Category Archives: eclipse

A Blue New Year’s Eve: Lunar Eclipse Dec 31st 2009

23 Wednesday Dec 2009

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We end the year with a Blue Moon, a second Full Moon in a single calendar month; fun, colorfully describes a rarity, but doesn’t mean a lot astrologically, as calendars aren’t strict reflections of the Cosmos, but man-made measuring conveniences. Now that I’ve stomped all the fun out of this concept, I’ll just keep going: New Year’s Eve is also arbitrary–shouldn’t it fall at the last degree of Pisces (if you’re an astrologer) or on the last day of winter (if you’re a Wicca or Druid or anyone who loves and feels the Earth) or last day of summer (whichever way your summer goes, depending on hemisphere, if you live in a really hot place–there’s a reason both Arab and Indian astrologers named a too-close to the Sun placement severely weakened)?

But, if you’re like me, you may like to believe that there’s a reason the Collective has chosen this day to designate the end of our trip around the Sun. I like to believe that our mass agreement invests some days with a wee bit of magic, and this is one of them. Plus the use of the word ‘eve’ to describe the day before something else-it holds a sense of anticipation, of something’s coming get ready: Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve, All Hallow’s Eve, Eve of Destruction–you see what I mean.

So, I approach this Blue Moon, New Year’s Eve Eclipse like a hopeful robin looking for a worm on the astroturf–it all may be artificial, but there’s got to be something good here, too! Such a pile-up of man-designated ‘events’ with one indisputably not (the eclipse) puts me in a mood to go looking for the magic–here’s what I see, for the eclipse at 10 Cancer 14 December 31st at 11:12 AM PST:

The Full Moon is in Cancer, conjunct (of course) the Earth, and when we see that our strict two degree aspect rule for eclipses gets us nothing, we realize just how soft and nurturing the reflected light of Moon in Cancer can be. It will bathe us in a glow, and the larger aspects it makes (a generous 3.5 degree max) are soft and diffuse, too, not bringing the usual clarity and psychic punch that an eclipse holds, but instead riding in on the atmosphere like a mist (or fumes, or poison gas!)  Cancer holding a meeting of the Moon and the Earth, and the power of the alignment (even though it’s partial from our viewpoint) suggests that emotional and intuitive matters will ‘announce’ themselves through material and physical circumstances, and all will be in the Cancer mode: caring and caretaking, concerned, sensitive, especially to the moods and motives of others, and not entirely from a caring point, but from a selfish one, as well, as Cancer is always prone to feel emotionally vulnerable, with the worry that they will be abandoned in some form, or not cared for, behind much of their own offers of care (“I’ll love you and care for you now, and you’ll return the feeling and favor, won’t you?’ It’s interesting that Cancer takes an active, Cardinal approach to getting what it wants–but with the Cardinals we must remember that a sense of proportion and balance comes into play–and with Cancer, the energy wants back what it gave out–in a Cancer approach to things, that’s only right). Cancer may assume obligation to care back by anybody or thing they nurture or love–and that can be the fly in the ointment for the immature (and by that I mean entity who has not grown into the full meaning of the sign) Cancer energy. So we’ll all be swimming in a soft murk of Cancer energy–we just needed to know the possible pitfalls (as the positives about genuine care and support are obvious).

Even with liberal orbs, we get very little, but it does serve to tell us what will be lurking in that nursing, nurturing, I-care-so-much-it-hurts Cancer vibe. We have a trine from the Moon/ Earth to Pallas=wisdom and skills are in harmony with the eclipse energy–but this is a reflective, Moon energy, and we would be smart to ask a few questions (and Pallas gives us the ability–it’s up to us to do so wisely): I feel it, it seems smart, but is that light coming from you or me? Am I accepting your assertion as intelligent, as my own, when maybe it’s neither? Do I have the skills and acumen to undertake or understand what’s before me? Am I using my own inner wisdom in assessing the situation before me?

The Moon/ Earth combo is also square Zeus=the asteroid Zeus is one I’ve been studying intently of late, and what it represents, in general terms, is a fitting counterpoint to the female Juno, a largely male designator (though it has meaning for a woman, as well) keyed to ambition, power, authority and the temptation to abuse it, and wilfullness (see my upcoming in-depth analysis of Zeus in the first issue of my magazine, due in January!) This aspect suggests to me that we may divide up, ever so casually, into those who are receptive (for the Moon’s light has been received–and for some, this may come with the role of victim) and those who would wield the power and control (and for some this could be as abusers, in some sense). The aspect sets up a dynamic of those who care (or who pretend to) in conflict with those who, under the guise of partnership or fairness (Zeus in Libra) will try to take the reins for themselves. This won’t necessarily be nasty; it’s simply a recognition of the motivations of each, and the way that they’re bound to conflict (square).

