An introduction to Eclipses
A Lunar Eclipse is when our two luminaries, the Sun and the Moon, are in opposing signs, at the same degree, much like a Full Moon. What makes it an eclipse, instead of just any Full Moon, is the proximity to the Lunar Nodes, the points where the Moon's orbital path crosses the Sun's annual path. The Moon passes into the darkest part of the Earth's shadow which colors the Moon red, you may hear the Lunar Eclipse called a "blood moon" as a result.
Calling this a "blood moon" has such specific symbolism, thinking about how it's a substance that keeps us alive even as it's often associated with death. It is the loss of blood that is so fatal, we're often grossed out or even ill in seeing this thing that is supposed to live inside our bodies, unseen, it's a sign that something is either not quite right or that something is being shed. Like the Solar Eclipse, it is a time of giving the fate of our path over to Moira as she suddenly routes us down a different, unexpected path without much notice. However, the Lunar Eclipse symbolism is a bit different– it could be that, instead of struggling for clarity, we are all too aware. Blood does stain, it is physical evidence of what has just occurred.
It's important to pay attention to what happens around the eclipse dates, the characters and themes that present themselves are catalysts for the next 6 months.
Reflections on the Previous Nodal Cycle
This eclipse is a final installment in a series of lunations that began with the Lunar Eclipse in Taurus on November 19th 2021. You may want to look back to 2021, reflect on what has changed within the Taurean house in your personal chart since then, something is coming to a conclusion here.
This was two months before the nodal axis moved into Taurus and Scorpio and just one month before Venus stationed retrograde in Capricorn. Mars and Mercury were both in Scorpio as they are at this lunation in 2023, Jupiter in a fixed sign, and of course, Uranus still in Taurus. I mean wow! The symbolism of this transition, much like before and after photos, is too perfect. The collective was preparing for a Venus retrograde, while in 2023 at the final Lunar Eclipse in Taurus (until 2031), we have freshly emerged out of a Venus retrograde.
Venus is an important signifier as the ruler of Taurus, one we have spent quite a bit of time discussing this year as she has ruled both eclipses this fall and currently rules Jupiter and Uranus in Taurus.
When Venus has a retrograde, these are times where we see the uglier, polarizing sides of her especially related to attachment, jealousy, envy, destitution, controlling and self deprecating attitudes towards what we deserve, what is valued, and what is owed. Typically in the pre-shadow phase, these things begin to unfurl and spill out into our lives in ways we can no longer ignore, this was actively happening Fall of 2021. Post retrograde, where we are now in Fall of 2023, we leave with a sense of clarity around relationships, resources, and our very self esteem, usually feeling as though we've gone through some sort of evolution. Since this Venus retrograde was in Leo, the inferior square from Taurus, this has laid a foundation for these final changes. For the last two years, as a collective, we've been living out large and significant story around what we personally value– beginning with a Venusian rebirth and ending with one.
Value is such an umbrella term, it's why I love astrology so much, we can see why there are connections between value, but also our very security– both Taurean themes. Even if you haven't experienced a notable change within your finances and physical security since 2021, you've probably experienced fluctuations within your sense of self worth, talents, and personal abilities. How much you've invested in the things most valuable to you, has likely reflected in your sense of inner security. It can grow in either direction depending on how you've nurtured these things (Taurus is opposite Scorpio, the sign of polarity). You've either fallen into bitterness, resentment, and loss or you've advanced, benefitting from your investment one way or another.
The previous nodal cycle and eclipses in Taurus have also been grounding initiates back to a natural homeostasis. This is a sign that can have a tendency toward excess, but when it's healthy, Taurus thrives on the wholesome, the traditional, the things that are known to work. You may have found yourself drawn to cleaner eating, keeping only the necessary and safe individuals close, and focusing on the essential in life. Again, it's opposite the sign of polarity, so I'm sure there has been plenty of room for the lavish and indulgent, but generally I have found the collective to be quite choosey with what they will accept going forward. From now until Spring of 2024, we have one last chapter to write in the story of resource, value, and cultivation of quality.
Let's talk about this last lunation and how it might create lasting change within the next 6 months.
