Money and relationships.
Security and connection.
Two issues that can reveal both our deepest shadow and brightest light.
Venus, the planet of relating, is still retrograde (and will be until mid-November). This is significant because Venus is the ruling planet of both Libra AND Taurus.
Last Libra New Moon focused on our relationships with others, and this Full Moon in Taurus highlights our relationship with resources- the earthly “stuff” necessary to live a fulfilling life.
In a word.. money
Now money is a multifaceted thing. In truth, it is merely paper strips and metal disks. Yet, we give it power much beyond that.
After all, money equates with security in very real ways. In Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, resources are right there solidly holding up the base. It is absolutely true that if we cannot get our basic human needs met, we cannot focus on much else. Sadly, poverty is a real deal for many in the US, about 40.6 million people actually. With the wealthiest 1% holding more wealth than the bottom 90% combined (The Washington Post). Clearly we have an imbalanced, perhaps flawed, perception of money and everything it represents.
Another truth- more wealth doesn’t necessarily equate with more happiness. An interesting study in 2010 revealed after a certain base-line of financial necessity was achieved, happiness was unaffected by an increase in wealth. In fact, the same study demonstrated after basic needs are met any further financial gain actually decreased life satisfaction and emotional well being. The reason, researchers concluded, is likely due to motivation being spurred by social status, avarice, materialism, and other fear-based drivers.
And that point is a huge part of the problem. Continually seeking more is precisely what seems to direct our collective consciousness.
Anytime any “thing”, be it a person or an object, becomes the preferred panacea for fear there is a tendency to both constantly seek more of it and control it.
Then, that thing begins to define us and our sense of worthiness, freedom, and esteem.
If we allow something to represent the essence and base of who we are, what happens when that thing changes in some way?
Because it Will change. All things do.
We panic. We grasp tighter. We hold more. We never have enough. We hustle. We manipulate. We judge ourselves. We tell ourselves we are failures. We get lost in the quest to have it back, keep it constant, and stop whatever is trying to emerge.
We forget all about grace edging god out (EGO) time and time again.
There is no doubt our culture offers up some unhealthy spells about money. The ‘American dream’ tells us money buys success and happiness. More stuff equates with more power. Which isn’t actually untrue. A sad statistic tells us the majority of political power is held by one-quarter of the top 1%. *
Is it any wonder laws tend to favor industry, cooperations, the bottom line, and profit regardless of the social, environmental, or moral consequences?
The irony behind giving money the power to define us is we give money the power to dominate us. Then we see the shadow of Taurus emerge- like greed, selfishness, exploitation, consumerism, materialism, hoarding, competition, and longing for more.
This Full Moon asks us to pause and assess this force in our lives and our relationship with it.
It asks us to question what is of real value.
If it benefits me but hurts another (a person, the environment, etc.), is it really worth it?
True value is not found in a number but rooted in the integrity of something much more profound and more fundamental. It resides in what is ‘most right’ even (and often) when it is the harder choice. Value grounded in integrity puts the good of all over the desires of a few.
Cooperation over selfishness.
Us over me.
The self-help movement hasn’t helped here either. Movies like “The Secret” and numerous master classes tell us we can affirm our way to affluence. We affirm and affirm and wonder where our check is. We beat ourselves up because we must have done it wrong. We compare ourselves to everyone else, and we tell the story we do not measure up.
What is wrong with us?
Nothing.
By definition, affirming we need abundance itself proves we are based in lack. Affirmations work at the level of cause not effect. (The hidden truth about affirmations)
That’t it. Taurus done well is a balance of both effort AND trust. We show up to what life is asking of us, and we trust the flow.
Because security, ironically, is not found in the controlling of things, but in the letting go. After all, the word sacrifice is not about suffering at all, but comes from the root ‘to make sacred.’ When we release the hold money has over us, we crack the door to the divine flow that has been there all along.
Money becomes sacred.
Abundance is simply having what you need when you need it.
Taurus reminds us of the healing power of simplicity. Consumerism and materialism do not just make our financial life complex but the whole of life in general. Work becomes a priority and frenetic business the norm, our nervous systems running on fumes. No one gets to the end of their life and thinks, “If only I’d worked more”. No. They long for more time in beautiful places, time with loved ones, time with passions yet unexplored, and time to be of service to others. Perhaps, that is the lesson with this Full Moon. To remind us no matter what race, gender, social or financial status we happen to be, we are all equal in what truly matters. Imagine if we all lived from that intention.
