Category Archives: Solar Eclipse

The Eclipses of July-August 2018

02 Monday Jul 2018

Posted by in astrology, eclipse, forecast, Full Moon, future events in the sky, Lunar Aspects, Lunar Eclipse, New Moon, Sabian Symbols, Solar Eclipse

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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.

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

20 Sunday Aug 2017

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

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

This is re-published from earlier. Have a safe and joyous eclipse experience!

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.

 

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 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

7-8 March 2016 and the Solar Eclipse

06 Sunday Mar 2016

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, Dark of the Moon, Sabian Symbols, Solar Eclipse, The Daily Word Image

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By Carroll Jones III or carrolljonesoriginals.com, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=46450858

By Carroll Jones III or carrolljonesoriginals.com, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=46450858

Just a couple of notes on aspects perfecting today; the big show is with the eclipse, of course, which arrives here on the Western US coast on the 8th. Since we’re in the Dark of the Moon right now, we are more open to sensing than to reasoning–and we really feel like that in approach to a Total Solar Eclipse. While our eyes (and our sensitive ‘feelers’) are on the Moon, Vesta will quietly enter Taurus–and probably bring emphasis to the material needs and comforts, especially those related to the Lunar event, though Venus square Sedna may temporarily interfere with that emotional and intuitive signal, putting finances and relationships, for just a little while, beyond easy understanding (or at the very least, complicating our feelings toward them). We also see Juno trine Ceres, bringing balance to relationships between powerful or dynamic women, and also between our need for power and what we must do (or compromise) to obtain it; those aspects are all on the 7th.

By the 8th we’ll also have Vesta contra-parallel Zeus, which may tip our attention and efforts in the direction of honoring what’s really important to us, rather than toward pursuing goals; it may seem that relationships and causes to which we’re dedicated must be seen to first. We also see Saturn sextile Pallas, connecting the smart choice to what’s practical or wise–and possibly suggesting that we can learn what’s smart by observation of what is, of the rules, and/ or by noting what’s solid and dependable. And then there’s the eclipse.

Solar Eclipse 8 March 2016 5:54 PM Pacific Standard Time at 18 Pisces 55

In energy terms, eclipses wipe out what came before. They clean the slate and write a new energy equation on it, one that describes the general influence and tone of Sun (consciousness) and Moon (emotions) in interaction. This may build on what came before, or obliterate it—we can only know which for the individual by inspection of the eclipse impact in the natal chart—but in any case the pair of eclipses brings a shift in tone that extends through to the next eclipse set, in about six months. The New and Full events are always separated by two weeks, but not necessarily in that order. They shake-up and realign, and the change they bring can be subtle as a breeze, or shocking as an earthquake that drops the ground beneath our feet.

A New Moon eclipse brings a kind of ‘super-birth’, a brand new energy direction that sees the inception of many beginnings themed to the sign and aspects of the Lunar event; a Full Moon eclipse brings something to closure, again related to placement and aspects. Sometimes the Full Moon presents as a finish, a fait accompli, an ending or boundary past which we can go no further, or it shows us a culmination of events and their result; when the Full Moon is an eclipse, we add to this a sense of finality that may remove something or someone from ours lives for good. We must remember, too, that with a Full Moon, we may find the seeds of new beginnings, as when one thing ends it invariably leaves an empty energetic ‘space’, into which something new always, eventually, goes.

With a New or Full Moon we keep orbs as close as possible, simply because we want a crisp picture of Lunar effects. For a Solar Eclipse (a New Moon, the alignment of which finds Earth, Sun, and Moon along the same plane, with the Moon between the Earth and Sun) we allow a slightly more generous span; we respect the intensity the event generates, we feel our primal senses give a little ‘jump’ as the Moon moves between us and the Sun and blackens in relief against the Sun’s glowing corona, and through the experience are just a little more acutely aware of our connection to Nature. Even being able to explain the mechanism of the event doesn’t divest it of mystery. It makes sense, then, that we use bigger orbs for the aspects this impressive alignment forms.