The Lunar Eclipse in Taurus perfects on Saturday, October 28th at 3:25pm CST. The Sun and the Moon are opposing at 5º of Scorpio-Taurus with the North Node at 24º Aries creating a Lunar Eclipse.
The Major Aspects
• Mars at 11º Scorpio opposite Jupiter at 11º Taurus (0º orb)
• Mars at 11º Scorpio conjunct Mercury at 10º Scorpio (1º orb)
• Venus at 18º Virgo trine Uranus at 21º Taurus (3º orb)
• Moon at 5º Taurus sextile Saturn at 0º Pisces (5º orb)
• Sun at 5º Scorpio trine Saturn at 0º Pisces (5º orb)
• Moon at 5º Taurus conjunct Jupiter at 11º Taurus (6º orb)
• Sun at 5º Scorpio opposite Jupiter at 11º Taurus (6º orb)
Additional Chart Features:
• Venus in Virgo is the ruler of this Solar Eclipse as well as the South Node, Jupiter, and Uranus
• Essential dignity: The Moon is exalted in Taurus, Venus is fallen in Virgo, Mars is domicile in Scorpio; Saturn has decanic support
Delineation for the Lunar Eclipse in Taurus:
In the Solar Eclipse article, we heavily discussed Saturn in Pisces as this planet exalts in Libra, tying the last eclipse directly to the larger Saturnian journey that ends as the nodal cycle through Aries and Libra does in 2025. Though for this eclipse in Taurus, I think we need to talk about our other social planet, Jupiter, who is currently in the same sign and conjunct the Moon. Regardless, keep in mind that Saturn is still in a close aspect with this Lunation as well.
Jupiter is the planet of justice, but typically our rougher experiences with Jupiter can be attributed to its bulging, swelling quality... because like, how can we benefit from justice when something is blown out of proportion? I think this is how we can make the distinction between the sign Libra and the planet Jupiter's definition of equity– they are different. Libra's dilemma is often the choice between what it desires most and the choice that is best for all. When choosing based on desire instead of on what is truly fair, Libra might find itself in unfair predicaments, caught in the middle. It's a very personalized sign, existing within the nuance of relationships and seeing many conflicting sides as a result. With the last eclipse in this sign and the South Node still in Libra, it's likely that these themes are still running in the background. However, Jupiter, is a larger kind of justice, one that isn't concerned about the personal nature of what seems fair to an individual, but instead governs the larger cultural society and what it deems acceptable.
I lay this out to explain the nature of the planet, but then, it's also currently retrograde at the time of the eclipse. It may not be that one is morally wrong for say... not wanting to subscribe to the nuclear family, just as an example, it may be that the cultural values of the country they live in does not permit another way. This is both the nature of Jupiter retrograde and why this planet rules over foreign lands, the act of traveling somewhere else to find acceptance and justice for an individual need. Bulging, swelling, expanding beyond one's roots to find this is necessary.
Jupiter ingressed the sign Taurus on May 16th 2023 and stationed retrograde at 15º Taurus on September 4th. It will not begin moving forward again until it reaches 5º on December 30th, the exact degree of this eclipse. Not only does this eclipse foreshadow a turning point to kick off 2024, but it also indicates that there's something not quite aligning between us and the societal, religious, political, cultural, or literal environment we find ourselves in currently. Now, obviously, because Jupiter is such a global planet, we see this happening in the world around us. There's a great divide between countries occurring right now with wars between Russia and Ukraine (which began back within the 6 month time frame of the Taurus Lunar Eclipse in 2021– I expect we'll see some kind of climax with this between now and Spring 2024) as well as Israel and Palestine. This is the kind of collective struggle that falls under Jupiter's domain, a planet of justice and power. In both cases, there is a great imbalance, a powerful country unfairly attacking a much smaller one.
