October 28 4:24 PM EST
This is the final eclipse in a 2 year Taurus/Scorpio eclipse cycle, so it is an important invitation to tie up loose ends from the past and lean into the future. Lunar eclipses have a window of influence of about 3 months so this an important full moon whose themes carry forward with us through the end of the year. Since 2021, eclipses in Taurus/Scorpio have been drawing attention to our all topics concerned with our needs/desires/priorities/finances/possessions/”abundance”/sex/ intimacy and trust. We could have realized we are “not on the same page” about these matters as we were in the past. So the ‘inventory’ we have been doing has been useful. But it can also be painful. Recognizing we want different things than we had once wanted, can put us in a position to make big changes. Especially if there are people in our lives who are still aligned with lifestyles or priorities that no longer resonate with us.
So many of us have been having powerful and meaningful releases in our lives also over the past few years. And for some, now is the time that those changes fully ‘go into effect’ with the Aries/Libra eclipse polarity that is now underway for the *next* two years has already begun. With Aries/Libra eclipses we are asked to forge into fresh territory (Aries) and new relationships (Libra). And to officially ‘contractually’ (Libra) move on from what does not stir primordial passion and excitement in our lives (Aries).
This final Taurus eclipse is like an exclamation point on all of this. Especially because the eclipse, at 5 degrees of Taurus, is conjunct “bigger/better/more” planet Jupiter. Jupiter does not do subtlety. So the topics that are coming up to be seen now may have the volume turned WAY up. We cannot afford not to get the message. It’s essential that we tune in deeply to what wants to grow abundantly and organically in our lives (Taurus) and that we can also see what toxic patterns or situations (Scorpio) may be choking the life out of this tender new growth.
When Jupiter moved into Taurus in May, it heralded the start of a 12 month period of Jupiterian blessings in “the garden” of our lives. Jupiter in Taurus aids in helping us cultivate our true hearts desires and needs. But first we need to know what those things are. Hence we then had a very powerful 4 month transit of Venus (Taurus’ ruler) through heart-centric Leo, including a six week Venus retrograde, to help us distill and discern *exactly* what we are needing and wanting to cultivate more of in our lives. Venus exited Leo earlier this month, on October 8th, and is now at 18 degrees of Virgo at the time of the eclipse.
As the ruler of the eclipse, relationship-oriented Venus is of utmost importance. And having learned many Leo lessons this summer, Venus now in Virgo is pragmatically applying and refining, making necessary adjustments in a tangible way. At 18 degrees of Virgo, Venus is out of orb of trine to the eclipse, but is trine to Jupiter at 11 degrees Taurus. Venus is also loosely sextile to Mercury/Mars at 10/11 degrees of Scorpio. And finally, Venus is opposing mystical Neptune at 25 degrees Pisces.
Overall, this is a very helpful array of aspects as Venus will seek to soothe any of the discord that can arise due to the nature of the eclipse being opposed by Mars/Mercury (which I will get into greater detail about shortly). The opposition between Venus and Neptune can be either highly psychically/spiritually/creatively attuned, or at the lower vibrational end of the spectrum, awash in confusion/distortion/deception/poor boundaries/financial sloppiness and addiction. It is up to us to recognize where people or relationships are not what they seem. “All that glitters is not gold” is a perfect reminder for Venus opposite Neptune.
The sun at 5 degrees of Scorpio is conjunct Mercury and Mars at 10/11 degrees of that sign. And all are opposing the full moon eclipse at 5 Taurus, and Jupiter at 11 Taurus. The EXACT opposition between Jupiter and Mars (11 Taurus/Scorpio) is intense. And echoes the intensity of the Taurus/Scorpio axis in general. Mars is very strong in Scorpio, a sign that it has co-rulership over (along with Pluto). As the planet associated with war/aggression/physical assertion and drive, Mars when strongly positioned like this, can indicate brute strength or abuse of power (Scorpio). Shadow Scorpio can be violent and manipulative, and Mars in Scorpio can fall into this trap. And the opposition to “the great expander” Jupiter, means that whatever is “done” (Mars) now, could be done in an over-the-top way or have “big” (Jupiter) consequences. This can apply, as always, on the world stage as well as in our personal lives.
So there could certainly be drama or “shake ups”. Unpredictable Uranus is the planet usually associated with unexpected “shake ups” and Uranus is still in Taurus where it has been since 2018. But at 21 degrees of Taurus it is not directly influencing the eclipse, except to remind us that when we don’t deal with things in the present we just end up “kicking the ball down the road”. Instead of “pretending” everything is fine now (another possible Venus/Neptune delusion) we must be willing to see what is actually going on. And with communication-related Mercury also a big part of this story, we must be willing to take full responsibility for what we say (Mercury) and do (Mars). But we must also watch for how inflammatory words or opinions (Mercury/Mars) could be manipulative (Scorpio) and not fall into the trap of ‘allowing’ toxic or distorted ‘seeds’ to take root in our Taurean garden. We must look to Venus and remember our true values and priorities and act and choose in accordance with them.
Saturn, at 0 degrees of Pisces, is also strong here. Saturn in Pisces is a 3 year transit that began in March of this year and is super-charging our psychic attunement and helping us solidify (Saturn) everything we have been “sensing” and “picking up on” since Neptune first moved into Pisces in 2011. All of our psychic antennas have been ‘upgraded’ since then (whether we know it or not) and Saturn in Pisces is coming through in these final years of Neptune in Pisces (BOTH Saturn and Neptune move into Aries relatively simultaneously in 2026), to stabilize some of these lessons and knowings. Saturn here is in sextile to the eclipse and trine to the sun/Mercury/Mars in Scorpio. This is reinforcing the message that when you get real and take responsibility (Saturn) for your part in whatever is going on, then change and transition can happen much more smoothly and rapidly. Otherwise it can feel highly confusing and chaotic (lower-vibrational Pisces). So keeping our feet firmly on the ground, staying in integrity, and looking at the big picture is very important even if we feel very emotionally “triggered” (Mars/Jupiter) by things that may be going on in our lives or in the world.
Finally, there is a beautiful grand trine between the eclipse ruler, Venus, in Virgo and Uranus in Taurus and Pluto in Capricorn. As potent and catalytic outer planets, Uranus and Pluto urge forward momentum and soul growth, even at the cost of what is known and familiar to us. This can be ‘scary’ territory, but the truth is that it’s what we have signed up for during our learning experience of life on earth. And, crucially, it doesn’t HAVE to be scary or unwelcome. This grand trine is showing us that when we embrace change and take any necessary practical steps (earth trine) then what comes next actually feels good and is nourishing to us in a tangible way. So even though part of us might want to cling to the old and known (Taurus) or get wrapped up in aggression/drama (Scorpio), we are best served now by seeing things clearly and accepting them as they are and taking the practical actions, however modest, that reflect our true needs and desires for the future.
*art by @cosmiccollage
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