Tag Archives: Lunar Eclipse

Lunar Eclipse in Scorpio 15 May 2022 Total Emotional Metamorphosis

Featured

Posted by in astrology, Full Moon, Lunar Eclipse, Sabian Symbols, T-Square

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

, , , , , ,

‘Butterflies’ By Odilon Redon c1910 {{PD}}

Is it the T-square formed by this Lunar eclipse, the Sun-Sedna, and the arm of Saturn-Vesta that will be most prominent, the T offering a dynamic emotional confrontation (probably over what we should see/ recognize, but don’t) that may be resolved through honoring real-world manifestations of what’s sacred (or that may conclude with the shut-down of some outlet we have been dedicated to)? Or will it be the trine to Mars-Neptune sending at least some of us chasing the Dream (or maybe, the mirage), or will we feel the delicate quincunx to Eris, as she extracts full-blown conflict from what should be minor discomfort? Much of what’s emphasized for the individual will depend on what in the natal chart is stimulated–but all of us are likely to feel the sweep of this Total Lunar eclipse in Scorpio (that happens to sextile ruler Pluto) as it digs deep, brings forward a Truth, unearths secrets, purges shame or guilt, resurrects what we thought lost, or brings a searing and complete end to something that once was a passion: vital, central, something we believed we couldn’t live without.

That’s the essence of it all, really, right there–to go on would just be extraneous. So, other energies in play may include the Jupiter-Ceres Cardinal square at 00 Aries-Cancer, respectively=the individual role within the larger social order or belief system (Jupiter in Aries) has to work it out with the sense of personal authority, and/ or the care-giving role(s) (Ceres), as they are chosen to show who and what we care about (Cancer). At time of perfection Chiron and Venus are still very close together in Aries, and semi-sextile Uranus=hurt in relationship may take on a too-singular view, losing sight of the fact that any interaction automatically involves more than one person, who also has needs and viewpoint of their own–and something in this arena could shock or surprise us–so get out ahead of it by keeping the needs of others in mind. And finally, Hygeia in Scorpio opposes Pallas in Taurus=what’s practical or wise will expose the weakness or rot behind what we’ve been calling healthy–not pretty, but infinitely useful.

I’d like to look at the Sabians involved in the T, as I suspect these will be the major energies felt by most. The Lunar eclipse Sabian is, ‘American Indians Making Camp After Moving Into A New Territory’. The question here is, is the new territory a place entered by choice, or was the move forced, remaining where one is untenable? Considering the general history of the Native American, we might infer that this move, whether willing or not, may be due to the incursion of others.

For the Sun we have, ‘A Spanish Gallant Serenades His Beloved’. The Sun, as light-giver to the Moon, may represent the catalyst: a (potential) invader, indeed, who likely sees himself as a ‘lover, not a fighter’–or maybe in the case of wooing someone, a (forceful) persuader. What does the T tell us? Saturn describes real-world circumstances or conditions: ‘A Butterfly With The Right Wing More Perfectly Formed’. That phrasing implies the left wing is perfect–the right is just more perfect! Is that even possible? There are no degrees of perfection. Add this to the symbol for Vesta: ‘A Tree Felled And Sawed To Ensure A Supply Of Wood For The Winter’. Storing up for the future, investing, in a sense. Does that suggest that exaggerated assessment, judgment, or appraisal is a kind of storing up, putting things in a kind of relationship bank? That can certainly be what someone serenading another is thinking–that the attention and flattery is an investment in the future–but what about moving into new territory?

To my mind at least one of the possibilities is encountering (or being) someone at the eclipse who goes into what for them is new territory: trying praise, flattery, and maybe a little smoke (!) in place of more aggressive methods for getting what they want. If you run into someone who’s, probably outside their usual behavior, trying a ‘catch more flies with honey than vinegar’ approach, you’ll know that they want something. It’s not necessarily nefarious in its current form, but whatever they’re aiming for, know that going along with it might eventually completely run you off what is, right now, your territory, your land. Be aware this condition is possible through the next eclipse set, 6 months down the road.

The event itself falls on the 15th, 9:14 PM PDT, at 25 Scorpio 17.

Lunar Eclipse 19 November 2021 Eraser

Featured

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

≈ 11 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , ,

‘Blackboard after Radical Digital Painting Lecture’ By Jeffrey Alan Scudder

Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0

The most striking thing to me, once again in recent Lunar events, is how few aspects are made, with those that are close also for the most part being minor–or, the aspect is to a minor body, as it is with the eclipse Moon-Earth approaching conjunction to Sedna. Long-time Readers know I see asteroids and other minor bodies as facets of the umbrella larger energy represented by the major planets–so the emphasis this eclipse on smaller entities emphasizes their particular nature, their ‘attitudes’.

This is a partial Lunar eclipse, meaning the Earth, as it lines up on the ecliptic with and comes between the Sun and the Moon, won’t create a shadow that entirely blocks the reflected light of the Moon. In symbolic terms this suggests a ‘mild’ eclipse effect (if that’s even possible!) so that, considering the minor aspect-minor body angle, what we might see are surrounding events that cast a more modest shadow on circumstances than we might expect. Changes, rather than devastation, as we might anticipate with a total eclipse or with strong contact to our own charts (see the previous post for one such example).

The eclipse occurs at 12:57 AM PST of the 19th at 27 Taurus 14, close to conjoining Sedna, suggesting that something might ‘click’ soon after the eclipse: we may realize what we ‘know but don’t know’, what has been sublimated, or only instinctively known, up until now. An eclipse is like an eraser run across the blackboard of life: It can wipe things away, sometimes even bringing a literal ‘clean slate’, but we’ll still see the remnants of what was, the ghost images of what was written before–and with this eclipse, we see that with the separating square from Jupiter and the separating trine of Pluto. Both imply these things are past, but recently enough that they figure into, even shape, the eclipse events. The Moon-Earth combo moving away from a square to Jupiter in Aquarius speaks of difficult material and emotional impacts of having acquired new knowledge or understanding, or of some social injustice or unrest–it may also hint that in some instances, we may have exaggerated the importance of this. The same duo leaving a trine to Pluto says that change or destructive/ transformative influences snuck in easily; only with the eclipse may we begin to realize how much the ground beneath our feet (Pluto is in Capricorn, after all) may have shifted, given way, or heaved up right under us.

