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Category Archives: eclipse

Thoughts on Eclipse Season Summer 2017

07 Monday Aug 2017

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, eclipse, Lunar Eclipse, Solar Eclipse

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Portland, Maine Breakwater ‘Bug’ Light built in 1875. It’s dubbed “the bug” because of its small size. Photo by Carol M. Highsmith, Library of Congress Archives {{PD}}

The Lunar eclipse in Aquarius is just a couple hours off, but I feel as if we’ve been under the distorted light of an eclipse for weeks now. We’ve hit the record for days without rain–51–and are slated to break it, adding at least another seven days of hot, dry weather in the coming week. That’s made it hellish, but what gives the light the dull, reddish shadows even in midday are the wildfires in Canada; the mild flow from North to South that normally cools us in summer is carrying a dense carmine haze that permeates the air from horizon to zenith. Outside it looks and feels like those fleeting moments when the Earth casts its shadow (Lunar eclipse) or when the Moon comes between Earth and Sun, blocking out the Solar orb (Solar eclipse)–and it just seems so unnatural, as if we are living a slow-mo version of a transformative, seminal moment, over days and days.

The Moon last night here just north of Seattle, dark orange and partially obscured by the thick smoke.

Though I know some people are seeing the August eclipses as the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, I’m seeing them more as breakwaters, those walls onto which the fiercest waves crash; breakwaters protect the shore from being decimated by the sheer energy of the waves, and these celestial events are meant to disrupt the pattern, to reveal, to free–that last most of all–and to both concentrate (showing us meaning) and dissipate (softening the blow) the impact that can come from a sharp, seemingly sudden energy shift. Take the eclipse events as a breakwater would: let them wash over you, let them reveal what’s generated that wave energy, but don’t allow them to force a precipitous response, or to give you the impression that you’ll never get out from under what it brings.

On a lighter note, I didn’t even know I had a bucket list, until Saturday night; that’s when I realized my Aquarian Ascendant had waited 35 years to hear Fred Schneider intone in person: “I’ve got me a car, and it’s as big as a whale, and it’s about to SET SAIL!” Oh, the little gifts eclipse season brings are really the best. Have a great one! And special thanks to all the lovely people who’ve written some really nice things to and about me lately–those words have been more appreciated than you know.

 

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The Solar Eclipse in Leo 2017: The Re-Birth of the Soul

18 Tuesday Jul 2017

Posted by in astrology, eclipse, New Moon, Sabian Symbols, Solar Eclipse

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John William Waterhouse – ‘Mermaid’ 1899 {{PD}}

The Solar eclipse begins on the 21st of August at 11:29 AM PDT at 28 Leo 52. Though I wouldn’t normally count it as conjoined Mars when the spread is just over eight degrees, as it is here, I think we must, considering the part the ego, action, and ‘I Am’ energies played in the partner Lunar eclipse that preceded this event—so we’ll keep the Martian spirit in mind as we assess the eclipse; the Martian Fire is right in tune with the Leo event. This New Moon has been anticipated for some time, because it’s both a total eclipse, and because it will be visible along a path that spans the United States coast to coast. The interesting thing is that, if you’re outside the path of totality, what you’ll see is a partial covering of the Sun by the Moon, rather than the complete eclipse visible elsewhere. So, as with everything, it’s important to keep in mind that where you are determines perspective, and so dictates your experience of the eclipse, as it does so many other things.

Does that mean the eclipse will deliver a different effect to those in the path of totality than it will to everyone else on the planet? Perhaps it will have a different, stronger, or more potent impact on those who find themselves in its path, but I think it’s more of an astronomical spectacle than an astrological one; I don’t anticipate it being any more or less potent than any other eclipse (and remember, we have two Solar and two Lunar eclipses per year, on average, so eclipses themselves are not actually all that rare), though others will disagree.

Maybe we should think of it more as a New Moon in Leo that just happens to be an eclipse; that way we keep the emphasis on the Leo/ Mars ‘I Am’ facets of the event, even as we note that all eclipses serve to ‘wipe out’ certain circumstances that came before, specifically those related to the matters of the House in the natal chart where the eclipse falls, those related to the sign energy in general, and in anything the eclipse contacts in the natal chart by close aspect (no more than three or four degrees, typically, and this can affect expression of the contacted energy or matters of the Houses ruled, if any). But, aside from personal natal contacts, the eclipse draws a more general picture that applies in some degree to everyone; that’s what we’ll look at here.

