November 2022: Tarot spread for the full moon in Taurus

Plus some journaling questions, an astro-tarot forecast and an exploration of the the Sabian symbol for the full moon in Taurus

The November 2022 full moon falls in the sign of Taurus. The Taurus archetype is grounded and steadfast, calm and composed, firm and also somewhat stubborn. This is a sign that is practical and earthy, and is associated with material pleasures, desires, luxuriousness, and abundance.

Spiritually, the Taurus archetype teaches the principle of belonging through presence…our presence as sacred human beings…honouring the body temple…honouring the flow of life. This can be difficult given the society we live in, which praises the hustle over reverence and treats time as money rather than a finite resource that should be used wisely in the pursuit of the things that give us meaning.

We also have a total lunar eclipse, which is visible from Asia, Australia, North America, parts of northern and eastern Europe, and most of South America. Lunar eclipses typically help us to release things that no longer serve us. The seeds that you planted six months ago, at the solar eclipse, will also start to blossom around this time.

This full moon could also bring to light some messages from your shadow side. Pay attention to any sudden insights, triggers, or feelings that arise around this time — they can help you focus in on what truly matters to you. Questions of identity, musings on who you are becoming, and a deeper focus on your personal values could also come up at this time.

Astro-tarot influences for the November 2022 lunar eclipse in Taurus

To throw some more light on the November full moon astrology, let’s take a look at the astro-tarot influences of this lunation. The Taurus new moon falls in Decan 2, which is ruled by the 6 of Pentacles. This is to be seen in conjunction with The Hierophant, which is associated with Taurus.

Generosity, compassion, gratitude, and joy. All of these traits are encoded in the 6 of Pentacles, even though it may not be immediately visible {especially in the traditional Raider-Waite imagery}. But it is there.

The thing that I love about the Tarot is that it is a living system — we add on many new perspectives and ways of being in the world to our understanding of the traditional symbols of the cards. And while the meaning may not alter significantly, most often what is needed is a subtle nuance of understanding, a small shift of perception that opens up a whole new world of possibilities.

So where I used to look at the 6 of Pentacles as a card of contradictions — having/not having; generosity/meanness; supporting/not being supported — wondering if I was the rich merchant giving out alms or the supplicant asking for help, I now look at it slightly differently. In this moment in time, in this situation, am I open to receiving or am I giving of myself and/or my resources? Am I asking for something or do I need to take back something? Am I receptive to this situation or have I shut myself down?

We all cycle between these states of giving, receiving, asking, and taking, though I think that receiving and asking are the ones that we tend to have the most difficulty with. Our culture, after all, is built on self-sufficiency. To ask for help is looked upon as weakness. It’s no surprise, when you consider that our society looks upon the poor as inherently “less” — weak and lazy and slovenly. If they would just work harder, they wouldn’t have to live on welfare.

But there’s something broken about this way of thinking, isn’t there? When our structures of community and care are dismantled and replaced with the cult of individualism; when capitalism pushes some people further into poverty while others continue to thrive; when people are priced out of the very resources that could help them, we cannot point fingers and ask them to “just work harder”. Something, I think, that the pandemic helped us to see much more clearly.

This wider cultural narrative trickles down into our individual perspectives on what it means to receive, to ask, to give, to take. It colors our identity. “I’m such a giver”, we say, or “I’d rather do this myself”, or “Why do I find it so difficult to ask for what I need?”, or “Why can’t I just take some time our for myself?”

Which brings me back to the 6 of Pentacles and its message of generosity, compassion, gratitude, and joy. How can we bring these traits to our identity as a giver or a taker; how can these traits help us to ask for what we need, to receive help and support with grace? How can we find the magic of the present moment and an acknowledgement of whatever it is that we need?

The Hierophant may hold the key, quite literally! But rather than indicating locked knowledge, or something that we need to be initiated into, what if The Hierophant was simply symbolic of our engagement with the sacred, however we define it? What if we could hold our questions lightly, bring them to something larger than ourselves, and then pay attention to what answers may arise?

The modern day Hierophant can come in the guise of a poem, a line in a book, the lyrics of a song, an article on the Internet, or an Instagram post. The Hierophant can appear in the form of the most unexpected of teachers — a child, a butterfly, a writer, a character in a series you’re watching on Netflix, an idea in a book you’re reading. The Hierophant can appear in fragments of a passing conversation, through an Instagram poet, or a repeating number that unexpectedly reminds you that you aren’t in this alone.

Sabian Symbol for the November 2022 full moon

The Sabian symbol for Taurus 16 degrees is A Symbolical Battle Between ‘Swords’ – The Disciples of Might, and ‘Torches’ – The Disciples of Enlightenment.

This symbol makes me think of the suits of Swords and Wands; a battle between the mind and action. Between the part of us that loves to plan — and imagine disasters — and the part of us that puts those plans in action — or procrastinates, which has to do with the vagaries of the mind.

In 360 Degrees of Wisdom, The Sabian Oracle, Lynda Hill writes, “There is a struggle between practical needs and the underlying reasons for having those needs. It can be that someone has become so caught up in “what” they are trying to achieve that they have probably lost sight of “why”.”

But battles are only worth fighting when we understand why we are fighting them, and if we believe in the fight. And the way to ensure we are fighting the good fight, is to pause and re-examine why we are doing what we are doing. As Lynda Hill writes, “If fighting becomes a habit and loses its purpose, the spirit can become confused and therefore weakened. Any confusion inside you is an indicator that the power of the outer world needs to be reconsidered. How can things be transformed and brought into the light of acceptance and understanding so that the ‘Sword’ can be dropped and peace reign?”

Tarot spread for the November 2022 lunar eclipse in Taurus

Here’s a tarot spread to tap into the energy of this full moon.

1. The key: This represents a sign or a message for you at this time. Trust your intuition with this one.

2. The door: This card will tell you what the key (card 1) relates to. Look to the suit and symbols for clues on interpreting this card.

3. The view: This represents the emerging energetic landscape in which you find yourself at this time.

4. Mamma moon says: this is always a positive message

If you share your spreads on Instagram, please use the hashtag #moontarotstories or tag me @moderngypsy.in so we can connect with each other.

Journaling questions for the full moon in Taurus

Not a cardslinger? No problem. Here are some journaling questions for you instead.

1. What do you wish you could give more of?
2. What do you wish you could receive?
3. What are you afraid of asking for?
4. What do you need to take?
5. What do you think are the shadow and light sides of each of these states: giving, receiving, asking, taking?
6. Where on the spectrum of light are you with these states? How can you come into better balance?