An introduction to Eclipses
A Solar Eclipse is when our two luminaries, the Sun and the Moon, are in the same sign, at the same degree, much like a New Moon. What makes it an eclipse, instead of just any New 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 between the Sun and the Earth blocking the light from the Sun.
The Luminaries, the Sun and the Moon, light the way and I quite like that these celestial bodies have their own colliding "paths"– this means that eclipses are windows of a different kind of illumination and that, there is indeed, some kind of ephemeral direction we are both individually and collectively headed in. The dark Moon covers the light of typical clarity, giving the fate of our path over to Moira. This path changes often, twice a year at the eclipses, embodying kairos. I like to think of a train track lever shifting to suddenly route us down a different, unexpected path without much notice. 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 last Eclipse season
I always say it takes 6 months for an eclipse to fully complete itself and its story in our lives, but it only takes about 3 months to see what it's really all about. Look back at April 19th 2023 at the Solar Eclipse in Aries and May 5th 2023 at the Lunar Eclipse in Scorpio, since then, what has transpired? It'll be nuanced and unique for each of us, but themes that were very prevalent in the spring were:
a) Autonomy (the ability to trust yourself) and
b) New Paths Awakening.
I think a very underrated matter that belongs to the Martian signs (Aries and Scorpio) is autonomy. This is because their opposite signs are Venusian (Libra and Taurus) the signs of relationships and attachment. We've all been on somewhat of a self journey here, but we're about to incorporate the very opposite.
For those of us who didn't trust in ourselves, these last 6 months likely showed us what happens when we don't. Partnering with the wrong people, frustrating results on various projects, crushing obligation, lots of "I should've..." but there was likely a huge learning experience, allowing us to step fully into the autonomy that the next chapter requires. On the other hand, many learned how to trust themselves through creation. Learning about confidence, transformation through pain, what actually makes you happy versus what you've adopted because other people tell you that it should make you happy. It's no coincidence that Mars retrograde preceded the eclipses and Venus retrograde dominated the summer in a fire sign, this often gives the sensation of urgency, wanting to hurry up and get to the success part, but realizing that you haven't been successful because your goals have changed, because you have changed. In my opinion, this year as a whole, was the first installment to a new identity.
With a Lunar Eclipse in Scorpio back in May... that comes with a lot of <capital L> Loss. If I don't have this anymore than who even am I? If you've had one long identity crisis, this is pretty Martian. Mars is the planet governing what we do, what our motivation is, the treat dangling over our heads. After a 6 month period of identity release, we are now confronted with what that means for a Venusian Eclipse season.
Starting with...
The Solar Eclipse in Libra perfects on Saturday, October 14th at 12:56pm CST. The Sun and the Moon are conjoined at 21º of Libra with the South Node at 24º Libra creating a Solar Eclipse.
The Major Aspects:
• Mercury at 17º Libra opposite Chiron at 17º Aries (0º orb)
• Mars at 1º Scorpio trine Saturn rx at 0º Pisces (1º orb)
• Sun-Moon at 21º Libra conjunct South Node at 24º Libra (3º orb)
• Sun-Moon at 21º Libra conjunct Mercury at 17º Libra (4º orb)
• Sun-Moon at 21º Libra opposite Chiron at 17º Aries (4º orb)
• Venus at 5º Virgo opposite Saturn rx at 0º Pisces (5º orb)
Additional Chart Features:
• Mercury is combust and heading toward its superior conjunction with the Sun
• Venus in Virgo is the ruler of this Solar Eclipse as well as Mercury, the South Node, Jupiter, and Uranus
• Essential dignity: the Sun is fallen in Libra, Venus is fallen in Virgo, Mars is domicile in Scorpio; Mars has bound support; Saturn and Mars have decanic support
Delineation for the Solar Eclipse in Libra:
I think it's always helpful to say, eclipse season is a time where everything is up in the air. Instead of trying to forcefully make something happen, let invisible hands guide the wheel of the ship, you can make sense of the direction when the storm settles. Resting and staying hydrated is the best thing you can do. This delineation could resonate for the time period that you are in now, but remember, an eclipse is a 6 month journey. This will run in the background until next eclipse season.
