It is a Taurus the Bull time of year, and its energies embodied the New Moon on April 27th. Their subtle earthbound energies are in alignment with the rising tide of spring energies. Like water, these energies build momentum gradually, and then become more powerful and intensify.
A good spring positive self talk mantra is out with the old, in with the new. Stability and security are coveted feelings in the human factor. But that isn’t an easy place to sit with when the winds of change are blowing in the wind right Tao.
Because we are spirits living in a material world, it can be challenging not to look to those creature comforts to bring us joy or look to others for respect. Yet in much the same way as self respect, accepting yourself for who you are awakens a sense of inner peace that reflects in the outside world.
It can be a slippery slope when we look to the world of 10,000 things to reinforce our sense of identity, and self respect. Keep in mind your real estate, or Kingdom of Heaven comes from within. Your judgments, like your thoughts and emotions are fleeting and not really who you are.
Do you see a different version of yourself wanting to wake up and express yourself?
Or are you becoming a calcified rock of your old self and suffering accordingly?
Use the energies of the Bull to enjoy the moments as the come, connecting with loved ones, and embracing the practicality of the life’s sensuous treasures. Feel your feet on the ground, and connect wiht Mother Earth.
Sit outside and enjoy the wood frogs peeping away, the birds singing, wildlife foraging, turtles coming out of their shells, and fish jumping. The appearance of Easter and associations with Rabbit reflects fertility. Life is inebriating and ephemeral.
A Full Flower Moon on May 12 2025 marks the peak of spring in many parts of North America with reverence to abundant flowers in bloom. Sunny and warm spring days tend to be more preferable aspects of spring weather than the cold wet days that tend to get under people’s skin.
May Buddha’s light of compassion shine on like this aka Wesak Full Moon embodies.
Although the last eclipse ended at the end of March, the energies of the spring eclipse season are still in the air and resonate.
Perhaps we may find ourselves reflecting and pondering on the transformational changes that have unfolded in our lives since October 2024.
Are you feeling moved to get in touch with your spirituality by doing some deep soul-searching and unearthing deeper truths that reflect your soul purpose?
Consider April 2025 as an effectively co-creative intersectional bridge between the out with the old and in with the new mantra!
A New Moon in Aries and Solar Eclipse on March 29th will amplify the sentiment. Listen to yourself deeply on the inside. As you get better at knowing thyself, it really won’t be that different from hearing others.
I remember learning in my T’ai Chi classes about the importance of listening and being sensitive. The internal martial arts emphasizes this knowledge and quantum leap into a directly observable experience.
Might as well affect change by exploring inner peace within your own soul; as well as envisioning the same for others.
Energetically, it’s like the passing of a season. We are saying goodbye to dreamy, mystical and watery Pisces; while at the same time ushering in fiery Aries the Ram. Pisces is the end of the Zodiac, while Aries is the beginning of the Zodiac. In this way, it’s like a new year energetically.
Aries is the I Am consciousness that asserts the deeper truth of who we really are at our core. Pisces dreams and Aries acts. Back to back, they reflect the balancing act of the yin and the yang.
If Pisces gets too stagnant, Aries lights a fire and can vaporize Pisces waters. If Aries gets too hot and single minded on its target, then Pisces cools them down, and gives a friendly reminder to go with the flow.
Nature reveals to us the seasons of change. Pisces signals the end of the Zodiac; while Aries marks the beginning of the beginning thereof.
How can we marry the mystical waters of Pisces with the creative fiery energies of Aries?
What intentions do you want to become for the New Lunar Cycle and also for the new Zodiac year ahead?
Mercury and other Retrograde energies, magnified by powerful Eclipses during the Ides of March Madness are blowing in the winds of change. We can see within ourselves and the world around us if we are perceptible to it. This is all connected to Climate Change.
Speaking of Mercury in Retrograde, Mercury will go back direct on April 7 after being in Retrograde since March 14th. It’s a good time to look in the rearview mirror and reflect back on who were were, where we are now, and who we are becoming. Not so good for signing big contracts or making big decisions if you can avoid it till after the fog lifts.
