New Moon in Taurus: Mother’s Day On Your Own Terms

This year, Mother’s Day and the new moon in Taurus fall so close to one another, that I can’t help but reflect on motherhood as a part of this new moon post. As I spend this precious day with my mother (I am so grateful), I also process my relationship with becoming a mom too.

A little story…

Recently, a postpartum friend of mine presented me with the opportunity to look after, and potentially adopt, her loving Chihuahua. I took a trip into the city to pick up the little guy to bring him home to settle into his potential new life upstate.

As a dog lover, I excitedly welcomed him into my family, and after a couple of weeks, we began to settle into a rhythm together. Our days were filled with snuggles, bonding, and cuteness. He came with a complete wardrobe, including a ridiculous hoodie and a sweater. Because his little legs couldn’t make it on long hikes, he had a carrier that oddly resembled a baby carrier (you know the type—it wraps around the body so you can carry a little one like a kangaroo in a pouch).

I’m not going to lie… I loved this.

Reclaiming my mothering instinct felt really good.

His tiny frame made it easy to take him places with me. I would just pop him into a carrier and off we went! I started to feel a bond with him that I couldn’t reach with Sid, my thirty-pound Schnoodle, who has a much different energy level.

On a particularly busy week, I had to travel to NYC for meetings and a friend’s birthday. My new little love of a five pound Chihuahua rode as a ticketed passenger with a seat next to mine.

As an infertile woman who’s longed for a child, traveling with this little friend felt like the closest I’d ever come to real autonomy in caring for another life.

(Being an aunt is awesome, but inherent in the title lies boundaries.)

We settled into our seats. I worked on my laptop, and he curled himself into a ball beside me in his travel carrier. After thirty minutes riding along the Hudson River, I peered over the top of him, leaning in with a gentle kiss. His reaction? A loud growl while lunging at me. His tiny little mouth and sharp teeth latched onto my upper lip and gnawed my mouth.

It turns out, travel triggers aggression for him.

With a bloody face and an angry dog, who only hours ago literally ate from the palm of my hand, tears fell down my face.

Damn.

My Motherhood Bubble Burst… Again

And as someone who travels quite a bit, this incident indicated my lapdog needed a different person to become his full-time owner. I hit up an urgent care doctor for a tetanus shot, antibiotics, and care for my wound, then returned the dog to his original owners.

While my body mended, my emotions felt shaky.

As a married woman in my late 30s with no kids on the horizon, this bite and dog mom fail amplified a whole bunch of emotions that live inside me on the daily. And let’s be honest, these same feelings often bubble up on Mother’s Day, too.

Grieving What Was Or What Hasn’t Come To Be

Whether you have kids or not, Mother’s Day might feel like a call to fully celebrate, or it could feel a bit sad. And while I wish you the most epic and celebratory experience, if it doesn’t feel quite like a whole lot of laughter and smiles, know that you aren’t alone. Because, for many, Mother’s Day brings light to either the life that hasn’t happened (yet) or the life that’s no longer.

So, after I broke up with my Chihuahua, in addition to the physical pain that accompanied the bite, I went through a minor period of mourning. I became eerily aware of how quiet my house feels without having the pitter patter of little feet running around. Or how alone I sometimes feel in my car without anyone in the backseat to check on.

When I called my dear friend Julie to cry it out, she reminded me no matter how far along I come with the acceptance of my infertility, I may never get over my grief. In fact, while my sadness doesn’t rule my life (JOMO is my word of the year, after all) she reminded me that going through periods of loneliness and grief are totally normal.

Julie calls these moments “openings.” She says they’re like a doorway that leads you through the fire of your own heart to a joy and freedom like you’ve never known. After all, awakening isn’t about pretending you’re something you’re not, or pushing down feelings in the name of love and light. It’s about allowing yourself to remember who you already are, in the darkness and the light. (By the way, Julie just released her new book, Awaken, which you can get your copy of here.)

Reclaim Mother’s Day In Your Own Way

So, no matter how Mother’s Day feels for you this year, there is a way to reclaim it and honor the fact that you are already a mother in your own way—whether it’s to a child, a pet, a plant, or yourself. You can honor the lineage of mothers that came before you, that created you. Or how you give and receive nurturance in your friendships. And if neither of those work for you, honor the moon (the archetypal mother). And, you can honor the beautiful gift that is to be a woman.

Because there is a new dawn of feminine rising.

(It’s called Uranus in Taurus, and you can read all about it here.)

