Gather round, y’all: This month’s new moon is here. And this isn’t just any new moon — it’s the first new moon in Taurus since 2021 that isn’t an eclipse. On May 19, we’ll finally experience a harmonious new moon in the sign of the bull that’s ripe for manifestation, full of good vibes, and will ultimately bring us a time of peace. Whew!
This astrological happening is especially favorable because the moon adores moving through Taurus, according to Stephanie Campos, astrologer and author of Seasons of the Zodiac: Love, Magick, and Manifestation Throughout the Astrological Year. “It’s known to have its exaltation in Taurus, essentially meaning the moon is living its best life as it moves through the sign of the pleasure-seeking bull,” she says. “We’re better able to tend to our needs, comfort, connect with our emotions, as well as our pleasure and sense of security.” In other words, our emotional state will be in check for the next few days as the new moon’s energy engulfs us.
If Narayana Montúfar, senior astrologer for Astrology.com and author of Moon Signs: Unlock Your Inner Luminary Power, was going to give this luminary a name, she’d call it the Warrior Goddess Moon (dreamy, right?). “I am loving its energy, as I think it’s one of the best new moons of 2023 to set intentions,” she says, adding that the exact time this moon becomes new, Jupiter, the Lunar North Node, Mercury, asteroid Vesta, Uranus, the sun, and the moon will all be in Taurus. “Instead of bringing only a double dose of Venusian energy its potency is incredibly magnified, as it is carrying the accumulated power of seven celestial forces.”
Campos says that this new moon in Taurus will have us reflecting on numerous topics, such as our security and comfort, our commitments, how we seek and enjoy pleasure, as well as our finances and personal values. “This is a beautiful lunation to set intentions and desires regarding those topics,” she says. “The new moon will be forming two harmonious connections in the sky. The first with Neptune in Pisces, stirring up a creative, romantic, whimsy, and supportive atmosphere, and the second with Mars in Cancer, which will lend us the urgency to take action and the courage to go after what we truly desire.”
Once we implement that action, we should prepare to turn a new page and begin a new phase of our lives, says Iva Naskova, astrologer at the Nebula app. “What is most beneficial about this new moon is its nurturing energy that will help you understand how gifted, special, and talented you are,” she says. “If any of you felt the need to compete with others, now is the time to tap into one’s potential and show the world that competition is unnecessary.” As long as you are your most authentic selves, your light will shine through thanks to the push from this lunation.
“This new moon in particular is a wonderful time to manifest and get serious about your own worth. You have so much to offer the world, how will you use your unique talents and gifts to create something meaningful and valuable?” says Ally Lewber, an astrologer based in Los Angeles. “This is a beautiful invitation to wonder about our own minds.”
Lewber adds that during this time, these are the questions to ask yourselves: What next steps am I about to embark on? How do I want it to feel? How can I nourish myself and my creative gifts? What does living lavishly mean to me and how can I use my creative gifts to get to where I want to be in life?
The only thing that can stop us from harnessing the new moon’s positive energy is ourselves, Montúfar says. “With so many planets in Taurus now, we can become too set in our ways and stuck in our belief system,” she says. “Opening our minds to new terrain is crucial now as we adjust to such changing collective times.”
So, do yourself a favor: Get out of your own way, and let the moon do what she does best. If all goes well, it’ll be smooth sailing from here on in.
