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- Taurus Season and the Jupiter-Uranus Conjunction
Taurus Season and the Jupiter-Uranus Conjunction
Unexpected luck only strikes in this way every fourteen years!
Aspen Beard
April 22, 2024
Vol. 53 // 04-22-24
This Mercury retrograde has been causing some chaos in my life like no other that I’ve experienced, which is honestly kind of comical at this point. The schedule I’ve so intently been trying to keep has slipped through my fingers over and over again in the past couple of weeks due to unexpected plan changes, unplanned tech issues, my ADHD running RAMPANT, and some intense conversations in my personal life. Needless to say, I’m feeling so grateful for the truths and solutions that this retrograde has been revealing to me, but she really has said, “SIT DOWN, MISS GIRL!” It’s felt as if every time I am prepared and ready to get back on my writing schedule and am setting myself up for success, something has come up and caused a delay. I’m thankful for the delays, as they’ve helped me better understand some of my needs that I’ve been neglecting and have held space for some really valuable discussions to take place. But that being said, I’ve also had a million and one ideas over the past couple of weeks and am so ready to get back to my usual writing and posting schedule and to begin new projects. :’)
Considering we’re beginning Taurus season with an exciting, and somewhat rare, astrological event (see further down for more details, hehe), I thought it would be appropriate to share a topic that has continued to come up between myself and some of my loved ones during this Mercury retrograde: comfort zones. The comfort zone is something that many Tauruses (and all of the rest of us, LOL) are probably quite familiar with, as it is what we may often find ourselves stuck in when craving something more. The comfort zone is where the ego thrives, as it always feels in control and is easily able to predict the outcome of any experience. While spaces of comfort are essential for our health, as they create feelings of safety, which are a crucial piece in regulating the nervous system, there is a fine line between maintaining comfort to nurture ourselves and maintaining comfort to avoid the discomfort of change.
On a biological level, our instincts automatically direct us to seek safety outside of ourselves with the motivation to survive. But being the complex and intelligent beings we are, life is not something to survive; it is something to live. Trusting myself to leave my familiar spaces was really difficult for me growing up, and it has only really been in the past three and a half(ish) years that I’ve actively challenged the boundaries of what feels safe to me. But in that time, I feel like I have lived an entirely different life; it feels like SO much more has happened in three years than I had experienced in the many before them. While I have not fully mastered getting out of my comfort zone, I feel like, through a lot of trial and error, I’ve figured out some valuable tools that have helped me become a better communicator, more confident and secure in myself, and a much, MUCH bigger dreamer. Overriding these survival instincts can be quite frustrating, but here are a few things that have helped me step away from my comfort zone, even when I haven’t felt ready.
110% vs. 10% - Which is more?
One of the primary things that kept me from doing scary (ahem, unfamiliar) things was setting exorbitantly high expectations for myself. Instead of thinking I could dip a toe into a foreign concept or experience, I felt obligated to just ~full send~ jump in. While I’m sure that that method works for some, for me, being the recovering perfectionist that I am, it feels like there is simply too much on the line—jumping full in just seems like too great a risk for failure. Out of fear that it was the wrong choice, for many years, I chose instead to just not choose. However, through an insightful conversation with my dad, I realized that if I could gain the courage to step just 10% out of my comfort zone, eventually I would be fully immersed in the thing that I was otherwise entirely avoidant of, even though I wanted it so badly.
Whatever it is that you wish to do, try, change, or embody, all you have to do is 10% more than what you’re doing right now. That seems pretty manageable, right? When trying to do 100%, you may find that you accomplish less progress toward your desired outcome than if you just stick with 10. 10% helps to build a foundation of trust and confidence within yourself that you can then operate from when making bigger changes that are perhaps 50 or 75 percent out of your comfort zone. A consistent challenge of stepping 10% out of what is familiar and safe is so much easier to sit with. You don’t have to register your LLC today; maybe you just make a vision board for what your business mission is. You don’t have to move across the country today; perhaps you merely look at places to live in the city you’re aspiring to explore. Anyone can take a step just outside of their comfort zone’s border. You can do it!Is it nourishing or familiar?
I don’t know about you, but there have been TOO many times in life where I’ve had to convince myself that I was happy and content with something, just because I didn’t feel ready to leave it behind. And while I had experienced little opportunities to be aware of this over my childhood and teen years, I experienced this teaching in a really big way through my first relationship. I used to be deeply insecure about myself, which often led me to cling to others for validation. When I got into my first relationship, I felt a sense of security that I had not realized I had craved so deeply. However, after the first few months, while I still felt validated and comforted by having a partner, I began feeling really unhappy. Many of my needs were not being met, and I was not treated with respect. But of course, this was a secret that I kept hidden deep within myself; I was not ready to face it. I would go on to stay in that relationship for two years, a period in which things progressively got worse and worse and worse.
