Why Is the Full Moon of Taurus-Scorpio Known as the Wesak Festival, a.k.a. A Happy Buddha Birthday?

by Robert Wilkinson

The Full Moon represents a potentially enlightened state, where the Moon (form) is in the perfect position to reflect the greater light of the Sun. It begins a time of fulfilling the seed state of the New Moon. The Full Moon of Taurus Sun and Scorpio Moon is special in a major way, since for centuries it has been celebrated as the birth and enlightenment Moon of the Buddha, said to be the first human to fully transcend suffering and live to teach us the truths he found. It is the 2nd of the "Three High Moons" of Spring, and anchors the outpouring of life into a form that can help us transcend suffering as well.

To quote from last year's Wesak Festival post:

Every year, the Wesak Festival is celebrated at the Full Moon of Taurus-Scorpio in May. This global festival celebrates the birth, enlightenment, and teachings of the Buddha, said to be the most enlightened human ever to walk this planet. He taught the doctrine of compassion and the ways to end suffering around 500 BC, and his teachings have spread through the entire world since then. This is the largest spiritual celebration in the world, and has nothing to do with religion, since the Buddha was focused on how to live, not what to believe.

This year's "Happy Buddha Birthday" is coming May 2-3, with the energies building this whole week. It is said that the Wesak Festival (usually the Full Moon of May) is when the Buddha “opens the treasure chest” and sends out a new global energy of compassion to end suffering every year. Supposedly when He left the Earth plane, his blessing for all time was a thought-form of “Buddha Nature,” which would renew the loving-compassion on the Earth whenever it was sent forth. This is the time when it renews itself for another year.

He taught the 4 Noble Truths about life on Earth, and the 8 Fold Path as a way to live to end suffering for ourselves and others. Though there are many ways his teachings have been stated, anyone who actually practices the techniques will in fact find they are lessening suffering in their lives, and finding peace in a higher way of doing their Being. And to quote HH Dalai Lama, “There is one thing we can all agree on. More suffering is bad. Less suffering is good.” This is the time of the renewal of energies that can lead all of us to less suffering in our life, and maybe be of service in lessening the suffering of others we know.

I was asked to comment about the "Three High Moons." The so-called "Three High Moons" of Spring relate to the teachings of the Tibetan Master D.K. Briefly, they are the three Full Moons of Spring each year when the life force reawakens, is poured out, and refined into a higher vision and understanding by the World Teacher.

The Full Moon of Aries-Libra is the awakening of Nature Herself, with life blooming everywhere there is a living process occurring. The Full Moon of Taurus-Scorpio is the Wesak, the anchoring of the awakened life force in a form of compassion that will lessen suffering for all Earth's creatures for the next year. The Full Moon of Gemini-Sagittarius is said to be the "Christfest" where the World Teacher takes the new outpouring and through multiplication and distribution, spreads the teaching in infinitely varied ways according to local conditions.

A final note: Even though this year there are two Full Moons in May, the first one is the Wesak, not the second. Some consider "the Full Moon of May" the Wesak, but actually it is the Full Moon of Taurus, since the Buddha was in fact a Taurus. So this month we have an extraordinary situation. The coming "Blue Moon" to occur on 6:04 pm PDT May 31 at 11 Gemini-Sag is the "Christfest" Full Moon rather than the Full Moon in June. This is because the Full Moon of late June falls in the Cancer-Capricorn axis.

So these next days meditate, open, feel the global compassion becoming stronger and more evident, and purify your life and consciousness however you need to in order to open to the timeless truths offered long ago by the one who set the pattern for the Ages.

© Copyright 2007 Robert Wilkinson

Comments

[Deb]

Just curious Robert, how do we know the Buddha was a Taurus?

[Carson]

Robert,

You help inform the collective Being so well. I forever wish you the best in spreading your wisdom and joy-filled nature. I thank you for this post (and the previous one) as it seems these past few weeks I have had to face some heavily irrational and juxtapositional feeling-thoughtforms, despite all the deep work I have ingrained to arrive at this point. To know what they are in turn building towards in the coming Wesak Full Moon (not to mention my natal Uranus is 13 Scorpio with Chiron at 9 Taurus). As well the coming Uranus/Mars conjunction as Mars is currently opposing my Viro Sun, Moon and Ascendant. With a heavy Virgo/Libra-Yin constitution let me say I look forward to the release once these processes have realigned my magnetic polarities.

May you get the most from this imminent infusion of Light as well,

Carson

[dcu]

Hi Deb. Allow me to attempt to answer your question. It is part of the history/tradition of Buddhism that Gautama Siddhartha (The Buddha) was born, obtained enlightenment, and died all on the full moon of Sun in Taurus, Moon in Scorpio. He actually was born and lived in Northern India, but his teachings took root in the rest of Asia. In many parts of Asia people celebrate the Wesak much as we Westerners celebrate Christmas. People take off a week from work, travel to visit relatives, exchange gifts, over eat, etc. That is the general cultural level of things.

On a deeper more spiritual level it is said that every Wesak the Buddha actually descends from the Heavens to briefly return to that secret valley in the Himalayas known as Shamballa. There, suurounded by the Adepts, Disciples, and others, he pours out an annual blessing for all sentient beings on this planet. For more information check out www.lucistrust.org and www.souledout.org
or just enter "Wesak" in a portal and you will get all kinds of information. A good movie source for the story of the Buddha is "The Little Buddha." The early life of HH The Dalai Lama and his flight from Tibet is portrayed in "Kundun." Namaste
dcu

[Micheline Cloutier]

Hi Robert, there are not two full moons here in Japan where I am currently living. the full moons or the blue moon month is in June for us, june first and june 30th....does this make a difference???