We also see two lesser, but in this case probably no less important, aspects: a just-separating quindecile to Mars, and a sesquiquadrate to Venus–which happens to place Venus and Mars in sextile to each other. What may look harmonious on the surface, a blending and cooperative effort of different but equal, or of complementary ‘parts’ or energies, will reveal its more challenging facets under the Lunar shadow. The eclipse aspect to Mars is one that calls out extreme reactions, the obsessive, the disruptive, the restless, and speaks of motivations–in this case, perhaps actions taken or choices made as to what must go, must be eliminated or altered, what steps must be taken, and all with the aim of either ridding ourselves of a negative element or getting to the Truth (Mars in Scorpio).

With the aspect to Venus, we see slightly less tension, and something akin to excessive irritation, the kind that lights a fire under us. Venus is in Capricorn, possibly speaking of dissatisfaction with the status quo, with rules and regs, with constraints, especially societal ones, and these irritations are delivered through tension in relationships or surrounding the financial or asset picture. It could arise from some upset with someone we love and feel safe with, who under the eclipse light suddenly threatens the tidy arrangement we have–or it could be that our own efforts, especially artistic creations or things created out of our own love for them, won’t be appreciated by the larger social order. In any case, these are disruptive and disturbing elements that arrive in our lives in what seems like a very personal form–and so we may not realize everyone is experiencing these effects in some form.

What we thought we had, what has made us comfortable, what we see as assets or talents, is likely to get scrutiny, and get a shake-up, either from us or from the outside world, should we not respond to the need for change. The Sabian for the Full Moon eclipse is, ‘A Woman, Past Her “Change Of Life”, Experiences A New Love’. In this image we have a receptive agent (a woman), specifically post-childbearing years, who finds a new love. That seems to me a lovely reminder of the worth of a human being beyond any socially designated biological role. It’s also an image of optimism, of hope: one doesn’t have a prime for Love–that can happen any time. It’s an invitation to live life to its fullest.

We always inspect the Sun’s Sabian for a Full Moon as well: ‘The King Of The Fairies Approaching His Domain’. What Kingdom do you rule? This speaks of territory, physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, that you know is yours, that you have been aiming to completely master, occupy, or return to–you’re almost there, with the notation that the eclipse energy, no matter how it plays out, is meant to get you closer to this destination.

A Point of Fate: the Vertex

Featured

Posted by in Astro Lessons, astrology, eclipse, Finger of God, Fist of God, Full Moon, Lunar Aspects, Lunar Eclipse, Natal Delineation, the Vertex

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

, ,

‘Fate’ By Alphonse Mucha 1920 {{PD}}

A Reader has put forward a question on the meaning of the natal Vertex, and she’s interested not least because she’ll be experiencing the upcoming eclipse conjoined this point in her chart. I use the Vertex to add meaning to interpretation for individual charts–it can be very telling of what someone may be especially attuned to and sensitive to, seen by them as matters that are fated, for good or ill–but it seldom figures in to the transit picture, so I don’t often address it here on the blog, the exception being examining an event chart–then it can speak loudly, particularly as to the ‘inevitability’ of an outcome or effect, or to the unavoidable nature of the event itself.

The Vertex is defined as the intersection of the ecliptic (the path of the Sun) and the Prime Vertical (an imaginary circle keyed to a specific location–where the zenith–high point–and nadir–low point–meet in the east and west, these directions as shown in the flat chart). Yes, it’s a not-very-helpful description, but gives you some idea of how this attempts to measure extremes, both high and low, in the life; these tend to be the very kinds of events we see as fated, unavoidable, inevitable, destined. They shape the life, and can send us careening off in entirely new directions–just as eclipse contact to the natal picture can–so in a brief examination of the upcoming eclipse’s contact to this individual’s Vertex I’m hoping to illuminate how the Vertex (and eclipse impacts) have the potential to affect us all, particular to our own individual charts. The combined effect of an eclipse contacting the Vertex is a double-whammy, a wipe-out that shifts the very fate.

The eclipse, falling at 27 Taurus 14 and conjoined Sedna at 28.44, does indeed fall right on this Reader’s Vertex at 26 Taurus 24 in her Whole Sign 8th of other people’s resources and influence. Right away we’re alerted to the way the Lunar energy will impact (possibly even literally, with the eclipse in an Earth sign, echoing the potential for changes in the material situation, assets, talent expression, or comfort picture) the fate, the path forward, the destiny itself. Now, that sounds very dramatic, but the events themselves might not be; it’s not unusual for those path-changing occurrences and decisions to happen quietly, undramatically, unrecognized as the fate-shapers they are. How many times do we expect those life-altering changes to come with a big bang? Too many, as in looking back for those shift points, what we often see are that they happened in those quiet moments when our minds have changed, our attention goes permanently in a new direction, or when small choices lead to big shake-ups. That should tell us that not all things will be obvious or automatically bring devastating change; instead we should see an eclipse as designating a point of important change or development, that we might not recognize as such.

The eclipse will form the arm of a T-square with this woman’s 29 degree Nodal axis, and with her Mars, which is conjoined her NN. This suggests a life direction challenge offered in the form of a question: What should I do? What action should I take, or choice make? With the eclipse occurring in the 8th House, this may be a choice or action forced by others (and that may be as much this individual’s perceptions as it is the reality of the situation), and the unfortunate thing may be that this individual may feel they owe it to these others to comply–or that the actions of others must be responded to, that the individual has no choice. That’s not a great feeling, by any measure.

