In a whimsically literal manifestation of this Full Moon’s Sabian Symbol, A newly formed continent is seen, fresh and green within its setting of interminable ocean, I just returned from a trip across the interminable Pacific to my husband’s native New Zealand, a fresh, green island nation. Each time we visit, I spend the first five days or so completely gobsmacked by the physical beauty of the place, feeling emotionally massaged by the gentle and courteous manner of its people.
And the cows! – my God, the cows. New Zealand’s sheep get all the press, but I’ve never seen so many cows in my life – and I come from a farm community. Everywhere – alongside the motorway, next to roadside cafés – cows roam verdant hills, chewing contentedly, sometimes just standing completely still and staring, seemingly at nothing. Not necessarily my idea of a good time, but their sleek, well-fed appearances and placid expressions lead me to think these cows are pretty happy with their lot in life.
The people seem generally happy too. Oh, there are problems, of course. But even in the heart of Auckland, New Zealand’s biggest city, we were met with the steadfast civility of people who have long enjoyed relative prosperity and social security. Yes, if ever a place could be described as Taurean, with its leisurely contentment and celebration of earth’s beauty and bounty, it’s New Zealand. Just stepping off the plane in Aotearoa (the Maori name for New Zealand, translated as “land of the long, white cloud”) is enough to make your blood pressure plummet.
So why is it that after about five days of basking in the politeness, civility, and bucolic wonder of it all (and I haven’t even mentioned the dairy products, which are – as implied by a nation knee-deep in contented cows – superlative), I’m ready to run screaming back to the States?
I suppose it’s that while travel is stimulating, broadening, and all the rest, it’s also pretty intense. The simplest things become a challenge; just crossing the street can be life-threatening when you’re visiting a country where traffic crosses in the opposite direction from what you’re used to. It would seem that for most of us, real contentment requires some measure of home’s creature comforts, familiar objects and routines. So even visiting bucolic New Zealand can be stressful, while finding myself back in my accustomed hectic, suburban surroundings, with the cats underfoot and a plate of my favorite dinner under my nose, soon has me lowing contentedly.
The truth is, we need a secure, contented platform from which to launch ourselves at life’s persistent worries. The Sun’s annual trek through Scorpio each November is exactly the right time to look these worries in the eye, to march up to life’s edges and peer into the abyss of extreme experiences, situations, and emotions. Like an intense, smoldering stranger across a crowded room, Scorpio summons you to leave what’s comfortable for an opportunity to join in ecstatic rapport with the unknown, the unseeable, the mysterious.
Then, having seduced you with penetrating stares that seem to look deep into your soul, Scorpio pulls back the curtain on a movie screen filled with noir images. “Just have a look at what’s really going on in the world,” Scorpio intones over disturbing newsreel footage of starving children in first-world nations, sexual slavery, various abuses of power. Looking at all this reality head-on is pretty disorienting (unless, presumably, you have a lot of Scorpio planets in your birth chart, or a strong Pluto), and risks sending the mass of humanity running for the noose or, at least, a strong sedative.
So at some point during the Scorpio season, the Full Moon in Taurus pulls you back from the edge, sets you down at the kitchen table, and hands you a cookie. “But… the starving children!” you protest, and begin to babble: White slavery rings! Imminent economic disaster! Political corruption! Melting polar ice caps! Taurus clicks her tongue. “Have a cookie,” she tells you. “Getting yourself into such a state is doing nothing to help the starving children or any of the rest of it. So have a cookie, and you’ll feel better. There’s plenty of time to sort out the rest of it.”
And here, I think Taurus has exactly the right idea. Take care of the simple stuff, and you’ll be in better shape to tackle complex problems. The world is full of powerful things – cries for help, passionate overtures, and driving on an unaccustomed side of the road. It can all be a little overwhelming, drinking from Scorpio’s waters. Spending a little time in a comfortable place with a nice treat has a way of restoring sanity.
So while you may not enjoy the enviable life of a contented New Zealand cow, at this Full Moon, stand for a while in your favorite pasture. It may be a country meadow, a city park, or your couch; you know where it is – it’s the place that lets you touch the center of you. Stand still there for a little while. Get your bearings. Have a cookie.
©2011 April Elliott Kent | All right reserved