A Solar eclipse is a seed event, a New Moon the energies of which supersede those that came before, in this case those of the ‘I Am’, the identity, and the Soul Purpose for incarnating as they mesh with the emotions, intuition, and perceptions of the non-physical and non-material. With an eclipse, we see a vibrational inception that will resonate through to the next eclipse set, in roughly six months. In part this tone is set by the sign in which the eclipse occurs, in this case, Leo, emphasizing the individual perspective, individual initiative (due to Mars lingering nearby), and how well the Soul has to this point managed to create circumstances under which it could ‘shine’, that is, live its purpose. So, the attention for the next six months goes to accomplishment in Soul-terms—and of course, that will mean something unique to each individual.

The eclipse forms an out-of-sign trine to a close conjunction of Hygeia and Juno, which makes for a Grand Trine with Uranus; the New Moon also squares Sedna, loosely noviles Ceres, and quincunxes Chiron (and anyone with natal placements at 27 Capricorn-00 Aquarius should expect the eclipse to deliver a wallop, either hurting or healing the involved energies in some significant way). Is it too vague to say expect surprises, shocks, the unexpected, revelations, and the potential for immediate and immersive understanding via the Higher Mind? This may be especially so around literal health as well as the ‘health’ (i.e. effectiveness) of the personal state of empowerment. We may resist what the instincts tell us, at least initially; hidden information that we ‘know but don’t know’ may cause problems, which are meant to draw our attention and contribute to or shape that ‘shock of the new’ we’ll undergo.

Or, rather than a personal shock or revelation, we may experience the eclipse’s ‘big reveal’ through a group choice or interaction. We could find ourselves responding as an individual to something the group requires, testing our willingness to lead, to commit to a philosophical approach to things, or to sacrifice the individual needs for the larger good. We may find we are stronger than we think, forced to adjust our ideas of just what truly injures us, and that may call for adjustments to our Self-image, to the way we see ourselves and so to the way we express ourselves and exert our Will. What occurs may bring forward unique skills, a sense that the individual is ‘the only one who could ‘x’’ and so in some way save the day, or serve the group needs in a major way.

There is a single element of grace here that should enable us to weather anything the eclipse brings: that novile to Ceres says that either Nature, or the sense of personal authority, will provide the support, or the answers, we’ll need. Our own ability to accept complete responsibility for ourselves will allow for the most effective position and response possible; so will acceptance of the ways of Nature, and what they tell us about our part in it.

Don’t you love the Sabian for this eclipse? ‘A Mermaid Emerges From The Ocean Waves Ready For Rebirth In Human Form’. We see an end to immersion in the currents of emotion with their overwhelming influence, dulling the other senses, obscuring the vision and hearing, keeping us below the surface (a symbolic way of saying we aren’t accessing the Air, that is, using reason and the mind, to process things). The mermaid is ready to shed a way of Being that, in terms of imagery, is focused on the feeling nature; she is ready to move on, in the sense of becoming. It’s important we note that going from mermaid form to human is not inherently a move from inferior to superior form, but is a shift in the tools we use to interact, process, and understand. It’s also important to be aware we’re assuming the mermaid will be taking all she’s learned underwater (through the feeling nature) with her; she’s not abandoning emotional perceptions and intuitions, she’s adding to them. As this applies to the eclipse, the symbol suggests each of us will evolve to a next step (literally, in the case of a mermaid!) that expands our skills in dealing with the world. Re-birth usually isn’t easy, or pleasant, and change of any kind can be messy—but it’s also a widening of our horizons and our ability to deal with things that can’t be attained any other way, a journey into new elements, with all the adventure, risk, and need to learn that entails (another mermaid reference!)

One other thing to note: though I don’t usually discuss aspect sets that don’t interact with the event (I find that dilutes the focus on, and so the meaning of, what we’re examining), this time I would like to point to a very close conjunction, only three minutes apart and moving ever closer at the time of the eclipse, of Saturn and Black Moon Lilith. BML is, as we know, a point, rather than a body; Saturn moving closer to perfection with that point suggests either suppression or materialization of rage, or of matters we or others have been working to ignore or deny. This may be a significant side note to the entire eclipse period, and could suggest secrets revealed will become the norm.