Of course, it is also a great time for journaling, meditation and getting in touch with our right brain creative, intuitive and psychical sides of our personalities. Left brain faculties, linear, logical and order of operations; not so much. Better to go with the flow, and allow what is to happen as will.
Ask yourselves, “can I allow for that?”
Our capacity to break old cycles, generational patterns, traumas, wounds, and deep healing are amplified by the Universal pillars of Love and Truth, during this time especially. Water and Fire are powerful elemental forces that reflect the ancient Chinese symbol of the Yin and the Yang.
The Full Pink Moon on April 12, 2025 springs forth the hope of a new season. The sunlight is gaining momentum, and rebirth is in the air. And yet grieving winter’s dirge is also a real internal experience at this time.
The name Pink Moon has long been associated with April’s full Moon as flowers begin to bloom, particularly moss pink or creeping ground phlox, which is one of the earliest and most widespread spring flowers. The butterflies love this vegetation, and their appearance together is a welcome sign of April and the growth of a new spring season.
In colonial times in some of the Northern Americas, this Full Moon is called the Sugar Maker Moon, and gets its name from collecting sap and making maple sugar and syrup. Mainers really get into this process particularly.
I remember when I was growing up in Michigan during my formative childhood years, some of my favorite elementary school field trips were visiting nature centers that taught us about this process, wildlife and the ecosystem around us.
Looking back, these school field trips helped us make connections between humanity and the natural world. I remember when some of my peers and my favorite part of these field trips was when we had some free time to run off into the forrest if we wanted, and pretend we were Jedis or other imaginative beings. Tasting the different stages of the maple syrup making process was enough to make you pucker or taste like a hot tea cup of sunshine.
In the Celtic tradition, this Full Moon goes by the names including the Budding Moon, New Shoots Moon, Seed Moon, and Growing Moon; while In Jewish tradition, the name is the Passover Moon and marks freedom from Egypt.
Chinese and some other Asian traditions named this Moon the Peony Moon after their native flowers that flourish at this time. These flowers have pink hues, as well as cream and white shades.
During the awakening process, it can be tempting to try to compress, and speed up the process of personal or spiritual growth. Just let the growth seep in like herbs, and bake in a way that feels organic and patient without trying to push the river or force new growth to happen.
As we leave behind the old world and paradigm, and as the old patriarchal world dismantles around us, we will be co-creating a New Earth that is already in the process of birthing.
Do what light up your heart and sings to your Soul. Meditate on the old spiritual song and positive self talk mantra, this little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine . . .
From a higher energetic perspective, the time has come to get in alignment with the massive changes coming that are like the 60s on steroids.
There will be so much light shining on and exposing the darkness around us.
Like Dr. King said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that”.
There is no time to hide anymore. Meditation is no longer a luxury. Like the Hopi say, “we are the ones we’ve been waiting for”.
A Full Worm Moon Lunar Eclipse will happen on March 25th. At this time, we are graced with a friendly reminder that the early bird gets the worm. Might as well get ahead of the weather, as Eclipses tend to amp up revelations or clues coming our way.
Medieval English and Neo-Pagan circles call this the Chaste Moon to honor the purity of the renewal of life associated with Spring. Everything is ephemeral and the new growth is enough to make us drunk with the spirit of the season.
Change is on the horizon and more powerful messages and shakeups in consciousness are on their way. Spring officially begins on March 19th; reflecting the time where light and dark energies are in equal alignment in Nature. Meditate on the mantra, out with the old, in with the new.
Some tribes named this Full Moon after Crow. Crows are symbolic of change and their black color reflects primordial creation in the mysterious womb of life. In the wake of the energy of Crow, their medicine is in alignment with the Ram.
Aries the Ram reminds us to assert ourselves in new areas. They also inspire us to keep trying and cultivate our sensitivity. In Western Astrology, Aries is considered the start of the astrological new year because the March Equinox always aligns with the start of the Aries season. Further, it marks the first sign of the zodiac and represents the first day of our trip around the zodiac wheel.
Mercury will be in Retrograde on April 1-24. Mercury in Retrograde is akin to the old Twilight Zone TV series. Also, April Fool’s Day fits right in as a time where our minds play ticks on us. That’s why we’re not advised to make big decisions or sign contracts when Mercury is in Retrograde. This is a great time to look back at our past selves so that we can shape shift into our future selves, and become the change we want to see in our inner and outer worlds.