The eclipse also sextiles the individual’s natal Juno-Pallas conjunction in Pisces in the 6th (wise empowerment at the everyday level, the kind that is hyper-responsible and likely to make duty and obligations to others a top priority, along with a life-long effort to live in as healthy a way as possible, probably with an orientation to the spiritual and to the good of All–Pisces). Together the eclipse and this natal duo form the base of a transitory Finger of God, apex (the point both are quincunx) the natal Libra Ascendant. This ramps up the sense of what happens with the eclipse being very, very personal, to the point where the individual may feel singled out, even unfairly targeted. Why me? might be the initial reaction–but the practical spiritual orientation will quickly realize there’s broader meaning here, despite the personal circumstances in which it presents. Libra is already inclined to strong awareness of others and what they want–this may make that awareness almost painful in its intensity.

This eclipse also trines her natal Saturn in Capricorn in the 4th–and this Saturn happens to quincunx the natal Cancer Sun in its 00 10th House position. The quincunx suggests a perpetual questioning of the Self brought about by real-world experiences, with the Sun/ identity ‘new’ in the sign of caring and caring for, vulnerability, and emotional and intuitive sensitivity, meaning the Soul is attuning itself to a fresh orientation, a new perspective on the Self and where she fits in to the world. Considering all the ‘Other’ orientation of various natal placements, this should draw our attention to the way this Sun may suggest the individual is learning how she fits in with others, in what ways she’s obligated to them, where and how and for whom she should care–and with that it’s inevitable that there may be struggles to establish boundaries, and guilt about these that others may try to take advantage of.

Add in the eclipse to the Sun-Saturn dynamic and she may get a jolt to the identity–what she thought settled about who she is may prove not to be–and I suspect that what happens with the eclipse could trigger the Libra Moon to react: once Libra realizes things are out of balance, that she may be giving more than is reasonable, that Air element can kick in, diverting what had been an emotional reaction to be assessed by the mind–where lines will be drawn, even if the emotions are uncomfortable with it.

The Libra Ascendant is apex to the Finger, but we see fellow Libra placement, this sensitive and caring Moon, has another role: as part of the base of a Fist of God, as it’s squared at eclipse time by transiting Venus, with a configuration apex of the eclipse, plus transiting Sedna. This speaks of relationships or assets (Venus, which just happens to be ruler of the eclipse) creating difficult emotional responses or situations (the square to the Moon), resulting in an eclipsing event (that is, in something, that happens, or is perceived or felt) that wipes out the ‘old’ path or destiny (eclipse conjoined the natal Vertex), and this is known but perhaps not known consciously, or is felt instinctually (Sedna)–and that may imply that the emotional impact of what happens may actually obscure for a time the true changes that come about or are seeded by the eclipse activity.

Also of note is the Full Moon (which is what a Lunar eclipse is) position of the Sun in this whole thing, as it’s the light giver, literally. For this individual the eclipse Sun will fall in the natal 2nd, once again echoing the Taurean theme of assets and talents, along with concepts of Self-worth and personal finances/ assets. For this Reader, it appears to me the eclipse may bring some tough emotional situations, even showdowns, over who owes what to whom, for this individual requiring a reassessment of what she believes she must do for or give to others. The old way of seeing things is wiped out, particularly, with eclipse contact direct to the Vertex, the previous destined direction; an eclipse comes along and re-writes the book. A redrawing of boundaries may result, the kind that shape the path forward, which give new and perhaps unanticipated form to what, when it arrives, appears to have been destined all along.

I must note that this is the general outlook for the eclipse for a single individual; this applies to no one else. But, discussing it here does allow you to get a glimpse of how, in at least this one instance, the Vertex and an event like an eclipse might interact. I want to thank this Reader, for trusting me to study her chart, and for her generosity in allowing me to write about it publicly, so that others might benefit.

The eclipse report for the upcoming Full Moon will post shortly!

This ‘n That, On The Way to the Lunar Eclipse of 30 November 2020

24 Tuesday Nov 2020

Posted by in astrology, Configurations, current events in the sky, eclipse, Full Moon, Lunar Eclipse, Retrogrades + Directions, Sabian Symbols

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , ,

By Étienne Léopold Trouvelot 1882 Buy prints of his extraordinary work at https://publicdomainreview.org/collection/the-trouvelot-astronomical-drawings-1882

The upcoming eclipse is a Full Moon at 8 Gemini 38 at 1:26 AM PST of the 30th, and as with every Full Moon, we’re likely already feeling a building tension, attached to some matter either in the natal House where the eclipse occurs, or in some Lunar-related area of our lives (and that can be something involving your Lunar placement, something ruled by the Moon in the natal chart, or a Lunar topic in general, such as mothering, intuition, or nurture). This one, though, being an eclipse, brings a wipe-out to some kind of thinking that has become outmoded, shakes up ideas or perceptions, likely through difficult, unusual, shocking events, because of assertions by ‘the group’, or through accidents, serendipities, or sudden insights provided by Higher Mind (the Sun, which is of course opposed the eclipse and the illuminator of the Moon, quincunx to Uranus). With Full Moon events we alter our thinking or perceptions because of emotional or intuitive ‘enlightenment’ of one kind or another.

The eclipse is apex to a loose Fist of God with base of Pluto-Zeus, suggesting that eclipse revelations (another Uranian concept!) may bring resolution to conflicts between ambitions and desires (Zeus) and matters of Power (Pluto), now held, recently lost, or currently sought. It’s an equation arising from clashes, upset as catalyst to an answer that doesn’t just allow emotional satisfaction or relief, but that changes how we think, how we process ideas of Power and our own wants, as well.

If we really want to be loose with our numbers (and who doesn’t, once in a while, in the name of recognizing the flow of energy?) we can find the eclipse as part of the base of a Finger of God with a wide sextile to Chiron, apex a Venus that’s not really quincunx Chiron, but is linked via the Lunar event. The Finger implies if we can heal something about our own ego, our expression of Will, our actions and choices (which might mean forgiving ourselves for something we’ve done), or heal some concept we have around our own aloneness, whether literal or existential (all Aries, linked to Chiron’s current location), and do this in tandem with or prompted by eclipse events, then we can harmonize some schism, unite in relationship or via aesthetics, or discover some vital Truth (Venus in Scorpio).