 

The Lunar Eclipse in Aquarius, August 2017: A Personal New Age

17 Monday Jul 2017

Posted by in astrology, eclipse, Finger of God, Full Moon, Lunar Aspects, Lunar Eclipse, Sabian Symbols

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By aussiegall from sydney, Australia – Garish, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=24661040

The Lunar eclipse occurs on the 7th of August at 11:11 AM Pacific time at 15 Aquarius 25; this places the Full Moon event at the midpoint of Neptune and Pluto, and so deems the Sun apex to a (just slightly) loose Finger of God, which right away suggests that what transpires, and where our attention goes, may not be to the Lunar energies, at least not at first. The Full Moon is in Aquarius, a sign of intellectual acuity, experimentation, originality, the unusual, the freakish, the surprising, the unique, but it may be the Sun’s Leonine energies that set the whole thing off: the essence of the Self finds revelation, or revolution, in some situation that brings together the ideal, the misunderstood, the fantastical, the spiritual, or the elements of a dream (Neptune), with the energy and power of change, transformation, or destruction (Pluto). Will the result be the emergence of some amazing new part of the individual, some characteristic, talent, or goal one has been striving to express? Or will it be less thrilling, the removal of some fantasy about power, or about spiritual change, or about how attaining the dream will transform the individual? What the eclipse reveals as the Earth comes between the Sun and the Moon on precisely the same plane, blocking the Sun’s light from reflecting off the Moon, is something culminating, ending, that brings closure to a particular emotional situation that we may only see once the dazzling sunlight is removed. We will literally be observing the Earth’s shadow, symbolically seen as the shadow of our own material existence and its effect on the spirit and the emotions; we will see the result of the individual Will, desire, heart (Leo) as it has shaped the emotional reality (Luna) through the choices made in this physical realm (Earth).

The only other aspects to fall within acceptable orbs are a trine from Zeus and Jupiter, which two are closely conjoined in Libra, and an opposition to Mars, from which the Sun is now separating. This suggests something quite interesting: that whether the eclipse effect is one that takes us closer to our ideals, or one that removes something untrue from the life and perceptions, it will still serve to deliver an expanded, optimistic, and opportunity-filled scenario (it will deliver this if we can recognize it as such, that is), one that addresses the ambitions and desires (for good or ill, for fulfillment or denial), with the likely instrument a partner, friend, or a cooperative or aesthetic venture (Libra); all that occurs with this event will, one way or another, be the product of our own choices, action, or Will, even more directly so than in daily life (Mars opp). That means we will be looking at a direct reflection of our own ‘I Am’, something we can’t see under ‘normal’ light; the Lunar eclipse puts a kind of black light on the ego and what it has done, so that we can observe effects that have been invisible, until now, and it does so through an Aquarian lens: one that ‘bends the light’ toward Higher Thought, toward a new and original facet of the ‘I Am’.

The Sabian symbol for the Lunar eclipse is, ‘A Big Businessman At His Desk’. This speaks of the ego, the ‘I Am’, as it has directed and organized things—which is ironic considering that eclipse Mars is conjoined the Sun, with this suggesting a certain distance (and so an ability to get some perspective) on the ego and our actions and choices. We also see echoes of the social structure, of convention and economic development and cooperation—but what comes through strongest is the solitary nature of such a position. This Full Moon may make it exceptionally clear in what areas we are psychically (and perhaps even materially/ physically) alone—and awareness of our singular status could be accompanied by our undeniable fitness to manage our circumstances, situation, or approach on our own.

We also look at the symbol for the Sun, as it produces the light that enables Earth to cast the shadow in the first place: ‘The Storm Ended, All Nature Rejoices In Brilliant Sunshine’. Ah! This promises that the eclipse brings an end to ‘the storm’, or that if the event creates a storm or brings one to a head, it will quickly ‘clear up’. The Lunar eclipse promises to reveal the reasons for the storm or upset via a ‘clear’ outlook and the perspective offered by distance through time, useful even when that distance is the immediate past.

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The Solar Eclipse of February 2017 Renaissance

24 Friday Feb 2017

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, eclipse, New Moon, Sabian Symbols, Solar Eclipse

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'The Icebergs' Frederic Edwin Church 1861 {{PD}}

‘The Icebergs’ Frederic Edwin Church 1861 {{PD}}

Annular Solar Eclipse (New Moon) 26 February 2017 6:58 AM PST at 8 Pisces 12

Compared to the Lunar eclipse of two weeks previous, this event is tidy, with the eclipse itself nestled by several conjoined bodies/ points: Neptune, Mercury (widely), and the South Node. This creates an atmosphere of simultaneity, where we are likely to perceive it all of a piece—and so attribute many things to the eclipse that are attributable less to the event and more to its fellow travelers. Does it matter, you may wonder? Yes and no—our experience is what’s important, but at the same time, if we want to deal effectively with what we undergo, we’d be smart to know whether something originates from the eclipse (and so reverberates through the coming six months) or from its companions, who flavor the event itself but then move on.