And the Sun in the eclipse receives a conjunction from Venus, both in Capricorn. Venus kisses the Sun, but it’s likely to be a dry, papery kiss with business on its mind, or maybe with the goal of building or solidifying something (like a relationship). The real Venus moment comes with the exact conjunction of Venus to the Sun and Moon at the Solar Eclipse to follow two weeks later–until then, romance (in the largest sense) may have to take a back seat to other, likely power related, concerns.

Did we find the magic? Not exactly-but if we tap the genuine, Moon related, Cancer oriented bits within ourselves (especially in terms of the natal House where the Moon/ Earth meeting occurs) we can work a little magic in the soft light of the eclipse all on our own.

Also see Dipali Desai’s excellent article here http://celestialspace.wordpress.com/2009/12/27/be-here-now-full-moonlunar-eclipse-in-cancer-dec-31st-2009/

Lunar Eclipse August 5th 2009

04 Tuesday Aug 2009

Posted by in aspects and placements, astrology, current events in the sky, eclipse, Fist of God

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The eclipse occurs at 5:55 PM August 5th PDT, with the Moon and Earth conjunct at 13 AQ 43; technically, the eclipse itself starts a few minutes after exactitude, but I think it’s reasonable to look at the moment of first contact, so here we are. And what do we see? No contact, using our strict two degree orb rule, except for a puzzling semi-square to the Ascendant (a ‘So what?’ position), and a sesquiquadrate to the Part of Fortune. But, if we stretch our rule just a hair (and what are rules for, if not to stretch hairs over), we finda Fist of God, with sesquiquadrates to the Part of Fortune and Ceres (aka Mother Nature).  Ah! Now a picture is forming.

Am I reaching, using the Part of Fortune? Depends on how you feel about the use of the Arabic Parts in general, I guess, but for an ‘occasion’ (or an event, as I’m guessing this will be) it seems appropriate. Using it allows us to have some fun (or to frighten the bejezus out of ourselves, depending!)

So, the chart I’ve drawn is for Seattle, my current hometown, and eclipse time puts Pluto at 00 Cap–what’s built is destroyed, disruption to the status quo–just inside the 1st at a late Sagittarius Ascendant, which makes a tight quincunx to the South Node–what’s happened before will happen again? or is it what’s been destroyed before, etc?–with Part of Fortune exact on the Descendant. Hmmm. Add the Nodes in crisis at 29 degrees, the aforementioned Fist of God, with component Ceres spanking new in Libra–nature, balance, out of balance, at 00–and Ceres square to Pluto–stability lost, Mother Nature disrupted–are we looking at an earthquake chart?

Now, I don’t like to make predictions, because I believe that nothing, absolutely nothing, is set in stone, nor do I want to whip my readers into a frenzy, or earn the epithet ‘Crazy Julie’; but this is an intriguing pattern, worth noting–and if nothing happens, all the better, or the earthquakes are personal or symbolic–I’d be glad to be wrong.

I don’t want to expect a disaster, but with these measurements I might anticipate one, and my own research has matched contact to the angles with earthquake activity–but of course, there are zillions of contacts to the angles all day long–it just seems that when an earthquake does occur, there’s significant, precise contact–so stay safe, West Coasters! And no matter how flamingly wrong I am about this, the post will stay up–just so we can all laugh about it on the 6th. (Typically, I feel eclipse possibilities last through to the following set of eclipses–so perhaps we’ll just have more activity than usual, through New Year’s Eve/January 2010)
Also see Jude Cowell’s excellent take here http://2hrsyulnvrgetbck.blogspot.com/2009/08/mystic-rectangle-lunar-eclipse-in-aq.html

Earthquake activity http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsww/Quakes/quakes_all.html

Lucy knows what this means (see comments)

(see comments)

Solar Eclipse July 2009

18 Saturday Jul 2009

Posted by in aspects and placements, astrology, current events in the sky, eclipse

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Of the two Lunar eclipses and one Solar eclipse occurring in this set, the upcoming Solar one is the one to watch. Not literally, of course, as that will burn your eyes out (no wonder people were frightened of eclipses–there must have been plenty of village idiots who did just that–and who wouldn’t think it was God, or gods, or Baal, or Apollo, or Ra punishing those hubristic enough to stare into what in many cultures amounts to the face of God?) No, watch this Solar eclipse, promised in the Pacific time zone of North America at 7:33 PM the 21st of July, for the figurative burn it may bring.partial solar eclipse

The transiting Sun and Moon meet at 29 Cancer 26, an anaretic degree, and that signals the energies involved are both in a state of high stress. Why? Placement of any energy at an anaretic degree (the very earliest and latest of a sign) suggests that the body has traveled through the experience cycle of all preceding degrees of the sign–now the body is pressured to symbolically ‘finish up’ with the energy spectrum of the sign.  This means that any facets of the sign not experienced during the course of the transit now come forward, needing to be expressed in order to complete the experience cycle. In this case, the energies are Cancerian: of nurture, care, involved with others, nourishing, intrusive, emotional, intuitive, maternal, enveloping, sensitive, changeable or monthly. For all of us, the place in the natal chart where 29 degrees of Cancer falls (if this does not fall on a natal placement) will designate by House where we may be facing a crisis energy that blends the Cancer experience spectrum with the matters of the House.