Our Sabian for the Full Moon is, ‘A Quiver Filled With Arrows‘. The events of this eclipse arm us, give us plenty of chances to ‘hit the target’; whatever occurs, then, offers a kind of resource, something that facilitates our own activity. The Sun, light-giver and reason for the apparent eclipse phenomenon in the first place, has the Sabian, ‘A Mother Leads Her Small Child Step By Step Up A Steep Stairway’. Are we the mother, or the small child? I see this as the Universe being the mother, showing us the way, assisting us as we try to do better, as we try to climb. That means, then, that if you are knocked back a bit by eclipse events, that the larger flow is telling you that whatever you were trying or after isn’t for you–at least not right now. Taking a warning is always better than ignoring one, wouldn’t you agree?

For a little something on possible effects of eclipse contact to your natal chart, you can take a look here–

Before the Eclipse

The 25th-29th brings hurtful thinking (or possibly thinking that works at solving the kinks inherent to utilizing our skills), but also circumstances that firmly support our personal authority and expression, and this sets a success dynamic in place through the eclipse. If we dwell on slights we short-circuit the positive impetus, but if we examine hurt in light of how to heal, how to prevent further damage, and/ or for the part we played in its creation, we empower ourselves significantly, and open the door to both skill utilization and surrounding conditions that facilitate our intents.

Look at it like this: there’s a lot of good mojo available to those who 1) aren’t afraid of their own power, and at the same time willingly embrace genuine responsibility (and that latter is as opposed to saying one is responsible but not actually dealing with a matter); 2) those who actively value the most original and unique parts of themselves (and by extension, who accept those things in others); 3) who wield power in areas that are specifically appropriate to who and what they are (in the largest, Universal sense, not in the worldly ‘labels and qualifications’ kind); and 4) those who are both honest with themselves AND able to listen to instincts (being honest means the instincts are indeed instincts–not wishful thinking or personal propaganda–and so can be trusted). Center efforts on something meaningful to you at a Soul level, and you just might make significant progress at this time.

During this period we also see Neptune turn around in his home sign of Pisces (late afternoon PST of the 28th)–and he does so poised to make his first contact (excluding Lunar ones) by square to the Nodal axis. That suggests we all might get a dose of reality through our efforts to either move forward (NN), resolve the past (SN), or in trying to maintain continuity of past circumstances into the future (SN/NN axis). Generally, this direction should ‘lift the fog’, or otherwise allow more access to the creative (but also, make the pitfalls of the deceptive or deceitful more prominent, and so more difficult to recognize, as well).

Have yourself a merry little Thanksgiving!

Lunar Eclipse in Capricorn 4 July 2020 A Volatile Choice

02 Thursday Jul 2020

Posted by in astrology, Cardinal Activity, current events in the sky, forecast, Full Moon, Grand Cross/Grand Square, Lunar Aspects, Lunar Eclipse, Sabian Symbols

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , ,

See the forecast for the 3rd here–

The Full Moon perfects at 9:43 PM PDT of the 4th at 13 Capricorn 37–and just so happens to be a Lunar eclipse, the third and final eclipse of the recent set. We see an enormous concentration of energies in Capricorn right now, which contains the Moon, Earth, Pallas, Pluto, Jupiter, and Saturn, the latter at 29 tense degrees (with the Saturn situation suggesting real-world pressures from which we can’t escape). The thing about this is that the Sun, arbiter of where our attention goes, of what’s in the spotlight, is in Cancer, emphasizing our emotions, our connections to others, and matters of care and nurture; add to this that the Sun is only two minutes from perfection conjoining Vesta at the time of the eclipse, and we see that what occurs with this Full Moon will occur in the real-world (Capricorn, Saturn) even as our attention is on intangibles, feelings, and the ‘comfort and care’ picture (Cancer). We have emotion, then, on both ends of the eclipse axis, with the involvement of Cancer and of course the Moon. It also suggests that we will be striving to operate at the level of our highest values and commitments (Vesta)–and that may offer an added layer of stress as we try to meet our own high standards.

Illustration by John D Batten for “Indian Fairy Tales” edited by Joseph Jacobs, 1892 {{PD}}

We’ll set our orbs to ‘generous’, as that gives us a dynamic picture of eclipse events. There’s a sextile to Ceres, a trine to Uranus, and a sesquiquadrate to Sedna, which implies easy personal expression of authority or a ‘mothering’ attitude (which may include overstepping those personal bounds), an urge to spontaneity, originality, and inventiveness, and difficulty ‘hearing’ the instincts or in seeing our own blind spot. So, a great deal of progressive, get-to-it energy focused on those we care about or have dominion over, coupled with an inability to adequately hear our own inner dialogue.

And what sets all this off? A Cardinal Grand Cross formed by the eclipse Earth-Moon opposition to the Sun-Vesta, crossed by a very close opposition of Chiron to Juno, which, though it sits ‘behind’ the eclipse by degree, implies that a recent (and possibly ongoing) wound to the autonomy or empowerment situation ‘blossoms’ with the eclipse contact. This suggests the trigger to authority expression, boundary leaping, spontaneity, and lack of touch with instinct and our own weaknesses is seated in this recent hurt, and that it creates an unsolvable emotional dilemma: do we honor our feelings about the situation (especially its material aspects–Moon-Earth; that is, do we honor the wound?), or do we honor the call to be our ‘best Self’ via elevation of those highest and most refined facets of our identity and commitments (Sun-Vesta)?

‘Bergziegen (Mountain Goat)’ By Franz Marc 1913 {{PD}}

That’s the choice, and it won’t be an easy one in the moment, in spite of how it may appear an easy choice when laid out like this, pre-eclipse. The Sabian for the eclipse is, ‘An Ancient Bas-Relief Carved In Granite Remains A Witness To A Long-Forgotten Culture’. This may best be illuminated in light of the Sun and Vesta’s Sabian at this time as it ‘fills in’ the axis and provides the literal illumination of the eclipse scenario itself, ‘A Very Old Man Facing A Vast Dark Space To The Northeast’. In both images we are presented with ‘witnesses to history’, to what may have disappeared or been forgotten, lost in the darkness, and this may relate to the triggering wound set off by the eclipse, a hurt that we, or those who inflicted it, may have tried to consign to the shadows. Our blind spot also resides in our internal darkness, out of our sight, and may as well figure in to what occurs.