With a Solar eclipse in Pisces, especially one that includes sign ruler Neptune, we should expect a Renaissance. What was dreamed, or what was sought by the spirit, finally begins, and this will likely be something we are more than a little conscious of (presence of Mercury). Though liminal (that is, ‘at the threshold’, and so both known to us and influencing us without our realizing, a kind of psychic iceberg), the energy is by both nature and placement ephemeral, difficult to grasp, dream-like, and creatured with every kind of imagined thing—and yet, I used the word “Renaissance”, which describes, literally, a re-birth. Because of the involvement of both the creative spark and the mind, and the association with the past (an eclipse near the South Node point) we are likely to see a surge in what we’ve already planned, contemplated, considered, or tried previously to create—and yet it will be a new thing, taking a new form, or freshly re-imagined, sharing the aura or spirit of the past and carrying the essence of ourselves, shaped for the present.

Though Pisces is the sign of the Collective, I see this as a highly individual eclipse experience, one seated in our mentality (Mercury) and the way spirit manifests through this (Neptune); the event, though, is potentially a doorway moment for the individual to access the unseen quality of the Universe that binds us all together, and that allows the sharing of experience and sensation without physical contact. The mind will naturally put limits on this access, in an attempt to organize the creative and imaginative energies—it has its own stake in keeping us sane—as it would be unwise to seek connection with the entire Collective consciousness at once–we’re not designed for that—but we are designed to access and communicate with that consciousness carefully, even selectively, and now is our chance.

The eclipse is also semi-square Mars-Uranus, sesquiquadrate Jupiter, and falls at the rough midpoint of Juno and Ceres, forming a sextile to each. These contacts speak of the potential for personal empowerment, awareness of our own effectiveness and responsibility, and the gain of a sense of Oneness with, a balance with, and dominion over, Nature Herself; they also suggest that discomfort will likely spark spontaneity and drive action, and that we shouldn’t expect opportunities to go easily, for facts to be found or fall into place, or for the social sphere to be especially receptive to our experience or discoveries—the social will be a somewhat distant animal at this point, one we really won’t identify with, though we may feel some out-of-proportion pressure to partner with it.

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec 1898 {{PD}}

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec 1898 {{PD}}

The Sabian symbol for the eclipse is, ‘A Jockey Spurs His Horse, Intent On Outdistancing His Rivals’.  Though life is not, in any real sense, a race, we may with our personal processing of this eclipse feel like that lone jockey: competitive, needing to ‘win’ or prove our point, pushed by our animal nature (the horse) to race toward a goal, probably not of our own choosing. This symbol may warn us against translating what we receive from the Collective and from our creative urge directly into some worldly form or aim; it may serve to dissuade us from turning our inspiration into a commodity, or our spiritual experience into a competition, if we are listening. Don’t allow yourself to in some form ‘join the race’, at least not right away—wait for the figurative dust to settle, and the Piscean inspiration to take appropriate form, before dealing in real-world terms.

The one consistent effect I anticipate for everyone, no matter what House in the personal natal chart the eclipse occupies, is a kind of mirror effect; what is inside us will be outside, presented visually and/ or through the senses. We would be wise to not just note this, but to realize that what surrounds us at the eclipse point is what we are, as a Soul, immersed in, enfolded by, and generating ourselves. This eclipse offers us the chance to see ourselves inside out; don’t dismiss some elements as ‘wrong’ in what they show you—it’s all you.

As to the other influences for the day: Mars-Uranus is novile Neptune, ruler of it all, emphasizing the abrupt effect the eclipse may have on our actions and choices (and this is so despite the Sun being contra-parallel Mars–that only says how much we may be unaware of the depth of the eclipse’s influence); Mars-Uranus perfects, making a small Molotov cocktail related to our Will and our relationship to the group; and Mercury squares Black Moon Lilith, lending a frightening, forbidden, or angry tinge to our thoughts. We may want to ‘root out’ what’s been troubling us–don’t worry, the eclipse events will do it for us.

Please scroll down for the Weekly forecast, which includes brief summaries of what to expect each day, plus the Daily Image. Thank you–may your eclipse be magical!

solar-eclipse-february-2017

16 September 2016 Restoration

15 Thursday Sep 2016

Posted by in astrology, Born Today, current events in the sky, eclipse, forecast, Full Moon, Horoscope, Lunar Eclipse, The Daily Word Image

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Arthur Wardle - 'A Fairy Tale' {{PD}}

Arthur Wardle – ‘A Fairy Tale’ {{PD}}

The AstroEssence: choices and actions are inspired by our ego, and by our own empowerment, and that can be turned in a positive direction if we gauge everything to our highest values–it’s smart to look for the obvious benefit in things–we just have to accept that knowing is available, though not necessarily yet verifiable, as our intuition and sensory data will tell us what we need to know. This is all bolstered by the Lunar eclipse (see below) (Mars nov Juno, Venus trine Pallas)