Synchronistically, the Fool card is the first card in the Tarot deck and symbolizes new beginnings, having faith in the future, being inexperienced, not knowing what to expect, having beginner’s luck, improvisation and believing in the Universe. May we embrace taking the leap of faith it takes to move out of our comfort zones, expand our horizons, and to listen to our inner feelings.
Given shifting weather patterns, and strong winds as air temperatures commonly rise in early Spring; it’s no coincidence that the winds of change are in the air.
And then a Solar Eclipse on April 8th breathes in powerful healing energies. May it awaken a positive turning point and support cultivating a brighter new chapter. The Sunlight is rising and will peak on the Summer Solstice in later June.
Be mindful that there will be more fire element during the April Eclipse, with new inspirational energies beaming in. It will be a good time to take action on what you want to manifest during this time period. Pisces knows dreams and we should all remember to keep dreaming. But Aries is about action. And at the end of the day, we all need to act in order to do or do not, like Master Yoda says.
Pisces time of year reflects endings and beginnings. The fish bring in tidings of change, and the mystical intersection of shorelines and seasonal transitions between the death of winter and the rebirth of spring.
For example, the Fish are at the tail end of the Zodiac and they swim in between Winter and Spring. Like the oceans receiving the rest of the waterways, all the other signs flow into Pisces.
A Full Snow Moon on February 24th reveals the waning peak wintry conditions mixed with the promise of new growth, longer days and warmer weather as we spring ahead.
This will be the last Full Moon of the Zodiac before the Spring Eclipse Season in later March and early April. The winds of change will be blowing into our individual and collective souls during this time. Shakeups in consciousness are in the airwaves.
Seasons reflect the spiritual Law of Transience; everything changes and is ephemeral. The stirrings of spring are happening both below and above the ground. Can you hear the forrest coming alive?
Time to let go of the old self and whatever old narratives that have defined your life and make the transition into the new chapter or new book. There is a feeling of starting over, which can be both exciting and mysterious. What magical new adventures are awaiting?
Keep in mind that it is natural to grieve the death of the old self and say goodbye to old relationships. But it is best not to indulge in those feelings or be a suckerfish to your grieving process. Might as well say yes to the new growth that wants to manifest into new frontiers.
We made it through the tunnel! Use these energies to light your way into new pathways.
Like the yin and the yang, the two fish will come full circle and return to a new endpoint. In the death of endings, there is rebirth in beginnings. The Spring Equinox is symbolic of balance between masculine and feminine energies, as they are in equal alignment with one another at this junction.
And then around the Spring Equinox, fiery Aries carries the torch into new beginnings. Energetically, this is like a new year. It’s no coincidence that baseball season starts around this time; America’s pastime. While the Fish go with the flow and swim around in circular fashion, the Ram is I Am consciousness and wants to knock it out of the park, if you’ll pardon the baseball pun.
The Spring Equinox shows light and dark energies are equal, like the shorelines do. Water and Land are diverse expressions of elemental forces. They mark the flowing mystery of life because they are in between land and sea. May we walk with them in an ancestral footprint of one foot in spirit and one foot in ground.
Remember when the fiery energies of spring are arriving, gently allow the cool waters of Pisces to vaporize them with an ocean spray of fresh air.
A New Moon in Taurus gazes o’er the fields on April 30th. The sentiments are amplified by a Solar Eclipse. Eclipses are invitations for spirited change agents in our soul lives. A passionate passing pyre of fiery Aries lit the torch of Spring Eclipse season. Taurus is like dipping your feet in the cold mountain water after a rigorous hike. Inner peace is found with our feet on the ground. But now the Bull is a grounding energetic reprieve, as is the graceful energy of Swan, above the water at least. And yet underneath, Swan’s legs are paddling away rather intensely.This captures the reflection of the powerful energies of the Eclipses.Use the Bull’s energies to keep your wits about you. Analysis paralysis is a foreign land to Taurus. Practicality is important but not without growth. In order to grow, we must leave our comfort zones.The time is ripe now to receive the bounty of water into your soul.
