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Category Archives: eclipse

The Solar Eclipse of 12 July 2018 Through Deep Water

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Anders Zorn 1885 {{PD}}

The Partial Solar eclipse of 12 July 2018 (7:48 PM PDT) falls at 20 Cancer 41 as the Moon, Earth, and Sun align on the same plane, allowing the Moon to ‘eclipse’ the normally dominant Sun at their New Moon meeting. This event also sees Earth, which of course is always opposed the Sun, conjoined Pluto, making its opposition to the New Moon eclipse the centerpiece of the aspect picture; asteroid Zeus forms a T-square with the Sun-Moon-Earth-Pluto axis, and Ceres is semi-square the New Moon. A Solar eclipse, this one in Water, is a new beginning, and that can come gently, like a tide lapping at the shore, or fiercely, like a wave crashing on the beach—but in either case, it brings change, which may slowly pull the sand from beneath your feet, can knock those feet out from under you, and/ or could even wipe the landscape clean in a tsunami, leaving you in an entirely new place. Change, then, is expected, and with Pluto opposed the event and conjoined the Earth, the very ground on which we walk, we may want to be highly attentive to the mix of Water and Earth, emotion and the material, flow and static states, in our world.

This event in a Water sign also emphasizes the emotional component eclipses already carry, as they are mainly Lunar events, with the Moon playing the pivotal role, either in blocking the Sun’s light from us (a Solar eclipse) or acting as the screen on which we observe the blocking of the light (by the Earth, as it moves between Moon and Sun) in a Lunar eclipse. This Solar eclipse event doubles down on the emotional, psychological, and intuitive potentials, making us all naturally hyper-sensitive to the atmosphere around the New Moon. Symbolically this speaks of, in the case of a Solar eclipse, emotions themselves causing a blockage between the material world (Earth) and ‘What Is’, including purpose and intent (the Sun). The block is meant as a disruptor, a point at which the usual view just can’t be adopted, as the light in which we view things is suddenly radically different. We keep this in mind as we look at the particulars of any eclipse event, as consciousness about the larger scenario illuminates the smaller details of the single occurrence.

Here we have the sheer power of Pluto aligned with Earth—and of course this kind of aspect always makes me think of earthquakes or volcanoes—most likely of a personal, symbolic nature, and this directly opposes the meeting of Sun and Moon on the ecliptic, so that we have Earth-Pluto, a material or physical power situation, that is receiving no light, as the Moon prevents it. That suggests that at or following the eclipse we face a real-world challenge that we’re prevented from understanding by our own emotional response.

Too, the challenge puts us in a spot: not only is our authority to respond at issue (Ceres), but we see conflicts with our goals, ambitions, and/ or desires (Zeus). The Sabian symbol for the eclipse is, ‘A Famous Singer Is Proving Her Virtuosity During An Operatic Performance’. This not only speaks of the individual need to express ourselves in a way most characteristic of us as unique individuals—to ‘sing out’—with the eclipse challenge one of performance: show us your stuff! In the context of the eclipse, what we see is that the ability to convey who we are, our strongest and most authoritative identity (Ceres) expressed in an earthly venue (Earth-Pluto) is endangered by our extreme emotional response (the eclipse), which blocks an objective assessment of the situation.

The Earth moves, and we react—and that stops a clear understanding of what’s actually happening, and so of knowing what’s actually affected. The change that happens here is serious, but not necessarily permanent; we may do best to see it more as inevitable reform, events or revelations that present us with personal power and ‘territory’ issues we hadn’t yet faced, and conflicts with ambition fulfillment we hadn’t yet acknowledged. Taking that tack tells us that what elicits our emotional reaction at the eclipse could’ve been anticipated, if we’d realized the extent to which these matters, goal achievement and our power reach, needed our attention to begin with.

Forecast for the 11th is here–

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The Eclipses of July-August 2018

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Photo By Naposaurus 2013 Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported

Here are the general forecasts for the eclipse set coming late this summer. Notice that the first two seem strongly connected; I fully expect events around the initial Solar one to lead directly to the events of the Full Lunar one that follows at the end of July.

