As principal of a small professional firm you have to be more than a technician; you must enjoy people and truly enjoy your work. If you want to succeed you must be an expert not only in your field but also in networking– not in traditional professional circles, but in your community. You must be able to mingle with potential clients, not sit on a plateau above them. A firm has to have a directed leader, focused on a vision that puts her energy into seeing that the visions come true.-Frank Stasiowski, AIA Staying Small Successfully
A key phrase for Taurus is “What do I have?” Taurus wants results. Last month you stated your dream at the new moon and planted seeds. In Taurus we build those dreams into something tangible. Some people are one stop shops- healers, artists, therapists, astrologers. Others may be part of a corporate team. The call is to grow as a person while working away at your chosen profession- one that gives you joy whether you are one or many. Can you take a risk? Networking is the art of connecting and sharing resources. Linking up. Yours, mine and ours collectively. In Taurus- the builder- the goal is to get your vision off the ground in a tangible way, maybe it is time to cast the net wider into your community. If you are an astrologer trying to do more readings, don’t hang out with other astrologers. If you are a healer, artist, therapist trying to build a practice you have to leave your home or office and met people- go into the community and network with others. Word of mouth. You have to show up, open your mouth, share yourself as a valued resource, and share your point of view. Come out of the closet.
Brilliance. Show your brilliance. What are you trading your life energy for? Marketing and selling yourself in exchange for money to live and support your dreams from your dream. Brilliance with a drive to share with others calls for high self esteem and self-trust- qualities of Taurus.
As people honor the actions they value most- by doing them- they become more authentic, more reliable, more self-disciplined. They grow to trust themselves more; they learn to listen to their one inner voice as a steady, truthful and strengthening guide for what to do next and even how to do it.-Marsha Sinclair Do what you love and the money will follow.
This month rethink your marketing efforts. I have been pondering the concept of marketing especially when I hear some flake talking like Chicken Little and saying the sky is falling. My past corporate life was marketing professional services – interior architectural design to prospective clients- selling my creativity and vision. Selling myself. The core of what I do translates the same today- integrity, trust, responsiveness, creativity and vision. When you market spiritual work are you selling or sharing? Shamanic practitioners take their spiritual practice and share it with others- intangible services. . . sharing the creativity and relationship of spirit and nature. Marketing professional services– I bring over two decades of training and life experience. How about you? We network from a healed heart and a connected soul walking the razor’s edge.
In the spring when the farmer plants the seeds into the deep dark soil, the seeds have to make a choice to shed the skin from their past and head towards the light. This is a metaphor for how we grow. At this New Moon in Taurus the seeds we planted last month through our dream intent are now shedding the past. . . it may be bringing up issues related to:
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Accumulation such as money, material comforts, ownership, possessions.
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Senses- Sensuality, massage, physical comfort, aromas, taste.
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Enjoyment of life on Earth-contentment, appreciation, gratitude, simple pleasures, rapport with nature, satisfaction.
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Building- solid foundations, persistence, progressing step by step, thoroughness, perseverance.
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Reliability- patience, dependability, trustworthiness, steadfastness.
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Self-worth- awareness of personal needs, setting appropriate boundaries, strong values, determination and self-acceptance.
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Inflexibility- stubbornness, attachment, resistance to change, possessiveness, holding dogmatic opinions, stagnation.
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Restoring health- coughs, throat, chin and neck, thyroid gland, voice and vocal cords.
At the New Moon in Aries last month you planted intentions/dreams. Seeds. Now how are you going to pay for your dreams? Money and finances, discipline and self-control- how much is this going to cost you, in time, energy and money? What have you got to bring to the table to share?
On May 8th 2005 at 4:46 AM there is a New Moon in Taurus at 18 degrees. This is an anniversary. . .in May of 2000 there was a lineup of planets in the sign Taurus, starting a new 20 year business cycle between Saturn and Jupiter. We are at the 1st quarter square of that cycle; it is time to see tangible results for the foundation has been built these past five years. Are you ready? Sure you are! It is also Mother's day. At birth the Moon sign in your chart told your mother what your soul needed in this life for support and nurturing. The relationship to mother lays the train tracks for self worth and self expression to follow. Mothers do the day-to-day discipline in the family. This Moon energy represents emotions, intuition, feelings and water related to the discipline of earthy Taurus.
How were you punished? The second house relates to childhood issues created at the age of 18 months to 4 years. It is the seat of discipline- negative intent created by shaming, enmeshment, emotional manipulation, sexual and/or physical abuse sets up the Taurus area of your life for problems. If you are still a victim to this in your life, then name it, heal it and move on. A good book on this is Anodea Judith’s book Eastern Body, Western Mind.
