Welcoming May & celebrating the time of transition

A check in on Taurus season and its rich complexities

Hey there, gentle readers (yes, I’m excited for Bridgerton to be back later this month). I’m writing this post about Taurus season while we’re nearly halfway through the season because as always, life is life. I thought I’d have plenty of time to write this post, but our new baby boy, Eli, decided to make his appearance a few weeks early in mid-April (birth story coming soon, of course).

He’s the most delightful little guy and it’s been such a joy to get to know him and his tiny personality. I wrote last month about how Aries season challenges us with its action-oriented, firey personality — which is exactly what Eli’s arrival has felt like. Things rocketed into action swiftly, creating forward progress that was so needed. But the action isn’t the point of the journey; it may be the story I tell, and the singular element that is most remembered. But it’s simply a starting point for so much to come. Let’s dive into what happens after the fire, shall we?

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Taurus season is the embodiment of the messy middle.

After forging ourselves in the fire of Aries season, Taurus is a reprieve. The sign (lasting from April 19 to May 20) is the mutable earth sign; it represents the continuation of spring, and holding steady. Its earthiness communicates realism and grounding.

Taurus also embodies the overall energy of spring; ramping up of purposeful action. Aries can feel like a shock to the system, and its Taurus’ goal to stabilize that energy and ensure it is sustainable.

Taurus is a season of working smarter, not harder. This season is a prayer, a meditation that reminders us to find the lull, not go too fast. Life is something that can be continually reinvented, and Taurus reminds us to pause and enjoy ourselves.

Coming out of Aries, we’ve hit a stride, and it’s time to be mindful not to keep up the pace, lest we burn out. What does that mean for our creative work? Some prompts to consider:

• Taurus season is a time to intentionally pause and ask yourself if you’re enjoying it. If not, where can you pivot or change? Is it time to drop this project, to amend it, or to keep powering through?

• Ensure your routines and work is realistic and sustainable. Where’s the sweet spot? Are you heading toward burnout, or losing momentum?

• Prioritizing rest. Taurus has some “treat yo self” energy — it loves the finer things, things that feel good. How can you rest, and treat yourself with the energy in which you treat others? How can you celebrate how far you’ve come.

Something I’m continuing to play around with is are the dual ideas of presence and achievement. Ambition wants us to create something lasting; but I often find myself creating over and over again with similar results. Within this Taurus season, I want to challenge myself to be present, to ask the question of if I’m working on a goal just to put a check mark next to it, and/or to be seen as eternally successful. I’m aiming to get curious around intentions, and how I can be more present in the things I want, and have creation be the side quest.

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Today, May 1, is May Day.

It’s also known as Beltane, and is a day that marks that we are halfway through the astronomical season of spring. It can also be seen as the start of the summer season, as the weather is getting warm, days are getting longer, and energy is picking up.

All that to say — it’s a beautiful day for a ritual. This can be simple or complex; casual or more overarching. Some things to consider:

• Journaling about where you’ve been and where you endeavor to go.

• Finding songs, poems, or other media that represent this season of your life.

• Creating art or a physical reminder of this season.

For me, April brought a lot of things to an end. It also made me realize how spread thin I’ve been. I’m aiming to use Taurus energy to ease in, find calm, and embrace the reflection. Reflection is where I struggle in the four phases of creativity; I want to keep going, but that’s when burnout occurs. By doing less, by practicing lessening the to do list, I can look up to jump into life fully. Let’s be present to the possibilities.

I’ll leave y’all today with a song that I think embodies this season pretty well:

Oh, take your time, don't live too fast
Troubles will come and they will pass
…

Forget your lust for the rich man's gold
All that you need is in your soul
…

Boy, don't you worry, you'll find yourself
Follow your heart and nothing else.

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As we close out, a reminder of what May looks to hold from this year’s themes for creative work:

• May is a time to look inward — to analyze what you’ve worked on and accomplished throughout this year so far. in addition to progress that’s been made, how has it felt? Are you enjoying yourself, or has it felt like you’re checking things off a list?

  • How can you recalibrate and check in with yourself to ensure your goals and intentions are realistic ones? What are you doing to take care of yourself?

• Outcome: getting clear on how to take care of yourself while progressing your goals forward. remembering that your work can (and should!) be enjoyable and fun. it’s not just about the treat yourself moment after the work — the progress and production is enjoyable, too.

Cheers, y’all. Til next time.