The second part of the Aquarius/ Leo Eclipse set occurs on February 9th at 6:49 AM at 21 Leo 00 (I want to note an unsatifying amount of confusion I’ve found over just when this occurs, and the exact degree reading, and I suspect the actual eclipse moment is slightly later, but for our purposes, this will do–see comments for more on this–and note that witty reader max calls this ‘The Drunken Eclipse,’ with good symbolic reason, see comments), and brings forward an intriguing pattern: the Moon/ Earth conjunction is semi-sextile Saturn, which makes it quincunx the Sun, notably conjunct Chiron at this time; the Sun/ Chiron conjunction has its own semi-sextile, to Uranus, which of course is quincunx the Moon/ Earth combo. So we have a kind of net drawn across the Eclipse, two anchors in the form of  a pair of what could be characterized as opposites, forces that have recently been in long-term opposition. This may suggest that the Saturn/ Uranus struggle, both personally and society-wide, will lay a gentle web of insistence across the Eclipse energy, each with its own view. Saturn says, I can bring even more stability, and a sense of authority and permanence, to those who vibe to the blending of Earth and Moon, to those who equate emotional sustenance and security with the material; from those who are enveloped in the unity of Sun/ Chiron, Saturn in Virgo requires adjustment and an accounting of the details–‘If you want to feel safe, pin down the identity and put boundaries on the Soul Purpose! (and maybe, just a little, fear that you are a crippled Soul!)’

The Sun/ Chiron combo, quite naturally, implies one of two approaches, for those who will vibe to this side of the equation: at a Soul level, one will feel a fusion of the identity and life Purpose with either the most unique gifts and deepest healing energies the Soul possesses, or one will experience the ultimate individual primal wound, and will, at least for a time, be convinced that the Soul itself is marred, with a resultant difficulty with identity consolidation and expression. This energy, in either form, receives the Saturn quincunx (or threat, as we might think of it), but also reaches out by semi-sextile to Uranus in Pisces, which offers the Sun/ Chiron the awareness of its own uniqueness within the Collective–and for many, this will be all the security they require.

Uranus quincunxes the Moon/ Earth, as well, and makes its own ‘threat’: those who find emotional security in the material, in the physical nurturing and sustenance of all (and this is important to understand, that the Moon/ Earth is not an inferior vibe to the Sun/ Chiron–please don’t make that mistake) may be shaken by rebellion, by the urge to disrupt, by the demands of the group, by a need to innovate, but will find their security in the rules and boundaries and traditions represented by Saturn–and this will be all that they require.

There is also a single, other aspect to the eclipse set, a sesquiquadrate from Venus to the Moon/ Earth. Venus is not necessarily loud or flashy (in fact, she shies away from such display), but she is insistent, and this aspect suggests this quality will come forward, framed by the exclamation, ‘I desire!’ (Venus in Aries) On either side of the Eclipse equation, the desire nature will come forward; the only question is, What form will it take? If our sympathies are seated with Earth/ Moon, it may likely be a longing, an emotionally charged wish, aimed at adjustment of the material situation or circumstance; this isn’t greed, or materiality, it’s a plea for whatever we believe in the physical world will soothe and nurture. If we side with Sun/ Chiron, we will more likely want for the healing of a relationship, or even of the Soul to its own assets (nothing is more tragic than a Soul at war with its own talent).

Other aspects in effect at the time of the Eclipse, and so displaying a possible hand in things, include Venus sextile Jupiter, Juno, and Mars (exaggerating all the effects of the above Venus influence, and throwing in questions of Self-empowerment, for good measure); Mercury sesquiquadrate Ceres, suggesting communications from whatever we regard as ‘authorities’ will likely chafe; Juno and Jupiter conjunct the North Node, perhaps making each of us put too much importance on sorting out our ‘destiny’ at this moment, and thus taking ourselves far too seriously, Vesta creating a T-square with the Nodes, suggesting that a true clash is in the air over what we truly find sacred on the life path, and finally Venus at the Juno/ Pallas midpoint, giving us the idea (perhaps wrongly) that our Venus-influenced decisions are both vital to our empowerment and wise.

NASA Eclipse website: http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse.html

Beth Turnage talks about the eclipse effect through the Houses here: http://www.astrologyexplored.com/the-astrology-of-eclipses-january-26-2009-the-ring-of-fire/

Another view of the eclipses (scroll down for February’s) http://www.astrologycom.com/eclipse.html#lunar