A healthy Taurus is indicated by positive discipline within related to responsibility, a balanced ego strength, confidence, playfulness, sense of personal power; one who brings the ability to meet challenges.
They can let you out of jail now, because they’ve put the jail inside your head- Starhawk
When authority is won through respect it resonates with our own inner truth. Authenticity. Where is Taurus, where is your Venus, what sign is at the doorway of your second house? Your own authority. I am worth this_____. If your authority was wounded through punishment and excessive discipline as a child, you have some clean up to do.
Taurus represents your personal resources related to self esteem, self worth, even finances. How comfortable do you feel coming out? Where Taurus is in your chart shows a willingness to invest in you! Scorpio represents your shared resources. It also represents issues with hoarding, fear of losing control. Scorpio and Taurus relates to your care and feeding as a child that impacts your life even today. From that perspective how is your relationship to Mom, discipline and the Taurus story in your chart? What is your relationship to money related to Mom? Marsha Sinetar asks:
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Do you have work habits which you may have rigidly suppressed in an attempt to conform and be more like others?
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Do you have personality traits which you initially struggled against, thought were wrong and tried to change or hide?
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Have you stopped trying to achieve something in some area of your life because you were once told these aren’t important enough to warrant attention?
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Have you abandoned a part of yourself or your past because the ‘new you’ no longer fits? Are you really sure about that. . .
These are indicators of soul loss in your personal and professional life. Oh my. . . coming out of the closet. . .to share, to network. To manifest my dream I’ll have to come out and share. Some of the resources needed may come from the past. Listen to your inner voice and don’t discount this. In Taurus we build relationships and identify people who can help us achieve our goals. Share, network and link up. To many of us on the fringes (i.e., healing arts, shamanic practitioners, astrologers, etc.,) this is a scary proposition because what we share isn’t the norm. Do you stick together like huddled masses? This isn’t networking, its cocooning, preferring safety over challenge, and comfort over growth.
Thus personally and professionally [a person in their comfort zone] backs away from what would help them become more useful to themselves and others. Public speaking, confrontational communications, community leadership projects, decision-making, commitments of all kinds, meeting new people, taking a new job, and taking a stand on a difficult or unpopular matters are all forbidden to such a person who seeks to stay in a comfort zone.- Sinetar, page 85.
Time to step out of the comfort zones you created. Risk. The key phrase for Taurus is "What do I have? What am I trading my life energy for?” Money, personal resources, security, survival skills and self-esteem. In Taurus we like to have things around us that give us comfort and reflect who we are. We are concerned with getting results. This signs builds. In order to build one must have a firm foundation. One cannot build dreams on a garbage pile. Where the sign Taurus is in you your birth chart indicates your sense of values, self-esteem, self-worth. It also can represent where you are locked up in material things. Taurus rules the throat, cerebellum and back part of the brain in the physical body. Your voice.
Where is 18 degrees of Taurus in your birth chart? This is where the activity is this month. It is time to sing your song. Denise Linn a Feng Shui and shamanic practitioner talks about the Four Acts of Personal Power in her book Sacred Legacies:
There are four acts of personal power that can positively affect the outcome of the future. First we need to re-establish our connection to the past by exploring our roots and realizing that we are the product of a long and noble lineage of human beings who came before us. After we have taken this step, we need to sort through our heritage by embracing that which strengthens us, and by breaking negative ancestral patterns. Once we have done this, we can learn to shift our limiting beliefs about the future at a fundamental level. Finally, we are ready to take concrete action to empower the future. Those going through the four-step process can make fundamental changes in their own lives as well as help to change the tide of history. (Linn, page 7)
Taurus and the second house represent our early childhood experiences and programming. Where Taurus is in your chart you can proudly proclaim ‘I have.’ I have value and worth. Keys to unlocking the Taurus door may be related to the energies of:
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Holding in from shame and humiliation. (I won’t be seen).
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Holding back from lack of trust/safety. (I won’t surrender).
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Holding up from being told to submit. (I won’t submit).
These early childhood lessons are tied to self-esteem and value. Energetically stubborn we carry this wounded child energy into adulthood, unconsciously. We don’t surrender thus we sabotage our dreams. We hold onto our clutter– mind, body and spirit. Money and its relationship to self in our society represent the energy of Taurus and the sacred legacy you bring to the table. You know what your wounds were; you know what you really want to create. Now go network– give a voice to your dream and take yourself out into the community. I have talked with a lot of clients these past couple of weeks about moving past their comfort zones. Looking at their past relationships to seed their future.