The LunarEssence: The Lunar eclipse (Full Moon) is appulse (the apparent close approach of one celestial body to another which is created by the perspective from a third, in this case, the third being Earth) and occurs on 16 September at 12:05 PM PDT at 24 Pisces 19. Here we do see a Finger of God, with the eclipse and Sedna as base, apex Hygeia. With the Solar eclipse we were offered health, in some important way; now the Lunar eclipse declares we are likely to know instinctively in what way or form the restoration of balance or function was or is to be reached. The promise of the previous eclipse is fulfilled in this one—and that more than a little connects them in a deeper way than we usually experience, and this may be symbolized in the signs involved, with the Virgo Solar eclipse being very visible (or at least tangible—Earth sign), and the Lunar eclipse an event of completion, as all Full Moons are, this one Piscean, representing a subtle, evocative development below conscious awareness, possibly mainly perceived through the emotions or ‘sensed’ through intuitive or creative faculties.

The Lunar eclipse is conjoined Chiron, giving what concludes or ends at this time a theme of healing, or wounding, with the former the goal, and the latter the outcome to unresolved tensions not addressed adequately by the individual. The potential for this negative result is shown in the Moon-Earth/ Sun axis which creates a T-square with Mars; this brings the ego, the Will, and aggressive or assertive energies into play, and implies that the health and healing we seek (and we seek this whether we know it consciously or not) may not occur, if we are unable to resolve the tension between the ‘I Am’ or the ego and the event of the Lunar eclipse. That is, the Chirotic occurrence will initially bring upset to the ego; it’s in resolving this upset that we have the chance to heal.

The eclipse is also trine Vesta and novile Ceres. These aspects imply there will be available to us a powerful nurturing energy that unites personal power (derived from our natural authority, plus Nature and our place within it) with what we find sacred, specifically in the areas of home, family, and the act of giving succor. Whatever reaches fruition or ending with this eclipse will align with our truest values and those things we honor and find sacred. If we’re surprised by what develops, we should take it as bringing to our conscious attention what we really care about—and so eclipse events will offer the chance to move toward more authentic representations of our values, especially in the areas of nurture, dedication, and responsibility.

Franz von Stuck - 'The Dance' 1910 {{PD}}

Franz von Stuck – ‘The Dance’ 1910 {{PD}}

Should we count that out-of-sign opposition of the eclipse to Jupiter? Astrologer and early opinion-haver on this topic, William Lilly, tells us that to be considered combust the Sun, a planet must be within 8 degrees 30 minutes and in the same sign—which Jupiter is not; but he counts anything up to within 17 degrees of the Sun as being ‘under the sunbeams’, a condition that is debilitating for the body’s energy, but not so much as combustion (he contradicts himself later in discussing Horary astrology by stating that whether the body is in the same sign as the Sun does not matter). I think we must count Jupiter as having a part in the eclipse since the Sun is approaching conjunction to Jupiter in 7 degrees 14 minutes (with the meeting occurring in Libra), though I can’t name with any certainty whether we should consider this as having the nature of combustion or the condition of under the sunbeams—either way, we know Jupiter’s usual largesse is a bit dampened by the situation.

A Lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth comes between and is on the same plane as the Sun and Moon, from our point-of-view the Moon appearing to conjoin Earth with the meeting on the side opposite the Sun, with both these bodies opposing the Sun; that means that we ourselves, and material matters, block the illuminating light of the Sun, with most knowledge arriving through emotional or intuitive channels, and through ‘vibes’ gleaned off surroundings or material circumstances. Jupiter is, in essence, conjoined the Sun, and this may imply that Lunar eclipse events at least in part arise from lost knowledge, lost or blocked opportunity, or difficult circumstances surrounding the social arena or our own expansion attempts—and since the aspect has not yet perfected, we may not be aware of the loss, or we may have yet to see it peak.

