Where do you find yourself, days after the total Solar eclipse? In talking with others, I’m hearing two distinct kinds of experiences: one that is a laundry list of what we’re sure to see as negative effects, things we must face that there’s no way around–some of which may have been at the edges of our conscious mind for some time, anticipated for ‘someday’–and the other appears fortuitous, but still haunted by an awareness of our vulnerability, our mortality, ‘good’ happenings that contain within them conditions that reflect how lucky we are in the moment, how one day ‘it’ will end. That tracks, considering the trip to the Underworld we were promised; what may be surprising (and we were promised a surprise, too!) is the solemnity of what we’re facing, the potential for life turning points that seems to lurk beneath even the most casual of decisions.

This is all good. It’s causing us to choose with care, to think about the impacts on others and the future, and it’s fostering a very positive kind of sensitivity, the kind that gives empathy and Love a prominent place in consciousness, and so in relationships and decision-making. Ruler of the eclipse, Mars, is currently in Pisces conjoined Saturn=this is action, choice, reality generated against a background of the creative energy of All-That-Is; it’s our personal creativity and ideals shaping the Cosmos, and the Cosmos shaping us. We’re offered disciplined choice guided by ideals, constructive creative energy, and a chance to build reality as we imagine it should be.

The other important influence is the upcoming meeting of Jupiter-Uranus, perfecting soon (19th-20th April) in Taurus=the most obvious potential possible with this is sudden opportunity, surprising expansion, fortuitous chance, the individual acting on the group, the group affecting the individual, innovation or invention that opens the way, with Taurus suggesting a material outcome, a shift in prosperity, artisanal output, quality, or productivity, a surprise around our sources of security, stability, or comfort. But, for a more personal glimpse at what this means, we may want to first note the matters represented by the House in the personal natal chart that contains Taurus–this is where the action is–and as well to note the matters of the Houses ruled by Jupiter and Uranus–these matters are likely to combine in some significant way involved in those Jupiter-Uranus meeting effects. Then there’s the matter of Venus, ruler of Taurus, at the time of conjunction just past mid-Aries=this emphasizes the power of the individual to affect things, and again emphasizes the role of choice and of taking action, and how this will largely determine results for the individual.

An example: A Whole Sign Sagittarius Ascendant puts the eclipse in the creative output/ children/ risk-taking 5th, along with Venus, and sees Jupiter-Uranus in the every day, duties and obligations, work 6th, and Mars-Saturn in the core Self/ home and family of origin/ end-of-things 4th (and you’ll note, this is likely to be mostly or entirely in one quadrant of the chart, in this case the one that deals with preparing efforts to put out into the world and be judged for, 4th-6th). Jupiter rules the 1st, Uranus the 3rd, suggesting the individual and their thinking are key to what happens; the eclipse offered healing around creative efforts or matters of the individual’s children or ventures, and promises reward if this is addressed (the presence of Venus). This comes in the course of the every day, fulfilling obligations or work, and responds to the core Self (beliefs, especially about who this person is deep inside) and is reflected in home or family matters. In this case, the ‘children’ could be artistic output, or a risk-taking venture, but in any case centers on how this person is viewing this matter, and how open they are to implementing what they (ideally) want, via work, taking on or fulfilling duties, or in dealing with colleagues (the ‘where the action is’ 6th).

All this together, major conjunctions plus eclipse, may offer that promised healing–at least, that’s how I’m seeing it, not only because it makes sense, but because that attitude is it’s own promise, it’s own magic, it’s own blend of the opportunity and optimism of Jupiter and the willingness to risk and overturn of Uranus that can deliver what we seek. Willingly or not, consciously or not, we’ve taken a big step forward; reach out, choose, give it the shape of your dreams.