In our personal lives though, it's likely that there is this power struggle stretching or pushing us out, leaving us searching and traveling to find others who support our own views and values as a result of being restricted or shamed by whatever the "norm" is within the house Taurus rules in our charts. A family member of mine has the Eclipse conjunct Jupiter retrograde in his 4th house of home and real estate, his ongoing eclipse story has been about building a house. It's much more profound than that though, I've witnessed him growing out of a smaller, halfway falling apart home that was supposed to be temporary but has taken decades of his life. He finally gets to leave a place that he's felt so much shame over as it quite literally falls apart around him. It was the "norm" within his family to have a nice house, but that hasn't been financially possible for him personally, until now. There is an upgrade here, as the final eclipse in Taurus perfects, he'll be moving into a higher quality home that he's spent the last two years combing out the details for. These next 6 months will be a kind of settling, catching up to what he's been missing out on all this time.
Even more, he has a natal Jupiter retrograde. He left the safety and security of his family to make his own way as a young adult. Traveling and moving around to find where he might fit, where he could create his own legacy without being suffocated by the societal beliefs of his own birth place. I believe this is his reward for trusting in a different way.
I wanted to share this because it speaks to so many layers of Taurus and to this eclipse story– its deliberate, leisurely nature. What is available to us according to our bank account or our hierarchal status in the world. The echo of self investment, even if it's taken decades, has finally made it's way back around to benefit the investor. This Eclipse being so close to Jupiter retrograde, it may be a moment of rejoining society or making a tough choice to leave what is known to find what fits for us. The Lunar Eclipse allows us closure above all, even if our closure is actually the opening of a new door. Perhaps something failing terribly only to show us that we were deserving of much more all this time.
The ruler of this eclipse is Venus in Virgo who is in a close trine to Uranus in Taurus. Things that we thought were unattainable, impossible, or simply very far in our future may come through a lot sooner than expected. This can also look like connections and resources "breaking free" especially from some sort of expectation or standard, maybe even abruptly. I think this is a call to remember possibility, know that what is true for (what seems like) everyone else, can look differently for you. It's important not to be tricked into settling for something just because you don't think you can do better– there is always another option when we are patient enough. Eclipse season is a time where we walk down paths that we never thought we would take, I think Uranus intensifies this sensation, it's very much a "Oh, you thought this was it?" moment.
It is interesting, Jupiter the planet of exploration and discovery paired with Uranus the planet of surprise and foresight in the sign of Taurus, a sign that is above all, comfortable, stubborn, and resistant to things like travel and unexpected happenings. It prefers to do things the traditional way, with an "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" kind of attitude. With Jupiter and Uranus in Taurus, we see mountains moved. It isn't comfortable, it'll likely feel like a lot of work or at the least, a lot of worry is involved (the first decan of Taurus is Mercurial and particularly anxious) but it also means we see more progress in this area in a shorter amount of time than we are used to. Try to be as open as you can during this eclipse, even if your resources feel unstable and the ground beneath you is shaking, I do think you'll be pleased once it all settles.
You may very well need to leave what has been stationary in your life either right this moment or within the following 6 months, but it's better to feel the wave of disruption now than to realize you've been stuck much later. This eclipse cycle will complete itself as Jupiter moves on into Gemini in May of 2024– even if nothing seems to be happening now, you can expect a widening to occur before Jupiter ships out on his next voyage.
There is of course, that Scorpio stellium opposing the Moon and Jupiter in Taurus, too. If you've been following my work for awhile, you'll know I hate the term "transformation" for Scorpio. It's over used and has lost its true meaning (everyone forgets how taxing transforming is), but that doesn't mean that there isn't some truth to it. "Trans" means across and "form" means shape or the way in which something exists. Scorpio has many lifetimes all in one, but it isn't flighty or flippant about changing form, it's a fixed sign often loathing change. Scorpio doesn't wake up one day and decide to be completely different, it is often through extreme loss or gain, having things taken or given without asking. Over time, Scorpio has lost and gained and lost and gained until it is no longer phased by the oscillation that once alarmed or even destroyed it, but there can be a deep disappointment to be back here again. So it might develop a dangerous kind of control instead, obsessing about what it has and what it doesn't, obsessing over how exactly it got back to rock bottom, or once it rises again, obsessing over the potential of losing its gains.