The Sabian for the Lunar eclipse is, ‘A Religious Organization Succeeds In Overcoming The Corrupting Influence Of Perverted Practices and Materialized Ideals’. Even with the best of intentions, the spiritual easily becomes ‘corrupted’ as we try to incorporate it, represent it, and live it in the daily life; just witness the large number of individuals, religious institutions, and groups over the years who have failed to keep their reason-for-being in mind as the physical plane exerted its influence on their attempts at manifesting the spiritual one. Remember that healing we spoke of, that return to function or fitness? It may, through the action of the two eclipses, act to remove a corrupted or compromised set of practices or to eliminate inappropriate ways of manifesting spiritual energy. And the conjunction of Jupiter to the Sun, origin of the illumination of the eclipse situation in the first place, suggests that we will see a purification of beliefs or of religious practice, with this potential existing both personally and in a larger societal context. The Sun’s Sabian is, ‘A Flag At Half-Mast In Front Of A Public Building’; a flag at half-staff position (mast applies to ships) is an acknowledgment of something lost. Jupiter’s Sabian at the time of the eclipse is, ‘The Transmutation Of The Fruits Of Past Experiences Into The Seed-Realizations Of The Forever Creative Spirit’—well that says it all, doesn’t it? This confirms the positive nature of the change brought by the eclipse, both purifying and regenerative, bringing spirit back closer to its origins, potentially stripping away corrupt or distorted forms that have been applied via attempts at material manifestation.

Today’s word image is made of notes: this–can’t explain why it popped into my head.

For those born with the Sun at 24 Virgo: does having an eclipse on your birthday automatically mean your world is going to be turned upside-down? No, though that ‘No’ must be qualified with this: it’s going to be turned upside-down, it’s just that it may not seem like that’s what’s happening. You may go through some, most, or even the entire year through to your next birthday feeling nothing has changed–and then, suddenly, you’ll see what’s been at work creating Cosmic shifts in your world. If you ‘listen’ hard, you’ll sense this activity, and so can be better prepared for the changes it will bring. For a few of you, drastic change has just occurred–and this years sees the aftermath play out, and your life re-organize itself around those new circumstances. Good luck, Virgo, and Happy Birthday!

Start the new eclipse season right–donate! read! and have a wonderful Friday!

23 March 2016 and the Lunar Eclipse

22 Tuesday Mar 2016

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, eclipse, Full Moon, Lunar Eclipse, Sun/Mercury Superior Conjunction, The Daily Word Image

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Rider by John Bauer 1914 {{PD}}

Rider by John Bauer 1914 {{PD}}

Though we’re all poised to receive the Lunar eclipse that occurs today, there are a few other aspects that may quietly perfect and knock us sideways. Whether these overshadow the eclipse influence (by contact to your natal scenario, for instance) or are mere low notes on the scale, barely noticed, the day will be a ‘big’ one, if only in the way we will end it distinctly different in feeling and viewpoint than we began it.

Chiron conjoined the South Node=wounds pull us back to the past, or we realize from past experience what we need to heal. Jupiter sq Saturn=we might at first see this as the forces of ‘Go’ and ‘Stop’ in conflict, but with Jupiter currently retro, we are more likely to experience it as choosing between two unsatisfying alternatives, neither of which is really what we want. This may also bring the matters of the Houses they rule in the natal chart (Sag and Cap) into conflict. The best resolution may be a practical one; re-tracing ones steps involving the details (Virgo) and where in the plan we may have been overly optimistic (Sag) may show us how to salvage most if not all of what we are working with. Venus trine Juno and contra-parallel Sedna=the anima-dominant among us are feeling strong and empowered, and have the assets necessary to implement plans; just take care that old, consciously-forgotten resentments or jealousies don’t interfere.

The final aspect set is Merc conjoined the Sun in Superior Conjunction as well as parallel Chiron=this may be a significant aspect set that flies largely under the radar; we may see the culmination of something specific to the Mercury cycle (seeded at the Inferior Conjunction, when the Sun and retro Merc meet) or something related to the Aries House of the natal chart, that we may find is separate from the Lunar eclipse effect. How can we tell the difference? The Lunar eclipse Sun Sabian interpretation I give below mentions seeing our own (psychic) shadow at the eclipse; the Merc-Sun meeting and Chiron parallel point to a second effect of realization surrounding our own role in hurting, whether that wound is our own or one we’ve inflicted (Sun-Merc in Aries, Chiron in Pisces). We see the effect, and we see what we can do about it.

Today’s word image is a video ‘You’ve Done Nothing Wrong’ by Iris DeMent, or if you prefer, google for the words to this song. They spoke to me, so I thought they might speak to you.

Extraordinary photo by Wing-Chi Poon See featured pictures here: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Wingchi Released under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Generic

Extraordinary photo by Wing-Chi Poon See featured pictures here: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Wingchi Released under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Generic

The Lunar Eclipse occurs on 23 March 5:01 AM Pacific Daylight Time at 3 Libra 17

The Lunar Eclipse is a Full Moon in Libra, sextiling Mars, opposing Mercury just before its Superior Conjunction with the Sun, novile Juno, and is quintile to Saturn, which is stationary and poised to retrograde. The novile and quintile both suggest a small spark of ingenuity, genius, inspiration, cleverness, and carry the impulse of the creative and innovative; this suggests that what ends with the Full Moon carries inherent within it the creative seed of something new—that is, we’ll be able to see the new start already sprouting from the ashes of the old ending.