Over those two years, I ended up developing a very intimate relationship with my intuition—there were many, many moments where it would say, ”Aspen, it’s time to leave...” but I just did NOT feel strong enough. I felt so trapped and depressed, but it felt so normal and safe. I was eventually faced with a series of difficult decisions that forced me to come to terms with my feelings, which made me realize that I couldn’t see a future beyond this person. I couldn’t imagine a future where I was living life by myself. Upon leaving, I felt ecstatic. I felt reborn. I felt free.
From that experience, I’ve realized that we can easily forget to ask ourselves if what is familiar to us is still nourishing our souls in the ways that it once did, especially if there are unstable or draining factors that are keeping us in survival mode. If you desire to design a life that you truly enjoy, it’s essential that you make a habit of checking in on your safe spaces, your relationships, your job, your living environment, your daily routines, and your relationship with yourself. If you aren’t willing to make changes in these areas, then how can you reasonably expect yourself to make changes in things that are less familiar?The illusion of safety
Another difficult, but valuable, truth to sit with is that safety is an illusion, or at least, external sources of safety are. The comforts that provide us with a sense of security are not promised tomorrow, even though we might wish they were. Because all of the things that provide us with a sense of security, affirmation, and validity can be taken away from us at any moment, we must create a safe space that can never be touched by others: within.
I’ve always imagined my inner security and confidence as a gravitational force that is perpetually keeping me centered, grounded, and at peace with all that I don’t have direct control over. It has the power to neutralize any worry, fear, anxiety, or uncertainty within me, clearing space for me to take action from a place of true self-trust. This is the baseline foundation that is designed for us to build other core pieces of our lives upon, but if one of those crumbles, we are not left powerlessly floating through a void; we still have our relationship with ourselves. If you can trust that through all that life offers you, you will still be able to make it—you will still be capable and secure enough to move forward—you’re in good shape to take leaps of faith and to step further away from the illusion of safety. And if you don’t feel like you have that relationship with yourself quite yet, while there are a ton of modalities of self-understanding out there, you’re in the right place—astrology’s a great place to start. :)
I hope this helps even just one person feel more comfortable taking risks and challenging the bounds of their comfort zone. Know that you are capable of far more than your brain might tell you you are!
As a little side note, I wanted to say thank you for all of the support I’ve received through this newsletter community. This platform is my perpetual space to challenge my own inner restrictions and fears, and I genuinely thank you for being here to witness me trying, hehe. Because this newsletter is going out later than I wanted, I won’t be sharing an Oracle message for this week; you can expect another weekly installment later this week as I get back on my normal(ish) schedule. My personal life has been going through some big but beautiful changes, and I’ve had to prioritize myself over work more than my workaholic brain would like, but I feel very fortunate to have a community that is so understanding when I don’t always deliver "on schedule." I’ve been giving my needs and well-being a lot more attention as of late, and I’m beginning to feel much more balanced emotionally and mentally.
To all the new souls, I want to say a very hearty hello! Thank you for being here. I’m excited to share the Scorpio full moon installment with you tomorrow; this moon has me feeling quite excited and inspired.
I’ve included all of my main readings available to book on my Stanstore below; if you’re interested, I’d love to connect with you. Sending you all love and many blessings for this transformative lunar portal. xx
My current birth chart reading offerings are:
Micro-reading - $25: A five-minute recorded reading discussing 1 question. Sent to you within seven days of booking via email.
60-minute Birth Chart Reading - $190: A 60-minute 1:1 meeting held over Zoom. Covers primary energetic themes in the natal chart as well as 3-5 questions. Ideal for those who have had their birth chart read before or understand the basic functions of the chart, signs, and planets.
90-minute Birth Chart Reading - $222: a 90-minute 1:1 meeting held over Zoom. Covers primary energetic themes in the natal chart as well as 5-7 questions or includes additional time to discuss specific issues or areas of focus. Perfect for those wishing to go deeper or for a first-time birth chart reading.
90-minute Astrological Entrepreneurship Consultation - $333: a 90-minute 1:1 meeting held over Zoom. For entrepreneurs who are designing or redesigning a business. A meeting uniquely designed to help you understand the fundamentals of your energetic makeup so that you can establish a business that emulates the authentic you. Discover how to optimize your workflows, tap into your inner authority, overcome blockages, access your magnetism, and maximize your productivity by discussing your natal themes.