The Partial Solar eclipse of 12 July 2018 (7:48 PM PDT) falls at 20 Cancer 41 as the Moon, Earth, and Sun align on the same plane, allowing the Moon to ‘eclipse’ the normally dominant Sun at their New Moon meeting. This event also sees Earth, which of course is always opposed the Sun, conjoined Pluto, making its opposition to the New Moon eclipse the centerpiece of the aspect picture; asteroid Zeus forms a T-square with the Sun-Moon-Earth-Pluto axis, and Ceres is semi-square the New Moon. A Solar eclipse, this one in Water, is a new beginning, and that can come gently, like a tide lapping at the shore, or fiercely, like a wave crashing on the beach—but in either case, it brings change, which may slowly pull the sand from beneath your feet, can knock those feet out from under you, and/ or could even wipe the landscape clean in a tsunami, leaving you in an entirely new place. Change, then, is expected, and with Pluto opposed the event and conjoined the Earth, the very ground on which we walk, we may want to be highly attentive to the mix of Water and Earth, emotion and the material, flow and static states, in our world.

This event in a Water sign also emphasizes the emotional component eclipses already carry, as they are mainly Lunar events, with the Moon playing the pivotal role, either in blocking the Sun’s light from us (a Solar eclipse) or acting as the screen on which we observe the blocking of the light (by the Earth, as it moves between Moon and Sun) in a Lunar eclipse. This Solar eclipse event doubles down on the emotional, psychological, and intuitive potentials, making us all naturally hyper-sensitive to the atmosphere around the New Moon. Symbolically this speaks of, in the case of a Solar eclipse, emotions themselves causing a blockage between the material world (Earth) and ‘What Is’, including purpose and intent (the Sun). The block is meant as a disruptor, a point at which the usual view just can’t be adopted, as the light in which we view things is suddenly radically different. We keep this in mind as we look at the particulars of any eclipse event, as consciousness about the larger scenario illuminates the smaller details of the single occurrence.

Here we have the sheer power of Pluto aligned with Earth—and of course this kind of aspect always makes me think of earthquakes or volcanoes—most likely of a personal, symbolic nature, and this directly opposes the meeting of Sun and Moon on the ecliptic, so that we have Earth-Pluto, a material or physical power situation, that is receiving no light, as the Moon prevents it. That suggests that at or following the eclipse we face a real-world challenge that we’re prevented from understanding by our own emotional response.

Too, the challenge puts us in a spot: not only is our authority to respond at issue (Ceres), but we see conflicts with our goals, ambitions, and/ or desires (Zeus). The Sabian symbol for the eclipse is, ‘A Famous Singer Is Proving Her Virtuosity During An Operatic Performance’. This not only speaks of the individual need to express ourselves in a way most characteristic of us as unique individuals—to ‘sing out’—with the eclipse challenge one of performance: show us your stuff! In the context of the eclipse, what we see is that the ability to convey who we are, our strongest and most authoritative identity (Ceres) expressed in an earthly venue (Earth-Pluto) is endangered by our extreme emotional response (the eclipse), which blocks an objective assessment of the situation.

The Earth moves, and we react—and that stops a clear understanding of what’s actually happening, and so of knowing what’s actually affected. The change that happens here is serious, but not necessarily permanent; we may do best to see it more as inevitable reform, events or revelations that present us with personal power and ‘territory’ issues we hadn’t yet faced, and conflicts with ambition fulfillment we hadn’t yet acknowledged. Taking that tack tells us that what elicits our emotional reaction at the eclipse could’ve been anticipated, if we’d realized the extent to which these matters, goal achievement and our power reach, needed our attention to begin with.

The Total Lunar eclipse of 27 July 2018 (1:19 PM PDT) falls at 4 Aquarius 44, forming just after contact to, and still within orb of, a retrograde Mars; the Full Moon is also in wide sextile to Chiron and wide square to Uranus, with the latter, ruler of the eclipse itself, forming a T-square with the Sun-Earth-Moon-Mars axis. The only other aspect made is a sesquiquadrate to Venus in Virgo. A Lunar eclipse is a Full Moon, and this one occurs in the crisp, intellectually-oriented, forward-thinking sign of Aquarius, suggesting the event delivers revelation or understanding. Since it’s conjoined Mars, what appears could be the consequences of our own choices or actions, as instituted at the inception point of the previous Solar eclipse/ New Moon, or it could be that what we come to understand drives a current choice or action, with consequences still to be seen. That preceding Moon opposed Pluto, suggesting a power situation revealed, and this Full Moon may be the personal response to it, something driven by our intellectualization of the events that we then act on or choose according to, as we see the outcome of the New Moon start.