Solar eclipseFor those with a natal placement at this degree (or within 2 degrees of it, either side), the crisis energy is much stronger, and specific to the manifestation of the natal body or point. By ‘crisis,’ however, I mean ‘need to face’ as it applies to the matters brought forward. If one is willing to be responsible, literally willing to respond, one need not suffer crisis or upset of any kind–in fact the impetus offered by the Solar eclipse energy can bring great leaps forward, particularly at the personal level, in illuminating all facets of a matter or issue, and endowing one with the energy and ‘sight’ to resolve it.

Other natal placements to which the eclipse is in hard aspect may share in the crisis energy (though to a lesser intensity or extent), with the aspect itself suggesting the way toward resolution. For instance, a square says that the eclipse will present an energy situation (related to both the 29 Cancer placement and the House in which this occurs) that is in conflict with the natal energy as it exists, and requires one to weigh, consider, and negotiate as one would with any square. Again, keep the aspect orb to 2 degrees or less, and as with the conjunction, a willingness to face the energy and deal with it can minimize or eliminate problems, and even turn them to your advantage.

Soft contacts to natal placements (sextiles, trines) offer to bolster the manifestation of the natal energy with the eclipse energy. We musn’t assume that this is uniformly positive, however, as ease in blending the two energies can bring forward a ‘path of least resistance’ manifestation that may effectively undermine our best interests. Control is the key with soft aspects, channeling them productively into assisting expression of the natal energy while remaining attentive to implications and ramifications of the interaction.

The eclipse itself makes a few aspects: a quincunx to Pluto, and a conjunction to the South Node in Leo (with complementary opposition to the North Node). Whenever we have an eclipse, it’s important to look at the pattern it forms with other transiting bodies, as this tells us something about the effects we can expect; the contacts the eclipse makes are essentially part and parcel of the ‘eclipse package’ we experience. A quincunx to Pluto suggests that the crisis energy of the eclipse will run deep, be intense, transformative, and perhaps a little dangerous or disturbing, unearthing secrets or things we’d rather leave buried. This aspect may make us feel that the eclipse itself is dangerous or disruptive, but this is the energy of the eclipse feeding through and adjusting (the quincunx) to the active energy of transiting Pluto, and to our senses there may be no distinction.orbital view solar eclipse

The Solar eclipse conjunct the South Node in Leo brings in elements of the past and our place in it. Identity issues are ‘lit up’ by the eclipse, and the South Node itself is at an anaretic degree (but this time in the opposite situation to the eclipse–here the South Node is back at the seminal moment of our past that helped form our identity, our creative sense of Self–00 Leo).

We can expect matters of the Self, our origins in the past, and secrets or change, to be the eclipse effect for all of us, with reference to the House where the eclipse occurs; those with a natal hook must figure in the natal effect, as well, using common sense and positioning oneself mentally to make the most of available energies. And remember, Dark of the Moon precedes the eclipse, meaning that we may all be feeling a little more ‘in the dark’ than we’d like beginning about evening PDT of the 18th, with illumination coming on the New Moon, as it always does.

lightningAn  eclipse is really an opportunity to put lightning in a bottle; let’s do our best to use the energy wisely.

And I love you all, but please, no questions about personal eclipse situations in the comments section–I’m available for single question assessments for only $25, and full eclipse reports for $50, email me at juliedemboski@hotmail.com  Thanks!

Sorry–can’t seem to get the post to capture the chart any bigger without cutting some off–will continue to try to remedy. You can blow it up through your browser, a little fuzzy but readable.

Solar Eclipse July 2009

A Few Thoughts on the Eclipse, Sarah Palin, the Magic Number 50, and Sweeney Todd

06 Monday Jul 2009

Posted by in current events in the sky, eclipse

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One thing it would be good to keep in mind about the eclipse is that it’s just a Full Moon, the alignment of which creates an extraordinary view of the line up from here on Earth–so it’s the same event we get on a monthly basis, it’s only our perspective that makes it special. Full Moons are traditionally periods of culmination, so I think it’s only natural, maybe found in our DNA, or our Collective memory, or perhaps a result of the Moon’s pull on the sea elements of the bloodstream, that causes us to be alert, to be looking for, if not danger, then unanticipated change and effect. It’s a primal call we’re feeling right now, on the eve of the event; we must honor the need to be attentive, to be ready to respond, while still remembering that we’ve lived through a lot of eclipses, and chances are we’ll live through quite a few more. eclipse