Define who and what you are about and then make a decision to go for it- despite the inner voices. Networking, linking up with others and manifesting your dream is directly related to the health of your Taurus resources- the self worth and self esteem you bring to the table. How scared are you? Bring the issues plaguing you out to the light and look at them.
Earthy fixed Taurus is ruled by Venus. At this lunation both the Venus and Taurus area of your chart is highlighted. Venus is in Taurus- magnetizing what you want, step into our true value with heart. Taurus wants you to build something of worth; Venus gives that intent heart and soul. What are you trying to create right now in your life? What is your dream? Now is the time to make a decision that moves us all forward, in a new way.
Mercury is there in Aries trining powerful Pluto in Sag- giving fiery truth to your words and actions. It is an empowering force of nature that requires you to let go of the fears and move into what you want. Expect synchronicity.
At this lunation Taurus wants you to take a personal inventory of what you do have to move forward into action. What are you resources? Don’t snub your nose at your past thinking there is no value there. If you were a nurse and are now in alternative health care- who better to talk to other nursing professionals. Ask to talk to a group in a hospital, put together your own group to explore new ways. Share. Where do you need to ask for help? Taurus represents self worth, self esteem and personal resources related to finances and money. Scorpio is how you merge with another, the shared resources your partners bring to the table. No one said you have to do this project by yourself. What kind of team player are you? Are you the leader or a follower? Do you need a partner to make this dream happen? If you hold the vision, how are you allowing others to support that vision? There was a saying in the 80’s that women entrepreneurs faced a glass ceiling:
Glass Ceiling- barrier to career advancement, an unofficial but real impediment to somebody’s advancement into upper-level management positions because of discrimination based on the person’s gender, age, race, ethnicity, or sexual preference.
Shattered glass can make a beautiful stained glass window. Entrepreneurs know how to network; they have strong Taurus energy and don’t see glass ceilings. Networking is a cool concept if your Taurus and Scorpio are in good working order. In my family growing up we had no money, come from money, made money, lost money. . . money was always an issue, and credit was used and abused. Because of my money story I never asked for help or support, I’ll do it all myself. Stubborn as a two year old. My husband called me stubborn. Made me so angry at the time. If someone says you are stubborn, they are seeing your Taurus energy- take note! Take heart! I also feared having money because when my family suddenly came into wealth our family life suffered. Subsequently I sabotaged our wealth in the coupleship which my husband also pointed out, rightly so. DH, I do love him. Can I tell you money is a complicated subject for me!
I started my design business with a dream and no money, and that dream manifested off my vision in a relatively short period. It was a pretty heady time for me, being twenty-seven working on hotels and restaurants. I was living the dream I created. It wasn’t about the money, it was about creating, building and growing not only my self but also inspiring my employees . . .make the vision real for our clients. Money was a by-product of those visions. . .
The interior design business focused in one direction and that market share bottomed out suddenly. The weakness in the firm was funding, like many small firms I was under capitalized. The S&L crisis and economic slowdown of the mid 80’s served to further undermine funding for future client projects. Two key accounts went under causing my firm to lose $50,000 in billed revenue. I was stubborn, ashamed and embarrassed. I spent much of my time that year in crisis management redirecting the focus of our market to commercial office space planning. With bills and employees to pay I had to make decisions fast on my feet.
One day I did something very out of sync with my nature. Rather than holding in, holding on, holding back- I shared. I asked a client and a vendor for his advice- support for creating my new plan of action. I shared from my heart- what I created and where I was going, clearly stating my intent. When one shares their dream, their vision, others start to get on board. Within a month I had a $25,000 line of credit secured from a bank in addition to a new equipment loan for a Cad computer that cost $15,000 at the time (80’s dollars). No glass ceiling, I networked. Within two years the firm refocused and had over a million square feet of office space under contract. I faced my fears of financing and began to heal my money issues. I faced the fear of speaking up and risked looking like a fool. It was a good lesson for me that continues to work me even today.
Networking-its part of my nature, your nature to want to connect and build- be it community and/or support. People who know you want to support you. The person next to you may be able to help, but if you stay quiet and don’t share- what’s going to happen? NOTHING!
Do you know who are you? What you are trying to create? What inner voices (demons they may be) are speaking to you about your dreams and finances? Is it time to ask for help? Is it time to network?
Yes. The second house in your chart represents your character and discipline: 1) Training expected to produce a specific character or pattern of behavior, especially training that produces moral or mental improvement.
i) Controlled behavior resulting from disciplinary training; self-control.
ii) Control obtained by enforcing compliance or order.
iii) A systematic method to obtain obedience: a military discipline.
iv) A state of order based on submission to rules and authority: a teacher who demanded discipline in the classroom.
