.
This is the time of the Crone, the witch, and the weaver; the time of the year to honor our ancestors and to connect with them for guidance on the year ahead. Decorate your altar with photographs of friends and family who have passed over as well as your heroes and heroines. The last day of October is the beginning of the year’s dark season. Traditionally, it is the time Persephone returns to the underworld to take her place with Pluto, her husband and her consort.
Like Persephone, we now begin to turn inward, to go deep and connect with what is real. At this time of the year we can access the unknown and the unseen. What is it you desire to bring to consciousness? Remember, what is freed on Halloween is conquered and integrated. Open to the deep rivers of your wisdom and intuition. Surrender to the space between the worlds. This no ordinary Full Moon, falling on Halloween this year. The veils between the world are thinner, the potential greater!
“I am sure there is Magic in everything,” Frances Hodgson Burnett observed. “only we have not sense enough to get hold of it and make it do things for us.”
November 1st is All Saints Day: it commemorates the saints and martyrs who do not have a dedicated day. It is also the day (in 1977) that Chiron was discovered.
November 2nd is All Souls Day: It was instituted by Saint Odile in Cluny France during the 11th Century and is dedicated to all departed souls. Traditionally, candles are left burning and soul cakes are put out for them. In Mexico it is called the Day of the Dead.
Beloved Friends, it’s getting late here in the tower above the Astrology Café. The old owl has appeared on the Alder tree outside signaling that it is time for us to say goodbye. The candles have all burned down. The room is filled with your divine presence. Thank you for visiting. Remember to practice radical love, acceptance, and kindness – towards yourself and others. We’re all doing the best we can in this uncertain and unprecedented time. All is well, you are loved, Virginia