The truth is, motherhood doesn’t need to be traditional. It can take whatever shape feels natural in your life. In fact, I’m sure the late Maya Angelou would absolutely agree, as she genuinely mothered and mentored Oprah (and other non-biologically related individuals). Listen to Maya Angelou discuss her book, Mom & Me & Mom, with Oprah, as well as reveal her desire to mother a biological daughter (something she never fulfilled). While she had a son whom she loved very much, her desire to have a daughter was the one thing that—despite all of her inspiring and monuental achievements—she still longed for.  

A New Moon To Create A New Truth

This Mother’s Day, I invite you to give yourself space to be where you are. And if you can, find an element of motherhood to be grateful for. Write a letter of gratitude to your mother or your children expressing what you’ve gained from this relationship. If you have neither a mother or children that you want to honor, write a letter to someone else who has acted as a mother in your life. Or write a letter to the women that have come before you. Whatever you choose to do, remember that it’s all perfect. It’s all part of remembering who we are and loving who we’ve become.

And what better time for a new perspective on mothering than in line with the new moon in sensual, Venus-ruled Taurus, happening on May 15th at 7:47 am ET. Simultaneously, Uranus moves into the sign of the bull, and the sun continues its travels through the same sign. This all suggests one thing to me: it’s time to get serious about change.

After all, new moons are synonymous with new beginnings.

With Beltane having just passed on May 1st, following the full moon in Scorpio on April 29th, we’re almost halfway through the year. And with Jupiter still traveling in Scorpio until November of this year, Saturn having entered Capricorn back on December 21st, 2017 (where he’ll stay for another 2 years), and Mercury Retrograde in Aries in our wake… it’s safe to say we’ve all gone through some major trials and tribulations in the last several months.

The silver lining? We’ve all been presented with an opportunity to learn a tremendous amount. To connect more deeply with your truth. To cultivate more understanding and compassion for one another. And to recommit to your truth as you continue to uncover it.

And yet, I’m sure even with time moving at lightspeed, you still feel like you’re walking through glue in some areas of your life. Here’s a piece of insight and advice: remember that this new moon offers the chance to leapfrog out of the box. Uranus changing signs the same day ensures transformation. With Saturn retrograde in Capricorn trining Mercury, this is your chance to review your Saturn lessons so far, and make permanent changes in your life—for the better! Further, Mars and Pluto both in Capricorn suppremely support this new moon in Taurus too. Boom!

7 Ways To Use The New Moon In Taurus To The Very Best Of Your Ability

1. Get really clear on the intended outcome you wish to create.

Take time to get clear on your intention for this new moon. Consider this: If everything goes as well as it possibly could in your life, what would occur?

2. Write it out.

Take the time to spell your intentions out on paper. If writing takes some effort for you, try using the following prompt:

“If absolutely everything goes as well as possibly could with my intention for _________, my life will look, feel and be _____________?

Read this out loud three times. There is magic in the number three.

3. Make a list of action steps.

Write a list of some concrete steps you can begin to take today that will align you with your intended outcome?

4. Make a list of potential obstacles.

Once you know the steps you need to take, identify what could potentially hold you back from moving forward with them.

5. Develop workarounds for each specific obstacle.

Say your goal is to earn $1K more per month, and your action step is to raise your rates. (A new moon in Taurus is a great time to focus on increasing abundance, too.) Your obstacle might be your fear of losing clients. Your workaround might be, “I’ll add value to my services so I can raise rates without losing my client base.”

6. Take action toward your highest priority.

Identify your highest leveraged priority and make a solid commitment to taking action on this particular step. Using the example of increasing revenue by 1k per month, a high-leveraged step could be to invest in support. A mentor could give you advice on how to add value to your services. A win for you and for your clients as well. From there, you can begin to seamlessly increase rates while keeping current clientele happy.

7. Create an affirmation.

Come up with something you can repeat to yourself that conjures the feeling of having accomplished your action step. For instance: “My clients are thrilled to pay my increased price because my value to them exceeds their expectations. This creates a ripple effect of extreme positivity in their lives!”

This new moon offers tremendous opportunity to help your desired results become your reality.

Go for it!

Now, I’d love to hear from you. What’s your relationship with Mother’s Day? Does it bring up any challenging emotions or memories for you? Or maybe you’re planning on mothering a new project or a big life change? Please share with me in the comments below.

And to all you moms, Happy Mother’s Day! Enjoy this well deserved day of celebration.