2) Punishment intended to correct or train. 3) A set of rules or methods, as those regulating the practice of a church or monastic order. 4) A branch of knowledge or teaching.
How you relate to the world through that lens of self- self esteem and self worth creates Value. I am valued, I have value is directly related to your ability to get paid. Money. When I create from a place of joy the money flows to me so I can support causes that are important to me. I allow abundance into my life and share it joyfully with others. I am in reciprocity.
A person may be swimming in abundance- manifested their dreams, made the “big bucks” and can not feel true joy. The person is defended; caught in materials things they are working through the personality issues with Taurus from three lower chakras. The fixed earth sign Taurus in our birth chart represents value of self. On the mundane level it is about our desire nature. This energy values security, routines and objects. It values beauty and is slow to change. This creates a defense within that is stubborn, willful and unmovable. Bull headed.
Grounded Taurus energy creates abundance that translates to money- having money, saving money and spending money. There is balance for we have healed the control issues of holding in, holding on, holding back. At our sacred center these energies are not necessary or needed, there is a deep trust and ability to change. There is faith and joy in the flow of reciprocity. Reciprocity is tied to the cellular level of the body through our blood flow. The heart pumps in and out in equal measure. If it doesn't then disease occurs. Are you giving too much or taking in? High blood pressure may be related to reciprocity in your own life being out of balance. I wonder.
Mercury in Aries will be pinpointing what is necessary for release- the old stuff, old values, and old consciousness that need to be surrendered. Taurus rules the throat. It is about using one’s voice. Raise your own Taurus energy to the next level- it becomes spiritual as the value of self is reflected in both one’s outer and inner world.
When we are in harmony and balance with our self (Venus in Taurus) we create from deep love for self and nature- we are able to give and receive. We plant a tree when we cut one down. We recycle. We create seeds of intention and plant our gifts in the world. We open our mouths and gloriously sing our song.
Energetic blocks can be seen in your home and in your body. Your outer world is but a reflection of your inner world. To show up and be present in all areas of my life is to allow the energy of money into my life as well as letting it go. Like breathing in and breathing out. What images and beliefs do you hold around money?
If your creative force is blocked around money and wealth, what are you going to do to unlock this energy? Can you ask for help to find the energy and money to create the life you want? Now is the time to be seen, surrender, submit and voice your plan. Network.
Suggested shamanic journey: Go to your teacher and asked to see your abundance issues related to finances, watch what unfolds in the journey. Ask to be dismembered.
Before the full moon on May 23rd I invite you to take a risk by choosing one of these tasks:
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Declare abundance in your life. Set up a money altar and decree “I value me. I am worthy.”
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Create and share your own 60 second brag- self -introduction. Go to a new meeting, introduce yourself.
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Call or meet a person in your circle and share your dream, tell them what you need and ask for their feedback. How can we help each other?
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Form a circle to share what you have to give, share what you dream to create.
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Create a topic list from which you can speak about. Call a group in your community and ask about speaking at their next function, offer and share your brilliance.
By the full moon in Sagittarius a new truth may be revealed. Watch for synchronicity.
plans for the year at the Taurus New Moon. The key phrase is “I have. I value.” I have abundance and wealth in all areas of my life or I serve to protect my status quo…I’m right, you are wrong.
Full moons bring soul energy to bear on the problems at hand. Big Ones (Soul) and little ones (ego). This is the time of the year when the veil is thin, you can reach out to the God/Goddess of your understanding and connect. The Nature of God is in all things, all beings, great and small. Your guardian angels, your helping allies are showing up in support. This 
Saturn is moving through Leo for the first time in 28 years (1977/78). Reflect back on those years, especially the year 1977- what was happening for you then? How are the current conditions related to that time? Saturn rules responsibility and timing. Ever get caught up in being responsible and lose sight of what gives you joy? Saturn’s been working us for over two years in Leo, and there are only four months left of this Saturn in Leo cycle. Oh my. Saturn is highlighting these issues, bringing them out of the dark closet you stuffed them into- back into the light. Oh the places you can go now…
This event we head to 
Barbra Streisand IMHO you are not in integrity; your audience expected one thing and was fed another. I learned a lot. That when Babs says she is giving a music concert it's her forum to raise political awareness; her agenda…buyer beware. I learned in the future I need to be more discerning about these things. Who would've thought?
Step 1.Get up from wherever you are and walk outside with intent. Step outside your door. Breath the air, smell the flowers. Watch the birds. Feel the energy in your feet. Soak in the colors. The sights, the sounds.