TAURUS SEASON
Ah, it is Taurus season, meaning that things are probably starting to feel a little less intense now that some of the energy has been dispersed from Aries. We will likely continue to integrate the things we learned during eclipse season during Taurus season, but we will be identifying how we can make them more sustainable. There were likely some big changes that happened while the eclipses were active; this season supports us in alchemizing our takeaways from them so that we can begin processing all that we experienced. This season encourages us to slow down a bit more and to find a stride that is maintainable and manageable, so that we don’t overexert ourselves, get burned out, and stop, causing us to lose our momentum. With Taurus—fixed earth—following Aries—cardinal fire—there is an emphasis on how we can keep the spark alive. If Aries season is the spark, Taurus season is the tinder and logs that turn it into something more long-lasting.
Aries and Taurus are both represented by horned animals—Aries by the ram, and Taurus by the bull. This symbolism points out how they share similarities in their determination, willfulness, and, at times, stubborn mentality, but how they channel these qualities out into the world can be in significantly different ways. While the ram charges forward without hesitation and oftentimes without being provoked, the bull is, alternatively, quite peaceful if left undisturbed (but will definitely charge you if you don’t respect their wishes). The bull is more slow-moving, predictable, and reliable; the ram is excitable, brash, and difficult to control. Just as the bull can be harnessed with a yoke to slowly and methodically plow the field, so does Taurus season show us how we can harness our power to work for us to create something bigger. In this season, we are tilling the field for inspired ideas to be planted, which requires us to slow down a bit more and evaluate what is needed for us to remain consistent.
Taurus naturally governs the second house of value, finances, material possessions, the senses, land, and our self-esteem. It is fixed earth, meaning that it is the most stubborn of the earth signs, as it is built to maintain and sustain. This can be a valuable asset when building lasting routines and relationships or when dealing with other commitments that require us to dedicate ourselves over time, but it can be a frustrating disadvantage when changes need to be made. This often results in Taurus staying in relationships, jobs, daily habits, living situations, and other such things for far longer than they may have originally intended. They can get stuck in their comfort—they may find themselves settling for what they presently have over what they actually want, as it is more comfortable for them to maintain than to step into the unknown or initiate change. This is because Taurus is also predisposed to laziness or overindulgence.
Being ruled by Venus, the planet of beauty, money, pleasure, luxury, and connection, Taurus has a keen eye for aesthetics and, oftentimes, would rather invest in something of higher quality than settle for the cheaper option. Their expensive taste can make them terrific gift-givers and loving partners, but for them individually, this can suggest that they don’t have the highest tolerance for discomfort or restriction. Unevolved Taureans are often either quite frugal or are constantly overspending, as they can often place their sense of security or their confidence in themselves in how much money they possess or how impressive they can appear on the outside. They are quite good at maintaining what they have already built the momentum for, but changing direction or re-building momentum after it has been lost can be quite challenging for them to overcome, which is why they must learn to develop a strong sense of trust in themselves. Developing self-confidence and becoming their own safe space is how these individuals can build a life that truly allows them to thrive.
In this season, we become more aware of what we need from ourselves and others to feel appreciated, desired, and valued. Investing in self-care routines or making small changes to our daily routines to make more time for self-investment may be favorable for us. This is also a terrific season to get clear on financial goals for the near and far future. While the essence of Taurus may influence us to be more hesitant to implement changes, meaning we may be clinging to things that are familiar to us, because of the Jupiter-Uranus conjunction, we’re being reminded that the comfort and security we may be seeking cannot be truly created if we are untrusting of ourselves. This season may actually require more changes to be made by us intentionally than eclipse season, as the events of eclipse season are often somewhat out of our control. Following the changes and shifts of the eclipses, this season is for us to consider how we might accommodate the things that were brought to our attention. And considering Taurus’s themes, we may be asked to shift our perspectives or to create changes in our romantic lives, money habits, comfort zones, living spaces, and core personal values if we wish to see the benefits of this season.
I will share more on this in the full moon article tomorrow, but for now, remember that when building things that last, the will to be consistent is only one piece of the equation. If relationships grow stale, carrying on without addressing any potential issues is not enough if we want the relationship to still be a source of pleasure and enjoyment in our lives; we must be willing to change the pattern so that it can be healthily sustained. The comfort that familiarity provides us is an illusion; it is not true fulfillment. This season invites us to identify what we need on an individual and interpersonal level so that we might begin to create lives that we truly enjoy.