[Robert]

Hi Carson - Thanks. When we feel pressure, it's a sign that our lives are becoming an art form. Looks like your Uranus is about to be the focus of some heavy wisdom! Next year should be a major event in your life, with Earth and Water supporting each other in grand style. Endings, yes. But you should be seeing your authorship in a new light, as well as your genius, given Saturn's quintile to your natal Uranus. As for wisdom infusions, the Sun is on my Venus and both lights square my Moon and Ascendant, thus creating a Grand Fixed Cross with the Full Moon in Scorpio in my natal void zone in my 4th. Getting ready for a major change in my housing situation, very much for the better.

Hi dcu - Thanks for explaining the history to Deb. And for the movie references, since I love both those stories.

Hi Micheline - You're right, of course. Despite trying to make this site "global astrology," I sometimes neglect to mention that those in East Asia almost always experience the aspects the next day. In fact, the "Blue Moon" of late May in the US falls as the first Full Moon of June everywhere east of the Azores. In Japan, you will get a "Blue Moon" at 11:49 pm June 30, but in New Zealand and most of Australia that will be the first Full Moon of July. My friends and fans down under will get a Blue Moon on July 30. So everyone on Earth will get the Wesak Festival on May 2, and East Asia's "Third High Moon" will be on June 1. I am truly looking forward to that Full Moon, as it falls at 11 degrees Sag-Gemini, and makes some great aspects.

[jonathan]

Hi Robert,
Can you say something about the full moon next week conjuncts my natal 7th house neptune?Jon 11th march 1961.
Also it conjuncts my partners 12th house north node?Samantha 12thMay 1976
THANK YOU

[jonathan]

sorry meant to say 6th house neptune.

[Robert]

Hi Jonathan - It would imply that your Neptune will be the focus of the next few weeks as well as your partner's NN. Whatever areas are affected by your Neptune will be the focus of realizations. Uranus/NN/Mars on your Sun is a far more potent influence at present. This Full Moon, the Sun will illuminate Samantha's Sun, focused through her NN offering development through elevating her way of relating to others. Happy Solar Return to her! The past year she's had a vision; after 12 May she gets to act on it, as long as she doesn't get too stressed out beginning September.

[Don]

Hey Robert-

First, I love ya.

Thank you to Taurus people and their energy teaching me to be "simple and sweet," allowing me to enjoy the present moment.

Question Robert; I have an Aries friend at work that her Sun makes a trine to my Mars. We got to talking and, when she asked what that Aspect meant in simple terms (from what I have read in synastry) I said 'it means that I make you better and you make me better.' Through my intuition I responded the best I could. I feel it is my duty to give her a more accurate answer. What does the Sun-Mars trine stage for two people?

Your the best Astrologer around!

Love and Blessings,
Don.

[Robert]

Hi Don - When Scorpio learns the gentle enjoyable balance that Taurus brings, the world prospers! As to your question: a trine brings mutual understanding. This involves the illumination principle of one with the energetic principle of another. Whether it's harmonious or frictional depends on how your Mars and their Sun are functioning. It can mean your initiatives harmonize her light, and/or her light shows you understanding of your Mars. She illuminates the truth of your Mars, your Mars helps her light to express itself creatively. It has a thousand other manifestations based in sign, house, and other aspects to each.

[Julie Hamilton]

Robert,
Thanks for the article. It was very inspiring for me and also very knowledgeable.
God Bless!

[Brian S]

Hi Robert, Being a double Scorp 10/30/75 7:04 am. est NY and having Married My loving Taurus 05/21/71 ny ...are you familiar with a special way to honor our energies this Wesak Moon..how can we best project our energies into the coming year(besides the great rite of course *wink*)...just wondering what we should be heads up about...thanks and congrats on your milestone...I see/assign soooo much value in your work may the blesssings you send return magnified in myriad beautiful and surprising ways....Namaste ~Brian S

[Robert]

Hi Julie - Sure. May you be ever more inspired by your process of becoming your Inner Flame.

Hi Brian - Open to capturing what you need to greet others as though you're seeing the World Teacher in their eyes. May you hold the voids to be filled with only the highest possible wisdom and compassion that you may express to your world and your self in ways perfect to your need to grow in your ability to express these. May you end suffering wherever and however you can for whatever sentient beings cross your radar screen and volunteer to be recipients of compassion. Aum Mani Padme Hum!

[Tamara]

Hi Robert,
I was checking to see if you wrote anything on the spiritual weather as we move through the "High Moon" time of the year this year. Don't we have have two moons in Taurus this year? Which full moon in Taurus is Wesak? What do you think this means?
Tamara

[Robert]

Hi Tamara - I'll compose something on the Wesak in the next few days. We do have 2 Full Moons in Taurus this year, one at 1 degree on April 20, the other at 30 on May 19-20. The world is celebrating the second one as the Wesak, though I believe they both will bring forth the Eternal "Buddha nature" in their own way for those who are receptive to the double blessing.

[dcu]

Robert- Lucis Trust, Souledout.org, and Meditation Mount all are listing the first Full Moon in Taurus this coming weekend as the Wesak. So I went with that for my local group.
One might consider that perhaps we are in for a very special blessing as we have two full moons in Taurus this year. Perhaps we could use two Wesaks.

I have been watching this Grand Earth Trine with Pluto and Saturn completed by Mercury and the Sun now, and then Venus on May 1st.It looks very auspicious to me. Then there is the matter of the tectonic plates.......

Happy Wesak. May the torch of liberty and freedom be lit for all of us on the planet.

[Robert]

Hi dcu - I found several different groups are celebrating one or the other. I'll be celebrating both. To name but a few, the Mt. Shasta gathering is May 16-18. The Wesak Festival Deutschland is May 17-18, and other organizations also are celebrating in May. Yes, Lucis Trust is doing it globally on April 20, as are Souldout and LightInfo.