There’s an interesting aside in the way that a chart drawn for the Northern Hemisphere assigns the direction of northeast to the 3rd House (this is something we need to know in horary, for instance, when trying to locate an object using a chart). This House describes all kinds of communication, local interactions, our neighbors and siblings (and the oldest sibling, in particular), and the act of writing. This may hint that the eclipse involves one or more of these elements, and certainly suggests that our experience will be as much lived in interaction with the world as it is an internal event, seen only by us. Some situation that has caused us pain may be resolved–or may act to blow things up–but in either case, brings a kind of ending or denouement to an emotionally volatile scenario.

 

 

Lunar Eclipse 5 June 2020 A Crucible Moment

04 Thursday Jun 2020

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, forecast, Full Moon, Lunar Eclipse, Sabian Symbols

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

, , , , ,

By Jeff Keyzer from San Francisco, CA, USA – Open House at the CrucibleUploaded by PDTillman, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7065256

I heard someone the other day refer to current times as a “crucible moment”, and immediately thought of all the big gun combinations we’ve been subjected to, the dance of Saturn-Pluto-Jupiter, Uranus in Taurus bringing sudden shifts in the material realm and in personal assets and personal responsibilities, Neptune in his own sign manufacturing a fog so thick it’s making it hard to navigate, hard to trust others and, it’s so hard to see, we don’t really trust ourselves, either. Now add an eclipse in Sagittarius that threatens the very facts that underpin our reality, threatens to wipe out accumulated knowledge or our faith, and even threatens to make us dismiss our shared humanity by making us think 1) people are animals (Sagittarius, where the Lunar eclipse will land, happens to be the sign of large animals), 2) animals are part of Nature, and 3) Nature is against us (Covid-19, an assault by a natural invisible, Mars–assault–at the midpoint of Ceres–Nature–and Neptune–toxins, poisons, infectious diseases), and so 4) others must be against us, too (the death of George Floyd, among many others, is entirely too real an example of the extension of this fear to the point others are seen as not human; think also of the gassing of peaceful protesters so that the President could have a photo op, treating them as less than). The thing is, bad as the disparate parts are, they don’t lead, one to the other; that’s a fallacy. Our minds want to connect the dots, but the dots don’t exist in relation to each other, in spite of the way a susceptible consciousness might see them as related.

A crucible is a vessel that allows something to be subjected to high temperatures. Let something burn in a crucible too long, it becomes ash or evaporates; you lose or render useless the contents if you subject it to high temps with no end point. And we as human Souls may feel as if we’ve been in a crucible for much much too long, a heated environment of fear and legitimate threat from many sources that makes it difficult to grasp the facts, and to think of others as truly human. This eclipse may help.

Saturn is the container, analogous to our bodies and our realities, in both instances, something that surrounds the spirit, that contains us. Pluto is the process, in this case a transformation through a journey to hell and back, one that long-term breaks down all that has made us feel secure (Capricorn). Jupiter is both the indisputable facts, and the social element. These sit within a 7 degree span in Capricorn, with Saturn in Aquarius but retrograde and slated to re-enter the sign of the Sea Goat. Add to this Pallas, symbol of wisdom, practicality, useful skills, at 29 tense degrees of Capricorn, and we see the stress that our intelligence is under (and this is magnified by Saturn suppressing the intellect in Cappy). The proximity of these bodies to one another may give us the impression that they’re working in concert, but they aren’t; we may even be prone to characterize them as having a kind of consciousness, as if they’re deliberately getting together and making chaos, aided by the Neptunian fog and Uranian erraticism. The reality is each body does its own thing, while we look for the connections and the reasons why, and come up empty (if we’re relatively rational) or clutching a handful of conspiracy theories (if we’re too Neptune susceptible). These energies collide but have no intent, make for some synergies that we may interpret as purposeful, and so are the background against which this Lunar eclipse forms.

The eclipse occurs at 12:12 PM PDT at 15 Sagittarius 34 of the 5th. It makes a close square to Mars, a trine to the Black Moon Lilith point, and opposes Venus which is still retro and moving away from her recent rendezvous with the Sun. Here’s our connection to those bigger, broader social energies: the eclipse is semi-square both Saturn and Pallas, and novile Jupiter. A Lunar eclipse is a Full Moon, with all the promise of conclusions, endings, and peaks that a FM carries, with the added eclipse propensity to sweep away, to cause a re-set, to re-align, to disturb, to upset the status quo.

The eclipse may trigger anger and aggression, and a big need to make ‘I Am’ statements (Mars square), but why? Because we easily funnel what we have been agreeing to ignore or deny into consciousness–it pesters us, won’t let us rest–along with all the rage over injustices we’ve tamped down (trine Black Moon Lilith). We’re feeling removed from caring about what we usually value, distant from a prevailing sense of Love and relationship (Venus opp and retro), and this sets the stage for personal anger looking for an outlet–and it finds it in the irritating and threatening circumstances surrounding the reality picture (Saturn) and a sense of outrage that what’s wise isn’t being done, and is now at a breaking point (29 degree Pallas). And who receives our anger? The larger social order (Jupiter)–but wait, it might not be all bad (the novile), because what we may see is expansion of the energy of the eclipse ruler, the facts and faith finally bringing some sense of justice, of right.

The Sabian for the eclipse is, ‘Sea Gulls Fly Around A Ship In Expectation Of Food’. The eclipse may spark anticipatory energy, the expectation of a better social order within a better world, shaped from all this pain and suffering and from the Love and wisdom we normally feel much more pure a connection to, that we naturally carry inside.

