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in what is born at this time, each contact suggesting that what came before with that energy is eclipsed, wiped out, or superseded.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.