When on Friday Alaska governor Sarah Palin announced she was stepping down from the post later this month, I had to take a look at her chart, because with someone who likes (and abuses, see ‘Troopergate’) power as much as this woman does, resigning an influential and visible position doesn’t make sense. I used data from Astrodatabank, which rates her info as ‘DD’ dirty data, unreliable for one or more reasons, in this case conflicting possible times (11 February 1964  9:43 PM  Sandpoint Idaho USA). I’ll make just a few notes here: first thing that jumped out is that she’s been long-term experiencing transiting Chiron/ Neptune/ Jupiter on her natal gathering of the Sun, Mars, and Saturn in Aquarius, certainly suggesting the possibility of painful times, and circumstances that make it very difficult to know who she is with any certainty (irony alert: and yet, one of her major talking points both during the campaign and now is that she does know precisely who she is–perhaps the lady doth protest too much). Transiting Saturn is quincunx Jupiter, transiting Pluto is square Venus–both offer scenarios of the need to change, one through modification of public image/ contact to suit reality or goals, the other through change (perhaps drastic) to what she values, to relationships, to finances.

You didn't really want to see another picture of Sarah Palin, did you?

You didn't really want to see another picture of Sarah Palin, did you?

All well and good, certainly supporting the move; but then I looked to Solar Arcs, and a different picture emerged. She’s 45 years old, and that puts everything in the natal chart by Solar Arc (with some variation dependent on time of year of birth) semi-square its natal position, and in the process filled in some interesting blanks, a few of which I’ll note here. The admittedly unreliable Ascendant comes to conjunction with the natal Pallas/ Juno conjunction–this suggests a personal need to connect with circumstances of Self-empowerment and that allow the exercise of the Self’s wisdom and skills. How does this mesh with the idea of giving up a governorship? It doesn’t, unless one sees empowerment in going back to school, perhaps, or if one sees the potential for greater empowerment elsewhere–ah-ha, perhaps we’re on to something!

Solar Arc movement also brings natal Venus from sesquiquadrate with natal Neptune to a full opposition; I don’t think there’s a transit that exists that’s more likely than hard contact between Venus and Neptune to lead the individual down the primrose path (for you youngsters, we’ll call it ‘fantasy lane’!) And we should note that natally Ms. Palin has a Mystic Rectangle involving the Nodes, Chiron, and her Pluto/ Uranus conjunction, suggesting, perhaps, a compulsion to act from hurt, to see one’s Chirotic endowments and individuality as having a ‘destined’ quality, and giving a remarkable ability to rise Phoenix-like from the ashes. Clearly, we haven’t seen the last of her.

The number of prominent deaths recently has been nearly overwhelming, but one thing that drew my attention was that both Michael Jackson and pitchman Billy Mays were 50 years old. It would’ve just seemed an oddity if not for astrology, as death at or near the 50 year mark suggests Chiron involvement, with its cycle around the individual chart of approximately 51.5 years (but this varies quite a bit depending on placement). Barabara Hand Clow puts forward in her seminal book on Chiron that the hard contacts of Chiron to itself are potential exit points in the life, and the more I see the more I agree that these points are indeed times when we may choose to move on. Something to ponder on: “What dreams may come, when we have shuffled off this mortal coil, must give us pause.” William Shakespeare’s HAMLET

I saw Tim Burton’s ‘Sweeney Todd’ again recently, the first and only time previous having been in the theatre when it Sweeney Toddwas released. I remembered the movie more clearly and vividly than is typical for me, except for the ending, which took me completely by surprise. I was stunned, depressed, and moved, and though the tragic nature of the circumstances of vengeance, unrequited love, and the murder of what one was seeking all along is on it’s own sad, I think it had an effect on me because it was, really, a lot like life; nobody got out of that pie shoppe unscathed, and nobody gets out of here alive! A morbid note to end on, I know, but I recall the first time the idea that ‘nobody gets out of here alive’ clicked for me with life itself; it made me laugh, and also pointed up our tendency to behave as if, indeed, it’s a desperate situation–and it led me to, every day, re-dedicating my energy to behaving as if it’s not.

Have a great Monday, everyone!

See my books here http://dogandsunflower.wordpress.com

Lunar Eclipse July 7th 2009

04 Saturday Jul 2009

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, eclipse

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This may be a hangin’ offense, but I’m not only not seeing the upcoming eclipses as linked, I’m looking at them as separate events–and the first one, on the 7th at 2:21 AM PDT (point of the Full Moon, with eclipse beginning slightly after) at 15 Capricorn 24, helps me make my point, as the eclipse bodies make no exact contact to any other body. That doesn’t mean that nothing’s going on; there’s a lot of action, it’s just not related to the eclipse! When an eclipse makes no contact to other bodies, it seems to me to make an isolated energy statement that in effect locates all the eclipse energy and influence within natal contact; in other words, if it doesn’t make close connection to something in the natal chart, it probably won’t be felt at all.