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The Sun and Moon are in the last decan of Libra ruled by Jupiter and typically associated with the 4 of Swords in Tarot– I'd like to connect this to Saturn in Pisces.
In March of 2023 (at Saturn's ingress), all the lights went out. We are stumbling in the dark, trying to remember the layout of the room based on a faint memory. Saturn in Pisces has been about the unknown, the gods and voices that only approach at night, it's left us all feeling a bit lost and aimless. The nighttime hours are magical and sacred for ritual, enchanting with a drink in your hand, but it's also the land of nightmares where we might drown in a feeling for too long. Until 2025, this is our great lesson– trusting in what we can't see, surrendering to the dark room. Saturn wants us to cry, really digesting all of the emotion swallowed during the 6 year Saturnian winter (2017-2023). The biggest plague of this transit is remembering. Impeccable memory can chain us to impermanence even as we are the only thing that has outlasted it all. It's hard to be the last one standing with only the aftermath, it means you have to move on, it means you have to create something new from the things that didn't survive.
The trouble with starting something new is letting go of the iron grip gluing you to the wall. By now, we've tripped enough in the dark that finally finding a corner, a steadying force to hold onto, it feels like an oasis compared to being out there without direction. We might even reason with it– maybe this isn't a direction, but it's safe.
This Solar Eclipse, over these next 6 months, we are leaving safety. I bring up the 4 of Swords in Tarot, the Jupiter decan of Libra, because it is a card about inner vision. Maybe before, as the lights were only just disappearing, it was new. It reminds me of the lights going out at school and for some reason, all of the kids scream in response. Panic and shock is the first reaction because of the realization that we've taken our sight for granted! People get weird in the dark, it can be dangerous in the dark, there's also a freedom that the dark affords. No, you can't see others, but no one can see you either. Inner vision emerges and it is much more powerful than outer vision. So, maybe there is an uncertainty of the outside world, but that only means that something within is growing stronger. Like how losing your hearing will heighten your other senses as a result, the brain remodels itself, it finds a different way.
Libra is about having strong principles. The only way you know if you're truly aligned with your own principles is not by sitting on them in theory, but by actually putting them to the test in the face of a challenge. When you are faced with desire, will you actually do what you say you believe in so powerfully? Or will you use the lack of vision as an excuse. Jupiter is already the planet of power and law while Libra is about doing only what is just, not using the newfound power for every whim. The truth is, when most people are faced with a challenge, their principles fall away and they give in to human nature. I think the 4 of swords can be about rest, but it can also be about laziness. I don't mean this in a physical sense at all, but rather, the laziness of misunderstanding. The kind of laziness one chooses to embody when refusing to use someone's correct pronouns, or to call someone by a different, easier name because it's more convenient than the challenge of learning. Maybe one of your principles is respect, but you perjure yourself every time you intentionally take the inconsiderate, habitual way.
Recently, someone told me that they were "praying for my health" after finding out I had to have surgery, but then I tested positive for COVID and suddenly there were no prayers for that. It became a political issue. Something that this person could choose not to believe in even though this illness has created much more fatigue and trouble for me than the health issue that requires surgery. This is the laziness of the 4 of swords. This example is even more perfect thinking about how this card is usually depicted in a church, someone in surrender, rest, and prayer. In this case, this person is lazy, purposefully choosing to abandon their principles of praying and caring for another's health, refusing to acknowledge a health issue just as impactful when it upsets their convenience. That is one of the sole reasons why people ignore this illness but not others, it requires them to put effort into wearing a mask and it requires responsibility and consideration for others. They have to suddenly confront their own role in the world leading them to abandoning one of their own principles: To love thy neighbor. Instead it's now: My neighbor is crazy.
Libra can choose not to see at times, putting themselves in the dark. Like in the 2 of swords, ruled by the Moon in Libra, blindfold over the eyes. Or the 4 of swords eyes closed in "prayer" (when it's convenient). Sometimes it takes the 3 of swords, ruled by Saturn in Libra, a hard truth, a heartbreak, to open up the eyes and to let the truth flow in the form of tears.
