horoscopes for the lunar eclipse in taurus
prepare like you would for a favorite lover; it feels good to get ready.
Eclipse season is upon us, bbs! How’s everyone feeling? There’s already been much written about tonight’s Lunar Eclipse in Taurus from astrologers, from astronomers and from my faves, meteorologists. Yes, lunar eclipses are emotional. Yes, this will be the “longest eclipse in 600 years”( it’s visible for 5 hours, from about 1a-6a ET). And yes, it will be seen across the entire United States. Rather than go look at the eclipse, I suggest you take a salt bath (with real salt), put on Do Not Disturb and lie low. In ancient times, eclipses were highly malefic events, harbingers of tragedy, chaos and despair. Lunar eclipses especially were said to affect the populace—as the moon represents “the people” in mundane astrology, whereas the sun represents “the king”—leading to uprisings, outrage and sometimes disaster. In modern times, eclipses aren’t so dramatic (we have electricity after all and there are plenty of other opportunities to play god) but eclipses are still omens of major change and frankly, instability. Things do not proceed as usual. Eclipses flip the narrative, reroute the course and speed up time. This eclipse is the first on the Taurus/Scorpio axis; an axis that will define 2022 and 2023 as we take more risks to gain security, let go of what’s wasteful and let our secrets spiritualize.
Tonight’s eclipse goes exact at 3:57 AM ET. This is an eclipse for mourning. We’re mourning our former selves. We’re mourning the before times. Climate grief is overwhelming. This lunar eclipse brings a sense of dread, like if we don’t act now we’ll lose something precious. There’s a hunger to return to the “innocence” of the “before times” which comes with the awareness that there was no actual “innocence” to be found there. Much of our “business as usual” was a façade, covering up the pain that has now been left vulnerable and exposed. This eclipse allows us to hit that dead end, to cry, to wail, to scream. What we want is stability and sustainability. We’re desperate for it. Because we know what we have isn’t enough. But what is enough?
This lunar eclipse falls at 27º Taurus. Just being in Taurus alone makes this a particularly sensitive lunation. Taurus is the sign of the moon’s exaltation, a place where our cosmic nightlight usually feels comforted like a special house guest, wrapped in a warm blanket with fuzzy slippers and a hot toddy on the way. But this is an Eclipse. Comfort is disrupted.
What makes this Eclipse even more intense is that at 27º Taurus, it is conjunct the fixed star Algol. Algol (from “Ras al Ghul” in Arabic which translates to “Head of the Demon” and also known as the “head of the gorgon” or “Medusa”) is, to put it lightly, divine feminine rage. I started this newsletter with a painting of a Lilith figure by Dante Rossetti. Algol is like Lilith, Adam’s first wife who left him in the Garden of Eden, refusing to be submissive to his needs. She fled paradise and started haunting men through the wind. Some might call that a demon. Others (like me) call that brilliance.
Lilith is considered curséd because she represents temptation, seduction, fantasy. Lilith wasn’t asking for much. She just wants divine cunnilingus, equality and tbh, respect.
Algol is feminine rage. Not the second wave feminist kind though. It’s the feminine rage that remains on the outskirts, eschews the mainstream. No wave, just a feminism that carries us into the future. Algol is the maligned idea of “losing one’s head” during battle or an “important meeting.” Algol is a “lack of professionalism.” Because “professionalism” is what? Politeness through a never-ending dick-waving contest? Dionne Warwick was born with the moon on Algol, right on her ascendant. She got on Twitter and doesn’t give a fuck. Algol doesn’t have the time. She’s bored with it. She knows the power of softness and wields it like a knife.
Another divine feminine goddess, Venus, plays an important role in tonight’s lunation as she rules Taurus and thus is overseeing events. Currently Venus is in Capricorn where she is slowing down to eventually go retrograde on December 19th. Venus in Capricorn knows that good love, real love, strong love needs a solid foundation. She knows that agriculture thrives after we endure a long, wet, snowy winter. Endurance isn’t pretty but it can be beautiful and can even be romantic (and not just in a suffering kind of way). This eclipse is about taking ownership of our role in building the future. The Capricorn part of our chart has suffered a lot over the last decade or so, especially in 2018, 2019 and 2020. Britney Spears, whose natal Venus is in Capricorn, is a perfect avatar for this journey. As of last week, she’s finally free of a conservatorship that had kept her imprisoned by her family since 2008. She put in an immense amount of work to pull herself out of a horrible situation and now she has the opportunity to create a life on her own terms, without interference. Freedom doesn’t erase the abuse and trauma that she’s suffered. It doesn’t make her less nervous or smooth her awkwardness as she primps for the camera on Instagram. All of us have been through something—hopefully not something as extreme as what Britney has been through, but we’ve all been through something. We’re all fragile and awkward and nervous about putting ourselves back out there. This eclipse is for finding compassion for our raw selves, our fragile selves. The part of us that’s filled with rage and still desires softness.
I suggest you prepare for this eclipse like you would for a hot hookup. Isn’t it incredible how you always tidy up when you know you’re getting laid? So take a bath, shave, do all the face masks you never have time for. Change your sheets, sweep the floors, vacuum the rugs, dust the windowsill. Read up on your lovers’ hobbies and interests like you’re prepping for an exam. Arrange your perfumes, tie up your hair, stretch. Sit with the anticipation. I don’t know where the night is going, but there’s relief in getting ready for it.