It’s our crucible moment only in the sense that we are at a point when we can take things from the heat, when we can use the contents of our experience to make something new, to forge something better, and offer this to the world. So, what have the months and years forged in you?

 

 

Lunar Eclipse January 2020

08 Wednesday Jan 2020

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, Full Moon, Lunar Eclipse, Retrogrades + Directions, Sabian Symbols, Sun/Mercury Superior Conjunction, Uranus

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

, , , , , ,

Lunar Eclipse, from ‘Kitab al-Tafhim’ By Al-Biruni c1000 {{PD}}

The Lunar eclipse begins at 11:21 AM PST January 10th at 20 Cancer 00. An eclipse, Solar or Lunar, is an energy disruptor, with the Lunar being oriented toward endings, conclusions, denouement, resolutions, outcomes, final denials, or the finishing of one period so that a new one can begin. That’s what can be confusing about eclipses: the endings hold the seeds of beginnings, and the beginnings contain some finality. We couldn’t have one without the other, and sometimes its nearly impossible to tell in the moment whether what’s happening is the end to something, or the beginning to something else–but in some way, it’s likely both.

This Lunar eclipse in Cancer suggests we may stop caring about something or someone that had been important to us, or may withdraw nurturing from someone or something we have previously sustained, or one or both of these may happen to us, as someone else turns their concern in another direction. This sounds negative, but is really about finding the ending inherent in any relationship, which allows psychic ‘room’ for a new start. It may be felt more as a shift than an ending/ beginning, a movement of intention, especially supportive attention, to a different subject, and may show the end point of an old attention goal, the start of a new attention goal, or both.

The eclipse is involved in three major energy ‘clusters’: a T-square involving a loose conjunction of Juno and Zeus as the arm of the T, with Sun et al. as the balance; the opposition as its own dynamic, enhanced beyond the usual Full Moon opposition to the Sun by inclusion of Ceres, Saturn, Mercury, and Pluto; and the final a grab bag with a pair of individual contacts, possibly less strident in expression but no less significant, a wide, separating trine to Neptune in Pisces, and a very close but separating sesquiquadrate to Mars in Sagittarius.

This eclipse coincides with the Superior Conjunction of Sun and Mercury, with both semi-square Mars and mirroring the complementary aspect to the ones made by the eclipse–and of course, opposed the Full Moon itself. The Sun and Mercury are also conjoined by Ceres, Pluto, and Saturn, making for an intense grouping gathered within a less than three degrees span. In the context of the eclipse, this may suggest powerful forces that combine to create the eclipse effect–but this may not be an accurate perception. It may instead be a seminal perception, one that causes some mildly difficult actions and choices that bring forward another ending, this one initially planted at the Inferior Conjunction and now coming to fruition.

L’éclipse, acquaforta, by Félix Bracquemond, in Sonnets et eaux-fortes, Paris, 1869 {{PD}}

Here’s the thing: amidst the cacophony of endings and beginnings, the Saturn-Pluto meeting likely already will have set in motion a serious and permanent change dynamic keyed to Capricornian institutions, structures, rules, authority figures, power figures, the status quo, and generally pushing strongly and persistently toward breaking down the old order, the old construct, the old power balance, with ‘old’ simply suggesting ‘established’, and it should take both a personal version (related to natal contacts and/ or the House subjects where the eclipse falls in the natal chart) and a larger societal one that you personally become aware of and observe. There may be no telling one change from another.

Too, don’t expect total destruction; this could instead resurrect things, especially things surrounding what we believed already dead, as new life in a new form is breathed into them, supplanting the old order, but not with anything new. In so many ways, that’s a horrifying thought. There’s even the chance that current power situations are cemented in place, with change only in the surface appearance, if at all, the prevailing power structure firmly fixed.

The presence of Ceres suggests Nature has her say, or that our connection to the natural world undergoes a time in the Underworld and is then brought into our reality, our Beingness forever altered by the experience (an illness or near-death event, mourning, an experience of grief, an encounter with the unseen, a spiritual event, a birth, an encounter with a ‘ghost’, any real-world happening that plunges us into awareness of the unseen and the pattern of life-death-life). Or it could be that we see real-world authority change right before our eyes, transforming into something Other. No matter what, we’ll find out something about our own place in things, and about the reach and extent of our power to make change, and this in many ways could be a double-edged sword.

The difficult thing is that all this change, upheaval, transformation, and re-birth acts as a full throttle background to the eclipse; that’s where we may get the idea that the eclipse is the source, but the eclipse is only our emotional response, and so contains any changes prompted by that response. We react to the power situations, personal and in the wider sphere, and either communicate or receive messages that have been some time in the making.

The T-square suggests that in the course of all this power examination and potential upheaval we see conflicts or hard choices related to our empowerment, specifically how much ability we enjoy to pursue ambitions and desires. The separating trine to Neptune implies we’ve already approached ‘the Dream’ or are clear on our ideals (or thoroughly immersed in our delusion), with the sesquiquadrate to Mars telling us we’re actually in the midst of some uncomfortable or tough to implement choices or actions, know it or not.

Uranus is at this point stationary but still not direct, offering the tension of imminent chaos, but not breaking in that direction just yet. Uranus’ direction may free the rebel, unleash mayhem, strike a note of individuality or originality, or release the energies of Higher Mind, the latter prompting a possible ‘hand of God’ scenario carried out through groups or movements, or our own conviction about what’s needed and ‘right’.

Partial eclipse of the moon. Observed October 24, 1874. (Plate VII of The Trouvelot Astronomical Drawings 1881) By Étienne Léopold Trouvelot {{PD}}

Normally I don’t address other current aspects at a New or Full Moon, but Pallas quincunx and Venus square Sedna suggest a threat to what we care about via unwise or ill-advised Self-messaging. The instincts need modification, flawed as they are at present by one or more consuming fears or bits of misinformation/ void of useful information. Those fears are the kind we carry inside but don’t make conscious–and yet they leak out into our choices and what we do, often surprising us with their intensity and seeming irrationality as they bring forward startling emotional responses in ourselves. These energies work in concert with the Cancerian eclipse promise of closure to caring or nurture, and the hard-edged real-world power issues or changes in progress now.