The Pisces Solar Eclipse/ New Moon of 2016 conjoins Chiron (only one minute less than 2 degrees apart) and Ceres (with a gap of just over 3 degrees), and falls close to (off by only 42 minutes) exact opposition to Jupiter. Normally we don’t consider semi-sextiles unless they’re tight, but we have one today, to Uranus. The eclipse also sextiles Pluto, is widely trine Juno, and quincunxes Zeus, though the orb is too big to also include Zeus’ companion in Libra, Black Moon Lilith. We also see a T-square, with Saturn the arm to the opposition of the eclipse (Moon-Sun) to the combination of Earth conjoined Jupiter (and we might note that since the Earth is always precisely opposed the Sun, we wouldn’t be noting it here except for the involvement of Jupiter).

With the eclipse closely conjoined Chiron and Ceres we can expect a new state surrounding a wound (and this may involve healing or fresh wounding), associated especially with the primal wound our natal Chiron represents, or one keyed to our personal expression of power, talent, or authority, especially as it comes through a natural role, or through what we might describe as a gift (for instance, through being a parent, or as a man or woman at a biological/ social level, or in our role within the Arts or in whatever way we display our talents), and this may come about through material circumstances (Earth) created by the social order or their representative entities (Jupiter—religious or educational institutions, ‘foreign’ governments) and their judgments, or by current material facts (also Jupiter in the Earth sign Virgo).

This wound-related or power-related event may show us our socially or materially-imposed limits (the Saturn square) that will spur or create change (Pluto), which is ultimately empowering to us (Juno), though this empowerment requires adjustment to our goals, ambitions, and desires (Zeus)—this adjustment may require enhanced discipline or acquiescence to the rules (Saturn)—and the whole thing may come as something of a surprise (Uranus). What occurs likely springs spontaneously (Uranus) out of older circumstances (the Saturn T-square may even imply an age-old struggle of some kind) that point us in a new direction, either through an experience of hurt, or an experience of healing (both Chiron), and the way these reflect our personal power situation and natural authoritative roles (Ceres). The new start is empowering and possibly status-conferring, especially if we form a new partnership (Juno), and forces modification of our desires and ambitions (Zeus), as they will have to change (Pluto) to accommodate the new direction (the New Moon eclipse).

The Sabian for this eclipse is, ‘A Master Instructing His Disciple’. This suggests an inflow of information from which we may benefit, that matures us and makes us more adept in some area, specifically an area we are trying to master, than we were before. The ‘super-birth’ relates to applying our attention and effort to a discipline or body of knowledge, of being accepted into or initiated into a Knowledge Tradition that shares the accumulated experiences of all who walked the Path ahead of us. An example of what we are to become (‘A Master’) is before us; how then does this change our ambitions and goals? We receive, in one form or another, something akin to the wisdom of the Universe in the Solar Eclipse event, passed on by one who knows and shares this with us, and no matter what it appears to be on the surface, what happens or develops at this time will in the end be fortuitous for us, taking us a step farther along the Path, either enhancing our expertise or our personal development.

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

Lunar crater Daedalus. We know what happened to him, right? Stay away from the Sun, kids! {{PD}}

Lunar crater Daedalus. We know what happened to him, right? Stay away from the Sun, kids! {{PD}}

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

The Word image for this period through the eclipse is ‘Two individuals argue, not realizing they’re saying the same thing’. Sometimes we are so busy making our point that we don’t hear what’s coming at us. An eclipse can, in the same way, block our clear perceptions of something, most likely matters found in the House of the natal chart where it falls. Don’t react too strongly during this period, as in a very short time full light (and so our perceptions) will be restored.

The Upcoming Eclipses of March 2016

29 Monday Feb 2016

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

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Rider by John Bauer 1914 {{PD}}

Rider by John Bauer 1914 {{PD}}

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

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Solar Eclipse 12 September 2015: Through Our Skin

11 Friday Sep 2015

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

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

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

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

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

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

John Atkinson Grimshaw {{PD}}

John Atkinson Grimshaw {{PD}}

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

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

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

Solar Eclipse 12 September 2015

Total Solar Eclipse 20 March 2015: Eclipse of the Gods

17 Tuesday Mar 2015

Posted by in astrology, Dark of the Moon, ECLIPSE magazine, Fist of God, New Moon, Solar Eclipse, T-Square

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Gustave Doré 'Andromeda' 1869 {{PD}}