In mid-May, a Full Flower Moon, also a Lunar Eclipse, will occur on Monday, May 16, 2022. This Full Moon has many names, but this name is used by Algonquin and Ojibwe peoples. Like the abundance of flowers springing forth in the flora, the ephemeral energies of cross-pollination reflect in the fauna as well. Flower Power rises again in humanity. The 60s might be dust in the wind, but the winds of change are ringing loud and clear throughout the land of hope and dreams.
Can we be graceful with our apparent imperfections? Life is fleeting and transient, bitter and sweet for certain. Everything is sacred, and yet every moment can be looked upon as a lifetime of death and rebirth. The spirit of breath enters into the body and springs forth life and then exits outward in the dirge. This alchemy of mulching is the compost of life.
Artwork by Barbara Merlotti
May the grace of Swan gently guide you downstream toward a Full Flower Moon,
through the uncharted waters of Climate Change.
Might as well go with the flow as much as possible rather than fight against the current.
Transience reminds us that the only constant is change.
When the grand rapids of life come on like the flooding
emotional waters of overwhelm . . .
Picture a Swan to remember to paddle with the current,
ratherthan getting sucked into the undertow.
Are you fighting against your stressful situations?
Can you find a way to make friends with your stress by
floating on the water instead of hissing at yourself and others?
May we swim with the grace of Swan as we navigate flow of energies
streaming into these into uncharted New Age streams of consciousness.
Climate Change is upon us . . .
Might as well go with the flow rather than trying to push against the current.
A Full Flower Moon awakens our senses to the fragrant floral abundance!
Cross pollinating across an awakening New World.
Paddling along with the grace of a Swan . . .
Might we become inspired?
Let us appreciate the beauty of everyday living;
Both indoors and outdoors.
Do you see the beauty within your own Being and
the world around you?
Paradoxically, try to see opportunities for transformation within your transgressions.
Might we dig deep enough to rise up to both the challenge and opportunity . . .
To become friends with whatever we do not like about ourselves.
Trying to lead a perfect life . . .
Is a receipt for unhappiness
What could you adjust inside yourself when perceiving something
outside of yourself as undesirable?
In this space, we open up to the
sacred realm of inner peace.
Transient distractions to sitting with what is –
Are conveniently inconvenient pathways away from the Now.
Otherwise, cosmetic changes only temporarily placate the little ego!
Commentary:
Many times, we do not have control over what happens to us in life. But what we do have control over the way we respond to what life throws at us. We always have the choice to resist the events that unfold in front of our eyes. Or we can choose to accept and even embrace what comes our way and roll with it in as gracefully as possible. Some folks really don’t learn to live until they realize that they are dying. Still others have lived on this planet for many years, and merely exist hardly more than robotic walking corpses, like zombies. Energy is energy – it’s what you do with it that counts.
I remember being at a funeral of a past student I worked closely with, many moons ago. At this tragic event, we were given the opportunity to stand up and say something about his life, and the connection we had with him. One of his family members was a fire and brimstone kind of Christian, and as he stood up on the pulpit, thumping away on the copy of his bible, he talked about Jesus living the perfect life. Is that so? I have heard stories that Jesus was a bit naughty as boy, and often used his powers to manipulate and control other children, and adults alike. I don’t know if that’s true, but what is clear is that he elevated his soul on the map of consciousness into a god-realized human being, and was a powerful role model that led by example. Like the rest of us, he incarnated as a child of God into a mortal. When he died, his soul left his body, and continued to evolve and be of service to a deeper and higher spiritual light team.
Happiness is a way of life, not without it’s negative experiences with emotions. But the kingdom is on the inside like the Christ understood internally and taught externally by living that example. But accessing the vibrational shift of inner peace is really about leaning in, accepting and even embracing our own imperfections, and the imperfections we notice around us. Our Japanese ancestors have called this inner perspective Wabi Sabi. Moreover, the legendary American professional football coach Vince Lombardi once asserted that practice doesn’t make perfect, but that perfect practice makes perfect. In the spirit of that, we might as well take the imperfect pieces of this process, and weave them into a greater perfect whole that transcends the sum of our imperfect parts. Even an ornery swan is still perfect within the context of an imperfect threatening hiss to the eye of a targeted human beholder.