Now, I know that view will be a disappointment to some, heresy to others, and seen as just plain wrong by a few (or many!) but all I can do is go with what I see–so here it is. I believe that other action occurring at the same time as the eclipse could easily be seen as being generated by or triggered by the eclipse–and certainly the extreme energy of an eclipse may influence the atmosphere at least as much as any Moon in hard aspect to the Sun does. That said, I see the significant energy elsewhere, though there are plenty of others who are taking the eclipse in a specific way (such as comparing it to the US chart)  or are seeing it in a broad-pattern of eclipse activity that gives a different and valuable perspective.

Maybe I’m not able to connect to the meaning of this eclipse because it will semi-sextile my Ascendant–maybe the personal effect is that I try to intellectualize (Aquarius) what should be felt–and certainly the effect for me will be to illuminate something about my own personality (Sun quincunx Ascendant). But I digress; here’s where I think the action will be:

Mercury and Vesta will be exactly conjunct on the day of the eclipse, at 7 Cancer. This suggests communication difficulties with many possibilities–and I say difficulties because, even though a conjunction isn’t inherently negative or positive, a union of communication matters with the energy of the sacred implies a likelihood of strong defensiveness concerning one’s message, thoughts, or ideas. We may allow no criticism or disagreement, and may see our pronouncements as inviolate–what we think seems to us to be not just ;the Truth,’ but to represent a concept that may not be challenged–and this is shown further by the Mars exact square to Jupiter/ Neptune and semi-sextile to Uranus, suggesting a hair-triggered (and perhaps intellectually based) readiness to defend our beliefs/ fantasies/ ideals, and also by a Finger of God with Pluto apex and quincunxes to Venus and the South Node that implies it may be values or relationships from the past that bring forward an urge to destruction or change, perhaps aimed at others, who are of course defending those sacred ideas–a roundabout that could become frenetic with the energy of a Full Moon polarity charging the atmosphere.

Also exact at this time is a semi-sextile from Pallas to Saturn that could urge us in the direction of trying to give wisdom or skills a physical manifestation, and a Fist of God with Pallas as apex and sesquiquadrates from Pluto and Juno–here the wisdom or skills we own may require both Self-empowerment and the flexibility to change or transform ourselves or our circumstances in order to effectively come forward.

Overall, I’m expecting a burst of righteous opinion-assertive and defensive energy that plays like the accidental setting-off of leftover 4th of July fireworks–and the odd thing may be that most of us will feel we’re being reasonable, simply standing up for what’s truly important to us. A Cancer/ Capricorn eclipse dichotomy suggests to me the image of water flowing around a rock–no matter how insistent or forceful the flow, the rock is not immediately changed (though it may be lifted and carried to a new place). The Sabian symbol for the lunar eclipse degree (Dane Rudhyar) is ‘School grounds filled with boys and girls in gymnasium suits’ suggesting the need for an organized outlet for physical energy–and perhaps hinting at a way to channel what otherwise might cause strife and discord (possibly of an adolescent variety, as referenced by the image) if left on its own.

The Sabian for the Sun at the eclipse point is ‘A man studying a mandala in front of him, with the help of a very ancient book’  To my mind this points to Pallas’ active role at the moment of eclipse, implying that accessing wisdom (no matter the source) is what’s needed to fathom the meaning of the Universal pattern worked out before us, the mandala of the image.

As I look around and find material on the eclipse I’ll add links; start with this one by Jude Cowell http://judecowell.wordpress.com/2009s-two-solar-eclipses-11-north11-south-jan-july/ and for another view, try Beth Turnage’s site http://www.astrologyexplored.com/july-monthly-forecast-the-eclipse-is-coming-the-eclipse-is-coming/ and here from Lauren Lesko http://laurenlesko.com/6573  Stats on the eclipse here http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/LEplot/LEplot2001/LE2009Jul07N.pdf  and see Neith and Pat’s take here http://realastrologers.com/?p=816 View April Kent Elliot’s take on things here http://bigskyastrology.com/bloggish/2009/07/06/full-moonlunar-eclipse-in-capricorn-live-and-learn/

Eclipse, February 2009

07 Saturday Feb 2009

Posted by in aspects and placements, astrology, Chiron, current events in the sky, Earth, eclipse, Moon, Sun, Venus

