If you won the lottery, what would you do? Most would go on a spending spree, and soon the money would be gone. (Studies have found that bankruptcy rates soar for lottery winners three to five years after their win.) But Rachel Lapierre did something quite different with her 2018 lottery proceeds. The Canadian nurse quit her job and started a charity, Le Book Humanitaire, which helps the homeless in Quebec and funds relief trips to India. Fueled by donations and supported by volunteers, the charity’s administration fees are paid for from Lapierre’s winnings.
“I grew up in a poor environment and saw misery and sadness,” she told the UK’s Mirror newspaper. “I told myself that, if we all made a small gesture, the world would be better.”
Recently I’ve been reading Vicky Robin and Joe Dominguez’ eye-opening book, Your Money or Your Life (2008 edition). In it, they teach people how to understand money and become financially independent. It is their fervent hope that once we achieve financial freedom we will contribute our time, talent and money to boost the welfare of our planet and her inhabitants.
In earlier times, the authors point out, security came from more than just money. There were other kinds of wealth to fall back on in hard times, such as close-knit families and communities, growing our own food, and knowing how to make and fix the tools of daily life. Over the past year or so, as much of what made our lives “normal” has been shaken or destroyed, a great longing to rediscover this kind of security has been building.
Taurus is the sign most closely associated with Mother Earth and the material world, with survival and security. It’s also a sign of manifestation, abundance, the fecundity of nature and the physical body. The upcoming Taurus New Moon (May 11, 11:59 a.m. PDT) puts us in touch with all of the above. This New Moon is significant, as it falls within ten degrees of Uranus, the liberator, and squares Jupiter at the “last gasp” 29th degree of Aquarius. This combo is apt to stimulate a sense of urgency to change things, or to move in an unexpected direction. At the very least, we should become acutely aware of our desires.
Black Moon Lilith (the point where the Moon’s orbit is furthest from Earth) is tightly conjunct the New Moon. Lilith was Adam’s outspoken first wife – who insisted on being his equal and got expelled from the Garden for her efforts. So we’re bound to see some strong women in the spotlight at this time – such as Melinda Gates, whose impending split with husband Bill Gates after 27 years of marriage just hit the airwaves. Melinda shared in her 2019 book, The Moment of Lift, that she and Bill had often battled.
“He’s had to learn how to be an equal, and I’ve had to learn how to step up and be an equal,” she said. As a strong advocate for women’s rights, she believes that “The world is finally waking up to the fact that none of us can move forward when half of us are held back.”
Women’s themes are being amplified by Venus, the New Moon’s dispositor, traveling through loquacious Gemini from May 8 – June 1. Mercury also traverses the sign of the Twins, from May 3 – July 10, an extra-long time due to being retrograde from late May through mid-June. So now we have a powerful period for gathering info, researching options and assessing our true needs and desires. Before you commit to any big changes or sign on the dotted line, though, remember that Taurus the Bull (or as I prefer, the Tortoise), prefers to move slowly and deliberately. If unsure, take your time and wait for the plan to get clearer. Watch your dreams for clues (the Sun and Moon will be sextile dreamy Neptune).
The Taurus New Moon asks you to assess your possessions and finances. What’s your bottom line? What do you really need to be happy? And how might you help Mother Earth in the process? These are the important questions to address at this time. And it might not hurt to buy a lottery ticket – you never know how the Universe may want to bless you!
Leave a Reply