The results as manifested at this Lunar eclipse point have the potential for wounding or for calling forth skills (Chiron), but in either instance they show the need to express the individuality, or to accede to the group (Uranus), and all of this is likely spurred by difficulties surrounding relationships, finances, or Self-worth (Venus).

The Full Moon Sabian is, ‘A Council Of Ancestors Is Seen Implementing The Efforts Of A Young Leader’. This suggests that the authority and experience of those who came before plays a vital role in showing us which direction to take; that is, we learn from the past, especially from the experiences of others, appropriate considering eclipses always fall near the Nodal axes, with this Lunar one conjoined the South Node.

Since this eclipse seems so directly connected to the one preceding it, we’ll forgo our usual inspection of the Sun’s Sabian for a Full Moon, since in this case our ‘source’ is the New Moon that came two weeks before. Instead we move on to the next and final component of this eclipse set, the Solar eclipse in Leo.

The Partial Solar eclipse in Leo falls at 18 degrees, 41 minutes on August 11th at 2:57 AM PDT. This event is conjoined Pallas—ah! ‘new wisdom’ is the result of the past two events—with the aspects offering a subtle picture of what it is we’ve gained. A new start in Leo is about ourselves and our identity, and those facets of the individuality that allow us to ‘shine’; the aspects made by the eclipse describe the nature of our attributes, the ways in which we can make our uniqueness known. What begins at this time also has an air of the practical about it, or a sense of skills possessed—but no matter what, a situation that allows us to be our Best Self.

The eclipse-Pallas sextiles Zeus and catches Ceres at the midpoint, even as it semi-squares Venus. This suggests that it’s in the act of reaching for ambition or desire fulfillment that we both gain authority and power and learn what needs to change in relationships or finances in order to make ‘it’ happen. Should we count this as base to a Finger of God, with a loose Neptune apex? Maybe, if we consider that what we likely need to do to fine-tune the ambition picture is rid ourselves of delusions, or utilize our creativity—that’s what can make the whole thing work together.

The eclipse is also apex to a loose Fist of God with base of Saturn and Chiron, and quincunxes Pluto. As apex, the eclipse promises that resolution of conflicts between the reality picture or reasonable restraints applied to our effort, and our own skill set or wounded nature (the latter possibly referring to unreasonable restraints that need removal), offers a ‘New You’, a  fresh expression of identity or purpose, and that this is also an expression of our own wisdom and gifts (Pallas). The contact to Pluto simply tells us adjustment is needed, whether we want to gather power, make a change, eliminate, or transform.

There’s also an Earth Grand Trine that hooks into the eclipse by degree: Ceres (semi-sextile), Pluto (quincunx), and Juno (square). This implies the eclipse may be a spark of sorts, putting into motion material matters that, one and all, are concerned with power and power expression. No matter what else is in play at this time, this Grand Trine reminds us that there are some very real material stakes here, and that even the most innocent of moves holds an ultimate goal of gaining or solidifying the ability to make the individual Will felt and impactful.

If we really want to get loose with things, we can also see that the T-square formed by Juno’s hard angle to the axis  becomes a Grand Cross if we pull Jupiter into the equation. This may remind us that individual development doesn’t happen in a vacuum; others to whom we reach out, look for reactions and interactions, and to get a measure of our own empowerment are part of the picture, and must be taken into account, especially when we think about how beliefs, knowledge, and the capacity to reach out and to accept what we consider ‘foreign’ all shape not just our potentials for success, but our view of our own adequacy, as well.

The Sabian symbol for this New Moon eclipse in Leo is, ‘A Houseboat Party’. That promises a celebration, once we’ve dealt with anything that’s not working on our path forward to Self-expression—but we should also note the party of the image is afloat—that is, hovering on the surface of the water, the symbol of feeling. That tells us that beneath the joy engendered by successful realization of our gifts, skills, and most unique qualities lies a body of emotion, one that it’s entirely possible to sink into, even to lose our joy to. That implies that after this sequence of eclipses we might have a whole new set of emotions to explore—and maybe entirely new feelings related to how we see ourselves (Leo).