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february-lunar-eclipse-2009The second part of the Aquarius/ Leo Eclipse set occurs on February 9th at 6:49 AM at 21 Leo 00 (I want to note an unsatifying amount of confusion I’ve found over just when this occurs, and the exact degree reading, and I suspect the actual eclipse moment is slightly later, but for our purposes, this will do–see comments for more on this–and note that witty reader max calls this ‘The Drunken Eclipse,’ with good symbolic reason, see comments), and brings forward an intriguing pattern: the Moon/ Earth conjunction is semi-sextile Saturn, which makes it quincunx the Sun, notably conjunct Chiron at this time; the Sun/ Chiron conjunction has its own semi-sextile, to Uranus, which of course is quincunx the Moon/ Earth combo. So we have a kind of net drawn across the Eclipse, two anchors in the form of  a pair of what could be characterized as opposites, forces that have recently been in long-term opposition. This may suggest that the Saturn/ Uranus struggle, both personally and society-wide, will lay a gentle web of insistence across the Eclipse energy, each with its own view. Saturn says, I can bring even more stability, and a sense of authority and permanence, to those who vibe to the blending of Earth and Moon, to those who equate emotional sustenance and security with the material; from those who are enveloped in the unity of Sun/ Chiron, Saturn in Virgo requires adjustment and an accounting of the details–‘If you want to feel safe, pin down the identity and put boundaries on the Soul Purpose! (and maybe, just a little, fear that you are a crippled Soul!)’

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Eclipse, January 2009

03 Tuesday Feb 2009

Posted by in aspects and placements, astrology, current events in the sky, Dark of the Moon, eclipse, forecast, future events in the sky

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solar-eclipse-january-20092The next annular Solar Eclipse occurs January 25th at 11:59:44 PM PST at 6 Aquarius 30 (note that the eclipse starts slightly after the actual New Moon). Keeping orbs very tight (approx. 1-1.5 degrees) we have three aspects: a conjunction of the Sun and Moon to Jupiter; a square to Vesta; and a trine to Pallas. The character of the Eclipse is big, exaggerated, and if it aspects natal placements, I would anticipate that the time through to the next eclipse set (in July-August ’09) will carry a similar tone on a personal level of ‘bigness,’ relative to the energies aspected. For instance, if it hits your Venus by close orb (especially if the aspect is ‘hard,’ a conjunction, semi-square, square, sesquiquadrate, or opposition–even a semi-sextile can irritate) you may see months of overblown importance of love and/ or money, or secondarily an exaggeration of the subjects of the Houses Venus rules natally.

As it is, all of us may find ourselves wrestling (yes, I think the sheer largeness and push of the energy will cause upset) with Aquarian ideals; it may be a matter of each of us feeling the ‘New Age’ is here in some respect, and going gung-ho with our personal agendas. These could center on a fresh (for us) approach to academics (as in attempting to bring Ivory tower principles to everyday existence), inventiveness and innovation applied to life circumstances, rebellion from what is (with its own particular danger of pointlessness and potential for destruction), and a strong desire to push one’s own specific brand of ‘group think’ on others. What’s the result? Likely real difficulties and clashes due to our tendency to fail to respect what’s sacred to others, what may be considered their ‘home turf,’ and I wouldn’t be terribly surprised to see a rash (so to speak!) of infidelities of one kind or another, all indicated by the Eclipse’s square to Vesta.

None of this sounds like good news, but we can take a different tack, choose a different reaction, via the Eclipse’s trine to Pallas. This offers us a source of wise information (Pallas in Gemini), a network that will support good choices, as well as venues through which to develop and exercise our skills. The implication is that, if we concentrate on what we can do, what we can offer that speaks of our most meaningful and useful traits and talents, then we can for the most part avoid the brouhaha that may follow those who carry the banner of a cause, no matter how just, as they will definitely be inclined to overlook the rights of others.

Dane Rudhyar describes this degree in An Astrological Mandala as ‘A Child is seen being born out of an egg.’ He refers of course to the ancient symbol of the Cosmic Egg, out of which the Universe was said to have been born, and out of which a new one is said to be symbolically emerging. This suggests a number of possibilities, including that the philosophies that come forward at this time are free of past prejudices, biases, and traditions, very Aquarian in that sense; and yet, as a symbol of global ‘newness,’ this degree also implies a loss of both localness (and thus relevance to the everyday life of each of us) and the care and maturity that comes with accumulated knowledge and experience. So, for the coming few months through to the next Eclipse set, we may find ourselves and/ or those around us inclined to trade what we know for what we hope is better, with a likely mixed result, and the best outcomes promised to those who serve at a practical and useful level.

Minor aspects of this Eclipse include a pair of semi-squares to Venus and Uranus, and a sesquiquadrate to Saturn, all of which reinforce the difficulty with boundaries and Self-control, the values anomalies and challenges to both relationships and finances that can be expected with the above-described mentality ascendant, and a drive toward the Aquarian that is at once refreshing and unnerving.