This is a treacherous slope that can ultimately lead to pushing others away, losing more than they've already lost, not realizing the value in presence. Shedding is often necessary for Scorpio to reach its next steps, but by thrashing and kicking through the pain (instead of sitting in it, feeling it) it often sheds things that were unnecessary or even more harmful to lose. I know of countless Scorpio men in particular who have lost literal body parts (eyes, legs, feet, arms, etc.) because they chose pride or reckless behavior (Leo is in a superior square to Scorpio) over self betterment. The issue with those who are beings of mutation is that they often feel the change so powerfully before it's happened, jumping into the initiation of change before it's truly time (Scorpio is also square Aquarius, the jittery sign of the future). If Taurus is patience, I imagine Scorpio may represent impatience that leads to the sudden "death" of a situation. Sometimes this is not necessary.
I actually experienced something like this earlier this year back at the Lunar Eclipse in Scorpio as a Scorpio ascendant. I was feeling tortured by a relationship in my life in which I could find no clear way out of. It was a precarious situation, I wasn't wanting to create drama or animosity, feelings of abandonment, or display a lack of diplomacy... at the same time, I was suffering under the unfair obligation of this relationship. I decided to wait, distancing myself as much as I could, but overall choosing non action amidst the confusion. Not even two months later, the relationship came to a natural end. It finalized itself as I sat in the discomfort of it and I actually learned a lot about myself and "what went wrong" in the process. Scorpio can be known for a clean cut, but if you can't stay still, a limb might get cut off in the process. Or more likely, you may stab someone's heart instead of the intended tie that bound you before. It doesn't have to be like that. It can be a graceful loss, a welcomed loss even.
To relate it all back to this Lunar Eclipse, with Jupiter retrograde, we are needing to leave. Over the next 6 months, many of us will be leaving our previous circumstances where we've felt shame and alienation. Many are wanting to find an environment with those who understand and support us spiritually, politically, or just, generally. In order to do this, we have to look to the Moon in Taurus– instinctually understanding our own values first before deciding if something else aligns or doesn't. We also have to look to the Scorpio stellium in the sky, can you wait for the correct timing in your current discomfort so as not to cut off the wrong resource or to create an unnecessary spectacle of yourself? Collectively, we will be feeling the tension between our desire for comfort and our desire for a natural ending to something. By December 30th when Jupiter stations retrograde, we will likely have a clearer idea of the direction we're traveling in. By Spring of 2024, all within this cycle will complete itself– gently if we can embody the patience that Taurus is asking of us.
The Rising Sign Horoscopes
Aries risings
Since 2021, you've felt the rumbling of an earthquake beneath every value you thought you stood for. You may have come to the realization that the old, stuck beliefs you held were holding you back from true abundance. While you've likely gone through significant financial and dietary changes, abundance is above all a state of being. Over the next 6 months, you are traveling to new heights as final epiphanies download and you let go of anything that is depleting mind, body, soul, and pocket.
Taurus risings
Since 2021, you have been the rock formation slowly developing and the mountain that now needs to be moved. You may have come to the realization you have evolved and changed past the previous versions of you and that many of your old ways of relating are no longer supporting you. I imagine your personality, style, likes and dislikes, and general outlook on life have been deeply altered already. Over the next 6 months, you are traveling to new heights as final epiphanies download and you let go of anything that is not resonant with the current you.
Gemini risings
Since 2021, you've been addressing where you feel most out of control and have hopefully, embraced this. You've likely come toe to toe with your deepest insecurities, any voids that have swallowed your self esteem and personal sense of security. I imagine you've been exploring your mental and spiritual health, hopefully nourishing this metaphysical body back to health. Over the next 6 months, you are traveling to foreign lands as final epiphanies download and you let go of the dis-ease, hopefully finding your footing in presence and surrender.
Cancer risings
Since 2021, the horizon line that once seemed unmovable and so sure, has likely begun to look shaky and paper thin as you've grown closer to the goals and plans you once held. You've likely had to address the instability of the future, your communities, and have had to unpack the "why" behind what you used to envision for yourself. The point of all of this was so that you could find goals, friends, and interests that are more aligned and better made for who you have the potential to be. Over the next 6 months, you are awakening to this full potential and are likely gaining admiration in the process for bringing the future into the now. Hope springs eternal as you travel towards greater support and authenticity.