Now, Libra is also about relationships. It wouldn't be a Solar Eclipse in Libra if I didn't bring that up. A Solar Eclipse begins a cycle of relationships and I believe something very powerful is occurring as a result. Long standing relationships– romantic, business, familial, platonic– many will be falling away due to the proximity to the South Node. This makes things in this realm smaller, there is a disruption to whatever precarious balance existed before. We're taking off the blindfolds, discovering what we have chosen not to see for so long.
The eclipse is ruled by Venus in Virgo who is mutually receiving Mercury... but, they are averse (no ptolemaic aspect), meaning that this is actually called "generosity" in astrology. This puts even more emphasis on vision! They would help more if they could, but they can't see each other. I imagine that this eclipse will initiate newer relationships in our lives too, especially ones that were missed connections in the past– people we didn't have the wisdom to see before, but this initiation requires a certain amount of trust. It's like making a friend through a vent in the floor. You can hear one another, but you can't fully see who you're making a deal with. This creates challenges with trust, with the certainty that the other is carrying out their end of the deal. You have to trust that when the time comes, they will act on the principles they advertised to you.
Venus in Virgo is so picky, some of us need this quality desperately. Our blindness (and laziness) can perpetuate relationships that should've ended long ago, heinous crimes forgiven instead of reprimanded because it felt safer, easier that way. If there are any relationships that aren't aligned in principle and purity, ones held onto out of attachment or the desire to take, these will not survive this cycle. Mars in Scorpio is intent on revealing secrets while Venus opposing Saturn requires a level of severity and finality to both relationships and monetary matters. There is a clear struggle between letting go and the desire to control, personal health and the notion of unconditional love, criticism and disappointment. On the other hand entirely (as transits to Libra do present options, or at least, dynamic situations), it's possible that such stark censure, resistance, or disapproval can push us away from partnerships that could actually help us. An unwillingness to trust or a deep sense of unworthiness can hinder relationships or monetary opportunities from forming at all.
The best solution is to consult the inner vision and the principles you want to live by. No, you can't see the person on the other side of the vent, the tiny print on the contract you're signing, but you can't stay where you are forever either. Maybe a principle you're wanting to live by is giving new people the benefit of the doubt before jumping to conclusions. Libra is the sign of decisions and decisions must be made, so what does the inner voice say? What does the body say? Knowing yourself, trusting yourself (the North Node is in Aries after all), will benefit you in all decisions in this next chapter. The Eclipse and Mercury is opposing Chiron so we will have to confront wounds of the past, especially the wound around self trust.
With Mars under the Sun's beams and in Scorpio, trine Saturn, I advise the collective to tune into your instincts. There could be a hidden, deviousness to this Mars transit and to this Solar Eclipse. Still, it's a fine balance between collapsing under the obsession of scrutiny and watching your back, your health, the quality of the relationships and environments around you. Mars in Scorpio trine Saturn in Pisces helps us to sustain long term projects between these two areas of life when they are correct, but it can also create a too trusting attitude that will surely teach us a hard lesson about listening to ourselves and our principles.
The Aries-Libra axis is about creation. Aries due to its novelty, the ability to forge something new, but Libra because of its refined nature. Overall, we can expect refinement, especially in the houses where Virgo and Libra are active. There is a great work forming, something chiseled, something that will make a lot more sense when it's finished. It's important to remember that Libra, the sign of decisions and judgement, has a domino affect. The wrong decision can tank your creation, the right one will sustain it.
Libra's creations are beautiful. They are centered around aesthetic, what looks good, deep knowledge about palette, curating a balance, what and who we're in love with– the symbolism of two eclipses in Venusian signs shows a powerful cycle beginning here, transforming Venus. If you thought you went through a glow up this summer? Just you wait. The only thing to consider here is Venus in Virgo as the ruler, Venus falls in Virgo meaning that our downfall is perfection. We have to actively counteract this with a focus on health instead of the beauty, the relationship, the aesthetic, the money, (etc.) itself. When we tend to our health, the rest of the steps will fall into place. This is a powerful 6 months for changing the very status of your life, but Venus in Virgo will only appreciate the natural, not the fake and perfectionistic, because then it wouldn't be healthy.