Love you xoxo, Jaime
Horoscopes follow for each sign. If you know your rising sign, read for that! Tbh, reading any/all of the signs will give you something. As you may have noticed, this newsletter is now on Substack! Paid subscriptions support the its creation for $7/month. Starting with the Venus Rx in Capricorn, subscribers will be getting weekly updates :)
You can also tip me here or @Jaime-Wright on Venmo. I really appreciate it if you do! My books for readings are open! I’d love to talk about what you’re moving through together.
Aries
Having to define if something is what you “want” versus what you “need” feels like a scam right now. It always does, but especially right now. One of course could argue that you don’t need anything—not that cozy sweater nor that idyllic view. But this eclipse is for sitting with your desires, meditating on your current means. Nothing you want is making you stable and nothing you need is making you happy. But choose neither and you still don’t have anything. So. What’s the first thing you can acquire? More importantly, what’s the first thing you can share?
Taurus
You want to see your needs reflected back to you. You’re reaching out to friends, lovers, confidantes for advice and feedback but the universe is giving you blank stares. This eclipse is making it feel like it’s all up to you. Of course, nothing happens unless you make it happen. What’s the difference between success and exhaustion? For now, you have no idea. To live in this moment, you must occupy the liminal space between where you want to go and what you need to get there. Be OK with being new; it’s the only place to start.
Gemini
This eclipse has you feeling particularly out of it and existential. It falls in your house of self-undoing and you’re feeling like a very tiny cog in an overwhelming machine. though this could be a perfect moment to bliss out, future trip, ride the waves of uncertainty, some material obligation is keeping your feet annoyingly planted in reality. The upcoming Venus retrograde has you facing fears and resolving debts that are figurative, literal and metaphorical. What’s impossible now won’t be impossible forever but first, you gotta face the ghosts.
Cancer
For the last few years, all of your greatest wins and biggest devastations have come from your relationships (or, Relationship). Today’s eclipse opens your heart back up to the group. It’s time to be received by an audience again, to come out of the safe cocoon of your beloved (or your own inner strength) and see how your jokes play in the room. Venus’ upcoming retrograde will see you integrating everything you’ve learned from partnership back into the wider social context. For now, you’re the queen of hospitality but who’s hosting you? Who’s presence lifts you up whether it’s a famine or a feast?
Leo
You’re confident in your life’s larger path and greater purpose. You know that eventually you will be recognized for your hard work, but right now, a compliment feels hard to come by. Even if this eclipse brings a boost or a glimmer of success, admiration doesn’t hit like it used to. The upcoming Venus retrograde will free you from the constant maintenance you’ve had to do just to stay afloat over the last few years. But do you even remember what it feels like to gain success without exhaustion? Why scream into the void when what you really need is vocal rest?
Virgo
Today’s eclipse opens up a can of worms in the realm of your spiritual practice. You’re seeing angel numbers everywhere. A cardinal lands on your fire escape. The tarot reader’s message from last summer becomes relevant in tonight’s dream. What gives? What’s with all the signs? Well, they want you to recognize them, to work with them, to stop ignoring them. The more in touch you are with your desires, the more you’re able to act on them. The more you let yourself play, the more you’ll eventually learn.
Libra
Collaborators, hauntings and curses are coming at you from every direction right now and bills are due that you can’t afford to pay. Today’s eclipse reminds you of all the chaos you’ve experienced without an inner sense of peace. 2018, 2019 and 2020 were rough but, now, look at you! You have boundaries! To untangle this mess you’re in, you must say yes to something. What makes your heart skip a beat after all these years of “no”? Life is no longer about solitude. Who deserves an invitation to your sanctuary?
Scorpio
Everyone around you is unapologetically taking up so much space and you’re just trying to fit yourself into the tiniest corner amidst their mess. Carving out a realm that feels authentic requires starting small. It requires muddling through a lot of energy and other people’s auras and problems and negotiations and agreements that aren’t meant for you. You want to meet another where you’re at, even though where you’re at is tired, prostrate, over it. Claim your space. Get out of fetal position. Spread your arms and breathe.
Sagittarius
So much about your work, your schedule, your daily routine has changed this year. But have you actually given yourself the space to feel different? To settle into an alternative flow? Today’s eclipse, at the very least, inspires a new running or concentration playlist. There are just so many ways to fill your time. There’s no need to be bored. The upcoming Venus retrograde will further challenge you to value yourself and your time. For now, make a to do list for falling in love with every little thing.
Capricorn
Your creativity is buzzing today as this eclipse reaches its peak in your 5th house of pleasure, romance and artistic pursuits. But where to even begin? How many ideas is too many ideas? Before you can even write anything down, you’re over it. Inspiration comes and goes. Bubbling and retreating. Maybe it’s OK to be a little indulgent, to vomit out your art and see who says “cool!” (and also who says “Yikes!”) Asserting yourself might be awkward or worse, make you feel cringe. But one day’s cringe is the next day’s masterpiece. Keep painting.
Aquarius
This eclipse tears apart your home and family structures at the cellular level. This doesn’t mean disaster but it does mean the writing is on the wall. You can’t unsee the blemishes and you can’t disown your passions so what’s to be done? Venus’ upcoming retrograde is going to force you to take a step back, retreat from the main narrative. Now is when you must begin tidying around the edges and removing what keeps you walking on eggshells. You understand where your heart is, now you must give your desires room to thrive.
Pisces
Just outside your door, there are so many possibilities, Pisces. But to truly get involved with your current environment, you need to let go of some beliefs that are holding you back: that you’re not enough, that you can’t keep up, that you’re not here for keeps, that it’s just a phase. It’s impossible to belong when you’ve yet to land and let’s be real: it’s usually a crash landing. Invitations from neighbors and empty pages in your journal beckon for your participation. So jump in! The water’s heated to the perfect temperature. They did that for you, sweet thing.