Leo risings
Since 2021, your reputation and overall status has emerged from its cave, positioning you towards the sun and (hopefully) a higher quality life as a result. It's possible you've assumed more responsibility, have grown either closer or farther from your parents and authority figures, and have made significant career strides. You've been relating to the world differently as you find your own values and priorities regardless of the principles you were raised with. Over the next 6 months, you are forging your own path, establishing more stability within any big life changes coming forth as a result. You may make some kind of move, whether physically or in rank. Look for quality wherever you decide to go!
Virgo risings
Since 2021, you've traveled, explored, experimenting with distance and difference, soul seeking past your usual limits. You've likely learned a lot! It's possible that you've added to your wealth of skills by going back to a traditional way either through a class, a mentor, or simply, life as your teacher. This has significantly upgraded your belief system, even as you've been challenged with the values you hold by others and their very different way of seeing the world. Over the next 6 months, it's possible that you're taking a pilgrimage of some kind (literal or figurative) falling deeper into god, goddess, or gaia's arms. You are deepening your personal philosophy and ability, moving mountains for yet another part of your journey.
Libra risings
Since 2021, you've purged and shed massive amounts of literal and spiritual weight. With Taurus positioned on the 8th house, you are the rising sign that benefits from loss in extremely tangible ways. Leaving behind the physical often results in experiences of a higher quality– but this journey is certainly not done yet. Over the next 6 months, you still have more baggage to leave behind, processing and reprocessing the heavier experiences and ultimately changing form, crystallizing. Your shared items, spaces, and investments are leading you in different directions and solidifying your changing values and security.
Scorpio risings
Since 2021, you've likely connected with all kinds of people, some of them temporary, some reconnections, a few new and unexpected people, and even the old and steady. No matter what your personal relationships have been like, you've likely left many behind, the ones that couldn't see your true value. This process has helped you understand what you truly want out of your connections and has mirrored to you the parts of your own identity that have needed release in order to align with higher quality individuals. Over the next 6 months, I imagine you will be connecting with significant relationships, but you may have to venture out to find them. The greatest stability is found in taking a risk, that's the paradoxical nature of Jupiter and Uranus in Taurus.
Sagittarius risings
Since 2021, you've been focused (whether you wanted to be or not) on your health. It's likely that digestion, the quality of your food and environments, as well as how valued you feel in your everyday life has been the theme. The purpose of this was to help you build a supportive routine that is truly reflective of and aligned with how valuable you truly are. Hopefully this self investment has payed off in ways that you are beginning to see. Over the next 6 months, you are trying new things, maybe even changing direction to find this supportive lifestyle. The natural will always be most effective for you, stepping away from the excessive as well as any resentment that has kept you stuck.
Capricorn risings
Since 2021, you've been exploring your inner child (or perhaps, the topic of children generally), the past, and how you enjoy your life. Our childhood years are often where we learn about our inherent worth and value, this may have been something you've had to remediate, affirming that you are in fact, here to love your life. It's likely that you've come into your creativity like never before and have been assessing how you approach love relationships. Over the next 6 months, you are solidifying any epiphanies, especially in how your values and standards have kept you stuck in a false sense of love and enjoyment in the past. If you've had blocks in this area, it's time to shift your direction, traveling to find your true passions.
Aquarius risings
Since 2021, you've seen significant family, real estate, and inner world changes. A big theme for you has been overcoming familial wounds and creating a higher quality life for yourself as a result of breaking through the limits that have held you back previously. You've been examining the generational patterns of stuckness and stubbornness, ultimately deciding how you want to live going forward. Over the next 6 months, you may be traveling in a new direction in this area, adding to your family, moving into a larger space, or growing in your understanding of your inner world, you are discovering what anchors you by doing something very different than you have in the past.
Pisces risings
Since 2021, you've been examining your own stubborn perception of the world. It's likely that your ability to communicate, while typically stationary, has deeply changed and grown as you've broken down the information that you have, restructuring it to fit the mind you are building. Like a computer update, any information held in the files of your mind has been upgraded with a higher quality lens in which to examine it all. Over the next 6 months, you are likely to learn something new, broadening the way you think and see. Above all, it is your environment and the routines that you may hold within it that are expanding and changing you as a result. Be open!
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