Examine the principles that you want to live by. What is your personal reasoning and decision making process like? Have you been acting in accordance with this fully and completely? Or have you made leniences for others, for specific situations, or for a desire of yours. Where are you actively making room for your own laziness and toxicity? Who are you making excuses for– this happens within relationships quite often, excusing a lie from a romantic partner, while you have higher standards for a friend. Where have you been unfair to yourself and to others? This, in my opinion, is a big part of this chapter.
Above all, take it easy. This is a heightened period, there's no need to rush or force. Urgency will only hurt you this month.
Rising sign horoscopes
Aries risings
The eclipse in your 7th house is ruled by Venus in the 6th house. Relationships are pronounced especially for you over these next 6 months. Pay attention to work relationships and any resentment or toxicity you may feel within personal connections. Take care of your health.
Taurus risings
The eclipse in your 6th house is ruled by Venus in your 5th house. It's possible that you could be taking care of someone younger than you, or the work that you are doing is all for some greater, passion project. If you don't enjoy your daily life, you'll feel the heaviness of it, not to punish you, but to motivate change.
Gemini risings
The eclipse in your 5th house is ruled by Venus in your 4th house. Home, family, children, and your own childhood will be important these next 6 months. You may be uncovering some ongoing patterns that began in childhood or reassessing the relationships you keep around out of familial obligation. Justice for your inner child is overdue.
Cancer risings
The eclipse in your 4th house is ruled by Venus in your 3rd house. Moving homes within the next 6 months seems plausible, but this is also about the quality of communication you have within your family unit. The way that you think and perceive life is naturally influenced by the people who raised us, it may be time to learn something new, change the narrative.
Leo risings
The eclipse in your 3rd house is ruled by Venus in your 2nd house. This chapter of your life is focused on creating the money, resources, and confidence for something. It's likely that it has to do with a learning endeavor, friends or siblings, or your local environment. You'll be exploring how you fit into your environment and newfound skills.
Virgo risings
The eclipse in your 2nd house is ruled by Venus in your 1st house. Over the next 6 months, something is changing in the realm of priorities, financial situation, and personal talents. Combining finances for a big endeavor is likely, just make sure it's what you want for yourself too. This is impacting your self esteem and self trust in a major way.
Libra risings
The eclipse in your 1st house is ruled by Venus in your 12th house. You are in the process of shedding old versions of you, the mystery of you. Things that have hidden themselves from you and why things have been this way for so long will no longer allude you. Get to know yourself by giving up what you initially thought was right for you.
Scorpio risings
The eclipse in your 12th house is ruled by Venus in your 11th house. You are being confronted with your deepest fears and conquering them in a major way. Decisions in the past may have been made out of fear of how others perceive you, but this is changing. Let go of the friendships, communities, and interests that are dead ending.
Sagittarius risings
The eclipse in your 11th house is ruled by Venus in your 10th house. This chapter of your life is about your future and who and what this is projected from. Some people and goals in your life are not going where you are going, but that doesn't mean there aren't more connections and opportunities on the other side.
Capricorn risings
The eclipse in your 10th house is ruled by Venus in your 9th house. The next 6 months is about learning and seeking out your bigger picture. Travel and deep wisdom is available to you to achieve the goals you set out to. Be prepared to feel a bit like an alien, let go of partnerships that cap your potential.
Aquarius risings
The eclipse in your 9th house is ruled by Venus in your 8th house. You're learning something valuable, but there is often a price to pay. Some will be funding a learning opportunity, a major trip, or a health procedure. Others will be discovering the ancient vault of wisdom locked away in the past (you'll be relieved once you face this).
Pisces risings
The eclipse in your 8th house is ruled by Venus in your 7th house. You may be combining your assets with someone over these next 6 months, maybe even becoming closer than you thought. It's important to release relationships that don't make you feel safe in intimacy, the ones you can't trust in the dark.
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Cover Art by Dorothea Tanning
"Pushed by Both Sides" 1984