15 February 2018 Solar Eclipse in Aquarius: Revelation, Revolution

13 Tuesday Feb 2018

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

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Robert Spencer ‘The Seed of Revolution’ {{PD}}

We see a partial Solar eclipse at 27 Aquarius 07 at 1:05 PM Pacific time of the 15th. Aquarius suggests a theme of understanding, beneath the flash of what’s new and original, beneath the trend toward being different, and below the busyness of the intellect and the fussiness of the academic; this is emphasized by the way this New Moon is tucked late in the sign along with the planet Mercury and asteroids Juno and Hygeia, all with less than a 1.25 degree span, so very close together. A New Moon is a time of beginnings, of inception, and in this sign and with these fellow travelers suggests the start to a new way of thinking and feeling centered on a healthy personal sense of empowerment. Somehow we have a better understanding of who we are and of our emotional landscape, and that translates into clearer perceptions in the life area (as determined by subjects of the House) in the natal chart where the eclipse falls.

It also translates into new starts, things begun in the spirit of an emotional need for an intellectual quest–or the intellectual need to discover and connect to the emotions. In whichever way you’re lacking, this Solar eclipse will prompt consideration of the missing facet, likely revealing healthy and fitting ways in which you can empower yourself. This New Moon promises a new and original mindset, tailored to who you are, a revolution in how you approach life itself, a spark that may bring chaos but that ultimately lights the way toward more effective forms of communication between the Self and the Universe. (On a personal note, look to the Houses of the natal chart ruled by Mercury for clues as to and from where that communication might flow).

The Solar eclipse and company also sextiles Uranus, catching Chiron at the midpoint. This implies sudden revelation, with the capacity to heal (most likely) or to wound (a scant possibility). The inclination is to reveal and understand, and so to make a space to heal, or to react radically and cause hurt to the Self or others. The NM also squares Sedna, and we’ll count a wide square to Jupiter, as all together these form a Fixed T-square that is destined to make a bigger splash than we might at first think. The understanding and revelation we receive with the eclipse will create tension among ‘the facts’ or beliefs, and the instincts and those things we ‘know but don’t know’; this discord may lead to the eclipse events, or may spring from them, but in either case will translate into a new understanding, and so to taking a new direction.

One other minor aspect of note: the eclipse is semi-square the point Black Moon Lilith–and of course, that means BML is sesquiquadrate the Earth. This implies that something ignored or denied will cause a problem that leads to eclipse events–or vice versa, that eclipse events bring forward difficult circumstances that have up to now been ignored or denied. This may be, at the time of the eclipse, the most prominent thing, a thing you’d hoped would just go away that now, ‘in your face’, must be dealt with–it could distract from deeper, evolutionary shifts that occur, so that we only later see how much has changed, and what a revelation that change is.

‘The Oak’ By Issak Ilich Levitan c1880 {{PD}}

It all adds up to a kind of revolution, the nature of which is determined by the revelations received; they are instructions on how to empower ourselves in the most positive way possible, and suggest that tension or missteps arise directly from a failure to reconcile the nuts and bolts of the reality picture with our belief system and those things that are a part of our nature. What happens here is described in the Sabian symbol for the eclipse: ‘A Tree Felled And Sawed To Ensure A Supply Of Wood For The Winter’. A resource sacrificed to see us through coming tough times may be what we face with revolution, which is a systemic change meant to foster a better life in a better world–but always, there is a winter that precedes a flourishing spring, one that must be lived through, best we can, as Nature goes through Her cycles and humankind reorganizes into a new system. What happens with the Solar eclipse may be our symbolic supply of wood, meant to see us through a stressful period while the world is rearranged and healed, the terrain becoming ready to bloom around us once again.

Lunar Eclipse 31 January 2018 Emotional Intelligence

29 Monday Jan 2018

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, eclipse, Finger of God, forecast, Full Moon, Horoscope, Lunar Eclipse, Sabian Symbols

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‘Moon Over Dresden’ By Johan Christian Claussen Dahl 1826 {{PD}}

The Lunar eclipse of 31 January 2018 occurs at 5:27 AM Pacific time at 11 Leo 37, just two minutes past exact conjunction to asteroid Ceres, and acting as apex to a loose Finger of God with base of Black Moon Lilith (which is a point, of course, not a body) and Neptune; the Full Moon is also sesquiquadrate Chiron, but everything else is outside the orb for a Lunar event, even when that event is an eclipse.

Falling in Leo, the Full Moon suggests a completion, ending, or the consummation of something related either to the House matters in the individual chart where the eclipse occurs, or to the identity, the lion’s roar that makes a statement about who we are, and particularly about where our heart lies (Leo rules the heart). We are, then, at the time of a Full Moon, full of feeling, and this time that’s about ourselves, and how we fit into the emotional landscape.

