Decan: 10°-19° Taurus

Dates 2024: 30 April – 10 May

Ruling planet/luminary: Luna

Zodiac sign : Taurus ~ Fixed Earth 🜃

Tarot card: 6 of Pentacles

Golden Dawn Title: Lord of Material Success

Associated Major Arcana:

The High Priestess (Moon) & The Hierophant (Taurus)

The subtle moonlight

At first this Decanic ‘episode’ had me scratching my head a bit. I can immediately see where the Hierophant fits into the 6 of Pentacles picture ~ the concept of compassion, charity and the “church” and the gesture of the right hand of the Priest pointing above to the “on high” being mirrored by the right hand of the Benefactor in the 6 pointing down to the lowly below ~ but where does the Moon and The High Priestess sit with it all? Apart, that is, from the fact that The High Priestess sits naturally opposite the Hierophant ~ both the gatekeepers, or key keepers, of knowledge.

I have sat with it for a few days and found the connection to be subtle. A bit like moonlight and the Moon herself. Nothing came to me as terribly obvious or direct at first. In the moonlight you must adjust your eyes to the light in order to see the details.

Measured generosity

In the 6 of Pentacles, we see a wealthy man openly doling out charity to the needy with his right hand. In his left hand, he holds up a set of scales, suggesting balance but also that is some kind of measured activity. I get the impression of noblesse oblige ~ the responsibility that comes with privilege ~ from the Rider Waite Smith card. And also that this man is being seen to be doing the right thing.

The two unfortunates on their knees before him hold out their hands to receive charity from the rich man. In the background, we see a castle, symbolic of accumulated wealth and the security that provides.

Perhaps the influence of the Moon suggests that there is more going on here than at first meets the eye: an undercurrent. Is this a straightforward act of generosity towards those less fortunate than himself? How is he measuring out his charity, directing his compassion? What is the power dynamic in this card and how does it make you feel?

As with previous Decans, I have found it useful to look at some keywords to see what ideas it may spark about the Moon and Taurus, and the second Decan of Taurus.

Giving & receiving ~ without judgement

So, let’s start with this. The Moon is exalted in Taurus – she is at home in this house, the house of money earned, one of the two houses of Venus (the other being Libra, the house of relationship). That the Moon is so comfortable in Taurus is suggestive of emotional security and, it could be argued, it is only from a place of emotional security that we are able to truly can give and receive – without judgement.

Which reminds me of a quote by Brené Brown:

“Until we can receive with an open heart, we’re never really giving with an open heart. When we attach judgment to receiving help, we knowingly or unknowingly attach judgment to giving help.”

~ Brené Brown, The Gifts of Imperfection

I usually associate this quote with the 5 of Pentacles, and the idea that when you overcome the judgment that you place on yourself, when asking for and receiving help, you are then more able to truly enter into the true spirit of the six pentacles ~ giving with and open heart.

Considering the energetic value of it all

The 6 of Pentacles speaks about the true energetic value of money (as a means of exchange), resources, and of the distribution of that wealth in society and across the globe. We know that money itself has little or no intrinsic value. Money is just money. It is only useful to humanity when it is in circulation and only worth what you can exchange it for, or the good that you can do with in the world.

But it is all to easy to lose a grip on this idea when we are busy with the business of accumulating wealth, like the good workers we are raised to be.

This is something that Taurus knows much about and in my experience you can always rely on a Taurus to know the value of things and understand the value of any exchange. Driven, patient and persistent a Taurus also understands reciprocity and that what you put in directly affects what you get out of a situation.

May 1 is Labour Day ~ a likely coincidence?

As 1 May was approaching, and I was researching for this post, the following quote/tweet by the late Barbara Ehrenreich came up on one of my feeds. And it occurred to my how very synchronistic it is that International Labour Day ~ a day to celebrate workers’ rights and an opportunity to air economic grievances or political demands ~ should fall at the beginning of Taurus II.

“Labor Day wish: Please, no more talk of companies “giving” people jobs. In reality, the gift relationship goes in the opposite direction. Workers give their blood, sweat and tears, sometimes their lives, and in return companies pay them the minimum they can get away with.”

~ Barbara Ehrenreich (@B_Ehrenreich) sept 2 2018

And this is indeed the way that the world runs on a macro scale: the markets, institutions, whole nations. But is this dynamic Is it true in our day to day lives? Do we give the minimum that we can get away with when it comes to our jobs our personal lives, our relationships? Or does our effort wax and wane?

The moon is constantly and reliably changing

She waxes and wanes, like so many things in life: health, wealth and energy. The moon brings cycles of change to fixed Taurus. And fixed earthy Taurus ties the subtle moon down to actual intentional (ideally) compassionate action.

Deep down, on a sub-conscious level maybe we all know that when you help others you help yourself. When you hurt others, you also hurt yourself and everyone else. And today you may be a beggar or benefactor, employee or employer, but tomorrow the tables may turn.

Prompts for 6 of Pentacles ~ The Moon in Taurus

When considering work, health, finances, relationships…

Ask yourself:

• How do you express your gratitude for the ‘wealth’ and abundance in your life?
• How do you share your energy, time and resources with others?
• Are you generous with what you have?
• Do you give freely with an open heart or are you more measured?
• Does the exchange of energy in your work and relationships feel balanced and healthy?
• Are you getting as much as you are giving, or vice versa?
• What can you do to improve that balance?

Observations and synchronicities ~ on Taurus II

I’m making a space here to return to over the coming days of Taurus II, to add any thoughts, ideas and synchronicities as they arise…

This post feels like it’s all over the place… like I’m trying to make too many points. But the whole Labour Day/Taurus II thing, I found very, very interesting.

It left me thinking about exchange on a macro and micro micro level and also the value of human dignity.

Notes on the Decan Walk 2024/25

For more information on Decans, Astrology and Tarot and how they all synchronise please read this Substack article by Rebeka Kulcsar-Kurdi and T. Susan Chang’s 36 Secrets: A Decanic Journey through the Minor Arcana of the Tarot.

And, if you care to join me for this continuing solar return, you’ll find me on Facebook and Instagram hanging out on the corner of #decanwalk2024 and #decanastrology And I will be following @astroco_op and @tsusanchang

Here’s to another trip around the Sun!