What ends here may be something involving our role as an individual (Mars) within partnership (Juno, Libra); we may ‘get the message’ from our opposite number (Mercury, as anyone ‘not us’ delivering info), and this ends a previous emotional situation (FM) while beginning a brand new one, one where we are more likely to be responsible for and see to our own emotional well-being in both personal empowerment (Juno) and real-world (Saturn) terms. It’s not a message of independence or selfishness, but rather one of finding emotional fulfillment through the Self, and the clever ways we can be in charge of ourselves within the reality picture. We’ll no longer look to the partner for affirmation or support (at least, not as much as we have in the past); even if we remain in a close, and for some a dependent, interaction, we will develop something within at the Full Moon that serves our own individuality as a source of nurture and support (the Moon).

The Sabian for the Lunar Eclipse is, ‘Around A Campfire A Group Of Young People Sit In Spiritual Communion’. This suggests that in becoming more Self-responsible we will not be alone; the thing about this kind of development is that we will go from needing to be surrounded by people who are in material/ physical terms like us to being surrounded by those who are spiritually like us, no matter what their outer circumstances or appearance. It’s like moving from a clique in high school where there’s only one standard of ‘cool’ and everyone strives to be, dress, and act the same, to moving through the world gravitating to and attracting others of like spirit. The fire is the enlightened energy that attracts us all, and the quality of youth mentioned in the image a feature of active spiritual perception—a lightness and an eagerness—that does not feel the need to judge differences. We become more attuned to the essences, rather than the externals, with whom we interact—and this is all for the good, even as some connections are lost as we move on, and they don’t.

With a Lunar Eclipse we also look at the Sun Sabian: ‘Two Lovers Strolling On A Secluded Walk’. For a Lunar Eclipse the Earth moves between the Sun and Moon within the same plane, blocking the Sun’s light from reaching the Moon. It’s our own shadow we observe at a Lunar Eclipse; in this case, we may be seeing how our interaction within partnership, as well as our attitudes toward it, may have been making us feel alone and lonely (the ‘Secluded Walk’ of the image).

I don’t usually discuss things for an eclipse that aren’t directly triggered by that eclipse, but in this case I’ll make an exception, because many people may be feeling this gathering in Pisces and understandably mistaking it (that’s a Piscean specialty, after all) for a Lunar eclipse influence. At the time of the Lunar Eclipse, Ceres, Chiron, and the South Node will all sit within 24 minutes of each other at 21 degrees Pisces. This brings hurt, authority figures or one’s own personal authority, and the past together in such a way that a memory of, for instance, a past power struggle lost becomes, through the haze of imagination, a more significant (and possibly more injurious) event than it really was. That is, we may suddenly designate this a seminal event that seems to be the source of the Lunar eclipse effect, when it’s actually just a carry-over of the Solar (Pisces) Eclipse that preceded it—and we are doubly likely to do this if the struggle we have in mind was one within a partnership. The Pisces area of the natal chart will be sensitized by the Solar Eclipse, and like a tuning fork, this grouping of Ceres, Chiron, and South Node may continue to carry the reverberation long after our awareness of the eclipse would usually be relegated to background noise within the unconscious.

Fun facts: according to Space.com, “Since the moon formed about 4.5 billion years ago, it has been gradually moving away from Earth (by about 1.6 inches, or 4 centimeters per year). Right now the moon is at the perfect distance to appear in our sky exactly the same size as the sun, and therefore block it out.” And this: “Researchers say that when it formed, the moon was about 14,000 miles (22,530 kilometers) from Earth. It’s now more than 280,000 miles, or 450,000 kilometers away.” To answer the question, Will the Moon ever escape Earth’s orbit? we have this somewhat snarky explanation from Physics Forums: “. . . the moon will only move away from Earth until it reaches an orbital resonance when the length of the Earth’s day and the Moon’s month will be equal – that’s in about 50 billion years. In theory the moon could then move closer to Earth, but since they are both going to be consumed by the sun before that – it’s a bit academic.”

Enjoy this extraordinary Wednesday!