The work:
Venus is still retrograde. Additionally, Full Moons always illuminate the tension or polarity between signs, in this case, Taurus and Scorpio. So, there is likely some shadow showing up about regarding money or resources in your life. Indeed, that shadow is being revealed in our collective culture. It could also be showing up for you on a much more personal level.
Some points to consider:
1) If you are experiencing an abundance block-You could be pushing for a soul contract that isn’t yours. In this way, we work from the outside in, comparing, “shoulding”, wanting things to show up a specific way. Here lack can be frustrating, but it’s really your friend locking a door that isn’t yours. One of the most significant blocks I see with my students and clients experiencing blocks professionally is using a business model they think defines them but isn’t authentically theirs. Find your authentic path of service (which FYI isn’t always the most romantic, social media savvy, or necessarily what you “planned”) and you open the door to abundance. (For more check out Ego vs Soul Goals)
2) Pause-If you desire something, a trip, a concert, a car, some boots, a certification, and you find you don’t have the funds ( no credit cards here!), chances are you are being asked to pause. Trust the reminder. It likely isn’t right for you in some way right now and/or there is something better coming. I remember years ago being so angry I didn’t have the money for what I considered the “perfect house” only to find out later there was an electrical fire and it burned down.
3) Patience, not panic- One of the most challenging things to do is sit in uncertainty. It is also one of the most freeing. We live in an immediate culture where we expect things to happen NOW. We tend to panic and react when we feel out of control- which never ends well. Tapping into the flow of abundance means we balance action and trust. The exhale and the inhale. It means we remember whatever is intended to arise has divine timing, and pushing doesn’t make it happen any faster. It just leaves us anxious, exhausted, and out of breath.
4) Limiting beliefs- These can be conscious or unconscious, and most of the time they are centered around worthiness, self-esteem, trust, sacrifice, and receiving. This is a great time to take some personal inventory regarding what old stories could be blocking abundance. You will know the ones to work on by what is showing up for you currently. These are often revealed as moments of self-sabotage, opportunities to assert your worth (aka standing up to those who dull attempt to your sparkle), feeling worn out, uninspired, or bored (to name a few).
5) Simplify- Sometimes when we are stuck, we need to reopen the flow. The best way to do this is get rid of stuff. Literally. Clean out those closets. Get rid of what no longer defines you. By doing so, we energetically create a vacuum that naturally allows new energy in and we challenge our fear-based need to hold on to stuff. Slow down, make space for passion and creativity, take a media fast, get out in nature- do what allows you to inhale.
6) Gratitude- So often we put a spotlight on what we don’t have rather than what we do. What we focus on expands. When we allow an appreciation for all the ways we are already abundant we reinforce that force in our lives.
7) Joy work- It is a misconception to think money shadow work only shows up when money appears lacking. People often assume affluence equates with having the money game won. In truth, people with more stuff are no happier or fulfilled than anyone else. In fact, studies have shown people with great wealth have MORE fear, more instances of depression, anxiety, and overall unhappiness. (Expand your Capacity for Joy).
When we dig into our inner world, we find our relationship with money isn’t really about money at all. It reveals what we believe about the world and ourselves. It also gives us the power to heal, transform and reclaim our power from stories and spells that need not define us.
Money can and should be fun. It can be interesting. We can honor, respect and appreciate it but let us not give more power than it inherently has. It doesn’t make us smarter, better, more loving, authentic, brave, beautiful, powerful, inspired, passionate, creative, altruistic, kind, gracious, or funny.
It doesn’t add to the value of the things that really matter.
All the things that make us uniquely us, and all the ways we were meant to shine.
Because that is what it is all about really.
Which brings us to the most important point about money.
We are here to serve. To be an extension of the power that animates it all. When we ground into that Taurus truth we see the world through the eyes of connection instead of selfishness, of oneness not separateness. The mantra becomes not what I can take, but what can we offer. Not what is in it for me, but how we can cooperate. Not what can I wall off, but how can we help.
Because real wealth and success is not in acquiring more, but in serving in our own unique way.
“When I chased after money, I never had enough. When I got my life on purpose and focused on giving of myself and everything that arrived into my life, then I was prosperous.”
*The Better world Handbook. Jones, Haenfler, Johnson
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