Try image interpretation for this Eclipse set: http://starsoverwashington.blogspot.com/2009/01/jan-26-solar-eclipse-leads-to-lunar.html And add this enlightening take on the Solar Eclipse to follow in July: http://starsoverwashington.blogspot.com/2009/01/solar-eclipse-29-cancer-72209.html

Will post the second half of the Eclipse material later–have a great Wednesday! By the way, Dark of the Moon begins late night the 22nd PST–no matter what you are doing for the three days preceding the New Moon, take a meditative approach, and don’t try to launch any new ventures.

More eclipse info available here  http://celestialspace.wordpress.com/2009/01/16/new-moonsolar-eclipse-in-aquarius-on-january-25th26th-2009oc/

Eclipse Babies

31 Thursday Jul 2008

Posted by in aspects and placements, astrology, eclipse

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So we think we’re tense in the hours before an eclipse? What if you carried that energy for your entire life? That’s in essence what happens to those born on an eclipse; they come into their life on Earth charged with the intensity, and perhaps shadowed by, eclipse energy. My theory is that those born under a Solar Eclipse may be the source of tumultuous events in their own life scenario, while those who arrive under a Lunar Eclipse may experience the chaos as swirling around them, reflected (appropriate for the Moon) in surrounding events. I’ve only just begun to explore this idea, so stay tuned for further discussion.

Right now let’s look at a Lunar Eclipse baby around whom plenty of trauma and drama has swirled in her lifetime: Gloria Vanderbilt (Feb 20 1924, 9:55 AM, New York USA, Placidus). Known in 1930’s media as the ‘Poor Little Rich Girl,’ Gloria was the subject of a volatile, protracted, and very public custody battle for possession of herself and her millions upon the death of her father when she was an infant (possibly signified by Pluto, retrograde at birth, which continued backward progress for only about another month, then turned and passed back over the birth point). Ms. Vanderbilt was unusual for the time, early on attempting a career, first as a painter, then a textile designer, and finally as one of the original American designers who rose to fame in the 1970s as entrepreneurs who popularized the designer label on mass market goods. All Ms. Vanderbilt’s career choices are amazingly faithful to her Taurus Ascendant (and the Swan she chose as her symbol is also a good fit), ruler Venus in Aries (Self-assertion) in the unconscious/ Collective 12th, widely conjunct Chiron (working out wounds through beauty?) and to her Pisces Sun at 00 degrees, conjunct the South Node (the past influences the identity and Soul path), ruler Neptune in Leo in mutual reception, trine Venus ruler Mars which is conjunct Jupiter in 8th (receiving the support of others, expansive and active imagination that powers the Will), and suggesting she knew innately how to expand her audience, and to make her inheritance grow. The Sun is also semi-square Chiron, implying that the primal wound will be experienced to some extent through the discovery of the ‘I am.’

For the other side of the birth Lunar Eclipse we see the Moon at 00 Virgo, making this a very tight pattern, almost like you’d expect a little ‘ding, I’m here!’ on the child’s arrival! The Moon is conjunct Earth and the North Node (of course, contact to the Nodes is an eclipse!), hinting that both the destiny and the material experience will be inexorably entwined with the emotional Beingness; add to this a semi-square of the Moon/ Earth to Juno, and we see that this was, for her, the way to empowerment, and perhaps also instrumental in realizing, like the goddess Juno, that she could not personally control everything. This latter idea is tragically apparent with the suicide of one of her sons, who threw himself from the 14th floor family apartment right in front of his mother; she has three other sons, one of whom is reporter Anderson Cooper.

A varied marriage history does suggest recurring emotional changes, if not turmoil, and supports the Lunar Eclipse theory. She had a short, early marriage to a Hollywood agent; a second to conductor Leopold Stokowski, 40 years her senior, with whom she had two sons and from whom she parted amicably some years later; a third to producer/ director Sydney Lumet; and a fourth to Wyatt Cooper, with whom she had two more sons, and who died on the operating table, leaving Ms. Vanderbilt a widow.

Though we can’t know with any certainty that Ms. Vanderbilt sees her life as tempestuous, and herself subject to a high drama factor in events outside her direct control, we can guess that many of the events of her life at the very least required a strong character just to survive them, and her business success of course required another kind of energy and strength, equally vital for the secure development of the Self, especially important for someone with the Sun at 00 degrees.

The August Eclipses, 2008

28 Monday Jul 2008

Posted by in aspects and placements, astrology, current events in the sky, eclipse, Moon

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The August Eclipse set will fire us up (Leo) and present us with a distinct mental challenge (Aquarius): do we put ourselves first, or do we go with the group? For some, this will translate into an even more personal dynamic, with a twist: the dilemma will be between weighing the efficacy of what we must do to earn individual glory, versus the temptation to rebel against group demands, which offer an implied glory for the individual (likely of a reflective nature, where the individual basks in the glory of group achievement or ascendancy), just without the personal ‘spotlight’ effect. So, the essence of the eclipse influence will be a measuring of action (Fire) in terms of a kind of ‘attention payoff,’ with the main question involving whether the choices must be independent and Self-focused to attain Self-glory, or whether acts must comply with what the group thinks, wants, requires in order to earn its acclaim.