THE JUPITER URANUS CONJUNCTION
This is an extremely exciting Taurus season, as it’s beginning with a rare planetary conjunction that only occurs once every fourteen years. Jupiter, the planet of luck, expansion, blessings, enlightenment, good fortune, and faith, is meeting Uranus, the planet of innovation, sudden change, rebellion, unexpected events, and society at 21º of Taurus. While we began feeling this energy probably earlier last week, it will linger until April 30th. If you have placements between 18º and 25º Taurus, you may feel this energy in an especially significant way, but this experience will be notable to all of us in some capacity or another. This event always marks a time of sudden expansion or rapid, innovative progress. This could mark some significant changes in the way money is handled on a societal level or could represent some big advancements or unexpected innovations in the wellness, beauty, and luxury arenas. On an individual level, though, this is a time for epiphany to strike; we may find ourselves experiencing a sudden desire to shift our energy in things we’ve been quite consistent in. While this conjunction can easily be advertised as only material or financial blessings being suddenly received, this event signifies much more than physical gain. Depending on the house it is activating on your chart, this can be an event that represents a sudden breakthrough or a drastic change in something that has felt stagnant or stale. It may represent a shift in the way you approach creating comfort around you or attracting wealth into your life.
Considering Jupiter’s blessings often require a great deal of faith from us, as this planet encourages us to not worry about how we’re going to receive them but instead just embody the feeling of gratitude and to act from inspiration, there may be tests involved in the weeks surrounding this occurrence. Some of us have already encountered them, and others may find themselves looking around trying to identify which direction they will approach us from—don’t bother looking; it is most likely going to be a surprise even when you feel prepared for it! With Uranus’s unconventional, but brilliant, approach, this could also allude to us discovering a path forward toward our goals that we had initially batted away. This conjunction will reward those who are willing and open to trying alternative solutions, especially those that may seem a little too “out there.”
This could allude to the beginning of some significant changes in the ways that money is made and exchanged. These changes will likely be induced through collective effort, especially with a rebellious and restless approach. The money systems of our modern day may encounter some pivotal alterations due to the collective’s unwillingness to continue to abide by them. The same could be said for agriculture, the food industry, natural resources, land, and beauty, as all of these things fall under Taurus’s domain. Because of united social efforts, we may begin to see movement in the directions that we collectively wish these matters to progress in. I especially think that this will mark the beginning of revolutionized beauty standards—I think we’re going to see a lot less popularity in editing, filtering, plastic surgery, and idolized beauty standards and will be more celebratory of the raw essence of being human. We will find beauty in being untouched by the constraints of social status and vanity. Money and beauty may no longer be considered to be the symbols of status or success as they presently are; I think authenticity will continue to become more valuable than these things, especially in an online sense. Considering Uranus governs technology and online spaces (in a more collective sense than Mercury), this could signify the beginning of a shift in the way that we place value on others on social media. Numbers, attractiveness, popularity, and luxury may gradually become less important to those watching. I think people will become more invested in those online due to the sense of safety or familiarity they provide. All of this will be further accelerated when Lilith moves into Libra in June, but I’ll share more on that later.
This conjunction, paired with Mercury retrograde still happening in Aries, is a valuable time to consider what you aren’t seeing. Perhaps there’s something that you deeply desire to change, but you have been afraid to leave behind what is familiar to you in order to initiate the shift. We must defy monetary comfort and be willing to experience temporary discomfort to receive the blessings of Jupiter; there is likely something that hasn’t been working that we’re coming to terms with, so there’s no need to keep seeing if it will work; it won’t! Stagnating or avoiding change, especially out of fear or lack of faith that things will work out as they need to, will probably only cause further frustration and inner restlessness. This conjunction encourages us to rebel against the desire to stay safe out of fear of what happens when we divert from “what we’ve always done.”
While this conjunction happening in the sign of Taurus could refer to sudden material or financial gain, it is just as likely that we will experience breakthroughs in our relationships, values, relationships with money, and our self-esteem. This alludes to favorable innovation happening in the things that we find security in. However this manifests in your tangible life, whether it’s loud and clear or soft and subtle, be sure to find a moment of gratitude for the insight, blessing, and expansion. Abundance comes in many forms, and we’re invited to show our appreciation for all the shapes it takes. <3
To learn more about how this personally impacts you, go to the horoscopes down below. Read your rising sign for primary messages and your sun or moon for additional notes.