COSMIC NEWS: BULL'S EYE MOON

May 31, 2003 — The second New Moon in May is on the 30-31st, and features an annular eclipse, expected to be one of the most unusual in the century. During an annular eclipse, the Moon is further from us and smaller, so its dark orb does not cover the Sun. We see it circled by a bright golden ring of sunlight. The Moon is presently at an unusual angle, which makes the eclipse visible in some high northerly latitudes, from Ireland through Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. The northwest of North America will see a partial eclipse. (For more on this strange eclipse, click here.)
Located at 10 degrees of Gemini, this New Moon is aligned with Aldebaran, one of the four royal stars that mark the corners of the heavens. Aldebaran is a red super giant star marking the Eye of the constellation of Taurus the Bull. (Remember that the signs no longer exactly match up with the constellations they were named for several thousand years ago, due to the precession of the equinoxes.) A red star is an older star that has used up its initial fuel and recycles, as good stars do. It cools down and expands out, making heavier elements. These stars are the Paul Newmans and Judi Denches of the star world. On the Full Moon eclipse two weeks ago we looked into the Eye of Medusa; this time it¹s the Bull's Eye!
Aldebaran is on the upper point of a V-shaped asterism that marks the head of the Bull or the V-shaped womb of the Great Goddess. Aldebaran is considered a star of fortune, portending riches and honor. It is the brightest star in the moon mansion Rohini, called the "red cow." Fertile, creative, beautiful and sensuous — think Venus and the Moon at their best together. Venus is in the sign of Taurus now, enhancing the effects of the New Moon, along with Mercury and the Black Moon. This is a great time for artistic endeavors and creativity of all kinds, with the potential for abundant fruition and long-lasting results. The desire nature is heightened — something we saw at the last moon as well. As I was reminded (thanks, Bill), it is the attachment to desires that leads us into trouble, not the desires themselves. If we are willing to let go of our desires, we can be more open to possibilities of radical manifestation. "The times they are a-changin'," and this coming month we'll sing that tune! June has all sorts of new tunes, including loony tunes and moony tunes, as
URANUS, the Radical Awakener, is challenging this New Moon from its new sign, Pisces. Be ready to ride the roller coaster. The ride gets a little wilder as we move further into June. Uranus stations on June 8, figuring this is all we can handle of this new energy for now. Venus (June 10) and then Mercury (13) move into Gemini, squaring off with Uranus, stimulating, exciting and unsettling. This energy is a bit hard on relationships; communication is important.
SATURN goes into Cancer on June 3, redefining our reality. Part of the impact of this eclipse involves Saturn, as it concludes its two and a half year transit in Gemini, finalizing some situation in each of our lives. Time to go on to the next Saturn project. This last phase has been intense, since Saturn was working with Pluto, god/dess of death and rebirth.
To help us take stock, to acknowledge and resolve some of the transitions and losses of this last few years, the red light of Aldebaran can be helpful. Star researchers Rubenfeld and Smulkis, authors of "Star Elixirs and Cosmic Vibrational Healing," talk of Aldebaran as a star that can assist in the process of grieving and letting go. As a result of coming into contact with this compassionate energy, they say, individuals can find their own inner love and their own inner strength. This grief can be for a loved one, a relationship, or a way of life. It can be for parts of ourselves we are growing beyond, old ego defenses that hold fear or sentimental naïveté. Let go into the greater light, with compassion for self and others.
Imagine this: As we look into the Bull's Eye during this eclipse, he seems to wink. Such an old star, in one of the oldest constellations, he has seen it all. He sends a ring of light as a promise that we are part of the Cosmic Circle. That ring outlines the dark emptiness of the Moon, contents that are no longer needed, and releases us into a pool of vibrant potential. What's in there? A bubbly champagne of virtual photons, a red wine of invisible dark energy. We are asked to dive in and drink deep. It's good for us, this cosmic elixir. We're all in it together.

Editor's note: Astrologer Kelley Hunter is a resident of St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands, where she leads stargazing nights and teaches with Self Centre International at Caneel Bay Resort. She is finishing her Ph.D. in cosmology and myth. To be on her e-mail list for monthly articles or for an astrology consultation, write her at kellhunter@earthlink.net.