The total Solar eclipse of August 1st occurs at 3:12 AM PDT at 9 Leo 32, and is part of a single configuration; the Sun/Moon conjunction, opposed Earth, forms a T-square with Vesta in Taurus (see previous entry for other aspects active at this point). A fire lights us from within as the Moon and Sun meet; the aspect pattern says we will assess our material situation to see how this fits with the urge to act, and it also implies our conflicts in this regard will be presented by the home situation, the sex life, and/ or those subjects we hold sacred. That’s a formidable challenge, and one that is at the core of who we are; in order to successfully negotiate the eclipse energy, we must determine what our essential sacred values are, and then we must act accordingly. This is, however, only the initial phase of the set, and so we look to the Lunar eclipse that follows for clues as to how this scenario will play out.

The two weeks between the eclipse points will be fraught with tension, at least as regards our personal ambitions and our urge to forward our own cause. Though some may paint this as too much Self-focus, too vain, it is an absolutely appropriate response–no time should be wasted in judging ourselves for what occupies our attention. Instead we must make a concerted effort to understand our priorities, and what we need to fulfill the Leonine desire for acclaim. Focus on the Leo related elements of your natal chart will outline the methods, venues, and most effective approach(es) that you can take in dealing with the initial eclipse energy. During the two week interim both Mercury and Venus move from Leo to Virgo, and gently move our processing abilities from concentration on ego needs to the categorization and details that will help us implement the actions we’ve discovered we must take in order to thrive. When each of these energies meets Saturn (Mercury the 15th, Venus the 13th) be prepared to be presented with either an actual material manifestation of the action-need, or with an idea or concept that will point the way to fulfillment–either way, it will be solid; the only thing preventing successful use will be an unwillingness to recognize what’s come to us.

The partial Lunar eclipse (Full Moon) arrives at 2:15 PM PDT on August 16th at 24 Aquarius 21. Is a partial eclipse less powerful than a total one? I like to think so, simply because ‘total’ suggests an overwhelming influence we can’t avoid, while ‘partial’ gives us wiggle room, and possibly implies that some will remain largely unaffected by this contact unless it also aspects a personal natal placement or point.

This is a meshing of Moon and Earth, a blending of emotion/ intuition and the material; the Sun in opposition puts ego and Soul urges ‘out there,’ either in direct contrast to, or unavailable or unrelated to, the Moon/ Earth combo. The Soul/ ego/ identity becomes ‘the Other,’ and our focus becomes the emotional reaction to the material surroundings/ situation. We look to the feeling reality to guide us in material choices; the sensibilities respond to the unseen behind the physical world and the everyday object. We can make decisions about material matters with uncanny emotional accuracy at this point, if we can allow intuition to work ‘in the moment’–trying to get intuitive insight ahead of the game means we will be relying on every faculty except the intuitive–keep this in mind if you happen to be one who finds it difficult to walk into something without your mind already made up.

At Lunar Eclipse time we also see Mars exactly square Pluto and sextile Ceres, Chiron less than one degree from conjunction with the North Node, and Venus exact trine Vesta. Less precise in aspect, but still of note, are Ceres sesquiquadrate Juno and quincunx Pluto. These aspects suggest the atmosphere we’ll face as we are immersed in the emotional/ material meld. The ego Self will be bent on destruction or transformation, either in concert with or on its own authority; action feels both necessary and justified, but that authortiy on which we rely, whether personal or external, may need adjustment in order to truly be in our own best interests, the kind that keep us empowered, and again, the destruction/ transformation urge is linked with this. With Chiron/ NN and Venus trine Vesta we see elements of (misperceived) fatedness or woundedness, and a possibly too-adamant reverence for the sacred, enter the mix. These can make us intractable, unreasonable, and can give the ego too strong a foothold on the action, as it uses what we hold dear to justify nearly anything it wants. On the positive side, we may see Chirotic skills brought to the fore, and a true appreciation for relationships/ assets; we may even profit from events.

Though eclipse effects are strongest at the event itself, influences will play out through to the next eclipse set in January/ February 2009. Matters of Self, Self-promotion, and absorption/ resistance to the group will be recurring themes; look to the Houses of the natal chart where the eclipses occur for the areas of your life mostly likely to be affected.

Watch the eclipse here: http://oregonspacegrant.wordpress.com/2008/07/24/view-a-full-solar-eclipse-webcast-live-at-omsi-august-1-2008/

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