Turtles have been living on this planet longer than dinosaurs
Humans have been living on Earth less than that
And yet many of us are living like dinosaurs, caught up in a karmic loop
of the reptilian mind – obsessed with order and control issues
A perpetual state of fear is the psychological reality for many
the glass is seen as half empty, which creates anxieties about the fear of loss
But Turtle’s shells reflect safety, security and protection
It’s always good to slow down and return to the mindfulness of our breath
With a Solar Eclipse New Moon, and Lunar New Year arriving this week
Stirrings of Spring energies are waking up underground
Can you feel their movement into new beginnings and foreshadowing
of above ground changes in the air, like a fading stock exchange
and military-industrial complex?
We are all children of God, even Donald Trump
The time is now to purge and release our ideas of separation
Us and Them kind of thinking is devolution
Demonizing our demons will not bring us to the Light
Why are there movements to impeach Donald Trump,
hold power abusers accountable, create a more equitable economic system,
nurture minority/woman’s rights, and
provide safety nets like universal health care?
Will Trump quit before he gets impeached, then live out the rest of his life
pontificating about being persecuted, and ensconced in seeing himself as a victim?
Why is there such push back to justify going to war against perceived enemies,
under the guise of national security?
It is because oppression needs to have a privileged few on top,
and an overwhelming majority on the bottom to feed the machine
But we are all in this together . . .
Human beings are complex creatures, and our relationships
are greater than the sum of our parts
Look upon one another as mirrors to help us reflect the light of love and truth
Remember that it takes less energy to love than to hate
It has been said that Dog is “man’s best friend” . . .
In this Chinese New Year of the Dog, meditation on Dog can inspire
a deep compassion for our human shortcomings,
and loyalty to our one human family
Last year was the Chinese Year of the Rooster . . .
In that reflection, we are reminded of the truth that if you are focusing
on the real tragedies of last year, then you will accurately see
the glass as half full, if not already empty on the inside and out!
But here’s an optimistic thought . . .
What happens when you look through a lens of Love?
Even if you can entertain the possibility that Rooster
also brought us the Sun, then you can see that consciousness
sheds its light on our planetary darkness
By allowing ourselves to see through the lens of Love,
we are able to call out the light illuminating the shadows
Keep in mind, we are in a Yin time of year
Dark emotions come up, and many souls have left our Home
But water is powerful feminine energy that breathes in
opportunities for creativity and meditative spirituality
Might as well say yes to that, unless you prefer to persist what you resist
That is a choice too, if you so choose!
When we traverse the dark night of our soul
We can come out of the ashes into a New Self
Disguised within every ending, new beginnings are awakening
In a month from last Tuesday’s waning New Moon
We will be tracking the Year of the Dog
Spring Equinox may not arrive till about a
month after that in later March . . .
But energetically, with an astrological spring eclipse season happening now,
a Full Snow Moon at the end of January, and the Imbolc signaling the halfway point
between Winter and Spring on February first . . .
From that perspective, Spring is already in the air!
Will the Groundhog see his shadow on
the resurrection of Groundhog Day?
A waning Full Wolf Moon shrinks in the skies,
as we are waking up into a new year ahead . . .
Like losing our loved ones, a dying lunar cycle
can bring up similar feelings of grieving, loss and sadness
Winter is a good time to turn inward, pause and reflect on the last year
It is also a good time to go into the Dreamtime,
and take note of what comes up from there
What metaphorical trees are moved to uproot and be
examined in the underground of your consciousness?
What seeds do you want nurture and breathe life into the sunlight come spring?
Every day will shed a little more light until
light and dark are equal again on Spring Equinox in March
Energetically, if we are paying attention to Nature’s subtleties,
we will see evidence of a blossoming spring coming earlier than that
Spring Astrological Eclipse season is on its way at the tail end of this month . . .
Their energies correspond with of a Full Snow Moon at the end of January, and the
Chinese-Lunar year of the Dog later on in mid-February
Time to weather the cold, and maintain perspective
even in dim lights, and dark emotions
Picture Groundhog to awaken death without dying, and
focus on seeing the light at the end of the tunnel . . .
Classroom Mothership Earth 