The Sabian symbol for this eclipse is, ‘Venetian Gondoliers Giving A Serenade’. Of note is the way there are no minutes attached to this eclipse degree, meaning we take the Sabian symbol that leads up to and includes 20 degrees. This symbol points to people not necessarily in the same ‘boat’ but ‘singing’ together. It’s their shared status or function (gondoliers), their shared interest in entertaining or attracting ‘business’ (which could be acceptance, attention, or some other benefit), and possibly sheer delight in life, coupled with the acting out of ‘traditional’ roles, that causes their singing. But further, a serenade actually implies a chosen and present audience, and the desire to bring pleasure or persuade–and that may be related to both the power situation and the Superior Conjunction, with most ready to state their fully-formed argument for what they see, what they believe, in the hope they may bring others to their way of seeing. Others will sing, and we’ll decide how we feel about that, and make changes or take action as a result.

I don’t anticipate understanding this eclipse period until well after it passes. The best we can do, then, is be aware of the feeling dynamic, the sentiment, beneath what we see transpire. That may be our touchstone to meaning; feelings will connect us in ways the mind cannot, as it’s already reached a maximum point within the cycle (Superior Conjunction), and may not accommodate the ‘stretch’ needed for illumination. The Sabian for the Sun only reinforces this: ‘A Hidden Choir Is Singing During A Religious Service‘. It’s the unseen source of ‘song’ reflecting our core Beingness, our faith, and our viewpoint of established institutions and organizations we ‘believe’ in, and our emotional response to and interpretation of these, that can give us the most reliable information, right now.

More on eclipses here. For some this may be too elementary, and some of what’s presented is just a wee bit fanciful (I don’t think it’s provable that romance is enhanced during a Full Moon!), but still full of interesting facts.

16 July 2019 Lunar Eclipse in a Venus Sky

14 Sunday Jul 2019

Posted by in astrology, Born Today, current events in the sky, forecast, Lunar Aspects, Lunar Eclipse, Sabian Symbols

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , ,

The Milky Way arches across this 360-degree panorama of the night sky above the Paranal Observatory, home of ESO’s Very Large Telescope. The Moon is just rising and the zodiacal light shines above it, while the Milky Way stretches across the sky opposite the observatory. To the right in the image and below the arc of the Milky Way, two of our galactic neighbours, the Small and Large Magellanic Clouds, can be seen. The open telescope domes of the world’s most advanced ground-based astronomical observatory are all visible in the image: the four smaller 1.8-metre Aŭiliary Telescopes that can be used together in the interferometric mode, and the four giant 8.2-metre Unit Telescopes. The image was made from 37 individual frames with a total exposure time of about 30 minutes, taken in the early morning hours. ESO/H.H. Heyer CC BY 4.0

The Partial Lunar Eclipse is at 2:38 PM PDT of the 16th at 24 Capricorn 04, and perfects against a Venus-heavy sky, with Venus sesquiquadrate Ceres, quincunx Jupiter, and opposed Saturn. Since Venus is just inside combustion range of the Sun, we would expect its contacts to be less prominent–but in this case, we may see them as backdrop to emotion, passage-of-time, or feeling-based (Lunar) eclipse events, subtle ones that may either operate below consciousness or that we may be aware of but unable to give time or attention to.

Relationships and/ or assets, then, may be the underpinnings for eclipse impact, and may involve a situation where we are wrestling with who holds power in a relationship, or who holds spending power within a relationship, or in a situation where we can’t reconcile Love’s presence with the need to take responsibility and to set boundaries. The social sphere or some fact we’ve learned is calling for us to adjust our interactions or our finances, and we may have a hard time wrapping our heads around that (eclipse novile Jupiter). And then there’s the way we may be tempted to ignore the rules, boundaries, obstacles, or reality itself, when it comes to relationships or finances. All this makes for a disconcerting undercurrent–and then we have the Lunar event itself.

Falling in Capricorn, a Lunar eclipse suggests an ending to some sort of restriction, sense of discipline, support structure, or material reality, and it’s likely an ending where we are aware of its finality, even in some cases of the way we can do nothing about it. Restraints may reach a peak or disappear entirely, depending on your personal situation, but in either case the ending is clearly defined and makes an emotional impact.

The most startling thing may be the Lunar eclipse conjunction to Pluto, which implies the eclipse is a powerful moment, shot through with meaning in the form of Truth, and may incite transformation or obliteration at a core level. That’s a scary thought, but consider: there have been any number of life-changing moments you’ve already gone through, and nine times out of ten you probably didn’t know that was a transformational moment, or a course-changing event, until later, maybe much later.

Pause on this: that a Lunar event, one focused on feeling, and on bringing that feeling into a tangible or material sphere (Moon conjoined Earth in Capricorn) will occur, and it’s meant to bring completion to some matter related to the House where it falls or the matters this House represents in the natal chart, or possibly those represented by a natal body or point that is affected. Impact is inevitable, but the sense of catastrophe or loss is not. ‘Getting right’ with our own destructive impulses or urges toward power is the way to sail through this and even make the most of it.

The widest allowable aspect the event makes is a trine to Sedna (just under 4 degrees), which implies we know the meaning and impact of the eclipse at an instinctual level. It also implies information about the event is most accessible through the natural instincts, through being open to ‘what we know but don’t know’, which requires we trust ourselves–often easier said than done.

But there’s also a semi-square to the Black Moon Lilith point, suggesting that what stirs our instincts may be the rough edges around things we’re ignoring or denying, or that enrage. And then there is the novile to Jupiter, promising that whatever occurs at the eclipse, it will open up our world, will offer new or clearly perceived facts, will show those beliefs that are ‘right’, offer a religious experience, and/ or allow us to face emotionally-charged real-world events philosophically, easily seeing a way to process and accept what occurs.