An eclipse is an extreme; this one is apex to a Finger, which points to a blending of the creative, imaginative, spiritual, or delusional with those matters too long ignored, denied, or that have enraged us, with the result being the Lunar event, the Lunar extremity, the culmination or revelation with who we are at the center of it all. Facing what we’ve avoided in a creative way, or with a spiritual viewpoint, shows us who we are, especially emotionally; we could say that this Lunar eclipse reveals the state of our emotional intelligence, setting the stage for our responses through the coming six months, to the next Lunar eclipse.

The Lunar event happens conjoined Ceres, suggesting that the event itself is an experience of our own strength, the extents of our authority, or involves the overseeing of others or the negotiation of a particular situation. Ceres also implies the potential for the eclipse to bring a health related event, such as an allergic reaction; we see Ceres prominence right now with the virulence of the flu in the US. Ceres always speaks of power and Nature, and the relationship for the individual between the two; in this instance, the Lunar event carries this message within the Leonine expression that arises from Black Moon Lilith (the ignored, avoided, denied, or enraging) and Neptune (inspiration, the spiritual, the creative, the confusing, the deceptive).

Nature might make a statement at the Lunar eclipse, something concerning those things we’ve ignored or denied (climate change, anyone?) and what we’ve created of a Neptunian nature (to include pathogens fostered in a lab or inadvertently in an ever-warming environment). This may signal the rise of the seas, even though it will play out over time—or it may say that we might finally connect emotionally (the Moon) with Mother Earth in a meaningful way, one that moves us to save Her, emotional intelligence of another kind altogether.

Add to this a difficult aspect to Chiron, symbol of our primal wound, and of those gifts we possess that can offer healing to others (and since 2012, to ourselves, as well). The tension of the Finger, shown by the quincunxes, is channeled into the Lunar response, which itself is in conflict with something of a Chirotic nature: our wounds, someone else’s wound, or the deep need to share a healing skill, which may not be acceptable to others (this latter reflects that dynamic where someone has an issue, says they desire healing, but will not let go of their wound—often it’s too much a part of the identity, and in this case, the feeling nature may gain its sense of shape, depth, and even personal relevance—Leo–from this wound). Or, the exercise of creatively dealing with what we’ve avoided may unavoidably cause wounding or pain, to ourselves or others. In some way the wound impacts the Lunar expression, which is one of power or its lack, or of the relationship to Nature. It’s nothing short of what weaves us into the world, the Cosmos, ourselves as much a part of Nature as what we observe outside us.

Oda Krohg – ‘A Japanese Lantern’ 1885 {{PD}}

The Sabian Symbol for the Lunar eclipse is, ‘An Evening Party Of Adults On A Lawn Illumined By Fancy Lanterns’. This is a symbol of a kind of luxury, the freshness of a summer lawn, lanterns in the darkness, the company of other mature individuals, the sense of earned respite and relaxation. The scene carries a quality that may transport an adult back to childhood, or foster romantic sensibilities; in any case, the implication is that life is going well enough that the struggle can be set aside, at least temporarily, that Nature can be appreciated in a state (darkness) that we usually avoid—so in that way, suggests harmony with the environment, and a sense of security that allows us to move outside normal parameters. In the context of the Lunar eclipse, this might imply that whatever comes forward here makes a kind of statement about the individual (Leo) and their place within the natural order (Ceres), and that this is dictated by that interplay of Black Moon Lilith and Neptune, potentially drawing the Lunar result from the individual temperament (BML) and the spiritual orientation (Neptune).

With a Full Moon we also look at the Sun’s Sabian: ‘On A Vast Staircase Stand People Of Different Types, Graduated Upward’. As the body that generates the light that creates the Lunar phases in the first place, the Sun symbol offers hints as to the origins of the Lunar event. Here we see a kind of representation of humanity, with the implication that we are evolving ever upward (no matter how it looks down here on earth!) The staircase, of course, invokes the hackneyed metaphor of life as a climb, each step a movement upward, to a more advanced position—but that isn’t how life works—every step doesn’t take us up, it may not even take us forward—so this symbol may at bottom question suggest we set aside our assumption that we are ever evolving upward. We are ever evolving, true, but the path isn’t a straight one, so we should dump the metaphor in favor of just accepting the ride, rather than trying to measure how high we stand on the staircase.

And what about all that hyperventilating about the rarity of this Full Moon?

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.

 

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!