Taurus Lunar Eclipse: Cracking Our Comfort Zone

In The Call to Courage, now streaming on Netflix, researcher Brene Brown asserts that it’s impossible to be brave without being vulnerable. The tough-talking Texan, who came to fame in a 2010 viral Ted Talk on vulnerability, has made it her life’s work to dispel the deeply ingrained myth that this quality is a weakness – instead of our greatest strength. Brown claims we must risk feeling scared and uncomfortable to forge deep, authentic relationships, as well as to create desperately needed societal changes.

The problem is, who wants to be vulnerable? Baring your underbelly and leaving yourself open to possible attack sounds pretty unsafe to me. But Brown (a passionate Scorpio) makes a compelling case for it. Revealing our shame and weakness, she says, connects us to others in a way nothing else can.

Now the Taurus Full Moon Eclipse (Nov. 8, 3:01 a.m. PST) is here to shake things up and reveal those weaknesses – which can either bring us closer together or push us further apart. This lunation at 16 Taurus is intensified by being a total eclipse – plus the Moon is closely conjunct kick-ass Uranus, the planet that can’t help but catalyze change. The North Node also joins the Moon and Uranus, suggesting that any changes we initiate (or that might be foisted upon us) are necessary for our growth and liberation.

Taurus is a fixed earth sign that cherishes its habits. It wants to dig in its heels and ride out the storm – not toss itself into the fray. Scorpio, a fixed water sign (where the South Node, Mercury, Sun and Venus are located now) is more comfortable with emotions, but may be loath to reveal them. Fixed sign folks, including Leo and Aquarius, may feel enlivened (or destabilized) by this eclipse more than others. And it’s apt to prove life-changing for those with planets around 14-18 degrees of Taurus or Scorpio. The wisest thing we can all do is to loosen up and embrace the unexpected. As the Scorpio Sun eclipses the Taurus Moon, let yourself be cracked open and swim through any intense feelings that bubble up. In the face of unexpected events (including positive ones!) or encounters, roll with the changes as best you can. Stuffing your feelings will only make things worse; you could end up blowing your lid or doing something you might regret. Uranus can spark a breakthrough if you’re willing to feel the feelings.

Your greatest ally at this Taurus Full Moon is the Earth herself – so go outside and get your feet on the ground.  There’s a warrior vibe in the air, thanks to all those Scorpio planets (ruled by Mars). Yet because Scorpio is a feminine sign, it’s an inward type of courage – not the kind that takes up arms. Scorpio is also an all-or-nothing sign; there may be no turning back from decisions we make or actions we take now.

The Nov. 8 eclipse marks the hotly contested mid-term elections in the U.S., so the week leading up to it is bound to be contentious. Be discerning with how much of this you take in, and choose your words carefully on social media. Mars is still stationary at the 25^th degree of Gemini, where it turned retrograde on Oct. 30. Communications are intense and words carry extra power. Saturn in Aquarius squares the Taurus and Scorpio points, and its engagement with Uranus in Taurus is a last hurrah to the Saturn-Uranus square (the powers that be vs. the forces of change), which has characterized the last two years.

So, let yourself crack open into a new paradigm, even if it scares you. The world is changing, and we need to keep pace. Challenge your comfort zone and embrace the imperative for change. As Brene Brown reminds us, “You have to be able to choose courage over comfort. And there is no courage without vulnerability.”