The Sabian for the Lunar eclipse is, ‘A Store Filled With Precious Oriental Rugs’. These, even when the patterns are the same, are unique, one-of-a-kind creations–just like individuals. The eclipse, in pointing up our beauty as creations, also shows us the loneliness inherent to our form. Being one-of-a-kind carries with it the knowledge that we are separate, and the symbol also suggests that we are filled with things of worth (the store) and all we have to do to live that purpose is to be.

For a Lunar eclipse we also look at the Sabian for the Sun, since she is the light-giver that makes the whole show possible. The Sun’s is in Cancer: ‘A Willful Man Is Overshadowed By A Descent Of Superior Power’. This suggests that what casts the eclipse shadow in the first place is an instance of noticing our actual power in the larger scheme of things, and this is driven home by awareness of those who hold power superior to our own, and is so despite our very Arian inclination to Willfulness–which seems to point to the only item in Aries right now, Chiron. Is this a hint that it’s our own hurt at not having our way that re-aligns us with our effective place in the Universe, with a proportional understanding of each of us as an individual? Perhaps, though when we hark back to the Lunar eclipse Sabian, we might conclude that we are works of Art, and that we are unable to adequately express as long as we are wrapped up in our own heads, our own want, our own Willfulness.

Scroll down for the forecast and birthday look ahead for the 15th. Thank you, and Happy Eclipse!

For those born with the Sun at 24 Cancer. Check your natal chart for the correct Sun degree (you may want to read both the degree number and the one that follows, if you have minutes on your Sun position–together these offer a more complete picture of your year ahead). Dear Cancer, the emotional impact of this year, especially what happened just a smidge before your birthday/ Solar Return, can’t be understated–and yet, know that you must deal with ‘the facts’ honestly in order to move forward and embrace the Truth, and through it the Power, that is slated to be yours. If you don’t already have a form that this power can take and express through, you may want to spend your birthday considering what you ‘know but don’t know’, as well as facing what you’d rather ignore, and so finding out exactly what you should be doing, as you take your place in the vanguard of your social sphere, peer group, or profession. Good luck!

The table’s all set for a Happy Birthday. ‘Open Door on a Garden’ By Konstantin Somov 1934 {{PD}}

 

A Little Something On Eclipses

28 Friday Jun 2019

Posted by in astrology, eclipse, Lunar Aspects, Lunar Eclipse, Solar Eclipse, Transit Effects Explored, Transits and Cycles

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , ,

 

By Kudaibergen Urinbayev – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=46217328

Here’s a little something in general on eclipses and how they may impact the individual chart.

Total Lunar Eclipse January 2019 Wizard, Goddess, Magician

19 Saturday Jan 2019

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

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , ,

Rembrandt c1654 {{PD}}

First thing to note about the chart for the Total Lunar Eclipse occurring on the 20th at 9:15:57 PM PST at 00 Leo 51 is that it’s apex to a Fist of God with base of Venus-Jupiter in Sagittarius and Neptune in his own sign of Pisces. Eclipses are always some form of wipe-out or wipe clean, but this one brings a conclusion, ending, or change that carries an emotional punch, and possibly a material one, that spurs action (Moon conjoined Earth, Fire placement). It resolves some serious issues around enough/ plenty, social expenditure or investment, the realities of Love or Money, and how these are addressed through creative energies.

We know that when creativity is channeled it offers tremendous power, but at the other end of the scale when we absolve ourselves of all responsibility for that creative energy (in essence crying, ‘I’m helpless!’) Neptune invites chaos into our lives. In the case of this eclipse, what the event presents may challenge us to choose our response: will it be wizardly, where we do our damnedest (that is, approach efforts with a sense of confidence and a willingness to muster all our assets) to enhance the good, to expand Love or Money or some benefit to the social order, or do we throw up our hands, say we’ve been mislead or deceived, claim we don’t know, claim confusion, abdicate our own power and particularly our ability to create the reality, especially the emotional reality, we say we want?

We also see a loose Grand Cross with Pallas, the Sun, and Uranus. The Fire-Air combo in this configuration suggests dynamic action spurred by ideas, thoughts, or revelations. Like a magician’s trick, it balances the Lunar event with what we know to be wise or practical, with our conscious attention applied, and with a possibly sudden reveal, innovation, accident, or invention that now must be carried out/ made manifest–indeed, that may go well beyond a plan and instead be set in motion at this point.

A Water Grand Trine with Chiron and Ceres brings the Lunar event into harmony by utilizing our most unique skills and our natural place in the Universe/ or within Nature itself. In this we respond as goddess (or god), drawing on a deep and inherent level of skill and knowledge in cooperation with Nature and the place it gives us in the Universe. Sound too vague? Not if you picture yourself as a unique element in the vast expanse of existence, one that has a specific and original part to play, with this eclipse offering the ending of one emotional role (particularly one related to actions taken), and sowing the seeds of another via our own expression of skills, personal authority, negotiative ability, or in maternal expression of one form or another.

The Lunar eclipse Sabian is, ‘Blood Rushes To A Man’s Head As His Vital Energies Are Mobilized Under The Spur Of Ambition’. This suggests that what culminates with the Lunar event urges us to take action–not exactly surprising as the eclipse falls in a Fire sign. This may also relate to those base factors holding the eclipse as apex to a Fist: Venus-Jupiter is its own statement of ambition, of wanting more/ better, and Neptune relates to ideals–so may require both those to bring about the action the Fist implies, and this may translate as formation of a new and intense ambition or desire-aim.

We also look at the Sun Sabian since this is the source of all light in our system, which is, ‘An Old Adobe Mission In California’. The missions are beautiful, tranquil gardens now, spots for meditation or contemplation situated in the middle of crowded city blocks, so it’s easy to forget how they came to be. They were instruments of conversion, built by enslaved Native Americans the Church hoped to make their own and enfold into the imported European social order. It may be that whatever sparks the Lunar event may have a calm and appealing surface that hides an ugly past, or came about by means we wouldn’t even consider today. This is likely very particular for each individual, as unique as each experience of this eclipse is likely to be.

See the forecast for the 19th here–