Gustave Doré ‘Andromeda’ 1869 {{PD}}

Moment of meeting of the Sun and Moon occurs at 2:37 AM PDT of the 20th at 29 Pisces 27, with the eclipse officially beginning just a hair after. The New Moon makes a wide sextile to Ceres, and a square to Pallas, which fills in the base of a Fist of God, apex Jupiter, and also creates a T-square with the Sun-Moon/ Earth axis; a panoply of ancient gods are involved, each having a say in what is born at this time, each contact suggesting that what came before with that energy is eclipsed, wiped out, or superseded. The NM is a conception point, the placement of which (in the 29th degree) signals that a new beginning is coming at a point of supreme stress; things must reach maximum tension in order for the new beginning to form at all. That means that some who are able to avoid that point of nearly unbearable strain may not receive the kind of wipe-out and new start that those who almost drown (this is a Water event, after all) will; theirs may be much more subtle, with changes playing out over the six months between this event and the next Solar eclipse.

The change is gentle with Ceres, which represents our personal authority, power, territory, a somewhat maternal inclination to overstep boundaries, and our capacity to negotiate (which at least in part rests in our own confidence; someone frightened or powerless surrenders or attacks—someone personally empowered negotiates). We adjust our boundaries, perhaps re-assign territories or re-claim some of our own, and we may take a step back (or forward) concerning relationships where caretaking and responsibility lie at least somewhat in our sphere. Too, the presence of Ceres in the equation can suggest that Nature itself will exert an influence, whether through external circumstances (flood or fires, for instance) or internal ones (such as hormonal changes, diet, or illness/ imbalance), and that these will play into events.

The T that Pallas forms with the Sun-Moon/ Earth is naturally tense; it takes the stress of a Solar eclipse, ups the ante with the event forming at 29 degrees, and then challenges the entire event with a question: Is this wise? The ‘this’ refers to whatever previous guidelines we navigated by and the way the eclipse brings them into question, or even obliterates them, proving them unwise or currently untenable. Pallas is in Sagittarius, so may imply that new information, facts, or exposure to another way of being or doing turns our ‘wisdom world view’ on its head; there’s also the chance that Pallas refers to practical or skill-based options that change with the eclipse event. Acquisition of new knowledge or skills may make old ones obsolete or make something that was once practical no longer so.

Remember, Pallas is a Warrior by birth, so we may come out fighting at the suggestion that what we thought was wise really isn’t, anymore; being nothing so much as skilled means that Pallas, after the first aggressive response, will likely look to her skill set to handle what comes forward. Realizing that even wisdom can be conditional, or can change with circumstances, is important in dealing with the kind of curve-ball the T will throw at us.

Pallas is also part of the base of the Fist; the T and the Fist may address two different Pallas in Sag related matters or may speak of just one that has several facets. A Fist of God can be as harsh as it sounds—it can represent a hard situation or conflict (the base square) that results in the apex, and whether that’s a positive outcome or a further frustration is often up to us. In this case, with the eclipse itself square Pallas as the initiating tension, we will likely see a New Moon event that challenges our ideas of wisdom and practicality (much like with the T), but the difference will be that resolution of this particular upset will either offer us entré to a wider social circle, will bring acquisition of new knowledge, philosophy, or belief, or could offer opportunity—the problem being that this may be forced on us, and feel more like punishment than a positive!

Jupiter is of course the supreme god, at least as far as those who gather on Mt. Olympus are concerned. As significator of the Fist outcome, this may suggest we feel very much at the mercy of some larger entity, something like society, which seems to call all the shots. It’s vital to remember at this time that this is a perception only; we are still able to fashion our individual choices and responses independent of the social sphere, should we truly want to—but making that choice holds consequences that we must be prepared to accept, should we go our own way.

This is an excerpt from the Solar eclipse article in ECLIPSE. Of course, we’re in Dark of the Moon territory right now, with Luna still to contact (by conjunction) Vesta, Mercury, Neptune, and Chiron before the Solar event–and that may mean a lot of restless energy, whispers just below hearing, looking for a place to express. This can be a very creative time, for those open to manifesting the urge that usually remains quiet in the unconscious–it’s accessible now; it’s as if we’re able to see into the dark corners of the mind, sensing things, with no need for direct illumination–take a look, see what’s in there.