The Upcoming Eclipses of March 2016

29 Monday Feb 2016

Posted by in astrology, eclipse, Lunar Aspects, Lunar Eclipse, Solar Eclipse

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Rider by John Bauer 1914 {{PD}}

Rider by John Bauer 1914 {{PD}}

They’ve got their own page! The Solar and Lunar Eclipses of March 2016

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Solar Eclipse 12 September 2015: Through Our Skin

11 Friday Sep 2015

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, eclipse, Sabian Symbols, Solar Eclipse

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'Deva and Gryphon', by Gustave Moreau {{PD}}

‘Deva and Gryphon’, by Gustave Moreau {{PD}}

Eclipses change things; we’ve got a Solar one (so, a New Moon) on September 12th at 11:41 PM Pacific time, at 20 Virgo 10. Everyone is stressed (Saturn at 29 Scorpio has no mercy, dredging up what we fear, dread, have carefully hidden from ourselves and others, threatening to bring it all into our reality, and so announce it to others, broadcasting our secrets far and wide–that last is the anticipation of the Old Man’s move into Sagittarius); everyone believes, consciously or not so, that this eclipse will wipe out that tension. I don’t think it will–but it may make things seem quite a bit different–and we will definitely gain.

Keeping our orbs tight, as always, we see that the New Moon is opposed Chiron–that is, Chiron is still within conjunction of the Earth. The NM also glances by quincunx off Uranus in Aries–and unless we stretch our orb to more than 3.5+ degrees, we get nothing else. But, that’s how we keep our eclipse picture sharp–and what this says is that NM beginnings may arise out of inconvenience or accident, out of needing to adjust to the group or to something new or modern, and out of this we come to understand something important–and this opens us to healing some area where we have been too critical, too immersed in detail, so that we have lost the true breadth of the situation (with the subject particular to the House in the natal chart where the eclipse falls for you).

I don’t want to muddy the eclipse picture by making the orbs too big, but there are two things that seem worthy of note, if only by their symmetry and proximity to the eclipse degree. One is the Earth Grand Trine involving Juno-Sedna-Ceres (and if we are generous, the New Moon eclipse)=this promises a certain balance within the natural world that offers empowerment to those who ‘tune in’. Being in sync with the elements (and the elementals) may be the way the understanding we reach at the New Moon is made known to us. We may feel or sense it, absorb it from the very air or through our skin–we ‘know’ with a certainty the mind just can’t offer.

John Atkinson Grimshaw {{PD}}

John Atkinson Grimshaw {{PD}}

The second related body is the wide square from Pallas in Sagittarius to the eclipse point. If we cling to what we think is wise, if we rely on the mind and things we’ve learned or been told, we may be in for a shock; that is the very kind of knowledge that could get blown out of the water with the eclipse. We are being shown a picture where the senses are more accurate than the mind–believe what you feel, not what you are told, or think.

The Sabian Symbol for the eclipse is, ‘A Girls’ Basketball Team’. This is a modern symbol for anima energies working together. We see this hinted at with the inclusion of Uranus (the group or team), in the location of the event in Virgo (the sign of cooperative effort that brings results, ‘the harvest’), and in the way so many goddess energies are lingering just outside the eclipse orb: Juno, Sedna, Ceres, Pallas, bringing skill, instinct, personal authority, and wisdom to what the eclipse reveals.

Expect ‘Vesta’ any minute–and by ‘minute’, I mean day 🙂

Solar Eclipse 12 September 2015

The Sabians for the Lunar Eclipse 4 April 2015

01 Wednesday Apr 2015

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, eclipse, Lunar Eclipse, Sabian Symbols

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'Entenhäuser' (Duck Houses) by August Haake c1914 {{PD}}

‘Entenhäuser’ (Duck Houses) by August Haake c1914 {{PD}}

The Full Moon begins at 5:05 AM Pacific time April 4th at 14 Libra 24, with the eclipse starting about half a minute later. The Sabian for the meeting of Earth and Moon is, ‘Circular Paths’. I’m anticipating that we’ll find ourselves some ‘place’ we’ve been before, but now with a whole different viewpoint and skill set. This has as many possible manifestations as there are people, but the common denominator will definitely be that we have seen, faced, or dealt with either the same or a very similar situation before—and we don’t get a ‘do over’ so much as a chance to, in some way, replace the vibe around our handling of the event, so that what we ‘write’ energetically into the Universal record is much more in accord with who we are now. It’s a re-ordering of the Karma surrounding the situation—and in effect, changes both the future and the past, from our vantage point in the now.

We look too at the Sun for a Full Moon/ Lunar event, and the Sabian is, ‘An Indian Weaving A Ceremonial Blanket’. This suggests that the causal event or energy is one involved in the individual preparation for a serious ritual. That could be anything, any effort at Self-improvement, any spiritual practice, any creative act that has at its center both Soul expression and Soul evolution. The intent is a pure one, and carries a kind of energy imprint into the world, and into the ordering of circumstances. It’s the shining of the personal Sun, making an impact through a Universal event.